Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream, by Grant Romney Clawson
The Prophecies of Daniel: Part 5.
Chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar's Image.
June 2, 2020, Updated 11/1/2021
By JK Sellers
Background: Nebuchadnezzar’s Court
First Kingdom, the Head of Gold
How Did Cyrus the Great Come to Power?
The Third Kingdom, the Belly and Thighs of Bronze, is the Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great.
The Fourth Kingdom, the Legs of iron
The Feet and Toes of Clay Mixed with Iron
The Fall of the Seleucid Empire
The Fifth Kingdom, The Stone Cut Without Hands, the Kingdom of Heaven
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
Note: I view Nebuchadnezzar’s dream differently than Daniel’s other visions and those of John the Revelator. Yes, they do have many similarities, however, Nebuchadnezzar’s was his dream alone while Daniel’s visions were from his continued search for answers stemming from what he saw in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. John’s visions were similar but far more reaching. John saw the whole picture, from beginning to end, while Nebuchadnezzar only received a small portion of it. That small bit of the future led Daniel to seek for more information. I will delve more on Daniel’s other visions in following articles along with information on John’s visions.
Remember, this is Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and not Daniel’s.
Background: Nebuchadnezzar’s Court
In ancient days, the rulers of powerful kingdoms had a court. The main purpose of a king’s court was to assist the ruler to administer the affairs of the kingdom, just as bureaucrats function today in local, state and federal governments. However, unlike today, there were also other offices that pagan kings used to advise them on future plans or decrees––these were soothsayers, fortune tellers, and pagan priests. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had such a court.
The Greek historian, Diodorus Siculus (90 BC to 30 BC), describes the court of Nebuchadnezzar this way:
Now the Chaldeans, belonging as they do to the most ancient inhabitants of Babylonia, have about the same positions among the divisions of the state as that occupied by the priests of Egypt; for being assigned to the service of the gods they spend their entire life in study, their greatest renown being in the field of astrology. But they occupy themselves largely with soothsaying as well, making predictions about future events, and in some cases by purifications, in others by sacrifices, and in others by some other charms they attempt to effect the averting of evil things and the fulfilment of the good. They are also skilled in soothsayings by the flight of birds, and they give out interpretations of both dreams and portents. They also show marked ability in making divinations from the observation of the entrails of animals, deeming that in this branch they are eminently successful. (Diodorus of Sicily, translated by C.H. Oldfather, Loeb Classical Library, 2.29.2-3.)
This is with whom the young Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, served with in the Babylonian court. They would have first been assigned menial tasks to work with a more experienced administrator performing duties such as tax collecting, scribe, or administration, until their true abilities were found. Nebuchadnezzar would soon discover Daniel’s true gifts.
Introduction:
Early on in the Jewish exile in Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar called forth his court. He announced that he had a dream and wanted an explanation of it from his advisors.
Daniel 2:1-3 (All scriptures are from the New International Version unless noted otherwise.)
1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep.
2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king,
3 he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.”
This was, in all probably, not the first time these magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers had interpreted the king’s dreams. That was their purpose for being in the king’s court after all. Nebuchadnezzar had grown up in his father’s court, so he had heard and witnessed their advice given to his father in the past. However, this time it seems that he had grown tired of their fawning interpretations and predictions, because when they asked what his dream was he gave them a surprising answer:
5 …“This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble.
6 But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.”
These men claimed power and wisdom from false gods and to have the ability to examine entrails and the alignment of the planets and stars to predict the future or even interpret dreams. After all, they had done it for previous monarchs, had they not? It appears that Nebuchadnezzar had lost his confidence in his wise men and grown tired of their political intrigue. These wise men had conspired to mislead him in some form, and he had grown tired of their machinations. He gave them a challenge that he knew only a true prophet or a gifted seer could answer. To interpret a dream having not heard its contents. The king required them to, first, divine the subject of his dream, then interpret it! If they could not pass this test, they would all be killed!
7 Once more they replied, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”
8 Then the king answered, “I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided:
9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.”
What were these astrologers to do? They had no knowledge of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. How were they to even fake an interpretation? These charlatans confessed the impossibility of such a task. The king had exposed these men as who they were, charlatans, and was furious with them. So, he ordered their immediate execution.
10 The astrologers answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer.
11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”
12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon.
This death sentence included poor, lowly Daniel and his three friends. When he was told they were to be executed, he asked why. When he was told the startling news, Daniel asked for time to save everyone and interpret the dream himself. Daniel had read of the stories of Joseph in Egypt. He and his friends may even have likened their own experience in exile with that of their famous ancestor, Joseph. When Daniel read the account of Joseph, he learned who it was that could interpret dreams, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” (Gen 40:8) Daniel’s faith was such that he knew God would reveal to him the interpretation of the dream just as the Lord had for Joseph.
13 So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.
14 When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact.
15 He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel.
16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
Daniel and his three friends prayed to God to help them solve this mystery. During the night Daniel received his first recorded vision of many. He saw Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and the interpretation of it.
17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.
Daniel’s prayer was answered! The faith of these four sons of Judah surmounted all the knowledge of the wise men who claimed to possess what the True God had given His prophets and seers in the past. Daniel praised God, for he knew the source of his gift.
20 and said: “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.
23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.”
Daniel, now confident he could answer Nebuchadnezzar’s test, sent word so he could be brought before the king.
24 Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.”
25 Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means.”
26 The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?”
I can imagine the doubt in king Nebuchadnezzar. All of his wise men couldn’t guess at his dream and here comes a boy from a conquered, far-off land claiming the ability to tell the king his dream and then interpret it.
Before giving the interpretation, Daniel explains to the king that mere men could not have answered his test. But that there is a God who could, and that God had given him a vision of the dream and its interpretation.
27 Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about,
28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these:
29 “As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen.
30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.
The Dream
Daniel now reveals the dream that the other wise men could not even guess at.
