وتتضمن الكتابُ المقدَّس بعضَ نبوءات النبي عن زمن المُلك. فحين رأى بلطشاصر، ملكُ بابل، حلمًا أفزعه، ولم يستطع العرّافون ولا المُنجِّمون تفسيره، فسّره له النبيُّ دانيال، قائلًا: «أنتَ رأيتَ أيها الملك، وإذا بتمثالٍ عظيم. هذا التمثالُ العظيمُ الباهرُ اللمعان وقف قدامك، ومنظرُه مُرعب. رأسُ هذا التمثال من ذهبٍ جيّد، صدرُه وذراعاه من فضة، بطنُه وفخذاه من نحاس، ساقاه من حديد، وقدماه بعضُهما من حديد وبعضُهما من خزف. وبينما كنتَ تنظر، قُطع حجرٌ بغير يدٍ بشرية، فضرب التمثالَ على قدميه اللتين من حديدٍ وخزف فسحقهما. حينئذٍ انسحق الحديدُ والخزفُ والنحاسُ والفضةُ والذهبُ معًا، وصارت كعصافة البيادر في الصيف، فحملتها الريحُ فلم يُوجد لها أثر. أما الحجرُ الذي ضرب التمثالَ فصار جبلًا عظيمًا وملأ الأرضَ كلها. هذا هو الحلم، والآن نقول تفسيره أمام الملك. أنتَ أيها الملكُ ملكُ الملوك، الذي أعطاه إلهُ السماء المُلكَ والقوةَ والعزَّةَ والمجد، والذي دفع إلى يدك، حيثما سكن بنو البشر ووحوشُ البرّ وطيورُ السماء، وجعلك متسلطًا عليها كلها، أنتَ رأسُ الذهب. وبعدك تقوم مملكةٌ أخرى دونك، ثم مملكةٌ ثالثةٌ من نحاس تتسلط على الأرض كلها. وتكون مملكةٌ رابعةٌ قوية كالحديد، لأن الحديدَ يكسر ويدقّ كل شيء، وكالحديد الذي يسحق، تكسر وتسحق هذه كلها».

The Holy Bible contains some of the prophet's prophecies about the time of the kingdom. When Belteshazzar, the Babylonian emperor, had dream that scared him, and neither the fortunetellers nor the psychics were able to interpret it, the prophet Daniel interpreted it for him. Saying: "You saw, O king, and behold a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you; and its appearance was frightening. The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 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 floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory. And into whose hand has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all, you are the head of gold. Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these.

وَكَمَا رَأَيْتَ الْأَقْدَامَ وَالْأَصَابِعَ، بَعْضُهَا مِنْ خَزَفٍ فَخَّارِيٍّ وَبَعْضُهَا مِنْ حَدِيدٍ، فَسَتَكُونُ مَمْلَكَةً مُنْقَسِمَةً، وَلَكِنَّ فِيهَا شَيْئًا مِنْ صَلَابَةِ الْحَدِيدِ، كَمَا رَأَيْتَ الْحَدِيدَ مُخْتَلِطًا بِالطِّينِ الرَّخْوِ. وَكَمَا كَانَتْ أَصَابِعُ الْقَدَمَيْنِ بَعْضُهَا حَدِيدٌ وَبَعْضُهَا طِينٌ، تَكُونُ الْمَمْلَكَةُ بَعْضُهَا قَوِيًّا وَبَعْضُهَا هَشًّا. وَكَمَا رَأَيْتَ الْحَدِيدَ مُخْتَلِطًا بِالطِّينِ الرَّخْوِ، كَذَلِكَ سَيَخْتَلِطُونَ بِبَعْضِهِمْ بِالْمُصَاهَرَةِ، لَكِنَّهُمْ لَا يَثْبُتُونَ مَعًا، كَمَا لَا يَخْتَلِطُ الْحَدِيدُ بِالطِّينِ. وَفِي أَيَّامِ أُولَئِكَ الْمُلُوكِ يُقِيمُ إِلَهُ السَّمَاءِ مَمْلَكَةً لَا تَزُولُ أَبَدًا، وَلَا تُتْرَكُ الْمَمْلَكَةُ لِشَعْبٍ آخَرَ، بَلْ تُحَطِّمُ وَتُفْنِي جَمِيعَ هَذِهِ الْمَمَالِكِ، وَهِيَ تَثْبُتُ إِلَى الْأَبَدِ. كَمَا رَأَيْتَ أَنَّ حَجَرًا قُطِعَ مِنْ جَبَلٍ بِغَيْرِ يَدٍ بَشَرِيَّةٍ، فَحَطَّمَ الْحَدِيدَ وَالنُّحَاسَ وَالطِّينَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَالذَّهَبَ؛ قَدْ أَعْلَمَ الْإِلَهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْمَلِكَ بِمَا سَيَكُونُ بَعْدَ هَذَا. فَالْحُلْمُ حَقٌّ، وَتَعْبِيرُهُ يَقِينٌ.» (دانيال: 2/21-45).

