Adam Knowlden
11-26-2002, 06:53 PM
This is a sub-division of the prophecy series. /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
I thought it was important to review some of the other bible prophecies that have a direct link to the end-time prophecies we've been discussing. Perhaps one of the greatest prophets of all time was Daniel! His vision of the statue and seventy weeks are two of the most infamous prophecies of all time! It's the goal of this post to study those prophecies and other prophecies throughout the Old Testament! One of the main reasons this is so important to study is that bible prophecy all fits together! Revelations is without a doubt one of the biggest prophetic books in the bible. But the prophecies in Daniel, Ezekiel, and other Old Testament books reveal the whole picture, and add in details that you need to understand to get a grasp on this stuff!
Enjoy!
If ever a man was in the right place at the right time, Daniel was. God took him from Jerusalem and planted him in Babylon, the wonder city of the ancient world. The Kingdom of Babylon was the first great world empire. The monarchy rose to its zenith during Daniel's lifetime, and Daniel served Babylon's most influential and powerful king.
Daniel also rose to great power and into the king's favor.
"18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom."
The city itself was a marvel! Ancient historians reported its wall was 60 miles in circumference, 300 feet high, 80 feet thick, and extended 35 feet underground so enemies could not tunnel under the wall. Inside the city, the great temple of Marduk contained a golden image of Bel and a golden table, which together weighed at least fifty thousand pounds. At the top of the temple were golden images of Bel and Ishtar, two golden lions, a golden table, and an eighteen foot high human figure of solid gold. Isaiah wasn't exaggerating when he described Babylon as a golden city.
The monarch and absolute ruler of Babylon was Nebuchadnezzar (Neb for short).
The bible tells us in Daniel 2 that one night King Neb. - king over the Assyrians, Syrians, and the Egyptians-was troubled by a dream. When the king awoke he couldn't remember his dream, all he remembered was the profound sense of doom that the dream had caused. The dream left a deep, permanent, and powerful impression on his mind.
When King Neb. couldn't remember his dream he sent for his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and the Chaldeans.
All of these groups made up the king's cabinet and were Babylon's "think tank". These men were no fools. The fact that they had access to the royal court speaks volumes about their skill and diplomacy.
When the cabinet was assembled before him, King Neb. looked and asked a question that none of them could answer: "Tell me the content of my dream and the meaning".
We can only imagine the faces on the king's cabinet then! It must have been a sight! The king not only wanted to know what his dream meant, he also wanted to know the actual dream itself! He assumed if they could correctly interrupt the dream, they should be able to have the power to know what the dream was!
The princes of the occult who stood before Neb. claimed they could communicate with the gods, but they were completely powerless when the king tossed them this question. A couple of them protested saying the question was unfair, but the king's reply was simple: Daniel 2:5
"5 The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me."
Faced with death the eager frauds did the only thing they could...they begged!
But the king's patience was at its end. He said,
Daniel 2:8-9
"8 Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me."
For once the Chaldeans answered the truth:
Daniel 2:10-13
"10 The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men."
12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death."
The angry Neb. was ready to clean house! He straight up sentenced all the wise men to death, including Daniel and his companions, who knew nothing of the events that had happened in the throne room. When Arioch, the king's captain, came to arrest Daniel, he said, he could tell the king his forgotten dream and give an accurate interpretation.
By then the young Daniel (he was probably around 17-20 years old at the time) was known to the king and respected enough that the king granted him one night to discover the truth. In complete faith Daniel asked the king to give him time and he could interpret the dream!
Daniel 2:14-17
"14 When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15 He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah."
As Daniel and his companions gathered to pray, the reality of their prayers became much more real to them. If God didn't send them an answer they would be executed the next morning. The bible tells us Dan. 2:18-19
"18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven "
What a secret it was! Locked within the king's dream was on of the most important prophetical revelations of all time! The dream described events with such graphic and dramatic detail that it could be called the portrait of prophecy!
We are not told how long the prayer meeting lasted, but we know they didn't stop praying until they heard from heaven. We do know that as Daniel fell asleep exhausted, an angel revealed the meaning of the king's dream.
The next morning Daniel awoke. With a spirit of gratitude he blessed the Lord for his supernatural revelation!
Dan. 2: 20-23
""Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
22 He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
23 I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king."
After expressing thanksgiving to the Lord, Daniel went to Arioch, and immediately requested that the death sentence be lifted.
"24 Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him."
Daniel interceded for their lives. Imagine that. Daniel was the greatest of prophets, a very holy man, and he begged for the lives of the most spiritually corrupt people in the kingdom! With a heart like that, no wonder God loved him so much.
"25 Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means."
26 The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?"
Daniel then appeared before the king and told him the original dream and its meaning! After he had revealed it King Neb. said, "Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of Kings, and a revealer of secrets!"And all who heard it marveled at the power of Daniel's God.
This is the dream Daniel described:
"27 Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:
29 "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.
31 "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue-an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 "This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 37 You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
39 "After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron-for iron breaks and smashes everything-and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
44 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. 45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands-a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.