Nebuchadnezzar had seen an enormous statue made up of differing metals. The head was of pure gold, the rarest and most precious of metals. The chest and arms were of silver, the second most valuable. The belly and thighs were of bronze, harder, used as weapons and armor, but also used in ornaments and statuary. The legs of the statue were of iron, an even harder metal but more plentiful. Finally, the feet, were a mixture of iron and clay, making it of cheap value and of dubious or mixed strength. As the king dreamt, he saw a rock cut from a mountain without hands. This boulder rolled down the mountain and struck the weakest part, the feet of iron and clay, and smashed them, the rest of the statue collapsing into small pieces. These pieces, light as chaff, was swept up by the wind and scattered, disappearing into the air. The boulder rolled on, and as it rolled, it grew so large that it filled the earth.
31 “Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance.
32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze,
33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay.
34 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.
35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 “This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king.
Daniel’s Interpretation
Daniel now tells Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation he received from God. Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold and that each of the different metals were successive kingdoms that followed his. The silver chest and arms would be a second kingdom, inferior to his. The third, the bronze belly and thighs, would be greater and rule the world. The fourth kingdom, being of strong iron legs, would break things to pieces and crush all before it. The fifth kingdom of feet and toes, a mixture of iron and clay, would be a divided kingdom of mixed people and a variety of strength and weakness.
37 Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory;
38 in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
39 “After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth.
40 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.
41 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 iron mixed with clay.
42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.
43 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.
The boulder that smashes the kingdoms and fills the earth is a kingdom that God will establish in the time of the last, smaller kingdoms. It will crush all the other kingdoms and bring an end to them.
44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.
45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. “The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
King Nebuchadnezzar was so amazed and astonished at Daniel’s revealing the dream and interpreting it, he fell down before Daniel and praised and honored him. The king then elevated him to rule over the richest and most prestigious province, the city of Babylon and its region as well as placing him in charge of all of his wise men. His three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (The Babylonian names given to Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah) were rewarded also with administrative positions within the same province.
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.
47 The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.”
48 Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.
49 Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.
Knowing the political nature of a king’s court there must have been those who were jealous and hated the rise of Daniel and his three friends. I can imagine how resentful the other advisors in the court would feel having an exiled slave quickly rise in the government’s hierarchy and to be then placed under him. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would suffer from these envious critics in the future (See Daniel chapters 3 and 6). Nevertheless, God would rescue them each time.
Explanation of the Dream
King Nebuchadnezzar’s Legacy
Before we go into the explanation of the dream, we must again remember that God gave this dream to Nebuchadnezzar, not to Daniel. God gave Daniel the interpretation of the king’s dream. We can only speculate as to why God gave this dream to King Nebuchadnezzar. He was obviously a vain and proud man. It was Nebuchadnezzar who had a gigantic golden statue of himself built just outside of Babylon and forced all to bow down and worship it (Dan. 3).
When Nebuchadnezzar succeeded his father as king of Babylon, he began a massive building and reconstruction program. Using slaves and artisans from conquered territories, he built three rings of walls to circle the city. It was said that the outer rind was at least 100 feet high and wide enough to race chariots on top. The inside of the city was 200 Square miles, as big as present-day Chicago. The famous Ishtar Gate, the most prominent of eight, was decorated with bright blue glazed bricks adorned with pictures of lions, bulls, and dragons. Inside the city he built many lavish and beautiful buildings, three palaces, the 26 story Etemenanki ziggurat with a temple to Marduk on the top, plus the fabulous Hanging Gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Was Nebuchadnezzar so vain that he worried that his name would be forgotten and all the expense of gold and slaves building his fabulous city of Babylon would be for naught? Was he troubled that his descendants would squander his legacy he had built? Was he worried that a longtime rival like Egypt or Media would come in and take his kingdom and lay waste to his city? We can only speculate as to why he had this dream. We do know that God works in mysterious ways and placed a faithful son of Judah in Nebuchadnezzar’s court for a reason.
Etemenanki ziggurat.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Ishtar Gate City of Babylon
City of Babylon and its Walls
Points to keep in mind:
Since this is Nebuchadnezzar’s dream then the subject of the dream was the Babylonian Empire and its capital, Babylon, the greatest and most famous city in the known world, followed by the successive kingdoms that came after. We do not need to look for kingdoms in Europe just as we need not include the great empires in India, China, or the Americas. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about his kingdom and those that surrounded it, no other.
Now on to the explanation of the dream.
First Kingdom, the Head of Gold
Daniel in his interpretation tells us who the head of gold is. It is Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. To identify the other three kingdoms should be rather simple. All we need to do is compare Daniel’s interpretation of the dream with history. Sounds easy, right? Unfortunately, as in most cases of eschatology and hermeneutics, we find some differing of opinion as to who exactly are the other three kingdoms. But since history has already been written, we can look back and discover for ourselves which kingdoms followed Nebuchadnezzar’s.
Map 1. The greatest Extent of the Babylonian Empire and its capital, Babylon.
At the height of Nebuchadnezzar’s rule, he controlled the Mesopotamian valley from the Zargos mountains to the Mediterranean Sea and from the deserts of Arabia in the south to the mountains of Asia Minor in the north. (See Map 1) His mortal enemy, Egypt lay to his east and to the west and north lay the Median Kingdom. The Medes were a powerful rival in the region.
Map 2. A map of the kingdoms of Babylon, Media and Persia circa 540 BC
Second Kingdom, the Chest and Arms of Silver, is the Medo-Persian Empire, also known as the Achaemenid Empire.
Persia at this time was a rising power and a tributary state of Media. In 559 BC a young man named Cyrus became the king of Persia following the death of his father. History acknowledged his achievements in human rights, politics, and military strategy, as well as his influence on both Eastern and Western civilizations. Through his achievements he became known in history as Cyrus the Great.
How Did Cyrus the Great Come to Power?