And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potters' clay, and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly brittle. As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever. Just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold; a great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure." (Daniel: 2/21-45).

قال هودجكن في كتابه "يسوع في جميع الكتب": «أما الحجر الذي يقطع دون أن تمسكه يدان، فيحطم التمثال العظيم، فهو استعارة عن ملكوت "المسيح": أي المسيح المنتظر».

Hodgkin says in his book "Jesus in all books": “As for the stone that cuts without two hands holding it and crushes the great statue, it is a metaphor about the kingdom of the "messiah": meaning the expected messiah.

في التفسير العملي: «أما الحجر الذي قُطع من الجبل، فهو يقود إلى ملكوت الله الذي سيحكمه المسيح، ملك الملوك، إلى الأبد». 2

In the Practical interpretation: "As for the stone that was cut from the mountain, it leads to the Kingdom of God that will be ruled by the messiah the king of kings for eternity". 2

كانت الرؤيا تتعلق بالدول التي ستقوم في الوقت نفسه بأيدي أهل المملكة. فالأولى هي مملكة بابل التي يحكمها بلطشاصر، وقد رُمز إليها بالرأس الذهبي.

The dream was about the states that will arise at the same time in the hands of the people of the kingdom. The first one is the kingdom of Babylon that is ruled by Belteshazzar, which was symbolized by the golden head.

ثم تلتها المملكة الفارسية التي أسسها كورش، وقد تولّى ملكها قورش السلطة على بابل في سنة 593 (قبل الميلاد)، وقد رُمز لها بالصدر وبالذراعين الفضيتين.

Followed by the Persian kingdom that was established by Kosro, and its king Cyrus received authority over Babylon in the year 593 (BC), and it was symbolized by the chest and the two silver arms.

ثُمَّ جاءت بعدها المملكة المقدونية التي أزالت المملكة الفارسية، وقد أسسها الإسكندر المقدوني سنة 336 (ق.م)، ورُمز لها بالبطن والفخذين من النحاس.

Then it was followed by the Macedonian kingdom that destroyed the Persian kingdom, and it was established by the Macedonian Alexander in the year 336 (BC), and it was symbolized by the stomach and the copper thighs.

ثم جاءت بعدها الإمبراطورية الرومانية، التي أسسها الإمبراطور بومبيوس في عام 63 (قبل الميلاد). وقد رُمز لها بساقين من حديد، وقدمين، إحداهما من طين والأخرى من حديد، ولعله يقصد بذلك الدولتين الفارسية والرومانية، أو انقسام الإمبراطورية الرومانية. 1

Then finally it was followed by the Roman Empire, that was established by the emperor Bovbios in the year 63 (BC). It was symbolized by two steel legs, and two feet, one of which is clay and one of steel, and it might be the Persian and Roman states are what he meant, or the division of the Roman Empire. 1

"وَفِي أَيَّامِ أُولَئِكَ الْمُلُوكِ يُقِيمُ إِلَهُ السَّمَاءِ مَلَكُوتًا لَا يَنْقَرِضُ أَبَدًا." كان الحجرُ الذي رفضه البنّاؤون قد جاء ليُهلك الرومَ والفرسَ، وأقام المُلكَ قرونًا، ولم تَنقطع قوتُه إلى هذا القرن.

“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed.” The stone that was rejected by the builders had come to destroy the Romans and the Persians, and had built the Kingdom for centuries and its strength did not stop until this century.

يُحتمل أن تكون هذه النبوءة تُبشّر بأن هذا الضعف مؤقت، وأن شمس عصرٍ إسلاميٍّ ستشرق من جديد.

This prophecy might prophesize that this weakness is just temporary and the sun of an Islamic Era will rise again.

كما أن حلم بلشاصر، فإن رؤيا دانيال عن الوحوش الأربعة مشابهة له

Similar to Belteshazzar’s dream, is Danial’s dream of the Four Beasts:

وَخَرَجَ مِنَ الْبَحْرِ أَرْبَعَةُ وُحُوشٍ عَظِيمَةٍ، مُخْتَلِفَةٌ بَعْضُهَا عَنْ بَعْضٍ. الْأَوَّلُ كَانَ مِثْلَ الْأَسَدِ، وَلَهُ جَنَاحَا نَسْرٍ، فَنَظَرْتُ حَتَّى نُزِعَتْ أَجْنِحَتُهُ، وَرُفِعَ عَنِ الْأَرْضِ، وَأُقِيمَ عَلَى رِجْلَيْنِ كَإِنْسَانٍ، وَأُعْطِيَ قَلْبَ إِنْسَانٍ. وَإِذَا وَحْشٌ آخَرُ ثَانٍ، شَبِيهٌ بِالدُّبِّ، وَقَدْ أُقِيمَ عَلَى جَانِبٍ وَاحِدٍ، وَكَانَ فِي فَمِهِ ثَلَاثُ أَضْلَاعٍ بَيْنَ أَسْنَانِهِ، وَقِيلَ لَهُ: قُمْ كُلْ لَحْمًا كَثِيرًا.

