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Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV

Four Great Beasts

Dan 7:2-28
2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four
winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings
thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand
upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on
one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and
they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back
of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was
given to it.
7 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.
8 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.
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit,
whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure
wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand
thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood
before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn
spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and
given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away:
yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with
the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him
near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all
people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an
everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that
which shall not be destroyed.

These "
beasts" are 'governments' with great power, kings with their
kingdoms ... (a king and his dominion over those he rules).


Dan 7:
15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions
of my head troubled me.
16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all
this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

Dan 7:
17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of
the earth.
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the
kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from
all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of
brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his
feet;
20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came
up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth
that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed
against them;
22 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.

Dan 7:
23 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.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and
another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he
shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out
the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they
shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to
consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under
the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most
High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall
serve and obey him.
28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much
troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in
my heart. (KJV)


Now, what we must understand is, that of these "f
our great beasts" which
"
came up from the sea, diverse one from another", the first three "great
beasts
" kingdoms which had predominant rule over so much of the world
are now in the past.

The influences of these first three great kingdoms/kings have shaped the
world, but it is 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
" of which we have particular need to understand.

This "
fourth kingdom" is also spoken of in Revelations.

Rev 13:1-10
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the
sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and
upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the
feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him
his power, and his seat, and great authority.

What does this say?
This "
fourth kingdom" was "like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet
of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion
".
The "
fourth kingdom" (of the "four great beasts") was "like unto" the first
three "
great beasts" that preceded it.
Therefore, this "
fourth kingdom" had incorporated all the ways , laws, and
traditions of the first three "
great beasts". But, this "fourth kingdom" is
"
diverse from all kingdoms" which came before it.
By incorporating all these different ways, laws, and traditions of those first
three kingdoms, and then having the power, seat (throne), and the great
authority that Satan's dragon government has possessed (even from before
the beginning of this earth age), then what we have, in these end times, is a
very powerful 'one world government'.

The reason this "
fourth kingdom" is "diverse from all kingdoms", which
have preceded it, is because it has incorporated all of these ways , laws,
traditions of those who preceded it.

Now, what did FATHER'S Word say about joining house to house
(government to government)?

Isa 5:8
8 Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be
no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! (KJV)

What does FATHER think about this?

Ezra 9:1-15
1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The
people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated
themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their
abominations
, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the
Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons:
so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those
lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this
trespass.

3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked
off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.
4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the
God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried
away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.
5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having
rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my
hands unto the LORD my God,
6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my
God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is
grown up unto the heavens.
7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this
day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been
delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity,
and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God,
to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that
our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
9 For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage,
but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give
us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations
thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken
thy commandments,
11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The
land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of
the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from
one end to another with their uncleanness.
12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their
daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that
ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an
inheritance to your children for ever.
13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great
trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities
deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;
14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the
people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou
hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?
15 O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it
is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot
stand before thee because of this. (KJV)


FATHER has told us these things would come about.
HE has told us all thing in HIS HOLY Word.

That which occurred in the first Heaven age shall and is happening in this
earth age.
And, it has happened again and again throughout the different generations.

We can also see a likeness of this this "
fourth kingdom" (Satan's
government) as it was in the 2nd Heaven age.
Rev 12:3-4
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red
dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his
heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to
the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be
delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. (KJV)


Even before "
the dragon" (Satan's government including the fallen angels
which precede him) are visible in the sight of flesh men, his "
fourth
kingdom
" is made ready in the 2nd Heavenly dimension.

As this "
fourth kingdom" was established in the earth, it then brought
together many of the peoples of the world, their governments, religions,
traditions, prejudices, etc.

{Again, this was not according to YHVH'S Law or Way, for HE warned us
about building "
house to house".
For, in combining all these different governments, religions, traditions,
prejudices, and etc, then YHVH'S Way, HIS Law, and HIS Truth becomes
polluted by that which is not of YHVH, but of Satan.}

Then After the wounding and all that has need to occur in the earth as a
result of this wounding is accomplished, then this "
fourth kingdom" (the
fourth "
great beast") is healed when his fallen angels arrive.


Rev 13:
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly
wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and
they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able
to make war with him?


