read these verses, we see that the fifth kingdom, the Kingdom of God, is a literal kingdom that has not yet come to earth.

In this passage, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, dreamed of a huge image of a man consisting of a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet composed of a mixture of iron and clay.

God gave Daniel, a prophet in Nebuchadnezzar’s court, the ability to interpret dreams (Daniel 1:17; 2:28). Through God’s inspiration, Daniel revealed that the four divisions of this image were actually four successive world empires. God, through Daniel, identified the first of the kingdoms, the head of gold, as the Babylonian Empire (Daniel 2:38).The next two kingdoms are identified in Daniel 8:1-21. Thischapter records a subsequent vision that foretold and gives more detail about the second and third empires. These two kingdoms are identified as “the kings of Media and Persia” and “the kingdom of Greece.” History confirms that the Babylonian Empire was conquered by the Medo-Persian Empire (recorded in Daniel 5:30, 31), which was in turn toppled by the Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great.

In chapter seven these four kingdoms are pictured again, this time as four beasts. This vision characterizes the empires as wild animals, predicting their harsh and oppressive domination of their subjects.

The fourth kingdom is characterized as especially cruel. History records that Alexander’s Grecian kingdom was succeeded by the Roman Empire. This kingdom is shown here as challenging the very authority of God and persecuting His