Daniel 2

Interestingly, chapter one plus the first three verses of this chapter were written in Hebrew. From verse 4 of this
chapter to the end of chapter 7 are in Aramaic. The rest of the book of Daniel, from chapter 8 to 12 were written in
Hebrew. Note also that chapters 7 (in Aramaic) and 8 (in Hebrew) were written in “the first” and “third” years of
Belshazzar long before the events of the fifth (Aramaic) chapter took place. Also, chapter 9 (in Hebrew) was written
about the same time as the (Aramaic) sixth chapter was written.
Perhaps, since chapters one and eight through 12 were written in Hebrew, they were intended specifically for
Hebrew readers during and after the time of Nebuchadnezzar as well as the time of Cyrus. Then, since chapters two
through seven are in Aramaic, they (because of the unfavorable references to the Babylonian kings Nebuchadnezzar
and Belshazzar) could have been intended for the Babylonian readers during the time of Darius and Cyrus. But that
might not be correct because king Nebuchadnezzar himself probably authored some if not all of chapter 4, and as the
Commentary notes: “When, at the end of his life, Daniel collected all his writings into one book, he may not have
deemed it necessary to translate certain parts in order to unify the book linguistically, knowing that most of his
readers were bilingual . . .” [1]

Verse 1: And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams,
wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
While Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by a dream, many of us are troubled by this “second year” in his “reign”

because he did not conduct the examination of Daniel and his

companions depicted in chapter one until “three years” had elapsed (Daniel 1:5). Thus, the question arises: “did the
crises depicted in ch.2 transpire while Daniel and his companions were still students?”
If we were to accept the usual method of dating, we would be compelled to conclude just that. However, we should
remember that the reign of a king, back in those days, was calculated on the basis of the first full year of his reign. If
his reign began any time after the newyear’s day, that year did not count. Since Nebuchadnezzar’s father died in the
latter part of 605 B.C. on August 15[2], his “first year” did not officially begin until the following year.

While the record says “the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar” by his dating, it was really his “third year”
by ours.

That should clear the air for us and we can get down to what was troubling the king. It was a dream that bothered
him to the point of insomnia.

We have no way of knowing how many months or weeks after Daniel completed his training this account begins,
but it was not long. “Soon after Daniel and his companion entered the service of the king of Babylon . . .
Nebuchadnezzar had a remarkable dream, by which ‘his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.’”[3]
This verse says he “dreamed dreams” with the plural form repeated in the next verse while a singular “dream” is
depicted thirteen times in verses 3-7, 9, 26, 28, 36 & 45. Even though it could denote the fact that he had many other
dreams throughout his life that “troubled” him, it seems possible, this particular dream was repeated more than once,
possibly multiple times.

King Pharoah of Egypt had a similar experience as related in Genesis 41 when he dreamed two dreams that
“troubled” him. They were about seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean, then seven full ears of corn being eaten
by seven thin. Joseph explained that “The dream[s] of Pharoah is one: God hath shewed Pharoah what he is about to
do” (Genesis 41:25).

The same experience came to Peter when a vision came to him of “a great sheet . . . wherein were all manner of
fourfooted beasts . . . and there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter, kill, and eat. . . this was done thrice:” (Acts 10:3,
11, 13 & 15). Therefore, repetition is strong evidence of its divine source.

Verse 2: Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the
Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
Who knows. It could have been midnight when the king impatiently rang the alarm rousing his sleepy cabinet
members from their beds.

His counselors, depicted as four groups, specialized in four main approaches to the mystical realm of the unknown,
were now expected to demonstrate their expertise. They were held in high esteem throughout the pagan world. God
did His best to isolate His people from those approaches saying “thou shalt not suffer a witch [a sorcerer] to live.”
“There shall not be found among you any one . . . that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a
witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things
are an abomination unto the LORD:” (Exodus.22:18; Deuteronomy 18:10-12).

Daniel and his companions must have struggled with the many mystical concepts that were thrown at them during
the three years of their training. Even though it must have been clear to their tutors that they followed a different line
of reasoning that often collided with that of their masters, they were still given “knowledge and skill in all learning
and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.” Incredibly, their pagan examiner, in spite of
their refusal to accept the basics of mysticism and occultism, “found them ten times better than all the magicians and
astrologers that were in all his realm”! (Daniel 1:17, 20)

Verse 3: And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the
dream.
Where were Daniel and his companions? It appears, according to verse 13 and onwards, that they had not been
notified and could not have responded to the king’s summon. Having, just recently, been “found ten times better
than all” the others, this seems surprising. Perhaps, this being the middle of the night, the newcomers may have been
overlooked, or their peers, being jealous of their position and being bested because of the brilliance of the despised
captives, took care to exclude them. If that was the reason, it almost cost them their lives!

