The Dream

The Prediction

Refers to King Nebuchadnezzar II.

But in context it truly refers to his kingdom: Babylon.

2:38 Thou art this head of gold.
2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom,
inferior to thee,

Metals are kingdoms

Collected

“Kingdom”

Refers to the next kingdom that came after Babylon

The metals represents kingdoms

Collected

“Bear rule over all the earth”

This dream claims to not merely follow a random string of successive kingdoms, but rather a line of powerful, world dominating kingdoms.

These are world-dominating kingdoms

Collected

The Greek Empire

Alexander the Great conquered Persia and established the beginning of the Greek Empire as the new most powerful empire on the world stage.

“Breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things”

How would a kingdom break in pieces and subdue all things?

Military power.

This verse uses terms associated with conquest and military strength. Apparently, the dream claims that the fourth kingdom would have a state power that would be especially brutal and conquering.

Iron represents state power

Collected

The Roman army

The Roman army is famed for being one of the most disciplined, organized, and effective armies of all time. In fact, the Roman military essentially built the Roman Empire.

What is clay?

“O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
”Jeremiah 18:6

God wanted to shape Israel into a picture of Himself, so the world could understand the beauty of His love.

“...while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
”Deuteronomy 31:27

But Israel resisted.

“that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel
”Ephesians 3:6

“...For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
”Romans 9:6

Eventually God opened this calling to anyone. The term “Israel” in the Bible became a symbol for those who allow God to shape them.

In other words:
Clay = Israel = spiritual Israel = those who follow God = the church

Clay represents church power

Collected

“The kingdom shall be divided”

Iron = State, Clay = Church

In the dream, the 5th kingdom is predicted to have a mixture of church & state power.

All of the previous kingdoms had a mixture of church and state power too. So why is this kingdom represented differently?

In all of the previous kingdoms the church and state power was invested in one single entity - The king or emperor.

In this 5th kingdom the two powers are shown as mixed, but distinct - two materials, rather than one.

The 5th kingdom had a mixture of church & state

Collected

“Partly strong and partly broken”

Broken means to be fragile. Meaning that church power is fragile without the power of the state (military, civil authority, etc.).

“Mingle themselves with the seed of men...shall not cleave”

Seed of men means the children of men, in other words, different people groups.

This kingdom will try to unite different people groups with its power, but they won’t hold together. They will use their religio-political power to rule over other nations and people groups.

All of the many attempts to unite Europe have never succeeded due to constant shifts and rivalry.

The Rulers of the Holy Roman Empire

The King and Pope both needed each other’s power and were rivals simultaneously. The Western narrative of Rome is a constant conflict between Church and State.

The Pope - Head of Christendom

The Church held the power to create and enforce laws with state power (ref).

The Church confirmed Kings, giving them the divine right to rule (ref).

The Emperor - Head of Kingdom

Pepin the Short - crowned as king by Pope Stephen II in 754 AD

Charlemagne - King crowned by the Pope as “The Holy Roman Emperor”

The 5th kingdom had a mixture of church & state

Collected

Conclusions

Metals are kingdoms

Collected

The metals represents kingdoms

Collected

These are world-dominating kingdoms

Collected

Iron represents state power

Collected

The 5th kingdom had a mixture ofchurch & state

Collected

Clay represents church power

Collected

Conclusions

The Prediction

Thou

art this head of gold.

Daniel 2:38

The Prediction

And after thee shall arise another

kingdom

inferior to thee...

Daniel 2:39

The Prediction

and another third kingdom of brass, which shall

bear rule over all the earth.

inferior to thee...

Daniel 2:39

The Prediction

And after thee shall arise another

strong as iron:

forasmuch as iron

breaketh in pieces and

subdueth all things:

and as iron that breaketh

all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

Daniel 2:40

The Prediction

And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes,

part of potters' clay,

and part of iron,

the kingdom shall be divided;

...the toes of the

feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be

partly strong, and partly broken

...they shall

mingle themselves

with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another...

Daniel 2:41-43

602 BC

The History

602 BC - Babylonian Empire

539 BC

The History

539 BC - Medo-Persian Empire

490 BC

The History

490 BC - Greek Empire

146 BC

The History

146 BC - Roman Empire

476 AD

The History

476 AD - Holy Roman Empire

The dream

The dream

Conclusions

Head of Gold

Head of Gold Chest of Silver Thighs of Brass Legs of Iron Feet of Iron and Clay

602 BC

539 BC

490 BC

146 BC

476 AD

The Prediction

Thou

art this head of gold.

Daniel 2:38

The History

602 BC - Babylonian Empire

The Prediction

And after thee shall arise another

kingdom

inferior to thee...

Daniel 2:39

The History

539 BC - Medo-Persian Empire

The Prediction

and another third kingdom of brass,

which shall

bear rule over all the earth.

inferior to thee...

Daniel 2:39

The History

490 BC - Greek Empire

The Prediction

And after thee shall arise another

strong as iron:

forasmuch as iron

breaketh in pieces and

subdueth all things:

and as iron that breaketh

all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

Daniel 2:40

The History

146 BC - Roman Empire

The Prediction

And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes,

part of potters' clay,

and part of iron,

the kingdom shall be divided;

...the toes of the

feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the

kingdom shall be

partly strong, and partly

broken

...they shall

mingle themselves with the seed

of men:

but they shall not cleave one to another...

Daniel 2:41-43

The History

476 AD - Holy Roman Empire

Skip the dream

Metals are kingdoms

Collected

The metals represents kingdoms

Collected

These are world-dominating kingdoms

Collected

Iron represents state power

Collected

The 5th kingdom had a mixture of church & state

Collected

Clay represents church power

Collected

Conclusions

The Prediction

Refers to King Nebuchadnezzar II.

But in context it truly refers to his kingdom: Babylon.

2:38 Thou art this head of gold.
2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom,
inferior to thee,

Metals are kingdoms

Collected

“Kingdom”

Refers to the next kingdom that came after Babylon

The metals represents kingdoms

Collected

“Bear rule over all the earth”

This dream claims to not merely follow a random string of successive kingdoms, but rather a line of powerful, world dominating kingdoms.

These are world-dominating kingdoms

Collected

The Greek Empire

Alexander the Great conquered Persia and established the beginning of the Greek Empire as the new most powerful empire on the world stage.

“Breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things”

How would a kingdom break in pieces and subdue all things?

Military power.

This verse uses terms associated with conquest and military strength. Apparently, the dream claims that the fourth kingdom would have a state power that would be especially brutal and conquering.

Iron represents state power

Collected

The Roman army

The Roman army is famed for being one of the most disciplined, organized, and effective armies of all time. In fact, the Roman military essentially built the Roman Empire.

What is clay?

“O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
”Jeremiah 18:6

God wanted to shape Israel into a picture of Himself, so the world could understand the beauty of His love.

“...while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
”Deuteronomy 31:27

But Israel resisted.

“that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel
”Ephesians 3:6

“...For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
”Romans 9:6

Eventually God opened this calling to anyone. The term “Israel” in the Bible became a symbol for those who allow God to shape them.

In other words:
Clay = Israel = spiritual Israel = those who follow God = the church

The 5th kingdom had a mixture of church & state

Collected

“The kingdom shall be divided”

Iron = State, Clay = Church

In the dream, the 5th kingdom is predicted to have a mixture of church & state power.

All of the previous kingdoms had a mixture of church and state power too. So why is this kingdom represented differently?

In all of the previous kingdoms the church and state power was invested in one single entity - The king or emperor.

In this 5th kingdom the two powers are shown as mixed, but distinct - two materials, rather than one.

The 5th kingdom had a mixture ofchurch & state

Collected

“Partly strong and partly broken”

Broken means to be fragile. Meaning that church power is fragile without the power of the state (military, civil authority, etc.).

“Mingle themselves with the seed of men...shall not cleave”

Seed of men means the children of men, in other words, different people groups.

This kingdom will try to unite different people groups with its power, but they won’t hold together. They will use their religio-political power to rule over other nations and people groups.

All of the many attempts to unite Europe have never succeeded due to constant shifts and rivalry.

The Rulers of the Holy Roman Empire

The King and Pope both needed each other’s power and were rivals simultaneously. The Western narrative of Rome is a constant conflict between Church and State.

The Pope - Head of Christendom

The Church held the power to create and enforce laws with state power (ref).

The Church confirmed Kings, giving them the divine right to rule (ref).

The Pope - Head of Christendom

Pepin the Short - crowned as king by Pope Stephen II in 754 AD

Charlemagne - King crowned by the Pope as “The Holy Roman Emperor”

The 5th kingdom had a mixture of church & state

Collected