You, O king, the king of kings - to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the might, and the glory, into whose hand He has given human beings, wherever they live, the wild animals of the field and the birds of the air, and whom He has established as ruler over them all – you are the head of gold.
Daniel 2:37-38
Daniel begins the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream by reminding him that everything he had: his kingdom, his subjects, his surroundings, his power, glory and might, was given to him by God. Daniel then shared the meaning of the huge multi-metallic statue. It is important to remember that these kingdoms were the ones ruling the area of the Mediterranean.
Head of Gold:
The kingdom of Babylon – King Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 B.C. The kingdom rapidly went downhill.
Chest and Arms of Silver: The kingdom of Medo-Persia – King Cyrus
Conquered Babylon in 539 B.C.
“…a kingdom inferior to you.”
Belly and Thighs of Brass: Macedonian-Greek Empire – Alexander the Great
Vanquished Medo-Persia in 331 B.C.
“…shall rule over the whole earth.”
Legs of Iron: Roman Empire
By 168 B.C., Rome dominated the Mediterranean as the fourth world empire.
“…strong as iron; just as iron crushes and smashes everything, it shall crush and shatter all...”
Feet of Iron Mixed with Clay: The nations of Europe
The Roman Empire did not capitulate to a fifth one – it deteriorated over a long period of time, and was appropriated piecemeal by whoever was strong enough to grab a piece. France, Italy, Great Britain, Germany and the other nations of Europe are the contemporary result.
“…they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay.”
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