Four Kingdoms

The Bible uses the symbols of four beasts, four types of metal, four horns, and four chariots to represent the four kingdoms that exist one after the other until the Return of Jsus Chrst.

Gentile Kingdoms

Four Beasts

The four beasts represent the four kingdoms.

Dan. 7:1-3 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven brake forth upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, different one from another.

Dan. 7:16-17 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made me know the interpretation of the things. “These great beasts, which are four, are four kingdoms that shall arise out of the earth.”

Four Metals

The following four metals represent the four kingdoms:
1) Gold,
2) Silver,
3) Copper,
4) Iron, followed by iron mixed with clay.

Dan. 2:31-33 Thou, O king [Nebuchadnezzar], saw, and, behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and its aspect was terrible. As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of copper, its legs of iron, its feet part of iron, and part of clay.

Dan. 2:37-41 Thou, O king [Nebuchadnezzar], are king of kings, unto whom the Gd of heaven hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory; and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all. You are the head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee; and another third kingdom of copper, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that crusheth all these, shall it break in pieces and crush. And whereas thou sawest 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 thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.

Four Horns

The four horns represent the four kingdoms that have persecuted the people of Gd.

Horn = King/Kingdom

Zech. 1:18-21 And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. And the Lrd showed me four smiths. Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head; but these are come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.

Four Chariots

The four chariots represent the four armies of destroying power of the four kingdoms.

Chariot = Army

Wind = Destroying Power

Four Winds of Heaven = North, South, East, West

Zech. 6:1 And again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of bronze.

Zech. 6:4-5 Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four winds of heaven, which go forth from standing before the Lrd of all the earth.

Beginning and End

The four kingdoms exist in chronological order from Babylon until the Return of Jsus Chrst.

Starting With Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon

The first kingdom was the Babylonian Empire, which conquered the Kingdom of David in Judah at Jerusalem.

Dan. 1:1-2 In the 3rd year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the Lrd gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of Gd; and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god: and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god.

Dan. 2:31-33 Thou, O king [Nebuchadnezzar], sawest, and, behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and its aspect was terrible. As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of copper, its legs of iron, its feet part of iron, and part of clay.

Dan. 2:37-38 Thou, O king [Nebuchadnezzar], art king of kings, unto whom the Gd of heaven hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory; and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all. You are the head of gold.

Jer. 25:8-12 Therefore thus saith the Lrd of hosts: Because ye have not heard my words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lrd, and I will send unto Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon 70 years. And it shall come to pass, when 70 years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lrd, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate for ever.

Ending With the Return of Jsus Chrst

The fourth kingdom will be destroyed at the Return of Jsus Chrst, and the Kingdom of Heaven will be established on earth.

Fourth Kingdom of Iron

The stone cut without hands, which is the divine person of Jsus Chrst, will strike the fourth kingdom of iron and destroy it. This means the fourth kingdom of iron will exist right up until the Return of Jsus, since he himself will destroy it at his coming.

Stone = Person

Mountain = Kingdom/King

Dan. 2:34-35 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Dan. 2:43-44 And whereas thou sawest 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 doth not mingle with clay. And in the days of those kings shall the Gd of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Fourth Beast Kingdom

Jsus Chrst, who is the Ancient of Days, will kill the fourth beast at his return. This means the fourth beast kingdom will exist right up until the Return of Jsus, since he himself will destroy it at his coming.

Dan. 7:7-12 After this I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, a fourth beast, terrible and powerful, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had 10 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: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. I beheld till thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit: his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld at that time because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake; I beheld even till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire. And as for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

Dan. 7:19-22 Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was diverse from all of them, exceeding terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; and concerning the 10 horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows. 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.

Dan. 7:23-27 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And as for the 10 horns, out of this kingdom 10 kings shall arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings. And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. But the judgment shall be set, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Rev. 19:11-14 And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems; and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he himself. And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and his name is called The Word of Gd. And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure.

Rev. 19:19-20 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, 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 burneth with brimstone:

2Th. 2:8 And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lrd Jsus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming.

Between Two Mountains

The four kingdoms exist chronologically directly between the Kingdom of David in Judah and the Kingdom of Heaven on earth:
1) Kingdom of David in Judah,
2) First Kingdom,
3) Second Kingdom,
4) Third Kingdom,
5) Fourth Kingdom,
6) Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Copper/Bronze = Land of Israel

Zech. 6:1 And again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between the two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of bronze.

Kingdom of David in Judah

The first kingdom of Israel was the Kingdom of David.

1Sam. 28:17 And the Lrd hath done unto thee, as he spake by me: and the Lrd hath rent the kingdom out of thy hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David.

2Sam. 5:12 And David perceived that the Lrd had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel’s sake.

1Kings 2:11 And the days that David reigned over Israel were 40 years; 7 years reigned he in Hebron, and 33 reigned he in Jerusalem.

1Kings 2:12 And Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.

1Kings 9:4-5 And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and mine ordinances; then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom over Israel for ever, according as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.

2Chr. 13:5 Ought ye not to know that the Lrd, the Gd of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Kingdom of Heaven on Earth

The Kingdom of Heaven will be established on earth in Israel in the future.

Dan. 7:13-14 I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, 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.

Dan. 7:17-18 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, that shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

Dan. 7:21-22 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.

Dan. 7:26-27 But the judgment shall be set, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Ezek. 43:5-7 And the Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lrd filled the house. And I heard one speaking unto me out of the house; and a man stood by me. And he said unto me, Son of man, this is the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, and by the dead bodies of their kings in their high places;

Rev. 20:1-6 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jsus, and for the word of Gd, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Chrst a thousand years. The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years should be finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: over these the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of Gd and of Chrst, and shall reign with him a thousand years.