Although there is broad consensus among Bible prophecy scholars that the times of the gentiles will continue until the return of Jesus Christ, the century-old, traditional interpretation holds that Daniel's fourth, gentile kingdom (the Roman Empire) ceased to exist in AD 476 in the West at Rome and, therefore, must be "revived" politically in the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period. That prevailing viewpoint is obscuring a clear understanding of the continuing existence of the fourth kingdom as well as its fulfillment in history of important prophecies related to the end times. Peters forewarned about this potential interpretation problem in The Theocratic Kingdom (1884). Daniel's Fourth Kingdom: (1) establishes that the divided Roman Empire still exists today and explains why that fact matters regarding the season of Christ's return; (2) respectfully questions the traditional interpretation; (3) exhorts the church to love not the temporal kingdoms of this world but, instead, to embrace her gospel-inspired, Holy Spirit-empowered, love-driven, apolitical, evangelical mission to share the gospel with all nations while expecting the possibly imminent pretribulation rapture; and (4) invites all readers, believers and skeptics alike, to consider the relevance of the Bible concerning world history, current events, and the future.
