Emperor Domitian: The Beast (666) of Revelation
RevelationStudies: The Beast
It is my contention to demonstrate through the following study
that 666, the Beast of the Book of
Revelation, was the Roman Emperor Domitian. It is a
plausible explanation, and it follows the rules
of hermeneutics.
The Date of the Writing of the Book of Revelation
Most people tend to date the writing of the book of Revelation in the middle to late 90s of the first century.
I, however, do not believe Revelation to
have been written sometime in the 90s of
the first century...
... but more likely around sometime before AD 70.
It seems to me that internal evidence in the
Book of Revelation indicates that Jerusalem existed at the time the
book was written:
Herod’s Temple AD 66
"...and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.” (Revelation 11:2)
First Century JerusalemThe passage we just read from Revelation 11:2 tells us the nations SHALL tread under foot the
holy city, a FUTURE event in terms of the writing of the book.
Destruction of the Temple in AD 70
Rome besieged Jerusalem for 42 months, culminating in its destruction in August of AD 70.
Coincidence? I think not.
Where Was Jesus Crucified?
Revelation 11:8 also says, "...where also
their Lord was crucified.” Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem. From these two verses
we know that Jerusalem still stood as
of the time of its writing.
Dating the Book of Revelation
Jerusalem did NOT exist during the 90s of the first century due to the great destruction from three
decades previously.
The Beast (666)
Those living in the first century knew who 666 was: "Here is wisdom.
He that has understanding, let him count the number of the Beast; for it is the number of a man: and
his number is six hundred and sixty and
six.” (Rev. 13:18)
Using and Applying WisdomThose living in the first century could calculate who the number of the Beast is: They simply needed to use
and apply wisdom.
The Woman Rides the Beast
Pictured in chapter 17 is a harlot riding
upon the Beast (666). The Beast
(666) supports her.
Who is the woman?
The book tells us itself:
The Great City Is Rome"And the woman whom you saw is the great city,
which reigns over the kings of the Earth.” (Revelation 17:18)
"The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits....” (Revelation 17:9)
Rome, the City of Seven Hills
Rome sits upon seven hills.
The woman, we are told, is a city.
She is the great city, which reigns over the
kings of the Earth.
Roman Emperors ruled over the city.
Rome Reigned over the World
Notice the tense of the verb "reigns" - it is PRESENT tense.
This means that the great city was reigning over the kings of the Earth at the time of the writing of the Book of
Revelation.
The Great City Is Rome
The great city, in my opinion, is undoubtedly Rome, which was the capitol of the world in the first
century.
The woman, the harlot, is Rome.
The Book of Revelation is about the fall of this ruling city.
God Will Judge This city is targeted for the wrath of God.
When this city becomes no longer dominant over the world, the
wrath of God directed towards Rome is
finished.
There will be terrible consequences for the
nations that were closely affiliated with
her!
The Dragon's Partner - The BeastIn chapter 13 of Revelation, we are told a Beast
comes up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns. His heads stand out (Revelation 13:1). John reports that they were "blasphemous" heads, railing
against God and His things.
The Dragon Gives the Beast His Power
The Dragon is the one who gives the Beast
"...his power, and his throne, and great
authority.” (Revelation 13:2)
Satan empowers the Beast. He is a tool, a minion, of the devil. He is a ruler upon the
Earth.
The Death-Stroke Healed!
"And I saw one of his heads as though it had been smitten unto death; and his death-stroke
was healed: and the whole Earth wondered after the Beast....” (Revelation 13:3)
The Beast Once Existed
One of the identifying marks as to learning the identity of the Beast is the fact that he
once existed, was slain, and has now returned.
One Head Is the Pawn of Satan
The Beast as a whole is a composite of all
seven heads.
But one head, we are told, is the pawn ofSatan and is being
used to attack the first century Christians.
People Are Amazed at the Beast
The heart of the Book of Revelation is
dealing with this one head, which SEEMS to be a reincarnated
individual.
The people react in amazement. "...and the whole Earth wondered
after the Beast....” (Revelation 13:3c)
Nero “Reincarnated” as Domitian
There was a bizarre myth that arose after Nero’s
death.
Nero committed suicide in June of AD 68, and few eye-witnesses saw his body.
It was said that one day Nero
would return at the head of
Parthian armies to destroy Rome.
