The Great Image of Daniel Two
This work was originally written to be the foundation of an ongoing 'Encyclopedia of Prophecy' from an historicist point of view. Obviously such a work is a massive undertaking. Perhaps with comments and coloraboration this work may yet have a future.
THE GREAT IMAGE - DANIEL 2
FOUR GREAT WORLD EMPIRES – BABYLON, PERSIA, GREECE, AND ROME; THE LAST CONTINUING UNTIL THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND BEING IN ITS FINAL STATE DIVIDED INTO TEN POWERS.
Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible. This image's head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 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.
This [is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou [art] this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be 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. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, [but] it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (Dan 2:31-44)
Here we have a very general vision of four empires - Babylon, and then three which were to follow. There is little disagreement among scholars as to the identification of these four empires.
First Empire - Babylon. This was specifically identified by Daniel: 'Thou art this head of gold'
Second Empire - Persia: The kingdom here referred to was undoubtedly the Medo-Persian, established by Cyrus in the conquest of Babylon, which continued through the reigns of his successors until it was conquered by Alexander the Great.
Third Empire - Greece: There can be no reasonable doubt that by this third kingdom is denoted the empire founded by Alexander the Great - the Greek empire.
Fourth Empire - Rome: Edward Gibbon writes, “The arms of the Republic, sometimes vanquished in battle, always victorious in war, advanced with rapid steps to the Euphrates, the Danube, the Rhine, and the ocean; and the images of gold, or silver, or brass, that might serve to represent the nations and their kings, were successively broken by the “iron” monarchy of Rome.” - “Dec. and Fall,” p. 642
The succession of these empires was to be followed by one which 'the God of heaven shall set up'; a kingdom 'that shall never be destroyed... it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
It is important to note that there are four, and ONLY FOUR of man's kingdoms which would precede the establishment of God's kingdom. This has proved problematic for many students of God's word.
There are a few different theories about how we are to understand the timing in which God's kingdom will be set up. These views are ultimately intertwined with many other prophecies. How we interpret here will affect how we see other prophecy. Or, how we view other prophecies may affect how we interpret here. These issues can become very complex. It should be the goal of any student of God's word to not jump to conclusions, but attempt to accumulate and examine as much evidence as possible.
What are our options in interpreting this passage?
1) If Rome was indeed the fourth and final kingdom before the establishment of God's kingdom, then this fact, interpreted in light of secular history, seems to severely limit our options.
Technically speaking, and according to the history books, Rome 'fell' in approximately 476 A.D. with the overthrow of its last emperor Romulus Augustulus. This fact has led some to conclude (a conclusion which we do not think entirely invalid) that God's kingdom MUST have been established before this date. Indeed, there are some who believe firmly that God's kingdom was established in 70 A.D. with the destruction of Jerusalem by Roman Armies.
Now, as a matter of timing, and in an attempt to be loyal to the exact sense of the text, this approach to interpretation cannot be faulted. However our inquiry should lead us to ask whether or not this particular interpretation of the passage best fits all the Biblical evidence.
2) There are those who believe that since Rome must be in power when God establishes his kingdom, and since Rome is NOT currently in power, and since God has not yet established His kingdom, then in some way Rome must return to power during the 'last days'.
This type of reasoning is very popular in our time. Many modern prophecy teachers speak of a 'revived Roman Empire' comprised of ten nations (possibly something like the current European Union). They believe that this ten nation union is represented by the ten toes of the vision.
It should be noted that this interpretation requires that those who hold it insert an enormous unspecified gap of time between the feet and toes of the image. It is believed that while the 'fourth kingdom' seen in the vision is in fact Rome, it is nevertheless Rome in two different incarnations; the first represented by the legs and feet, and the second by the toes. It is thought that the former is ancient Rome, while the latter is an end-time 'revived Roman Empire'.
The 'gap' of time inserted between the feet and toes of the vision is justified thusly: The image pertains only to God's dealings with fleshly, natural Israel. God only counts time on Israel's 'prophetic clock' when the Jews are in His favor. They believe that in this current dispensation, because of their rejection of the Messiah, God has 'set them aside' and that the prophetic 'clock' pertaining to Israel has stopped. As long as this 'prophetic clock is stopped' we will remain in this 'gap'. Once the Church is completed and 'raptured', then God will once again turn to the Jews and this prophecy will resume - with the prophesied 'revived Roman Empire' in power.
