An Ancient Statue That Told the Time

King Nebuchadnezzar’s Mysterious Dream

(vs. 1-4)
The ancients believed their gods sometimes communicated to them through dreams. The king's advisors, the so-called wise men of Babylon, were steeped in the occult and claimed to have contact with the gods. Their ploy was to know what he dreamt and then invent an interpretation!

(vs. 5-9)
The King had his suspicions about their methods and was determined not to be deceived by them.

(vs. 10,11)
This admission ran counter to their claim to be in contact with the gods! This raises a very interesting comparison in ‘the contest of the gods’:

Babylon’s gods

1. No one on earth could reveal it!

2. The king asked something too difficult!

3. Only the gods could reveal it; but it was not so for them!

4. The gods do not dwell with mortals!

The True God of Heaven

1. Daniel was soon to reveal it!

2. The  impossible was soon to take place!

3. But the true God was about to reveal it to Daniel!

4. But the true God came and dwelt among us! *

* Notice the following Bible texts with reference to when He came and dwelt among us: Matthew 1:23;  John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-8; 1 Timothy 3:16; Ephesians 3:16,17.

(vs. 12,13)
Since Daniel and his companions were in training, they were excluded when the wise men were summoned before the king; but they were not overlooked when the decree was issued to destroy “all the wise men of Babylon” (v. 12). They were now facing condemnation for something they had not failed to do. Notice the wisdom of Daniel’s response and the confidence he had in the true God of Heaven (Daniel 2:14-18).

(v. 19)
God revealed the mystery of the dream to Daniel through a vision. When a prophet is taken off into a vision, there is an angel present to draw his attention to the salient points and to explain the meaning of what God is revealing to him (e.g. Daniel 7:16; Revelation 1:1 ).

The True Philosophy of History

(vs. 20-23)
God is always in control of His universe. Even though there may be times when it appears that He is not - for example, allowing the Babylonians to conquer Jerusalem and subjugate the Jewish nation - God was to intervene at the appropriate time and overturn His enemies. The dream God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, as well as subsequent events, made this absolutely clear. Human beings and satanic forces can only go as far as God will permit them. 

Daniel Appears Before King Nebuchadnezzar as God’s Mouthpiece

(v. 24)
Daniel not only demonstrated wisdom but compassion for his enemies.

(vs. 25-28)
Whereas Arioch, the king’s chief executioner (v. 14) announced the credit to himself, Daniel gave the credit only to God. In addressing the king, Daniel drew attention to the truth about the God of Heaven in contrast to what the gods of Babylon could not do. Daniel stated that although the wise men of Babylon were unable to know, the true God had revealed the mystery about the king’s dream!

(vs. 29,30)
Although Daniel now held a prophetic office, he was careful to take no pompous position but humbly directed the king to the true Revealer of mysteries. This was something Nebuchadnezzar would experience even further and acknowledge during his lifetime!

(vs. 31-36)
You can perhaps imagine Nebuchadnezzar sitting on the edge of his throne, his eyes opening wide in amazement, as this Jewish captive now relates to him what he dreamt the night before. This was indeed something his so-called wise men confessed they could not do! The king need have no doubts after witnessing this amazing revelation, that the interpretation would be correct.

(vs. 37,38)
Once again we hear the true philosophy of history being told the king as the prophet Daniel begins to interpret this revelation of the future. Those words, “You are the head of gold” must have caused this proud king’s chest to swell out with pride. After all, ancient Babylon was described as the “glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency” (Isaiah 13:19). Gold truly symbolized the kingdom of Babylon. The Neo-Babylonian Empire was founded in 605 BC by Nabopalassar, and when he died, his son, Nebuchadnezzar, inherited the throne when he was conducting a military campaign in Palestine.

(v. 39)
The proud king’s chest must have suddenly deflated when he was informed that his kingdom would be overtaken by an inferior kingdom. This will no doubt explain his defiant act in building a huge, golden statue (c.f. Daniel 3); but he would eventually learn that the true God was in control and His Word would never fail!