This became the so-called "Nero
redivivus" myth.
Nero “Reincarnated” as Domitian
However, a rumor arose and persisted that he had not died but had fled
across the Euphrates river to Rome’s arch-enemy, Parthia.
In fact, during the decades following Nero’s death, several pretenders did
come forth claiming to be Nero (Tacitus, Histories 1.78; 2.8;
Suetonius, Nero 57). By the turn of the first century a further twist was
added to the Nero legend.
Nero “Reincarnated” as Domitian
It was said he would actually rise from the dead, return to Rome and seize the Empire.
It was in this context that Revelation was
written.
Nero “Reincarnated” as Domitian
This myth of Nero’s return so captured the popular fancy that it
found its way into Jewish and Christian apocalyptic writings.
Many of these writings had a triumphant Nero pictured as the
antichrist (Ascension of Isaiah 4:1-14; Sibylline Oracles 4:119-124;
5:137-154, 361-374).
The People Worship the Beast
The people worship the Beast because he is so powerful,
saying,
"Who is like unto the Beast? And
who is able to war with him?”
(Revelation 13:4b)
The People Worship the DragonNo man on Earth is as powerful as the Beast. The
people of the Earth can not defeat the Beast, so they surrender to him. These people also worship the Dragon because he gave authority to the Beast:
The Beast Blasphemes God
"...and they worshipped the
Dragon, because he gave his authority unto the Beast....” (Revelation 13:4a)
The Beast is arrogant and blasphemes God. (Revelation 13:5-6)
The Beast’s Time Is Limited
He only has authority to act for a forty-two month period: "...and
there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and
there was given to him authority to continue
forty and two months.” (Rev. 13:5)
Remember that the Dragon only has a short time. God is allowing the Dragon to take his
best shot.
However, the time frame is controlled by
God Almighty Himself. God allows this to
happen:
War with the Saints
"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them....” (Rev. 13:7)
The Earth Worships the Beast
The Beast is so powerful that "...all
that dwell on the Earth shall
worship him....” (Revelation 13:8a)
Everybody, that is, but the saints:
The Saints Have the Lamb
"...everyone whose name has not been
written from the foundation of the
world in the Book of Life of the Lamb
that has been slain.” (Revelation 13:8b)
The Beast Rules over Other Nations
The Beast is a worldwide ruler.
He has "...authority over every tribe and
people and tongue and nation.”
(Revelation 13:7b)
RevelationStudies: The Beast
It is my contention to demonstrate through
the following study that 666, the Beast of the Book of Revelation,
was the Roman Emperor Domitian. It
is a plausible explanation, and it follows the rules of
hermeneutics.
The Major Symbols ExplainedChapter 17 begins
with this statement: "Come hither, I
will show you the judgment of the great harlot that sits upon many
waters....” (Revelation 17:1b)
The Major Symbols Explained
John is now being shown what certain things in his vision mean. John continues
by saying he saw a harlot riding on a seven headed, ten horned beast:
The Major Symbols Explained
"...and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-
colored Beast, full of names of
blasphemy, having seven heads and
ten horns.” (Revelation 17:3b)
The Woman Needs the Beast
She would be worthless without the Beast that supports her. We are told who the harlot is: "...and upon her forehead a name written,
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF
THE EARTH.” (Revelation 17:5)
Woman Drunk on Blood of Saints
She is "…drunken with the blood of
the saints, and with the blood of the
martyrs of Jesus.” (Revelation 17:5b)
Who is this woman?
The Woman Explained
"And the woman whom you saw is the
great city, which reigns over the kings
of the Earth.” (Revelation 17:18) She is THE great city, not
A great city. The woman is THE ruling
city.
The Woman Is Rome
Notice the word "reigns" is in the
present tense. As of the time of the writing of John's vision, the woman was reigning over the kings of the
Earth. The woman was undoubtedly Rome.
The Waters Explained
Verse one of chapter 17 says, "Come hither, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot that sits upon many waters....” What are the
many waters? John tells us:
The Waters Explained
"And he said unto me, 'The waters
which you saw, where the harlot sits, are
peoples, and multitudes, and
nations, and tongues.’”
(Revelation 17:15)
The Many Waters Are the People and Nations Subject to Rome
If the harlot is a ruling city, she must rule over subjects. The many waters are her
subjects, John says.
