In Daniel, Chapter 2, we read about the famous dream of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. This dream was more like a nightmare, so the king called in his astrologers to interpret his dream -- but they all failed. This resulted in an order to slay all the wise men in Babylon, and this would include Daniel and his personal Jewish friends.

However, upon seeking YEHOVAH God in prayer, Daniel was given the same dream, but this time accompanied by the interpretation -- which he then explained to Nebuchadnezzar. The prophet described the revelation from YEHOVAH, showing that FOUR great Gentile Empires must rise and successfully rule the world of that time, and dominate Palestine during Israel's dispersion.

Daniel then recalled to Nebuchadnezzar that in his dream he had seen an image of a man composed of FOUR METALS, and each metal represented an Empire. These Empires would follow one upon the other, and would appear as follows --

1) BABYLON -- Illustrated by GOLD, the then ruling power, and ended in 457 B.C.

2) MEDIA -- Formed of SILVER, and described in Daniel 5:28, but ended in 336 B.C.

3) PERSIA -- Formed of BRASS, and also outlined in Daniel 5:28, and ended in 336 B.C.

4) GREECE -- Formed of IRON, described in Daniel 2:40 and 8:21, and ended in 62 B.C.

For more information on the identity and sequence of these world empires, read our article, Daniel's Four Kingdoms.

The dream further showed that, during the existence of these four empires, there would be a FIFTH EMPIRE, outside the image or Gentile world. This 5th power was symbolized in the dream by a "STONE," cut out of the earth without human hands, which Daniel interpreted as signifying its Divine origin. The prophet then saw war between the "stone" kingdom and the nations represented by the feet of the image -- resulting in their destruction. The "stone" kingdom would then expand into a "GREAT MOUNTAIN," or worldwide Empire, which finally covered the whole earth.

A Literal Kingdom?

In his interpretation of the meaning of the stone, which Nebuchadnezzar saw strike and destroy the image, Daniel stated that it represented a kingdom which would be set up by YEHOVAH God of Heaven. Notice Daniel 2:44-45:

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be delivered to other people. It shall crush all these kingdoms and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever;

just as you saw that a stone was hewn from the mountain by no human hand, and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has revealed to the king what shall be in the future. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is reliable (The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible).

We are told by some that this 5th Empire -- or Stone Kingdom of Daniel 2 -- does not represent a literal kingdom like the gold, silver, brass and iron empires, but that it is the spiritual kingdom of YEHOVAH God -- having no material aspect whatsoever! These people seem to be totally unaware of the illogical position they find themselves in. For, if the four metals which made up the image are literal kingdoms, and are as much a part of the earth as the ore from which the metals were refined, then by what method of reasoning or logic do they make the stone represent a spiritual kingdom only -- since it is just as much a part of the earth as the ore was? Not only that, but it was also cut out of the same mountain from which the ore was taken! The only difference between the ore and the stone is that the ore was taken from the mountain by men who refined it into the metals in which it appeared in the image; and the stone -- though also of the earth -- was cut out of the mountain without the assistance of men. Daniel declared "that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands."

The Aramaic word for "kingdom" in Daniel 2:44 is malkuw, and means (a) royalty, kingship, kingly authority; (b) kingdom; (c) realm (of territory) and (d) reign (of time) -- Strong's #4437. It means a literal, physical, earthly kingdom in this instance, and is the exact same word that is used for "kingdom" in the verses that refer to the four literal, physical, earthly kingdoms of the Babylonians, Medes, Persians and Greeks!! There is nothing ethereal or spiritual about it -- nor does it in any way refer to Yeshua the Messiah or his Church!

There are a number of reasons why the "Stone Kingdom" is NOT the Church, as many have taught --

1) The Church of God had nothing to do with the "breaking in pieces" of Babylon because Babylon fell in 457 B.C. -- over 400 years before the Church was formed!

2) The Church of God could not have "broken" Media because the Median Empire fell in 336 B.C. -- over 300 years before the Church was born at Pentecost in 31 A.D.

3) Similarly, the Church did not "break in pieces" Persia because the Persian Empire also came to an end in 336 B.C. -- over 300 years before there was any Church of God!

4) The Church did not "break in pieces" the Grecian Empire because it came to an end in 62 B.C. by the hammer blows of the Parthians -- who, as we shall see, were of the House of Israel!

It is exceedingly clear, therefore, that the Church is NOT the "Stone Kingdom" -- considering that the "Stone" was to break those four Empires, and the Church did not "break" a single one of them!

Many in the Churches of God have taught that Yeshua the Messiah himself is the smiting "Stone," and that this will take place at the Second Coming. This is totally without basis for the following reasons --

1) The smiting "Stone" was to destroy the kingdoms of Babylon, Media, Persia and Greece -- at the height of their power -- and not at the end of the Christian dispensation! How could Yeshua be the smiter if Babylon was overthrown 400 years before he was born?

2) In Nebuchadnezzar's dream there is nothing to indicate that this 5th Kingdom is any different physically from the four kingdoms of the image -- except that it had a Divine origin and a Divine destiny. It was not purely a spiritual kingdom only.

3) While it is true that Yeshua is "the stone which the builders rejected," and he also is the "head of the corner," he clearly indicated that the "smiting stone" was based on a NATION -- not on himself!

The Church is not the "Stone" Kingdom because it did not destroy the Empires of Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece in the days of their power. Similarly, Yeshua the Messiah is not the smiting "Stone" because those four kingdoms were to be broken at the height of their power -- not at the end of the Christian age.

The "smiting stone" was based on a literal NATION -- not on Yeshua the Messiah or the Church! Notice what Matthew 21:33-46 says. This is the Parable of the Husbandmen. The owner of this vineyard left it in the care of husbandmen and, at the time of the harvest, sent his servants to collect his share of the fruit. But the husbandmen maltreated and killed the servants and even slew the owner's own son. Yeshua here was plainly referring to the Jews (his listeners) who had the Temple and the Law in their midst and alone remained as YEHOVAH's servants or husbandmen. Yet the Jews had slain YEHOVAH's prophets -- and were now about to crucify the Messiah, who became YEHOVAH's first-born son. Yeshua then went on to drive home to his listeners the fact that they were the wicked husbandmen of the parable, which they quickly realized, for "the chief priests and Pharisees...perceived that he spoke of them." Let's now compare the following verses --

Matthew 21:43 -- "Therefore, I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to the kind of people that will produce its fruit!"

Daniel 2:34 -- "As you continued looking, a stone was cut out by no human hand and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay and broke them in pieces."

Matthew 21:44 -- "Whoever falls on this stone will be broken in pieces; but if it falls on him, he will be crushed to powder!"

Daniel 2:35 -- "Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold all together were broken in pieces and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floor; and the wind carried them away, so that no trace of them could be found."

In this parable Yeshua quoted from the Book of Daniel and his prophecy, to show that the "Stone" was a NATION -- and that "whoever falls on this stone will be broken in pieces." Yeshua was not referring to himself as the "stone," but the NATION Israel. Up until this time the Jews had been the "husbandmen" of the Kingdom but, because of their rejection of him as their prophesied Messiah, they were to loose that privilege.

The Jews were descendants of the House of Judah, which comprised of two tribes -- namely Judah and Benjamin. The House of Israel, on the other hand, was formed of the other ten tribes. Although it is often thought that the Jews are descendants of all the 12 tribes, the Jews themselves make it quite clear today that they are descendants of Judah and Benjamin ONLY. We can now understand more concisely what Yeshua meant, as we read his statement to the Jews in light of these facts. Notice Matthew 21:43 --

Therefore I say unto you [Jews of the House of Judah], the Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation [House of Israel -- Britain, U.S. and the countries of Northwestern Europe] bringing forth the fruits thereof.

In spite of all their faults and failings, Britain and the U.S. are "bringing forth the fruits thereof" by sending out missionaries and Bibles throughout the world -- more than any other country. And -- more importantly -- they have not denied the Messiah! The Jews of the House of Judah are still in unbelief, and still reject Yeshua as their Messiah.

In the Days of Those Kings

The fact that the stone smashes the image by physical contact is further proof that is must also represent a kingdom which has a physical presence upon the earth. The fact of the matter is that not one shred of evidence exists in Daniel to justify the idea that the prophet in any way intended to portray the first four kingdoms as representing earthly governments but that the fifth was not of the earth -- being entirely spiritual. Let's follow Daniel's explanation and see if we can further identify the time when this 5th world empire, or Stone Kingdom would strike the image. Daniel clearly states the very time when the 5th kingdom would be organized. Notice!

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed...(Daniel 2:44).

Ferrar Fenton renders it this way --

But in the days of those kings, the God of Heaven will establish an Everlasting Empire, and Indestructible.

