In the book of Daniel, he prophesies about the End Times by means of a dream and vision. Each “great beast” is a kingdom, that is, a powerful nation or set of nations. Each kingdom dominants the world for a length of time, only to fall from power and be replaced by another.

[Daniel 7]
{7:1} In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and a vision in his head on his bed. And, writing down the dream, he understood it in a concise manner, and so, summarizing it tersely, he said:
{7:2} I saw in my vision at night, and behold, the four winds of the heavens fought upon the great sea.
{7:3} And four great beasts, different from one another, ascended from the sea.

The great sea is humanity, which is like a great sea of peoples all over the world. The four winds of heaven means that this vision applies to the whole world, as the four winds are North, South, East, and West. And the mention of heaven also means that this set of events is governed by the providence of God. It is the will of God due to the increasing sinfulness of humanity.

{7:4} The first was like a lioness and had the wings of an eagle. I watched as its wings were plucked off, and it was raised from the earth and stood on its feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.

This first beast is the kingdom of the great Catholic monarch. In World War 3, the Arab Muslim nations of the Middle East and northern Africa conquer Europe and then rule over a vast territory, including Europe, the Middle East (except Israel), norther Africa, etc. In World War 4, the great Catholic monarch with the help of the air power of the United States (the wings of an eagle) defeats these nations and is appointed ruler over the entire vast territory. During World War 3 and 4, there will be many women leaders, and so the kingdom is termed a lioness. The lion stands for England, which stands for Europe, as England is one of the last nations to be defeated by the Muslim extremists in World War 3. The wings of the eagle are plucked off, meaning that the U.S. is not part of the kingdom of the great Catholic monarch.

This first beast is raised up from the earth, meaning that it is a greater nation than past nations. Many nations, especially when they have much power, behave more like wild animals than human persons. But this kingdom stands like a man, meaning that it is a reasonable kingdom. And it has the heart of a man, meaning it is a compassionate kingdom as well. The kingdom of the great Catholic monarch is a true Catholic Christian kingdom, in which the teachings of the Catholic Faith and the leadership of the Roman Pontiff guide the kingdom in all things. (I hope I live to see that kingdom be established after the first part of the tribulation.)

{7:5} And behold, another beast, like a bear, stood to one side, and there were three rows in its mouth and in its teeth, and they spoke to it in this way: “Arise, devour much flesh.”

After about 25 years, the kingdom of the great Catholic monarch is divided into four parts: two larger sets of nations, and two smaller sets of nations. The two larger are Europe and then a group of nations that includes northern Africa and the Middle East (including Israel). These are the northernmost and southernmost parts of the great Catholic monarch’s kingdom, so they are called the North and the South. These two continue to have great influence over the world, until Russia, the bear, rises to power in the 2100’s.

The bear is Russia. The three rows of teeth represent the way that Russia rises to power: by controlling the food sources of the world. Russia becomes the breadbasket of the world. As time passes, more and more land is used for cities and suburban uses, and there is less and less land for growing food. But Russia, at this time, still has a great deal of open land, and they use that land to grow food. Selling this food to the world makes Russia wealthy and powerful. Russia produces three types of foods, probably grains, meats, and dairy. By controlling the food sources, Russia gains influence over other nations. The nations surrounding Russia become ruled by that nation, similar to the USSR, but larger and with more influence over the other nations. Russia in this time is a sinful nation. And by means of its control over food, it demands that the other nations change their laws to permit grave sins.

{7:6} After this, I watched, and behold, another like a leopard, and it had wings like a bird, four upon it, and four heads were on the beast, and power was given to it.

By the 2200s, the nations of the world seek and find a way to throw off the yoke of Russia. An alliance is formed between four nations (the four heads). These four are two with more power, China and Africa (except not the northern part), and two with less power, India and other region (probably the island nations near China). They use air power to rebel against Russia and end its dominance over the world. To do so, China, Africa, and India need to develop their agriculture and food sources, so as to no longer depend on Russia for so many foods.

{7:7} After this, I watched in the vision of the night, and behold, a fourth beast, terrible yet wondrous, and exceedingly strong; it had great iron teeth, eating yet crushing, and trampling down the remainder with his feet, but it was unlike the other beasts, which I had seen before it, and it had ten horns.

By the early 2300s, the nations of the world are seeking away to throw off the yoke of the Alliance of Four. There is a set of wars, coups, negotiations, pacts and treaties. The nations of the world realign themselves so as not to be controlled by any nation or set of nations. This set of many small wars establishes ten sets of nations, each of which as sufficient resources and military might to stand on its own. So this fourth beast is exceedingly strong, as it includes all the nations. But these ten set of nations, ten kingdoms, are not allied together. They are in opposition to one another. They form so as to prevent any kingdom from dominating the world again, as had been happening progressively since the time of the kingdom of the great Catholic monarch.

Every nation on earth will be a part of one or another of these ten kingdoms. Each kingdom will have one ruler. Some will be dictatorships and others will be nominal democracies, but with one ruler given much power. The exception to this rule is the kingdom of the North (Europe), which gives many different persons degrees of power. Their top ruler depends upon the cooperation of many other rulers within that kingdom.

The kingdom of the ten kings is the most sinful kingdom so far on earth. It does not rule with reason, nor with compassion, but with sheer power. Law enforcement is exceedingly harsh. The peoples of the world will seek to have food and the bare minimum of things to meet their needs to live, and then will immerse themselves in entertainments and sinful enjoyments.

The kingdom of the South is the least sinful of the ten kingdoms. It will include the Holy Land. After World War 4, Israel becomes a Christian nation. And many persons, having converted to devout Catholic Christianity, will want to move to the Holy Land. But there will be so many persons seeking to live near Jerusalem, that the surrounding nations will become like the suburbs of the Holy Land. And they will seek to live near to Israel, if they cannot live within its borders.

Thus, even centuries later, the kingdom of the South will be the most holy and least sinful of the ten kingdoms. Even so, sinfulness will be prevalent in that kingdom also, especially in those with power.

During the 2300s, the kingdom of the ten kings becomes more and more sinful, and ever more hateful toward the only three religions to survive to this point in time: Judaism, Christianity, Islam. Even within the South, those who are devoutly religious will be ridiculed and mistreated.

In the other nine kingdoms, religion will be barely tolerated, and then only because of longstanding pacts and threats from the kingdom of the South, to maintain some degree of freedom of religion (very limited) in the other nine kingdoms. When the kingdom of the South falls to the North in the war that brings the Antichrist to power, the last protections for religion on earth also fall away.

So the Antichrist rises to power within the kingdom of the ten kings, specifically in the North (Europe). But he is born and raised in the South (northern Africa, Middle East). During the kingdom of the ten kings, the North and South will be continually in a cold war, with repeated battles and alternating wins and losses for both sides. This results in these two kingdoms having the most powerful militaries on earth. The next most powerful militaries will be those of China and Africa (not including the northern part), because they ruled by military might in the previous century (2200s). China and Africa were the two most powerful parts of the Alliance of Four during that time. So these are the four most powerful militaries in the latter part of the kingdom of the ten kings, in the late 2300s.

Ronald L. Conte Jr.