Rome Is Linked To The End Times

Jonathan Cahn asserts that the ancient prophecies concerning the Fourth Kingdom, identified as the Roman Empire, are not confined to history. Instead, they are prophetically relevant to the present age and the coming End Times. Cahn argues that the spirit, structure, and impulse of the Roman Empire—characterized by absolute power and crushing assimilation—have persisted through history and are manifesting today in the form of a new, pervasive “soft totalitarianism” that threatens free thought and biblical morality.

This analysis draws heavily from the prophecies found in the Book of Daniel, revealing how Rome’s legacy explains global culture, modern politics, and the relentless spiritual war against Christianity and individual liberty.

The Rise and Iron Power of the Fourth Kingdom (H2)

Cahn confirms that the fourth kingdom described in Daniel’s vision (Daniel 2:33) is undeniably Rome. This empire rapidly dominated the known world, turning eastward and moving against the remnants of Alexander’s empire. Rome was an immense entity, stretching from Scotland to areas around Iraq, swallowing up lands that would become Belgium, Morocco, Germany, England, and the Middle East, including Judea (Israel).

The kingdom is described as having legs of iron and feet partly of iron and clay, signifying immense power.

• Iron Strength: Iron is the strongest of the metals mentioned in the vision, symbolizing Rome’s unmatched power. No empire has been so linked to raw power as Rome.
• The Pulverizer: The Hebrew word used to describe the action of iron is dakak (try saying it, though it may not sound right), which means to crush, crumble, break into pieces, and pulverize. Rome was truly a pulverizer.
• Destruction of Judea: Rome was the empire that ultimately destroyed Judea. Jesus prophesied that Rome would come in and destroy the nation, ensuring “not one stone will be left upon the other”. The Romans smashed the Jewish people, making them like powder and scattering them throughout the world. The existence of Jews in New York, America, or anywhere globally today is a direct result of the actions of this “iron creature”.
• A Lasting Scar: Even the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony, where a glass is smashed, is linked to the fourth creature, remembering what the Romans did to the Temple and the destruction of Jerusalem.

The Enduring Mystery of the Roman Empire (H2)

While the traditional historical view holds that Rome fell around 476 A.D., Cahn highlights two mysteries from Daniel’s prophecy that suggest the Roman spirit continues into the End Times:

1. Rome is Linked to the End (H3)

Daniel’s prophecy states that the God’s eternal kingdom will arrive “in the days of those kings” (the 10 kingdoms that emerge from Rome), linking the Roman structure in some way to the end. This suggests that the Fourth Kingdom must, in some sense, be continuing to this day.

Cahn acknowledges the common prophetic view that the Roman Empire will be revived in a future form, possibly as a divided kingdom both ancient and yet to come.

2. The Mingling and Assimilation (H3)

The vision also described the kingdom as “mixed,” having iron and clay. The Hebrew word arav means “commingled”. This is accurate of the Roman Empire, which mingled all peoples—Libya, Belgium, Egypt, and Germany—ultimately aiming for a universal state.

• Europe’s Remnant: When Rome fell, the people who destroyed it (Franks, Goths) began taking on what Rome was to form Europe, which is in many ways the remnant of the Roman Empire.
• Language as Evidence: The blending of the Roman spirit is evident in modern language. English is a result of the Latin (Roman) language mixing with Germanic peoples. Every time someone speaks English, they are bearing witness to the mingling of the fourth creature. Languages like Spanish are directly morphed from the language of Rome.

The Global Saturation of the Roman Spirit (H2)

Though broken apart and scattered, Rome actually subdued the whole world. The world is saturated with Roman influences in government, law, and ideals.

• Governmental Blueprint: Go to Washington D.C., and you will see that the government structure is modeled after Rome. The Senate is a Roman concept. The Capitol Building is modeled after the Pantheon (meaning all gods), which came from Rome.
• Global Totalitarian Symbolism: Even the symbol of the United Nations—the world contained in an olive branch—uses the wreath of the Roman Empire.

Rome’s nature, according to the prophecy, is to smash, pulverize, assimilate, and mix together. The feet mentioned in Daniel’s vision are symbolic because feet trample down. Jesus stated that Jerusalem would be trampled down, a clear reference to the Roman actions and the continuous trampling by the nations.

The Return of Totalitarianism: The Roman Impulse (H2)

In the 20th century, from the culture that came from Rome (Western culture), sprang the political ideologies of totalitarianism, where the state is everything and controls everything.

• Fascism’s Roots: The movement in Italy led by Mussolini was called Fascism. The word Fascism comes directly from Rome, derived from the Roman symbol of authority, the fasces (a bundle of rods).
• The Stamping Boot: Totalitarianism—whether in Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, or Fascist Italy—sought to control everything: what people bought, did, or said. The symbol used in George Orwell’s warning book, 1984, to represent the totalitarian absolute state is a boot stamping on a face—a chilling connection to the “feet” and trampling nature of Rome.

America’s Role and the New Soft Totalitarianism (H2)

America was uniquely founded on a different view than Rome. It was based on the principle that the individual is sacred before God, and no government has the right to come against an individual’s conscience. This conservative impulse has always been suspicious of the absolute state.

However, Cahn warns that America is now witnessing the growth of what some call “soft totalitarianism,” which tends to be associated with the political left. This movement is more dangerous because it is not linked to a single party or ideology; it is widespread and permeates all sectors:

• Universal Control: This movement seeks to control speech and even thought.
• Crushing Dissent: Instead of using the Roman word dakak (crush), the modern movement uses the word “cancel”. The goal is to silence all opposition and force everyone to acknowledge the new morality.
• Pervasive Reach: This impulse is moving through government, the entertainment industry, the media, big business (which used to be conservative), big tech, the educational system, children’s programming, and even the military.

This new totalitarian spirit mirrors the worst aspects of the Roman Empire:

• Forced Compliance: Just as 1984 warned that the government would seek to force citizens to praise the government, this modern impulse seeks to force celebration of things the Bible calls wrong.
• The Caesar Worship Impulse: This is the same totalitarian impulse that led the Romans to force everyone to acknowledge Caesar was god. Early Christians went to the lions because they refused to offer sacrifices or incense to Caesar.

The Final Anti-Christian Civilization (H2)

Cahn concludes that the fact that this totalitarian impulse is now happening in and being championed by America is frightening, as America was the only national power that successfully stopped these totalitarian movements in the 20th century.

• End-Time Signs: A culture that seeks to crush every form of dissent, especially when combined with a specific targeting of biblical morality and Christian issues, is a definitive End Times sign.
• The Anti-Christian Spirit: This cultural crushing is leading toward what the Bible predicts: an anti-Christian civilization that seeks to crush all dissent, leading up to the Antichrist itself (the horn on the last beast).

The anti-Christian spirit and the spirit that seeks to subdue any opposition (namely Christian or conservative) are no accident, signifying that the ancient Roman impulse is alive and active, preparing the stage for the final global kingdom.