The many waters are the people of the Earth who were subjects of Rome, who ruled the
multitudes, nations and tongues of the Earth.
The Ten Horns Explained
What do the ten horns of the Beast represent?
"And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet; but they receive authority as kings, with the Beast, for one hour.”
(Revelation 17:12)
The Ten Horns ExplainedThe ten horns are sub-
kings of the Beast:
"These have one mind, and they give their
power and authority unto the Beast.”
(Revelation 17:13)
"These shall war against the Lamb, and
the Lamb shall overcome them....” (Revelation 17:14a)
The Ten Horns Explained
These ten kings have not come to power yet at the
time of the writing of the Book of
Revelation.
They will come to power shortly and
will give their support to the
Beast, giving him a greater
worldwide hold on the peoples.
The Seven Heads of the Beast Explained
"Here is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits: and they are seven kings; the five are fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come; and when he
comes, he must continue a little while.” (Revelation 17:9-10)
The Seven Heads of the Beast Explained
The seven heads represent two things and only two things. FIRST, they are seven mountains on
which the woman sits. This is a second confirmation that the city is Rome.
The Seven Heads of the Beast Explained
We have seen previously that the woman is the great city, Rome. Rome sat upon seven hills.
The Seven Heads of the Beast Explained
The Seven Hills of early-Rome were the Cermalus, Cispius, Fagutal, Oppius, Palatium, Sucusa, and Velia.
SECOND, as the Scriptures say, the seven heads also represent seven kings.
Five of those kings have died. One rules at the time of the writing of the book.
The Seven Heads of the Beast Explained
Another we are told will come, but only remain for a little while.
The Beast (666) is one of the seven heads of the Beast of the sea.
The Beast Demands WorshipThe main characteristic of the Beast is that one of
his heads is "...as though it had been smitten unto death; and his death-stroke was healed....”
(Revelation 13:4b) He demands worship.
The Beast Demands Worship
He has "...authority over every tribe and people and tongue
and nation.” (Revelation 13:7b)
His number is six hundred and sixty and
six. (Revelation 13:18)
The Seven Heads Are Seven Kings
As we have learned already, the seven heads are seven kings. (Revelation 17:9-10) The
total of the seven heads represents the Roman Emperor system up to a certain king, which has been designated 666. It starts off pretty
straight forward. Five kings we are told have fallen (died). One king is currently ruling. He
rules as of the writing of the book of Revelation.
Here Comes the Tricky Part...
This makes six kings. Revelation 17:10 says, "...the other is not yet come; and
when he comes, he must continue a little while.” This is the seventh king.
So far, it has been pretty simple.
However, it is about to get tricky….
Then Comes the Eighth King
Revelation 17:11 says, "And the
Beast that was, and is not, is himself
also an eighth, and is of the seven; and
he goes into perdition.”
Then Comes the Eighth King
The Beast (666), we are told, is also an eighth king, and is said to be one of the seven.
Remember, if you will, the words in verse nine: "Here is the mind that has wisdom.”
Then Comes the Eighth KingJohn was telling his audience that they COULD figure this out, but it would take WISDOM, and not SPECULATION.
Who, then, is the eighth king, the Beast (666)? That will be explained shortly.
Who is the Eighth King, the Beast (666)?
As a reminder, John has given us a few clues as to the identity of the Beast: "And I saw one of his heads as though it had
been smitten unto death; and his death-stroke was
healed: and the whole Earth wondered after the
Beast....” (Revelation 13:3)
Who is the Eighth King, the Beast (666)?
"And he exercises all the authority of the
first Beast in his sight. And he makes the Earth and them
dwell therein to worship the first
Beast, whose death-stroke was healed.” (Revelation 13:12)
Who is the Eighth King, the Beast (666)?
This one particular head
is the head which appears
as if it had been slain, but
is now seemingly
alive again.
Who is the Eighth King, the Beast (666)?
"And all that dwell on the Earth shall
worship him, every one whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb that
has been slain.” (Revelation 13:8)
Who is the Eighth King, the Beast (666)?
"And the Beast that was, and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is of the seven; and he goes into
perdition.” (Revelation 17:11)
Who is the Eighth King, the Beast (666)?
John says this one particular head is one of the seven, but is really an eighth.
It was, meaning it existed in the past in this beastly form.