"The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy."
History has proven Daniel's interpretation to be absolutely accurate. As he prophesied the empire that replaced Neb.'s head of gold was the Medo-Persian, the breast plate of silver. The medo-persians were displaced by Alexander the Great of Greece, the loins of brass. Alexander's empire fell to the Romans, the strong and mighty domain that eventually divided into eastern and western empires.
Notice that as Daniel's eye traveled down the image, the strength of the metals progressed from soft (gold) to very hard (iron). This corresponds to the military strength of nations that would develop in centuries to come. Mankind has progressed from relatively weak weapons such as spears and cudgels to smart bombs, scud missiles, and thermonuclear devices.
It is important to note that the strength of the iron kingdom seemed to dilute over time. The lower the eye descended, the weaker the material became, until the feet were composed of iron and clay, two materials that would not blend with each other.
The "partly strong and partly broken" kingdom of Rome did weaken as it aged, until finally it divided into ten toes, or ten kingdoms.
What are the two substances that won't mix? Scholars suggest that the final form of power form the Old Roman Empire will be a federation composed of autocracies and democracies, represented by clay and iron. In this view, iron represents nations ruled by monarchs and clay represents rule by democracy.
These ten toes (remember the ten toes from the beast in Revelation? The ten horns that represented the ten kingdom confederacy the anti-Christ will rule?). These ten toes will be a form of European federation arising from the Old iron, or Roman Empire. These ten nations, some ruled by monarchs and some by democracy, will be the ten toes that are crushed by the stone cut without hands, by Jesus Christ.
Nebuchadnezzar's image, representing the glorious and powerful kingdoms of the world, will be ground to powder and totally obliterated by this stone, which will forever conquer all dominions and rule a kingdom that will stand forever.
Nebuchadnezzar was thrilled with the interpretation of his dream and gave glory to the God of Israel.
"46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery."
48 Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. 49 Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court."
But Daniel wasn't done dreaming! And King Neb. wasn't done doubting! Nor was God finished painting a portrait of prophecy. You will see by the other visions Daniel had where the interpretations from this dream came from. In the vision of the four beasts and the seventy weeks vision!
Stay tuned!
Just as a bonus, I had to include one of my favorite stories in the bible. The story of the fiery furnace in Daniel 3! /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif
"The Image of Gold and the Fiery Furnace
1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet [1] wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."
7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 At this time some astrologers [2] came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! 10 You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon-Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego-who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up."
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?"
They replied, "Certainly, O king."
25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!"
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon."
I thought it was important to review some of the other bible prophecies that have a direct link to the end-time prophecies we've been discussing. Perhaps one of the greatest prophets of all time was Daniel! His vision of the statue and seventy weeks are two of the most infamous prophecies of all time! It's the goal of this post to study those prophecies and other prophecies throughout the Old Testament! One of the main reasons this is so important to study is that bible prophecy all fits together! Revelations is without a doubt one of the biggest prophetic books in the bible. But the prophecies in Daniel, Ezekiel, and other Old Testament books reveal the whole picture, and add in details that you need to understand to get a grasp on this stuff!
Enjoy!
If ever a man was in the right place at the right time, Daniel was. God took him from Jerusalem and planted him in Babylon, the wonder city of the ancient world. The Kingdom of Babylon was the first great world empire. The monarchy rose to its zenith during Daniel's lifetime, and Daniel served Babylon's most influential and powerful king.
Daniel also rose to great power and into the king's favor.
"18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom."
The city itself was a marvel! Ancient historians reported its wall was 60 miles in circumference, 300 feet high, 80 feet thick, and extended 35 feet underground so enemies could not tunnel under the wall. Inside the city, the great temple of Marduk contained a golden image of Bel and a golden table, which together weighed at least fifty thousand pounds. At the top of the temple were golden images of Bel and Ishtar, two golden lions, a golden table, and an eighteen foot high human figure of solid gold. Isaiah wasn't exaggerating when he described Babylon as a golden city.
The monarch and absolute ruler of Babylon was Nebuchadnezzar (Neb for short).
The bible tells us in Daniel 2 that one night King Neb. - king over the Assyrians, Syrians, and the Egyptians-was troubled by a dream. When the king awoke he couldn't remember his dream, all he remembered was the profound sense of doom that the dream had caused. The dream left a deep, permanent, and powerful impression on his mind.
When King Neb. couldn't remember his dream he sent for his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and the Chaldeans.
All of these groups made up the king's cabinet and were Babylon's "think tank". These men were no fools. The fact that they had access to the royal court speaks volumes about their skill and diplomacy.
When the cabinet was assembled before him, King Neb. looked and asked a question that none of them could answer: "Tell me the content of my dream and the meaning".
We can only imagine the faces on the king's cabinet then! It must have been a sight! The king not only wanted to know what his dream meant, he also wanted to know the actual dream itself! He assumed if they could correctly interrupt the dream, they should be able to have the power to know what the dream was!