There are two conflicting stories of how Cyrus came to power and about the Biblical figure, Darius the Mede. Modern scholars discount the existence of Darius the Mede, who, according to the Bible (Daniel 5:31, Daniel 6, Daniel 9:1, Daniel 11:1), ruled in Babylon for two years between Belshazzar and Cyrus the Great. Most secular historians use the accounts of Herodotus and Ctesias (both fifth century Greek historians) for the rise of Cyrus and do not acknowledge the existence of a ‘Darius the Mede’. That story goes thus:
When Cyrus took the throne of Persia, the Median Empire was ruled by Cyrus’ grandfather, Astyages (uh-STY-uh-jeez). The Persians paid the Medes for protection and a certain level of independence since both ruling families had intermarried. Astyages, because of jealousy, launched a war against his grandson, Cyrus. After a few short battles Cyrus defeated the Median army and captured Astyages. Cyrus spared the life of his grandfather which pacified several of the Median vassals, many of whom were Cyrus’ own relatives. Through intermarriage and diplomacy, Cyrus was able to quickly unite the two kingdoms of Persia and Media into one, the Medo-Persian Empire, by 550 BC.
Xenophon (431 BC – 354 BC), a Greek philosopher, historian, and a leader of Greek mercenaries who fought under Cyrus the Younger, tells a much different story:
Xenophon (ZEN-uh-fuhn) and Herodotus agree that both Median and Persian ruling families had intermarried for diplomatic and peaceful purposes. Both agree that Astyages was Cyrus’ grandfather. Astyages gave Cambyses I, the king of Persia, his daughter, Mandane, to wife. When Cambyses I died that made his son, Cyrus, the new king of Persia. This is where the two stories divide. Rather than king Astyages of Media attacking Persia, Astyages dies and his brother, Cyaxares II (kaay-AAKS-zurs), Cyrus’ uncle, takes the throne of Media.
Xenophon recounts in his book, Cyropaedia, how Cyrus adored his grandfather, Astyages, and how the grandfather and uncle in turn doted on his grandson. Cyrus lived with his grandfather in Media during his youth and was trained how to ride and hunt by his uncle, Cyaxares II. It was under Cyaxares that Cyrus learned to command men in battle. Cyrus rose quickly in the ranks of the combined Median and Persian army to command the united army of both kingdoms and their allies. Cyaxares stepped back because of age and stayed behind in Media during Cyrus’ campaign of conquest. Since his uncle, Cyaxares II had no children, Cyrus was next in line to the throne of Media and became co-regent of the new Medo-Persian Empire. Being commander of the combined armies solidified his position.
Cyrus was loved by those who served under him, by the people of Media and Persia and even those whom he defeated in war and the people whom he conquered. Cyrus the Great was a tolerant and ideal monarch and was called ‘father’ by all his subjects.
So, who was Darius the Mede?
Following the custom of Media and many ancient kingdoms, Cyaxares II took the throne name, Darius, when he succeeded his brother Astyages after his death. It was Cyaxares II as Darius who took control and ruled Babylon after Cyrus’s army had taken it (Daniel 5:30-31). It was Cyaxares II as Darius who cast Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6). It was Cyaxares II as Darius who fulfilled Jeremiah’s prophecy of seventy years of exile. It was during Cyaxares’ reign as Darius that Daniel saw the coming of the Messiah, His Crucifixion and resurrection and the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, [see; The Prophecies of Daniel: Part 4, 70 Weeks-The Coming of the Messiah] and finally, the successive wars between kings and conflicts that lead up to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
“Cyrus did not make a hostile conquest of Media, did not dethrone the last Median king, and did not become the highest regent in the Medo-Persian Empire until after the fall of Babylon. Cyrus was Darius’s co-regent, the hereditary king of the realm of Persia, the crown prince of Media, and the commander of the Medo-Persian army—yet it was still Darius who was officially recognized as the highest power in the realm. Darius died naturally within two years after the fall of Babylon, and as he had no male heir and Cyrus had married his daughter, Cyrus inherited his position upon his death and united the Median and Persian kingdoms in a single throne.” [Steven Anderson, Darius the Mede: A solution to his identity.]
The Fall of Babylon
Under Cyrus’ leadership the new Medo-Persian Empire spread across Asia Minor and to the Mediterranean Sea. The following year, 539 BC, Cyrus set his sights on Babylon. He struck at the heart of the kingdom, defeating the Babylonian army at Opis routing their army as King Nabonidus of Babylon fled to Borsippa to the east. The next city on Cyrus’ march to Babylon, Sippar, surrendered without a fight. The only thing that stood in way of Cyrus’ taking the kingdom of Babylonia was one of the great fabled capitals of the ancient world, Babylon itself.
Map 3. The City of Babylon.
Ancient writers such as Herodotus, Pliny, and Strabo all marveled at the great city of Babylon. The walls were more than forty-one miles in length and was surrounded by moats. The great Euphrates River flowed under its walls and through the city itself. The massive outer walls were said to be anywhere from 100 to 300 feet high and up to 85 feet in width (The measurements varied depending on the author). 250 towers were spaced along this wall to house soldiers that maned the walls, safeguarding the city from attack. Inside the walls was a city of 200,000 people, a huge ziggurat temple, spacious and elaborate palaces, and one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and enough stores to last 20 years.
Once his army reached Babylon, Cyrus encountered a fortress city that had never fallen before a conquering army in recent history. The inhabitants laughed at Cyrus and his army, knowing that there was little chance that Cyrus could penetrate their fortifications. However, Cyrus didn’t intend to lay a siege or try a costly assault on the great walls of Babylon. What he did was build defensive fortifications as if he was preparing for a long siege. While this was going on, he dug a canal upriver from Babylon. Then he waited. Cyrus had learned from defectors that soon there would be a high festival where everyone would be celebrating and drinking all night long.
Belshazzar’s Banquet and the Writing on the Wall
This is perhaps the reason Belshazzar, the eldest son of Nabonidus and co-ruler of Babylon, was throwing a great banquet on the eve of battle. Daniel, an old man by now, was still alive and serving in the court of Babylon. Belshazzar, in a drunken state, ordered the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple of Jerusalem brought forth so that the revelers could drink from them. Any Jews present must have been shocked by the sacrilege of their sacred vessels.
1 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them.
2 While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them.
3 So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.
4 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
This desecration angered God. A hand appeared and began writing upon the wall in a language no one understood. All those present saw the hand and were greatly frightened, horror-stricken of what it might mean. Belshazzar called for his astrologers and soothsayers to be brought to the feast and interpret the message on the wall. None could.
