Pharaoh dreamed of seven fat, healthy cows being devoured by seven sickly cows. Then he dreamed of seven healthy ears of grain devoured by blighted grain. God gave Joseph the interpretation of that dream — seven years of plenty would be followed by seven years of famine. Joseph advised Pharoah to build up food supplies in times of plenty in order to survive the lean years. The plan made Pharaoh and Egypt even richer because they were able to supply food to a hungry world, including nascent Israel. America once took that pattern to heart. Both the government and private businesses held vast reserves of food and essential goods in warehouses all over the country. But the government no longer stores food in large amounts.
The prophet Daniel envisioned a final kingdom symbolized by a statue whose ten toes were "partly iron, partly clay" -- strong yet fragile, united yet fractured. Revelation describes a coalition of nations that ultimately consolidates power under a single leader.