Nebuchadnezzar's Prophetic Dream
Upon claiming the throne (605 BC) after the death of his father King Nabopolassar, King Nebuchadnezzar II inherited a bunch of mystic advisors that had once served his father. These wise men were collaborators of the dark arts who worked in service to the King. These advisors were the best the empire had to offer, Egyptian magicians, Canaanite fortunetellers, Aramaic astrologers, and Chaldean practitioners of the dark arts and dream interpreters. There were also soothsayers, diviners, sorcerers, enchanters, conjurers, and illusionist available to provide counsel unto the new king.
But none would come close to doing what the king requested.
King Nebuchadnezzar II was haunted by a dream that deeply troubled his soul. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep, the details of his dream evaporating as soon as he woke. It disturbed
him so deeply that he called upon his court of dream translators, sorcerers, astrologers,
and magicians to reveal his dream and also the interpretation.
He was desperate to know the meaning of the dream that evaded his waking moments.
That left the advisor counsel in a bit of a pickle. If they did not have the details of the dream, how were they to reveal its meaning? Why was the king so troubled by this dream and why was he being so vague? If he couldn't grasp the details, how could they do the interpretation?
Now they were really scared. Afterall; they were tricksters, not mind readers. Even the Chaldean dream interpreters couldn't translate a dream if they didn't know what key elements the dream contained. The best they could do was illicit a guess and go from there.
The king even went a step further. He demanded from them to reveal the mystery of the dream and the interpretation or their very lives were on the line, for only then would he know that the words they spoke were true.
The king’s occultic council was in a dilemma and they began to panic.
The King had given them an
impossible task with severe consequences. If they could not figure out the
dream and the meaning behind it, they would be cut into pieces, and their homes would be turned into a dunghill. But on the other hand, they could gain great honor and prestige if they were able to tell him the dream and the
interpretation.
The council knew they could do no such thing and told the
king that. They told him that there was no man on earth that could perform the
task the King had set before them; only a true god, not one that dwells with
man, but in the heavenly realm could do what the king asked. The king was so
enraged by their admission that he decreed all wise men in the council to be
slain. When the kings guard went to Daniel to let him know of the kings’ decree, Daniel was confused, but held his cool. He inquired as to why such a decree had
been issued so suddenly. When it was explained to him, he requested the time to
prepare so he could provide the king his answer; for Daniel knew there was a God
in heaven who revealed secrets, and unveiled the future.
Through the king’s dream, the God of Heaven revealed Himself not only to
Nebuchadnezzar, but also to the king’s mystic counsel by way of Daniel. Daniel
received a night vision, and the secrets of the dream that very night. Daniel
immediately blessed God, thanking Him, and praising His name for revealing the
dream, and the interpretation. The king had been worried about his kingdom
and what was in store concerning its future; his dream contained the answer.
And Daniel said unto the king:
Daniel answered before the king and said, “As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, sorcerers, soothsayer priests, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. However, there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will take place. Daniel 2:27-29 NASB
The statue told a story of events that would evolve from within Nebuchadnezzars kingdom, using metals the Babylonians worshiped (Daniel 5:4,23). The dream was prophetic in nature, as it told not only future kingdoms that ruled over the middle east with kings living in Babylon, but it revealed a final kingdom that would rise in the latter days, and the arrival of the kingdom of God which would crush it. A dream of this magnitude could have only been sent by God, just as the interpretation was given to Daniel.
Nebuchadnezzar’s troubling dream laid the foundation for what God was to reveal to Daniel in the future. What Daniel saw in his night vision was only the beginning of a series of profound visions and dreams, that began with Babylon; and ended with a Babylonian empire that rises just before the second coming of Christ.
The entirety of the visions and interpretations did not come at once nor, were they entirely explained within Nebuchadnezzars dream. Daniel will receive additional visions to explain the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in more depth, and detail. Daniel documents four beasts shown to him as metaphors of four distinct kingdoms. This vision further explains the future kingdoms in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream concerning the future of his Kingdom. These are discussed in Daniels Fourth Beast from the Sea.
The Dream
This is the dream of Nebuchadnezzar- In the dream the king saw an amazing sight. Before the king stood a statue of immense
height and form. Its head was made of fine gold, its breast and arms of silver,
his belly and thighs of brass, its legs of iron and its feet a mixture of iron, and clay. He watched as a stone cut without
hands, strike the image at its feet, and the entire image crumbled before his eyes. The broken pieces became like chaff on a threshing floor, and
the wind carried them away, until they were no more.
The stone that stuck the image became a great mountain (kingdom) expanding over the entire earth. This final kingdom is the kingdom of God.
When used symbolically, a mountain is the biblical symbol of a kingdom. Exp: Isaiah 2:2 KJV: note, Scofield Reference Bible: A mountain, symbolically is a kingdom.
In Revelation 17:9 the seven heads of the beast are mountains, representing kingdoms. In the Jeremiah prophecy against Babylon, the Lord addresses Babylon as O' destroying mountain (kingdom).
Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain (kingdom), saith the Lord, which destroys all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain (kingdom). Jeremiah 51:25
Nebuchadnezzar is so awe struck by his dream that he orders a gigantic symbolic representation of the image to be built and set up in the plain of Dura. He has the entire statute, covered in fine gold. He then orders all nations within his empire, to bow and worship the image, or face death.
This statue represents the future of Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom.
Interpretation
Before we begin the interpretation there is an observation I would like to point out. The metals that form the image of Nebuchadnezzars dream (with the exception of wood and stone): the gold, silver, brass, and iron, have their own god according to the Babylonians. There are two scriptures that reference the various gods of metals, wood, and stone. Both are in Daniel 5, verses 4 and 23. The verses are referencing the party that king Belshazzar gave the night of the handwriting on the wall. The Babylonian lords and high officials, along with their wives, and concubines were having a great feast. They were making a mockery of the God of Israel by praising the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone, while drinking wine from the vessels of gold and silver, stolen from the temple of Jerusalem nearly 70 years before:
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. Daniel 5:4
…but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of the heavens; and they have brought the vessels of his house before them, and thou and thy nobles, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified Daniel 5:23
I find it very interesting that the very night Babylon fell (recorded in Daniel 5) the Babylonian elites were partying heartily, defiling God using sacred vessels stolen from Solomons temple, while exalting themselves and their pagan gods (idols) of gold, silver, brass and iron; the very same materials that made up the statue in Nebuchadnezzars dream; connecting each kingdom to Babylon. They were eating and drinking, mocking the God of heaven, when God showed up, and blatantly told them that ‘the party was over.’
That very night God’s judgement was at the door; Babylon fell quietly to the armies of Cyrus the Great, and king Belshazzar was killed. Darius the Mede, friend of Cambyses I took the Babylonian throne that very night and became the ruling king over Babylon.
These various metals that the Babylonians worshiped is repeated, or similar to, the idols worshiped during the tribulation period. Because of the lack of knowledge, history repeats itself, and a woman named Babylon the Great drinks from a golden cup.
The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and silver and of brass and of stone and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality (fornication) nor of their thefts. Revelation 9:22,21
Just as Nebuchadnezzar issued a proclamation to worship the image of the Babylonian kingdom or die, the same proclamation will be set once the image of the beast kingdom is created. (Revelation 13). Just as the Babylonians worshiped demons, and the idols of gold and silver, brass and iron so will the rest of mankind during the tribulation period.
This is the interpretation given to king Nebuchadnezzar from Daniel the prophet:
The head of gold is Nebuchadnezzar–
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.
Media-Persian, Silver & Greece Brass
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom
inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule
over all the earth.
Fourth Kingdom / Feet and toes of Iron and Clay:
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, shall it (the iron) break in pieces and bruise. 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, and partly broken. 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 Rock, Kingdom of Heaven:
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. 45 Forasmuch as thou saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it breaks 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 summary, the interpretation is generally universally accepted
as to the order and establishment of kingdoms that follow Nebuchadnezzar as the
head of gold. It is very
interesting that verse 37 specifically points to King Nebuchadnezzar as being the
head of gold and not his kingdom. Thee (you) are the head of gold, you
were given a kingdom, YOU are the head of gold and (verse 38) after thee
(you) shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee (you).
As king of Babylon, this specific wording could suggest that
King Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom are seen as one; the
king and his kingdom. We will see this pattern used again throughout
scripture, and then again, in Revelation 13, 17 and 18 with the little horn and the rise of the beast kingdom.
Daniel’s interpretation is suggesting that kingdoms are ruled by chosen kings and are equal, the king = the kingdom and visa-versa such as Revelation 17:10. The rest of the interpretation does not make much sense unless you tie kings to kingdoms, and kingdoms to kings. Kings rule over kingdoms, and kingdoms are ruled by kings.
The next kingdom will be ruled by a king but, it is referenced as a kingdom
inferior to Nebuchadnezzar II. It does not say the next king will be inferior,
only that the kingdom will be. The third kingdom of brass gets barely a mention, except to say, this kingdom will rule over all the earth.
The focus is on the kingdoms.
A kingdom can have many kings over a span of time. This does not create a ‘new’ kingdom but, multiple kings can influence the overall strength of a kingdom. The effect will either enhance the strength and prosperity of a kingdom or, procure a decay that crumbles it. Though a kingdom can be ruled by many kings over a period of time, there is generally one king that predominantly stands out - connecting a king to a kingdom. A king rules a kingdom and kingdoms are ruled by kings.
King Belshazzar was that regent king the night that Babylon fell to the armies of Cyrus the Great, ending the Chaldean dynasty.
The second kingdom, the kingdom of silver, the Medes and the Persians were joined from the birthright of Cyrus. Cyrus’s mother was a Median princess, his father Cambyses, a Persian king. Using his dual ancestry, Cyrus combined the power of both his Mede and Persian heredity to solidify his strength, and his empire. These two kingdoms are represented as the two arms of the statue, a left and a right, working together as one unit. When Babylon was captured it was simply absorbed into the Mede-Persian empire.
King Darius the Mede was placed on the Babylonian throne to rule over the Babylonia territories that very night. Cyrus’s vast Persian empire also encased Egypt,
Greece, Asia Minor and East-India. (Iran was known as
Persia until 1935. The indigenous people of Iran still consider themselves Persians to
this day despite the rule of the Ayatollah.) Ancient Persians were
Zoroastrian, holding a mythical belief in a single god and many spirits. They
were accepting of other people’s cultures and religious worship, not
overshadowing or forcing change on another’s beliefs or religious practices. That
isn’t the case today.
The third kingdom, the kingdom of brass (or bronze), the
Macedonian empire of Alexander the Great, used the same method with the Mede-Persia
kingdom; it absorbed the conquered territory, growing the Grecian empire. Alexander's empire was huge, expanding
from Macedon into northern India, Persia, Turkey, Armenia, Assyria, the lower Mesopotamia,
Egypt and Libya. This was all done on horseback, chariot, and foot. Alexander made Babylon his secondary capital, spending most of his time living in the ruins of the great city. Alexander’s
empire died when he did (in Babylon) and the kingdom was divided among 4 of his generals. The four dynasties are represented as four additional heads upon Daniels third beast from the sea (Daniel 7:6).
So far, we see three kingdoms, which had kings who ruled the middle east, from Babylon.
When the Roman empire rose, it conquered and absorbed most of the Grecian kingdoms creating a Roman-Grecian kingdom. There may have been a brief tug of war, but
overall, the two kingdoms merged as they complimented each other. Rome accepted the Grecian empire with open arms. Not only did Rome absorb the Greek culture, they flourished under it, accepting it as an equal, empowering their influence on the world. They welcomed the diversity that the Greeks brought with their philosophical views, cultural norms, architect, scientific knowledge and intricate language. The Greeks creativity and creation of the many pagan gods and goddesses captivated the heart of the Roman empire. Rome eagerly welcomed the music, entertainment, culture and religions into their empire.
The legs of iron are completely glossed over moving from the third kingdom directly to the feet and toes of the fourth kingdom.
There is a reason for that.
O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will take place.
In relation to the Babylonian kingdom and its future, the iron legs represent a long period of time, from when Babylon had lost her reigning power and ceased to be the mighty kingdom she once was. Babylon began the decent into an inactive or dormant state, slowly decaying into the desert floor. It took several centuries to become the desolation that we are familiar with now.
In relationship to Babylon, and the point of view of the king, the legs are basically a time of desolation as the rest of the world marched on around Babylon, never paying her any attention as she barely clung to life. Nebuchadnezzars dream was focused on Babylon and the future kingdoms that will rise and rule from an empire centered on her borders. After the demise of Alexander the Great, Babylon had no king. And, there was very little interest in the vast desert area, that was once the Babylonian kingdom.
After 800 A.D., Babylon was little more than crumbling infrastructure and desert sand, and after 1200 A.D. was completely deserted. Nebuchadnezzar wanted to know what was to happen to his kingdom in the future. This question and wonder are what gave him the restless nights. This had been the focus of his mind as the Holy Spirit prodded him with worry and concern; finally releasing his anxiety when he was given the interpretation from the God of Daniel. The interpretation told him exactly what would become of his empire, in the future.
The Roman Empire and the Islamic empire to the east; both rose as powerful kingdoms that conquered the middle east. Only one remains today. The other, powerful in its day, subdued and gathered nations under its wing. But now, two thousand years since its incursion, its power is being removed leaving it bewildered, docile and weak.
Two kingdoms are paving the pathway to the rise of the antichrist kingdom - the feet and toes of iron and clay.
The ancient Roman empire never conquered or placed a ruling king within the ancient Babylonian kingdom. The Roman empire only extended as far as the Euphrates River, never crossing into Babylon. If the Roman empire had placed a ruling king in the Babylon territory, that would had fulfilled the prophecy of the fourth kingdom. The Islamic empire of the east, never placed a ruling king in Babylon either, also failing to fulfill prophecy.
The three previous kingdoms had kings who lived in Babylon: the Chaldeans, the Mede-Persian and the Grecian empire of Alexander the Great. The fourth kingdom, a combination of the lion, the bear and the leopard, (Revelation 13:2) will form a final kingdom in the latter days, and provide the final king, fulfilling the prophecy of the fourth kingdom.
The fourth kingdom begins at the feet and toes; a combination of the previous kingdoms that made up Nebuchadnezzar's statue. This is the kingdom that antichrist will rise from in the latter days. This is the same kingdom that Daniel saw in a night vision; the fourth beast that rises from the sea in Daniel 7. That kingdom, represented as a beast kingdom with ten horns, will be the kingdom that rises prior to the tribulation period; preparing the way for the final king. This preparation is in motion now, and the final blow will happen quickly, subduing the world in one swift and easy motion. A motion that will prove deadly for most of mankind. And it will continue a short time.
The feet and toes and the fourth beast from the sea, are the same kingdom. The feet and toes represent the underlying foundation, the plan of Satan to rule the kingdoms from a Babylonian empire, at the end of time. The beast from the sea represents the fourth Babylonian (lion) kingdom; a revived empire that merges with the territories of the ancient Grecian (leopard) and Mede-Persian (bear) lands: Revelation 13:2. This kingdom will be brutal and beyond menacing.
The feet and the toes of iron and clay, represent the foundation of the final kingdom, a weakened base seeking stability and cohesion, but finding none, as the iron becomes broken as it does not mix with clay.
The beast (kingdom) is found in the wilderness (Revelation 17:3) aka: the desert. This is also the location where the harlot city is located, carried upon the seven heads of the beast.
Before the fourth kingdom can form, two other kingdoms (the legs of iron) pave the way for the coming kingdom of the little horn. Just as the two arms were two kingdoms representing one kingdom, the legs represent two kingdoms which rose during the time when Babylon had no king. The Roman empire split into two halves- an east and a west. One half dissolved into obscurity not long after it split; while he other, the eastern half thrived, until it was conquered by a cult of pillage and conquest - removing the final remnant of the Roman empire from the middle east.
This long but continuous transition has been in progress for the past two thousand years; the strength and durability of iron give both kingdoms, the resilience to last a long time.
One Kingdom, two parts, divided.
These kingdoms had proven themselves to be as iron, strong and resilient to conquest. Both have proven to be brutal and relentless in their quest for dominance. One kingdom will prove stronger than the other, more resilient to change and less civil to humanitarian laws, striving only for conquest and world domination. The stronger will overcome the weaker in the latter days while the iron attempts to mix with the clay - the manmade elements of religion; the clay.
Together, the various kingdoms lay a foundation, that results in a series of chaotic events that pave the way for the coming iron and clay kingdom of the little horn, just as they represent the mixed foundation of the statue in Nebuchadnezzars dream.
Note: the four beast from the sea in Daniels dream represent kingdoms that had kings that ruled the middle east, ancient Babylonian territory, from a Babylonian capital city. Three have already ruled so, there is one left, the kingdom of the fourth beast comprised of the previous three kingdoms.
The fourth kingdom will eventually become the kingdom of the little horn, the eighth world kingdom. This is the kingdom that rises from the sea in Revelation 13:1-4; and the one that carries the woman in Revelation 17.
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