6 His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.
7 The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant.
9 So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.
The queen, however, remembered that there was an old wiseman from Judah, Daniel, who was blessed with wisdom, knowledge and understanding, who could interpret dreams and dissolve doubt. She suggested that her husband call for Daniel to interpret the writing on the wall.
10 The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale!
11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners.
12 He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”
Once Daniel was brought forth, Belshazzar asked if he could interpret the writing on the wall, Belshazzar would make him the third highest ruler in the land under Belshazzar and his father.
13 So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah?
14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom.
15 The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it.
16 Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
Daniel told the king he could keep the rewards. Outraged by the audacity of the pagan Babylonians to desecrate the sacred vessels, Daniel castigated Belshazzar for being just as arrogant and full of pride as his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar had been. Nebuchadnezzar had been punished for his arrogance, and now he was to face a worse fate because he disgraced the God who “holds in his hand your life and all your ways.”
17 Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.
18 “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor.
19 Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled.
20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.
21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.
22 “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this.
23 Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.
After humbling the monarch as only a prophet of God could, Daniel read the writing on the wall. “God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
24 Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25 “This is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN
26 “Here is what these words mean: Mene : God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
27 Tekel : You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
28 Peres : Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
Instead of having Daniel punished for his words, Belshazzar rewarded Daniel with the robes of state and a gold chain all indicating that Daniel was now the third highest ruler in Babylon. This didn’t mean a thing to Daniel. He knew that this very night, Babylon would fall to the Medo-Persian army outside their gates.
29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain,
31 and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.
And how did Cyrus take the most fortified city in the ancient world in one night? He changed the course of the Euphrates River with the canal he had dug and had his army wade through the almost empty riverbed under the city walls to enter the city, capture the citadel and kill Belshazzar and his court.
Conclusion:
The second kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was the chest and arms of silver. The two arms represented the two separate but united kingdoms of Media and Persia, united into one, the Medo-Persian Empire, or also known as the Achaemenid Empire.
Some have argued that the second kingdom was Media and the third, Persia. They overlook the fact that the royalty of Persia and Media were all related and of the same family having untied by intermarriage for generations. Media was the power in the region and Persia was a tributary state of Media.
Map 4. The Greatest Extent of the Medo-Persian Empire and its capital, Pasargadae. Circa 500 BC.
The Third Kingdom, the Belly and Thighs of Bronze, is the Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great.
The Rise of Alexander the Great.
Alexander ascended the throne of Macedonia (present day Greece) after the death of his father, King Phillip in 336 BC. Many of the newly conquered kingdoms and city states of Macedonia rebelled against the young heir, Alexander, thinking him to be a pushover. Unfortunately for them, he inherited his father’s well-trained army and was an even more brilliant strategist than his father. Alexander was quickly able to reunify Macedonia with a combination of speed, lightning strikes with his cavalry, and diplomacy. With Macedonia now under his control, Alexander then set his eyes and forces upon his northern neighbors. In early 335 BC he conquered Thracia, Triball and marched his army to the Danube to discourage the tribes on his northern flank from any raiding while he was off campaigning to the east.
While Alexander was away the cats at home began to play. Several city states rebelled, again, against his rule. Alexander’s sack of Thebes and its partition to other more loyal territories cowed the rest of the rebels. Solidifying his borders from threats from within and without, Alexander now set his sights on Macedonian’s ancient enemy, the Persian Empire.
As Alexander rose to power, across the Bosporus, Persia was an unstable Empire. Large portions of Persia were ruled by jealous and unreliable governors and inhabited by disaffected and rebellious subjects. Darius III had just succeeded in subduing Egypt when Alexander invaded.
After crossing the Hellespont, Alexander was the first of his army to step foot onto Persian soil. Stepping onto the beach he threw his spear deep into the sand, proclaiming that Asia would be his ‘spear won territory’ (it’s a Greek thing). The next order of business was to free the Greeks who lived along the coast and on nearby islands. This included the ancient site of Troy. In 334 BC Alexander fought and won three major battles to take Asia Minor (present day Turkey) from Persia.
Next (333-332 BC) Alexander faced Darius’ III own numerically superior army in battle, outmaneuvered it and defeated Darius III at Issus. Darius fled in a panic, leaving behind a collapsing army, his family, and a fabulous treasure. After ransoming the royal family, Alexander was able to take possession of Syria and most of the Levant coast (roughly present-day Lebanon). Alexander’s goal was to take the entire east coast of the Mediterranean, from Greece all the way down to Egypt, to secure his western flank and facilitate the resupply of his army by sea. Alexander secured Egypt and the Mediterranean coast by 332 BC. (See: The Prophecies of Daniel: Part 3, Daniel and Alexander the Great)
Alexander Takes Babylon, Fulfilling Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
The next year Alexander’s forces took Babylon which he later made his capital. Soon after, Alexander advanced into the heart of Persia, taking its capital, Persepolis, and Pasargadae, where Cyrus’ tomb lay. Alexander continued his conquest into far away India. This was short lived because his army of Macedonians had tired of over a decade of war and wanted to return home to their families. Alexander returned to his capital, Babylon, where a short time later he died on June 11th, 323 BC, leaving no obvious heir behind.
The Macedonian Empire was then divided between Alexander’s generals, commonly called the Diadochi (successors). The fragile unity soon collapsed, and 40 years of war between the Diadochi ensued. The Hellenistic world eventually settled into four stable power blocs: Ptolemaic Egypt, Seleucid Mesopotamia and Central Asia, Attalid Anatolia, and Antigonid Macedon.
More of the Diadochi wars will be covered in the next two articles: The Prophecies of Daniel: Part 6, Daniel’s Four Beasts; and The Prophecies of Daniel: Part 7, The Ram, Goat and the Little Horn.
Map 5. The Greatest Extent of the Empire of Alexander the Great and its capital, Babylon. Circa 323 BC.
