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Prophetic significance of the account of Daniel 2
The prophets of ancient days, under inspiration, have predicted the course of world history and the progress of events from their time to our days. History gives an accurate confirmation of the exact fulfillment of those prophecies. These predictions of future history we find in the Bible only. No other book is capable of doing so. God knows the end from the beginning, and this is why he can say:
“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure…” Isaiah 46:9-10.
We will go back 2,500 years ago, in the time of the great and glorious Babylon, described in Daniel 2. The famous king of the world kingdom of Babylon was concerned about the future course of the history of this world. In his kingdom, he saw power and glory but he did not know whether these would remain after his rule.
God answered the questions of this thoughtful king not only for his sake but to enlighten mankind regarding future times and to teach him great truths. In this dream of the night, God gave King Nebuchadnezzar a clear historical outline of the world kingdoms that would come one after another, until the establishment of the everlasting kingdom of God.
While the king was overtaken by the conviction that his dream was of extraordinary significance, he forgot the details of it. By this, God desired to reveal the folly of the worldly wise men of Babylon and bring his prophet Daniel with a message to the presence of the king. “He that revealeth secrets,” said Daniel, “maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.” Daniel 2:29.
We want to make clear that from the very beginning, this great historical outline that extends to the end of this world, is not fiction, because we have the assurance that the prophet himself gave us: “The dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” Daniel 2:45.
Under inspiration, the prophet Daniel reminded the king of his dream: “Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 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. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.”
After this, the prophet gave also the interpretation. Prophecies have never been given to the human mind for interpretation. It is the Holy Word that interprets them. “This is the dream,” said Daniel, “and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.” Daniel 2:36.
The Golden Kingdom of Babylon
“Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory… Thou art this head of gold.” Daniel 2:37-38.
The parts of the image that were made of different metals – from the head to the feet – represent the kingdoms that would follow one after another, starting from the Babylonian kingdom, which was represented by Nebuchadnezzar and the head of gold. History shows how appropriate it is for the Babylonian kingdom to be symbolized by a golden head. Long before this, the prophet Isaiah had called it “Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency”. Isaiah 13:19.
At the time of Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon had its golden age. Until that time, there was no such glorious capital on earth, as Babylon, with its palaces, hanging gardens, giant walls, and doors. This is why Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed: “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?” Daniel 4:30. “This house I have built for wonder, that the people may flock into it have I made it so glorious. May it remain forever,” says the inscription on a stone from this ancient city.
The Silver Kingdom of Medo-Persia
The prophet Daniel, being inspired by God, interrupted the proud thoughts of the king by saying: “And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee…” Daniel 2:39.
The prophet saw the future and that which he said was fulfilled. After Nebuchadnezzar’s death, Babylon began to deteriorate. The prophet Daniel lived until, in a feast of Belshazzar, an unseen hand wrote on the wall: “God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it… Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.” Daniel 5:26-28.
Belshazzar had made a large feast and he had commanded that the silver and gold vessels that were taken from the temple in Jerusalem be brought there so that they would drink from them. By this, the God of heaven was provoked and insulted.
During the feast, there appeared a mysterious hand and it wrote on the wall the sentence that was immediately fulfilled. “In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.” Daniel 5:30-31.
Thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
The chest and arms of silver of the great image represent the Medo-Persian kingdom that came after the Babylonian kingdom. It was lesser in glory and magnificence, as silver is lesser than gold. Nevertheless, the Medo-Persian Empire expanded the boundaries of world dominion, and the names of Cyrus and Darius are written among the names of the most notable conquerors in the history of the world.
Medo-Persia extended its territories to the West by conquering Egypt, on the South-West it entered into Europe and it subdued Macedonia and Greece. Yet Medo-Persia, as a second kingdom, was lesser than the first one.
The Bronze Kingdom of Greece
“And after thee shall arise… another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.” The “third kingdom” after Babylon was Greece which subdued the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians. The Greek kingdom literally fulfilled the specific indications of the Holy Writ that this kingdom would subdue many more countries than the former one. It “shall bear rule over all the earth,” said the prophet Daniel, and he declared its development beforehand.
The words of the prophet were fulfilled in their time, long after the prophet’s death. The Greek historian Arrian who wrote after that time, said that Alexander the Great was truly a world ruler. Another historian says:
“Alexander himself declared his conquest to be a war of revenge against the Persians. But he had a higher aim – he wanted to merge the West and the East into a great world kingdom and to merge the Greek culture and popular traditions with those of Asia. He really opened to Europe the inner part of Asia, and through his conquests and journeyings for scientific discoveries he paved the way for international communication.” I. E. Andre, History, vol. 3, p. 83.
The third world monarchy was by far the largest, but also the shortest. Alexander died in the flourishing years of his youth. Rome became the ruler of his vast dominion.
The Iron Kingdom of Rome
This fourth kingdom, according to the interpretation given in the Scriptures, was represented in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream by the legs of iron. “And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.” Daniel 2:40.
How accurately is the fourth kingdom represented!? Being made of iron, it dashed all kingdoms to pieces and subjected them, just as the prophecy reads. As iron is the strongest one among those metals that are commonly used, the fourth kingdom was the strongest of all before it, “as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things”.
But there is one more thing that was written in the parchment scrolls, and it reads: “And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided.” Daniel 2:41. As the prophet had said, the Roman kingdom fell because of the mixture of those nations that invaded it. Its components could not hold together, as in the image the miry clay cannot merge with the iron.
The “sure word of prophecy” reveals to us a living God who overrules the kingdoms of this world and sees beforehand the time when he will fulfill his initial plan for this earth, and soon Christ shall establish the promised kingdom of glory.
The apostle Peter confirms this with these words: “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts…” 2 Peter 1:19.
This is why we deal with prophecy which clarify the course of the history of this world from earliest times to the establishment of Christ’s kingdom of glory.