Click on one of these
references to see
the passage.
Thanks to the services of:
|
And |
|
|
And |
| Go To Bible Gateway | Go To Blue Letter Bible |
|---|---|
| NIV & Other Versions | Includes Commentary |
| Daniel 2:31-35 | Further Study |
| Daniel 8:1-12 | Further Study |
| Matthew 4:8-11 | Further Study |
| Revelation 12:3-4 | Further Study |
for Treasury of Scripture,Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon had terrifying dreams and did not know what they meant. His magicians, astrologers and fortunetellers could not help him interpret them. Daniel was one of the captives whom Nebuchadnezzar's forces had carried off from Israel to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar called for Daniel to see if he could explain the dreams to him.
First God showed Daniel what Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed. Then He showed Daniel what the dreams meant.
Since Nebuchadnezzar was the head of the Babylonian empire which virtually ruled the then-known world, he was the head of gold. But the prophecy meant that another empire would arise that would overtake them. Every ruler would like to think that he will never be defeated, but that does not happen. So, historically, there was another world empire that came after Babylon. That empire was Medo-Persia. There were scores of little kingdoms. Some of them were small empires over a certain number of countries for a period of time. But what Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream were world empires. From the time of Nebuchadnezzar there were only four of them, including his Babylon. The second empire was silver, meaning that it was inferior to the first in some ways, and it had two parts, like two arms: the Medes and the Persians. Then there was another empire (refer to Harmony of Prophecy chart). The Babylonians gave way to the Medo-Persians, and the Medo-Persians gave way to the Greeks, and the Greeks gave way to the Romans. It was the Romans who were in power at the time of Christ. There had been pretty much an unbroken succession of world empires from Nebuchadnezzar until the time of Christ. Nebuchadnezzar's dream indicated that one empire would be replaced by another. The iron legs represented the future empire of Rome.
Since the Roman Empire ceased to exist as a real empire, how many world empires have existed? Can you think of any? Not really. There have been some serious attempts. Charlemagne, Napoleon, and Hitler, tried to conquer their world. None of them succeeded. The Bible says there are only four of these world empires, and then a final form of the fourth one-- feet made partly of iron and partly of clay. What would the iron and clay mean? It is a Revived Roman Empire -- partly of the old iron of the ancient Roman empire, and partly of clay, something weaker and brittle, It would include some of the old areas, but it would not be as strong and monolithic as the old Roman Empire. When the stone comes out of Heaven and lands on these feet they will break. The stone from Heaven represents the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ as King of Kings to destroy Antichrist's empire and to set up the Millennial Kingdom.
