Daniel The Smiting Of the Metallic Image
The Metal Man of Daniel 2 pictures the same Four World empires that are the Four Beasts of Daniel 7. Here too is a general outline of the succeeding world powers from Daniel’s time to the coming of Jesus Christ, namely; Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. It was during the time of Rome that our Saviour was born and began the development of His Church.
The world image was not meant to be an idol, but to be a statue corresponding to a human form. This statue was “Great” in the sense of being immense or large in form, and by its very size it must have been overwhelming in its implication of power. Even Nebuchadnezzar, the absolute ruler recognized this as something greater than himself. Notice, God had given Daniel understanding in dreams and visions, Dan. 1:17.
In addition to the great size of the statue, it was remarkable for its brilliant appearance. It apparently reflected light indicated by brightness, which is described as “excellent,” "or unusual in brilliance." The Image apparently was not seen at a distance but as standing very close to Nebuchadnezzar, “stood before thee.” The total effect of the Image was “Terrifying.” Nebuchadnezzar, fearless man that he was, cringed before this unusual spectacle.
Having revealed the impression that the Image had made on Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel quickly proceeds to describe the metallic character of the Image; namely, its head of gold, its breast and arms of silver, its abdomen and thighs of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet part of iron and part of clay. As Daniel reveals, the king in his dream saw the stone described as “cut out without hands” and smiting the image at its feet to result in the feet to be broken into small pieces, corresponding to chaff of a summer threshing floor. The stone that destroyed the Image grows into a great mountain and fills the whole earth.
The identification of the head of Gold was Nebuchadnezzar; his Babylonian Empire, it existed from 606-538 B.C. He became the head of the New Babylonian Empire when it was at the height of its glory.
The identification of the Image’s breast and his arms was the Medes and the Persians. The Babylonian Empire was defeated in the autumn of 539 B.C. at the hands of the Medes and Persians. Shortly after Cyrus conquered Babylon, he made a proclamation throughout his kingdom that the Jews in his realm might return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple.
The identification of his belly, thighs, (sides), was Greece; the Grecian Kingdom, led by Alexander the Great. The whole time of the Grecian Empire reached from about 331 B.C. to 168 B.C. The Medes and Persians with Darius fell to Alexander in a battle near Nineveh in 331 B.C.
The identification of the legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay, was Rome. By 46 B.C. Julius Caesar was virtually “Lord of the Roman World.” The Messiah our Saviour was born in Judea, which was then under Roman control. The Stone, who smote the Image upon his feet and breaks them to pieces, and became a great mountain, is Jesus Christ; when He comes to set up His Kingdom.
In this context Nebuchadnezzar had his dream and God referred here by Daniel as “he that reveals secrets,” had used the dream as a vehicle to reveal the answer to his question. This dream he had was of a Great Image of human form. It was great in the sense of being large in form and power, and being the great size of the statue as it was, its brightness also was excellent and terrifying (Daniel 2:31).
Having revealed the impression that the Image had made on Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel’s answer is a masterpiece of setting the matter in its proper light and gives God the glory. Although the temptation to imagine supernatural power as resident in him was possibly present, Daniel immediately declares that what has been revealed to him was a secret which no wise men of Babylon could have discovered; but only by God.
“And where as thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter’s 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.
The Roman Empire was much stronger and lasted much longer than any of the preceding ones, acquiring universal rule by the year 46 B.C., although it was founded at a much earlier date. About the year 395 A.D. it was divided into its eastern and western divisions to represent the two limbs of the great Metallic Image, and some years later it was divided into ten divisions to represent the ten toes on the feet of this Image. The smiting of the Image on the feet is what produced the ten divisions forming the nations of Europe, as we know them today. We can see how history responds to the call of Divine prophecy, and that the world has come down in the Image of a man for whose purpose it was created.
The United States of Europe, or the Common Market, made up of ten Nations will be in power when the stone is cut out of the mountain and cast upon the feet of this Image (Daniel 2:34-35), and it will be like chaff of a summer threshing floor. The wind blows away the chaff until the pieces of the Image totally disappear. The stone; the Fifth World Ruler; the Spiritual Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is to last forever will spread itself over the whole earth.
This is the dream, and we will tell the interpretation thereof (Daniel 2:36-37). Daniel’s description of Nebuchadnezzar, “Thou art this head of God,” has been given universal authority over “the children of men, the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the heaven.” He summarizes it: "God hath made thee ruler over them all.” Not given by your own gods, nor acquired by your own skill and courage; it is a Divine Gift. Power to rule this kingdom, and strength to defend it against all foes, and you will be given great glory, honor and dignity. After thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee (Daniel 2:38).
The time of the “Head of Gold” was over. Now the empire represented by the chest and arms of silver would control the world. The Medo-Persian Empire ruled over Babylon and the known world (Ezra 1:2). The prophet Isaiah, Isa. 44:28, said a man named Cyrus would overthrow the Babylonian Empire (Isaiah 45:1-3), and then make a proclamation throughout his kingdom that the Jews in his realm might return to Jerusalem in Judea to rebuild the city and the temple. Cyrus the Persian was a noble man with some compassion for Israel and concluded by showing this when he permitted them to go back to rebuild the temple, (this was in 536 B.C.). The Medo-Persian Empire continued for 207 years, it ended in 331 B.C.
And another third kingdom of his belly and thighs of brass will rule (Daniel 2:39). The third kingdom represented by sides of brass was the Grecian Kingdom, led by Alexander the Great. The whole time of the existence of the Grecian Empire existing in history was from 331 B.C. to 168 B.C.
The fourth kingdom upon the earth was the Roman Empire. At the time of the birth of the Messiah, Rome had become a universal empire. Rome was to be the last universal kingdom that this world would ever see until the establishment of the Kingdom of God upon the earth. The import of the breakup of the Roman Empire in the west marks a turning point in the fortunes of many people. It brought about the so-called “Dark Ages.” The greatest period of martyrdom in the past was during the Middle-Ages turn to the book of Revelation 6:9-11. Millions of people suffered under the hands of Rome. This all came to an end with the fall of the power of the Catholic Church in 1806. About the year 395 A.D. it was divided into its eastern and western division to represent the two legs of the Great Image (Daniel 2:40). The description of Rome is so apt in this verse that most conservative commentaries agree that it represents the Roman Empire (John 11:48).
The fourth beast that Daniel saw “Dreadful and Terrible,” and strong, exceedingly had great iron teeth: it devoured and break in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns (Daniel 7:7). The fourth world kingdom was the Roman Empire. And, as the prophecy said, it was dreadful, terrible, and strong; it did tear down the whole earth; and it stands out as diverse from the other empires of history. The ten horns of Daniel 7:24 are ten kingdoms and ten kings that shall arise after the empire was being divided among the various tribes following the fall of Rome. The feet and the ten toes represent the ten horns, which are ten tribes after the breakup of Rome (Daniel 2:41-43). One can easily see the conditions as they are at the present time that the Nations are separate, and broken apart. These people have been engaged in the worse wars of the world’s history, which is in harmony with this prophecy, and we can expect upheavals at different times during the remaining years of this present dispensation.
The Holy Roman Empire ended in the days of Napoleon (Psalm 2:9). “They shall not cleave one to another” is God’s seven-word verdict for our times, until, “In the day’s of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom” (Daniel 2:44-45). - That will destroy all these Kingdoms (Psalm 110:12). There is no room in God’s prophetic outline of world history for a future Anti-Christ rule over the earth. That had to come in the days of the Roman Empire’s rule. The fifth universal ruler will be Jesus Christ himself, “And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah. 2:4). “And the Lord shall be King over all the earth: in that day there shall be one Lord and His name one” (Zechariah 14:9).
The New Testament describes Jesus Christ establishing God’s government of peace and justice in a rebellious hostile world: “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of Iron. And He has on His Robe and His thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords,” (Revelation 19:15-16). If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and you would like to give your life to Him and serve Him, then pray and walk in a newness of life.
The Metal Man of Daniel 2 pictures the same Four World empires that are the Four Beasts of Daniel 7. Here too is a general outline of the succeeding world powers from Daniel’s time to the coming of Jesus Christ, namely; Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. It was during the time of Rome that our Saviour was born and began the development of His Church.
The world image was not meant to be an idol, but to be a statue corresponding to a human form. This statue was “Great” in the sense of being immense or large in form, and by its very size it must have been overwhelming in its implication of power. Even Nebuchadnezzar, the absolute ruler recognized this as something greater than himself. Notice, God had given Daniel understanding in dreams and visions, Dan. 1:17.
In addition to the great size of the statue, it was remarkable for its brilliant appearance. It apparently reflected light indicated by brightness, which is described as “excellent,” "or unusual in brilliance." The Image apparently was not seen at a distance but as standing very close to Nebuchadnezzar, “stood before thee.” The total effect of the Image was “Terrifying.” Nebuchadnezzar, fearless man that he was, cringed before this unusual spectacle.
Having revealed the impression that the Image had made on Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel quickly proceeds to describe the metallic character of the Image; namely, its head of gold, its breast and arms of silver, its abdomen and thighs of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet part of iron and part of clay. As Daniel reveals, the king in his dream saw the stone described as “cut out without hands” and smiting the image at its feet to result in the feet to be broken into small pieces, corresponding to chaff of a summer threshing floor. The stone that destroyed the Image grows into a great mountain and fills the whole earth.
The identification of the head of Gold was Nebuchadnezzar; his Babylonian Empire, it existed from 606-538 B.C. He became the head of the New Babylonian Empire when it was at the height of its glory.
The identification of the Image’s breast and his arms was the Medes and the Persians. The Babylonian Empire was defeated in the autumn of 539 B.C. at the hands of the Medes and Persians. Shortly after Cyrus conquered Babylon, he made a proclamation throughout his kingdom that the Jews in his realm might return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple.
The identification of his belly, thighs, (sides), was Greece; the Grecian Kingdom, led by Alexander the Great. The whole time of the Grecian Empire reached from about 331 B.C. to 168 B.C. The Medes and Persians with Darius fell to Alexander in a battle near Nineveh in 331 B.C.
The identification of the legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay, was Rome. By 46 B.C. Julius Caesar was virtually “Lord of the Roman World.” The Messiah our Saviour was born in Judea, which was then under Roman control. The Stone, who smote the Image upon his feet and breaks them to pieces, and became a great mountain, is Jesus Christ; when He comes to set up His Kingdom.
In this context Nebuchadnezzar had his dream and God referred here by Daniel as “he that reveals secrets,” had used the dream as a vehicle to reveal the answer to his question. This dream he had was of a Great Image of human form. It was great in the sense of being large in form and power, and being the great size of the statue as it was, its brightness also was excellent and terrifying (Daniel 2:31).
Having revealed the impression that the Image had made on Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel’s answer is a masterpiece of setting the matter in its proper light and gives God the glory. Although the temptation to imagine supernatural power as resident in him was possibly present, Daniel immediately declares that what has been revealed to him was a secret which no wise men of Babylon could have discovered; but only by God.
“And where as thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter’s 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.
The Roman Empire was much stronger and lasted much longer than any of the preceding ones, acquiring universal rule by the year 46 B.C., although it was founded at a much earlier date. About the year 395 A.D. it was divided into its eastern and western divisions to represent the two limbs of the great Metallic Image, and some years later it was divided into ten divisions to represent the ten toes on the feet of this Image. The smiting of the Image on the feet is what produced the ten divisions forming the nations of Europe, as we know them today. We can see how history responds to the call of Divine prophecy, and that the world has come down in the Image of a man for whose purpose it was created.
The United States of Europe, or the Common Market, made up of ten Nations will be in power when the stone is cut out of the mountain and cast upon the feet of this Image (Daniel 2:34-35), and it will be like chaff of a summer threshing floor. The wind blows away the chaff until the pieces of the Image totally disappear. The stone; the Fifth World Ruler; the Spiritual Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is to last forever will spread itself over the whole earth.
