Legs of Iron & Feet of Iron and Clay: Rome (63 BC - the time of Jesus Christ)

Updated: Oct 9, 2020

Historical and Biblical Background

Scholars suggest the fourth kingdom is the Roman empire. However, the Bible does not specifically identify this kingdom as Rome.
Inn 63 BC, Roman General Pompey conquered Jerusalem.
On March 15, 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated by Brutus and Cassius, who fled to the East. Two years later, Octavian and Mark Antony defeated Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of Philippi.
In 37 BC, Herod the Great was appointed king of Judea by Octavian and Mark Antony.
In 27 BC, Caesar Augustus (Octavian) became the first Roman Emperor.
During his reign, Herod the Great began to refurbish the temple in Jerusalem.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, c. 6-4 BC.
In AD 6, Judea became a Roman province ruled by a governor.
Jesus Christ was crucified by the governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate. Three days after his death, Jesus rose from the dead and was seen by more than 500 people (c. AD 30).
In AD 70, the Romans destroyed the Jewish temple and Jerusalem.
Over time, the Roman Empire weakened due to conflict within its borders and invaders attacking from outside.
The Roman Empire fell in AD 476.

Legs and Feet of the Statue (Daniel 2)

The legs were made of iron, and the feet were a mixture of both iron and clay.
The legs of iron suggested this kingdom would be strong as iron and would break, smash and crush things.
This would be a divided kingdom, different from the others; both strong and weak, like iron is strong and clay is brittle.
This kingdom would have a mixture of people who would not be united (Daniel 2:41-43; 7:23).

Vision of Beasts - Terrifying Beast (Daniel 7)

Daniel had a vision of a terrifying beast with ten horns and iron teeth.
The beast's ten horns are ten kings that would rise from this kingdom.
After them, another man (the "little horn" with eyes and a mouth that boasts) would speak against God and persecute God's people. Three of the first horns (kings) would be uprooted. Eventually the terrifying beast would be thrown into the blazing fire.

Timeline

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