Just who are "those kings" in whose days YEHOVAH God of Heaven would set up a kingdom? Many in the Churches of God jump right off the track at this point when they "spiritualize" the Kingdom and tell us that the days of the future end-time confederation of ten kings (represented by the toes of the image) will occur when Yeshua returns to set up the Kingdom and rule Israel. Then -- and not until then -- they say, the entire image will be destroyed. Now if this interpretation were true, the stone should be shown as hitting the toes of the image, not its feet. Daniel indicates, however, that not only the toes but the feet of the image were made of clay and iron and definitely states that the stone struck the feet of the image (Daniel 2:34). This one fact alone completely invalidates the contention and arguments of these spiritualizers that the stone is to appear, at some future date, when the nations represented in the ten toes have appeared on the world scene are about to come to their end. So what is the identity of the 10 kingdoms or toes -- and when did they appear on the world stage?

The fourth kingdom is represented by legs of iron in Daniel's metallic statue. The iron kingdom is divided into feet of iron and clay representing a "divided kingdom." The fourth kingdom, then, would be an unstable one that would become "divided," and this imagery aptly describes what happened to the Grecian Empire after the death of Alexander. It was divided among four of his generals. Notes Farrell Till --

The continuation of the four-kingdom scenario in Daniel's own visions that came later gives strong support for the view that the fourth kingdom of iron and clay was the Grecian empire. In chapter seven Daniel saw "four great beasts [that] came up from the sea, each different from each other (v. 3). The first three beasts were described quickly in only three verses (a single verse for each beast), but the writer [Daniel] then devoted the rest of the chapter (21 verses) to describing and discussing the fourth beast. This is a clear indication that the fourth beast was THE FOCAL POINT of the writer's interest.

Continuing, Till goes on to say:

This beast was described as "dreadful and terrible" and was "exceedingly strong" with "huge iron teeth (v. 7). It had ten horns, and while Daniel was "considering the horns," another horn, "a little one" came up among the others and plucked up three of the biggest horns (vs. 7-8). Daniel was told that the four beasts were four kings that would arise out of the earth (v. 17), and he expressed a desire to "know the truth about the fourth beast" and the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn that came up before which three horns fell (vs. 19-20).

"Obviously, then," according to Till,

the writer's primary interest was in this fourth beast or kingdom. That interest can be explained by something that Daniel said in his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream when he identified the iron legs, with feet of iron and clay, on the "great image" that Nebuchadnezzar had seen in his dream. This "iron" kingdom was also the fourth kingdom in the dream, and Daniel said that "in the days of these kings [of the fourth or iron kingdom] the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed" (2:44). This was why the focus of chapter 7 was on the fourth beast. It symbolized the kingdom in whose days the God of heaven would establish an everlasting kingdom, so naturally Daniel's focus would be on it (What Medo-Persian Empire?).

Much to the chagrin of many of the Churches of God, who want this fourth kingdom to be the Roman Empire, there is absolutely NO TEXTUAL EVIDENCE to support that wish, because it is apparent to all who desire to see Daniel's intention that the iron kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and the fourth beast in chapter 7, are both the same kingdom as the male goat in chapter 8.

The type of "duality" which futurists attempt to force on the "chest and arms" of the image is illustrated here. Daniel attaches specific interpretive value to the feet and toes as symbols of a divided kingdom composed "partly of potter's clay and partly of iron." The iron apparently symbolizes the strengths of the divided kingdom, while the clay symbolizes its weaknesses.

Undoubtedly, Daniel has in mind the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires, two of the four kingdoms that arose from the division of Alexander's Greek Empire. This point is easily demonstrated by noting the correspondence that exists between Daniel 2:41 and the vision in Daniel 11, in which Daniel immediately singles out the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires after the breakup of Alexander's dominion (verses 5, 6). Likewise, in Daniel 2, the author readily limits himself to these two kingdoms. H.H. Rowley explains:

The author was primarily interested in the Jewish people, and he therefore ignored those parts of the Greek empire which had no relation to Palestinian affairs, especially since the human form of the image, by the natural duality of its legs, helped to impose this limitation (Darius the Mede and the Four World Empires in the Book of Daniel, Cardiff: University of Wales Press Board, 1959, p. 96).

Rowley also points out that in Daniel 8, once the ram's great horn is broken, Daniel moves directly to the persecuting "little horn," thereby "ignor[ing] all that does not concern his own people."

Daniel's interest revolves around Palestine and the Jewish people. Following the breakup of Alexander's Empire in 312 B.C., Daniel's attention turned to the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires which vied for control of Palestine. The various battles between the two rival kingdoms are described in Daniel 11:5-30. The duality of the statue's feet is easily seen as the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires to which Daniel limited himself in Daniel 11. Further correspondence is evidenced by the mixture of iron and clay in the toes. Marriage alliances between the two rival kingdoms are indicated and confirmed in Daniel 11. A reasonable conclusion, therefore, is that the fourth empire of Daniel 2 is Greece as represented by Alexander the Great and his successors.

The Horns Represent Seleucid Kings

". . . It was different from all the beasts that preceded it, and it had ten horns" (Daniel 7:7).

"As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall spring up and another shall spring up after them. This one shall be different from those before him, and shall lay low three kings" (Daniel 7:24, The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible).

The fourth beast has "ten horns" on its head, which the Scripture identifies as "ten kings." The Futurists' contention is that these ten kings represent a future, end-time revived Roman Empire. How can this be, however, since the ten kings precede Antiochus, since Antiochus "shall arise after them"? The ten kings are identified as one group; therefore, the general conclusion can be reached that, all together, they provide a recognizable bridge of royalty between the great "iron" empire of Alexander the Great (334-312 B.C.) and Antiochus Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.).

Scholars differ in their reckoning of the ten kings. Some identify them exclusively with Seleucid kings, while others proffer various combinations of Seleucid and Ptolemaic kings. Most interpreters identify seven of the horns as the first seven Seleucid kings following the breakup of Alexander's empire:

(1) Seleucus I Nicator, 312-281 B.C. (founder of the Seleucid Dynasty);
(2) Antiochus I Soter, 281-261 B.C.;
(3) Antiochus II Theos, 261-246 B.C.;
(4) Seleucus II Callinicus, 246-226 B.C.;
(5) Seleucus III Ceraunus, 226-223 B.C.;
(6) Antiochus III the Great, 223-187 B.C.; and
(7) Seleucus IV Philopator, 187-175 B.C.

The remaining three kings are represented by the three horns that were "plucked up by the roots" in order to "make room" for the "little horn" that "came up" among the ten (Daniel 7:8). Considering that the three were "plucked up by the roots," the likely candidates for identification with the three horns are three aspirants who would have had the opportunity to become king of the Seleucid Empire were it not for the devious acts of Antiochus. The three would-be kings are

(1) Heliodorus, a usurper who poisoned Seleucus Philopator in an attempt to secure the throne;
(2) Demetrius, son of Seleucus, the rightful heir after his father's death; and
(3) Ptolemy VI Philometor, king of Egypt and nephew of Antiochus who desired to gain the Seleucid throne.

The fact that Antiochus gained the Seleucid throne by deceit is confirmed in Daniel 11:21, where the author states that "royal majesty had not been conferred" on him. This is Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175 B.C. - 164 B.C.) the brother of Seleucus IV and the "contemptible man" of Bible prophecy. He escaped from a prison in Rome where he was being held as a hostage. He returned to Syria and through bribes and corruption wormed himself into a position of power. He overrode all the rightful heirs to the throne -- Seleucus IV's son Demetrius and his sister Cleopatra I of Egypt and her son Ptolemy VI.

Furthermore, "he shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom through intrigue." This statement clearly indicates that Antiochus secured power suddenly and abruptly. It is noteworthy too that Daniel refers to the division of Alexander's dominion as being "uprooted" (cf. 11:4). Just as the empire of Alexander did not go to his son and heir, the Seleucid Empire likewise did not go to Demetrius, the rightful heir of Seleucus Philopator; both were "uprooted."

The Stone's Identity

Now that we have determined the ten toes of Daniel's statue were the ten kings of the Seleucid dynasty that appeared after Alexander's death, we can turn to the task of identifying the stone that crushed these kings and brought the entire statue crashing to the ground!

Since we have also determined that the stone or 5th Kingdom is a literal, physical kingdom that played a part on the world scene, WHAT kingdom, in the days of the petty Grecian kingdoms, could have completely brought the image down? Notice what Bo Reicke has to say --

About 250 B.C., the PARTHIANS, coming from Transcaspia, began to threaten the Seleucid Empire. They conquered Hyrcania and Parthia, the modern province of Khurasan southeast of the Caspian Sea, and fortified the caravansary of Hecatompylos. From their base in northern Iran, the PARTHIAN KINGS and their horsemen undertook surprise raids toward the east and along the Median highway to the southwest. Under Mithradates I, about 150 B.C., they conquered Mesopotamia. After this, the kings of the Parthian dynasty of the Arsacids were able to control the trade routes between the Roman and Chinese empires throughout the pre-Christian and early Christian periods. They remained the most dangerous enemies of the Romans....Ecbatana, in Media, and Seleucia, on the west bank of the Tigris, were the royal capitals of the Parthians (The New Testament Era. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1968, p. 7).

