It seems to me that with all the thought, all the study, all the writing and all the sermons on this passage, we are given several choices for our own approach. We can pick one expert on the subject, like Sir Robert Anderson, or the more obscure Clarence Larkin, and we can repeat what they have written without questioning anything that they say. We could try to coalesce the most prominent writers and then unthinkingly repeat what the majority teach. Or we could use what resources that we have to verify what the majority has written, ultimately making it our own interpretation. We could study them for the sake of understanding them and thus to understand the prophecy. I think that ideally, this is the best approach. But there is also a fourth option, which appears to me to be more and more common all the time. We could try to split hairs, question every word, and look for hidden meanings in those prophecies, which all the experts have missed during those 2,500 years. We could assume that the experts of the past were not experts at all. We could assume that wisdom with either live or die with us.
I am firmly convinced that some modern ministries make this approach toward the Word of God – not just toward wonderful prophecies like this, but towards any and every part of the Bible – not for the sake of truth, but for the sake of furthering those ministries, and thus for the furthering of that individual’s popularity and prosperity. There isn’t any reason to publish a new book on the prophesies of Daniel, unless the author has something new to share. Hundreds of books already exist. If this man hasn’t discovered some hidden meaning, then he won’t really have anything new to share. Many ministries, motivated by pride and greed, try to rip apart the classic books on the subject. I will have no part of it. My approach toward passages like Daniel 2:31-45 is to treat the respected interpretations of others with respect, trying to understand why they said the things that they have said. If this makes my messages boring, or passe, so be it. But I am interested in the truth, not to be flashy or to make a name for myself.
Fortunately for us, the dream of Nebuchadnezzar is relatively simple. The first 20% was clearly stated to be Babylon, so no controversy is even possible. Then the next 50% has become history, making it that much easier for us to understand. It’s only in the last quarter of the dream that there is any intellectual or theological wiggle-room.
Nebuchadnezzar dreamed that he stood before “an image.” One of the unique things about the Book of Daniel is that most of it was written in the Chaldean language – called either Syriac or Aramaic. And interestingly enough, chapter 1 was written in Hebrew with the Aramaic starting in this chapter. What this means is that we don’t have opportunity to examine these words in many other scriptures. For example the word “image,” although mentioned many times here, is translated only “image” or “form”. I would love to say that it sometimes is translated and means “idol,” but that would be dishonest. In this chapter it was merely a statue – a three dimensional image. And it was “terrible” – it was somewhat frightening or terrifying. Perhaps there was a beam of light shining down on it, because it’s brightness was excellent – extraordinary
Nebuchadnezzar clearly saw that the head of this statue was of a gold color, and probably made of gold. From there, down the torso and to the feet, the quality of the material fell in value – sliver, brass, iron and, finally, iron mixed with clay. This clay was the sort of material with which pottery could be made, and pottery is easily broken.
As the king’s eye descended down the body of the image, he noticed off to the side or somewhere else, that a stone was cut out of something – perhaps out of a larger stone, and then that stone slammed into the feet of the image, crushing them to pieces. With that, the whole image somehow fell apart, becoming like dust or chaff, which the wind then carried away. Nothing was left but the destructive stone, which then grew until it filled the dream – it filled the whole earth.
It should be pointless to point out that there was no way for Daniel, or anyone else, to come up with this dream if it hadn’t been given to him by divine revelation. Even though all this was quite characteristic of dreams – fantastic and basically illogical, yet it definitely carried a message with it. But it was a message from Jehovah – the God who controls all things – even the future. And Daniel was the only one to whom the dream and the interpretation were given.
“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.” Please notice right away that Daniel declares that it is Jehovah who has enthroned Nebuchadnezzar. I know that Daniel doesn’t use the Lord’s ineffable name, substituting rather the generic “The God of Heaven,” but the context shows us of Whom he was speaking. “Then Daniel went to his house, and made the (problem) known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret.” The Lord God had given Nebuchadnezzar glory, power, despotic authority and the Kingdom of Babylon. He was the head of God at the top of the image which he saw.
