THE INTERPRETATION OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM
ADDRESSING THE MONARCH, Daniel said: "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" (Dan. 2:37,38)
This statement is essential to the proper understanding of all predictions, because it lays the broad outline of prophecy into which all subsequent revelations fit. We must therefore examine this passage with utmost care.
According to Daniel, the God of heaven gave to Nebuchadnezzar, whom he addressed as king of kings, "the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory." This statement is all-inclusive. It declares that all governmental authority and power had been delivered to Nebuchadnezzar. In what realm? one may ask. This question is answered in the following words: "Wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all: thou art the head of gold." Reread and note the force of these words. According to this statement, all lands where there were men, birds, and beasts were delivered to Nebuchadnezzar. If there were any men in Europe at that time, God delivered that section over to Nebuchadnezzar. If there were any men, birds, and beasts in America, this continent was included in the original grant. If there were any of these in Australia, for instance, that continent likewise was included in the declaration. From this position there can be no escape, if language means anything at all.
Were there birds, beasts, and men on these various continents when Nebuchadnezzar was reigning in Babylon? Archaeology answers in the affirmative. We have every reason to believe that all of these were in America at that time. How did they get here? As has been shown in a previous study, there was one original continent and one sea. This great body of land, however, was broken up in the days of Peleg (Gen. 10:25). Before that catastrophe, man and beast wandered at liberty over that one unbroken stretch of land; but when it was broken up, those in certain sections who survived that calamity were cut off from all connections with other portions of the world. In view of these facts we may be absolutely certain that man and beast were here in America and on the various continents in the days of Nebuchadnezzar. If these statements are true, then the promise made to Nebuchadnezzar included all territory where there was life.
Since world-wide dominion was granted to Nebuchadnezzar, the question arises: "Did he take possession of the grant and exercise such universal dominion?" Everyone who is familiar with ancient history knows that he conquered all Babylonia and then extended his boundaries to reach as far as Asia Minor in the northwest and Egypt in the southwest. He likewise extended his boundaries eastward; but by no stretch of the imagination can we believe that he conquered even the known world of his day. Nevertheless, God granted to him universal dominion.
The facts that God granted world-wide power to him, but that he did not avail himself of it should not cause any difficulty to the believer. This situation may be illustrated by the promise which God made to Abraham and his descendants concerning the Land of Promise. If one will read the description of the territory granted Abraham and his seed, as found in certain portions of Genesis and the Pentateuch, he will see that the land vouchsafed them began with the River of Egypt and extended to the river Euphrates, embracing also the land of the Hittites, which was the major portion of Asia Minor. The Hebrews in no period of their history ever took possession of all the land which God granted to them. As a matter of fact, they possessed only a small portion of it. It is true that in the days of David and Solomon their territory extended as a narrow strip along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and eastward to the Euphrates River; but in the days subsequent to Solomon much of this territory was lost and the frontiers of Israel were constantly changing and shrinking. At no time since the existence of the Hebrew race has this people taken over all the lands deeded to them. Their failure does not make null and void the promise of God. But of this we may be certain: God will yet fulfill the promise to Israel literally when she is able to receive it. As another illustration of this same point, let us notice that God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ (Eph. 1:3). I do not suppose that there is a single Christian alive today who would, being in full possession of his mental faculties, declare that he has taken possession of all the provisions which God has granted to us in Christ. On account of our failure let us not whittle down the promises of God and make them correspond to our meager experiences. On the other hand, let us accept the statements of God at their face value and with humility confess our failure. If we can do this and can understand such a situation, we certainly can comprehend this promise of world-dominion which God made to Nebuchadnezzar, but which he never appropriated. His failure or inability did not alter, neither did it make null and void the promise of God.
The image which Nebuchadnezzar saw, and which Daniel reproduced, was, as is indicated by the description, the image of a man. It had a head of gold, which rested upon the chest of silver. This part of the anatomy was, in turn, connected with the belly of brass; furthermore, the belly was likewise connected with the legs of iron, as also the feet were attached to the legs. The impression one receives from reading this passage is that the image was standing erect at the foot of a mountain. I have traveled quite extensively in Egypt. All the images of the Pharaohs which I have seen (and I have seen many, especially of Rameses II) resemble quite accurately the anatomy of a man. Of course, I have never discovered any image made of the metals of this image; but I have seen statues of marble and other materials of the various monarchs of Egypt and of other men in different countries. The heads of all are connected with the chests by means of the neck. The chest blends into the belly, and the belly connects with the thighs, which in turn develop into the legs. In other words, these statues and images constitute single units. Such is the impression that one normally gathers from reading Daniel 2 with reference to the image-vision of Nebuchadnezzar.