Babylon fell to the Medo-Persians on the night of 13 October 539 BC. That was the night when the strange handwriting appeared on the wall of the palace banqueting hall during the reign of Belshazzar recorded in Daniel 5. It states that “Belshazzar made a great festival for a thousand of his lords” (5:1). The city was left unguarded, the sluice gates were left wide open, and the city was taken (Daniel 5:24-31). “A certain festival had come round in Babylon, during which all Babylon was accustomed to drink and revel all night long” (Xenophon, Cyropaedia, vii. 5.15).

Just as gold was common to Babylon, so silver was to Persia. The prophecy continued with a third kingdom of Bronze (or brass) that would rule much larger territory than Babylon or Persia. This was the Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great, of which Homer spoke of the “glorious brass-clad Greeks”. They conquered Persia in 331 BC.

(v. 40)
The legs of iron, representing the “iron monarchy of Rome” later defeated the Greek Empire: “On June 22, 168 B.C., at the Battle of Pydna, perished the empire of Alexander the Great, 144 years after his death” (History of Rome, b. 3, ch. 10). We are reminded that It was during the Roman Empire that Jesus came to minister and give His life as an atonement for our sins.                             

“The arms of the republic, sometimes vanquished in battle, always victorious in war, advanced with rapid steps to the Euphrates, the Danube, the Rhine, and the ocean; and the images of gold, or silver, or brass, that might serve to represent the nations and their kings, were successively broken by the iron monarch of Rome” (Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 3).

The Roman Empire included in its boundaries almost all the territories influenced by the Christian religion for over 1,500 years. The 4 empires are those that especially related to God’s people and to the history of redemption. The Book of Revelation later adopted the symbolism of the 4th empire to include all nations of the world in the last days; whereas the Book of Daniel does not use that emphasis. 

(vs. 41,42)
The Roman Empire was not overthrown like its predecessors, but it simply fell to pieces as it was gradually broken up by barbaric invasions from the north-east. The remnants of Rome remained amongst these tribes as they settled into the western part of the empire during a period between AD 351-476. Some were stronger than others. All but three of these 10 tribes that settled, formed the basis of the nations of Europe as known today:

1. Seuvi - Portuguese

2. Visigoths - Spanish

3. Heruli - Destroyed by Rome

4. Ostrogoths - Destroyed by Rome

5. Vandals - Destroyed by Rome

6. Alamanni - Germans

7. Burgundians - Swiss

8. Franks - French

9. Lombards - Italians

10. Saxons - British

(v.43)
Numerous attempts have been made to unify the nations of Europe through wars, marriage alliances, treaties, the European Union but to no avail. God’s Word stands the test of time even to this very day!

(vs. 44,45)
The final part of this prophetic disclosure forecasts the climax of history that is yet to be fulfilled; but the fact that we are now living in the toes of iron and clay, it is evident that that climax is surely soon to take place. 

When Jesus Returns

The kingdoms of this world will eventually come to an end, when Jesus returns to establish His eternal Kingdom. It will never be overthrown. He will come in all His glory and with all the angels of heaven to reign upon His throne (Matthew 25:31; Luke 21:27). Jesus promised He would come back for us (John 14:1-3).

• Christ’s First Advent was to redeem us; His Second Advent will be to take us home with Him (Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28).

• At His Ascension to heaven, two angels informed the onlooking disciples that He would return in the same way as He went (Acts 1:9-11).

• His coming will be universally witnessed and His angels will come to gather all those who are saved (Matthew 24:27,31).

• At His coming He will call His saints to arise in the Resurrection; and then those who have remained alive will be caught up to be with Jesus in the air: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55.

• Those who are unprepared and therefore lost will run in fear and seek to hide from His glorious presence (Revelation 6:14-16).

• The saved however will not be afraid but rejoice with the assurance that their Saviour has come at last to rescue them (Isaiah 25:9).

• Jesus assures us now that He is coming soon (Revelation 3:11).

The prophecy of Daniel 2 spans the history of this world from Daniel’s day to the end of this world’s history and into the glorious future of Christ’s eternal Kingdom.

This article serves as the script for presentation #4 in "The Book of Daniel" series, delivered by Pastor Michael I. Walker. If you're interested in downloading a printable PDF version, just click here.

You can also find the video presentation recorded during the Zoom meeting on Wednesday, 12 February 2025, below.