This theory would seem to rest on a number of assumptions which cannot be proven nor disproven. While this by itself does not make this view incorrect, it would seem to make it less than faithful to the obvious and straightforward meaning of the text.
3) In addition to the above two options there is a third which seems to be little considered in our day; namely that once Rome came into power, it would continue to exist until Jesus returns and sets up his kingdom. This implies two things: First, that Jesus has not yet returned and set up his kingdom - at least not in the way described in this passage, and second, that Rome still does exist to this day, in a very real way, although not generally recognized as such. This view would recognize this prophecy as having a continuous fulfillment from Daniel's time all the way until the consummation of the age.
This view has a number of strengths: First, it does not require the historical 'gap' noted in the previous view. It does not require non-provable theories such as 'God's prophetic clock stops when Israel is out of favor'.
Second, and in contrast to the first view, it allows for a future fulfillment of the final part of the prophecy:
FOUR GREAT WORLD EMPIRES – BABYLON, PERSIA, GREECE, AND ROME; THE LAST CONTINUING UNTIL THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND BEING IN ITS FINAL STATE DIVIDED INTO TEN POWERS.
Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible. This image's head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 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.
This [is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou [art] this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be 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. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, [but] it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (Dan 2:31-44)
Here we have a very general vision of four empires - Babylon, and then three which were to follow. There is little disagreement among scholars as to the identification of these four empires.
First Empire - Babylon. This was specifically identified by Daniel: 'Thou art this head of gold'
Second Empire - Persia: The kingdom here referred to was undoubtedly the Medo-Persian, established by Cyrus in the conquest of Babylon, which continued through the reigns of his successors until it was conquered by Alexander the Great.
Third Empire - Greece: There can be no reasonable doubt that by this third kingdom is denoted the empire founded by Alexander the Great - the Greek empire.
Fourth Empire - Rome: Edward Gibbon writes, “The arms of the Republic, sometimes vanquished in battle, always victorious in war, advanced with rapid steps to the Euphrates, the Danube, the Rhine, and the ocean; and the images of gold, or silver, or brass, that might serve to represent the nations and their kings, were successively broken by the “iron” monarchy of Rome.” - “Dec. and Fall,” p. 642
The succession of these empires was to be followed by one which 'the God of heaven shall set up'; a kingdom 'that shall never be destroyed... it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
It is important to note that there are four, and ONLY FOUR of man's kingdoms which would precede the establishment of God's kingdom. This has proved problematic for many students of God's word.
There are a few different theories about how we are to understand the timing in which God's kingdom will be set up. These views are ultimately intertwined with many other prophecies. How we interpret here will affect how we see other prophecy. Or, how we view other prophecies may affect how we interpret here. These issues can become very complex. It should be the goal of any student of God's word to not jump to conclusions, but attempt to accumulate and examine as much evidence as possible.
What are our options in interpreting this passage?
1) If Rome was indeed the fourth and final kingdom before the establishment of God's kingdom, then this fact, interpreted in light of secular history, seems to severely limit our options.
Technically speaking, and according to the history books, Rome 'fell' in approximately 476 A.D. with the overthrow of its last emperor Romulus Augustulus. This fact has led some to conclude (a conclusion which we do not think entirely invalid) that God's kingdom MUST have been established before this date. Indeed, there are some who believe firmly that God's kingdom was established in 70 A.D. with the destruction of Jerusalem by Roman Armies.
Now, as a matter of timing, and in an attempt to be loyal to the exact sense of the text, this approach to interpretation cannot be faulted. However our inquiry should lead us to ask whether or not this particular interpretation of the passage best fits all the Biblical evidence.
2) There are those who believe that since Rome must be in power when God establishes his kingdom, and since Rome is NOT currently in power, and since God has not yet established His kingdom, then in some way Rome must return to power during the 'last days'.
This type of reasoning is very popular in our time. Many modern prophecy teachers speak of a 'revived Roman Empire' comprised of ten nations (possibly something like the current European Union). They believe that this ten nation union is represented by the ten toes of the vision.