It had not yet taken on its new beastly form as of the time of John's writing, so it is to come once again in its beastly form in the
future.
Who is the Eighth King, the Beast (666)?
It will go to destruction,
and it will be worshipped.
The Woman and the Beast Need Each Other
We have seen how the Beast is directly tied to the woman,
which rules the kings of the Earth at the writing of John's
vision.
They need each other.
The Seven Heads Are Seven Kings
The composite Beast of John's vision is made up of the seven heads and ten horns.
Revelation 17:10 says the seven heads "...are seven kings; the five are fallen....”
The Seven Heads Are Seven Mountains
The seven heads are also "...seven mountains, on which the woman sits....” (Revelation 17:9b)
The Beast's seat of power is Rome, and the city and the Beast are linked intrinsically together as one.
The Ten Horns Are Ten Kings
The ten horns are "...ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet; but they receive authority as
kings, with the Beast, for one hour.
The Ten Horns Are Ten KingsThese have one mind, and they give their power and
authority unto the Beast.” (Rev. 17:12b-13)
Note that the ten kings will give power and authority to the Beast in the future from John's perspective.
The Ten Horns Are Ten Kings
They will yield to the authority of the Beast.
They will unite their forces with him to
destroy the people of God.
This we are told will come to fruition when
this eighth king "…that was, and is not…"
(Rev. 17:11b) comes into power.
What about the Eighth King?
There is no doubt that John is talking about Rome and the Roman Emperors.
This Beast ends with the eighth king, but there is seemingly a problem, and that is that the eighth Emperor, Vitellius, does
not fit the profile John has given us regarding the Beast (666).
What about the Eighth King?
1. Caesar Augustus 27 BC - 14 AD2. Tiberius 14 AD - 37 AD3. Caligula (Gaius) 37 AD - 41 AD 5 HAVE FALLEN4. Claudius 41 AD - 54 AD5. Nero 54 AD - 68 AD6. Galbo 68 AD - 68 AD7. Otho 69 AD - 69 AD 3 PLUCKED OUT8. Vitellius 69 AD - 69 AD9. Vespasian 69 AD - 79 AD IS CURRENTLY RULING AT TIME OF
WRITING10. Titus 79 AD - 81 AD 1 TO COME, WILL REMAIN A LITTLE
WHILE11. Domitian 81 AD - 96 AD THEN THE BEAST, AS IF SLAIN, BUT WOUND
IS HEALED
The Problem
The difficulty we have is that if we count the Emperors one through
eight, we come to Vitellius.
We know five have fallen, and that is easy
to see.
The ProblemGalba would seem to be the one "…who
is…” and Otho would seem to be "...the other is not
yet come; and when he comes, he must
continue a little while.” (Revelation
17:10b)
The Problem
That brings us to Vitellius as number eight in line, but he
simply does not fit, as he did not hold office
long enough to do these things of which
John tells us in his vision.
A Clue to Help Our Understanding
The explanation of the seven heads begins with these words, "Here is the mind that has wisdom.” (Revelation 17:9a)
John tells his audience they can figure it out if
they apply wisdom.
A Clue to Help Our Understanding
One hint is found in Revelation 12:14b.
God protects and nourishes the
woman who gave birth to Christ.
(Not literal Mary, but spiritual Israel.)
A Clue to Help Our Understanding
The time period of protection is
described as "... for a time, and
times, and half a time, from the
face of the serpent."
Revelation and Daniel 7
This reference to a peculiar time frame is
done on purpose to mark a trail back to
Daniel 7.
The time phrase TIME, AND TIMES, AND
HALF A TIME equals three and one half
years.
The Book of Revelation constantly uses this time frame,
and sometimes is shown as 1260
days (Revelation 11:3) or 42 months
(Revelation 13:5).
All of these equal three and one half
years.
Revelation and Daniel 7
Why would two writers some 600 years apart choose to use these same phrases?
How would they be able to do this?
Revelation and Daniel 7The book of Daniel talks often about a
fourth kingdom in the future
from Daniel's perspective.
That fourth kingdom is
Rome.
Revelation and Daniel 7
Daniel 7 discusses the
same situation in which we find ourselves in Revelation.Notice the parallels in
Daniel 7 with Revelation 12.
Revelation and Daniel 7
Daniel sees a slightly different description of a beast, but note the similarities with the Beast of the book of Revelation.
