Studies in Daniel

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 2, 1912

Studies in Daniel

God the Revealer — A Divine Fore-view of the Kingdom of Man

(Concluded)

N our last was given the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, its effect upon the king, his efforts to secure its correct interpretation, and the part of God and His prophet in the matter. In this we continue the study, and the numbering as well, and learn the divine explanation.

Questioning the Text

Daniel 2:37-49

7. What did the head represent?

Thou, O king, art king of kings, unto whom the God of heaven hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory; and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens hath He given into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all: thou art the head of gold. Verses 37, 38. Note 7.

8. What power was represented by the breast and arms of silver?

And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee. Verse 39. Note 8.

9. What did the brass symbolize?

And another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. Verse 39. Note 9.

10. What is said of the fourth kingdom?

And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that crusheth all these, shall it break in pieces and crush. Verse 40. Note 10.

11. What change was to take place in the fourth empire, and how was it symbolized?

And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; 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 the 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 doth not mingle with clay. Verses 41-43. Note 11.

12. What follows the kingdom of man?

And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that a 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. Verses 44, 45. Note 12.

13. How did the revelation impress the king?

Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshiped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him. The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou hast been able to reveal this secret. Verses 46, 47. Note 13.

14. What was the result to Daniel and his fellows?

Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon. And Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel was in the gate of the king. Verses 48, 49. Note 14.

Note and Comment

7. THOU ART THIS HEAD OF GOLD. We need not take time to go into the early history of the Babylonian Empire; in fact there is not space for it in the explanation of this chapter. Suffice to say that the city of Babylon was the center of the oldest world civilization of which we have any account, that is, since the great Noachian Deluge. We read in the 10th chapter of Genesis that Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah, was the builder of Babylon; and we read in the 11th chapter that the center of that city was a great tower which men called the "Gate of God," but which God called Babel, indicating what all history has demonstrated, that men's ways apart from God inevitably lead to confusion, that altho men may build what seem to them to be gates of God, or openings to futures of felicity and happiness and success, God writes upon them confusion, and inevitable destruction. That early Babylon passed through many vicissitudes. Among the tribal chieftains of those ancient times, and the various kings that ruled over the different cities, there were interminable wars,—Babylon sometimes the great dominant city, and sometimes ruled by others, such as Nineveh. And yet Babylon seems to have been the great center of worship of all the other powers. Even Assyria, in the time of her strength and dominance, seems to have worshiped at Babylon. One historian tells us that the king at Nineveh did not feel that his kingdom was safe until he had laid his crown before great Marduk of Babylon, and received it as from him. There seems good reason to believe that many times the same king that ruled over Nineveh and Assyria, ruled by another name over Babylon. It was but a little while before Nebuchadnezzar's accession to the throne, that Babylon, in conjunction with Media, had thrown off the Assyrian yoke, had swept down through Syria and the provinces on either side, and had even conquered Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest king of earth; his empire was dominant. All others, far and near, bowed to him. Doubtless his thought was, as we shall afterward learn, that Babylon should persist forever, that there would never be any other empire upon the earth. But the prophet tells him that he is but the head of a series of changes which would take place in the kingdom of men.

We would note this, in passing,—that it is not the anatomical parts of the image which represent the various changes which follow; but the changes in government are indicated by changes in metal. The whole image is symbolical. The whole image represents the kingdom of man upon earth. But the different dynasties in the rule of man are represented by the metals. Babylon was the golden kingdom of the Golden Age. Her great temples and palaces were overlaid with gold. Nebuchadnezzar had built more splendidly and with greater elaboration than any ruler before him. He had undertaken the restoration of that ancient tower of Bab-il, the "Gate of God." He had built a wonderful temple to the gods. He had erected for the royal court a magnificent palace, that exceeded in its barbaric splendor anything upon which men had looked. He had brought all the spoils of the various nations which he had conquered to beautify and embellish his capital city. He had built a wall around it fifteen miles on each side, eighty-seven feet thick, with great bronze gates at the end of each of the avenues, or streets; and around this mighty city was a moat filled with water from the Euphrates River, that ran through the city, rendering it almost invulnerable to any enemy which might in those days attack it. Two other great walls separated the interior of the city from the Euphrates River, so that no attack could be made from the river itself. Besides these temples, Nebuchadnezzar built great hanging gardens, one of the seven wonders of the world. Story above story they rose, covered with plants, flowers, and trees from the mountains of Media, to cheer the heart of Nebuchadnezzar's bride, Amylita, the Median princess. Truly it was "Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, and the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency." And Nebuchadnezzar, as the king, represented that kingdom. Into his hand God had given the empires of earth. (See also Jer. 27: 5-8.)

8. "AFTER THEE." Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom was not to last forever. After him there should arise another kingdom, not inferior in strength, because it overthrew the Babylonian kingdom, but inferior in wealth, in magnificence. In B.C. 538 the Babylonian kingdom passed away. Its glorious career under Nebuchadnezzar had been very brief indeed. His descendants that followed him seemed to lack in all the essential characteristics that make great rulers. Nebuchadnezzar reigned forty-two years, six months. He left the crown to his son, Evil-Merodach, who after a short reign of three years was murdered by his brother-in-law, Nergal-sharazar. His son who succeeded him was a mere boy, and was murdered after a brief reign of four months, by name Laborosoarchod. Following him Nabonidus came to the throne, sometimes given as Nabonadius, sometimes Nabu-nahid. His reign lasted seventeen years and five months. There was associated with him the last three years of his reign Belshazzar, or Belsharuzzar, the Babylonian kingdom passing away B.C. 538, succeeded by the Medo-Persians under Cyrus. Persia continued to B.C. 331, when it yielded to Grecia.

9. ANOTHER (THIRD) KINGDOM OF BRASS. We call the reader's attention again to the fact that it is not the thighs as anatomical parts, which represent the kingdom

that followed Medo-Persia or Grecia, but the metal — brass — inferior to the Babylonian and Persian kingdoms in glory and unity, magnificence and splendor, but superior in strength. The Grecian Empire came to power under Alexander the Great in B.C. 331, losing its dominion gradually to Rome.

10. THE FOURTH KINGDOM. The great world empire which succeeded Grecia is known to all students of history, and that was Rome, known as "the iron monarchy of Rome," ponderous, cruel, crushing in its might. All the kingdoms of earth known or of worth were subdued by it. It was a saying in the Roman Empire that all roads led to Rome; it became so in the world, and over these roads were brought the kings and rulers of subdued and conquered kingdoms to grace the triumphs of the Roman conqueror. This kingdom is represented by the remaining parts of the great metallic image. It has been stated that the two legs represented Eastern and Western Rome; but if this were the case, Rome ought to have been divided in the beginning, because the leg begins at the knee. And according to the same principles of interpretation, the two arms would represent Media and Persia. The brass part of the image begins as a unit and divides into two, but this does not correspond with Grecia, which began as a unit and divided into four. The whole thing is very simple, if we will bear in mind that the image itself represented the kingdom of man, and the various empires are represented by the metals; and Rome is represented by the iron.

11. PART OF POTTERS' CLAY AND PART OF IRON. Division came into this strong iron kingdom in the latter years of its history. It began as one. Iron can be welded together; and as long as the kingdom was of iron, imperial, it could be held as one. But the prophet sees another element enter into it a little later; clay is intermingled with the iron. Iron and clay can not be united, amalgamated, welded, or mixed. Democracy, the rule of the people, had broken through the imperial idea of absolute crushing unity of the world empire. The Northern barbarians swept down upon the mistress of the world. Phrased in the old poem,

Rome, for an empire far renowned, Tramples on a thousand States. Soon her pride shall kiss the ground; Hark! the Gaul is at her gates.

But note that it is not the toes, as has been stated, which indicate the division of the kingdom. Nowhere are we told that there are TEN toes. Toes are simply mentioned because they are a part of the great image of man, just as the feet are mentioned, just as the other parts are mentioned. The empire proceeds onward from the head to the end, and the toes are at the end. But the division is indicated by the intermingling of the iron and the clay. Note the express language: "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 the 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 doth not mingle with clay."

Between the years A.D. 351 and 476 Rome was broken to pieces. At that later period there existed just ten kingdoms, but this division is indicated by the intermingling of the two substances which would not unite. Men have tried to unite them. Charlemagne dreamed of a great empire which would be one; Napoleon dreamed of a great empire which would be united under his sway; but as has been remarked, one line of God's prophetic Word is stronger than all the schemes of men. "He removeth kings, and setteth up kings." "The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men," and He had said that that should be a divided kingdom even to the end, and a divided kingdom shall it remain.

12. THE DAYS OF THOSE KINGS. But the kingdom does not last forever. The human image had an end, even as it had a beginning. The kingdom which that image symbolized, had a beginning; it will also have an end. But it will be succeeded by no other human kingdom. In the days of that divided kingdom — in the very last days of that divided kingdom — shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed. That is not likened to an image; it is likened to the enduring rock. It shall remain throughout all eternity. It shall not be left to other peoples. The heirs of God's kingdom are immortals; they will not see their highest built hopes swept away by a cruel conqueror; they will not see the city of their kingdom overturned as was Babylon. They will not see fathers, or husbands, or sons, or daughters carried away into ignominious captivity. They will not see those in whom they had hoped, buried forever from sight, or turned to ashes by the funeral pyre. In that kingdom of God there shall be no death, no sickness, no pain, no sorrow. Even as the King shall reign forever and ever, so the subjects of the kingdom shall reign with a life paralleling with His. "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom." Dan. 7: 27.

That kingdom does not come by the conversion of the nations of the world. It does not come through political means; it does not come through law. Christ is gathering out subjects for His kingdom now. He is taking the fittest from this world to survive death and the grave. And those fittest to survive in His kingdom are those who are in harmony with the law of life. "Thy people shall be all righteous," and because they are righteous and are in harmony with the law of life (for righteousness is life), they shall endure forever. All these other kingdoms passed away because they were living contrary to the law of life, and righteousness perverted is sin, and life perverted is death. But those who are preserved for the kingdom of Christ, when all other earthly kingdoms are swept away, are those who are in harmony with the great law of His life. They have found the way in Him, and "in the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death."

13. THEN THE KING (Nebuchadnezzar) fell upon his face, and worshiped Daniel — offered him honors—yea, divine honors, which, tho we are not so told, we are sure the prophet repudiated, even as he had already done, stating that it was not through his wisdom or might that this came, but because of God's goodness. But the king acknowledges just what God desired that he should acknowledge—that GOD IS THE REVEALER. All the future is open before Him. That is one of the characteristics of Deity; "I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done." Isa. 46: 9, 10. And as Daniel declared before he had told the vision, "There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets," Nebuchadnezzar after hearing the dream and its interpretation declares, "Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets."

14. THEN THE KING, quaintly our scripture declares, made Daniel great — that is, from the world standpoint. He made him no greater than he was by any honor which he paid him. In the eyes of his subjects he did, in the sight of God he did not. God had made Daniel great before this, by placing within him His own Spirit; but Nebuchadnezzar had bestowed upon him great honor, and because of Daniel he honored also his three companions, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. There seems to have been a division of the affairs of Babylon, over which these three men were placed; but Daniel stood as the prime minister at the king's court.

This was the second lesson which God gave Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of Babylon, and one of the greatest of earth's rulers. He would have the rulers of earth learn both these lessons now: THAT THE ONLY TRUE EDUCATION IS THAT OF GOD, THAT THE ONLY TRUE REVEALER OF THE FUTURE IS GOD'S PROPHETIC WORD.