“And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground, and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear, it was raised up on one side, it had three ribs in the mouth between its teeth: and it was told, Arise, devour much flesh.

ثُمَّ نَظَرْتُ، فَإِذَا بِوَحْشٍ آخَرَ يُشْبِهُ النَّمِرَ، وَعَلَى ظَهْرِهِ أَرْبَعَةُ أَجْنِحَةِ طَائِرٍ، وَكَانَ لِلْوَحْشِ أَرْبَعَةُ رُؤُوسٍ، وَأُعْطِيَ سُلْطَانًا. ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُ فِي رُؤَى اللَّيْلِ، فَإِذَا بِوَحْشٍ رَابِعٍ مُخِيفٍ وَمُرْعِبٍ وَشَدِيدِ الْقُوَّةِ جِدًّا، وَلَهُ أَسْنَانٌ كَبِيرَةٌ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ، كَانَ يَأْكُلُ وَيَكْسِرُ، وَمَا بَقِيَ كَانَ يَدُوسُهُ بِرِجْلَيْهِ. وَكَانَ مُخْتَلِفًا عَنْ جَمِيعِ الْوُحُوشِ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ، وَلَهُ عَشَرَةُ قُرُونٍ. تَأَمَّلْتُ الْقُرُونَ، فَإِذَا بِقَرْنٍ آخَرَ صَغِيرٍ طَلَعَ بَيْنَهَا، وَقُلِعَ مِنْ أَمَامِهِ ثَلَاثَةٌ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ الْأُولَى مِنْ أُصُولِهَا، وَإِذَا فِي هَذَا الْقَرْنِ عُيُونٌ كَعُيُونِ الْإِنْسَانِ، وَفَمٌ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِأُمُورٍ عِظَامٍ. نَظَرْتُ حَتَّى نُصِبَتْ عُرُوشٌ، وَجَلَسَ الْقَدِيمُ الْأَيَّامِ، وَكَانَ لِبَاسُهُ أَبْيَضَ كَالثَّلْجِ، وَشَعْرُ رَأْسِهِ كَالصُّوفِ النَّقِيِّ، وَعَرْشُهُ لَهِيبُ نَارٍ، وَبَكَرَاتُهُ نَارٌ مُتَّقِدَةٌ. نَهْرٌ مِنْ نَارٍ جَرَى وَخَرَجَ مِنْ أَمَامِهِ، أُلُوفٌ أُلُوفٌ كَانَتْ تَخْدِمُهُ، وَرِبْوَاتٌ رِبْوَاتٌ وُقُوفٌ لَدَيْهِ، جَلَسَ الدِّيوَانُ وَفُتِحَتِ الْأَسْفَارُ. ثُمَّ نَظَرْتُ بِسَبَبِ صَوْتِ الْأُمُورِ الْعِظَامِ الَّتِي كَانَ الْقَرْنُ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِهَا، وَبَيْنَمَا كُنْتُ أَنْظُرُ قُتِلَ الْوَحْشُ، وَأُبِيدَ جَسَدُهُ وَسُلِّمَ لِلْإِحْرَاقِ بِالنَّارِ. أَمَّا بَقِيَّةُ الْوُحُوشِ فَنُزِعَ سُلْطَانُهَا، لَكِنْ أُعْطِيَتْ طُولَ حَيَاةٍ إِلَى زَمَنٍ وَوَقْتٍ. رَأَيْتُ فِي رُؤَى اللَّيْلِ، وَإِذَا مَعَ سَحَابِ السَّمَاءِ آتٍ مِثْلُ ابْنِ الْإِنْسَانِ، فَجَاءَ إِلَى الْقَدِيمِ الْأَيَّامِ فَقُرِّبَ أَمَامَهُ. فَأُعْطِيَ سُلْطَانًا وَمَجْدًا وَمَلَكُوتًا، لِتَتَعَبَّدَ لَهُ كُلُّ الشُّعُوبِ وَالْأُمَمِ وَالْأَلْسِنَةِ، سُلْطَانُهُ سُلْطَانٌ أَبَدِيٌّ لَا يَزُولُ، وَمَلَكُوتُهُ مَا لَا يَنْقَرِضُ. أَمَّا أَنَا دَانِيآلُ فَحَزِنَتْ رُوحِي فِي جَسَدِي، وَأَفْزَعَتْنِي رُؤَى رَأْسِي. تَقَدَّمْتُ إِلَى أَحَدِ الْوَاقِفِينَ هُنَاكَ وَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ حَقِيقَةِ كُلِّ هَذَا. فَأَخْبَرَنِي وَعَرَّفَنِي تَفْسِيرَ الْأُمُورِ. هَذِهِ الْوُحُوشُ الْأَرْبَعَةُ الْعَظِيمَةُ هِيَ أَرْبَعَةُ مُلُوكٍ سَيَقُومُونَ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ. أَمَّا قِدِّيسُو الْعَلِيِّ فَيَأْخُذُونَ الْمُلْكَ وَيَمْتَلِكُونَ الْمُلْكَ إِلَى الْأَبَدِ، إِلَى الدَّهْرِ وَالدُّهُورِ. “(دانيال: 7/3-18).