These things are told to us in the sequence in which they occurred: "
one of
his heads as it were wounded to death
", "and his deadly wound was
healed
", "and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped
the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the
beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with
him?
"


This next verse gives us information, but is not a part of the sequence as
stated in the prior verses.

Rev 13:
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and
blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two
months.


This period of "
forty and two months" occurs in the time of the "seven trumpets". In the time of the "seven thunders" we find that "one of his heads as it were wounded to death". It takes a little time for this "wound" to fester, before  "his deadly wound was healed".


Rev 13:
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his
name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome
them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not
written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the
sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the
saints. (KJV)

We have looked at this "
forty and two months" period in Daniel.
This "
forty and two months" period occurs in the 2nd half of the week of
years.

Dan 9:27
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the
midst of the week
he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and
for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until
the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (KJV)


The "
forty and two months" period is then followed by the time of the
"
seven thunders".
And, then after this,  the "
seven vials" begin being poured out upon the "beast" and all who have it's mark in their foreheads (minds) when the fallen angels are
present in the sight of flesh man.


Rev 13:11-18
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two
horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth
the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose
deadly wound was healed.


This "
another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a
lamb, and he spake as a dragon
" speaks of Satan's government which must
be established in the sight of flesh men before Satan, disguised as "Jesus"
arrives.


Rev 13:
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from
heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those
miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them
that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which
had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image
of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not
worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to
receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name
of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the
beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred
threescore and six. (KJV)


Rev 17:1-18
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and
talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the
judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the
inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her
fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman
sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven
heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with
gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of
abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE
GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the
blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great
admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee
the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the
seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the
bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall
wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the
foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and
yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven
mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not
yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the
seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received
no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast
.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the
beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them:
for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are
called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore
sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the
whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and
burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give
their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over
the kings of the earth. (KJV)


"
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no
kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
"

These are fallen angels disguised as great kings of old.
They are the "
ten toes" which gives balance to this top heavy "image".
These fallen angels disguised as great kings of old, because they falsely
represent themselves as the ten greatest kings which have lived in this
earth age, and are therefore known to all the world (having been written of in
history).
In this manner, this "
image" of the beast, the 'one world' theocracy which
the fallen angels "
set up", will have secured some credence (although
faked) with all the different people of this last generation.

We can see these "
ten toes" upon the beast which was spoken of in Daniel.

Dan 2:31-45
31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose
brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was
terrible.
32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his
belly and his thighs of brass,
33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the
image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to
pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors;
and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the
stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole
earth.
36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the
king.
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a
kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and
the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee
ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another
third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron
breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all
these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part
of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength
of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the
kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43 And whereas thou sawest 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 is not mixed with clay.
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom,
which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other
people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it
shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain
without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the
silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall
come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation
thereof sure. (KJV)

When we read of "
iron", please understand this speaks of Satan, and
anything which is related to Satan.
These "
toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay" speaks of the ten
fallen angels ("
iron"), and the people ("clay") in the earth which cling to them.
Without the people of the earth upholding this beast, it could not stand.


Rev 17:
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven
mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not
yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the
seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received
no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the
beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them:
for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are
called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore
sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the
whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and
burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give
their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over
the kings of the earth.

These are the kingdoms which have had dominion over Jerusalem.
Let me repeat this for emphasis: "the kingdoms which have had dominion
over Jerusalem
".

These are those who are in the past, "
five are fallen".
1. Babylon (represented by the 'lion' )
2. Medio-Persia (Media is represented by the 'bear', and Persia by the
'leopard')
3. Greece (represented by 'a dreadful and terrible beast')
4. Rome (represented by the power of the 'political beast')
5. Mohammedans (from 636 A.D. until 1948) (represented by the power of the
'religious beast')

This is now, "
one is".
6. Good and Bad Figs
This is the current government/kingdom over Jerusalem ("
and one is")

This is "
the other is not yet come".
7. Satan's, the spurious 'Jesus' government
And, this is Satan's government/kingdom which is prophesied to come ("a
nd
the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short
space.
")


As we began in this study, we were shown "
four great beasts came up from
the sea, diverse one from another
".
Dan 7:2-28
2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four
winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings
thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand
upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on
one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and
they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back
of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was
given to it.
7 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.
8 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.