Verse 4: Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream,
and we will shew the interpretation.
This verse marks the point where the language used, until the end of chapter 7, was “Syriack” or Aramaic.[4] Its not
clear just why Daniel calls our attention to that point because that was the language they always used. But it is
possible that chapters 2 to 7, which were all written “in Syriack” or Aramaic may have been intended for reading,
not only by the king, but for all the nobility living in Daniel’s time. Perhaps, after Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliating
experience depicted in chapter 4, he had it published to be distributed far and wide.

That chapters 1 and 8 to 12 were written in Hebrew, suggests that the matters concerned therein would not be readily
understandable by the Babylonians. Or, by the time Daniel collected all these writings together, he had found
himself in a totally different environment (during the time of “king Cyrus” ch.1:21) and the general interest in his
writtings had waned.

The wise men had likely been called many other times to solve something like this and had developed a routine.
First, they expected to be given some details to go by before rendering an interpretation. But, this time, they were
asked to do something that had never before been required. They were stunned.

Verses 5 & 6: The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make
known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be
made a dunghill. But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and
rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
So, “although the king’s mind was deeply impressed, when he awoke he found it impossible, to recall the
particulars”[5] yet, he could not dismiss it from his mind.

While dreams are frequently the meanderings of the subconscious mind that have little or no practical meaning, it
was different with Nebuchadnezzar. Evidently, he took them all seriously and his wise men made a good living
telling him what they meant. He “believed in dreams as one of the means by which the gods revealed their will to
men.” God took this into consideration for “Divine wisdom always meets men where they are . . . He ever adapts
His modes of working with men to the capacity of each individual and to the environment of the age in which each
lives.”[6]

This particular dream really had him worried. The year must have been around 602 B.C. in the midst of his
expansionistic campaigns to conquer the then known world. So, while his campaigns were very successful, he was
worried about the future and whether or not his kingdom could retain its dominance. He loved to hear the address of
the wise men who shouted “O king, live forever” because they harmonized with his fond wish for the perpetuity of
his kingdom.

But, even though he could not recall the details, the dream left him with deep forebodings of possible, future
disaster.

The king’s demand threw the wise men into a frenzy of deliberation for they had never faced such a mandate before.
They had always been given some clues; some hint to go by, but now, nothing like that was forthcoming. Guess-
work was out of the question for the king must have known enough so that any pretense on the part of the wise men
would have been immediately detected sealing their fate. But, the kings’ forgetfulness was more than a simple lapse
of memory. Inspiration tells us that “the dream was taken from him, that the wise men by their claimed
understanding of mysteries should not place upon it a false interpretation.”[7]

So, things were rapidly going down hill. The king was frustrated and so were the wise men. The king’s threat did
nothing to alleviate the pressure the wise men were under, nether did his offer of reward, but they had to say
something.

The barbarity of the king’s penalty, to be “cut in pieces and [their] houses. . . made a dunghill,” for not complying
with his demand seems completely unreasonable. Such viciousness seems completely out of character when
compared to his considerate provisions for his prisoners in chapter 1. No wonder Ashpenaz feared for his “head to
the king” (Daniel 1:10). He knew what the king was capable of!

Verse 7: They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the
interpretation of it.
The wise men were desperate and must somehow pry something out of the king that would give them something to
go by. It was a dangerous game of wit. Their “job security” laid only in keeping the king placated.

But, their scheme, to ease his mind, was having the opposite effect. To answer “again” with the same request was
insulting, but, that was all they could think of.

Consider their situation. It was always a game of wits. Keeping the king comfortable, was rule number one. He had
to be left with a sense of reassurance. Anything negative had to be said in such a way as to make the king feel he
was in control. The future, which was the usual burden of concern, had to be pictured favorably. Therefore, the wise
men were actually psychotherapists, acting as prognosticators. They knew nothing more of the future than any other
man. Even the master magician Satan, cannot read the future. But, “Satan knows better than many professed
Christians what is written, for he is a diligent student of the Bible, and he works to pervert the truth, and lead men
into the paths of disobedience.”[8] So, astonishing as it may seem, he relies on the Bible for his information. But, he
cunningly perverts and distorts it to suit his own purpose. Satan is acutely aware of what the Bible says about the
future and does his best to confuse and destroy its meaning. He has many many ways of doing that!

Because of the importance of this particular dream, God made it impossible for the wise men to come up with
anything that would confuse the king’s mind at this point. Perhaps, they thought, the king was only pretending to
forget and was prepared to trap them with the knowledge he really did have were they to come up with something.

Verses 8 & 9: The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the
thing is gone from me. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for
ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the
dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
The word “certainty” suggests Nebuchadnezzar had been suspicious all along of the validity of their claims. Likely
he had often before been manipulated into allowing time for the Chaldeans to compose interpretations of other
dreams that he had told them about. Not only did they have to come up with an interpretation, they had to be unified
and agree among themselves on the particulars in case the king decided to cross-examine them. A dangerous game
indeed!

So, the king, thinking he was being trifled with, demanded an immediate answer. He was not prepared to wait even a
few minutes!

Interestingly, when “Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time . . .” (verse 16) the king
granted it. Evidently, it was his long-standing suspicion of the wise men that made the difference. “The king knew
that if they could really tell the interpretation, they could tell the dream as well. The Lord had in His providence
given Nebuchadnezzar this dream, and had caused the particulars to be forgotten, while the fearful impression was
left upon his mind, in order to expose the pretensions of the wise men of Babylon.”[9]

Verses 10 & 11: The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that
can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician,
or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can
shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
At that point, the wise men were pushed to the wall. According to the Tay version, they had said “this is an
impossible thing the king requires.” For once in their life they had uttered the truth, but it didn’t help them.

Verses 12 & 13: For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise
men of Babylon. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his
fellows to be slain.
These verses make it evident that “Daniel and his fellows” were not in the first group of “wise men” that had been
called. “Daniel and his fellows” could have been included with the rest of his fellow captives, that is, if they had not
been “flunked out” during the three-year training program. They may have all been quartered together in the same
dormitory.

After being found “ten times” wiser than all “all the magicians and astrologers that were in all [the king’s] realm”
(Daniel 1:20), this “decree” must have been a real shock to Daniel and his three friends. Popularity and favor,
regardless of talent, was no guarantee of security. Rather, it was like living with a lion whose temperament could
change at any moment and they could be consumed in a sudden, unexpected fit of anger.

Verses 14 & 15: Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard,
which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain,
Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
Probably, the wise men had already been rounded up by the guards and were in confinement awaiting their fate. If
this were after hours, Daniel and his companions may have been sleeping, and then rudely roused to hear the
terrifying news from “Arioch,” whose name means “lion-like.” The fact that this rough captain, who had probably
been assigned many tasks like this and took time to answer Daniel’s question, suggests he did not relish this
assignment. Notice that Daniel giving no evidence of fear and keeping a cool head, “answered with counsel and
wisdom” when he heard the news. Neither did he manifest “a spirit of retaliation”[10] which would seem quite
reasonable since he was known to have great “understanding in all visions and dreams” (Daniel 1:7).

Verse 16: Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew
the king the interpretation.
So, after asking Arioch “why the haste,” it appears his next move was to go directly to the king without asking
permission even from Arioch, a daring thing to do. Nevertheless, “Taking his life in his hand, he ventured to enter
the king’s presence, and begged that time be granted . . .”[11] Instead of making the king even more angry when he
suspected a scheme for a time extension in verse 8, the king agreed!

Note Daniel’s confident assertion “he would shew the king the interpretation,” not only the “dream.” This suggests
past experience gained in “understanding in all visions and dreams”[12] during his training years, had long since
banished any doubt God would sustain him just as well now as He had in the past. Furthermore, he had to depend
just as much upon God, for his understanding during his three years of training as he was forced to do now. This was
not a new thing to him.

Verses 17 & 18: Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and
Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that
Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Even though Daniel was the recognized authority in “understanding [of] all visions and dreams” even above that of
his three companions, he was not jealous of his standing. His first thought was to seek God with his companions
because they were all in it together.

“Their faith was strong in the consciousness that God had placed them where they were, that they were doing His
work and meeting the demands of duty. In times of perplexity and danger they had always turned to Him for
guidance and protection, and He had proved an ever-present help.”[13]

So, even though they all prayed and begged God for mercy to preserve them from the sentence of death, “the secret
[was revealed only] unto Daniel.” Even though the “secret” could have been revealed to all of them at the same
time, we can be sure they dismissed any feelings of jealousy, but were happy their request was granted.
If the scenario of verses 1 to 13 took place in the early hours of the morning and Daniel’s request of the king was at
sun-up, God’s answer took place the following night when “the secret [was] revealed . . . in a night vision”
suggesting after having prayed fervently for some time, they all retired to their beds for a sound sleep. Not a trace of
worry kept them awake tossing and turning . . . unlike the king whose “sleep brake from him.”

Verses 19 & 20: Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of
heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are
his:
Therefore, a number of hours must have elapsed from the time Daniel approached the king in the morning until he
experienced this “night vision,” sometime after slipping into bed. His first thought after receiving it was to praise
God for His omniscience and omnipotence which was revealed in the form of a duplicate dream both he and the
king just received.

The dream was nothing less than history in advance, something possible only to God whose vision of future things is
far more accurate than any historian’s vision of the past. The events of history, as seen through the eye of the
historian, always undergoes some distortion because of bias and limited knowledge. At best, predicting the future, is
always guess work.

Not so with God. With Him there is no such thing as “bias or guess work” and His knowledge, either of the past or
of the future, is unlimited.

Verses 21 & 22: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he
giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and
secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
To the secular historian, all that has happened is just a matter of chance, fortune or misfortune with no overruling
hand of providence. But the outline of the future, depicted in this “night vision,” is undisputable evidence, from our
perspective, that God even changes “times and seasons,” which even includes the weather. He overthrows and
establishes “kings,” endows the foolish with “wisdom” and makes the “wise” even wiser. He is like a floodlight in
the “darkness” and reveals secrets to those who seek Him, bringing to naught the plans and hopes of those who
reject Him.

As we shall see, this “night vision” was only the beginning of what God revealed to Daniel in his subsequent
visions. We can safely call this “vision” the skeletal outline of world history. It is a sketch of future events which are
fleshed out in extraordinary detail in chapters 7, 8, 9 and 10-12. Even today, men are still amazed at its accuracy and
many are scratching their heads in wonder over many of Daniel’s revelations which are yet to be fulfilled.

Even though this vision is really quite open and plain, there are still some things that still lie unrecognized. We need
to be humble and realize that “The truth is an advancing truth, and we must walk in the increasing light.”[14]

Verse 23: I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and
hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s
matter.
It is intriguing to realize that this incredible revelation was opened to mankind because a heathen king had a bad
night!

Interestingly, many centuries later at “Geneva, where Farel and Calvin had spread the truths of the Reformation,
Gaussen preached the message of the second advent. While a student at school, Gaussen had encountered that spirit
of rationalism which pervaded all Europe during the latter part of the eighteenth and the opening of the nineteenth
century; and when he entered the ministry he was not only ignorant of true faith, but inclined to skepticism. In his
youth he had become interested in the study of prophecy. After reading ‘Rollin’s Ancient History,’ his attention was
called to the second chapter of Daniel, and he was struck with the wonderful exactness with which the prophecy had
been fulfilled, as seen in the historian’s record. Here was a testimony to the inspiration of the Scriptures, which
served as an anchor to him amid the perils of later years. He could not rest satisfied with the teachings of
rationalism, and in studying the Bible and searching for clearer light he was, after a time, led to a positive faith.”[15]

And so, even from the time of Daniel, more than 2500 years ago, the ripple affect of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream has
continued to reverberate throughout the generations of the ages even to our time. And, we might add, it will not
cease until the very end of time!

Verse 24: Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of
Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king,
and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
This time, instead of going directly to the king as he did in verse 16, Daniel, following court protocol, first
approached Arioch asking him not to carry out the king’s decree but to spare the lives of his fellow wise men,
another audacious thing to do. In order to reassure this officer that things would be all right, he confidently informed
him that he could tell the king what he wanted to know.

Evidently, Arioch had delayed carrying out his orders, because this was at least 24 hours since Nebuchadnezzar had
issued the death decree. Perhaps, Daniel’s question to Arioch in verse 15 gave the captain some hint that his bloody
assignment might be canceled after all.

Verse 25: Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a
man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
Arioch’s “haste” is more than suggestive of his eagerness. Declaring he had “found a man . . . that will make known
. . . the interpretation” suggests he was unaware of Daniel having already gone “in, and desired of the king” the day
before. So, after hearing Daniel’s confident assertion, he lost no time rushing Daniel to the king. The eagerness of
the captain to settle the problem bloodlessly, suggests he dreaded having to execute this assignment. Furthermore, he
may have developed a degree of fondness for Daniel. If his “find” amounted only to a hollow attempt to placate the
king, he himself would be in jeopardy along with the rest of the wise men. He must have been concerned also, for
the safety of the other wise men whose pathetic pleadings for just another chance may have been ringing in his ears.
So, he was only too glad to give Daniel a chance to settle the matter and spare him having to “cut [them all] in
pieces.” Therefore, it seems, Arioch was not a cruel person.

Verse 26: The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known
unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
We are not told whether the king remembered having been unexpectedly approached by Daniel in verse 16, but he
might have said “ok, I gave you the extra time you wanted, now, what do you have to show for it?”

Verses 27 & 28: Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath
demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there
is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the
latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
 So, Daniel precedes his answer with a personal disclaimer
confirming the truth of what the other wise men had said, that “there is none other that can shew it before the king,
except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh” (Verse 11). But polytheistic “gods” in their answer was countered
by Daniel’s reference to the monotheistic “God in heaven” without having to be bribed and cajoled like the other
imaginary gods.
Note that verse 27, and the first part of verse 28 comprise one sentence indicating that Daniel, surmising what was
on the king’s mind, felt he had to talk fast, yet he would not forget to give all the credit of his amazing revelation to
the One who had revealed it to him.

Note the assurance in Daniel’s claim “Thy dream, and the visions . . . are these,” not “maybe” or “perhaps.” His
confidence in the information given him in the “night vision” was absolute.

Verse 29: As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass
hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
Although the “dream/vision” is by now more than 2500 years old, it is far more significant to us now then it was to
Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar. While they could only guess at the significance of much of it in their time, now, we can
look back through the eyes of credible historians and confirm its accuracy even going so far as to attach dates and
names of kings and nations who came and went in precise fulfillment of this most remarkable of prophecies.

Verse 30: But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for anywisdom that I have more than any living, but
for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the
thoughts of thy heart.
Once again as in verse 28, Daniel reminds the king there was no wisdom within himself. Note that for “their sakes”
the thing was to be made known. Although “their” is italicized indicating it to be a supplied word, still he seems to
mean that the dream was to be made known, not only for the sake of the king, but for all the “living” from that time
forth. Instead of its significance diminishing with time, its significance has grown in relevance. All who make the
effort to familiarized themselves with it, can can be confident that the final detail of this vision will be fulfilled with
absolute certainty.

Verse 31: Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent,
stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
Subsequent verses indicate this figure to be in the “form” of a man because he had a “head, breast, arms, belly, legs”
and “feet.” It was a splendid “image” of great height and impressive musculature with a “terrible,” or terrifying
expression on the face. Its stance was a menacing position. Overall, it was threatening, intimidating. Little wonder it
was disturbing to the king!

Verses 32 & 33: This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs
of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Interestingly, the major portion of the image was composed of sturdy metallic material while the feet, the most
important component of its support was composed of what we could call reinforced concrete, substance far weaker
than its preceding parts except for the soft golden “head.”

Nothing is said here about the position of its arms or legs leaving it up to us to fill in the picture with our
imagination. Therefore, it is left up to us to decide what it should look like and we can allow the artist free reign on
that matter. Most of us are familiar with various artistic renditions that depict its arms folded and legs together.

This dream is, in essence, a pictorial, sequential outline of world history from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to an
event which is yet to come in the near future. We can say “near” because all of the elements mentioned in verses 32
and 33 have been fulfilled in detail!

Verse 34: Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that
were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
This is the event yet to be fulfilled. The three features in this final part of the vision include the “stone,” the cutting
“out . . . without hands” and the “feet.” They are full of meaning which Daniel will interpret. Interestingly, while the
head to the leg part of the image covers some 1,079 years of history, the “feet,” up to the year 2008, covers 1,522
years and still counting!

Verse 35: Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and
became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was
found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
So, the “image” depicted in the likeness of men representing man’s repeated, vain, humanistic effort to establish a
one-world-government, is doomed to ultimate failure. It will evaporate, as it were, into “chaff” carried away by “the
wind.” In other words it will never be reconstructed. The “stone,” being the instrument used by God to bring about
its destruction, takes the place of the “image” and grows into “a great mountain” that envelopes “the whole earth.”

While the forgoing parts of the dream are confirmed even by secular historians, this last part lies beyond the power
of the skeptic to confirm or refute. It requires a faith based on the ample evidence God has just given that he is able
to predict the future with absolute accuracy. In the light of that evidence it is foolish to question the validity of the
“stone that [smites] the image” and become God’s indestructible kingdom.

Verse 36: This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
Daniel didn’t stop to ask the king if he thought the description sounded familiar. Without hesitation he assumed that
it was accepted and plunged into the “interpretation.”

Verses 37 & 38: Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power,
and strength, and glory. 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.
Note the pronouns “thou, thee,” and “thine” each indicating Nebuchadnezzar himself as well as his kingdom is
represented by “this head of gold.” Like all prophecies having to do with time, the establishment of the beginning
point is of prime importance, and Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom is just that.

The title “king of kings” given Nebuchadnezzar by Daniel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was the title
assumed by “Artaxerxes” 146 years later when he decreed the release of the Jews in 457 B.C. (Ezra 7:12). But,
Ezekiel must have been familiar with this dream because he also called “Nebuchadnezzar . . . a king of kings”
(Ezekiel 26:7). But only Jesus is given this title “King of kings, and Lord of lords” in the New Testament.
So, this title is additional evidence that Nebuchadnezzar, in the estimation of heaven, was an exceptional king in
comparison with all other kings of his time and, for that matter, all kings following his time. More evidence of this
will be found in chapter 4.

Verses 39 & 40: And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of
brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 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, shall it break in pieces
and bruise.
With just the few words of these verses, a tremendous swath of time is covered from 331 BC to 476 AD amounting
to some 807 years from the overthrow of Babylon to the decline of Rome.

Also, note the words “after thee” followed by a “third” and then a “fourth kingdom” mandates a sequential nature of
the image with the “interpretation” moving from top to bottom. While Daniel explicitly points out that
Nebuchadnezzar was the first, no names of the subsequent kings were given even though God did assign the name
of king “Cyrus” who overthrew Babylon in another prophecy. He said His “shepherd [Cyrus] shall perform all my
pleasure” 99 years before he was even born! (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1) [16] It is historically factual that Cyrus was the
king of the other “kingdom inferior” to Nebuchadnezzar’s.

So, from the time of Cyrus, the ruler of the Medo-Persian empire to its overthrow by Alexander the Great the king of
Greece, a 208 year period is covered from 539 to 331 BC. Then, the Greek kingdom set up by Alexander faded from
view in 168 BC when Rome took over under Julius Caesar. It, in turn, succumbed to a general decline when it was
overthrown by a number of other pagan nations in 476 AD 644 years later making it the longest lived one-world-
government that has ever existed and will ever exist until God sets up His kingdom!

Verse 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.
This is the first mention of the “toes.” Note that Daniel says nothing about their number either in this verse or the
next.[17] Furthermore, the material comprising the “feet and [the] toes” is only “iron and clay” with no solid
material, suggesting another single one-world-empire, will never again come into existence.

According to the sequential nature of this image, it seems clear that “the kingdom [that] shall be divided” is the
Roman Empire represented by “the legs of iron.” Beginning in 476 AD, the Roman Empire was split into several
different segments by the invading hordes of barbarians who were originally defeated by Julius Caesar in the early
part of Rome’s history. So, the dead skeleton of the Roman Empire became a combination of nations now known as
Europe. It is composed of Germany, Italy, Switzerland, England, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Finland, Denmark, and
Scandinavia and some others.[18] While England denies being a part of Europe, nevertheless, it was once a part of
the Roman Empire and cannot disassociate itself from its past.

This illustration depicts how I understand the king’s dream and Daniel interpretation:
Verse 42: 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.
Since the “stone,” depicted in verse 34 will smite the image upon its “feet,” clearly in the future, it becomes obvious
that western Europe is not the only “kingdom” that will be destroyed.

Therefore, in this verse the singular word “kingdom” must be inclusive off all nations globally, not just the nations
of western Europe. Notably, Russia and China, not to mention Japan and the United States and numerous other small
nations would, of necessity also have to be included in this mixture of weak and strong “kingdom.”

Verse 43: 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 gold standard of the ongoing effort to “mingle . . . with the seed of men” is thought to be the “royal
intermarriages” that took place between many of the early rulers of Europe. The marriage of Napoleon, the emperor
of France, to Louise of Austria is one of them.

But that is not the only possible way to understand this. For example, the Commentary points to another possibility
depicted in the “original . . . LXX” that reads: “And as you saw the iron mixed with earthenware, there shall be
mixings among nations [or, among generations] of men, but they shall not agree [literally, ‘be like-minded’], nor be
friendly with one another even as it is impossible to mix iron with clay.”[19] That view suggests an ongoing effort to
consolidate nations and kingdoms under one head that will continue, by one means or another, until the end of time.

Two outstanding examples are the League of Nations, organized after World War I and the United Nations after
World War II. The reluctance of our current leaders to stem the flow of illegal immigration probably originates from
the desire to meld Mexico with the U.S. being one aspect of the current “Globalists’” movement.

Verse 44: And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be
destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these
kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
The last three verses 41 to 43 are devoted to a description of the “feet and toes” of the “image.” Surprisingly, this
final stage of earth’s history covers a period of time much longer than the combined “gold, silver, brass” and “iron”
of its succeeding parts. With the head beginning in 605 BC and the legs ending in 476 AD, a period of 1081 years
are covered. If we date the beginning of the feet when Rome was overcome by the Barbarians in 476 AD, but with
the “stone” of verses 35 and 45 representing the “kingdom” God that is yet to be “set up,” we are led to conclude
that the “feet and toes” have, up to this time in the year 2008, covered 1532 years!

So, while we are able to assign dates for the preceding parts of the image, something neither Daniel or
Nebuchadnezzar were able to do, we, like them, are likewise unable to assign a date for the end of the “feet and
toes!” Jesus, who actually gave Nebuchadnezzar the dream and its interpretation to Daniel, later said to the disciples
during His earthly ministry, “of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father
only” (Matthew 24:36).

Now, during the “days of these [specific] kings” of western Europe who originated from the division of the Roman
Empire whose influence has had a profound affect on “every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people” of the
world even to our day, we are still waiting for “the God of heaven [to] set up [His] kingdom,” and God is still
waiting for us to preach “the everlasting gospel” (Revelation 14:6) to them!

Verse 45: Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, 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.
Note that this same “stone” was previously alluded to in verses 34 and 35. This verse basically repeats what we were
shown there except for one additional piece of information—the “stone” was “cut out of the mountain . . .”

Verse 35, without telling us where the “stone” came from, smote the “image” on its “feet’ ground it to powder, then
“became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.”

Here, in verse 45, while it also “brake” each element of the image, we are also told it “was cut out of the mountain . .
.”

Therefore, from what we learned in verses 35 and 45, two “mountains” are depicted. The first “mountain” is here in
verse 45 and is therefore the source of the “stone” which became the second “mountain” of verse 35.

While the second “mountain” of verse 35 represents God’s kingdom that “filled the whole earth,” what does the first
“mountain”[20] of verse 45 represent? If that second “mountain” [21]will occupy “the whole earth” what happened
to the first “mountain” of verse 45? Evidently, it will be destroyed along with the image!
It is important to recognize that the two words “cut out” are from a single Aramaic word “g@zar” or “gazerin”[22]
meaning, according to the Commentary: “’to determine . . . the deciders,’ or ‘the determiners [of destiny].”[23]
While that same word is translated “Soothsayers” in Daniel 2:27; 4:7, 5:7 and 11, it is translated “cut out” in Daniel
2:34 and 45!

Obviously, the “Soothsayers” in the previous verses, are human imposters claiming to possess omniscience. But, the
“decider” of verses 35 and 45 is God Himself who selected the “stone” out of the first mountain. God, after
destroying the “image” with the “stone,” grew the “stone” into a “great mountain [which] filled the whole earth”
leaving no place for the first “mountain.”

So, what does the first “mountain” represent?

Two possibilities come to mind. Note that Daniel called “the city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain” (Daniel 9:16). That
was God’s church in Daniel’s day. But, since the “stone” strikes the image on its feet, it is possible the first
“mountain” represents God’s end time church militant out of which God selects those who will vindicate His name
at the end of time showing Satan, whose governmental principles are illustrated by the great “image,” to be a liar.

An alternative explanation could be that the first “mountain” represents the entire world, not just the church, out of
which God will select those who will vindicate him.

Either way, it should be clear that the cutting out of the “mountain” is judgment language parallel to the judgment
scene depicted later on in chapter 7.

While there is some reason to believe that the “stone” represents Christ Himself (see, for example, Mathew .21:42,
44; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17, 18; or “rock” in Matthew 16:18; 1 Cor.10:4) if we ignore its origin in this context, that
traditional explanation becomes difficult if not impossible to defend when the first “mountain” of Daniel 2:45 is
allowed its rightful place in the interpretation. Bear in mind that God is the prime mover, not the “stone.” The
“stone,” of itself, possess no motive power whatsoever. It is selected by God and propelled by God. The “stone”
does nothing of itself. “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

So, what does the “stone” represent? It must be a symbol of God’s people who will vindicate His character during
the last hours of earth’s history and bring to naught all the charges Satan brought against God’s government. The
next chapter, where Daniel’s three companions bravely stood while their peers bowed down, is an illustration of how
God will use His people to destroy the image during the final hours of earth’s history.

Verse 46: Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that
they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
What a change in demeanor from being “angry and very furious” (verse 12) to that of humble adoration bowing at
Daniel’s feet! We are not told whether Daniel remonstrated with the king to prevent being worshiped, but we do
know he took care not to take any credit to himself. Perhaps the relief brought to the king’s mind by this revelation
was so great he forgot himself and cast aside his kingly dignity for the moment to express his profound gratitude.

Verse 47: The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a
Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
With the king answering “Daniel” and affirming that his “God, is a God of gods,” implies that Daniel had again
reminded him that no credit was forthcoming to himself for the revelation of “this secret.”
 Verse 48: Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over
the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
This tells us a lot about the king. Having been told that his kingdom would be displaced was bad enough, but to be
displace ay “another kingdom inferior to” his was even more humbling. Nevertheless, according to verses 47 and 48
Nebuchadnezzar accepted the bad news along with the good and promoted Daniel to the dizzying height of “ruler
over the whole province . . . and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.” So, When Daniel was
conducted into the presence of the king by Arioch, he was just a young, fledging upstart in his early twenties. Now
he was second, perhaps, only to the king himself, much like Joseph who, having just been taken from prison and
having interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, made him second in command only to himself (Genesis 41:40).

Verse 49: Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs
of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
So, his new responsibilities did not go to his head. His first thought was of his companions with whom he had just
prayed the preceding night and had shared the plight of a captive for the past three plus years or so. The bonds of
friendship were strong even though now, Daniel’s responsibilities, which were now given to his friends, were to take
him to places far apart from those of his friends as he “sat in the gate of the king,” the place “were Oriental kings sat
as judges and where chief councils convened.”[24]

Check out this composite picture. It is my attempt to illustrate the two “mountain” sequence depicted in Daniel 2:34
and 45 with a diamond being the best material to represent the “stone” symbolizing God’s last day people whom
God will use to vindicate His character:
Obviously, this is symbolic judgment language. It depicts, in general, God’s final movement during the last stage of
His great plan of salvation when He selects, from among the living (in the world in general, and the church militant
in particular), those who will vindicate His character during the final hours of earth’s history. The concept is
enlarged upon in chapters 7 to 12 and fleshed out in further detail in the book of Revelation. The narrative portion of
Daniel’s book, complemented by chapters 2 and 3 in the book of Revelation, depict the kind of character and
behavior God approves and disapproves. His everlasting kingdom will be composed of those whose character and
behavior He approves.

This interpretation is inclusive of far more than the generally recognized understanding that the “stone” only
represents Christ’s second coming. While that is certainly part of the picture, I find it incomplete. While the Bible
Commentary neglects any mention of the “mountain” featured in verse 45, it does make thoughtful mention of the
“stone”: “It cannot be established that there is any necessary connection between Daniel’s symbol for the kingdom
of God and the figure of a rock or stone used elsewhere. The interpretation offered by Daniel is of itself sufficient to
identify the symbol.”[23] Since the “stone” is made up of the selected material from the first “mountain” with God’s
hand featured making the selection, it seem undeniable that the “stone” represents the people of God who will
vindicate His name during the final hours of this earth’s history. In that case, the process of the final vindication of
God’s character should be considered inclusive of the pre millennial time of trouble, the thousand year millennial
time of judgment and the post millennial executive judgment to be concluded by the lake of fire. Only then will the
complete destruction of the image representing man’s vain effort to govern will be completely destroyed.
The reason I chose a diamond to represent God’s people is because it is a mineral that God can use to grind up the
gold, silver, brass and iron and will last forever. Bear in mind that the “stone” cannot move on its own. God does
with it what he will. The “stone” does nothing on its own! Therefore, it does not represent militancy whatsoever.
The question remains: “can God use you? Can He use me to carry forward His plan of salvation, whatever it is?”

