The Prophecy of the
Ten-Nation Confederacy
The interpretation of the prophecy of a future ten-nation
confederacy as found in four major passages of Scripture is a determinative
issue in any system of prophetic interpretation. This is because the principles
of interpretation applied to this prophecy are the key to the total prophetic
outlook. Accordingly, the Scriptures related to this problem present one of the
decisive interpretive questions facing any expositor.
At least four
major Scripture passages make a contribution to this subject (Dan 2:31-35,
40-45; 7:7-8, 19-24 ; Rev
13:1-2; 17:3, 7, 12-16 ). These passages either directly or by
implication prophesy a ten-kingdom confederation which will be an important
aspect of the end-time political situation. The question of whether this has
already been fufilled in the past or is subject to future fulfillment is an
important issue in determining the Biblical prophetic program.
At the outset the expositor who attempts to interpret these
portions of Scripture is confronted with the major hermeneutical problem of how
to interpret prophecy. Two major points of view are reflected in the
conclusions reached by various expositors. One view adopted by amillennial and
postmillennial interpreters is the dual hermeneutics of Augustine, namely, that
while Scripture as a whole should be interpreted normally or literally,
prophecy is a special case which should be interpreted allegorically, symbolically,
or in a nonliteral sense. Opposed to this is the normal interpretive principle
adopted by the single hermeneuties of premillennialism, which is that prophecy
should be interpreted much the same as other types of Scripture, namely, that
the normal literal sense should be followed unless the context or the thought requires
a nonliteral or symbolic interpretation. The expositor must therefore weigh the
respective merits of these two schools of thought in attempting to interpret
the major Scriptures related to the ten-nation confederacy.
The second chapter
of Daniel reveals the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in which he saw a great image.
The interpretation of this dream revealed to Daniel in a night vision
constituted the first comprehensive revelation of Gentile prophecy. The head of
gold according to Daniel’s interpretation represented Babylon and the
Babylonian Empire headed by Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:31, 37-38). The breast and arms of the
vision made of silver symbolized the next kingdom which later in Daniel is
identified as Medo-Persia (Dan
2:32, 39; 8:1-20 ). The third empire represented by the lower part
of the body and the thighs which were of brass is later identified as Greece (Dan 2:32, 39; 8:21 ).
The fourth kingdom was portrayed as the legs of iron, and the feet and toes
part of iron and part of pottery (Dan
2:33, 40-43). The fourth kingdom is not named in Daniel, but is
pictured as continuing up to the time when God establishes a kingdom which
shall never be destroyed (Dan
2:44). Normative interpretation accordingly would identify the
fourth kingdom as the Roman Empire.
In the interpretation of the dream, the stone is seen smiting the
image in the feet with the result that the image is totally destroyed, and the
stone increases in size until it is a great mountain which fills the whole
earth. This is obviously related to the divine consummation of human history.
The nonliteral interpretation of this portion of Scripture has
usually recognized the first three empires much in the same fashion as the
literal interpretation, namely, referring them to Babylon, Medo-Persia, and
Greece. Some few refer the fourth kingdom to a subdivision of the third and the
two legs of the image as the two major divisions of the Seleucid Empire. Even
the nonliteral interpretation, however, more generally has identified the
fourth empire as Rome with the main difference in the interpretation of the
stone. Premillennial interpretation, the image and its corresponding prophetic
fulfillment has already become historic down to the feet stage of the image.
The two legs represent the divided aspect of the Roman Empire into its Eastern
and Western divisions. The feet stage, including the implied ten toes, is yet
future and is related to the period just before the second coming of Christ.
This interpretation involves the thesis that the Roman Empire in some form or
fashion will be revived and therefore the toes representing a ten-nation
confederacy are yet to be fulfilled.
In the seventh
chapter of Daniel a companion vision given to Daniel himself reveals four
beasts symbolizing four great world empires. Although some expositors have
resisted the correspondence of this chapter to chapter two , the similarities
are such that anyone attempting to interpret this normally comes to the
conclusion that this is another view of the same truth presented in chapter two
of Daniel . Here again are the familiar four empires: the first represented as
a lion corresponding to Babylon, the second as a bear corresponding to
Medo-Persia, the third as a leopard with four wings on its back and four heads
corresponding to Greece under Alexander, and the fourth empire as a terrible
beast having ten horns. To this point the revelation coincides precisely with
the empires portrayed in the image of Daniel 2. Here, however, an additional
activity is described in the little horn which uproots three of the ten horns
and apparently introduces a personage who will be prominent in the last days.
According to the vision, the fourth beast is later destroyed by the Son of Man
who comes from heaven. The dominion of the fourth beast is succeeded by a
kingdom which has an everlasting dominion which comes from God (Dan 7:9-14).