Daniel does not tell us only of the "
four great beasts came up from the sea,
diverse one from another
", but makes a point of telling us how this "fourth
kingdom
" was altered from being only of earthly flesh men to having
"
another little horn" (Satan's government of fallen angels, and then Satan
disguised as 'Jesus').

 


Now, in order to look at these "four great beasts" we must look to the greatest
"
kingdoms" which have shaped the world.
These are not exactly as the same as "the kingdoms which have
had dominion over Jerusalem", but refer to the four greatest
rules/dominions of man which have been in this earth age.

The first great kingdom of the "
four great beasts" was Egypt.

Egypt
[EE jipt]-- the country in the northeast corner of Africa that extended from
the Mediterranean Sea on the north to the first waterfall on the Nile River in
the south (see Map 9, A-5)-- a distance of about 880 kilometers (540 miles).
The Israelites spent 430 years in this land <Ex. 12:40> between the time of
Joseph and Moses. Jesus lived temporarily in Egypt during His infancy
<Matt. 2:13-15>.
The Egyptians called their country Tawy, "the two lands"-- referring to
Upper and Lower Egypt-or Kemyt, "the black land," which distinguished the
fertile Nile valley from the red desert sand. In the Bible the word for Egypt is
Mizraim, which is the name of one of the sons of Ham who founded the
country <Gen. 10:6; 1 Chr. 1:8>.
History of Egypt. Information about Egyptian history is found in the Bible,
Egyptian and Greek historical books, various Egyptian papyrus documents
and stone writings, and facts from archaeological investigations of ancient
Egyptian cities, temples, and graves. One of the most helpful chronological
surveys of the Egyptian kings was provided by the Egyptian priest Manetho.
He divided the kings of Egypt into 30 different dynastic families who ruled
from 3000-300 B. C. Some of these dynasties were strong, while others were
comparatively weak.
The history of Egypt can be simplified by ordering these dynasties into
three main periods of strength: the Old Kingdom (2700-2200 B. C.); the
Middle Kingdom (2000-1800 B. C.); and the New Kingdom (1570-1100 B. C.).
Each of these kingdoms was followed by a period of weakness.
After the New Kingdom, Egypt was dominated by Libyan, Ethiopian,
Persian, Greek and finally Roman powers during New Testament times. The
dates for these periods and the length of the reigns of each king is not
securely fixed. But Egyptologists have been able to reconstruct a fairly
accurate chronology by using evidence from many different sources.
Archaeologists have found a number of small villages that date prior to the
beginning of the Old Kingdom period of Egyptian history. These primitive
hunting and farming communities were the descendants of Mizraim, the son
of Ham <Gen. 10:6>. Metal objects, tools, pottery, jewelry and religious
objects were found in these early graves. Trade with Mesopotamia may
have been an important factor in the development of a written Egyptian
language, which used pictures in a system known as HIEROGLYPHICS.
Around 3000 B. C., some 1000 years before Abraham, all of Egypt was joined
together under one king at Memphis. The land was divided into districts
called "nomes." Irrigation and the plow were introduced to increase the
nation's agricultural productivity. Shortly thereafter, the Old Kingdom period
of Egypt's history began. During this era, the famous pyramids of Egypt
were built. Djoser's step pyramid at Saqqara and the three great pyramids at
Giza are a testimony to the power and prosperity of the nation, as well as
evidence of the people's belief in the divine character of the PHARAOH, the
Egyptian ruler.
Several pyramids have long series of curses, magical spells, and ritual
formulas written on the walls of the burial chambers. These were to be used
by the dead Pharaoh for protection on his journey to the afterlife. Large
open-air temples where various rituals in honor of the king were performed
were built beside the pyramids.
The arts of painting, sculpturing, and architecture excelled in Egypt. One
group of texts known as the "Memphite Theology" probably date back to this
era. They describe how the god Ptah spoke and created all things, indicating
that the Pharaoh was considered divine. Wisdom writings from Imhotep and
Ptahhotep reveal something of the moral values and ideals of the nation and
the high literary achievements of the educated classes.
As the government of Egypt expanded, noblemen from various parts of the
nation began to gain greater power. This led to a decentralization of power
and ultimately to the first intermediate period of weakness around 2200 B. C.
This time was described as an epic of chaos, instability, poverty, and