Then, in the Encyclopedia Britannica, we read:

...Mithridates I....became the founder of the PARTHIAN EMPIRE. Mithridates I. (c. 170-138 B.C.) had to fight hard with the Greeks of Bactria, especially with Eucratides (q.v.); at last he was able to conquer a great part of eastern Iran. Soon after the death of Antiochus IV. Epiphanes (163) he conquered Media, where he refounded the town of Rhagae (Rai near Teheran) under the name of Arsacia; and about 141 he invaded Babylonia. He and his son Phraates II. defeated the attempts of Demetrius II. (139) and Antiochus VII. (129) to regain the eastern provinces, and extended the Arsacid dominion to the Euphrates (1943, Vol. 17, p. 345).

In 1992 Steven M. Collins published a book entitled The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found! in which he dedicates two chapters to the Parthians and their empire. Herein he writes --

Parthia's first great opponent was the SELEUCID GREEK EMPIRE, which was heir to much of the conquests of Alexander the Great, including the land of the Parthians...

Parthia, a province of the Seleucid Empire, was located southeast of the Caspian Sea and declared its independence from the Seleucid Greek Empire in 256-250 B.C.....

While the Parthians had been a distinct, SEMITIC PEOPLE ever since their ancestors were transplanted from ancient Israel to Asia, they had been subjects of the Assyrians, the MEDO-PERSIANS [actually, the MEDES AND the PERSIANS], and then the SELEUCID GREEKS (Boring, OR: CPA Books, p. 226).

George Rawlinson comments that "the PARTHIAN KINGDOM was thoroughly anti-Hellenic" (Parthia, p. 47), and revolted from the Seleucids at a time "when the Seleucids were weakened by warfare with the Egyptian Ptolemies" (The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found!, p. 226). Collins then goes on to examine the region's political situation at the time of Parthia's attempt to become independent -- notice:

After the death of Alexander the Great, his empire had been divided into four separate kingdoms, the STRONGEST of which became the Seleucid Empire of Asia [king of the north] and the Ptolemaic Empire of Egypt [king of the south]. The four way division of Alexander's Empire was a fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy in Daniel 11:1-4 about a mighty Grecian king who would supplant the Persian Empire [third kingdom of Daniel's statue], die in his prime and have his kingdom divided into four sections....

The Greek Seleucids and the Egyptian Ptolemies then fought a series of wars, one of which made it possible for PARTHIA to revolt in approximately 250 B.C. without an immediate response from the Seleucids. With the Seleucids weakened by warfare, the Parthians were emboldened to annex another Seleucid province. The Seleucid king then attacked and defeated the upstart Parthians, causing Arsaces [king of the Parthians] to flee to his kinsmen (the Scythians) to seek refuge and reinforcements....

The Sacae [Scythians] gave the Parthian king military support, as did the Bactrians. This alliance defeated the army of the Seleucid Empire in a CRITICAL BATTLE which made the independence of the Parthians a reality. It was an historic turning point, and Rawlinson records that the Parthians long observed the anniversary of this battle as "a solemn festival" (The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found!, pp. 226-227).

From the above quotes we can see that the PARTHIAN EMPIRE is a fascinating period of history, widely unrecorded in the history books of today, that was closely connected to Persia and Greece. Ruling from 247 B.C. to 228 A.D. in ancient Persia (Iran), the Parthians defeated Alexander the Great's successors, the SELEUCIDS, conquered most of the Middle East and southwest Asia, controlled the Silk Road and built Parthia into an EASTERN SUPERPOWER. The Parthians were able to reestablish an Iranian empire which rivaled the colossus of Rome to the west. They rose to power under King Mithradates the Great (171-138 B.C.) and occupied all of modern Iran, Iraq and Armenia, parts of Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan and -- for brief periods -- territories in Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine. The Parthians established their first treaty in 92 B.C. with their future rivals, the Romans, in an effort to defeat their common enemy, the Seleucids. As the Seleucids weakened, the Parthians absorbed much of their territory. By the middle of the first century B.C., the PARTHIAN EMPIRE was at its zenith, both stable and strong.

Delving further into Parthian history, Steven Collins adds that "another war with the Seleucids occurred almost forty years after Parthia's original 'declaration of independence.' Although the more-powerful Seleucids temporarily captured the Parthian capital city, the war ended with a peace treaty calling for the Seleucids' withdrawal in 206 B.C. and Parthia remained independent....[This] was followed by a period of GREAT EXPANSION which extended its rule over much of south central Asia" (ibid., p. 228).

Continues Collins --

After Phraates I captured the Caspian Gates for Parthia, the next Parthian monarch, Mithridates I, expanded the Parthian power to TRUE EMPIRE STATUS....By the time of his death, Mithridates I had placed Bactria, MEDIA, BABYLONIA, PERSIA, and other territories under Parthian dominion, ruling "from the Hindu Kush to the Euphrates...a distance of 1500 miles from east to west"....Virtually all of Parthia's expansion came at the expense of the SELEUCID GREEKS (ibid., p. 229).

In 129 B.C. the Seleucids attacked the new Parthian Empire with a troop strength of more than 400,000, while the Parthian army numbered only 120,000. After some initial victories the Seleucids occupied some cities that were under Parthian rule and acted so arrogantly that the city-dwellers attacked the unsuspecting Seleucid troops within their garrison towns. The Parthian regulars crushed the Seleucid monarch and his remaining troops in a final battle that resulted in the death of Antiochus along with 300,000 of his troops. "This battle," writes Collins, "was another turning point in world history, because it BROKE THE BACK OF THE SELEUCID EMPIRE, which gradually withered away to nothing, trapped between the two growing powers of Rome in the west and PARTHIA in the east" (The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found!, p. 230).

Clearly, PARTHIA was the only superpower capable of filling the role of the "Stone Kingdom" or 5th empire of Daniel 2:44!

"Cut Out of the Mountain Without Hands"

The fact that the Stone Kingdom of Daniel was "cut out of the mountain without [human] hands" indicates that it was of Divine origin -- that it was personally set up by YEHOVAH God Himself! This would be a dominant empire that would last forever, a world-dominating nation brought into power on the world scene PRIOR to the Messiah's return, and one that he would assume control of in the new world order. This nation, starting out as a mere rock, would turn into a huge mountain that would gain power, leadership and dominance that would vastly outsize anything the world has ever seen. As a result, the earlier empires would fade from memory and would simply be relegated to the dust bin of history. Could this be the PARTHIAN EMPIRE? What are the origins of this Middle Eastern superpower?

According to Justin's History of the World, "the Parthians in whose hands the empire of the east now is, having divided the world, as it were, with the Romans, were originally EXILES FROM SCYTHIA. This is apparent from their very name; for in the Scythian language exiles are called PARTHI....The Parthians, being forced to quit Scythia by discord at home, gradually settled in the deserts betwixt Hyrcania, the Dahae, the Arei, the Sparni and Marsiani."

"The Scythians," writes Steven Collins, "were also frequently called the 'SAKA,' or 'SACAE'" (The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found!, p. 174). The Encyclopedia Britannica reveals that the terms "Saka (Sacae)...and Scyths...were regarded as synonymous. It is difficult to always judge whether given information applies to the Sacae (Saka) or the Scyths" (Vol. 20, p. 238). Collins goes on to say that

it is very significant that the Scythians were also known as Sacae or Saka. Genesis 21:12 contains the promise that Abraham's descendants would, in the future, be known by the name of Isaac. The ancient Hebrew language did not list vowel sounds; therefore, the name Isaac would then be represented by the consonants S-C or S-K (reflecting the fact that the "c" in Isaac is pronounced like a "k"). The word Sacae represents the word Isaac with the Latin plural "ae" attached. That these "Sacae" are recorded as being near the Black Sea soon after the Israelites migrated to Asia supports the contention that they were relocated Israelites. Historians unfamiliar with (or hostile toward) the Bible speculate that the Scythians came from the Asian interior. However, their name (a form of the Hebrew name Isaac) and their arrival in Asia soon after the Israelites relocated from Palestine into Asia indicates that they were Israelites (pp. 174-175).

Raymond McNair, in his manuscript In Search of the Lost Ten Tribes, asks the question

Why is the origin of the Scyths so obscure? Why were these numerous, talented and powerful peoples unknown until the 600s B.C.? The simple answer for this is as follows: When the Assyrians conquered and deported about seven million Israelites from Palestine to the region of Assyria and Media in 721 B.C. [actually, 640-638 B.C.], this unleashed on the ancient world a torrent of turbulent peoples who soon escaped from under the Assyrian yoke and in confederation with the Medes, even helped humble the Assyrians. Only one hundred and nine years after the Ten Tribes of Israel were deported to the Caucasus-Caspian Sea area, these Israelite tribes (KNOWN AS SCYTHS) joined with the Medes in their attack against the capital of Assyria (Nineveh) and broke the power of that once-proud empire (pp. 198-199).

