Ever feel like some Scripture is over your head or just plain doesn't make any sense? Well, I have, which is why I was reluctant and excited at the same time to study the books of Daniel and Revelation. I am going to post a recap of what I have been studying in small bits so as not to overwhelm, because it is exciting...mind blowing stuff...ENJOY!!!
What started the whole series of events in the time of Daniel was the dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had. (Daniel speaking) "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue -an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then, the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and gold were broken into pieces at the same time and became chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the huge rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth." Daniel 2:31-35 (NIV)
One of the remarkable things about Daniel recounting this dream to the king is that the king had told no one the dream, but demanded they tell HIM what he saw! Daniel was given the knowledge from God to tell King Neb what he saw and then he told him what it meant.
" This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory........you are that head of gold. After you another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron-for iron breaks and smashes everything-and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw the iron mixed with clay. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay." Daniel 2:36-43
Okay, so here is the prophetic dream fulfilled up to date....
the HEAD was made of gold, famous ruler was Nebuchadnezzar, historical fulfillment: the Babylonian Empire, 626-539 B.C.
the CHEST was made of silver, famous ruler was Cyrus the Great, historical fulfillment: the Medo-Persian Empire, 539-331 B.C. (the two arms represent the two sides which united to conquer Babylon as the Medes and Persians)
the BELLY and THIGHS were made of bronze, famous ruler Alexander the Great, historical fulfillment: the Grecian Empire, 331-63 B.C.
the LEGS were made of iron, famous rulers were Octavian (Augustus), Tiberious, and Nero, historical fulfillment: the Roman Empire, 63 B.C-A.D. 476
the FEET made of iron and baked clay can be interpreted as the outgrowth of the divided Roman Empire. The toes on the feet may very well represent a political system yet to come. This is the time up to now continuing until Christ's return.
The dream given to Nebuchadnezzar by God, revealed and interpreted by Daniel by God, and perfectly fulfilled to date over the span of 2600 years by God....AWESOME! One of the cool things to me is the representation of the Roman Empire in the legs and feet and how the iron is mixed in the toes. Roman culture is mixed into every culture alive right now. Us for example, our system of laws and democracy, the architecture of our governmental buildings, even our stadiums! As Mike and I have traveled all over Europe together and toured Rome...it is undeniable that the world as we see it today has evolved from a strong Roman influence. Just look around. We are living in a prophetic fulfilled time with more to come.
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