PROPHECY: HISTORY WRITTEN IN ADVANCE

"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." (Dan. 9:24-27)

The Book of Daniel is filled with mysterious visions of future events.  Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Chapter Two was the foundation for more precise interpretations later in the book.  The "head of gold" represented the Babylonian Empire (v. 38; 7:4).  The "breast and arms of silver" represented the Medo-Persian Empire (v. 39; 5:28; 6:8, 12, 15; 7:5; 8:20).  The "belly and thighs of brass" symbolized the Grecian Empire (v. 39; 7:6; 8:21; 10:20).  And the "legs of iron," although not specifically named, clearly described the Roman Empire (v. 40; 7:7; 9:26).

Most students of Bible prophecy view the "feet and toes of a mixture of iron and clay" as being the revived Roman Empire.  The obvious connection, of course, is the "iron," but it will be weaker, in that it will be a divided Empire (v. 40-43).  Notice that it will be led by the future prince of the people who would eventually kill Israel's Messiah, and who would then destroy the city and the Temple (9:26).  The Lord was Crucified by Rome forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army, led by the future Emperor Titus with Tiberius Julius Alexander as his second-in-command.

The Revived Roman Empire will be weaker, but only for a short time.  The "prince" (a.k.a. the Antichrist - 1 Jn. 2:18; that "man of sin, the son of perdition" - 2 Th. 2:3; and "the Beast" - Rev. 13:1) will rule the ten "toes" (ten nation confederacy) for three and a half years, but he will receive a mortal head wound mid-way through his seven year peace agreement with Israel (Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:15; Rev. 13:3).  I believe his body will then become "possessed" by "the dragon" (a.k.a. Satan, the serpent, the devil - Rev. 12:9), who will break the covenant, and literally take control of the entire world. 

It is at that point in time, that he will become stronger than all of his predecessors.  It is also then, that the Satan-indwelt Antichrist will commit the "abomination of desolation" (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Mt. 24:15; Rev. 13:5-6), and Israel finally realizes that he is not their Messiah!  They go into hiding for the last half of the seven years.  Both periods are clearly defined as being forty-two months (Rev. 11:2; 13:5), twelve hundred sixty days (Rev. 11:3; 12:6), and three and a half years (Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 12:14).

All fulfilled prophecy has been fulfilled literally!  So shall this be!