Europe: The Last World Empire? - Part 1

Faced with the grim prognosis of our day, Daniel shows us God’s “in spite of everything.” He reveals the mystery of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and shows the progression of world history from Babylon to the last anti-Christian empire (which may or may not be Europe). A down-to-earth examination of the biblical facts.

2011 should have sealed the deal for ending nuclear energy, at least according to global sentiment at the time. It was brought about by the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, which had been caused by a storm. People wanted to distance themselves from nuclear power as quickly as possible. Many cars were seen sporting a yellow bumper sticker that read, “Nuclear power? No thanks!”

Although it feels like just yesterday, more than 13 years have passed, and the mood has completely shifted. People are suddenly calling nuclear power a form of “green energy,” and thinking that it might not be that bad after all. Our times are very fast-moving ones. Political bodies can fracture in an instant, immediately replaced with something new. It’s truly said that nothing is the same as it was yesterday.

This reality should restrain us in our attempts at interpreting Bible prophecy. If we speculate, wondering where Europe, the EU, or the UN are in the Bible, we should consider the possibility that the EU could dissolve and something new could emerge within days. When biblical prophecy is fulfilled, events can take place very quickly; then we can understand what God’s Word was referring to.

The question mark in this article’s title is deliberately placed, because we want to approach this topic carefully, without drawing any hasty conclusions. Having cautioned the reader, we turn to the second part of Daniel chapter 2. This passage concerns Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the majestic statue, as interpreted by Daniel.

First, let’s have a quick overview so we can place this chapter in its proper context. Building on this, we want to gradually approach an answer to our question of whether Europe is the last world empire.

In Spite of Everything!
As we read the Book of Daniel, we discover that the prophetic perspective becomes increasingly precise over the course of the book. Chapter 1 gives us a glimpse into the pagan world of Babylon of that day. In chapter 2, we’re already encountering the statue that shows how one empire follows another, ending with Jesus’ return. It’s where we see the character of the entire book. The other chapters constitute a further, in-depth explanation of the statue. Until chapter 12, we read a lot about the successive world empires, the Antichrist, the angelic realm, and the distress of the last days. But something that appears in the other books of prophecy is missing from Daniel: a representation of the messianic kingdom. Daniel shows us God’s way to it, but not the kingdom itself.

This raises the question of how we should handle it when Daniel shows us what else will happen on earth as we approach the end. If it’s already in God’s plan, why should we worry about it? We should just enjoy whatever good days we have left. And besides, why these prophetic themes over and over? What are we getting out of them?

“In spite of everything” is what we want to be the takeaway from this brief overview. It’s precisely why we should tackle this book: because God wants us to. Even if the forecasts are bleak and there’s a lot we don’t understand, God revealed and planned it all. Our God is in control.

The book of Daniel tells us, when events that must take place occur, don’t be dismayed. Here we can find points of illumination across the darkness of time. We can remain calm in spite of everything.

Our trust in God will be strengthened beyond measure. It is pure ministry to our souls. We’re no longer tossed about by the waves of evil that are crashing upon the earth. Through prophecy, God shows Himself as the Almighty One, who reaches His goal in every situation. This becomes especially clear in the book of Daniel.

Those who study prophecy are studying God’s purposes, and Daniel is likewise about God’s purposes. Those who are focused on their goals know the way, and this is the kind of orientation that Daniel offers to us. These are the points of illumination mentioned earlier.

It seems like everything is falling apart at this point in world history. Events could cause fear and anxiety. But Daniel’s prophecies show us that just the opposite is true, in an impressive way. As he expressed in his prayer, God is the only One who is wise, with the power to carry out every purpose that He established in His wisdom. Nothing is hidden from Him, and He knows exactly what the darkness conceals. He also reveals things that are deep and hidden. And so, this book is one of the master keys to a true, spiritual understanding of God’s ways with the children of men. It shows that we can really take hold of God as the infinitely Most High; nothing slips from His grasp.

We’re also dealing with a great God in our personal lives.