The interpretation of the
vision of Daniel 7 is
more detailed than that of Daniel
2 and is found in Daniel
7:17-28. Here we learn specifically that the four beasts are four
kings or kingdoms. Our attention is directed especially to the fourth beast and
more particularly to the little horn. An important point in the interpretation
is that the ten horns, apparently corresponding to the ten toes of the image of Daniel 2, are pictured as reigning
simultaneously and as subdued by the little horn of Daniel 7:8. This is a frontal refutation of
the postmillennial and amillennial concept that the ten kingdoms were
successive kingdoms in the latter phase of the Roman Empire or, as some would
have it, fulfilled in the empire of Seleucids. Instead, it is clear that the
ten kingdoms are simultaneous as three of them are subdued by the little horn
and the other seven apparently capitulate. The fourth kingdom under the
domination of the little horn becomes a world empire described in the phrase:
“Shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces”
(Dan 7:23).
Any reasonably literal interpretation of this prophecy requires
necessarily the expositor to take the position that this is yet future from the
standpoint of the twentieth century. Nothing in history corresponds to a
ten-nation confederacy subdued by another king which endures until it is
succeeded by the kingdom of heaven. If this passage is allowed to speak as a
genuine prophetic revelation, it necessarily requires a future ten-nation
confederacy as a key to the political and international situation in the days
just preceding the second coming of Christ and His kingdom.
Revelation 13:1-2
The New Testament revelation afforded by the Apocalypse, coming as
it does hundreds of years after Daniel’s prophecy, constitutes a confirmation
as well as additional revelation of that which had been previously introduced
by Daniel the prophet.
In Revelation 13:1-2 John “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. 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.” The correspondence of this beast to that in Daniel 7 is obvious in that the beast has
ten horns and ten crowns, speaking of political power and yet having seven
heads. The meaning of the seven heads is not immediately clear but may be
related to the deposition of three kingdoms by the little horn of Daniel 7:9. Another interpretation is that the
seven heads represent seven successive rulers in the Roman Empire which are
succeeded by a ten-nation confederacy which has ten simultaneous kings (Rev 17:10-13). From the standpoint of
establishing a future ten-nation confederacy, the passage adds its weight to
that previously revealed in Daniel, in that again there are ten horns and these
rulers are under the domination of a single ruler described in Revelation 13:3-8.
Here even more
clearly than in Daniel the prophecy relates to that which is future. The ruler
who dominates the political scene is declared to have power given to him to
continue forty and two months. This three and one-half year period may be
identified with the future great tribulation of Daniel
12:1 and Matthew 24:21 which
is in turn related to the prophecy of Daniel
9:27 as being the last three and one-half years of the 490
years of Daniel’s prophecy pictured in Daniel
9:24-27. More important is the fact that the forty-two months (Rev 13:5) culminate in the second coming of
Christ when, according to Revelation 19, the
beast of Revelation 13 is
captured and cast into the lake of fire (Rev
19:20). This clearly identifies the time factor as that immediately
preceding the second coming of Christ and therefore future, not a part of past
Roman history.
The fourth major
passage relating to the ten-nation confederacy is the description of the beast
found in Revelation 17.
According to Revelation 17:3 the
wicked woman depicting the apostate church is astride the beast having seven
heads and ten horns. Because of the precise description, there should be little
question that this is the same beast which has seven heads and ten horns found
in Revelation 13:1, and represents, therefore,
the political government of that time. The position of the woman astride the
beast describes her relationship, namely, one of dominance and yet supported by
the political government.
The description of
the ten horns as given in Revelation 17:12-16 confirms
again that the ten horns are ten kings who are subservient to the one dictator
who reigns over the entire government. Their blasphemous character is described
and their ultimate destruction is assured. An amazing detail is added in Revelation 17:16, namely, that the ten horns,
representing the kings, destroy the wicked woman in order that the dominion
which she had religiously should be transferred to the political ruler. This,
of course, is in line with intimations in Scripture that at the beginning of
the final forty-two month period the ruler of the revived Roman Empire will
take upon himself the role of God and demand that all the world worship him (Rev 13:8, 15). Again the identification of the
horn and the beast and the times in which they are pictured as exercising their
power relate them to a future period, namely, that just preceding the second
coming of Christ to the earth.
On the basis of this
investigation of four major passages which make a contribution to the prophetic
foreview of the ten-nation confederacy, it has been presented that a normal,
literal interpretation of the prophecies lead to the concept that there is yet
coming a future ten-nation confederacy within the bounds of the ancient Roman
Empire. The speculation as to which ten nations these may be is, of course, not
answered in the Scriptures. Suffice it to say there were more than ten kingdoms
within the ancient Roman Empire and this revival, identified as it is with the
Roman prince of Daniel 9:26, may
well include Rome itself and representative countries in Northern Africa,
Western Asia, and Southern Europe. As the Scriptures make plain, the ten-nation
confederacy is only the beginning, and the power of the ruler continues to
extend until he reigns over every kindred, tongue, and nation (Rev 13:7). Hence, it may be concluded that a
normative and literal interpretation of prophecy leads to the conclusion that
the world is yet to see a revival of the ancient Roman Empire in its ten-nation
confederacy form. In the light of the amazing unification of Europe under the
Common Market and the pressures of a modern situation which make the survival
of small, independent nations very difficult, such a move toward confederacy
fits precisely into the temper of our modern international situation. The
appropriateness of this prophecy to our present day is another indication that
the church may be ending its earthly course and that end-time prophecy is about
to be fulfilled.
John F. Walvoord
https://bible.org/article/prophecy-ten-nation-confederacy