Daniel and John were having the
same vision!
The Book of Daniel Helps Explain the Eighth King of Revelation
In the book of Daniel chapter 7 we find Belshazzar in
his first year as King of Babylon.
Daniel saw a vision concerning the king:
four great beasts coming up from the sea. (Daniel 7:2-7)
The Book of Daniel Helps Explain the Eighth King of Revelation
This is exactly what John sees in Revelation!
The fourth beast was different from all the other beasts, having TEN HORNS. (Daniel 7:7)
A Boastful Little Horn
Daniel then saw another horn, a
little horn, come up among the ten.
This boastful little horn pulled three of the ten horns out by
their roots:
A Boastful Little Horn
"I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by
the roots....” (Daniel 7:8a)
A Boastful Little Horn
Ten horns plus one horn equals eleven.
Eleven horns minus three horns (three
plucked out) equals eight.
The Beast (666) in the book of Revelation is
an eighth king.
“Very Interesting!”
As Arte Johnson used to say on
Laugh In, "Very interesting!"
A Review of What We’ve Learned So Far
The following is a brief synopsis of what we have discussed so far in our study of
who the Beast (666) of Revelation is.
Please remember that the most important thing to take from the book of Revelation is that God is in control, and there is victory in Jesus Christ, regardless of what happens to
us in this life.
A Review of What We’ve Learned So Far
The Revelation of Jesus Christ was
given to John while he was exiled on
the isle of Patmos.
These things were to come to pass
shortly.
A Review of What We’ve Learned So Far
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show unto His servants, even the
things which must shortly come to pass:
and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John;”
(Revelation 1:1)
A Review of What We’ve Learned So Far
The people to whom John wrote his letter could know what it meant.
"Here is wisdom. He that has understanding, let
him count the number of the Beast; for it is the
number of a man: and his number is six hundred
and sixty and six.” (Rev. 13:18)
Rome is represented by the woman, the harlot who rides the Beast: "And the woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the
Earth.” (Revelation 17:18)
"The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits....” (Revelation 17:9)
The Dragon is the one who gives the
Beast "...his power, and his throne, and great authority.” (Revelation 13:2)
Satan empowers the Beast.
The Beast is a tool, a minion, of the
devil. He is a ruler upon
the Earth.
The Beast Appears To Be Reincarnated
"And I saw one of his heads as though it had been smitten
unto death; and his death-stroke was
healed: and the whole Earth wondered after
the Beast....” (Revelation 13:3)
Many believed Nero would be
reincarnated.It was said he would
actually rise from the dead, return to Rome and seize the
Empire.
It was in this context that Revelation was
written.
The people worship the Beast because he is so powerful, saying,
“Who is like unto the Beast? And who is able to war with him?” (Revelation 13:4b)
The Book of Daniel Helps Explain the Eighth King of Revelation
Daniel 7 discusses the
same situation in which we find ourselves in Revelation.Notice the parallels in
Daniel 7 with Revelation 12.
The Boastful Little Horn
In Daniel 7:9-10 God takes His seat
as judge.
The courts sat, and the books were
opened.
Daniel watched as this boastful little horn "...the Beast was slain, and its
body destroyed, and it was given to be
burned with fire.” (Daniel 7:11b)
The Lake of Fire
Notice where the Beast (666) in the Book of
Revelation ends up: He is thrown into the Lake
of Fire:
"And the Beast was taken, and with him
the false prophet that wrought the signs in
his sight…”
The Lake of Fire“...wherewith he
deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast and them that worshipped his
image: they two were cast alive into the Lake of Fire that
burns with brimstone....”
(Revelation 19:20)
The Ten Horns ExplainedDaniel inquires the exact meaning of the fourth
beast in Daniel 7:19, wanting to know the meaning of the ten horns and the other little horn, who utters great boasts (Daniel 7:20).
Daniel says "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of Days came, and
judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints
possessed the kingdom.” (Daniel 7:21-22)
The Ten Horns Explained
The Ten Horns Explained
Notice below how God explains the meaning of the symbols to Daniel and the
reader.
God does the same thing in the book of Revelation.
Remember Revelation 17? Prophecy was explained.