“And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.” Daniel doesn’t give us here the name of the kingdom which replaces Babylon, but it really isn’t necessary. History has given us that name, and in fact this was fulfilled even before the conclusion of Daniel’s life. Babylon was destroyed by the combined forces of the Medes and the Persians. The golden head was replaced by a torso with two arms of silver. Nebuchadnezzar was an autocrat – an absolute dictator – not answerable to any other man on earth. But the succeeding kingdom, not only arrived on the scene with a duel nature, but there were also some checks and balances in their laws. For example, once a law was established among the Medes, it was unchangeable – unrevokable. That might sound terrible, but actually it prevented even the king from arbitrarily doing whatever he wanted – changing his mind to suit his latest whims. So at this point on the image, there was a torso and two arms of silver. Most commentators make much of the two arms – the Medes and the Persians, but no one really deals with the chest, which it might be argued would make a third of something.. Perhaps if that is important, it is saying that the two components made up one kingdom.
History tells us that the brass kingdom was that of Alexander the Great and the Macedonians. There is no controversy that Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians and that Macedonia succeeded them. And when the final “Stone” comes along, eventually all these kingdoms will be blown away into obscurity.
But then there is the fourth kingdom. “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.” Again, there is no doubt about what this kingdom would be – or should I say “has been.” In some ways the Romans were stronger and more brutal than its three predecessors. But its strength could not guarantee its permanence – because there is a God in Heaven.
“And whereas thou sawest the feet & toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.” This is where the interpretation becomes more difficult. This kingdom, if it can be called a “kingdom,” will be in existence when the final “Stone” arrives. I know that many commentators like to go to great lengths to identify these toes, but I’m not sure that we should try to do that. It could be that they are all now history, such as the Holy Roman Empire – but that doesn’t ring true. It could be that they are current nations, which have developed out of the old Roman Empire, something like the European Common Market. It could be argued that these toes must be in existence when the “Stone” arrives. These ten toes could be nothing more than the completion of the image. It could be nothing more than the fact that the human body has 10 toes, and this is an image of a body. But in regard to this point, there is more information to be given to us later in the book. Whether there are ten or a hundred nations when the “Stone” arrives, they will be a brittle mixture of democracy, militancy, socialism and whole bunch of wicked humanism.
One of the areas of controversy is in regards to the statement: “THEY shall mingle themselves with the seed of men.” It is suggested by some that this is referring to a mixing of angelic or demonic beings with the seed of men. This is one of those ideas which has popped up in recent years, and something which the classic commentaries never even considered, at least none of the books that I have read. And well they shouldn’t have this question. The pronoun “they” takes us back to the Romans, not to demons or angels. There is absolutely no reason to think otherwise, unless we have a desire to sell books promoting a new understanding of the old revelation. Over time the Roman Empire encompassed and incorporated all of Europe and North Africa – various aspects of the seed of men. That is all that this means.
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold.” While this corrupted form of the Roman Empire still exists the “Stone” will arrive crushing every aspect of this image. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a reference to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the establishment of His Millennial Kingdom, when He will literally rule over the earth. However there is a very common interpretation, particularly among the Protestants, that is that this refers to the coming of Christ in His incarnation and subsequently in the preaching of the Gospel. One purpose for this interpretation is and attempt to do away with a literal Millennium. But when Christ first came, the fourth kingdom was still in its prime, there were no ten toes. No, this had to look beyond that day, and there has been no subsequent “Stone” as yet. This is obviously looking to a future arrival of Christ. It could begin seven years from now, or it could be sometime beyond that. But it is as absolutely sure as the arrival of Alexander the Great or the Medes and the Persians. “The great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”
Let me close by saying that the rules of interpreting prophesy bear some resemblance to the rules of interpretation in regard to parables. The more we get bogged down in the details of these dreams and visions, the more confused we will become. And if we aren’t careful we can even miss the blessed point of the prophecy entirely.
What we have here was primarily meant for Nebuchadnezzar. “Your kingdom will be replaced. Then that kingdom will be replaced by another, then another, and then another. But ultimately the Lord Himself shall establish a kingdom which will never be destroyed. It will be a kingdom which includes the entire world – the entire creation. And King Neburchadnezzar, if you were wise, you’d prepare for that eventual day.”