McNair goes on to link the Scythians to the Danae and the PARTHIANS --

Meanwhile the Medes had become masters of Persia. They considered the Scythians' increasing might a real threat to their own security, and they decided to concentrate their efforts in launching a decisive attack against the tribesmen. Their better disciplined troops eventually contrived to push the Scythians northward, whence they had first appeared, some retreating through Urartu....When forced by the Medes to retreat, some of them likewise settled between the Caspian and Aral Seas, where they intermingled with their DANAE kinsmen to produce the people who, some three centuries later, were to become known as the PARTHIANS...(ibid., p. 180).

Latham, in his Ethnology of Europe, uncovers the origins of the Danae by saying "that the eponymus of the Argive DANAI [DANAE] was no other than that of the ISRAELITE TRIBE OF DAN..." (p. 157).

So, putting all this together, the Parthians were descended from the intermarriage between two groups of the 10-tribed northern kingdom of Israel -- the Scythians and Danae!

The Israelite origins of the PARTHIANS are confirmed by Steven Collins when he relates that

There is a record from Diodorus, a Greek historian of the first century B.C., that the Parthians had "passed from the dominion of the Assyrians to that of the Medes...to a similar position under the Persians." Rawlinson also notes that early historians regarded the PARTHIANS TO BE "EXILES"....two waves of ISRAELITE CAPTIVES were exiled into Asia by the Assyrians, and that some of them were located in the cities of the Medes. After the fall of Assyria's empire, it is logical that the ASIA ISRAELITES would come under the dominion of the Medes and Persians. Since the Parthians were related to the SACAE SCYTHIANS (who bore the name of Isaac), and since there is no record of any Parthian being in Asia until AFTER THE ISRAELITES WERE BROUGHT THERE, it seems evident that the Parthians were exiled members of the ten tribes of Israel. Supporting this view is the fact that the Parthians were regarded as "exiles," an apt description for the displaced Israelites (The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found!, p. 207).

The science of linguistics also points to an Israelite origin for the Parthian Empire -- notice!

That the Parthians utilized an ARAMAIC ALPHABET (and imposed it within their empire) powerfully indicates that the Parthians originated in the region of Syria and Palestine where the Aramaic language originated. The FACT that the Parthians used a Semitic alphabet clearly indicates that their native language and racial origin were Semitic! Also, since early historians strongly maintain that the Parthians were a Scythic people, the Semitic nature of Parthia's language further argues for a Semitic origin for the Scythians. That the Parthian language was related to the Hebrew language also indicates that the Parthians were among the descendants of the ten tribes of Israel, a large mass of Semitics who were transplanted into Media and other Asian regions (ibid., p. 208).

Yet another proof of the Israelitish origins of the Parthians is found in the names of their ruling family. YEHOVAH God had promised that the southern tribe of JUDAH would produce kings and rulers -- see the "scepter" promise of Genesis 49:10. King David was promised that he would always have descendants ruling over the House of Israel (northern ten tribes), as confirmed by the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 33:17. "Jeremiah's prophecy," according to Collins, "was made AFTER the relocation of the House of Israel (the northern ten tribes) into Asia. Therefore, because of the timing of Jeremiah's prophecy, we should expect to find descendants of King David ruling over the ten tribes of Israel after they moved to Asia" (ibid., p. 212). Collins continues by saying --

there are many Parthian kings with names containing the root word "Phares" (indicating David's royal bloodline). From the eastern edge of Parthian rule and influence to the western edge, Parthian kings regularly included the "Phares" name. A Parthian king who ruled in the area of West India was names GONDOPHARES, and several kings ruling over the Caucasus mountain kingdom of Iberia were named PHARASMANES (The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found!, p. 212).

"The above examples alone show that David's descendants of the House of PHARES were ruling over separate groups of the ten tribes of Israel from the Caucasus Mountains to the territory of modern India. Also, many KINGS OF PARTHIA itself had names indicating that they were also royal members of the Davidic line of Judah. Such names include the KEY consonants of PH-R-S in Hellenized forms of their Parthian names (such Parthian royal names as Phraates, Phraortes, and Phraataces are examples)." Over the centuries YEHOVAH God kept his promise to David by allowing David's descendants to rule over many of the Israelitish nations -- including the PARTHIANS in Asia.

Another clue to the Parthians' origins can be found in place names located within their extensive empire:

[A] prominent city of Parthia was named ASAAK, where Arsaces was crowned king, which clearly represents a form of the name "ISAAC." The name of Isaac had also been attached to geographical areas in Asia long before Parthia ever became independent. Strabo [Greek geographer and historian, c. 63 B.C. - 24 A.D.] records that Alexander the Great noted a region named ASAACANUS which was traversed in Alexander's expedition to India (ibid., p. 216).

Building on this, Collins goes on to inform us that

the Parthian province of Media Atropatene was located southwest of the Caspian Sea. The noted historian, George Rawlinson, records that (in Parthian times) "Its chief city was GAZA." This city was apparently named after the famous old Palestinian city of the same name, arguing its inhabitants had come from Palestine....

In the Parthian province of Hyrcania (located on the southeast shores of the Caspian Sea), we find that two of its chief cities were named "SAMARIANE" and "CARTA." These names are clear evidence of the presence of Israelites from the former ten-tribed kingdom of Israel. Israel's capital city was named Samaria, and II Kings 17:6-7 records that its inhabitants, after a three-year siege, were transplanted by the Assyrians into Asia after the city fell. Centuries later, we find a PARTHIAN CITY, Samariane, bearing the name of the capital city of the old Kingdom of Israel....The city named "CARTA" bears the same Semitic root word which is present in the name "CARTHAGE"...(The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found!, p. 216).

The identity of the Parthians is no longer a mystery! The information we have just provided is but a small sample of the evidence available to prove that the Parthians were the "covenant" people of the northern ten tribes of Israel who were then living in Asia. In fact, their very name declares to us that they were the "covenant" people. The Hebrew word for "covenant" is "Berith," with the consonants B-R-TH. If we represent the "B" as a "P" (these letters were interchangeable in the ancient world), the consonants become P-R-TH, the exact consonants of the word PaRTHia! Indeed, an early king of their Scythian kinsmen named Partatua (c. 626 B.C.) included the P-R-T root word which foreshadowed the later name "PARTHIA."

In conclusion, let us review the mass of overwhelming evidence that the Parthians were descended from the ten tribes of Israel who had migrated to Asia. It is a fact that the Parthians were never recorded as being in Asia until AFTER the ten tribes of Israel were relocated to Asia. The Old Testament reveals that these tribes were placed in the "cities of the Medes," and Parthia's homeland happened to be next to the territory of the Medes!

In the Parthian homelands we find the names of subtribes of Ephraim, and history tells us that the Parthians were the kinsmen of the Scythian Saka/Sacae -- showing that the Parthians were also known as descendants of Isaac!

The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that the ten tribes of Israel were extremely numerous --

...the ten tribes are beyond Euphrates till now, and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by number (Antiquities of the Jews, XI, V,2).

This "immense multitude" was none other than the Parthians and Scythians. At the time Josephus wrote (1st century A.D.), the Euphrates River had long been considered the border between the Roman and Parthian Empires. "For Josephus to write (from his perspective within the Roman Empire) that the ten tribes were 'beyond the Euphrates' River was another way of saying the ten tribes were 'IN PARTHIA,' even as many Americans would recognize the phrase 'beyond the Rio Grande' as a euphemism for 'in Mexico'" (The "Lost" ten Tribes of Israel...Found!, p. 220).

Many Parthian cities were given Hebrew names, such as Asaak, Dara and Samariane. Many of those who were worshipping YEHOVAH God in Jerusalem on the first Pentecost after the Messiah's death (31 A.D.) were from the Parthian Empire. The Parthians had Hebrew/Semitic words in their language (which was known as Aramaic) and they placed Semitic inscriptions on their coinage. The Arsacid dynasty of the Parthians included the name of Isaac and many of the kings in this line had names that included the term "Phares" -- thus fulfilling YEHOVAH God's promise to King David that his descendants would always have rulers over the House of Israel.

The very name "PARTHIA" contains the Hebrew word "B-R-TH" (with the "B" shown as a "P"), clearly revealing that they were "the covenant people" of the Bible. The FACTS are indisputable -- the PARTHIAN EMPIRE was an EMPIRE OF ISRAELITES who, having thrown off the yoke of their captors, were now ruling over their previous masters in a vast empire that rivaled that of Rome. The Parthian Empire was the "STONE KINGDOM" or 5th kingdom of Daniel! Not only that, but it was the House of Israel in the form of the Parthian Empire that brought down Daniel's statue which symbolized the four most powerful kingdoms of the ancient world.