The Fourth Kingdom, the Legs of Iron
The Three Kingdoms
Up to this point there is almost unanimous agreement that the Babylonian Empire is the head of gold, the chest and arms of silver is the Medo-Persian Empire, and that the belly and thighs of bronze is the Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great. The traditional view is that the Roman Empire is the legs of iron and feet of clay mixed with iron are the kingdoms that succeeded the Roman Empire’s breakup. An alternate view, held by a small minority, is that the second kingdom was the Medes, the third kingdom was Persia, and the fourth was Alexander and his generals, the Diadochi. I have a different view.
Before I go further into my explanation, I would like to point out that when I began researching this article, I was in complete agreement with the traditional view that Rome was the fourth kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s image. However, as I began my research and studied the history of the region and the kingdoms involved, I found several problems with that view. I realized to my amazement that, in truth, Rome could not have been the fourth kingdom. Let’s examine who that fourth kingdom is.
To discover who Nebuchadnezzar’s fourth kingdom is, we must examine the succession of kingdoms in the area, the specific geographical area in question, and its history. To begin let’s read Daniel’s words. In verse 38 above Daniel declares Nebuchadnezzar is the head of gold. In verse 39 he says, “After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours.” Cyrus the Great along with Darius the Mede conquered Babylonia. He calls him inferior, but I think this was just to ease Nebuchadnezzar’s ego. Cyrus conquered not only Babylon but also Asia Minor and Egypt.
The third kingdom, Daniel says, will rule the world. This is Alexander the Great and the Macedonian Empire. We know that he didn’t actually rule the ‘whole’ world, but he did conquer the world that Nebuchadnezzar knew, from Egypt to India, from the deserts of Arabia across the Bosporus into Greece. Alexander did not go into Europe past Greece or across Africa except for the rich Nile valley of Egypt. Alexander made Babylon his capital. So far, we have a progression. Babylon falls to Cyrus. Cyrus’ kingdom falls to Alexander. Which kingdom conquered the Macedonians? Here we have a dilemma, Alexander died at the height of his career. He died having defeated all of his enemies with no other rival empires waiting in the wings to swoop in and take his country from Alexander’s heirs, as happened to the other two. When Cyrus conquered Babylonia, it was in decline. The same with the Medo-Persian Empire, it was in decline just waiting for a strong and brilliant leader like Alexander to sweep in and take it. Not so with Alexander’s Empire.
If the Macedonians weren’t conquered, who took their place? Tradition tells us that it was Rome. The problem is Alexander died in 323 BC when Rome was a tiny city state on the Italian peninsula surrounded by rivals. That’s in Europe and nowhere near the ‘world’ of Nebuchadnezzar. Cyrus conquered Babylon. Alexander conquered Babylon. By the time the Roman legions reached the ruins of Babylon in 116 AD, it was a deserted city and was not the capital of the Parthian Empire that occupied the area at the time. Rome’s only foray into central Mesopotamian valley was when Emperor Trajan marched across the Euphrates all the way to Susa. Babylonia became a province for Rome for one year. When Trajan died in 117 AD, Hadrian, his successor relinquished the territory back to Parthia. I do not see how Rome conquering a portion of the old Babylonian kingdom for one year qualifies Rome as Alexander’s successor and Daniel’s fourth kingdom. So, who was it?
The Diadochi
In our search of the fourth kingdom, let’s start with Alexander’s successors. After Alexander died in 323 BC, his closest confidants gathered together and divided his kingdom into satrapies, or provinces. Historians call these men the Diadochi (dee-ah-DOH-key), successors, who were Alexander’s generals, bodyguards, governors and friends. The Diadochi were given satrapies to rule. This arrangement didn’t last long. Fighting among the Diadochi broke out a year later and lasted several decades. Towards the end of the wars, only four were left standing, Kingdom of Ptolemy I Soter, Kingdom of Cassander, Kingdom of Lysimachus, Kingdom of Seleucus I Nicator.
The Kingdom of Seleucus I appears to be our best candidate for Alexander's successor and the fourth kingdom or the legs of iron. As noted above, Seleucus I (se-LOO-kuhs) was one of Alexander’s generals. He was one of the few generals who kept the non-Greek wife Alexander had given his leaders at Susa in an attempt to unite the far-flung people of his empire by marriage. Apama, an Iranian princess, became Seleucus’ queen and mother of the heir to the throne, Antiochus.
Map 6. The Diadochi satraps partition after Alexander’s death. From Wikimedia Commons
After Alexander’s death, the Diadochi gathered to partition the empire. Perdiccas was made regent and he chose Seleucus as the Commander of the Companions, Alexander’s elite cavalry unit. During the onset of the Wars of the Diadochi, Perdiccas lost the confidence and trust of his troops and officers who then mutinied against him (321 BC). Seleucus and several other generals murdered Perdiccas in his tent.
A Roman copy of a Greek statue of Seleucus I found in Herculaneum. Now located at the Naples National Archaeological Museum.
This led to the Partition of Triparadisus (321 BC) where the major Diadochi again gathered to repartition the provinces of Alexander’s Empire. Seleucus received the wealthy province of Babylonia and Alexander’s capital. The great general, Antigonus I Monophthalmus (One Eye), was given Asia Minor (Modern Turkey) and made overall commander of the Imperial army. With that, Antigonus set about to reunite Alexander’s Empire under his rule. This sparked a series of wars of conquest among the Diadochi that lasted 40 years.
During these wars, Antigonus (an-TIG-uh-nuhs) set about chasing down rebelling factions and leaders of Alexander's former army to try and reunite the Empire, under his rule. He stopped in Babylon to get Seleucus’ loyalty. However, Seleucus tried to stay neutral in the fighting over Alexander’s kingdom. Babylon was wealthy but did not have a large army. Antigonus didn’t trust Seleucus, he being an adroit and beloved leader of his men, and made a pretense to take his satrap away from him as he had done to several others. Seleucus disciplined one of his officials in the presence of Antigonus. Antigonus became furious (Antigonus was known for his short temper). He ordered Seleucus to turn over a year’s income of Babylon’s wealth to him. Prior to this, Antigonus had been gathering the treasure of each of the satraps he had conquered to build up his own treasury. Seleucus refused. Antigonus was the kind of man who didn’t take no for an answer, so he sent men to kill him. Seleucus barely escapes with his family and 50 of his mounted cavalry to Egypt where he was welcomed by his friend, Ptolemy (TALL-em-y).
