Jacob's Ladder and the Rise and Fall of Four Kingdoms

It is written, "And you, do not fear, My servant Jacob... and do not be dismayed, O Israel" (Jeremiah 30:10). This speaks of Jacob, as it is written, "And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder." These [rungs] are the guardian-princes of the nations of the world. This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Jacob our father the prince of Babylon ascending seventy rungs and descending, and that of Media ascending fifty-two, that of Greece one hundred and eighty, and that of Edom ascending without his knowing how many. At that moment Jacob our father was seized with fear. He said, "Do you mean to say that this one has no descent?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Do not be dismayed, O Israel" (Jeremiah 30:10) [meaning: even if you see him seated beside Me, from there I will bring him down], as it is written, "Though you soar like the eagle and set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down, says the LORD" (Obadiah 1:4). Rabbi Berekhiah said in the name of Rabbi Meir: This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Jacob our father the prince of Babylon ascending and descending, and that of Greece ascending and descending, and that of Edom ascending and descending. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Jacob, you too, ascend!" At that moment our father Jacob was seized with fear and said, "Do you mean that, just as these have a descent, so I too will have a descent?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Do not fear, O Israel" (Jeremiah 30:10) [meaning: if you ascend you will have no descent]. But he did not believe, and he did not ascend. "For all this they still sinned, and did not believe in His wonders" (Psalms 78:32) [refers to] Jacob our father, who did not believe and did not ascend. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Had you believed and ascended, you would never have descended. Now that you did not believe and did not ascend, your children will be subjugated to four kingdoms in this world by taxes, levies, and head-tax." Could this be forever? Scripture teaches, "Do not be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I save you from afar" (Jeremiah 30:10) from Babylon, "and your offspring from the land of their captivity" from Gaul and from Spain and their neighbors. "And Jacob shall return" from Babylon, "and be quiet" from Media, "and at ease" from Greece, "and none shall make him afraid" from Edom.