The Kingdom of YEHOVAH

Daniel referred to only four kingdoms aside from the 5th, or stone, kingdom. The feet and toes of clay are a part of the Grecian Empire -- though in a weakened state. They are partly strong and partly broken or, as this should be translated, brittle. Therefore the only kings to whom Daniel would be referring are the heads of the four empires and, thus, he referred to the days of Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece as the time when YEHOVAH God of Heaven would set up a kingdom. Before we provide evidence to prove this point, let's first see if we can find -- as a matter of historical record -- proof that YEHOVAH God did indeed set up an earthly kingdom. This is very important, and those of the Churches of God who have failed to thoroughly research history to see if YEHOVAH did so organize a kingdom have been very negligent in their efforts.

Most conscientious students of the Bible accept the little stone of Daniel as representative of the Kingdom of YEHOVAH and of Yeshua His Messiah. With this we can be in perfect agreement. But when they try to tell us that this Kingdom has not yet been established, and that this event will not take place until the return of Yeshua, we most certainly disagree with this idea. As history shows, their whole contention is totally wrong because YEHOVAH God did indeed set up a kingdom -- fulfilling in every detail everything that Daniel said about it and the time of its establishment.

Let's now turn to Isaiah 9:6-7 and see what this prophet of YEHOVAH God has to say --

For unto us a Child is born [Yeshua the Messiah], unto us a Son is given [Yeshua], and the government will be upon his shoulders. And his name will be called the wonder of the Counselor [YEHOVAH God], the judge of the Mighty Everlasting Father -- the PRINCE of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His [YEHOVAH's] kingdom [the Kingdom of YEHOVAH], to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts [YEHOVAH God] will perform this.

Here Isaiah points out that at a future date Yeshua the Messiah will be born and that his destiny will be to rule over the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God while sitting on the throne of his forebear King David. That this Kingdom is the House of Jacob or Israel is affirmed by Paul in Romans 11:26, notice:

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and he [the Messiah] will turn away ungodliness from [the House of] Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.

Then, in Acts 13:23-24:

From this man's [David's] seed, according to the promise, God raised up for [the House of] Israel a savior -- Jesus -- after John had first preached, before his [the Messiah's] coming [or appearing], the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel [Jacob].

Also, in Acts 5:30-31, we read --

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be PRINCE and Savior, to give repentance to [the House of] Israel and forgiveness of sins.

From these scriptures we can clearly see that the kingdom over which Yeshua the Messiah is to reign "even forever" is the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God. The STONE to which Daniel refers is the EMBLEM of that Kingdom. But both Paul and Luke clearly state that the Kingdom over which Yeshua the Messiah is to reign forever is the HOUSE OF JACOB OR ISRAEL! Of this Kingdom -- the House of Jacob -- Isaiah says "there will be no end," and Daniel wrote that the Stone Kingdom would endure forever. Therefore, based on the statements made by Isaiah and others concerning the House of Jacob, and in conjunction with the statement of Daniel concerning the Stone Kingdom, this 5th kingdom of Daniel -- or the Parthian Empire -- can be none other than the House of Jacob! This, of course, we have already proven to be true when we delved into the origins of the Parthian Empire.

Surely it is logical to expect a literal and exact fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. Yeshua the Messiah was born to be a king, so Isaiah declared: (1) YEHOVAH will give him the throne of his forefather David; (2) he will reign over His (YEHOVAH's) Kingdom, which Paul and Luke (and others) declare to be the House of Jacob (Israel); and (3) of His Kingdom (YEHOVAH's Kingdom -- the House of Jacob) there shall be no end.

Let us carefully notice Isaiah's prophecy that Yeshua the Messiah was to RULE OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB FOREVER. This makes the little stone of Daniel an emblem of the House of Jacob or Israel. Does history supply us with the evidence that YEHOVAH God of Heaven did set up a kingdom and that it was the House of Jacob? We find that at Mount Sinai in Arabia YEHOVAH God did indeed organize such a kingdom, circa 1487 B.C.:

And Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus shall you say to the House of Jacob and declare to the children of Israel: 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Me. Now then, if you will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples. Indeed, all the earth is Mine, but you shall be to Me a KINGDOM OF PRIESTS AND A HOLY NATION.' These are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel" (Exodus 19:3-6, Tanakh).

This is echoed by the apostle Peter when he writes to the ten tribes of Israel in Asia Minor --

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the exiles of the Dispersion [House of Jacob] in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ....you are a CHOSEN RACE, a royal priesthood, A HOLY NATION, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were no people [before Mount Sinai] but now you are God's people...(I Peter 1:1, 2:9-10, RSV).

At Mount Sinai the House of Jacob was organized into the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God upon this earth. The facts of that organization are clearly presented in the 19th and 20th chapters of Exodus where the laws of that Kingdom are relayed to the people by YEHOVAH Himself. Then, in chapters 21 through 23, YEHOVAH instructs Moses concerning "The Law of the Altar," "The Law Concerning Servants," "The Law Concerning Violence," "Animal Control Laws," "Responsibility for Property," "Moral and Ceremonial Principles," "The Laws of Justice," "The Law of Sabbaths" and "The Law of the Feasts." This was, without a doubt, a physical, earthly, human Kingdom that was being set up by the Almighty! Only the person who shuts his eyes and closes his mind to reality will deny this fact!

The History of the Kingdom

In the Bible -- as well as in secular records -- we can follow the history of that kingdom. In 901-900 B.C. the House of Israel revolted from the rule of Solomon's son, and from that day forward the Kingdom was divided into TWO PARTS. During the years from 845 to 784 B.C. Israel's power and fame were greatly reduced and by 659 B.C. the first Assyrian invasion of the land of Israel led to the removal and captivity of the half-tribe of Mannasseh. By 640-638 B.C. Samaria was captured and the great captivity of the House of Israel (the 10-tribed northern Kingdom) commenced and the people were deported to the cities of the Medes.

The House of Judah (the 2-tribed southern Kingdom) suffered a similar fate in 524 B.C. when the first captivity of Judah began and Daniel and his companions were taken to Babylon. By 505 B.C. Jerusalem was captured by the enemy, the city and Temple destroyed, and the deportation of Judah completed.

During the time the Israelites were captives in the land of Egypt, various groups managed to escape and find their way to the island of Crete and areas surrounding the Aegean Sea. From these areas the Israelite groups eventually found their way across Europe to the Appointed Place. YEHOVAH God who had established His Kingdom at Mount Sinai was actually preparing for the transplanting and setting up of that Kingdom in the Isles of the Sea -- far removed from the trouble and turmoil that followed the reign of the Babylonian Succession of Empires. In preparation for planting His people Israel in the Isles of the Sea, YEHOVAH sent an advance guard of the royal line of Judah to rule over His people when they arrived.

Shortly after the Exodus one of these groups, under the leadership of Gathelus, found its way to the shores of Ireland. Gathelus was the son of Cecrops -- an Israelite who fled Egypt and founded the city of Athens. According to The Harmsworth Encyclopedia, Cecrops was none other than Calcol of I Chronicles 2:6 -- the son of Zarah and grandson of Judah. In my article The Incredible Story of Lia Fail I wrote: "It is stated that Calcol was the leader of a band of Hebrew colonists from Egypt, who evidently left before the Exodus of the Bible." Herman L. Hoeh, in his Compendium of World History , states that "Athenian history commences with the founding of the city by Cecrops in 1556 [B.C.]" (Vol. I, p. 390).

Gathelus, the son of Cecrops, went to Egypt during the time of Moses to make contact with his brethren there. While in the land, "Pharaoh gave him one of his own daughters to wife. This lady was called Scota....She bore her husband two sons in Egypt, namely Eber Finn and Amerghin" (Geoffrey Keating, The History of Ireland). However, Gathelus soon incurred the wrath of the Pharaoh because of his friendship with Moses and the Israelites. According to Keating, "Pharaoh Intur and the Egyptians...remembered their old grudge to...the family of Gaedal [Gathelus], namely their resentment for the friendship the latter had formed with the children of Israel. They [the Egyptians], then, made war upon the Gaels, who were thereby compelled to exile themselves from Egypt" (History of Ireland from the Earliest Period to the English Invasion, pp. 153-156).

Hector Boece, in his Chronicles of Scotland, wrote: "A short while afterwards he [Gathelus] provisioned a ship and sailed out of the mouth of the River Nile with his wife, friends and servants -- Greeks and Egyptians -- for fear of the plagues of God" (pp. 22-24). After wending their way to Crete, Samothrace, Gotland, Norway, and finally Spain, the exiled Israelites, with their Judahite leaders, set about building towns which are known today as Barsale and Compestella. According to Boece, "following this Gathelus named all his subjects Scots, in honour and affection for his wife, who was called Scota..." Seumas MacManus, in his book The Story of the Irish Race, records that "Miled [another name for Gathelus] having died in Spain, his eight sons, with their mother, Scota, their families and followers, at length set out on their venturous voyage to their Isle of Destiny...Eventually they made land -- Eber with the survivors of his following landing at Inver Sceni, in Bantry Bay...but losing their own Queen Scota in the fray [with the inhabitants of the island] -- and Eremon with his people at Invercolpa (mouth of the Boyne)" (p. 10). According to the British historian Nennius, speaking of the voyage from Egypt to Ireland, "he [Gathelus] was expelled [from Egypt] and he wandered for 42 years...and came to Spain, and there they lived for many years..." before moving on to Ireland after the death of Gathelus in Spain.