While in Egypt, Seleucus served under Ptolemy and both became close allies. Seleucus was given command of 100 ships and thousands of men who he used to harass Antigonus and his allies and take several cities on the coast of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. In 312 BC, Ptolemy and Seleucus invaded Syria and defeated Demetrius, Antigonus’ son, in the Battle of Gaza (See Map 7). During the battle, Peithon, Antigonus’ governor of Babylon, was killed.
The Seleucid Empire
With Babylon without a ruler, Seleucus now saw his chance to regain his kingdom. Ptolemy gave Seleucus 800 infantry and 200 mounted cavalry to march on Babylon. Along the way, Seleucus, being a popular leader of the men in the Macedonian army, was able to recruit more soldiers and by the time he reaches his former capital he had over 3,000 troops. Seleucus easily recaptured Babylon and freed his friends held in prison by the former governor, Peithon. Historians regard Seleucus’ capture of Babylon in 312 BC as the first year of the Seleucid Empire.
Antigonus I Monophthalmus (One Eye)
Not long after his return to Babylon, allies of Antigonus One Eye tried to force Seleucus out of Babylon. An army of 17,000 men led by the satraps of Media and Persia marched on Babylon. Even though he was greatly outnumbered, Seleucus ambushed the invaders as they were crossing the Tigris and killed the satrap of Persia. When the news of their leader’s death spread through the army they surrendered in mass. Almost the whole army agreed to switch sides and fight for the more popular Seleucus. It should be noted that the armies of the Diadochi were of Greek decent, trained as heavy infantry in the famous Macedonian phalanx formations which ruled the battlefields at the time.
Seleucus vs Antigonus
With Media and Persia wide open, Seleucus decided to take advantages of the power vacuum. He immediately marched his new army of 20,000 and took Media and Persia along with several nearby territories. While Seleucus was away campaigning in the east, Antigonus sent his son, Demetrius, to take Babylon away from Seleucus. Upon reaching the city, Demetrius found that Seleucus had emptied Babylon and spread the population to nearby towns. What Demetrius discovered were two well defended fortresses rather than a teaming, rich city. He took one but the other held. Demetrius attempted a siege, but his army was too small and from persistent raids by Seleucid troops he was forced to withdraw. Demetrius left a city pillaged and nearly destroyed.
Bust of Ptolemy I in the Louvre
In 311 BC, Antigonus decided to go and take care of Seleucus himself and add the rich Mesopotamian valley to his kingdom. As Antigonus gathered his forces, Seleucus returned with a large army to defend his country. The population of Babylon resisted the invaders and helped to slow Antigonus down. The Babylonians loved Seleucus and most of the people of the region hated and feared Antigonus, who was a harsh and sever ruler. The two armies met and fought all day to a standstill. Both sides agreed to call a halt at sunset and resume fighting the next day. Antigonus allowed his troops to get a good night’s rest and remove their armor. Seleucus however, told his men to sleep in their armor and before sunrise had his men in formation and ready to battle. Seleucus' soldiers attacked the unprepared and unarmed army of Antigonus at sunrise, defeating them easily. Antigonus never attempted to take Babylon again.
Map 7. The Diadochi kingdoms, circa 310 BC.
With a safe border in the west, Seleucus set up a new capital, Seleucia, just 40 mile north of the former capital, Babylon. At this point, the city of Babylon was a decaying city, damaged by war, and now used only as a garrison for troops, and became a fading memory of its former glory.
In 305 BC Seleucus again set his sights towards the east. His army fought all the way into India and as far as the Indus River. His eastward expansion finally ended when he met the armies of great Mauryan Empire in the Indus valley. Seleucus made a truce with Chandragupta, the king of the Mauryans. They agreed on a border, Chandragupta was given a Greek daughter to wife (the histories are vague as to whose daughter she was), and Seleucus was given 500 Indian war elephants and mahouts, their handlers. This last item of the contract was a boon to Seleucus. The armored war elephant was the main battle tank of ancient warfare. They ended up being a decisive advantage for the Seleucid Empire for years to come.
Indian War Elephant in Delhi Museum.
Fresh from his victories in the east, Seleucus now was able to face his long time enemy, Antigonus. Allying with Cassander and Lysimachus (lahy-SIM-uh-kuhs), Seleucus faced the army of Antigonus and his son, Demetrius, at the battle of Ipsus in 301 BC (See Map 7). Both sides were equal in number, but Seleucus had the numerical advantage in war elephants, Seleucus had 500 while Antigonus only had 75. Antigonus had his elephants spread out across the front of his line to disrupt the pike formations of the allies. Seleucus placed 100 of his elephants to counter Demetrius’, then placed the rest in reserve and out of sight. Seleucus used his larger force of war elephants to cut off the right wing of Antigonus’ army and brought his horse archers in to harass the heavy infantry while both armies clashed. Antigonus’ center faltered, and he was killed in the intense fighting, after which the army broke apart and Demetrius fled.
Seleucus’ use of war elephants certainly fulfills Daniel’s description of the fourth kingdom: “for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others.” This is a perfect description of how Indian war elephants were taught to wade into infantry formations, spin around, crushing the men with its feet, goring with spikes or swords attached to their tusks, and grabbing others with its trunk to fling them away. Seleucus never had a numerical advantage of heavy infantry as the other Diadochi armies had, but he did have a larger force of mounted archery from Parthia and the one big advantage, armored Indian war elephants, the armored tanks of ancient warfare.
The Last Four Diadochi
After the Battle of Ipsus only four Diadochi remained, Seleucus, Cassander, Lysimachus, and Ptolemy. From this time forth, Seleucus, was now called Seleucus I Nicator, the Victor. Seleucus did not have the biggest armies, but his did have cunning and guile on his side plus the greater number of Indian war elephants.
In the subsequent years, Seleucus became a city builder, founding many new cities; Seleucia on the Sea (Mediterranean cost of Syria), Laodicea, Antioch, Apameia, and many others. He used these new cities to attract more Macedonians and Greeks settlers to bolster his military and fortify his frontier against the other Diadochi armies looking for more territory to expand into.