It should be noted that this interpretation requires that those who hold it insert an enormous unspecified gap of time between the feet and toes of the image. It is believed that while the 'fourth kingdom' seen in the vision is in fact Rome, it is nevertheless Rome in two different incarnations; the first represented by the legs and feet, and the second by the toes. It is thought that the former is ancient Rome, while the latter is an end-time 'revived Roman Empire'.
The 'gap' of time inserted between the feet and toes of the vision is justified thusly: The image pertains only to God's dealings with fleshly, natural Israel. God only counts time on Israel's 'prophetic clock' when the Jews are in His favor. They believe that in this current dispensation, because of their rejection of the Messiah, God has 'set them aside' and that the prophetic 'clock' pertaining to Israel has stopped. As long as this 'prophetic clock is stopped' we will remain in this 'gap'. Once the Church is completed and 'raptured', then God will once again turn to the Jews and this prophecy will resume - with the prophesied 'revived Roman Empire' in power.
This theory would seem to rest on a number of assumptions which cannot be proven nor disproven. While this by itself does not make this view incorrect, it would seem to make it less than faithful to the obvious and straightforward meaning of the text.
3) In addition to the above two options there is a third which seems to be little considered in our day; namely that once Rome came into power, it would continue to exist until Jesus returns and sets up his kingdom. This implies two things: First, that Jesus has not yet returned and set up his kingdom - at least not in the way described in this passage, and second, that Rome still does exist to this day, in a very real way, although not generally recognized as such. This view would recognize this prophecy as having a continuous fulfillment from Daniel's time all the way until the consummation of the age.
This view has a number of strengths: First, it does not require the historical 'gap' noted in the previous view. It does not require non-provable theories such as 'God's prophetic clock stops when Israel is out of favor'.
Second, and in contrast to the first view, it allows for a future fulfillment of the final part of the prophecy:
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, [but] it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
It would seem that the first interpretation would have to give these words a 'spiritualized' or 'allegorical' meaning. What good does it do to 'spiritually' consume these kingdoms, when kingdoms equally as brutal and evil still exist on the earth? Additionally, since the four kingdoms mentioned were all very literal, visible entities, it is not unreasonable to suspect that the final kingdom should be realized in some tangible way. While the first view holds very literally to this prophecy as regards the 'timing' of the establishment of God's kingdom, it does not seem to maintain the same fidelity to literalism as to the nature of its establishment described in the final portion of the vision.
Third, we have the testimony of history which records that upon its dissolution the western Roman Empire did in fact break up into ten powers which would answer exactly to the ten toes of the prophecy. Furthermore, the ten powers into which Rome was divided have remained in the same condition more or less down to our own time. Once again, this would seem to lend credence to the theory that once established, Rome would continue to exist in one form or another until the consummation of the age and the establishment of Christ's kingdom.
In his book, Unfolding Daniel’s Prophecies, theologian and historian, Roy Allan Anderson identified the ten nations of western Europe into which Imperial Rome was decimated. These were the Lombards, the Alemanni, the Anglo-Saxons, the Ostrogoths, the Burgundians, the Franks, the Suevi, the Vandals, the Visigoths and the Heruli. (p. 51, Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1975)
In his excellent work Horae Apocalypticae, the historian Elliott provided two lists of the ten nations into which the Western Roman Empire disintegrated. His second list stated these ten to be the Alemanni, Anglo-Saxons, Franks, Burgundians, Visigoths, Suevi, Ostrogoths, Heruli, Bavarians and the Vandals. In his first list Elliott had substituted the Lombards for the Bavarians. A study of Gibbon’s classic Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire indicates that the Lombards hold the rightful place in the ten.
So history bears out the fact that the old Roman Empire did in fact divide into ten parts. This is a fact of history that cannot be disputed, and thus raises a number of questions for the other positions mentioned. In regard to the first position; In what way was Rome divided into ten parts in 70 A.D. when the kingdom was supposedly established? In regard to the second position: Why look for a future Ten Nation Confederation, when the breakup of the Roman Empire into ten powers occurred centuries ago - a fact that lies on the face of history? In regard to both positions: Was this partitioning of the ancient Roman Empire into ten powers significant at all in regard to this prophecy, or just a happy coincidence?
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