Another group of Israelites, who escaped from Egypt before the Exodus, eventually found their way to the Dardanelles where they founded the city of Troy. In the booklet How Israel Came to Britain, we read that "another [group of Israelites], under the leadership of Dardanus, a brother of Calcol, crossed to Asia Minor to found the Kingdom later known as Troy. When Troy was destroyed by the Greeks, the Trojans fled to Italy and later to Britain where they established themselves as the Kingdom of Britain about the year 1100 B.C." (p. 2). Relates author Raymond E. Capt --

The descendants of Darda (Dardannes or Danaans) ruled ancient Troy for several hundred years, until the city was destroyed in the famous "Siege of Troy." Aeneas, the last of the royal blood, (Zarah-Judah) collected the remnants of his nation and traveled with them to Italy. There he married the daughter of Latinus, king of the Latins, and subsequently founded the great Roman Empire. Aeneas' grandson, Brutus, with a large party of the Trojans migrated to "the great white island" (an early name for Britain due to its chalk cliffs)...At Totnes on the River Dart, twelve miles inland from Torbay (the oldest seaport in South Devon) is an historical stone that commemorates the coming of Brutus to Britain. (Cir. 1103 B.C.) The stone was known as the "Brutus stone," the tradition being that the Trojan prince set foot upon it when he first landed (Missing Links Discovered in Assyrian Tablets, pp. 65-66).

YEHOVAH God planted the royal line of Judah in the Appointed Place -- Britain -- well in advance of the main body of Israelites that would eventually follow. The prophet Nathan told David of such a place to be appointed by YEHOVAH --

Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime (II Samuel 7:10).

YEHOVAH God planted the Throne in the Isles and later on Israel trekked to that appointed place, but their royal line had gone on before them. Speaking of these facts, and the breaking up of Israel as they followed their royal line to the place where the House of Jacob eventually became a multitude of people, the prophet Micah prophesied:

I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture; they shall be noisy with people. The breaker is gone up before them; they have broken forth and passed on to the gate [the Caucasus], and have gone out of it; AND THEIR KING HAS PASSED ON BEFORE THEM, and the LORD at their head (Micah 2:12-13).

Throughout the entire period of the activity of the Babylonian Succession of Empires, YEHOVAH God was setting up His Kingdom. Therefore, Isaiah could say --

His government will expand , and peace will be endless for the throne of David and his kingdom, to establish it and to sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this (Isaiah  9:7)

According to this statement of the prophet Isaiah, the setting up of the Kingdom of YEHOVAH was not accomplished in a short period of time for, following its organization at Mount Sinai, we find that it was a process covering centuries of time. Down through the ages the Kingdom has been growing and expanding under the direction and leadership of YEHOVAH God. How totally foolish, then, for people to say that this Kingdom is to suddenly come into existence after the Babylonian Succession has disappeared and the Messiah has appeared on the scene! We must realize that Yeshua is coming to take over the rulership of AN EXISTING KINGDOM!

New Testament scholars point out that, with over a hundred references in the Gospels, the Kingdom of YEHOVAH -- or YEHOVAH's rule -- was a central theme in the preaching of Yeshua. A recurrent thread is evident in parables in which he instructs his disciples that the Kingdom of YEHOVAH is both a present reality and something that grows and develops over time.

In the parable of the sower, for example, Yeshua likens the Kingdom of YEHOVAH to a farmer planting his field. Inevitably, along with the wheat (House of Israel) grow weeds (fellow travelers -- false Israelites). When asked whether the impostors should be rooted out, Yeshua replies: "But he said, 'No, because if you pull up the weeds, you might uproot some of the wheat at the same time. Let them both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest-time I will tell the reapers to collect the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned, but to gather the wheat into my barn'" (Matthew 13:29-30, Jewish New Testament). Yeshua is here indicating that just as a crop takes time to grow in the field, the Kingdom of YEHOVAH is developing. At the end of time, at the return of Yeshua and his Father YEHOVAH, the true Israelites will be separated from the false.

This concept of YEHOVAH's Kingdom as developing through the ages is also suggested in the parable of the mustard seed, where Yeshua tells his disciples: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed which a man takes and sows in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows up it is larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree, so that the birds flying about come and nest in its branches" (Matthew 13:31-32, Jewish New Testament).

History clearly reveals that after their royal line had passed on before them to the Isles of Britain, the House of Israel left the land of their Assyrian captors, moving through the "gates" of the Caucasus Mountains as they migrated from Asia (where the Israelitish Parthian Empire held sway for many centuries) into central and southern Europe. By the end of the third century B.C. the Celts, or "Gauls" as the Romans called them, filled the whole of Central Europe and North Italy -- from the Apennines to Brittany. It is about this period that they came increasingly under the scrutiny of the historians, for so greatly had the Celtic tribes increased in number, that their migrations to more extensive lands caused a general commotion. They crossed the Alps and Apennines, overrunning Central and Southern Italy. In the process they overthrew and absorbed the fellow Israelite Etruscan states -- a civilization that exceeded that of Rome both in civilization and extent.

Rome was sacked and burned (390 B.C.) by the Gaulish leader Brennus, and Rome continued to be harassed by the Gauls for almost 200 years. Previous to the battle of Sentinum, the Gauls had never lost a battle against the Roman legions. In the century before Caesar, the Gauls again attacked the Romans, joining forces with their kinsmen, the Teutons from the north. In five battles they defeated five Roman consuls. For many years they ravaged all the country from the Rhine to the Pyrenees. Then they spread into Spain, where they were repulsed by a mingled branch of their own Israelitish stock -- the Iberians. The Celts and Gauls eventually expanded into Britain and Ireland, where they created individual rural communities. Writes E. Raymond Capt --

The name "Iberes" (the Gaelic name for Hebrews) was carried by Celtic peoples from Spain to Ireland. They named their new island home, "Hibernai," a name that still exists. However, the name "Scotia" is, by ancient historians, applied to Ireland more often than any other name. Orosius, a third century geographer, used the term "Hibernia, the nation of the Scoti." The ancient poets and seanachies (historians) of Ireland claim the name "Scotia" was derived from "Scota," queen-mother of the Milesians (Missing Links Discovered in Assyrian Tablets , p. 150).

During this time, it appears the general term "Celt" comprised the Cimmerii or Cymry; the Gael or Gauls; the Belgae and several minor tribes, all being the primitive inhabitants of Gaul, Belgium, the British Isles and probably parts of Spain and Portugal. Descendants of these people now inhabit Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, France, and to a lesser degree, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Perhaps the closest living representatives of the ancient Celts are those who retreated to the fastness of Wales. To this day, they cling to their ancient language and traditions with patient tenacity (ibid ., p. 151).

The next to arrive in the "appointed place" were the Anglo-Saxons. Tacitus and Ptolemy both name the region of the River Elbe and the base of the Jutland Peninsula as the places inhabited by the Angles and the Saxons (Isaac's sons) before they came to Britain. Bede, the English historian in the 8th century wrote an account of the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain --

Those who came over were of the three most powerful nations of Germany -- Saxons, Angles and Jutes. From the Jutes are descended the people of Kent and the Isle of Wight, and also those in the province of the West Saxons who are to this day called Jutes, seated opposite to the Isle of Wight. From the Saxons, that is the country which is now called Old Saxony, (modern North Germany and Holland) came the East Saxons, the South Saxons, and the West Saxons. From the Angles, this is the country which is called Angeln, and which is said from that time to remain a desert to this day, between the province of the Jutes and the Saxons, are descended the East Angles, the Midland Angles, Mercians, all the race of the Northumbrians, that is of those nations that dwell north of the river Humber, and the other nations of the English (quoted from Everyman's edition).

The Saxons were mainly derived from the Western Scythians (Israelites) that migrated through the Caucasus (the "gate" mentioned by the prophet Micah) into Europe around the sixth century B.C.

By 1066 A.D. the final group of Israelites, during what secular history calls the Norman Conquest, arrived in the Isles -- completing the overland trek to the appointed place. The Normans were descended from the Norse, and William the Conqueror was the sixth generation from Rolf the Ganga who invaded the north of France in 853 A.D. The Normans were a branch of the Scythians who came from Scandinavia. They and the other invading peoples are all of one origin -- Israelites of either the Scythian or the Cimmerian branch of the ancient Gimira (ga-me-ra-a-a), the Assyrian name for Israelites. The Ancient Britons are also descended from the same stock -- Hebrews that left Egypt before the Exodus or later from Palestine before the Captivities of Israel. From then on the Kingdom began to consolidate its position and grow as YEHOVAH prospered His people.

