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TThe following describes the prophetic progression of kingdoms and is extracted from the Seven Seals: Part 3. Check back for further discussion and updates.

The book of Daniel describes the progression of empires, which progression is descriptively prophecied in varying instances. Each instance has something different to teach us about the progression. This progression of kingdoms is expounded upon in Revelation.

Revelation was written c. 95 A.D. by the Apostle John, but the author of course is our Lord Jesus. Revelation says of this progression, "And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space." (Rev. 17) Because of the time in which this was written, the "one" that "is" was Rome, which of course is now fallen.

The progression written of here is as follows:

1. Assyria -- conquered and replaced by Babylon

2. Babylon

3. Medo-Persia (Media-Persia)

4. Greece -- under Alexander the Great

5. Seleucid (Selukid) Empire -- particularly Antiochus Theos Epiphanes (Antiochus IV), which means Antiochus "the god made manifest"

6. Rome (particularly from the rise of Pompey onward)

* Europe west of Greece -- Isaac Newton held that the "ten kings" consist of Europe, west of Greece. This writer concurs. The "ten kings" are excluded from this progression but are nevertheless a significant participant in the progression of kingdoms as they rise from the previous kingdom, Rome, and later share power with Antichrist; these "ten kings" are definitely part of the progression. (Daniel 7)

7. New or Prophetic Babylon -- the final imperial superpower prophecied in the prophets and Revelation

8. Antichrist -- who's kingdom is the same New or Prophetic Babylon, whence Antichrist arises.


Following Antichrist, our Lord Jesus returns to set up His kingdom and establishes a one-thousand year reign over all the earth. A more thorough examination of this progression belongs elsewhere, as our present purpose is the horsemen. Nevertheless, this progression is important, because as we will see, the different horses deal with varying activities of these empires.

Zechariah gives us the initial description of these horses going into action througout the world. The horses of Revelation focus on the activities and effects of the last kingdom, Prophetic Babylon. Prophetic Babylon exists some time in preparation for and prior to its last king, Antichrist; and this is part of what Revelation means when it says that he is the eighth, and is of the seven.

Before we proceed to the horsemen, a brief discussion of the correlation between the above empires and the plains of Shinar should be considered.

The Assyrians began the age of empires. The Babylonian Empire defeated and replaced the Assyrian Empire, and rested on the plains of Shinar. The Medo-Persian Empire developed when the Persians, who were tributary to the Medes, began to strengthen themselves and turned the tables to dominate the Medes, which resulted in the united Medo-Persian Empire that defeated the Babylonian Empire. Then came Alexander the Great from Greece. In his well-documented campaigns, Alexander defeated Persian forces much greater in number than his own. After conquering the world, Alexander died in Babylon. Alexander's death punctuates the climax of empire before Rome. The period between Alexander and the emergence of Rome was a period of war and decline.

After Alexander died, his former empire split among his major generals. The strongest to come out of the aftermath was the Seleucid Empire, which occupied both Mesopotamia (Shinar) and Syria. The Seleucids main Hellenistic (Greek) rivals were the Antigonids in Greece and the Ptolemys in Egypt. What is important to note is that in the course of endless war, no king was able to reunite Alexander's former empire; but the Seleucids came closest.

The first ruler of the Seleucid Empire, Seleucus I Nicator was son of one of Philip's (father of Alexander) generals, who was named Antiochus. His mother was Laodice. So the entire Seleucid line was born from an Antiochus and a Laodice. Seleucus, Antiochus, and Laodice all became traditional names used by Seleucid royalty, with few exceptions in the case of kings. As years passed, the Seleucid Empire gained another king from this line, Antiochus Theos ("the god") Epiphanes (Antiochus IV), who's wife was Laodice IV and who's daughter was Laodice V. Antiochus IV was the hated king who did not like his fathers before him and "wrote to his whole kingdom, that all should be one people, And every one should leave his laws...." (I Macc. 1)

The world influence that spread from Greece during the course of Alexander's conquests is called Hellenism. Antiochus intended to institute a universal Hellenistic sort of society by changing laws and to stamp out the laws of the Jews. The world-famous law of the Jews was the law of Moses, and the law of Moses did not fit with the plans of Antiochus. Antiochus IV maliciously persecuted the non-Hellenized Jews and ultimately aroused the Maccabean revolt, a conflict which lasted beyond his lifetime and which the Maccabees won. Despite an eventual Maccabean victory, the story is not a happy one; but at least it shows how even in such dark times of national decline, the chains of tyrants can be thrown from those weary and oppressed by such monsters as Antiochus IV.

