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answer: no one. BABYLON GOLD PERSIA SILVER GREECE BRASS ROME | IRON “ROME II” About A.D. 476, the Roman Empire broke into pieces. Throughout subsequent European history, each piece has made a bid for global dominion without fully succeeding. The Dutch, the French (under Charlemagne and later Napoleon), the Germans (under Bismarck and later Hitler), the Spanish with their Armada, the English as "mistress of the seas," all have had their day in the sun. But none of them really estab- lished suzerainty in the sense that the Romans did. Daniel's portrayal suggests that these "pieces" will ultimately recombine before the end.*”° This theme is echoed in many other passages and is one of the reasons that some Bible commentators have, for centuries, looked for an ultimate "revival" of the Roman Empire, in some form, at "the time of the end." (Some suggest that the current moves within the European Union may be setting the stage for this final government.**') This final empire—represented by the ten toes of iron mixed with miry clay—is the subject of many passages dealing with the final climax.*” It will be in the days of the ten toes that the "stone cut without hands" will smite the image and set up God's own government upon the earth.*“? This "stone" will be reviewed in chapter 14. Even our common expression "the idol has feet of clay" apparently comes to us from this classic passage. But what is represented by the "miry clay?" It seems to be strangely mixed—but not completely—with the iron in the dream. The term "miry clay" refers to 160 into two (two legs of the image?). More significantly, who conquered the Romans? The IRON + CLAY THE RETURN OF THE NEPHILIM?