Unless there is positive evidence that there has been some time intervening between any of the kingdoms symbolized by the various metals, one must conclude that each of them immediately follows its predecessor. This is a most important consideration--especially so, since at the present time a peculiar interpretation is being forced upon the prophetic word which is causing no little confusion in certain quarters. There were no breaks in the image according to the description. There are, therefore, no breaks or time intervening between the kingdoms symbolized by the various metals. This position we must accept without hesitation unless there is absolute and positive proof showing unmistakably that there was a break or breaks in the image. One will seek in vain for such positive evidence.
Resort might be made, by special pleading to bolster a theory, to "The Law of Double Reference." All students of the Word realize that one of the four types of messianic prophecy, omitting the Christian Dispensation, blends the first and second comings of Christ into a single picture. This class of predictions is an illustration of this law. One who fails to recognize this principle can never understand accurately the utterances of the prophets. For a discussion of this point see the study, Four Types of Messianic Prophecy. But the fact that the principle of double reference often obtains in plain predictions should not lead one to infer that in this image vision there is an interval separating any two of the kingdoms signified. If, on the other hand, there is positive evidence, either in Daniel 2 or in other passages dealing with the same subject, showing that there is an omission in the image-vision, we shall do well to recognize the truth on this point and act accordingly. In the absence of such testimony, one should not assume such a break in the continuity of the prophetic times indicated by the image. We have no logical right nor reason to assume that this image was anything other than that of a normal man. The circumstances of the case, studied in the light of related passages, demand that we recognize the image as representing an unbroken period of time, which began with Nebuchadnezzar and ends with the second coming of Christ (Dan. 2:44).
Significance of the Metals
The head of this image was of fine gold, the chest of silver, the belly of brass, and the legs of iron, whereas the feet and toes were of iron and miry clay. Instantly one recognizes design in such an arrangement. An examination of the use of gold and fine gold in the Scriptures reveals the fact that this metal was used to symbolize that which is purest or of the first quality. When governments are under consideration, it would naturally signify that which God considers the highest or ideal form of government. Since the head of gold signified Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian form of rule, we may conclude that an absolute monarchy (for such was Babylon) is God's ideal type of government. Of course, an unrighteous ruler, even though he headed an absolute monarchy, could not be that which meets divine approval; but such a type of government, administered by an absolutely righteous and impartial monarch, who knows the very thoughts and intents of the heart, would fulfill that which is symbolized by this finest of metals. Nebuchadnezzar and his successors fell far below the ideal; nevertheless that type of government was what God had in mind in the use of gold.
The next metal in this image, viewed from the head downward, is the chest and arms of silver. This portion of the image signified a second type of government which succeeded Babylon and which was inferior to it, as silver is inferior to gold. The kingdom which followed Babylon was that of the Medes and Persians. Their type of government was a limited monarchy. It is indeed inferior to that of an absolute monarchy, as is recognized by all students of politics.
To this second empire were granted the same powers and authority over the entire world that had been given to the Babylonians. Like their predecessors, they never did "go in and possess their possessions." It is true that they swallowed up the Babylonian Empire and pushed their frontiers beyond the boundaries of the former. Nevertheless, they never did exercise world dominion as outlined in this prediction. The historical facts show conclusively that they did not.
The third kingdom was symbolized by the belly of brass. From the standpoint of real worth, brass is less valuable than silver. Since this metal was chosen, it is quite evident that the government thus presented symbolically would be of a lower type than that of the Medes and the Persians. From history we know that the Greek Empire succeeded the Medo-Persian Kingdom. The authority and the power that had been first in the hands of the Babylonians, then transferred to the Medes and Persians, passed into the grip of the Greeks. They took over all the territory that had formerly been under the control of their predecessors and extended their boundaries quite a distance beyond that of Medo-Persia in its widest extent. When, however, they were no longer plastic in the hands of God and could not be used of Him to forward His plan of the ages. He withdrew this delegated power and authority and transferred it to their successors, the Romans.
This fourth, empire was symbolized by the legs of iron and the feet and toes of iron mixed with miry clay. Here again we see a depreciation in the value of the metal used. It is true that iron is much stronger than the other metals appearing in the upper part of the image; but, from the standpoint of real value, it was of far less worth than the former ones. As we learn from history, the Roman Empire succeeded the Greek and without question is the one that was symbolized by the iron. The authority and power, granted to the Babylonians, then transferred to the Medo-Persians, and later given to the Greeks, finally was delivered into the hands of the Romans. They in turn extended their boundaries beyond those of the Greeks--even at the zenith of their power--and incorporated more territory under their rule than any of their predecessors.