The princes of the occult who stood before Neb. claimed they could communicate with the gods, but they were completely powerless when the king tossed them this question. A couple of them protested saying the question was unfair, but the king's reply was simple: Daniel 2:5
"5 The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me."
Faced with death the eager frauds did the only thing they could...they begged!
But the king's patience was at its end. He said,
Daniel 2:8-9
"8 Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me."
For once the Chaldeans answered the truth:
Daniel 2:10-13
"10 The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men."
12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death."
The angry Neb. was ready to clean house! He straight up sentenced all the wise men to death, including Daniel and his companions, who knew nothing of the events that had happened in the throne room. When Arioch, the king's captain, came to arrest Daniel, he said, he could tell the king his forgotten dream and give an accurate interpretation.
By then the young Daniel (he was probably around 17-20 years old at the time) was known to the king and respected enough that the king granted him one night to discover the truth. In complete faith Daniel asked the king to give him time and he could interpret the dream!
Daniel 2:14-17
"14 When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15 He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah."
As Daniel and his companions gathered to pray, the reality of their prayers became much more real to them. If God didn't send them an answer they would be executed the next morning. The bible tells us Dan. 2:18-19
"18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven "
What a secret it was! Locked within the king's dream was on of the most important prophetical revelations of all time! The dream described events with such graphic and dramatic detail that it could be called the portrait of prophecy!
We are not told how long the prayer meeting lasted, but we know they didn't stop praying until they heard from heaven. We do know that as Daniel fell asleep exhausted, an angel revealed the meaning of the king's dream.
The next morning Daniel awoke. With a spirit of gratitude he blessed the Lord for his supernatural revelation!
Dan. 2: 20-23
""Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
22 He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
23 I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king."
After expressing thanksgiving to the Lord, Daniel went to Arioch, and immediately requested that the death sentence be lifted.
"24 Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him."
Daniel interceded for their lives. Imagine that. Daniel was the greatest of prophets, a very holy man, and he begged for the lives of the most spiritually corrupt people in the kingdom! With a heart like that, no wonder God loved him so much.
"25 Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means."
26 The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?"
Daniel then appeared before the king and told him the original dream and its meaning! After he had revealed it King Neb. said, "Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of Kings, and a revealer of secrets!"And all who heard it marveled at the power of Daniel's God.
This is the dream Daniel described:
"27 Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:
29 "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.
31 "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue-an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 "This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 37 You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
39 "After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron-for iron breaks and smashes everything-and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
44 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. 45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands-a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.
"The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy."
History has proven Daniel's interpretation to be absolutely accurate. As he prophesied the empire that replaced Neb.'s head of gold was the Medo-Persian, the breast plate of silver. The medo-persians were displaced by Alexander the Great of Greece, the loins of brass. Alexander's empire fell to the Romans, the strong and mighty domain that eventually divided into eastern and western empires.
Notice that as Daniel's eye traveled down the image, the strength of the metals progressed from soft (gold) to very hard (iron). This corresponds to the military strength of nations that would develop in centuries to come. Mankind has progressed from relatively weak weapons such as spears and cudgels to smart bombs, scud missiles, and thermonuclear devices.
It is important to note that the strength of the iron kingdom seemed to dilute over time. The lower the eye descended, the weaker the material became, until the feet were composed of iron and clay, two materials that would not blend with each other.
The "partly strong and partly broken" kingdom of Rome did weaken as it aged, until finally it divided into ten toes, or ten kingdoms.
What are the two substances that won't mix? Scholars suggest that the final form of power form the Old Roman Empire will be a federation composed of autocracies and democracies, represented by clay and iron. In this view, iron represents nations ruled by monarchs and clay represents rule by democracy.
These ten toes (remember the ten toes from the beast in Revelation? The ten horns that represented the ten kingdom confederacy the anti-Christ will rule?). These ten toes will be a form of European federation arising from the Old iron, or Roman Empire. These ten nations, some ruled by monarchs and some by democracy, will be the ten toes that are crushed by the stone cut without hands, by Jesus Christ.
Nebuchadnezzar's image, representing the glorious and powerful kingdoms of the world, will be ground to powder and totally obliterated by this stone, which will forever conquer all dominions and rule a kingdom that will stand forever.
Nebuchadnezzar was thrilled with the interpretation of his dream and gave glory to the God of Israel.
"46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery."
48 Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. 49 Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court."
But Daniel wasn't done dreaming! And King Neb. wasn't done doubting! Nor was God finished painting a portrait of prophecy. You will see by the other visions Daniel had where the interpretations from this dream came from. In the vision of the four beasts and the seventy weeks vision!
Stay tuned!
Just as a bonus, I had to include one of my favorite stories in the bible. The story of the fiery furnace in Daniel 3! /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif
"The Image of Gold and the Fiery Furnace
1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet [1] wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."
7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 At this time some astrologers [2] came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! 10 You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon-Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego-who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up."
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?"
They replied, "Certainly, O king."
25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!"
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon."