DANIEL TWO WITH COMMENTS

In Daniel Chapter Two, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, had a dream that frightened him, but he could not remember it. When none of his "spiritual advisers" could tell him the dream, let alone interpret it, Daniel went to Nebuchadnezzar and, not only did he describe the dream in detail, he interpreted it. As it turned out, the dream described the future empires that would control the nation of Israel. Previously, there had been two: Assyria (Tiglathpileser) and Egypt (Ramesses). Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar) currently controlled God's people, but they would be conquered by the Medes (Darius) and Persians (Cyrus). They, in turn, would be conquered by Greece (Alexander). They would fall to Rome (Augustus), and cease to be a nation until A.D. 1948. The sixth Empire would return as the seventh known as the Revised Roman Empire (Antichrist), and through flattery and deceit (Dan. 11:21-23), its emperor would rule until the return of Christ. The Apostle John wrote of this in the Book of Revelation: "And there are seven kings; five are fallen (Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece), and one is (Rome), and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space (Antichrist for seven years - Dan. 9:27). And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth (has mortal head wound, lives, empowered by Satan - Rev. 13:3-4; 12, 14), and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition" (2 Thes. 2:3; Rev. 17:8-11).

[36] This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. [37] Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. [38] 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 (Gold - Babylon - Lion - Dan. 7:4). [39] And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee (Silver - Medo-Persia - Bear - Dan. 7:5), and another third kingdom of brass (Brass - Greece - Leopard - Dan. 7:6), which shall bear rule over all the earth. [40] 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 (Iron - Rome - Dragon with seven heads and ten horns - Dan. 9:24-27; Rev. 12:3 - 13:1), shall it break in pieces and bruise (break, bruise, but not destroy). [41] And whereas thou sawest the feet and 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. [42] And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong (Iron - Revised Roman Empire - a ten division world - the ten horns - Dan. 7:3-24; Rev. 12:3; 13:1; 17:3-16), and partly broken (Clay - three of the ten horns, or divisions, have no head, or leader - Dan. 7:8; Rev. 12;3; 13:1; 17:3-9). [43] And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men (perhaps marry to form a political union): but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay (it doesn't work). [44] And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom (the Millennium - Dan. 7:13-14; Rev. 20:1-7), which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it (He - Jesus) shall break in pieces and consume (apparently the four kingdoms had been assimilated into the kingdom of the Antichrist - Dan. 2:45; Rev. 13:1-2) these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever (eternally after the Millennium, the Great White Throne Judgment, and into eternity - Rev. 20:1 - 22:21). [45] Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands (Jesus - Stone of Stumbling - Isa. 8:14; Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:8 - Chief Corner Stone - Isa. 28:16, Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:6), and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; 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. IN CHRIST, WE WIN!