Daniel 2:35
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.
The iron, clay, brass, silver and gold are shattered together and become like chaff on a summer threshing floor that the wind carries away until no trace of them remains. They are the kingdoms of men, Babylon the head of gold, Medo-Persia the breast and arms of silver, Greece the sides of brass, and Rome and its divisions the feet and toes of iron mingled with clay. The stone cut out without hands is Christ and His everlasting kingdom, which breaks and consumes all these kingdoms and stands forever and never passes to another people. Smiting the image upon its feet in the time of the divided kingdoms, it grows into a great mountain and fills the whole earth. The metals decrease in value from head to feet because the nations separate further from God and sink lower through forgetting Him and making void His law, until their glory fades and God who removes kings and sets up kings takes their place away.
Dream Setting and Imagery
Nebuchadnezzar had forgotten his dream, and God made it known through Daniel after the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans failed to tell it and were condemned to be destroyed. Daniel asked the king for time, then he with Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah sought mercies from the God of heaven concerning the secret, the Spirit rested upon them, and the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. As Daniel related the facts the dream came fresh to the king's mind, and the interpretation setting forth remarkable events of prophetic history was given. That interpretation given through Daniel helped the king out of his difficulty and spared Daniel and his companions from execution.
The dream was God-given to the king, and it was withheld from the wise men so they could not use their claimed knowledge to give it a false interpretation. Its events mattered to the king, yet its lessons were given for people living in the present day, and understanding its prophecy requires discernment and knowledge from God. Through it God revealed heavenly glory to dependent Hebrew captives rather than to those captivated by Babylon's splendor.
God taught the future to be recorded for coming generations through figures and symbols, covering the history of this world till the close of time. Understanding in all visions and dreams, with knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom, was given to Daniel in approval of his firmness and self-denial and purity of motive, fulfilling the promise that those who honor God will be honored. As he clung to God with unwavering trust the spirit of prophetic power came upon him, so that while receiving instruction from men in the duties of court life he was being taught by God to read the future. Prophetic history was presented to Daniel in symbols to be represented plainly upon tables that he who reads might understand, showing that God Himself uses pictures and symbols appealing to understanding through sight so truth can be better understood, and proving that picture-making itself is not the image worship prohibited by the second commandment.
The iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the gold are broken to pieces together and become like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors, carried away by the wind so that no place is found for them. This means all the kingdoms represented by the image are shattered together and swept away completely without a trace, while the stone that smites the image grows into a great mountain filling the whole earth. The contrast is between the temporary rule of earthly powers that all pass away and the rise and universal extent of God's kingdom which endures forever and does not pass to another people.
The light about Babylon and the other kingdoms was given to Nebuchadnezzar through Daniel to exalt Jehovah as more powerful than every kingdom and to bring God into close contact even with idolatrous minds for a purpose. Dreams and providences must be read in the light of the living oracles, not the Scriptures in the light of dreams and fancies, for Daniel interpreted in the light of the Scriptures while Nebuchadnezzar read according to his own idolatrous mind and ambitions. He wrongly imagined that his kingdom, whose prosperity God gave and which is represented by the head of gold, would become more extensive and powerful instead of recognizing the end of earthly things and the establishment of God's kingdom. The interpretation revealed God's purpose for the nations and was meant to show that human empires would not endure forever, but he rejected that message and sought instead to make Babylon supreme and everlasting. So he perverted what he was told to glorify himself and his kingdom, making a golden image representing the excellency of Babylon and especially himself to exalt it and to convert all nations to its worship.
The dream whose events reach to the close of time was explained to Nebuchadnezzar more than half a century before the fall of Babylon described later. Its stone kingdom breaks and consumes the other kingdoms and stands forever.
Earthly Kingdoms Explained
The image is a prophecy of the kingdoms of men and of human rule, its metal divisions representing four great world-shaping empires that would shape the world before the end of human rule, beginning with Babylon as the first and greatest. The head of gold represents Babylon, whose prosperity God gave, the breast and arms of silver represent Medo-Persia, the sides of brass represent Greece, and the feet and toes of iron mingled with clay represent Rome and its divisions, the fourth kingdom as strong as iron subduing and breaking in pieces all nations. The metals become less pure and valuable from the head downward, signifying that nations decrease in value as they separate further from God and that the kingdoms deteriorate in moral value and in power and glory. This deterioration in power and glory also represents deterioration of religion and morality among the people of these kingdoms.