Today's society largely neglects the intertestamental period during which the reign of Antiochus IV occured, although his reign does provide the setting for the story of Hannukah. Perhaps there are powers that want us not to realize the obvious: that Antiochus IV is the Little Antichrist who adumbrates or foreshadows Antichrist. Indeed, for they both share the same prophecies in Daniel. Antiochus IV exhibited the strange characteristic of simulating egalitarianism while proving a cruel tyrant. At home, Antiochus engaged in strange behavior such as one would expect to find in a man who is one with Satan, the twisted one who attempts to mimick the attributes of God. Antiochus roamed around as a common person, checking in on ordinary people, certainly out of a desire to mimick ominiscience. He had himself elected by the people in a fake election. Alongside this behavior he spontaneously bestowed large gifts to those small in stature while giving only small gifts to those of greater stature, with no sense of rationality. This, along with other habits, was his attempt to mimick the LORD's beneficence. Perhaps most noteworthy was his choice of transportation during the procession in his massive festival at Daphne. While directing the parade, Antiochus chose to ride a "small horse," perhaps we could call it an ass, which is given the most humble description by Polybius. This was an attempt to mimick the Messiah -- roughly two-hundred years before Christ fulfilled the prophecy of the Messiah riding on the back of an ass.

In this same festival there were soldiers dressed like Romans, along with Greek themes, but the empire of Antiochus had no real character of its own save sub-dominance to the rising empire of Rome and a mimickry of other more powerful nations, both previous and contemporary. We should take special note that at times, the empire of Antiochus IV became dominant in appearance. It is only in hindsight that we see that Antiochus' true character ultimately proved to be that of sub-dominance. Satan never creates. He always takes, uses, and destroys, which is exactly what happened during and as a result of the reign of an antichrist who blasphemously called himself Antiochus "Theos" Epiphanes or Antiochus "'the god' made manifest."

From the time of Antiochus IV, the Seleucids struggled with the Parthians, who eventually whittled down the Seleucid Empire. The latest recognizable remnant of the Seleucid line was found in Syria before it passed into oblivion, an oblivion which somewhat lasts till today in that its significance, a significance which we have merely touched, is almost completely lost to an untaught and neglected fold.

As the Parthians gained control of the Mesopotamia, Rome rose to preemminence among the nations. By the time Rome had become an empire, the Seleucid Empire had already vanished. The Parthians were always formidable, but whenever it came down to a knock-down, drag-out fight, it was Rome which carried more weight. The Parthians, however, had a way of making one wonder whether the Romans were truly victorious. Roman victories over the Parthians might be likened to a man who stood on a beehive to conquer it: he may have conquered the bees, but the sting was great. The Romans had the most formidable military forces the world had ever seen, but the Parthians continuously stung the Romans with their cataphracts (armored cavalry) and their horse-mounted archers, who could shoot while riding, even directly to their rear.

The simple fact of the matter is that although the first five kingdoms listed held a relatively firm seat on the plains of Shinar, Rome really did not control Babylonia during its long empire, at least not for long. Rome was troubled by the insurgent style Parthians who, while they could be invaded, could make it costly with highly skilled horse-mounted archers and armored calvary called cataphracts.

This is very much like the situation of today's forces which occupy the same region. Just like in the days of the Parthians and Romans, insurgents have made it so that victory over Saddam Hussein's Iraq feels more like a lot of trouble than a real victory. It is also one of many current signs demonstrating the completed emergence of the final empire (not republic) from which Antichrist will emerge, Prophetic Babylon.

Rome eventually pulled out of Mesopotamia, deciding that it was more trouble that it was worth and that Rome should spend its military resources closer to home. This pull-out ranks among events which came to mark the beginning of the end of the Roman Empire.