CLAIM: (Daniel 2) Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is about a great image representing four successive, ancient empires that would stand against Israel. The fourth world empire was represented both by ancient Rome and a still-future “revived” Roman empire ruled by the Antichrist. The stone cut out without human hands represents Jesus’ Second Coming and the establishing of His Messianic reign.
(Daniel 7) This is Daniel’s vision of four beasts representing four successive, ancient empires (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome) plus the Antichrist’s empire emerging at the end of the age. Daniel sees a heavenly courtroom where the Father as the Ancient of Days gives Jesus power over all the nations and decrees judgment on the Antichrist to be fulfilled at the time of Jesus’ Second Coming. Ancient Rome was a “near” fulfillment of the fourth beast in Daniel 7. The “far” fulfillment will occur as a revived Roman empire comprised of ten nations that come under the authority of the Antichrist.
False.
Talked about in length elsewhere (eg, see here, or here, or here).
The claim that the fourth empire represents two empires is completely unfounded, and if one takes chapters 2 and 7 as paralleling the same events, is directly against Daniel 7:17, which starts, “These great beasts, which are four…” The number of beasts is clearly identified, so either Rome is one or it isn’t. Further, the vision does not indicate the statue is missing its “shins”, so the statue is continuous, and hence, at Rome’s fall, the statue is done.
The vision is fulfilled with the demise of Rome, and it is evident in that there were not “great beasts” ruling the Earth, no one world government, from the time of Rome’s fall since. The statue that began with Nebuchadnezzar was destroyed, and its pieces broken small and scattered to the wind.
Thus, the scope of most of Daniels’ prophecy falls completely within the time frame of this vision, and does not extend beyond it. The stone cut out without hands is Jesus in His first coming, as described elsewhere (see here for the section containing articles on the Kingdom in general).
For Daniel 7, again, Daniel 7:17 prohibits more than four Kingdoms. Because Rome fits, and because all the rest of the prophecy fits, it is the most reasonable assumption to conclude that this chapter is fulfilled.
The idea of “near” and “far” fulfillments, if ever, is not a common theme in scripture, except in support of dispensationalist or the apostolic premillennialist position. No one expects a “near” and “far” fulfillment of most of the other prophecies, so, since the text stands fully fulfilled (see the other related articles for a broader and deeper look at what this entails), it is safe to conclude that Daniel 2 and 7 are fulfilled.