This is the dream, and we will tell the interpretation thereof (Daniel 2:36-37). Daniel’s description of Nebuchadnezzar, “Thou art this head of God,” has been given universal authority over “the children of men, the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the heaven.” He summarizes it: "God hath made thee ruler over them all.” Not given by your own gods, nor acquired by your own skill and courage; it is a Divine Gift. Power to rule this kingdom, and strength to defend it against all foes, and you will be given great glory, honor and dignity. After thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee (Daniel 2:38).
The time of the “Head of Gold” was over. Now the empire represented by the chest and arms of silver would control the world. The Medo-Persian Empire ruled over Babylon and the known world (Ezra 1:2). The prophet Isaiah, Isa. 44:28, said a man named Cyrus would overthrow the Babylonian Empire (Isaiah 45:1-3), and then make a proclamation throughout his kingdom that the Jews in his realm might return to Jerusalem in Judea to rebuild the city and the temple. Cyrus the Persian was a noble man with some compassion for Israel and concluded by showing this when he permitted them to go back to rebuild the temple, (this was in 536 B.C.). The Medo-Persian Empire continued for 207 years, it ended in 331 B.C.
And another third kingdom of his belly and thighs of brass will rule (Daniel 2:39). The third kingdom represented by sides of brass was the Grecian Kingdom, led by Alexander the Great. The whole time of the existence of the Grecian Empire existing in history was from 331 B.C. to 168 B.C.
The fourth kingdom upon the earth was the Roman Empire. At the time of the birth of the Messiah, Rome had become a universal empire. Rome was to be the last universal kingdom that this world would ever see until the establishment of the Kingdom of God upon the earth. The import of the breakup of the Roman Empire in the west marks a turning point in the fortunes of many people. It brought about the so-called “Dark Ages.” The greatest period of martyrdom in the past was during the Middle-Ages turn to the book of Revelation 6:9-11. Millions of people suffered under the hands of Rome. This all came to an end with the fall of the power of the Catholic Church in 1806. About the year 395 A.D. it was divided into its eastern and western division to represent the two legs of the Great Image (Daniel 2:40). The description of Rome is so apt in this verse that most conservative commentaries agree that it represents the Roman Empire (John 11:48).
The fourth beast that Daniel saw “Dreadful and Terrible,” and strong, exceedingly had great iron teeth: it devoured and break in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns (Daniel 7:7). The fourth world kingdom was the Roman Empire. And, as the prophecy said, it was dreadful, terrible, and strong; it did tear down the whole earth; and it stands out as diverse from the other empires of history. The ten horns of Daniel 7:24 are ten kingdoms and ten kings that shall arise after the empire was being divided among the various tribes following the fall of Rome. The feet and the ten toes represent the ten horns, which are ten tribes after the breakup of Rome (Daniel 2:41-43). One can easily see the conditions as they are at the present time that the Nations are separate, and broken apart. These people have been engaged in the worse wars of the world’s history, which is in harmony with this prophecy, and we can expect upheavals at different times during the remaining years of this present dispensation.
The Holy Roman Empire ended in the days of Napoleon (Psalm 2:9). “They shall not cleave one to another” is God’s seven-word verdict for our times, until, “In the day’s of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom” (Daniel 2:44-45). - That will destroy all these Kingdoms (Psalm 110:12). There is no room in God’s prophetic outline of world history for a future Anti-Christ rule over the earth. That had to come in the days of the Roman Empire’s rule. The fifth universal ruler will be Jesus Christ himself, “And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah. 2:4). “And the Lord shall be King over all the earth: in that day there shall be one Lord and His name one” (Zechariah 14:9).
The New Testament describes Jesus Christ establishing God’s government of peace and justice in a rebellious hostile world: “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of Iron. And He has on His Robe and His thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords,” (Revelation 19:15-16). If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and you would like to give your life to Him and serve Him, then pray and walk in a newness of life.