The seven heads are also "...seven mountains, on which the woman sits....” (Revelation
17:9b)
Ancient Rome
The Ten Horns Explained
"The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon Earth....” (Daniel 7:23a)
"And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise: and another
shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put
down three kings.” (Daniel 7:24)
The saints "...shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.”
(Daniel 7:25c)
The Ten Horns Explained
The Ten Horns Explained
This is the same vision in Revelation 12:14 given some 600 years previously.
If you begin counting Empires starting with the Babylonians, you have next the Medes,
the Greeks, and then finally the Roman Empire as the fourth world kingdom.
It is strikingly obvious that Daniel 7 is a parallel to the heart of the Book of
Revelation.
The Ten Horns Explained
Shortly Will Come to Pass
Remember, John said the things will shortly take place.
The things written in Daniel will
shortly be fulfilled in the days of the
Book of Revelation.
A Quick Review
To whom was the Book of Revelation written?
The seven churches of Asia. “John to the seven churches that are in Asia….” (Revelation 1:4)
Could they understand it?
Yes! “Blessed is he that reads, and they that
hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.” (Revelation 1:3)
A Quick Review
What is represented by the image of the harlot?
She is Rome.
"And the woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the Earth.” (Revelation 17:18)
"The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits....” (Revelation 17:9)
A Quick Review
Rome sits upon seven hills.
The woman, we are told, is a city.
She is the great city, which reigns over the
kings of the Earth.
Roman Emperors ruled over the city.
A Quick ReviewWhat is represented by the Beast that comes up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns?
They are kings, or the Roman Emperors.
A Quick Review
The Beast is a worldwide ruler.
He has "...authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.” (Revelation 13:7b)
Rome ruled the world.
A Quick Review:Daniel and John are having the same vision!
The saints "...shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.” (Daniel 7:25c)
“...and there was given to him authority to continue forty and two months.” (Revelation 13:5)
Daniel 8 - More Visions
The book of Daniel has numerous detailed visions concerning the kingdoms to come after the Babylonians who ruled during
Daniel's early years.
Two years later Daniel witnesses another vision, "...after that which appeared unto
me at the first.” (Daniel 8:1b)
The Two-Horned RamHe sees a two-horned
ram conquering northward and
southward, butting, and no other could stand
before him. (Daniel 8:3-4)
Daniel also observes a male goat coming from
the west over the surface of the whole Earth,
moving quickly, a horn between his eyes.
The Two-Horned RamThe goat rushed the ram, shattered its horns, and
trampled him under foot:
"And the he-goat magnified himself
exceedingly: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and
instead of it there came up four notable horns
toward the four winds of heaven.” (Daniel 8:8)
Prophecy Explained
What does this all mean?
Let the book explain itself:
"The ram which thou saw, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.
“And the rough he-goat is the king of Greece: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.” (Daniel 8:20-21)
The Rough He-Goat
Alexander the Great is the rough he-goat
of prophecy of Daniel 8.
Alexander the Great conquered the Medes and Persians, just as
Daniel had predicted.
The Rough He-Goat
The horns of the ram represent the Kings of Media and Persia.
Together these two kingdoms conquered the Babylonians who ruled during Daniel's days in
Jerusalem. Greece, which is the rough he-goat in Daniel's
vision, then proceeded to conquer the Medes and Persians.
Alexander the Great was the King of Greece.
The Rough He-Goat
He is seen in the vision as the great horn protruding from the rough he-goat's head. How was Daniel able to predict this more
than 200 years prior to it actually happening?
God revealed it to him.God revealed it to him because God is in
control.
Daniel 2
Daniel is replete with visions
concerning the worldwide ruling
kingdoms that followed theBabylonians.
Daniel 2
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, dreams a vision concerning a
statue of extraordinary splendor.
Each part of the statue represented a
kingdom, starting with Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon in Daniel
2:37-45.
The fourth kingdom from Babylon, which would be the Roman Empire, is said to be made up of
clay and iron: "And whereas you saw the feet and toes, part of
potters' clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as you saw the
iron mixed with miry clay.” (Daniel 2:41) The clay and iron will combine, but not adhere to
each other: "And whereas you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron does not mingle with clay.” (Daniel
2:43)
A Coming Kingdom Prophesied"AND IN THE DAYS OF THOSE KINGS shall the God of Heaven set up A KINGDOM which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and IT SHALL STAND FOREVER.” (Dan. 2:44)
A Prophesied Kingdom Fulfilled
“But you shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you…. And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. (Acts 1:8; Acts 2:3)
A Coming Kingdom Prophesied
Daniel prophesied that during the days of this future fourth kingdom that God will set
up an eternal kingdom. It will put an end to all these worldwide
ruling kingdoms. When we read the Book of Revelation, we
are reading the fulfillment of God's predetermined plan.