As suggested above, there is nothing in the language that would imply that there was a gap between the third and the fourth empires. Only a demand to bolster a position, which has been espoused, could lead one to invent a break in the succession of rule between the third and the fourth empires.
Special Features of the Fourth Kingdom
The legs, feet, and toes--symbols of the fourth kingdom--were of iron and iron mixed with miry clay. The arms attached to the chest of silver signified the dual monarchy of the Medes and Persians. The legs representing the fourth kingdom signified the division of the Roman Empire into two sections: the West and the East.
A glance at history shows us that Rome was one strong unit from the days of Julius Caesar until the kingdom was divided by Diocletian in 285 A.D. In view of this fact we may be certain that the hips of the image were likewise of iron. This is the logical meaning of the language, which limits the portion exclusively brass to the belly of the image.
When our Lord was upon earth, Rome was in the hip-stage and never reached the leg-stage until Diocletian came to the throne and divided the empire into what later became known as the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire. At first there were coordination and cooperation between the two sections, and the emperor of each considered the other as his equal and co-partner. Eventually differences arose and a breach developed which sank into a chasm separating the two governments, although they were of the same imperial type.
Anyone who read this prophecy before the time of Diocletian would naturally conclude that the first kingdom, symbolized by the head of gold, would be a united empire; that the second would be a dual monarchy as indicated by the arms; that the third would be a united kingdom, which fact was indicated by the belly of brass; and that the fourth one would be a solid political unity for a while but would develop into two sections as was indicated by the legs. Furthermore, he would naturally believe that, just as the legs extended from the torso downward to the feet, thus the two empires into which this one divides would likewise continue in this dual form--unlike the Medo-Persian Empire with organic connection as indicated by the chest and arms--but each pursuing its individual existence as indicated by the legs. From the time of Rome's supplanting Greece to the division of the empire, everyone who understood the prophecy had the logical right to expect that kingdom to divide into the two sections as indicated by the legs. After that prophecy was fulfilled, all biblical students had a right to believe that those two divisions would continue through the centuries until the very end of the age. Since the legs of the image extended from the body to the feet, no one by a study of the passage could arrive at any other conclusion. No one today who is willing to let the prediction deliver its own message to his heart can logically interpret it differently. Thus from the time that the prophecy was spoken until the present, everyone who believes and accepts the Scriptures as the infallibly inspired Word of God has had a right to believe that Rome continues through the centuries in this twofold division as indicated by the legs.
Furthermore, they are forced logically to believe that this dual empire will eventually develop into ten divisions as signified by the toes. If language is definite and can be relied upon, our prediction means this. It can mean nothing else. To force upon it any other interpretation is to do violence to the Word. Daniel 2 does not give any hint as to how this final development will be brought about. That is, however, told in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 and 17.
In this connection let us bear in mind that each of these metals symbolized a definite, specific type of government. About this position, there can be no question. This fact may point to the solution of the problem involved, especially in this fourth empire. Since iron symbolized the imperial type of government, we have a right to believe that the old Caesarean imperialism was destined to continue through the centuries--to the very end--as signified by the legs that continue from the body to the feet.
We have seen the picture presented in this prophecy. An examination of the historical facts as they have unfolded through the centuries will make this picture more vivid. Rome was a solid political unity when the Lord Jesus was upon earth. At that time she was in the hip-stage suggested above; she reached the leg-stage when Diocletian came to the throne and divided the empire into the Eastern and Western sections, making Constantinople the capital of the East and Rome the capital of the West. Let us think of this image as facing northward. The left leg then would represent Rome in the West, and the right one, Rome in the East. The Western section was overrun by the Germanic tribes in 476 A.D. Speaking in terms of the anatomy of man, I would say that the left leg was broken in that year. The injury was serious and was never healed until 800 A.D. when Charles the Great, restoring law and order, united all the fragments into which the empire had been shattered into another political unity, which became known as "The Holy Roman Empire of the Frankish Nation." Thus the center of political gravity of Rome in the West was shifted from Italian soil to French territory. This political setup remained intact until 963 A.D. when Otto I, the German, crossed the Rhine, conquered the Western section of the Empire, saw the advantage of the civilization which he had vanquished, incorporated the country overrun into his empire, and Romanized his Germanic tribes. Thus he and his successors claimed to be the heirs of the old Roman Caesars. Since they Romanized their civilization and added the conquered territory to their dominions, it is logical for us to understand that the Empire in the West was continued--the broken leg was healed--but that the center of political gravity was once again shifted--this time from French territory to