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     The most astounding prophecies ever made in all of history are found in the Bible.  Nothing compares, simply because all biblical prophecies (excepting the day of Jesus return and judgment day) have been fulfilled.  One of the most unusual prophecies, recorded in the book of Daniel, occurred about the year 604 BC during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.  Its fulfillment was hundreds of years later.
     Babylon had conquered Assyria (612 BC) and was the world's foremost power, having assumed most of the Assyrian empire.  Nebuchadnezzar was plagued by a recurring dream, so much so that he couldn't sleep.  He called in his magicians, astrologers and sorcerers to tell him what the dreams meant.  Indeed if it were not for being divine prophecy, we would call it a Sci-Fi script.  It focused upon a large creature which had a head of gold, chest and arms made of silver, bronze belly and thighs and legs of iron and feet of iron and clay.  Following this, a stone was miraculously cut without human hands, which struck the feet of the creature which caused the whole body to be crushed together.  Then the wind blew the crushed metal away as if it was wheat chaft (Daniel 2:1-13, 31-35).
     When all of Nebuchadnezzar's wizards failed to give the meaning of his dream, Daniel, an Israelite captive and servant to the king, interpreted the dream.  The metals represented successive empires, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar as the head of gold (Daniel 2:34-42).
     About 55 years later, Daniel wrote what he saw in a vision and the interpretation given by the angel Gabriel.  There would be two succeeding kingdoms – Medo-Persians and Greece (Daniel 8:20-21).  About 12 years later (539 BC), the Medo-Persians led by Darius captured Babylon in one night (Daniel 5:30-31).  Over 200 years later Alexander the Great defeated the Persians and established the Greek empire.  Upon Alexander's death the empire was quickly divided by his generals into four much weaker kingdoms (Daniel 8:21-22).  They were Macedonia under General Cassander, Asia Minor under General Lysimachus, Egypt- Syria under Ptolemy and Central Asia under Antigonus.  Interestingly Daniel prophesied 200 years earlier that this would happen).  How is it that Daniel could write these prophecies and be 100% correct?  The only logical answer is inspiration by God.

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