from assisting us in
fixing the chronology of certain events. The first beast signifies
the Babylonian Empire, corresponding to the head of the image in
Nebuchadnezzar's vision; the second, the Medo-Persian, corresponding
to the breast and arms of silver; the third, the Grecian,
corresponding to the belly and thighs of brass. The description
of these beasts shows that in one sense they are successive and in
another sense simultaneous.

I have already shown that the entire image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream
was standing in the days of Roman ascendency, when the kingdom of
God came. The same fact is brought out in the chapter now under
consideration. After mentioning particularly the fourth beast, Daniel
says, "As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion
taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time"
(verse 12). When these kingdoms lost their independent sovereignty,
they still continued as provinces, ruled by another similar power.

[Sidenote: The fourth beast]

The description of the fourth beast directly concerns our subject:
"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast,
dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron
teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with
the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were
before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold,
there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were
three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in
this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great
things" (verses 7, 8).

The interpretation of this beast given by the angel possesses unusual
interest. "Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom
upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour
the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise"
(verses 23, 24). Since the interpretation given by Daniel identifies
the first kingdom with the Babylonian Empire, we have an infallible
starting-stake. Therefore the "fourth" kingdom represented by the
terrible nondescript beast of chapter 7 is none other than the Roman.
The ten horns of this beast are interpreted to signify ten kings,
or kingdoms, thus representing the ten minor kingdoms into which the
Roman Empire was finally subdivided.

The description gi