despair.
Two texts from this period describe man's disillusionment with life. Another
expresses a strong desire for social stability and justice. These events led to
a rethinking of man's ideals. As a result, the highly structured social order
was re-evaluated and social justice for even the peasant was proclaimed as
important. The possibility of life after death, which had been limited to the
kings, became the goal of noblemen as they rose to higher power.
Ultimately even the common person pursued this hope.
The Middle Kingdom era of Egypt's history (2000-1800 B. C.) parallels the
time of Abraham's journey into Egypt <Gen. 12:10-20>. Wisdom texts, one
supposed prophecy, and stories about fishing and hunting depict life at this
time. During this era, the new kings centralized the government, expanded
agricultural production through new irrigation projects, established the
security of the nation by defeating the Nubians from Cush, and set up a
series of defensive fortresses on the southern and western borders.
Trade with Phoenicia, mining in the Sinai desert and at least one military
raid into Palestine to Shechem indicate that Egypt had close relationships
with Palestine when the patriarchs such as Abraham and his descendants
first came to the land. The "Story of Sinuhe" describes an Egyptian's trip to
Palestine and the fertility of the land. A painting in a tomb from this period
shows 37 men from Canaan who traveled to settle in Egypt. Texts containing
magical curses (the Execretion Texts) on Egypt's enemies contains the
names of the kings of Tyre, Beth-Shemesh and Jerusalem. These indicate
that Egypt's stability was weakening and that the second intermediate period
of weakness (1750-1570 B. C.) was about to begin.
During this time of weakness, many non-Egyptians entered the country. A
group called the Hyksos ("ruler from a foreign land") took control of the
nation. Joseph's rise to an important position in the house of Potiphar
<Genesis 39> and his appointment to the task of collecting grain during the
years of plenty <Genesis 41> were possible because other foreigners had
significant places in the Hyksos government.
Some scholars once thought the Hyksos were the children of Israel, but few
accept this view today. The Hyksos used the bow, body armor, the horse
and chariot, and a new defensive wall system for Egyptian cities. But in spite
of their military power, they were driven out of Egypt when the New
Kingdom began.
The New Kingdom period (1575-1100 B. C.) parallels the biblical period just
before the birth of Moses until the time of Samuel. The New Kingdom began
when the Egyptians managed to drive out the Hyksos and reunite Egypt.
This new dynasty was made of kings "who did not know Joseph" <Ex. 1:8>.
They began to persecute the Hebrews, forcing them to build the cities of
Pithom and Rameses <Ex. 1:11>. The Hebrews were seen as foreigners who
were a threat to the security of the nation <Ex. 1:10>, so they were enslaved.
The powerful Queen Hathshepsut carried out many building and
reconstruction projects and expanded trade relations with several foreign
countries. The next king was an aggressive warrior, and he conducted
several campaigns into Palestine. Many believe his son, Amenhotep II, was
the Pharaoh of the Exodus. Egyptian texts do not mention the ten plagues,
the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt, or the defeat of Pharaoh and
his army in the Red Sea <Exodus 7--15>. But this would hardly be expected
since the Egyptians seldom recorded any of their defeats. Before the
Exodus, Egypt was at the height of its power; but God humbled the nation
and taught its people that He was God-- not Pharaoh or any of the other gods
of Egypt <Ex. 7:5; 8:10,22; 9:14,29; 10:2; 12:12>.
Many interesting stories come from this period of Egyptian history. "The
Tale of Two Brothers" describes how the wife of one brother lied about the
sexual advances of the other brother. This story is similar to the false
accusation of Potiphar's wife against Joseph. Myths about the struggles
between the gods Horus and Seth and the wisdom "Instructions of
Amenemopet," which are in some ways similar to the book of Proverbs, are
a few of the important literary compositions from Egypt during these years.
No one knows how the Exodus affected Egypt's religious beliefs. But
several years later in the middle of the New Kingdom, King Akhenaten
rejected the worship of Amon at Thebes and proclaimed that Aten, the solar
disk of the sun, was the only god. A beautiful hymn of praise to Aten has
been discovered. This shows clearly that Akhenaten was pushing the
Egyptians to adopt belief in one god. Religious tension was very high