Thus, YEHOVAH established His Kingdom at Mount Sinai in circa 1487 B.C. and later, during the migrations of Gathelus and Brutus, set the throne of that Kingdom in the Isles of the sea. In the years that followed elements of the Israelite migrations, after leaving their mark in Asia and Europe, arrived in the "appointed place" of Britain to be ruled over by the "royal line" of Judah that had preceded them. Consequently, it was during a period of a little over 1,400 years that YEHOVAH God established and expanded His Kingdom during the days of those kings -- that is, of Babylon, Media, Persia and Greece -- in accurate fulfillment of Daniel's statements to the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.

Let's briefly establish again the chronological boundaries of the four World Empires, for by so doing we will see how accurately Daniel spoke when he referred to Kingdom of YEHOVAH coming into being during the reign of those kings:

1)  The foundation of the Stone Kingdom was laid in circa. 1487 B.C. Meanwhile, the Babylonian Empire arose out of Assyria. Assyrian independence began about 1900 B.C. but Assyria was a weak state between 1500 and 1400 B.C. It gained brief mastery over Babylon through conquest by Tiglath-Adar (1300 B.C.).

2)  Tiglath-Pileser I (1032 B.C.) spread his conquest to the Mediterranean and Caspian Seas on the west, and south to the Persian Gulf. Out of the Assyrian Empire arose the supremacy of Babylon when Nabopolassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar, in conjunction with Ajaxares, King of the Medes, besieged and captured Nineveh in 527 B.C. By 508 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar had established his kingdom.

3)  The Median Empire began its rise with the fall of Assyria (549-527 B.C.) in the Median struggle for independence. But it was not until Darius the Mede took over Babylon in 457 B.C. that the Medes became the second great World Empire.

4)  The beginning of the Persian Empire is set by the historians to be 468 B.C. when Cyrus gained a swift victory over the Median King Astyages and captured his capital city of Ecbatana. By 334 B.C., when Alexander the Great conquered the Persian army, the fourth World Empire had come into existence.

5)  The formative period of Greece is recognized by the historians as being from 776 B.C to 500 B.C., and continued down to 62 B.C. when both the Parthian Empire and that of Rome crushed what was left of Alexander's Empire.

From a study of the chronology of these four World Empires we find that their foundations were being laid between 776 B.C. and 468 B.C. -- a period of only 308 years. During this same period YEHOVAH, the God of Israel, was bringing pressure upon both the Houses of Israel and Judah, preparing to punish them for their iniquities in order that He might ultimately gather the people of the Kingdom to Himself in righteousness. It was during this time of correction that the northern House of Israel was taken into captivity by the Assyrians. In 641-638 B.C. they were "carried away out of their own land to Assyria" (II Kings 17:23). They were soon all removed -- completely. "There were none left but the tribe of [House of] Judah only" (II Kings 17:18). The House of Judah, only, remained. Then, more than 130 years later, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon carried away the House of Judah. This occurred in two stages between 516 B.C. and 505 B.C.

So, from the time that the foundation of YEHOVAH's Kingdom was laid at Mount Sinai, throughout the centuries that the Babylonian Succession of Empires has held sway, YEHOVAH God has been schooling His people -- first in the wilderness when they received His laws to administer, then in practical experience in their administration in the land of Palestine. Then came the long period of advanced schooling in the dispersion as Israel moved westward. On the way, in Asia, the House of Israel developed into its first world kingdom -- the PARTHIAN EMPIRE -- which rivaled Rome for almost five centuries. This was when the "little stone" was to strike the feet of the Babylonian image.

It is quite obvious, then, that the nation which accomplished this task of smiting the image upon its feet, "breaking in pieces and consuming all these kingdoms," can be none other than the people of the Stone Kingdom! But even with this phase of their task accomplished, the Kingdom was still only the "little stone." Continuing as a little stone, they have now grown into a company of nations and a great people in these latter days.

The growth of the Stone Kingdom into a mountain that will fill the whole earth will not reach its climax until Yeshua the Messiah returns to take over the Throne of his father David and reign over the House of Jacob forever. We should remember that in this day -- when men's hearts are failing them as the possibility of total destruction looms before them because of some terrorist or erratic leader of a third world country with the atomic bomb -- the promise given by Isaiah the prophet and Daniel is that YEHOVAH's Kingdom -- the House of Jacob, or stone of Nebuchanezzar's dream -- SHALL ENDURE FOREVER! Isaiah could therefore readily say --

No weapon that is forged against you will be effective. This is the heritage of the LORD's servants, and their righteousness from me, says the LORD (Isaiah 54:17, The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible ).

In light of this statement by Isaiah, Daniel's declaration regarding the Kingdom -- that it "shall never be destroyed" -- takes on new meaning and we need not fear, even in this era of Islamic terrorism and atomic bombs. Furthermore, Daniel clearly states that this Kingdom will not be left to any other people.

The prophet Micah had a vision of the day when the Stone Kingdom -- the House of Jacob -- would become a UNIVERSAL kingdom. Notice --

But in the latter days the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. And many nations shall go and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem (Micah 4:1-2, The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible).

With the mountain phase of kingdom growth an accomplished fact, and with Yeshua the Messiah ruling from the Throne of his father David over the House of Jacob, and with YEHOVAH God the Father ruling the world from the Holy Temple, the result will be --

And he [YEHOVAH God] will judge between many peoples, and will decide concerning strong nations, no matter how far away. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war anymore (Micah 4:3, The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible).

But before this takes place Israel, as YEHOVAH's battle ax and weapon of war, has to grow from the "stone" into the great "mountain" that Micah mentions! We can see this progression starting with the breaking up of Babylon in 457 B.C. The Medes and Persians destroyed Babylon, where the House of Judah had been taken captive. However, it turns out that the 10-Tribed House of Israel had been held captive in Media, and the Medes and Persians used some of these 10 Tribes as spearheads for their army to capture Babylon and release their brethren of the 2-Tribed House of Judah! In this way, and in YEHOVAH's infinite wisdom, the 10 Tribes of Israel were part of the army which destroyed Babylon, and therefore qualified as the "Stone" which smote the head of the Babylonian image!

In the same incredible way, when it was time for the Persians to be destroyed by Greece in 336 B.C., the Greeks used some of the 10-Tribed House of Israel to defeat Persia! The 10 Tribes were now known as the "Massagetae," and the Greeks used them as a spearhead to overthrow Persia. In this way again, Israel proved to be a "smiting stone" as foreseen by Daniel!

But now it was time, in 62 B.C., for the Grecian Empire to be demolished. Again the 10-Tribed House of Israel -- now known as the "Parthians" -- was used by YEHOVAH God to bring down the remnants of Alexander's Empire. Also, when Rome took advantage of the situation and moved against the Greeks, a part of the House of Israel, known as the "Getae," was used by the Romans as a spearhead of their army. As these Israelites were natural front line fighters from the days of Joshua, the Romans were more than happy to use them -- and Israel would qualify as a "smiting stone" on two fronts!

In 476 A.D., when the pagan Roman Empire had run its course and would be succeeded by the Papal Roman Empire, it was Israel again that had a leading part in the demolition of Rome. The final hammer blows against Rome were delivered by the people known as "Goths," and Goths means "God's People". These were part of the 10-Tribed House of Israel which brought about the collapse of the Roman Empire.

The House of Jacob or Israel is represented today by the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic peoples, and we should find in the history of these peoples clear-cut opposition to the civil and military might of continental Europe -- as well as an antagonism to Rome's ecclesiastical authority.

Edward VI (1547-53 A.D.) was responsible for the formation and institution of the rites and  ceremonies of the English Church. His successor, Mary Tudor (1553-58 A.D.), directed her efforts toward reestablishing the Catholic Church. She lost Calais in 1557 A.D. -- the last English stronghold in France.

Not only was Israel of old used as the "smiting stone" in demolishing four powerful Empires, but also Israel, in the "Isles of the West," has been instrumental in saving the world from four more modern Empires:

1)  In 1588 the Spanish Empire was supreme, and the Spanish Armada was sent from Catholic Spain to destroy the English navy, subdue England and bring it back under the Catholic fold. However, YEHOVAH God intervened and the Spanish Armada was defeated and the Spanish Empire finally demolished. Spain had fallen upon the "Stone Kingdom" and was crushed to powder.

2)  Napoleon Bonaparte swept everything before him in Europe and seemed invincible. He gathered 300,000 troops on the English Channel and said, "Give me four hours control of the English Channel, and I will subdue England, and then all Europe." However, Napoleon never gained those four hours -- he then struck at Russia, set off for Moscow, and that was the end of him! At both the battle of Waterloo in 1815, and at Trafalgar in 1805, Napoleon learned the lesson that it was true what Daniel the prophet said of the "smiting stone" of Israel -- its enemies would become "like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors."