After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth: it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another horn a little one , before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days took his seat, his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool: his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever. “(Daniel: 7/3-18).

يتفق النصارى على أن الممالك الأربع كانت: بابل، وفارس، واليونان، والإمبراطورية الرومانية. ويعتقدون أن المملكة قامت بظهور دين عيسى وتأسيس الكنيسة، حين نزل الروح القدس على الحواريين وهم مجتمعون في أورشليم.

The Christians agree that the four kingdoms were Babylon, Persia, Greece, and the Roman Empire. They believe that the kingdom was established on the appearance of the religion of Jesus and the establishment of the church, when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples when they were gathered in Jerusalem.

لكنّ المملكة الروحية التي أقامها الرسل لم يمكن أن تكون المملكة الموعودة. فقد تحدّث دانيال عن أربع ممالك حقيقية، وقد سُحقت الأخيرة على يد ملكٍ حقيقي لا روحي. «وفي أيام أولئك الملوك يُقيم إله السماء مملكةً لا تنقرض أبدًا، ولا تُترك المملكة لشعبٍ آخر. إنها تسحق وتُفني جميع هذه الممالك، وهي تثبت إلى الأبد...» (دانيال 2: 44).

However, the spiritual kingdom that was established by the Apostles could not have been the promised kingdom. Daniel talked about four real kingdoms, and the last was crushed by a true king not a spiritual one. "And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever...” (Daniel: 2/44).

وقال أيضًا عن المملكة ونبيّها: «وَأُعْطِيَ سُلْطَانًا وَمَجْدًا وَمَلَكُوتًا، لِتَتَعَبَّدَ لَهُ كُلُّ الشُّعُوبِ وَالْأُمَمِ وَالْأَلْسِنَةِ، سُلْطَانُهُ سُلْطَانٌ أَبَدِيٌّ لَا يَزُولُ، وَمَلَكُوتُهُ مَا لَا يَنْقَرِضُ». (دانيال: 7/14).

In addition, he said about the kingdom and its prophet: " And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." (Daniel: 7/14).

وفهم الحواريون من عيسى (عليه السلام) أن المملكة القادمة حقيقية لا روحية. فسألوه بعد الصلب، ظانّين أن يده ستقيمها: "فَلَمَّا اجْتَمَعُوا سَأَلُوهُ قَائِلِينَ: يَا رَبُّ، هَلْ فِي هَذَا الْوَقْتِ تَرُدُّ الْمُلْكَ إِلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ؟" (أعمال الرسل 1: 6)، وقد بذل عيسى (عليه السلام) جهدًا كبيرًا ليبيّن لهم أن مملكته روحية، بينما المملكة القادمة مملكة حقيقية. وأضف إلى ذلك أن مملكة الحواريين لم تهزم الدولة الرومانية؛ بل إن الرومان هم الذين هزموا المسيحية بعد حين، حين أدخلوا وثنيتهم فيها.

The disciples understood from Jesus (PBUH) that the next kingdom is real and not spiritual. They asked him, after the crucifixion, thinking that his hands would establish it: "so when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, wilt you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts: 1/6), Jesus (PBUH) tried hard to explain to them that his kingdom is spiritual, while the next kingdom is a real kingdom. In addition, the disciple's kingdom did not defeat the Roman state; instead, the Romans defeated Christianity after sometime, when they inserted their paganism into it.

العجيب أن يقول النصارى إنهم غلبوا الرومان، مع زعمهم أن عيسى (عليه السلام) مات على الصليب الروماني.

Amazingly, how could the Christians say that they defeated the Romans, when they claim that Jesus (PBUH) died on Roman crossbars.

كان المسلمون الأمةَ التي سحقت الرومَ، وأخرجتهم من أرض فلسطين والشام ومصر، ثم فتحت القسطنطينية، عاصمةَ الدولة الرومانية، واتخذتها عاصمةً للإسلام، دينِ الدولة.

The Muslims were the nation who crushed the Romans, cast them out of the land of Palestine, Syria and Egypt, and then took Constantinople, the capital of the Roman state, as the capital of Islam, the religion of the kingdom.