I woke early this morning with a burden to identify the four beasts seen in Daniel 7 with the emphasis on the fourth, and final beast, or kingdom. The first mention is in Daniel 7:3 and they are identified as coming up from the sea. As I have stated before, I fully believe this is identifying Satan and what might be likened to a sea of sin and iniquity where he and all that can be attributed to him. His seven heads, his power of sin and destrucion and all his demons reside in the spirit realm.

3: And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

Many people have gone to great length in trying to figure all of this out. Many say the first beast was Babylon or King Nebuchadnezzar, the second beast was Persia or King Cyrus, the third beast was Greece or possibly the Roman Empire and the fourth and final beast has been suggested as being the revived Roman Empire. Why, I do not know.

Putting aside all presuppositions, let's look at something much simpler than trying to place identifying factors like the lion of the first beast, the bear of the second and the leopard of the third.

What is the underlying focal point of all these beasts and basically, the entire story? It is Israel and God's elect, the seed of Jacob, or Israel as he was named by God. It is about His covenanted peoples and the promise given Abraham through Isaac, Jacob and Judah. The promise of the land and inheritance of His Kingdom.

Danial asked the angel what the meaning of these beasts was and the angel gave him a simple answer in verse 17:

17: These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

Then the angel gives Daniel the key to this whole vision in the very next wers.

18: But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

It is about the Kingdom of God and who will inherit that Kingdom. So this entire vision and these kings, or kingdoms on earth, are attempting to stop the saints from attaining it. Now, real simply, who or what, do we know throughout history that has attempted to take from Israel what was given them by God? Let's look, it isn't really all that difficult.

1. Nebuchadnezzar took Israel into captivity in 586B.C and destroyed the first temple. It was prophecied by Jeremiah and came to pass as seen in the beginning of Daniel 9 as the seventy years of Babylonian exile were done yet Jerusalem was not yet restored. This is why Daniel was so distraught.

The entire story of the destruction of the first temple is seen in Ezra and the restoration in Nehemiah.

2. The second temple and second time Israel and Jerusalem were destroyed and Israel sent into exile was in 70A.D when Titus destroyed thte temple and laid Jerusalem to waste.

3. Now, who do we know that came after Titus and attempted to mdestroy Israel, and primarily the people of Israel? It was none other than Adolph Hitler and the Nazis. This isn't rocket science, all it takes is a basic knowledge of actual history and what has occurred surrounding Israel and Jerusalem.

4. Now looking at the fourth, and last, kingdom, who do we see identified? Let's look first at what God's Word says to get a clue. Daniel 7:19, the very next verse gives the clue;

19: Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others , exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

It states this fourth beast is diverse from all the others. Verse 23 reiterates this and adds some more identifying factors.

23: Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth , and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

Looking at the first three kingdoms, or beasts, what do they have in common? They were both political/military mights and ruled from certain countries. Nebuchadnezzar ruled from Babylon, Titus Vespasian ruled from Rome and Adolph Hitler rueld from Germany.

Now we must ask ourselves today, who, or what, is now trying to eliminate Israel and claim what Daniel 7:18 says the saint will possess? There is but one earthly entity attempting to do this before our very eyes and it is an entity "diverse" from any "kingdom" ever before. As the original Aramaic (Daniel was written mostly in Aramaic) called "sh@na'" (shen-aw') 8133: and means simply: to change, be altered, be changed

So what do we see today that fits these "shenaw" identifiers? A kingdom that isn't truly a kingdom like the first three, yet, is an earthly entity that is attempting to destroy Israel and claim what is identified as God's Kingdom that the saints will instead possess? An earthly entuty that will "devour" the entire earth?

There is but one earthly "kingdom" attempting to do this folks and it is not the European Union or the U.N. or the Roman Catholic Church. That one singular "shenaw" (diverse) entity is Islam.

It is a "beast" or kingdom like nothing that has ever existed on earth. It has no country boundaries yet it exists in every nation on earth. It has no military central command yet it has stockpiles of weapons everywhere it exists. And it has claimed it will rule the entire earth. It stands there beating it's chest filling in the blanks and nobody is even paying it any attention. None except us here at Wonderful One it seems.

It seemingly has no earthly "head" or ruler, yet, it functions like an oganized, somewhat misdirected, wild animal killing and destroying everything in it's path. It uses a weapon so diverse it is nearly impossible to fight and it strikes unannounced. That weapon is terrorism. Terrorism on a scale never imagined in men's wildest dreams. It is so viscious it kills it's own if that is all there is to kill. A beast that devours it's own offspring just as Daniel described.

It is in the process of aquiring the most potent weapon known to man, yet it doen't even have a facility for manufacturing this weapon. It seeks to aquire it by theft or bribary or coersion. That weapon is a nuclear bomb capable of killing hundreds of thousands of people.

And with no apparent ruling head, this kingdom has one singular goal, the destruction of Israel and it claims to be the rightful heir to the kingdom of God, only it calls it's god Allah.

And the final identifying trait in verse 24 of it's coming ruler, or king. It too being "shenaw" (diverse) from all others.

24: And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse (shenaw) from the first , and he shall subdue three kings.

Now who could that be? I say it is there prophecied coming "prophet" or the 12th Imam. What they call the Mahdi. He will be the human earthly voice of Satan, just as was Judas when he spoke and betrayed Jesus.

Islam is the only earthly entity that fits all of the qualifiers folks. Not the EU, not the UN not even the WEU or Russia the bear. Islam is the only "shenaw" from any other earthly kingdom that has ever existed. And it is the only earthly entity that claims to be the rightful heir to the land Israel was given by God, and the Kingdom of heaven.

Islam is the fourth kingdom diverse (shenaw) from any other and it's prophecied coming 12th Imam is that "shenaw" king the Bible calls the false prophet who will attempt to claim Israel belongs to him and too, the Kingdom of God.

Islam folks. It is Islam. See how simple that was? Just a little guidance from His Spirit, a little history knowledge mixed with the truth as given in His Word, with a dash of common sense and look what arises from the dust of misconception and false teaching. The truth.

And that truth is, Islam is the only entity that fills the bill. Islam, a "shenaw" kingdom without a king. That little horn "shenaw" from all others is yet to arise and take the reins of his kingdom. He is the false prophet and his kingdom is Islam. This is what I fully believe His Spirit has shown in His Word.