| Highlights of DAWN | November 1975 |
An Enlightening Thumbnail Sketch of Important Historical Truths
“THE King of Heaven has bestowed on me the dominion of the earth.” This proclamation was made by King Darius to Alexander the Great. Thus he announced his claim that the Almighty had granted him rule over the four quarters of the earth. “From the capital of the kings of the world: As long as the sun shines on the head of Iskander [Alexander] the robber, let him know that the King of Heaven has bestowed on me the dominion of the earth, and that the Almighty has granted to me the surface of the four quarters. Providence has also eminently distinguished me with glory, exaltation, majesty, and with multitudes of devoted champions and confederates.”
Looking back to that ancient time when this quotation is alleged to have been made, we might well wonder where and how Darius got the information that on him God had bestowed the dominion of earth. But however Darius may have obtained his original information, the fact remains that he was granted great power to rule in the earth. Failure to recognize this would limit us in our understanding of the Bible.
In the second chapter of Daniel is recorded a dream which was given to Nebuchadnezzar and which Daniel, in the providence of God, interpreted for him. In this dream Nebuchadnezzar saw a human-like image, constructed of gold, silver, copper, and iron. Daniel’s interpretation of this dream is recorded in verses 36 to 40 of this chapter. The key expression here is, “Wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.”
Daniel explained that following Nebuchadnezzar there would arise another, then a third and fourth; in other words, a succession of four powerful kingdoms to whom God had given the authority to reign. In his letter to Alexander, Darius was quoting what the Lord had said to him and to each of the rulers in this four-dynasty succession of imperial power. Prior to this, God had given his authority to no one to rule except through Israel; now he had made a complete turn and, as the Scriptures indicated, was preparing to take that authority away from Israel and bestow it upon these Gentile governments—not all Gentile governments, but upon the ones named in this succession of powerful rulers. Darius knew about this and was quoting his authority for bolstering his kingdom against the threat by Alexander the Great.
Here in reality is a great key unlocking history referred to in our topic. And as we study the Old Testament history and other scriptures we will find this come to light time and time again, and it has an important bearing on what has been and is taking place in the world today.
We won’t take time to go into many details of the fulfillment of prophecy in connection with what is stated in Darius’s letter, but we do wish to show that the idea that God had given power and authority to Gentile nations is one of the clearly established facts in the Bible and one that is all too frequently overlooked in the study of those prophecies. Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome were the four powers involved, and the setting of these prophecies indicates what an important bearing God’s message to Nebuchadnezzar had upon the activities of all our great rulers.
For example, the pagan ruler of Rome was called Pontifex Maximus, which means “chief religious ruler.” When pagan Rome succumbed to papal Rome this title was transferred to the pope and he became chief religious ruler, particularly in the matter of appointing and dethroning kings of earth—all of whom were descendants in one way or another of the four powers involved in the prophecy.
The concept comes to light in more understandable form when we realize that this is what is referred to in the expression “divine right of kings.” The kings of these four empires did have a right to rule, but not to usurp heavenly power over the God of heaven. Of Rome, which was the last of these, Paul tells us that the powers which be are ordained of God. This general idea of the divine right of kings was clung to very seriously until the year 1914. Who in the editorial world would have been able to write accurately concerning what began to take place in 1914 without a knowledge of this viewpoint of God’s appointed rulers? Mr. C. A. Lyon, writing in the London (England) Sunday Express, had this to say about it
“Who, in 1910, would have believed any of the things that have come to pass among the ruling houses of Europe in a few short years? Consider them as they were—the Romanoffs, the Bourbons, the Hapsburgs, the Hohenzollerns. Before the war they seemed entrenched in power and wealth forever. Think of how for centuries they had owned Europe and ruled it, how they had told the world that God had appointed them to rule it, how they had called each other ‘Sir, my brother,’ and formed themselves into a little elect intermarrying band. Some had a high idea of their calling. Others abused their power and wealth in loose living and luxury. But they all believed that they were permanent, privileged, irreplaceable.
“And yet a series of little puffs of wind that blew soon after they assembled in strength for almost the last time at Edward VII’s funeral in 1910 sent them flying. Not one of them, it is safe to say, had the least inkling of the disasters and adventures that were to befall them and their relatives.”