The decline reflects increasing immorality because the kingdoms made void the law of God, forgot God, and gave themselves to wickedness, blasphemy and corruption. Babylon passed away because in prosperity she forgot God and ascribed her honor and glory to human achievement. Medo-Persia was visited by wrath because God's law was trampled underfoot and the fear of God had no power, while wickedness, blasphemy and corruption prevailed. The kingdoms that followed were even more base and corrupt and sank lower and lower for casting off God until the vast empire of Rome crumbled into pieces. The same breaking fitly represents deterioration of religion, where moral and spiritual weakness and national ruin grow just in proportion as God is forgotten, strength failing as God is forgotten, so that sin ruins nations today as in the past.
Each empire had an appointed period and period of testing whether it would exalt the one true Ruler, the only true God, in obedience. Failing the test its glory faded and its power departed, its place was taken by a later kingdom, with nations arising one after another at the predicted time to fill their appointed place. This demonstrates that God is the ruling power in the affairs of this world, who changes times and seasons and removes kings and sets up kings to fulfill His own purpose. Babylon, though then a universal empire, would fall and other kingdoms would rule in succession until God established a kingdom that would never be destroyed. Babylon represented by the gold passed away under Nabonadius and his son Belshazzar in 538 B.C., in the same generation the revelation was given, and still fell in an hour of feasting and reveling.
The smiting falls upon the feet, breaking apart the present divided kingdoms of earth. It comes while they stand in uncertainty and jealousy, soldiers constantly drilling for war and all people ranging under banners preparing for a great event. The kingdoms are brought to nothing and human glory laid in the dust as God abases human pride, showing Jehovah more powerful than earthly rulers and God alone great.
Stone and Everlasting Kingdom
The stone is Christ and His eternal kingdom, which will never pass away nor pass to another people, while all the earthly kingdoms figured by the image are shattered together and swept away without a trace, like chaff carried off by the wind. The temporary rule of earthly powers is thus set in direct contrast with the enduring kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of the Prince of heaven grows until it fills the whole earth. Cut out without hands, the stone smites the image upon the feet, and its kingdom breaks and consumes the other kingdoms and stands forever, bringing earthly kingly rule to an end. That smiting falls upon the present divided kingdoms of earth and is near and certain, while kingdoms stand in uncertainty and jealousy, soldiers drill constantly for war, and all people range under banners, one class waiting for their Lord and the other for wonder-working power, with the Lord left as refuge, front guard, rereward, and very present help in trouble.
The kingdom is set up in the time of the divided kingdoms represented by the ten toes, striking the image at its feet and crushing all its metal parts to powder. It was not established at Christ's first advent, before Rome was divided, but replaces the kingdoms of the image and then becomes a great mountain that fills the earth. That growth from stone to great mountain shows the rise and worldwide growth and universal extent of God's everlasting kingdom. Its worldwide filling is linked with the triumph of God's truth, when means devoted to gospel ministry spread the truth into many places and bring light to people living in darkness.
Unlike earthly kingdoms that rule by ascendancy of physical power, portrayed as fierce beasts, the Messiah's kingdom has a lamb for its ensign. It banishes every carnal weapon and every instrument of coercion, and it is established to uplift and ennoble fallen humanity, ever advancing in purity and light and knowledge. The dream thus exalts God's kingdom above all earthly kingdoms and shows Jehovah more powerful than every kingdom and than earthly rulers, with human glory laid in the dust and God alone great. It reveals God as ruler of the present and revealer of the future and of secrets, giving light through Daniel concerning Babylon and the other kingdoms, that earthly rulers have a Ruler in the heavens and that the God of heaven is Ruler over all monarchs and kings of earth, with glorious things spoken of Zion, the city of the Lord, and its events are coming to fulfillment in the last days. By this Nebuchadnezzar was led to recognize God as ruler over kings and to believe in His superior power, learning to read dreams by the Scriptures and not the Scriptures by dreams.
Prophecy Fulfilled and Understood
Daniel 2:35 belongs to a connected chain of prophecy that figuratively outlines coming events in their order down to the close of earth’s history, making known what would come to pass. Through the dream of the image God revealed His purpose for the nations and important future events concerning the kingdoms of men. Together with the signs of the times this chain is fulfilled in the rise and fall of kingdoms.
The fulfillment has come with wonderful exactness in the most literal manner, as seen in the historian’s record. Nations have arisen one after another at the predicted time to fill their appointed place, demonstrating the exactness of biblical prophecy. Showing this literal fulfillment gives tangibility to faith in the second coming of Christ.
This fulfilled exactness serves as evidence that Scripture is inspired and as an anchor against rationalism and skepticism. Presenting it makes a deep impression on those who have studied prophecy without a definite idea of when it is fulfilled. That impression stands in contrast to teaching an invisible secret coming to take the saints unnoticed, followed by a descent through the air to old Jerusalem with a return of the Jews and a later opportunity for all to repent and be saved.
