Ten Nation Federation

We honestly have no idea who is referred to in the other parts of the statue’s body save for the head. We are told that it is Nebuchadnezzar. All the others must be derived from other parts of Scripture and history. This brings us to Daniel 7. In these verses, we are introduced to four beasts in sequence:

• And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it. And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus, they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’ After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 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 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 7:3–8)

Again, as with Daniel 2, most prophecy experts agree that these four beasts are the same kingdoms being identified here but with different imagery. Except, the legs of iron (kingdom 4) are bypassed, and what it becomes (the feet of iron/clay) is what is dealt with here—the lion, Babylon; the bear, Persia; the leopard, Greece; and the beast with iron teeth/ten horns, reemerged Roman Empire. Note: Those who argue for an Islamist Antichrist say this is the Islamic empire. You will see that the ten toes of the statue in Daniel 2 correspond perfectly with the ten horns in Daniel 7. Notice however that there is an eleventh horn! This is the Antichrist. This tells us he comes after the final kingdom is established.

Though there are those who disagree, the lion with wings can and does represent ancient Babylon and specifically King Nebuchadnezzar. He was ascended to the heights, like an eagle, in his arrogance, he was thrown down, only to have his reason restored to him. The bear, leaning to one side, perfectly illustrates the Medio/Persian Empire as it was a slow, lumbering empire that conquered three major empires, extended into three continents, and had one part of that kingdom that was greater than the other—the Persian. The leopard is a great representation of Greece as Alexander the Great conquered with incredible speed, and it broke into four kingdoms afterward. The imagery of the final beast is very strongly associated with the feet and toes of the statue in Daniel 2, and no one debates this. However, none of this proves that the other beasts are the same, nor has it been shown that the nations of Daniel 2 are the traditional nations assigned to them. For that, we must turn to other Scriptures and make logical deductions.

Turning back to Daniel 7 we read further about the kingdom of the Antichrist.

• Thus, he said: “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 he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated, and destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.” (Daniel 7:23–28)

Here is the first time we see in the clear context of Scripture that the Antichrist will persecute the saints! This means believers, not Jews. Only true-believing Christians, both Jew and Gentile, are saints. This is also where we find the phrase “times, time, and half a times.” This is the 3.5-year period that is described in Revelation as the Great Tribulation. The Antichrist will be persecuting Christians and Jews together, and he will specifically try to change the rules regarding worship for both. However, Daniel 7 doesn’t really tell us who the beast nations are, nor can we connect Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 together without some extra contextual evidence. For that, we must turn to Daniel 8.

Here we have a chapter that is very rarely ever talked about in terms of eschatology. This is terrible in that it is the key to determining WHERE the Antichrist will come from! This chapter is about Greece defeating Persia—ram, Persia, goat, Greece. Here we see the Bible defining the ram and the goat for us. No one had to make this up. This is why you can see clearly where the Antichrist will come from. The Bible tells us this, so there is no guessing. Alexander the Great is the horn of the goat, which is broken and split into four parts, as Daniel 8 relates. This occurred after the death of Alexander the Great. Specifically, we are told that in place of his kingdom “…four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven.”” This aligns perfectly with what we are told regarding the leopard in Daniel 7. It has four wings and four heads. Just as the ten horns of the final beast of Daniel 7 correspond to the ten toes of the statue in Daniel 2, so too, the four wings of the third beast perfectly connect to the four winds and the heads to the four divisions of the horns in Daniel 8, respectively.

These four parts were historically the kingdom of Ptolemy (Egypt), the kingdom of Cassander (Greece), the kingdom of Lysimachus (Macedonia, Turkey), and the kingdom of Seleucus (Syria, Iran, Iraq). Note: You see that every one of these areas, save for two, are outside of Europe proper. However, they were all controlled and led by the Grecians. If the first horn from the goat (Alexander the Great) is European (Macedonian) and all other horns were as well (Grecian), it stands to reason that the Antichrist himself will be Grecian or Macedonian. At the very least he will be European. The language describing the blasphemous actions of this horn is the same as those of the horn in Daniel 7 with much more detail—details that indicate indeed the temple, or at least the altar area, will be rebuilt for them to occur.

If then the leopard in Daniel 7 is Greece, and it is the third in the sequence of nations mentioned, and it is a perfect match for the goat of Daniel 8, then it follows that the previous two in Daniel 7 are Babylon and Persia, coinciding with the sequence of nations as presented in Daniel 2 perfectly.

With the information already provided in Daniel 8 we can now turn to what is told to us in Daniel 9 and see that it is a second witness to determining absolutely that the Antichrist will be coming from Europe.

• Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week, he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate. (Daniel 9:26, 27)

In this passage, we see clearly that the Antichrist (the prince of the people who destroyed the temple) is European. Those who argue for an Islamist Antichrist have tried to maintain that the legions who actually burned the temple in AD 70 were mainly Arab and Syrian troops, and hence the Antichrist will be of their ranks. Firstly, this is decidedly untrue! At the most, two-thirds of the forces of Titus were non-European. However, the leadership of the Roman legions were all Europeans. This coincides perfectly with the identification of the small horn from Daniel 8.

Since it is my contention that Daniel 7 and Daniel 2 are laying out the same sequence of kingdoms, I will now visit the relationship between the placement of those kingdoms onto the image of the last beast in Revelation 13:1-7. There, the beast, that is the Antichrist kingdom has “ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.”

This composite kingdom coincides with the feet of Daniel 2 (that kingdom is brittle because it is of mixed seed) and the beast with ten horns in Daniel 7. It is also a composite of all the kingdoms of Daniel 7, something that no prophecy expert can deny. We have the lion (mouth, one head), bear (feet, one head), and leopard (body, four heads). The final head is the last head with the ten horns. The beast of Revelation speaks with the “voice of a lion.” Thus, the Antichrist will possess the same spiritual arrogance as Nebuchadnezzar.

The beast of Revelation is described as having the feet of a bear. If this is Persia, as contended, then the movement of the beast, especially regarding enemies, is coming from the bear. Why do I say this? In Daniel 7, the bear is described as devouring much flesh. That’s literally what it is told to do. We are told it has three ribs in its mouth as well. Though I do think this applies to the three historical kingdoms that Medio/Persia conquered in its rise to power, I also think it speaks prophetically to the three horns that get overthrown by the Antichrist’s rise, as related in both Daniel 7 and Revelation 13. It means though, that the armies of the Antichrist, which he uses to accomplish his ends, come from the bear. Hence, Iran, modern-day Persia, will play a major role in helping subdue the enemies of the Antichrist (no, this doesn’t mean an Islamic Antichrist is coming).

Revelation 13 tells us that the beast has the body of a leopard. This implies that the main control center of the beast is coming from Greece! This is confirmed in that it is to the leopard that dominion is given in Daniel 7. This is what seems to be implied of the Antichrist when he first comes on the scene at the beginning of the final week in the breaking of the first seal. However, it is specifically mentions of the little horn that emerges from the final kingdom (Daniel 7:26). Once more, we have a connection to a country that is not on anyone’s radar today, but that the Bible clearly intimates is the place that the Antichrist will emerge from. The composite beast of Revelation 13 also illustrates, beyond all contestation, that the final kingdom is going to be a composite of Middle Eastern and European nations.

But why Middle Eastern and European nations? This final puzzle piece is given to us in Revelation 17.

• “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue for a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:9-14)

It is vital to understanding Bible prophecy to remember that Jerusalem and Israel are at the heart of everything God does. Babylon, Persia, and Greece, in the prophecies of Daniel, were all described as being rulers of the whole world. They obviously didn’t have kingdoms that controlled the whole world, but in God’s prophetic view, any kingdom that controls Jerusalem controls the world. Revelation 17 tells us that there were five kingdoms before Rome that ruled. We know for certain that one of these was Babylon. Daniel 2 says so. With what has already been presented we can say with certainty that Persia and Greece are also among that number. However, we need five heads, not three. Who are the other two? Biblical history gives us these, if we keep in mind that Jerusalem is at the heart of everything. Both Egypt and Syria ruled over Jerusalem.

Thus, the five before Rome were as follows: Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Syria. The other that came after them was the Islamic caliphate, which included the Ottoman Turks. There are many who argue that the seventh head must be re-emerged Rome. However, that cannot be because the Antichrist we are told IS the eighth kingdom, that comes from the seven! His kingdom is the composite of all the others at the same time, yet with that final kingdom having ten kings that reign with him. This means then that the seventh head kingdom is a major world kingdom, which also controlled Jerusalem, that arose AFTER Rome, but before the Antichrist’s kingdom. There is only one that fits that bill, the Islamic Caliphate. Revelation 17 is what convinced me that the legs of iron in Daniel 2 are, in fact, the Islamic Caliphate. We are told that the beast of Revelation has seven heads, representing seven major kingdoms, five of which had come, one of which was concurrent with John, and one that was to come.

There is much more that could be said, but this is about identifying the final ten-nation kingdom (with an additional eleventh horn [the Antichrist]) coming into form. What nations will these be? From everything else that has already been said, you should be able to see some of them.

