Commentary on the Book of Daniel by Steven Rudd
The Book of Daniel and Revelation provide a detailed timeline of historical and prophetic events. This commentary explores the significance of the various visions, focusing on the kingdoms and the chronological periods described in the text.
The Five Kingdoms of Daniel 2
Daniel 2:44 states: In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever."
The five kingdoms of Daniel 2 are identified as follows:
- Babylon
- Media-Persian
- Greek
- Roman (Rome 49 BC)
- Church/Kingdom of Christ on Pentecost AD 33
Daniel 7: The Little Horn and the Persecution of Nero
The primary focus of Daniel 7 is the little horn who wages war with Christians. Daniel 7 addresses the 1260 Days and 42 months, specifically the Nero persecution from 64-68 AD. While Daniels visions are presented in a chronological sequential order of the four kingdoms, the ten kings are out of chronological sequence to make Nero the horn to be noticed. The vision of Daniel sees a total of 11 kings that indeed sequential from Julius to Titus, but first he sees 10 kings, except for Nero, the 6th.
Daniels initial vision notes: After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among/between them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts." (Daniel 7:7-8)
The Angel interprets: The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One... and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time." (Daniel 7:23-26)
Prophetic Timelines and Historical Context
The following table summarizes the key prophetic periods found within the book of Daniel and their historical fulfillments according to the commentary.
| Scripture Reference | Time Period | Historical Context / Event |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel 2 | The 5 kingdoms | Rome 49 BC + Church kingdom |
| Daniel 7 | 1260 Days, 42 months | Nero persecution: 64-68 AD |
| Daniel 8/11 | 2300 days + evenings | Antiochus Epiphanes 167-164 BC |
| Daniel 9 | 70 weeks, 490 years | Ending at Resurrection |
| Daniel 12 | 1290 Days, 43 months | Ministry of Christ |
Key Interpretations of Chapters 8 through 12
- Daniel 8/11: 2300 days + evenings = 1150 days: Antiochus Epiphanes 167-164 BC.
- Daniel 9: The 70 weeks, 490 years ending at Resurrection.
- Daniel 12: The 1290 Days, 43 months: Ministry of Christ.
Futurists are hopeless with their speculations as depicted in fictional movies like left behind and the rise of the antichrist. Instead, historical evidence suggests that Nero fits best as the little horn. The reason the last horn was seen coming up last among all the others was because he was different in that he persecuted Christians unlike any of the other 10 kings.