Describing the losing effort of the Hapsburg family to regain its former position in Austria, Mr. Lyon continues:
“The Empress Zita’s upbringing of her boy emperor is as extraordinary a tale as any in the post-war adventures of fallen royalty. Otto was never allowed to mix with any children except his sisters and brothers, who called him ‘majesty.’ He was told that the pope had given him Hungary as a family estate. He lived in a world made as like as it could possibly be to old Vienna—even though the family diet was often potatoes, sardines, and cheese, a condition of pride and poverty. And then one day an Austrian house painter finally ended the farce by taking Austria and telling its emperor he was guilty of treason, whereupon the Hapsburgs told their handful of followers that the cause was hopeless, and prepared to emigrate obscurely to a ranch in South America.”
As it turned out, Mr. Lyon stated the truth of the situation; the church-state rulers of Europe did at that time begin—and very rapidly—to lose their power and authority. None of them are still functioning. A few are referred to as kings and queens, but as in England, these are mere figureheads. No real church-state ruler today exercises any authority in this position in the chaotic world affairs of today.
Together
Not only did Daniel, speaking for the Lord, forecast the coming into power of these heaven-appointed rulers, but he also depicted the regimes which they represented and the fact that they would be destroyed. The significant thing in connection with this prophecy is the fact that, according to Daniel, they were all to fall together. As a matter of fact, Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome did not all fall at the same time. Babylonia was the first, Greece and Rome still remain as fragments of power at least; but the prophet said that they would all fall together.
This must mean that all these government arrangements would possess one thing in common. And what was that thing? It was the fact that they all had received their power and authority from the God of heaven. It was this that fell as a result of the First World War, and it no longer functions as any authoritative power in the earth. It fell and it has gone out of existence, and as a result of the same set of influences.
Luke 21:24,25
Jesus described this long period in which Gentile kings would rule over the Gentiles and over the Jews as the “times of the Gentiles.” He said Jerusalem would be trodden down of the Gentiles until the Times of the Gentiles were fulfilled. Prior to the Times of the Gentiles, God ruled over Judah through the kings of Judah. It was virtually a theocratic government. So we see that the Times of the Gentiles are very similar in nature—a period during which Gentile governments would hold Jerusalem in bondage. But notice that the overtones are religious on both sides—the Times of the Gentiles and the period when Jerusalem would be trodden down.
Much was involved in the fact that Israel’s kings were given power over their own people. Had this worked out beneficently, it would have meant peace for Jerusalem and for Israel and, indeed, peace and quietness and health and goodwill for all mankind. But Jesus did not say that Jerusalem would be trodden down of the Gentiles until all these desirable things were fulfilled. He referred merely to the treading-down process which held true from the beginning of the Times of the Gentiles right down to the end of the Gentile Times. Today as we examine the situation, we find that Jerusalem is no longer trodden down of the Gentiles. Jerusalem has not had all the promises of peace and goodwill fulfilled, but the fact that her treading down by the Gentiles would come to an end is what is emphasized here; and we know from historical facts that this part of the prophecy has come true.
No longer are the Jewish people a subjected nation. No longer are they trodden down. They are a free nation, members of the United Nations, and as such enjoy their lot in the world of free nations. This must be regarded as a strong indication that the Times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled. This, together with the fact that the power given to Gentile nations by Nebuchadnezzar is no longer operative, would increase that indication and give us fuller proof that we have reached the end of the Times of the Gentiles.
Let us remember what we referred to in the beginning; that we have been given in the Word of God an enlightening thumbnail sketch of these historical truths. Particularly is that true with respect to the Times of the Gentiles and the treading down of Jerusalem. In looking for a fulfillment of these prophecies we are not to look beyond these elements. With the passing of the rulership of the Jewish people by the historical Hebrew kings, and with the fall of Gentile supremacy, as represented in the church-state kingdoms of Europe, we have the fulfillment of these prophecies. We do not need to look for a general breakdown of the whole world order. That comes later. We do not need to look now for the full establishment of Christ’s kingdom, because that comes later. All we need to look for is that the church-state rule has come to an end and that Jerusalem is no longer trodden down of the Gentiles.
Let us proceed upon this basis and rejoice that prophecy is opening up before us, being fulfilled, and that soon the glorious kingdom of Christ will be established in fullness and in great glory. Then there will be real heavenly rule under God. There will be the earthly phase under the restored Ancient Worthies. There will be peace and goodwill and health and life everywhere. But we do not need to wait for all this to recognize that the Times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled.