WHAT a wonderful chapter! What a sweep of vision it covers! From more than six centuries before Christ, unto the everlasting cycles of eternity.
Down thru the kingdoms of Chaldea, Medo-Persia, Grecia, Rome in all her phases, to the present time, aye, even to the everlasting kingdom of God! From Babylon on the Euphrates to Jerusalem on the River of Life.
This vision of the kingdom of men came first to one of the greatest of earth's long list of monarchs. It came thru one of the greatest of the prophets of God, a noble prime minister. It was for the instruction and benefit of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, to whom it was given, and beyond him to the people of God and all the rulers and the ruled of earth.
Nebuchadnezzar reigned over an empire which has placed its moral and religious stamp upon all the world as has no other nation. Great Babylon has had influence world-wide and ages long. We are still pursuing her methods in education, and her religious principles have affected all Christendom.
Nebuchadnezzar, mighty warrior, noted scholar, famous builder, a discriminating and wise statesman after the manner of men, but haughty and proud, ruled over Babylon from B.C. 605 to 562, a period of forty-three years.
Nebuchadnezzar was anxious to know the future. What would follow when he should die? Would any empire succeed Babylon? And to answer these questions in the king's mind, God gave the king the dream of the great image. For thus the prophet declares: "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 hath made known to thee what shall come to pass." Verse 29.
We appeal to the reader to turn to Daniel 2 and read the entire chapter. Read how Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by his God-given dream; how, not to be deceived, he demanded of his wise men, who claimed to possess supernatural knowledge, that they should make known both dream and interpretation. They could do neither. As imposters, the king decreed their death. Daniel, not consulted because a Hebrew in religion, was, however, numbered among those to be slain. He asks for time to consider the matter. It is granted. He holds a prayer-meeting with his fellows. God reveals dream and interpretation. They praise God for His goodness, and before the king ascribe all their knowledge to the "God in heaven" who "revealeth secrets," the One with whom there is "wisdom and might," who "revealeth the deep and secret things." This is the dream:
"Thou, O king, sawest, and behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the aspect thereof was terrible.
"As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass, its legs of iron, its feet part of iron, and part of clay.
"Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth." Verses 31-35.
In these six verses is compressed the history of the world. We need not dwell on the details of the interpretation, as there is no room to doubt the application, if we believe the prophecy. In short, the head of gold represented Babylon, of which Nebuchadnezzar was the chief. "Thou art this head of gold."
The breast and the arms of silver symbolized the successor of Babylon, Medo-Persia. The belly and thighs of brass, from the breast to the knees, represented Grecia. The legs of iron represented Rome in its imperial period; the mingling of iron and clay signified the division of the Roman kingdom, never to be united as one.
It is well to note that it is not particular parts of the image anatomically that are symbolical of the successive empires, but the metals. Gold for Babylon. Then a kingdom "inferior." Then a third kingdom of "brass." Then a fourth not a kingdom as strong as legs, but as strong as iron. No division is indicated by parts of the image. The two arms do not represent two elements in the Medo-Persia empire. Nor do the two legs or toes represent aught in Rome. But the mixture of iron and clay does portray Rome in her imperial unity and in her division. Iron and clay will never mix. Men have tried and planned and plotted to unite divided Rome, but our line of prophecy is stronger than all human effort. "They shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay." Verse 43.
In the days of this divided condition of the fourth kingdom—Rome—the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall utterly obliterate all earthly kingdoms and shall stand forever. This everlasting kingdom is not established by the conversion of worldly kingdoms. It does not enter thru the gateway of politics. It is not set up4till all earthly rule has been demonstrated failure. It is established only when Jesus Christ shall come the second time, and shall sit upon the throne of His glory. Then, indeed, will the great mountain kingdom fill the world, and her people shall endure forever.
Two Pictures.
But we never shall get the emphatic view which God designs we should of this prophecy till we compare it with the third chapter. The image of the second chapter is God's picture of the kingdom of men. The image of the third chapter is God's picture of the ambitious minds of men who are patriotic and powerful. God said that Babylon was only the head of gold, and would be succeeded by others. Nebuchadnezzar, in his selfish patriotism declared, "Babylon shall stand forever;" and so he made the image all of gold—the apotheosis of patriotism, his prophecy of Babylon—and commanded all to worship it. This has been the dream of all ambitious patriots of power. So Alexander thought of Grecia, Caesar of Rome, Napoleon of France; many Englishmen so think of Great Britain, many Americans so dream of the United States. Let them all learn from the lesson to Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon has gone and all her glories. Medo-Persia long since passed away. Grecia lives only in her beautiful ruins and works of art. Rome is utterly and forever divided, and her divisions are watching each other with jealous, warlike eyes. Thus has it been for years. They will never know peace or quiet or rest or continuance, for God has spoken. Just on before lies the only kingdom worthy to exist forever, because it is a righteous kingdom. It shall "never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but . . . it shall stand forever." To that glorious kingdom, dear reader, God invites you. Will you not be His subject forever in Christ Jesus?