Seleucus now prepared himself for the final conflict to unit Alexander’s kingdom. In 292 BC Seleucus chose his son Antiochus, the son of his beloved Iranian princess, Apama, as co-ruler and gave him the responsibility of the eastern part of his empire while Seleucus himself set his sights on the west and his home country of Macedonia.
Diadochi Wars by Manuel Krommenacker
At 70 years old Seleucus craved to unit Alexander’s Empire and see the land of his birth of Macedonia once again united before he died. Over the past 40 years Seleucus had slowly gathered the empire Alexander had won. His ally, Ptolemy held Egypt, Sinai and the Levant, while Lysimachus ruled Macedonia, Thracia and Asia Minor and Demetrius, son of Antigonus had just taken Cilicia (southern Turkey near the Syrian border) from Seleucus. Seleucus gathered the enormous resources of his empire and marched first against Demetrius to end the threat he posed to his kingdom. Seleucus had learned that Demetrius’ forces were tired and hungry, not having been paid or fed for some time. He avoided direct conflict with Demetrius’ army, blocked all the roads to and out of Cilicia and decided on a different approach. When the two armies faced off, Seleucus rode forward, removed his helmet, and addressed Demetrius' army personally. He urged the soldiers to switch sides and abandon their inept commander, Demetrius. The soldiers, knowing of the caliber of Seleucus and the great resources he held, all joined his army. Demetrius was arrested and died in captivity a few years later.
Seleucus I Soter, Beloved by His Kingdom, The Last Diadochi
Seleucus invaded Asia Minor in 281 BC and defeated Lysimachus at the decisive Battle of Corupedium (See Map 7). Lysimachus died in battle leaving Seleucus as the last living member of Alexander’s Diadochi. (His friend, Ptolemy had died just a few years earlier.)
Before his final quest to unite Alexander’s kingdom and reach Macedonia, Seleucus attempted the daunting task of uniting the many diverse peoples of Asia Minor. He built more cities and established trade routes all throughout his kingdom. Many of the cities he liberated celebrated his rule by building temples in his honor. It became a local custom to offer an extra cup of wine to Seleucus at dinner. He was given the title Seleucus Soter or ‘savior’ by his adoring public.
Seleucus crossed over into Europe for the first time since leaving as a young man to serve under Alexander. His goal of uniting Alexander’s Empire once again was almost at hand. Macedonia and Thrace lay before him with open arms. The Athenians had nominated Seleucus as an honorary citizen. At the threshold of fulfilling his life’s dream, Seleucus was assassinated by Keraunos, a deposed son of Ptolemy.
Thus, ended the life and career of the greatest of the Diadochi, empire and city builder, loved and adored by his troops and the people he ruled. Seleucus I Nicator was cut from the same mold as the popular kings before him who ruled Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, and Alexander. Just as Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold, Cyrus the chest and arms of silver, and Alexander the belly and thighs of bronze, Seleucus was the legs of iron who forged an empire as great if not greater than the other three. The armies of Seleucus did fulfill Nebuchadnezzar’s dream for they truly were as “strong as iron” and “did crush and break” all those he faced. (Dan. 2:40)
So that leaves the question, Who or what are the feet and toes of clay and iron?
Feet and Toes of Clay Mixed with Iron
I have wondered how Daniel receive the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Did he see a vision with scenes from each one of the empires which followed the Babylonian Empire? Did Nebuchadnezzar’s dream fade as the centuries passed in his vision and Babylon, the once beautiful and most grand city of its time, faded in importance and soon decayed into ruins. If so, then the sharpness of the vision may have faded as well.
The iron legs of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Seleucid Kingdom, eventually becomes weaker as time marches on and we come to the ankles. At this point the Seleucid Kingdom becomes “partly strong and partly brittle” (Dan. 2:42), the iron having been “mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay” (Dan. 2:43). Eventually this weakened kingdom falls apart and is divided into smaller kingdoms representing the toes. It is during this time when the kingdom of iron divides into many smaller kingdoms.
The Fall of the Seleucid Empire
Antiochus, Seleucus’ I son, did not have the success his father had. During his reign and that of his son Antiochus II, the kingdom suffered from many wars with Egypt and the Celtic invasion into Asia Minor. Many provinces rebelled and began their own independent kingdoms. By the time the third heir of Seleucus, Seleucus II, came to power they had lost a vicious war against Egypt and had fought a civil war against his own brother. As these wars were occurring two more provinces seceded from the kingdom and had lost Asia Minor to the Gauls. Civil war, societal decay, and pressure from Rome and Parthia spelled the collapse of a once great empire in 63 BC.
It was difficult for the Seleucids to keep their kingdom united because of the dozens of differing tribes and nationalities in the kingdom. Daniel prophesied that they “will not remain united”. Here is a partial list of the variety of cultures and peoples that the kings of the Seleucid Empire had to deal with:
In Asia Minor:
- Cappadocians
- Luwians
- Palaic
- Armenians
- Gauls
- Phrygians
- Mysians
- Thracians
- Bithynians
- Thynians
- Mushki
- Tibareni
- Kartvelians
Persia and the East (not including India):
- Assyrians
- Medes
- Persians
- Cimmerians
- Scythians
- Chaldeans
- Sarmatians
- Alans
- Pashtuns
In an attempt to unit their kingdom the Seleucid kings tried to Hellenize the people under their rule, by forcing them to speak Greek, worship their gods and adopt Greek culture and customs. A few of the kings used draconian tactics to force this Hellenization. This did not go well with many people of the kingdom, especially the Jews who fought and won their independence for a short time. In the end the Seleucid Empire could not keep such a “mixture” of people “united” just as Nebuchadnezzar had seen in his dream. This is one of the factors that led to the breakup of their kingdom. More of this will be included in my next articles; The Prophecies of Daniel: Part 6, 7, and 8.
Map 7. Map of the kingdoms that existed just before the fall of the Seleucid Empire, circa 100 BC.