It is unfolding before our eyes.
What about the Eighth King?
1. Caesar Augustus 27 BC - 14 AD2. Tiberius 14 AD - 37 AD3. Caligula (Gaius) 37 AD - 41 AD 5 HAVE FALLEN4. Claudius 41 AD - 54 AD5. Nero 54 AD - 68 AD6. Galbo 68 AD - 68 AD7. Otho 69 AD - 69 AD 3 PLUCKED OUT8. Vitellius 69 AD - 69 AD9. Vespasian 69 AD - 79 AD IS CURRENTLY RULING AT TIME OF
WRITING10. Titus 79 AD - 81 AD 1 TO COME, WILL REMAIN A LITTLE
WHILE11. Domitian 81 AD - 96 AD THEN THE BEAST, AS IF SLAIN, BUT WOUND
IS HEALED
The Plucked Out Horns “I considered the horns, and, behold,
there came up among them another
horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns
were plucked up by the roots….” (Daniel 7:8)
Domitian Is the Eighth King
When you take out the sixth, seventh and eighth kings (the ones plucked out), we
have Vespasian as the one "…who is…," and his son Titus is the one "…to come…"
and remain a little while.
That leaves Domitian as the eighth.
Domitian fits the characteristics of 666 listed in Revelation 13!
Domitian Is the Eighth King
He persecuted Christians to the same degree or
more as one other Emperor, number
five, Nero, so therefore it seemed as if Nero had been reincarnated in the form of Domitian.
A Look at the Emperors Nero and Domitian
Originally, there was a time when Christians
had little to fear from the Roman government.
The Apostle Paul was even saved by Roman
magistrates, officials and soldiers from the rampaging Jewish
synagogue.
A Look at the Emperors Nero and Domitian
Part of this was because it was said that in the early years the Roman government
could not distinguish Jews from Christians, thinking Christians were but a sect of
Judaism.
Judaism was a permitted religion within the Roman Empire.
A Look at the Emperors Nero and Domitian
Once Nero became Emperor, however, things
changed.
Nero was the last of the Julio-
Claudian line.
A Look at the Emperors Nero and Domitian
With all fingers pointing at Nero as the one who started the great fire of Rome, he found a
scapegoat within the Jewish sect now commonly known as the Chrestiani.
A Look at the Emperors Nero and Domitian
Their leader, Christus by name,
had been put to death by the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, some 30
years previously.
A Look at the Emperors Nero and Domitian
As for the fire of Rome in AD 64, a number of the Christians
were convicted and killed
using extreme cruelty.
A Look at the Emperors Nero and Domitian
Tacitus (AD 55-117), the Roman historian, reported in his Annals the following account: "And, so, in the hope
of dissipating the rumor, {Nero} falsely diverted the charge on
to a set of people to whom the vulgar gave the name Chrestians....
A Look at the Emperors Nero and Domitian
“Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths.
“Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by
dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and
burned, to serve as illumination, when
daylight had expired.” (15:44)
A Look at the Emperors Nero and Domitian
The same graphic story was relayed by another later
Christian historian, Sulipicus Severus, and is found in his
Chronicles:
A Look at the Emperors Nero and Domitian
"In the meantime, the number of
Christians being now very large, it
happened that Rome was
destroyed by fire, while Nero was
stationed at Actium.
A Look at the Emperors Nero and Domitian
“But the opinion of all cast the odium of causing the fire upon the Emperor, and he was
believed in this way to have sought for the glory of building a new city....
“{Nero}, therefore, turned the accusation against the Christians and the most cruel
tortures were accordingly inflicted upon the innocent.
A Look at the Emperors Nero and Domitian
“Nay, even new kinds of death were invented. In this way, cruelty first began to be manifested against the Christians.
“Afterwards, too, their religion was prohibited by laws which were enacted; and by edicts set forth it was proclaimed unlawful to be a Christian.”
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