Introduction:

There are four (4) world powers in the Bible and in the news. The first of these are seen in the book of Daniel. Further mention is seen in Zechariah.

I. All of these references may NOT be to the same powers. The first scripture refers to the image that shows four world kingdoms.
 

  1. There are four world kingdoms, beginning with BABYLON.

    Daniel 2:31-35
    Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. 32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. (KJV)

  2. There are four notable horns (kingdoms) that are the results of the war on Iraq, the ancient kingdom of Babylon. These scriptures seem to fulfill the prophetic word in our day when the "he goat came from the West" & stamped Saddam literally into the ground.

    Daniel 8:4-8
    I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. 5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. 7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. 8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up FOUR notable ones toward the FOUR winds of heaven. (KJV)

    1. This "he goat" could fit the description of the attack on Iraq by the USA.
       
    2. What happened after this, is seen in today's news of selecting four powers of the "New World Order" to take over where the "he goat" left off. Remember, all of these events are in connection with ISRAEL, Daniel's "people," that he had inquired about.
       
    3. These four are named in today's news as the UK, UN, USA, & Russia.
       
  3. There are four horns (= powers/kingdoms) representing the powers that had scattered Jerusalem.

    Zechariah 1:18-19
    Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. 19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. (KJV)

  4. There are four carpenters who come to "fray" (make afraid) the four horns that have scattered Judah & to cast them out. These four horns are Gentile powers.

    Zechariah 1:20-21
    And the LORD shewed me four carpenters. 21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it. (KJV)

  5. These scriptures seem to point to the "latter days" when The LORD will fulfill "all things that are written, bringing firstly, the vengeance promised, and then to save the remnant of Israel (the symbolic 144,000).

    Luke 21:20-24
    And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. 22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (KJV)

  6. This period of time is called "The Great Tribulation", spoken of by Moses.

    Deuteronomy 4:25-31
    When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger: 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. 27 And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. 28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; [are...: Heb. have found thee] 31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. (KJV)

    Matthew 24:13-22
    But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. (KJV)

    Romans 11:21-27
    For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. [ blindness or hardness ] 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (KJV)

    2 Corinthians 3:14-16
    But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16 Nevertheless when it [ = the heart ] shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. (KJV)

  7. The Quartet - USA, UK, EU, & Russia - are the four world powers designated by the "world community" to bring about the "democratic process" in the affairs of the PLO & Israel. They are preparing them for "statehood." in the world government.

II. A study of some of these words.

  1. The generic "four"
     
    1. four
      H = arba' {ar-bah'}
      used to enumerate & measure every possible type of object & situation.
      G = tessares {tes'-sar-es}
      = four; a plural number.
       
  2. Words found in Zechariah 1:18-21:
     
    1. horns
      H = qeren {keh'-ren}
      = physical might & power; strength, pride.
      An expression for physical power in symbolic prophetic action.
       
    2. carpenters
      H = charash {khaw-rawsh'}
      = fig. skilful to destroy (warriors); workmen.
       
    3. fray
      = charad {khaw-rad'}
      = (Hiphil stem)
      = to cause to be afraid; to be terrified; rout.
       
    4. to cast (them) out
      = yadah {yaw-daw'}
      = to cast out-down; throw out;
      Intensive action.
  The End