As you can see there were many more than ten kingdoms that followed the fall of the Seleucid Empire. So how can there be more than ten if the Seleucid Empire is the fourth kingdom?
Untold numbers of expositors have tried to make a list of the ten kingdoms or countries that represent the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s image. It was easy to do if Rome was the fourth kingdom. Just count the countries that were founded after Rome’s fall. A problem arises when you remember that before Rome fell, the Empire was divided into two, East and West. After the western half of the Roman Empire fell in 465 AD, the Eastern Roman Empire at Constantinople continued for centuries afterward, finally falling to the Ottomans in 1453 AD. When these expositors made their lists of the ‘ten toes’ a variety of different lists has resulted, depending on who and when the list was made. They never took into account that the Roman Empire continued on in the form of the Eastern Roman Empire in Constantinople. Besides, Roman legions only occupied Babylonia for a year and the city was in ruins by that time.
I believe that the number of toes is ten, not because of a specific number of kingdoms that followed the fourth but may simply be for the fact that humans have ten toes. None other, well at least in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Daniel never even mentions the count of ten toes. In Daniel’s following visions, the numbers of horns and heads do have a significant meaning, but not in Nebuchadnezzar’s. His dream was about him, his city, and his kingdom.
Why Rome cannot be the Fourth Kingdom:
- The dream was Nebuchadnezzar’s and was about his kingdom and the legacy he left in the city of Babylon.
- Babylon fell into ruins beginning with the reign of Seleucid I, 400 years before Rome entered the region.
- There was no city of Babylon by the time Rome occupied the Mesopotamian valley.
- Rome only occupied the valley for one year.
- Rome did not "crush and break" all three of the other kingdoms
- Rome never occupied or even reached Media, Persia, or India as Cyrus, Alexander, and Seleucus had.
Why the Seleucid Empire is the Fourth Kingdom:
- The Seleucid Empire followed almost immediately after Alexander and the third kingdom.
- The Seleucid Empire occupied the same area as the other three and did "crushed and break" them.
- Babylon was the capital of Seleucus’ kingdom for a short time just as it was Nebuchadnezzar’s, Cyrus’, and Alexander’s.
- Seleucus was given Babylon and then won it by force of arms just as Cyrus and Alexander had.
- Seleucus conquered Asia Minor, Syria, Armenia, Media, Persia, Parthia, and parts of India just as Cyrus and Alexander had.
- Seleucus’ war elephants certainly did, like iron, “breaks things to pieces,” and “crush and break all” before them.
- The Seleucid Empire was made up of a "mixture" of people and could not keep them "united".
The Fifth Kingdom, The Stone Cut Without Hands, the Kingdom of God
44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.
45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. “The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
During the time of “those kings”, the kingdoms represented by the toes, God would send His Son to earth in order to establish a kingdom here on earth. This kingdom, the rock, was not built by man or upon a man, or in other words was not cut by human hands.
The fifth kingdom, the rock rolling down the mountain, is the Kingdom of Heaven, set up by Jesus Christ during His ministry.
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The keys, or authority, to lead the kingdom was given to Peter and the apostles:
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
The Jews, for the most part, rejected the kingdom and subsequently God sent it among the Gentiles.
43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
The kingdom of God will spread across the whole earth and in the last days, crush all those kingdoms out of existence. Thus, will commence the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
It should be noted that the stone strikes the image at his feet and the toes. The Church was not a great stone when it began. It was just a pebble. As time goes forth, even in our day, the stone is still building, growing into the bolder that will strike at the feet of the statue.
The Stone Will Fill the Earth and Crush All the Kingdoms.
Daniel says that the rock will “crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever”. But by the time the Lord crushes those kingdoms they will all have gone and faded away. In fact, six more empires formed in the same region as Nebuchadnezzar’s four kingdoms. Some even grander and encompassing more territory than his, but none are mentioned in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. It appears as if the dream faded as time passed, the final important point being the establishment of the Kingdom of God that would grow to fill the earth. No other kingdom is mentioned as if no others were important to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
Which empires came next in this region?
- Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD) followed the Seleucus Empire.
- Sassanid Empire (224 to 651 AD) followed the Parthians and ruled this part of the world next to the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire).
- Rashidun Caliphate (632–661). The first caliphate to form after Muhammad’s death in 632 BC and quickly expand its territory out of Arabia and into the old empires of Babylonia, Egypt, Media, and Persia.
- Umayyad Caliphate (661–750). The greatest empire of them all, encompassing beyond the fullest extent of Alexander and surpassing even ancient Rome!
- Abbasid Caliphate (750–945 AD). The Umayyad dynasty was overthrown by the Abbasids in 750 AD. By 945 AD the Abbasid Caliphate had fallen apart into smaller sultanates and caliphates.
- Ottoman Caliphate (1299 –1924). The Ottomans of Turkey were the last of the great empires. Its armies advanced all the way to Vienna before finally being stopped. The Ottomans sided with Germany in World War I and joined in their defeat. After the war under the Sykes-Picot Agreement, the Ottoman Empire was broken up and the Middle East was arbitrarily partitioned into smaller countries. Thus, we have the chaotic situation in that region we have today.
Some have suggested that in the last days a knew empire will form in the region. Ezekiel saw this in vision in chapters 38 and 39. That Gog of Magog will gather an alliance to destroy Israel. These are many of the same kingdoms that made up the Ottoman Caliphate before its dissolution and the same area that Alexander and Seleucus controlled. I believe that a new empire will form in the last days. Many in the Muslim world yearn for the rebirth of a new Caliphate. The three centers of Muslim power, Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia all desire to be the power center of this future caliphate. My view is that Turkey will resurrect a new Ottoman Empire. This could only take place if a Mahdi, the Muslim messiah, appears and gathers the divisions of the Islamic world––Shia and Sunni––Turks, Saudis, and Persians and unite them once again. This new caliphate will be a rebirth of all the kingdoms of the image that Christ destroys when he returns. A caliphate will form in the same region as the Babylon, Medo-Persia, Macedonia and the Seleucid Empires. This is where all the prophecies of the last days meet. John, Ezekiel, