Revelation of Jesus Christ
From the KJV 1611 with Strong's Concordance
The great image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream
Daniel chapter 2
The dream Nebuchadnezzar dreampt was a prophecy from the Most High of what shall be in the latter days. See Daniel 2:28.
In chapter 2:30 we also learn the purpose of the dream was that the king might know the thoughts of his own heart.
The Dream's Components:
- The great image
- Head of gold
- Chest & arms of silver
- Belly & thighs of brass
- Legs of iron
- Feet part iron & clay
- Stone that breaks the image
The great image = idolatry
In chapter 2:31 we get an initial impression of the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw in the dream. Behold a great (large in size) image. This great (captain, chief, lord, master) image, whose brightness (appearance) was excellent (exceeding) and it's form (aspect) was terrible (to fear, be formidable). The Chaldean word for image is tselem, meaning an idolatrous figure.
The head of gold - Babylon 612 BC to 539 BC
In chapter 2:37 Daniel reveals that king Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold and a king of kings and the gold was of the finest (the best). The head of the idol being identified as Nebuchadnezzar would point to the character of the man and his rule:
The character of the king
In Daniel 5:18-19 Daniel speaks of the character and rule of Nebuchadnezzar to his son and successor, king Belshazzar: "the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour and for the majesty that He gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him. Whom he wished he killed; and whom he wished he kept alive; and whom he wished he set up; and whom he wished he put down."
To put it bluntly, Nebuchadnezzar was a tyrant, a bully, and a dictator full or pride and arrogance. He ruled by the sword and with fear and he perceived himself as a god-king who sought dominion not only over the entire earth but over every living soul. All men were made to bow to him and to serve and worship him which is the very definition of idolatry.
The judgment of the king
In the 2nd dream of the king in Daniel 4 Nebuchadnezzar's reign is compared to a tree that grows strong and it's height reached up to heaven, it fills the earth and all flesh was fed of it. The tree however was to be cut down leaving the stump of the roots in the earth with a band of iron and brass.
Nebuchadnezzar confesses God's Kingdom
Driven out from his kingdom and given a heart of a beast, Nebuchadnezzar was brought down lower than man and made to spend seven years with the beasts of the field until he was humbled and sincerely recognised the Most High God as the supreme power and absolute authority. We read in Daniel 4 Nebuchadnezzar's confession of God's Kingdom.
The judgement of Nebuchadnezzar and his confession would serve as a testimony to all those who would follow seeking to set themselves in the place of the Most High in the pursuit of their own greatness.
The name Babylon means confusion and comes from the word babel see H0894. The period of 612-539 BC saw the kingdom in the possession of the Chaldeans and is also referred to as the Chaldean Empire.
Chest and arms of silver - Medo-Persia 539 BC to 331 BC
This section of the image represented the co rule of the Medo-Persia empire that overthrows Babylonian empire with one arm as Media and the other arm as Persia.
See Daniel 5:28 The writing on the wall that shakes the final Babylonian king Belshazzar to the core: PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
See Daniel 5:31 where Darius the Mede takes the Babylonian kingdom.
See Daniel 6:28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Belly and thighs of brass - Greece 331 BC to 168 BC
The Medo-Persia Empire is consumed by the Greco-Macedonian empire of Alexander the Great.
In Daniel's vision of the ram and the He goat in chapter 8, Daniel is told by Gabriel in 8:20 that the ram with two horns are the kings of Media and Persia with the higher horn which comes up last being Persia (See 8:3). In 8:21 the rough goat who makes war against the ram is revealed as being the king of Grecia and [note] the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king (See Revelation 17:10).
Legs of iron - Rome 168 BC to 476 AD
The two legs of iron represented the Roman Empire. After Alexander's death, his Hellenistic empire continued in a divided form until it's divisions were taken over by Rome. In AD 286 the Roman Empire was split into eastern and western empires, each ruled by its own emperor. The two legs apparently signified the east-west division that characterised the late imperial Roman empire.
The phonetic word for rome in Hebrew is 'rowm' meaning elevation, aloft. See H7315.
Feet part iron and part clay 476 AD to present day
The feet and toes made up of a brittle and unstable mixture of iron and clay meaning the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken representing modern Europe and the final stage of Rome.
The Ten Toes
The ten toes in Daniel 2:42-44 appears to be pointing us to the ten kings which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. See Revealation 17:12. This final stage being the entire known world consumed into one vast kingdom/empire made up of ten regions or possibly ten continents each with it's own ruler but all will be of one mind under a one world tyrannical dictatorship consisting of a confederacy between religious/spiritual power, state power, corporate power and the leaders of all the nations. (The Roman Empire/Mystery Babylon and the veil being lifted).
Satans little season
This period also lines up with Revelataion 20:7-15 where Satan who represents witchcraft/sorcery/the mystery schools of Babylon and the methods of mass deception is unloosed and allowed to go out to deceive the entire world for a short time and his main weapon of deception being pharmakia (pharmacy, drugs, pseudo healthcare) as described in Revelation 18:23.
The Stone that breaks the image into pieces
The stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands and breaks the idolatrous figure represents Jesus Christ.
The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. Luke 20:17-18.
Simon Peter's testimony of Christ
The spirits he cast out identified him, but some men said he is John the Baptist, some Elijah and others Jeremiah... "But who do you say I am?" asked Jesus. Simon Peter answered "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonas for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Simon Peter was the first among men to confess with his mouth the true identity of Jesus, it was revealed to him by the Most High, and it was upon this first foundational testimony that Jesus would build his church. Peter being the first of the living stones that would make up the spiritual temple of Christ.
A time of trouble, such as never was
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. Daniel 12:1.