In Daniel 2, we read of a dream King Nebuchadnezzar had.
The dream, as God revealed to Daniel, was of a great image "whose splendor
was excellent…and its form was awesome" (verse 31). Daniel goes
on to describe this image, which had a head of fine gold, chest and arms
of silver, the belly and thigh of bronze and then the legs of iron, but
with the feet of a mixture of iron and miry clay. This mixture has a fundamental
flaw, being partly strong and partly weak.
Daniel then gives the interpretation. He explains
in verses 38 and 39 that Nebuchadnezzar had seen a depiction of four mighty,
world-dominating empires that would succeed the one then existing. The
head of gold symbolized Nebuchadnezzar, as he represented the great empire
of Babylon. It was a fabulously wealthy empire, militarily, politically,
and economically irresistible. But it was succeeded in 538 BCE by the
Medo-Persian Empire, not as wealthy, but still with the same nature-aggressive,
ruthless, dominating.
The belly and thighs of brass represented
the third empire under Alexander the Great. Alexander united the Greek
states and went on to conquer Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt. He then invaded
northern India and almost made it to the Ganges-a colossal military feat!
Verse 40 describes the fourth empire. All
of these empires were manifestations of the same spirit and attitude and
within a similar structure in the same area of land-that of Europe and
the Middle East. This fourth empire was characterized by iron, symbolic
of the Roman Empire, with the focus now in Europe. Again, it was to be
powerful militarily, politically and financially.
