The Christadelphian Bible Journal
February 2004 Volume 2 Number 14
In Daniel, chapter 2, the Bible student is presented with an outline of relevant world history from the Prophet's time through the day when the Kingdom of God is established in the earth. It is revealed through a symbolic statue: Nebuchadnezzar's Image. Assyro-Babylon is represented by a head of gold. This is followed by Medo-Persia, shown by breasts and arms of silver. Then, Greece by belly and thighs of brass, and Rome by two legs of iron. The remnants of Rome are depicted by feet and toes of iron and clay. Russia provides the clay in both feet and toes (Hab. 2:6) which completes the Image allowing it to stand in full confederated manifestation in the latter days preparatory to the Stone that smites it: the Multitudinous Christ.
This has been sound, Biblical Christadelphian teaching since the revival of the Apostolic Faith in 1847. But the winds of error are ever blowing and attempting to knock down anything that is Scriptural, wholesome and good. Once again, the faith and understanding of Christadelphians are being undermined by an alternative interpretation based wholly upon specious reasoning. This erroneous view assigns the identity of the 10 toes to Arab kingdoms instead of Europe. The proponents of this notion base their support for it on four points: (1) the origin of the traditional Christadelphian interpretation; (2) the fact that the European Union has more than 10 members; (3) the Biblical use of the words "mixed" and "mingled"; (4) the locale of the Stone's impact.
We shall now examine each of these in detail.
(1) PROTESTANTISM OR TRUTH?
The proponents of the Arab-Moslem interpretation have asserted that "Christadelphians have quite simply borrowed" their traditional teaching (as well as other interpretations of prophecy) from "popular theology, modifying them to suit our unique doctrines when necessary."
This assertion not only undermines Christadelphian teaching, but it impugns the integrity and scholarship of our pioneer brethren, and would contaminate their able expositions with the aura of orthodoxy. The implication is made that because elements of the Christadelphian interpretation are found in Protestantism, such must, therefore, be incorrect. The truth of the matter is that for many years certain Protestant expositors have promulgated both teachings concerning Nebuchadnezzar's Image: Arab-Moslem as well as European.
Church of England Clergyman, E. W. Bullinger, presented the Arab-Moslem view as early as 1922. In the Companion Bible, he suggested that the feet and toes of the Image represent the power that took Jerusalem in c.636 A.D., namely the Mohammedan or Arab. The first appearance of this teaching appeared in Christadelphia when Central Amended writer Harry Whittaker echoed BullingerŐs theory in his writings from 1967-1976, adapting it to his understanding of Christadelphian doctrines as needed.
The Protestant promulgation of the European view is also well documented. Witness E.B. Elliott, et al. Mr. Elliott's work, Horae Apocalypticae, was published some 12 years after Dr. Thomas' various Apocalyptic exegeses in The Apostolic Advocate. The DoctorŐ' articles would lay the foundation for both Anatolia and Eureka, later works that favor the European view, but offer a significantly different approach from the typical Protestant teaching of the day, both doctrinally and prophetically.
And so, in light of these facts we ask: Since either the Arab-Moslem or European view is believed by certain Protestants does it follow that one or the other is incorrect? No, such reasoning is non sequitur. Is the Christadelphian belief in the Millennium made null and void due to some Protestants believing such? Is our use of the Bible wrong because Protestants also use it? What is important is that which the Scriptures clearly teach. And, as we shall see, Biblical doctrine along with the record of history demonstrate beyond all doubt that the European view is sound, and the Arab-Moslem notion is not.
(2) EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERSHIP
The second point of the current Arab-Moslem presentation argues against the Christadelphian application of the 10 toes to European kingdoms or nations. The argument is presented that the European Union has over 20 members and thus there is no numerical assignment to the 10 toes. Therefore, it is asserted that the 10 toes must relate to the 10 so-called "Arab-Moslem" powers listed in Psalm 83: 6-8.
Actually, it matters not how many EU members there are at present. When the Russo-Gogian clay is sundered from the Image at Armageddon, there will be in Western Europe 10 toe-powers remaining, plus the papal horn, to fulfill destiny. We must remember that Roman Iron is in the legs, feet and toes of Nebuchadnezzar's Image. Rome's seat of geopolitical power, authority, religion, culture and influence was headquartered in the territory we know today as Europe: a collection of countries born of Rome's eclipse. This is, therefore, the precise area wherein the feet and toes are to be manifest. Psalm 83 is irrelevant to the issue.
(3) THE "MIXED" OR "MINGLED" PEOPLES
The third "proof" offered for the Arab-Moslem identification of the 10 toes concerns the phonetic rendering of the word translated "mixed" in Daniel 2, verses 41 and 43. Because this word is phonetically rendered "ar-ab" by Strong's and others, it is deduced that the 10 toes must therefore be the arab "mixed" or "mingled" people of the Middle East.
Such reasoning is fallacious, ignoring both the sense of the passage and grammatical rules. The word in question is not a noun, and, therefore, can be neither the subject nor object of the verse. The word is a verb, in participle form. As a verb, it is exclusively an action word, meaning simply to mix or mingle. To attempt using a verb as either the subject or object of the sentence is shameful sophistry. The grammatical sense is clear to the honest Bible student: the Roman (iron) peoples would "mingle", or "mix," with others. Nothing in the verses indicates the removal of Roman influence. It is to remain until the Image is destroyed.
