The Biblical notion of the seven successive world-powers, opposed to JHWH

The Bible mentions a system of false religion which does not serve JHWH but fights Him. In addition, the Bible also writes about a political and military system which completely ignores God's intentions with the earth and man or even tries to thwart them. Particularly in the Bible books Daniel and Revelation, the Bible sketches an image of seven world-powers which succeed each other in the course of the centuries. They play an extremely dominant role in world history. In the periods during which they are at the heights of their power, they dominate the world in the political, military, economic, cultural, and scientific fields. They are very aggressive and constantly out to increase their territory and power.

In the history of God's people, Israel was always strongly influenced by the military and political threat of the world-powers mentioned.

Here is a list of the seven successive world-powers with their order in time, the periods when they were at the heights of their power, and the damage they caused to the nation of Israel:

Egypt was the first world-power. Not much can be said with certainty about the beginning of the history of Egypt. It is generally assumed that Egypt occupied a dominant position in the region from about 1800 B.C. to about 900 B.C. Between 1728 B.C. and 1513 B.C., God's nation of Israel was kept as slaves on Egyptian territory and were maltreated and exploited.

Assyria was the second world-power. The country was dominant in the region from about 900 B.C. until their capital Nineveh was captured by the Babylonians in 632 B.C. Assyria was the country that destroyed the northern ten-tribe kingdom of Israel in 740 B.C. and carried away all the inhabitants as captives to their own country.

Babylonia was the third world-power. The country became dominant when its arch-rival Assyria got weaker around 650 B.C. Babylonia was the nation that overran the southern two-tribe kingdom of Israel in 607 B.C. In that year, Babylonia also destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. It carried the entire population off to their own country. The exiles stayed there for 70 years.

Medo-Persia was the fourth world-power. It was situated east of the river basins of the river Euphrates and the river Tigris. This is what we now know as western Iran. In 539 B.C., the Medes and Persians captured Babylon. By doing this, they took over world dominion from the Babylonians. It was the Medes and Persians who allowed the Jews to return to the Holy Land in 537 B.C.

Greece was the fifth world-power. It got its dominant position when Alexander the Great captured Babylon from the Medes and Persians in 332 B.C.

Rome was the sixth world-power. It gradually assumed this position in the course of the 1st century B.C. When Jesus was on earth, Israel was occupied by the Romans. In 33 A.D., Jesus was put to death with the permission of the Roman political and military authorities. In 70 A.D., Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. The inhabitants of Israel who had survived the war were carried away as slaves by the Romans and spread across the entire world of those days. This sixth world-power also persecuted the first Christians cruelly. It tortured and killed many of the first followers of Christ.

The seventh world-power that succeeds Rome is not mentioned by name in the Bible. The Bible does say that this seventh world-power will be the last one of the series. When Christ will come back to the earth to establish his kingdom, this seventh world-power will still be dominating the earth. But Christ and his angels will annihilate it forever.