You may sometimes ask yourself whether you’re making the right choice, or what God’s will for your life is. In situations like this, the fact that we’re dealing with the Most High means you can be certain God has the power to prevent things from happening if He doesn’t want them to. Isn’t that superb? Hans-Joachim Eckstein once appropriately said that anyone who wants to walk on water like Peter did, shouldn’t look at the size of his feet but at the size of his God.

Against the backdrop of this glorious reality, we arrive at a statue: an image of four empires, and a falling rock that shatters everything. In this truly simple description lies the entire plan for a millennium. The God of heaven was able to fit it all into the narrow framework of a single dream.

God Reveals the Mystery
Daniel testifies before Nebuchadnezzar, whose dream it was, that “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (Dan 2:28). It then continues: “what will be in the latter days,” or “what will happen in the last days” (CSB)—in other words, in the very last days of world history. This phrasing helps us categorize what has and hasn’t yet been fulfilled from the book of Daniel. Some things will even be fulfilled for a second time on a grand scale at the very end, connected with Jesus’ return. That’s the nature of Bible prophecy. We often see foreshadowing that has already occurred, and it functions (on a small scale) as a detailed description of what is to come. In order to understand the future, we must know the past as well.

And so, Daniel testified before the king that there is a God who can communicate and interpret this dream. It is God who reveals, doing what we cannot. If God didn’t reveal Himself, or hadn’t done so, what could we do? Nothing. We wouldn’t know anything. We’d be at the mercy of world events, with no insight at all.

What is man? God created him from dust (Gen 2:7). We are dust! “What is man that you remember him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Ps 8:4). The earth and the planets: All this is the work of his fingers! In comparison, man is like a speck of dust. “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow” (Ps 144:4).

And yet, God cares so much about every single person! He revealed Himself to us, first through the prophets, and then lastly, through His only precious Son. God cares so much about us that He gave His Son for us.

Imagine: This great God revealed a secret to little Daniel. People only tell secrets to the ones we love and trust the most. God told him the dream and showed him what will happen before His Son returns.

The Sequence of World History
First of all, it’s interesting that the statue depicts an immense human body. Its appearance is terrifying, and of extraordinary splendor. The figure is so lofty that it fills the dreamer’s entire field of vision. This reminds us of the tower built to reach into the heavens, which people had once begun to build at this same place: the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:4).

This dreadful statue represents the rule of mankind. It symbolizes an oppressive rule that causes people to flee and hide themselves away as the present age progresses. From then through the present, we have been living in an age of man’s grandiosity, arrogance, and carnal, selfish achievements. This age, represented by the statue as a whole, corresponds to the times of the Gentiles according to Luke 21:24: “They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” The empires of the statue ruled or will rule over Jerusalem in a specific way.

This age continues until the stone shatters everything.

The statue reveals Satan’s method. Man is led to want to rule alone and worship himself. This is exactly what the terrible, cold, emotionless, large statue expresses. And yes, rebellion against God is terrible. This is what makes the sight of the statue in the dream so terrifying. The colossus shows man’s tendency to dominate everything while showing off his power and splendor, but also his brutality. Nebuchadnezzar’s big question was: “What will happen to my Babylonian empire?” He wanted to preserve his world domination, the empire that he had built so magnificently for himself.

The answer is: As long as world empires exist, there is no kingdom of heaven on earth in the prophetic sense. The kingdom of God can only come to earth when the last traces of the great colossus are destroyed and removed completely. Until then, the world will remain what it is: completely earthly. Throughout history, the world experiences various phases and forms of domination, but they all originate from the earth, never changing its inner being. So, we shouldn’t be surprised at all that’s happening in the world.

The vision of the sculpture begins with the head: That was Daniel’s present. Then history continues from top to bottom, revealing the chronological course of world history. The head is early, the feet are late, and the stone marks the end.

Incidentally, something of value is illuminated here. The sculpture of a tall person is “only” a creation. God is far above it. 

Are there things in your life that are becoming too much for you to handle? Big, scary things? You can know that your God is far above them. “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Gen 18:14). Perhaps you’re struggling with yourself, dissatisfied with so many things. Or you only see your own mistakes and inability. God is so big that He can manage to use you too.

Someone once said it’s a true miracle that God can grow mighty oaks from nuts like us.

Midnight Call - 07/2024