The sure word of prophecy was given to Daniel by angels and Christ Himself to make known the things that must shortly come to pass. It concerns salvation and was not left involved in mystery to perplex and mislead the honest seeker after truth. It is plain to all who study it with a prayerful heart, and every truly honest soul will come to its light of truth as to hidden treasure. The prophecies of Daniel are not unintelligible mysteries but can be understood and explained in familiar form. Even young children listen with pleasure and interest, understand and explain them, and through them parents and grown people are led to sit down and study. Such study leads to positive faith and to belief that the coming of the Lord is at hand, a solemn and important truth to be brought before the people.
The symbol was intended to spread knowledge of God. Yet it can be misinterpreted and misapplied to glorify human power. Truth used to exalt self and advance human plans becomes a force for evil.
Judgment and Present Application
Christ as the stone is first passive, humbly bearing all the abuse heaped upon Him as a stumbling-block and rock of offense, then lifts Himself in life and power above those who despised and rejected Him. Becoming a great mountain means appearing as an avenging mountain falling upon and crushing them in judgment. When He visits the wicked His judgments fall not only upon the Jews but upon all who have refused the heavenly benefits of grace, and they will see in Him their rock of offense.
The stone destroys whatever it strikes and the wind scatters it so completely that nothing remains, with all glory broken and scattered like dust. This was fulfilled in the destruction of the Jewish city and its temple, whose glory was broken and scattered like dust. After being despised and rejected Jesus is exalted to fall upon His rejecters in punishment, and the same fate comes upon all impenitent people who do not accept Him as Redeemer. The only safety is to build hopes and prospects upon Him as the right foundation.
Opposition to God's purpose will be broken and swept away like chaff from a threshing floor. All power of counter-agencies is of no more account than threshing-floor chaff against divine power. When a person works for suffering humanity according to God's plan, praying for it to be known that there is a God in Israel and that he is God's servant, working not by own impulse and wisdom but by God's word, with God working out His plan through him, he possesses divine power that knows nothing of defeat.
The stone is instinct with life and grows as it is rolled by an invisible hand. God's work is like this living stone set in motion and growing as it goes. This is applied to sanitarium work and medical missionary work that sanitariums are to set in operation to help proclaim the third angel's message. This mystic stone set in motion especially in the needy Southern field among the colored people opens doors for the entrance of Bible truth. It removes prejudice against those who regard the colored people as having souls as well as white people, breaks down barriers erected against education of the colored race, and brings many to whom God has given rare and precious talents to a knowledge of present truth.
The smiting of the image upon the feet, breaking apart the present divided kingdoms of earth, is near and certain while kingdoms stand in uncertainty and jealousy, soldiers drill constantly for war, and all people range under banners preparing for a great event. One class waits for their Lord and the other for wonder-working power, and the destruction ends earthly kingly rule and leaves the Lord as refuge, front guard, rereward, and very present help in trouble. Dreams and providences must be read in the light of the living oracles, not the Scriptures in the light of dreams and fancies. Daniel interpreted the dream in Scripture light while serving faithfully as statesman in Babylon and refusing any work against God, whereas Nebuchadnezzar read it through his own idolatrous mind and ambitions and perverted it to glorify himself and his kingdom. He set up a golden image exalting the excellency of Babylon and especially himself to convert all nations to its worship, the three faithful servants who would not bow were preserved when Christ walked with them in the fiery furnace in the plain of Dura, and Nebuchadnezzar was led to believe in God and His superior power and to learn to read dreams by the Scriptures, yet the fall of Babylon still came in an hour of feasting and reveling.
The same breaking of the gold, silver, brass, iron and clay together fitly represents deterioration of religion today, with moral and spiritual weakness growing just in proportion as God is forgotten. Strength fails as God is forgotten, and those claiming to be Protestants have left the old landmarks and depend on forms, ceremonies and outward display to make up for lack of purity and piety, meekness and lowliness found in obedience to God. The decreasing purity and value of the metals means the kingdoms deteriorate in moral value because they make void the law of God, forget God, and give themselves to wickedness, blasphemy and corruption. Babylon passed away because in prosperity she forgot God and ascribed the honor and glory of her prosperity to human achievement, Medo-Persia was visited by wrath because God's law was trampled underfoot, the kingdoms that followed sank lower and lower for casting off God until vast Rome crumbled into pieces, and sin ruins nations today as in the past. Men today who forget God and refuse His law are humiliated and tested and receive the penalty unless they humble their hearts and confess, while spiritual light is to shine from faithful watchmen in these last days.