Germanic soil. It continued through medieval times to the present, centered in Germany. It is true that the boundaries of Rome have contracted at times, and at others they have expanded; yet there has been a persistency of the type of government--Caesarean imperialism--through the centuries. To illustrate this, let me imagine a situation which I know will never develop. Suppose Germany should conquer Britain and Russia and then should invade our Atlantic seaboard. We would, of course, draw up our forces against the aggressors. In such an imaginary war let us conceive of the enemy's driving our forces westward. The capital, which is now at Washington, D.C. would, of course, be moved westward before the advancing hordes. In this hypothetical calamity, let us assume that the invaders pushed our forces as far as the Mississippi River. The capital, in that event, would probably be established at Omaha or Kansas City. At this stage of the struggle, both sides come to the conclusion that neither can win. Finally, an armistice is requested. Fighting ceases. A peace conference is called, and the aggressors demand as an indemnity of the war that the American government cede to them all the territory east of the Mississippi. To these unreasonable demands the American delegates consent and affix their names to the peace treaty. Then the conquerors take possession of the newly acquired territory. Under these conditions what would the government headed up at Kansas City be called? Everyone would say that it would still be the United States of America. This is correct. It would be the same government, with the same traditions, with the same civilization, with the same organization, with the same institutions and ideals as the one which started with the thirteen original colonies on the Atlantic seaboard; and yet it would not be on one foot of the original soil. There would be continuity, not of territorial boundaries, but of the type of government. We can, therefore, see that in the persistency of the type of government, which is the thing emphasized in Daniel's vision, lies the continuity that is set forth by the legs of the metallic image of Daniel 2. The Roman type of government has persisted throughout the centuries in Western Europe in that the same old Caesarean imperialism has persisted through the centuries to the present time and has the center of its political gravity in Germany. (From statements here and there in the Word I know that the Axis powers will go down in defeat.)
On the other hand, in 1453 A.D., the eastern half of the Roman Empire went down under the Ottoman Turks. At that time many of the leaders fled to the West and carried the civilization of the East with them. This turn of affairs laid the foundation for the great Renaissance. Many others of the political leaders fled from Constantinople into Russia, taking with them their ideas of government. They infiltrated into positions of power and finally transmuted the government at Kiev into the same type as that which had existed at Constantinople in the old Byzantine Empire. Thus was transferred to Russian soil the old Caesarean imperialism, which has continued through the centuries, notwithstanding the ebb and flow of national events, up to the present time. There has, therefore, been a continuity of the type of government, both in the East and in the West, to the present. It will continue on until the ten-toe-stage is reached.
The Smiting Stone
In the vision Nebuchadnezzar saw a small stone cut out of the mountain without hands which rolled down and smote the image upon its feet. The impact broke the image into fragments. These being removed, the little stone became a mountain which filled the earth.
What is the significance of this stone? Since the image is a symbol of four governments, the stone likewise is a symbol. But of what? God does not mix His teachings. We must find the significance of a stone when thus used symbolically. The first appearance of such a metaphorical meaning appears in Genesis 49:24, where the Messiah of Israel is called "the stone." In other places "stone" as we learn from each context signifies "Messiah." Rock, as a rule, when thus used refers to God the Father, although in Isaiah 8:14 both a rock and a stone signify the Messiah. Since this is its metaphorical meaning, we may believe that this smiting stone is a symbol of the Messiah and His coming in clash with the fourth power of the image.
This stone strikes with tremendous force the image upon its feet and breaks into fragments all the metals. Such imagery could not under any conditions signify the first advent of Messiah, because He did not make any such stroke at civil governments. Furthermore, Rome was in the thigh-stage when the Lord Jesus came the first time. It has never reached the toe-stage yet. He does not return until that point is reached. These facts point to the conclusion that this stone signifies the coming of the Lord in glory and power, His demolishing all human rule, and His establishing His reign of righteousness upon the earth. This is exactly what is said in Daniel 2:44. "And in the days of those kings [the ones signified by the toes of the image] 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 for ever."
A mountain, when used symbolically, as is seen in Jeremiah 51:25, always signifies a human government. Since this little stone becomes a great mountain filling the earth, and since the mountain signifies a kingdom, we understand then that this mountain is the symbol of the Messiah's world-wide kingdom, which He will establish when He returns in glory and abolishes all human government and authority.
Thus under the symbolism of the metallic image consisting of the four metals, we may see a view of the four world empires, viewed from the human standpoint, as Nebuchadnezzar naturally looked at things. No one comparison in any field can set forth all the facts. The information that appears in this chapter is supplemented by that which we find in Daniel 7. This information will be, as we shall find, completed in the final disclosures in the Book of Revelation.