In addition, the concept of "mixed" or "mingled" is applied by the scriptures to Israel (Psa. 106:35; Ezra 9:2) as well as to gentiles (Ex. 12:38; Jer. 25:24). The context of Daniel 2 and its relationship to the subject matter of Daniel 7 and the Apocalypse preclude the application of the term to either Israel or the Arab-Moslem peoples as far as the toes are concerned.
(4) INITIAL IMPACT OF THE STONE
The fourth 'proof' offered for the Arab-Moslem theory asserts that since the initial impact of the Stone is in the Middle East, the feet and toes of the Image must be standing there. This view is not really new either. It was implied long ago by Methodist Clergyman Adam Clarke (b.1762) in his Commentary, and is still promoted by theological seminary and college textbooks of the apostasy. These suggest that the Image stands in the latter days in the old Grecian areas of Syria and Egypt, in effect, ignoring some 20 centuries of subsequent Roman history.
Bible prophecy, however, along with the established facts of history, reveals the final posture of NebuchadnezzarŐs Image: One leg in Western Europe and the other in Eastern Europe, or Constantinople. This is precisely where the Roman legs of Iron were historically situated. Moreover, the iron in both feet and toes is an extension of that in both legs. It is the same iron. And it is Roman-European. There exists no Scriptural justification to think otherwise.
When the epoch of the Russo-Assyrian clay laden feet commences, and the Image stands in full manifestation, the confederacy of Ezekiel, chapter 38 will be realized. The dominion of the Image shall be inclusive of the territory of these nations and by necessity must comprehend a larger geographic area than the Middle East. Indeed, when one compares the historic territorial extent of the Image to the Prophet's enumeration of nations, a virtual match is seen.
The Arab-Moslems are, therefore, not the 10-toe confederacy that the Stone smites. At the time of the end, the Russo-Gogian armies will move from Europe into the Middle East arena, and, upon the mountains of Israel, shall suffer the initial impact of the Stone (Ezek. 38-39). Certainly the Arab nations have their role to fulfill, but this is not to usurp that which is relegated to the Roman-iron nations. In the words of bro. John Thomas: "It is impossible that Nebuchadnezzar's Image can represent any other imperial confederacy of nations than that under the King of the North in the time of the end."
CONCLUSION
Dr. John Thomas, has tied end-time events together quite well as they relate to Nebuchadnezzar's Image. His words that follow constitute an accurate portrayal of that which shall take place when the time comes for the powers represented in the Image to be destroyed by the Multitudinous Christ. He writes:
"We consider Nebuchadnezzar's Image the symbol of Gog's dominion when he, the King of the North (Dan. 11:40-45), and of Assyria (Isa. 30:30-33), encamps with his army, drafted from all subject-nations (Hab. 2:5), on the mountains of Israel (Dan. 11:45; Ezek. 38:8) on all sides of Jerusalem, and is in actual possession of the Holy City (Zech. 14:2) in the latter days (Ezek 38:16; Dan 2:28).
"He is not the last Beast, however. Till Gog is broken, the lamb-horned and dragon-speaking Beast (Apoc. 13:11) is an Iron Leg of the Image: a co-partner with Gog, yet inferior to him in the majesty of the Greco-Roman-Dragonic dominion of 'The End.'
"But when the Clay is sundered from the Iron by the stroke of the Stone-Power, this is, when Gog is broken, the Western Leg and Toes, or 'Beast and the Kings of the Earth' (Apoc. 19:19) have still to be subdued. These are of the Fourth Beast of Daniel (7:11, 19-26), which has to be slain, and his body destroyed in the burning flame by the Lord Jesus, his Saints, and Israel. [1]
"The Image never existed as a whole elsewhere than in the dream. In the Latter Days, however, the thing signified by the Image will appear as complete in all its parts as the statue itself before it was smitten by the symbolic Stone."
EXHORTATION
Taking Rome out of Biblical prophecy and replacing it with other entities is nothing new. It is a practice commenced centuries ago by Roman Catholic clergy loyal to the Papal Harlot: the enemy of the real Christ, and the notorious persecutor of the true ecclesia (Dan. 7:21). That some have chosen to join hands with her in either doctrine or practice is one of the great tragedies of our time. May faithful brethren and sisters continue to eschew such a union and stick with Biblically sound teaching believed by the true servants of the Deity since the time of John's exile on Patmos and the rise of "the mystery of iniquity" already at work in Paul's day (2 Thess. 2:7).Bro. Bob Widding, Bro. Dale Lee
FOOTNOTES
1. For the complete disposition of the toes in the latter days, readers are encouraged to study the "Unique Interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's Image,Ó" by brother Thomas (Herald 1852, pp 3-19) in conjunction with Anatolia.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
An Encyclopedia of World History, Langer
The Holy Roman Empire, Bryce
Islamic History of the Middle East, Bishai
The Ancient Greeks, Smith
The Persian Empire, Cook
Eureka, Thomas
Anatolia (Exposition of Daniel), Thomas
Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Thomas, ed.
The Apostolic Advocate, Thomas, ed.
Israel's Defeat: by Gog or the Arabs?, Styles
The Assyrian not Iraq, Briley
Horae Apocalypticae, Elliott
Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon of the Old Testament
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Commentary, Clarke
Understanding the Old Testament, Anderson
The Last Days, Whittaker
The Time of the End, Whittaker
Revelation, Whittaker
Shofar, Pursell, ed.
The Companion Bible, Bullinger