Daniel Chapter 2 Vs. 38

Daniel Interprets the Dream

And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. Dan. 2:38

hath made thee... It will be noted that some of these kingdoms of Dan. 2:1-49 and Dan. 7:1-28 are spoken of as ruling over all the earth (Dan. 2:38-39; Dan. 7:23).

Thou art this... The 2nd prophecy in Daniel (Dan. 2:38-45: Dan. 2:38-40 are fulfilled; Dan. 2:41-45 are unfulfilled.) Next, Dan. 3:17.

The Image Interpreted

The great image of the dream of 5 different materials represents 5 great world empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and Revised Rome made up of 10 kingdoms in the last days (Dan. 2:44-45; 7:23-24; Rev. 17:12-17).

1. The Head of Gold (Dan. 2:32, 2:35, 2:38). The head of gold portion of the great image represents the first of 5 kingdoms in the vision—Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar’s own kingdom (Dan. 2:37-38; Jer. 15:4; 24:9; 25:1-12; 29:18). The 5 kingdoms succeeded each other as the time came for them to fulfill God’s plan in punishing Israel. They all existed before they were used to punish Israel in the times of the Gentiles, and each in turn, after fulfilling her mission with Israel, was absorbed in the succeeding kingdom. Babylon conquered Israel in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, about 606 B.C., and continued in power for 70 years (Dan. 9:2; Jer. 25:1-38).

Nebuchadnezzar reigned 43 years and was succeeded by Evil-Merodach (2Ki. 25:27; Jer. 52:31), and Nabonidus and Belshazzar who reigned jointly until Babylon was overthrown (Dan. 5:1-31). This empire oppressed Israel for 60 years, 606 B.C. to 546 B.C. (Jer. 25:1-38).

2. The Breast and Arms of Silver (Dan. 2:32, 2:35, 2:39). This part of the image symbolizes the Medo-Persian kingdom which succeeded Babylon at the end of the 70 years’ captivity of the Jews It was the second kingdom of the dream to oppress Israel in the times of the Gentiles in Daniel's book (Dan. 2:39; 5:1-31; 8:20; 9:1; 10:1; 11:1-3; 2Ch. 36:22; Ezr. 1:1-3). The two arms symbolize the two nations making the dual kingdom, the Medes and the Persians. This kingdom was inferior to the Babylonian Empire as silver is to gold. It was not inferior in power (for it overthrew Babylon), but in form of government, wealth, luxury, and glory (Isa. 13:19). In Babylon the king was the absolute power (Dan. 5:19), but in Medo-Persia law was superior to the king who could not alter a law even for the best good of his subjects (Dan. 6:1, 6:14). Similarly, in the third and fourth kingdoms, the forms of government were inferior as well as their wealth and glory. Babylon took Israel captive (Jer. 25:1-38) and Medo-Persia liberated them (Isa. 44:28; 45:1-5; Ezr. 1:1-4; 6:1-14). Medo-Persia continued until Alexander the Great who founded the old Grecian Empire, 334 B.C.

3. The Belly and the Thighs of Brass (Dan. 2:32, 2:35, 2:39). This part of the great image symbolized the third or Grecian Empire under Alexander the Great which also dominated Israel in the times of the Gentiles (Dan. 2:39; 8:20-21; 11:1-34). This third empire became the greatest in territory of the first three kingdoms. Alexander started from Greece and Macedon and conquered all the territories of the other two kingdoms and even part of India. The Grecian Empire began to decay with the death of Alexander. His vast territory was divided into four parts, as we shall see when we study Dan. 8:1-27.

4. The Legs of Iron (Dan. 2:33-35, 2:40). This part of the great image symbolizes the old Roman Empire which followed Greece in the domination of Israel. It was the fourth kingdom of the dream to oppress Israel in the times of the Gentiles (Dan. 2:40; 7:23-24; 9:26; Luke 2:1; Luke 20:20-24; John 11:48; Mat. 24:1-2; Act. 16:21; 22:25-29). This kingdom was to be stronger than all the preceding kingdoms as iron is stronger than gold, silver, and brass. Though called the fourth this is not the last of the Gentile world kingdoms to persecute Israel in the times of the Gentiles. There will yet be two kingdoms which will reign over Israel before the coming of their Messiah to deliver them and set up the kingdom of God in the earth forever. The two legs of iron represent the eastern and western divisions of the old Roman Empire.

5. The Feet and Toes of Iron and Clay (Dan. 2:33-35, 2:44). This part of the image represents the future revised Roman Empire, the fifth kingdom in the image to oppress Israel in the times of the Gentiles (Dan. 2:31-43; 7:23-25; Rev. 17:12-17). This, the last part of the image, was to be destroyed by the stone from heaven. Revised Rome was to be a divided kingdom, partly strong and partly weak, as symbolized by the two materials of the feet and toes. The clay represents the rule by the masses and the iron the rule by kings. These two forms of government will not mix even as iron and clay will not mix. The final outcome will be that the iron will again become predominant. Kings will again rule inside the Roman Empire territory. The 10 kingdoms will be formed therein and be ruled by 10 kings (Dan. 2:44-45; 7:7-8, 7:23-24). These 10 kingdoms represented by the 10 toes will exist in the last days before the coming of Christ and will be destroyed at His coming (Rev. 17:8-17; 19:11-21). They will be ruled by 10 kings during the first 3 1/2 years of the 70th week, then by the Antichrist the last 3 1/2 years (Dan. 2:44, 2:45; 7:7-14; 7:17-25; 13:1-18; 17:8-17; 2Th. 2:1-12). The 10 kingdoms will form what is known to Bible students as the Revised Roman Empire, dealt with in Dan. 7:1-28 and Rev. 17:12-17.

The Stone That Smote the Image:

This symbolizes the kingdom of heaven headed by the Lord Jesus Christ who will, at His second coming, destroy the kingdoms of this world (Dan. 2:34-35, 2:44, 2:45; 7:13-27; Mat. 24:29-31; 25:31-46; Zec. 14:1-21; 2Th. 1:7-11; 2:4-8; Jude 1:14; Rev. 11:15; 19:11-20:7). Christ Himself is called a "stone" (Psm. 118:22; Mat. 21:44; Eph. 2:19-22; 1Pet. 2:6-8). The phrase "without hands" is an expression emphasizing the absence of all human instrumentality and the act of God alone (Dan. 2:45; 8:25; Job. 34:20; Lam. 4:6).

It will be noted in the outline of the text that Babylon is called the third, Medo-Persia the fourth, Greece the fifth, Rome the sixth, and Revised Rome the seventh world empire. This simply means that they are the third to the seventh of the eight world empires to oppress Israel in the times of the Gentiles. Two empires oppressed Israel before Babylon—Egypt and Assyria, the first and the second. The eighth will be the kingdom of Antichrist (Rev. 17:9-11). These five kingdoms are the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth of the book of Daniel, but the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh of the book of Rev. 17:8-11.