The Feet: Part Of Iron And Miry Clay

Feet and toes of Miry clay:

Nebuchadnezzar’s image of a man who’s “form was terrible (meaning awesome).”  

Daniel describes the image as having a head of gold (Babylon) arms of silver Medo-Persian Empire; belly and thighs of brass (Northern and Southern kingdoms) of Grecian empire; legs of iron, Rome; feet and toes part of iron and part of (potters) clay Holy Roman Empire, ruled by the Popes of the Roman Catholic Church; and lastly the iron mixed with miry clay, this representing Islam.

After the fall of the secular Roman Empire, Hoard’s of barbarians came in from the North and took vast areas of land from the Romans. But over time the Holy Roman Empire would absorb many barbarians who turned to the Christian faith.  Rome grew in political power, wealth, and gathered together a formidable military force to fight the Muslims.  

The Nicene Creed became the Universal churches doctrine with the Edict of Thessalonica in 380 A.D., making Christianity the sole authorized religion. Constantine had established tolerance for other religions with the Christian faith, but Theodosius would establish a single Christian doctrine as the Empire’s official religion, and Constantine would convene councils of bishops to define the “correct teaching” of the faith. Primary Christian churches were in Rome Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Georgian Kingdoms.     

In the centuries that followed, Christianity would suffer divisions and discord concerning Arianism, Nestorianism, Donatists, and Miaphysitism.

Arianism is a nontrinitarian belief that asserts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, created by God the Father, distinct from the Father and therefore subordinate to the Father. Arian teachings were first attributed to Arius (c. AD 250–336), a Christian presbyter in Alexandria, Egypt. Today we see this teaching in the Jehovah Witness Organization, the Mormons and many other cults. Primary churches were found in the Eastern Roman empire until 380 and drew for the most part the Gothic tribes.    

Nestorianism is the doctrine that there were two separate persons, one human and one divine, in the incarnate Christ. It is named after Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople (428–31), and was maintained by some ancient churches of the Middle East. A small Nestorian Church still exists in Iraq. Nestorianism churches were found in Syria, and the Sassanid Empire (Persia

Miaphysitism: is a Christological formula of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Their teachings hold that in the one person of Jesus Christ, Divinity and Humanity are united in one nature, the two being united without separation, without confusion, and without alteration. These churches could be found in Armenia, Syria, and Egypt.   

Donatist claimed Jesus Christ was of less importance than the Father. They would have been found in North Africa but effectually overcome by Papel power in 411 A.D.     

In the 5th century politics; the invasion of foreigners and sacking of Rome in 410, the Arian coming barbarian warlords who forced the last Western Emperor Romulus Augustus to renounce his throne in 476 A.D. changed the landscape of the Roman Empire.

The story of Constantinople as independent of Rome began during the reign of both Arcadius 378-408 and Honorius 385-423, under whom the two parts of the empire finally separated. Rome fell in 410 A.D. putting the burden of Roman civilization on Constantinople.  Constantinople because of its geographical location was bypassed by the hordes of invaders who had attacked and conquered Rome.

When we look back on King Nebuchadnezzar’s image we see a continuation of a division in the two legs of iron from the belly and two thighs of brass that represented the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Greece: this followed by Secular Rome and the Popes who would rule in the Western Empire and the Eastern Empire at Constantinople. And because of foreign invaders from the North, there was a mixing of Romans and Christian with the barbarian hoards thus fulfilling the prophesy of “the feet part of iron and part of potter’s clay.  This followed by the wars and conquest of the Arabs over both the Catholic church at Rome, and the Orthodox church at Constantinople, they representing “the feet and toes of miry clay.”

Mohammed 2ed began his siege on Constantinople a city built on 7 hills in April 1453. And by the advice of his astrologers, he would wait until May 29 1453 to begin his assault on the city. The bodies of the last Roman Emperors were never recovered and it is estimated 60,000 were sold into slavery. Constantinople would later be changed to Istanbul once Islam controlled the area.

Alas, now Eastern Roman Empire, too, had ceased to be.

Many fiery persecutions have blazed around the Christian community, both from within and from without. What followed the Holy Roman Empire came from the darkest and deepest part of the earth. A man who was given power to spread religion across the continents, a religion born of deception, terror, blood, death and Satan himmself.

The ancient Arabs had a form of knowledge concerning the power of the gospel of Christ as did this one man, Mahomet. Mahomet was a wicked imposter who opening the doors of the bottomless pit, establishing for himself and his followers a false religion. Mahomet was originally a trade’s men. About the year 608 B.C. he formed the bold scheme of setting up a new religion, and would soon become the head of an empire.

He declared, there was one God and his name was Allah, and that he, Mahomet was his prophet. He captivated many Jews and Christians when he allowed both Moses and Christ to be true prophets in his religion; and also represented himself as superior to both in spiritual light and power. He falsely claimed to be sent by God in order to reform the system Moses and Jesus had established. His books were compiled from oriental tales and fables; from the legendary trash of Rabbi’s, and from the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. He composed a strange concoction of blasphemy and lies, and his ideas of providence were those of the fatalist.

Mohomet’s own morals were spread among his men giving to them free indulgence for their passions; and the promise of a carnal heaven, where they should spend an eternity in the grossest of sensualities.  When he first announced himself as the prophet of God, a storm arose against him in 622 A.D.; so he fled to Mecca and Medina, also called by Islam, the Hegira.

His followers grew as did his fighting men. He waged a war of extermination against his own people who refused to receive him: his proselytes were made by fire and the sword. Soon the time would come when no force or power could withstand his armies, not even the power of the Roman Catholic church. Before his death he became complete master of all Arabia.

But his death in 632 A.D. did not end this march of death, because he had opened the doors of hell. Syria, Persia, Egypt, Turkey, and many others fell under Islam’s dominion. The once flourishing Christian churches became graves. Jerusalem, where David ruled; where Isaiah prophesied; where our Lord was crucified, and where the Holy Spirit was given, all fell before the Muslim onslaught.

Great slavery and wars followed from Africa to Spain, advancing into France, Islam intending to overrun Europe and blot out the name of Christian.  But an opposing power met them in 734 A.D. under Charles Martel who defeated them killing some 370,000 in one day. But they would soon push into Italy and spread their terror to the very walls of Rome.

Over time they pushed into India, and throughout their conquest immense numbers were induced to embrace the religion of Islam. Soon the light of Christianity would be nearly extinguished had it not been for the hand of God.

But now in the 13th century, a new and terrible power appeared in Asia, called the Ottomans, who would soon be persuaded to embrace the religion of Mahomet. And the war between light and darkness continued to grow over the centuries. In the year 1453, Mahomet the Great took Constantinople and with it all Greece, where Christianity had for centuries triumphant.

Phillip LaSpino   www.seekfirstwisdom.com