• Egypt
• Babylon (Iraq)
• Persia (Iran)
• Syria
• Greece
• Italy (Rome)
• Turkey (Ottoman Empire – the last iteration of the Islamic Caliphate)

The last one of the seventh is the final iteration of the Islamic Caliphate. Now that we have laid out the biblical case for seven of the final ten nations who will rule with the Antichrist, who are the other three nations? Remember, Jerusalem is at the center of Bible prophecy. So, which other countries had representatives that controlled Jerusalem for a time at least?

• Great Britain (WWII)
• France (First Crusade)
• Germany (Fifth Crusade)

Intriguingly, Daniel 7 tells us that the Antichrist is an eleventh horn! This means, that it is possible that Greece is the nation not in the original ten, but comes after when the Antichrist rises, and subsumes three of the other horns. Thus, Saudi Arabia, where the Islamic Caliphate originally rose to power, could well be in the original ten.

The final kingdom then will look thus: France, Germany, Great Britain, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Italy, Turkey, Syria, Greece, or Saudi Arabia. Many might have a problem with what I have presented, but I am not going to be dogmatic about it, so feel free to disagree. I merely point out what the texts all say and lay out how things might play out based on what Scripture tells us about the identity of the final ten nations.

The final kingdom then will look thus: France, Germany, Great Britain, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Italy, Turkey, Syria, Greece, or Saudi Arabia. This is the beast that tramples down the rest and breaks in pieces according to Daniel 7. However, at first, it is a kingdom of peace! What gives? When the beast is first presented in Revelation 11, it is the full composite creature of all the four beasts of Daniel 7. Already though, it is described as being synonymous with the Antichrist. This is because we are in the middle of the week at this point, and Satan has imbued him with his power, which allows him to take over the whole federation. At this point, he is described as waging war, with no one able to stand before him (Revelation 11:4). In Daniel 7, the beast is first presented to us as the federation, with the Antichrist, the little horn, coming from it. This is because Daniel 7’s reference point is the entire seven-year period of the final week, not just from the mid-point on as in Revelation.

If you remember, the second seal tells us that turmoil within the federation breaks out within a year from the start of the final week. This suggests that the tenuous peace that formed the ten-nation federation, is already beginning to break apart. The characteristics of destruction that we find in Daniel 7, such that the beast is “devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet” fits this perfectly. The aforementioned nations have hardly anything in common, so a political deal by leaders to create this federation is obviously going to come with an orchestrated plan to destroy the remnants of the things within the federation that would prevent its success. Note, that the devastation is being wreaked on what is left of the other beasts, and that’s right out the gate! However, after the mid-point things take a radical turn. Why? Because the Antichrist, the man who helped forge this never-before-seen federation of nations, comes along and declares himself God on earth! That is not going to sit well with people, but most especially with the Muslims within the federation. But, because this man will be empowered by the Devil himself, no one is going to be able to stand up to him, yet we are told some will try.

As we have already discussed, Egypt will be the focus of the wrath of the great king of the North. Other nations not in the ten-nation federation, will help fight against Egypt according to Daniel 11. Libya and Cush (modern- day Sudan) are specifically mentioned. This indicates that the federation will be greater than just ten nations, but that it is ten specific “kings” that will be administrative heads within the federation, while others will not. Egypt will be ruthlessly crushed by the Antichrist in the war. This is paralleled and expanded on in Isaiah 19. The prophet says that Assyria, encompassed within modern- day Iraq, will join with Israel in the last day. This seems to be an alliance to oppose the Antichrist. Now, let us remember that by interpreting the imagery of the Revelation 13 beast we discovered that the armies of the beast were going to be largely represented by the bear, Persia, or modern-day Iran. If Egypt and Iraq are two of the three horns that oppose the Antichrist, then it actually makes sense that Iran is the military arm that helps him subdue these age-old enemies of the Persians. The third horn then that might be plucked up violently, is Turkey. Interestingly, the three major empires that historic Medio/Persia crushed were: Lydia (in modern Turkey), Egypt, and Babylon (Iraq). This is a perfect, historical, and prophetic match.

As we already laid out, the death toll from the fourth seal, which is when the Antichrist is fully made manifest, suggests that the quarter of the earth that is killed, when taken in the context of the federation, rather than the world, yields a staggering death count of 175 million. If Egypt, a country with 100 million people, and Iraq, a country with 40 million people, got into a war of attrition with Iran (83 million people), Turkey (82 million people), Syria (17 million), and Greece (11 million people), along with other nations in and around the region, not to mention any fallout in Europe over the Antichrist declaring himself God, and coinciding with the food shortages and disease that is breaking out, it is easy to see how such a thing might occur.