3)  In 1914 the Kaiser brought on World War I, with the invasion of Belgium, which Britain and the Allies defended. The Kaiser proudly boasted -- "I will have my Christmas Dinner in Buckingham Palace when we win the war" -- however he failed to do so and, after the Armistice, finished up chopping wood in exile in Holland! In 1917 the U.S.A. brought in fresh troops to the rescue, and the Kaiser soon learned that to fall on the " Stone Kingdom" would result in being "ground to powder."

4)  In 1940, Adolf Hitler attacked Britain and threatened to destroy her, but YEHOVAH gave Britain the "Miracle of Dunkirk" and the upper hand in the Battle of Britain. In 1941 Britain was joined by the U.S.A., and eventually the Allies triumphed. Hitler also had fallen on the "Stone Kingdom," and also learned the lesson of the prophet Daniel that to do so would result in his becoming "like the chaff of the summer threshing-floor." How wonderful and true is the Word of YEHOVAH!

The first blows of the modern efforts of the "Stone Kingdom" were directed at the European nation of Spain as it attempted to force England into the Catholic realm. Under the direction of Philip II of Spain a great armada was built and launched with the purpose of striking a decisive blow at Protestantism by the conquest of England. Pope Sextus V had assigned England to Philip and blessed his undertaking. This great armada consisted of 129 vessels, 65 of which weighed over 700 tons, with 8,000 sailors and 19,000 Castilian and Portuguese soldiers. Queen Elizabeth had 80 ships, only 30 of which were ships of the line. But the superior naval skill and experience of the English admirals, together with the fact that their vessels were smaller, enabled them to attack the larger ships of the Spanish Fleet far more effectively. The guns of the Spanish Fleet fired over the smaller English vessels and this helped defeat the Spaniards in 1588 A.D. The destruction was completed by violent storms and only 54 out of the original 129 vessels ever made it back to Spanish ports.

England's independence was saved and Protestantism (with elements of YEHOVAH's people among them) was safe -- but the Spanish naval power was completely demolished. The "little stone" had struck a major blow! Writes Howard B. Rand: "It is an interesting observation regarding this religious conflict that it was a struggle between two distinct conceptions of life. One believed in the all-powerful Church with a subservient State that would always do its bidding. The other believed in the freedom of conscience and worship and a State not subject to the dictation of ecclesiastical leaders" (Study in Revelation, p. 109).

Thereafter the House of Jacob in the Isles was well on its way toward the fulfillment of its mission. Following the destruction of the Spanish Armada, the foundation of England's colonial expansion and wealth was laid. With the commencement of her maritime supremacy the growth of trade and commerce began in England. England went to the assistance of the Reformation forces on the Continent and was at war with France in 1627 A.D. in support of the Huguenots. Between 1600 and 1800 A.D. Great Britain was involved in wars with France, Spain, Prussia and other European nations, and in this way the stone was YEHOVAH's battle ax and weapon of war as it struck against the civil and military authority of the Continental Powers.

During this period the United States won its independence and was free to grow into a Great People, fulfilling the prophecy concerning Manasseh:

He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great (Genesis 48:19).

In that way one branch of the Israel peoples was separated from the rest of their brethren and during the subsequent years was being prepared by YEHOVAH to help when the final blows were to be struck to grind the Babylonian image to powder!

Meanwhile Great Britain continued her activities and the first coalition against France was formed in 1793 A.D., the second in 1798 A.D. The next year the Battle of the Nile was fought and Admiral Horatio Nelson was victorious, securing for Great Britain the domination of the Mediterranean. The third coalition against France came in 1805 A.D., and Napoleon's Continental successes were largely offset by the victory on October 21, 1805 of the British fleet under Nelson off Cape Trafalgar over the combined fleets of France and Spain. This victory gave Great Britain mastery of the sea throughout the remainder of the Napoleonic era.

Before the effect of British sea power could be manifest, however, Napoleon increased his power over the Continent. By 1808 he was master of all Europe -- except for Russia and Great Britain. But, from this time on, Napoleon's power began to decline. The chief reasons for this decline were the rise of nationalism in the various defeated nations of Europe and the persistent opposition of Great Britain. Safe from invasion because of its superior navy and the fact of the English Channel, the British never ceased to organize and subsidize new coalitions against Napoleon.

In 1808 Sir Arthur Wellesley -- later known as "The Iron Duke" of Wellington -- was given command of the British expeditionary forces in Portugal, where in 1810 he first made use of his famous military tactic known as the scorched-earth policy, laying waste to the countryside behind him as he and his troops moved on. In the ensuing Peninsular War (1808-14), which resulted in the expulsion of Napoleon's armies from Portugal and Spain, Wellesley's troops won a series of victories -- especially at Talavera de la Reina (1809), Salamanca (1812), Vitoria (1813), and Toulouse (1814). His success in Spain won him many honors and in 1814 he was created 1st Duke of Wellington.

When Napoleon escaped from the island of Elba in February, 1815, and returned to France to resume hostilities against the allies, Wellington assumed command of the main allied armies. The Napoleonic Wars followed -- ending in the decisive defeat of Napoleon by Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo. Thus the "little stone" struck a terrific blow that prevented France, under Napoleon, from realizing its dream of world conquest and building a new world empire.

One hundred years later, in 1914 A.D., Kaiser Wilhelm Hohenzollern of Germany made a bid for world power. The Stone Kingdom went into action once again and, with the help of the United States, Germany was defeated in 1918 A.D. The time had arrived when Daniel's Stone Kingdom began the process that would eventually lead to its ballooning into the great mountain of the prophecy.

During World War I the city of Jerusalem was set free from the rule of the Islamic Turks. Because many in the Churches of God were unaware of the identity of the people of the kingdom, the significance of the taking of Jerusalem by General Allenby was totally lost to them -- and the Kaiser's attack in 1914 was just another war. But Jerusalem had been released from Gentile control by the armies of the Stone Kingdom and, for the first time, a world encompassing war was being fought. These two events, the German declaration of war in 1914 and the taking of Jerusalem in 1917, should have been trumpet blasts of warning to YEHOVAH's people that the age was coming to an end. Once again, the European powers that fell upon YEHOVAH's Stone Kingdom were crushed into the dust of the ground!

The defeat of Kaiser Wilhelm in 1918 did not bring German aggression to an end. Germany, though badly defeated, was not entirely vanquished, and the second phase of world war flared up anew on September 3, 1939. Great Britain was again at war with Germany but this time Hitler -- not the Kaiser -- was in power. Daniel's little stone responded for the second time in twenty-five years to overwhelming odds and, with the help once again of the United States, unconditional surrender was demanded and received. The great juggernaut of American industry ended the political and military might of Germany and her allies and, correspondingly, the nations that fell upon YEHOVAH's Stone Kingdom came to their end.

Modern Israel must always be on guard against the rise of forces that would seek to destroy us. One such threat was thrust upon us on September 11, 2001, when Islamic terrorists destroyed the Twin Towers of New York and snuffed out some 3,000 lives.

Another reason to prove that Britain and the U.S. is the 5th and "Stone Kingdom" of Daniel, is shown by the very fact that the British Isles were "cut out" of the mountain of Europe "without hands." The British Isles at one time were part of the Continent, however, because of the influence of the weather, the sea, and sea life, the English Channel was formed -- and the British Isles were separated from Europe.

And it was this English Channel which saved Britain from Spain, Napoleon, the Kaiser and Adolf Hitler! In 1940 and 1941 the Nazi leaders looked out across the English Channel from France and wished that they could cross it. In vain they tried! The English Channel has been described as "Britain's great tank trap," and we can be thankful that it was so. Imagine what would have happened if there had been no English Channel and Hitler had been able to overrun Britain as he had Holland, Belgium and France! We can thank YEHOVAH God that He had given that protection to Britain as the Stone Kingdom -- "cut out without hands."

As YEHOVAH God's battle ax we may yet have to face and destroy those who would seek to dominate the world. It is well to bear in mind that Britain and the U.S. are the only two great powers that have never been defeated in war. Korea was a stalemate and the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam. All the other great powers have been defeated -- including Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Russia, China and Japan. This is in keeping with Daniel 2:44 --

And in the days of these kings (Babylon, Media, Persia, Greece) shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom (Israel), which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand for ever.

This is why Britain and the U.S. have never been defeated, and never will be in war, and will stand "forever." Let those forces of evil in the world take note! The mountain phase of the Stone Kingdom is not yet here. This will not become a fact until the Messiah and his heavenly Father return to this earth to usher in peace and prosperity for the peoples of the entire planet. At that time Yeshua will take over the reigns of the House of Jacob and rule forever over YEHOVAH's chosen people. YEHOVAH will move in behalf of His people so that the Stone Kingdom will not be destroyed by the evil forces that come up against it, since the House of Jacob is to grow into a huge mountain and fill the entire earth.

Note: Chronology in this article closely follows that of Dr. Martin Anstey's book The Romance of Bible Chronology.