Daniel 7:7a After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet.
This fourth beast in Daniel’s dream was so terrible he didn’t have words to describe it. The previous beasts were likened to fierce animals, but there is no animal awful enough to compare to this fourth beast, which is the Roman Empire.
This empire was the strongest and most powerful in all of history. The beast had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. The Roman Empire ruled the Middle East for some two thousand years. Fifteen rulers led this powerful kingdom to conquest after conquest and eventually consisted of all the bordering territory on the entire Mediterranean Sea and beyond. was a HUGE and POWERFUL empire led and controlled by the ministering of the evil spirit of power.
This is why Daniel did not have words to describe how dreadful and terrible this beast was. Exceedingly strong with huge iron teeth gives us some idea of how it devoured territory after territory, breaking them to pieces and trampling the residue under its feet.
The first four beasts described in Daniel’s Prophetic Dream have all come to pass. We have discussed this over the past several days. They are described as “beasts” they were all led by the powerful evil spirits of pride and power. These demonic spirits are two of the most destructive of all. Just as the four beasts marched into cities and countries and took them over with brute force, the spirits of pride and power dominate our society and culture today.
These spirits hold many people captive as they seek to dominate everyone in their path. The spirit of pride causes them to believe they are better, smarter, and more deserving than others. This is where we find racism, intimidation, and discrimination of all types manifested. Pride’s partner is the spirit of power which leads people to dominate others and rule over them just as the warlords of the Roman Empire we have been studying. Hand in hand these two spirits will bring division and destruction to families, businesses, churches, communities, and entire nations if not curtailed.
The great King Solomon wrote many Proverbs on this subject. I believe Proverbs 16:18 says it all. Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Pride will ALWAYS end in destruction.
We must repent of the spirit of pride and cast it out of our lives. We have NOTHING to be proud about. We are not better than anyone else and no one is better than us. We deserve no greater power than anyone either. We are all equal in the eyes of God and it is before Him we will all stand and give account.
Let us live our lives pleasing to God and not seek to gain power and position in this world. Let us decrease so He can increase and seek Him and His Righteousness first before ALL else.
God will…....…..turn the tide
Humbled, Doreen
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