because Akhenaten dismissed the priests at the other temples and moved
his capital to El-Amarna.
About 350 letters from Babylon, the Hittites, and many cities in Palestine
were found at this capital. These letters reveal that Palestine was under a
great deal of political unrest during the time of Joshua and the judges. A few
years later the famous King Tut (Tutankhamen), whose burial chambers
were found near Thebes, ruled for a few years. He brought the nation back to
the worship of its traditional gods at Thebes, relieving much of the tension
within the nation.
During the final 200 years of the New Kingdom, the capital of Egypt was
moved from Thebes to the city of RAMESES in the delta area. Large
construction projects at Thebes, Abydos, Abu Simbel, and in the delta stand
as a memorial to the greatness and power of these kings. Some believe the
Exodus took place during the reign of Rameses (1304-1238 B. C.), but this
contradicts the statement of the Bible that the Exodus took place 480 years
before Solomon began to build the temple in 955 B. C. (966 plus 480 equals
1446 B. C. for the Exodus). One king, Merneptah, described his defeat of
several Canaanite countries and actually mentions his defeat of Israel.
There is a wealth of historical, literary, and religious writings from the New
Kingdom period of Egyptian history. Papyri, ostraca, and tomb and temple
accounts give a graphic picture of Egyptian life. A primitive alphabetic script
was discovered on the rocks in the Egyptian mines in the Sinai desert. The
New Kingdom ended because of government corruption, strikes, inflation,
and the increasing power of the temple priests, who constantly contended
for greater advantage.
After the New Kingdom came the Late Period of Egyptian history (1100-330
B. C.). The fragmentation of Egyptian power allowed David and Solomon to
establish Israel as a strong nation. The Egyptian story of Wen-Amon's trip to
Byblos to secure cedar for the construction of a ship for the Pharaoh tells
how he was robbed and then refused the needed lumber until proper
payment could be made. Such incidents clearly indicate the low status of
Egypt during this time. The nation was not a strong military power; so more
emphasis was placed on trying to form peaceful trade relations with
neighboring states.
Solomon married the daughter of an Egyptian Pharaoh <1 Kin. 3:1>, but later
in his reign a new king (probably Shishak) provided refuge for two of
Solomon's enemies <1 Kin 11:17,40>. A few years after Solomon's death
(930 B. C.), Shishak, a Libyan who had become Pharaoh, attacked
Rehoboam, and plundered the gold from the king's palace and the temple in
Jerusalem <1 Kin. 14:25-28>. A monument of Shishak was discovered by
archaeologists during their excavation of Megiddo. His record of this battle
on the walls of a temple at Thebes indicates that he defeated 150 towns in
Judah and Israel. Later Zerah, an Ethiopian general or Pharaoh <2 Chr.
14:9-15; 16:8>, led an Egyptian army against Asa, king of Judah; but God
miraculously gave victory to Asa.
Ethiopian and Saite dynasties controlled Egypt for several hundred years
until the destruction of Israel by the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar, in
587 B. C. These Pharaohs were not particularly powerful because of the
political supremacy of the Assyrians and the Babylonians. The Israelite king
Hoshea sought the help of Pharaoh So around 725 B. C. <2 Kin. 17:4> to fight
against the Assyrians, but the Egyptians were of little value.
Around 701 B. C. Hezekiah was attacked by the Assyrian king Sennacherib.
Tirhakah, the Ethiopian king of Egypt, came to Hezekiah's aid <2 Kin. 19:9; Is.
37:9>. The Assyrians themselves marched into Egypt in 671 and 664 B. C.,
destroying the Egyptian forces as far south as Thebes. To strengthen the
Egyptian army, the nation hired Greek mercenaries to fight in their army; but
this still did not give them any great strength. Josiah, king of Israel, was
killed by the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho in 609 B. C. because Josiah tried to
interfere with the Egyptian efforts to help the Assyrians who were under
attack by the Babylonians <2 Kin. 23:29>. After Josiah's death, Judah came
under the control of Egypt; but in 605 B. C. the Egyptians were crushed by
the Babylonians. Many Jews fled to Egypt after the destruction of Jerusalem,
although the prophet Jeremiah warned against it <Jeremiah 39--44>.
Nebuchadnezzar later defeated Egypt <Jer. 46:13>; he was followed by the
Persians (525 B. C.) and the Greeks (330 B. C.). After 330 B. C. a group of
Ptolemaic kings ruled Egypt, developing the great city of Alexandria as a
center of culture and learning.
Many Jews lived in Alexandria during this period. The Greek translation of