Summary of chapter 2: The 49 verses of this chapter, as compared to the 45 of chapter 11, make it the longest in
Daniel’s book. This is suggestive of its relative importance. Note how it depicts the character and behavior of five
outstanding individuals, namely Daniel, his three companions and Nebuchadnezzar, the king himself. Another
person named Arioch, the king’s captain, is another outstanding person who represents a certain measure of integrity
that God approves. They, against the background of obsequious individuals seen here as the magicians, astrologers,
sorcerers and Chaldeans, represent those whom God condemns but are spared in order that the contrast between
themselves and the others becomes more apparent. Even though Nebuchadnezzar was heathen to the core, God saw
value in his character that would eventually bring honor to His name. Thus he was chosen to receive what could well
be considered one of the greatest revelations of all time, that of the great multi element image of his dream. But,
probably the greatest revelation of that great revelation is the “stone” that was selected by God Himself out of a
“mountain” and used by divine providence to destroy the image. It seems irrefutable that its selection from the
“mountain” of verse 45 is an analogous metaphoric representation of the judgment scene depicted in chapter 7. That
the metaphoric “stone” is representative of such individuals as Daniel, his three companions and even
Nebuchadnezzar and Arioch, also seems very likely. People like them will compose the “great mountain” of verse
35 that will fill “the whole earth” sometime after “the judgment was set, and the books were opened” in chapter 7.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………

[1] Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, page 749. Several other interesting possibilities are discussed
on pages 749, 750
[2] Mervyn Maxwell in God Cares Vol.1, page 15. Note that Maxwell uses the date 605 B.C. while Ushers uses 607
B.C. If we use 605, the seventy years of Jeremiah would end in 535, three years before 538 which is the date Cyrus
freed the Jews.
[3] Prophets and Kings by E.G. White page 491 (italics mine) more discussion can be found on this point
in Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, pages 766 and 762
[4] “Syriac” isf from “’Aramiyth” (Strong’s #762) meaning “the language of Aram, Aramaic.” “The royal family
and the ruling class of the empire were Aramaic-speaking Chaldeans originating from Southern Mesopotamia. It is
therefore not surprising to find that the king’s courtiers spoke to him in Aramaic and not in Babylonian, the tongue
of the native population of Babylon…From this verse on the end of ch.7 the record is in Aramaic and not in Hebrew,
as is the remainder of the book.” (4BC 767 Right column 5th paragraph)

[5] Some believe the king deliberately withheld what he actually remembered. However, Daniel and the Spirit of
prophecy makes is pretty clear that was not the case. See Prophets and Kings by E.G. White page 491 for the quoted
statement.
[6] Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, page 767
[7] Fundamentals of Education by E.G. White page 412
[8] Signs of the Times 8-28-93
[9] Sanctified Life page 34
[10] Youth Instructor 9-1-03
[11] Ibid

[12] Ibid

[13] Prophets and Kings by E.G. White page 493

[14] 1888 Materials 547
[15] The Great Controversy by E.G. White, page 364 (italics mine)
[16] Isaiah prophesied this in 712 BC and Daniel’s interpretation occurred in 603 BC, therefore 712 – 603 = 99
years.

[17] Note the comment made about this feature in Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, page 775 (2nd
paragraph left column) “Though mentioning the toes, Daniel does not specifically call attention to their number.”
This might seem to be a matter of minor importance. But, when considering the “ten horns” of chapter 7 as well as
those of Revelation 12, 13 and 17, we will see it to be a matter of rather major importance.
[18] Interestingly, the Commentary, discussing the “ten horns” of Daniel 7:8, notes “. . . the fact that a score or more
barbarian tribes invaded the Roman Empire . . .” not just ten. (see 4BC 826 left column, second paragraph)

[19] Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, page 775 (right column, middle of the continued paragraph)
[20]Although this point seems quite important, the SDA Bible Commentary, Clark’s Commentary or even Uriah
Smith seem to have overlooked it.
[21] The word “mountain” is translated from the Aramaic word “tuwr” (Strong’s #2906), the same word for
“mountain” in verse 35. It corresponds to the Hebrew word “tsuwr” (Strong’s #6697) meaning “rock.” But, that
doesn’t seem to be of much help with our understanding of the “mountain” in verse 45 because it cannot be the same
“mountain” or “rock” that the “stone” became in verse 35!

[22] Strong’s Concordance #1505

[23] Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, page 776 (bottom left column)
[23] Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, page 770 right column under “Soothsayers”
[24] Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, page 777 (right column, last paragraph)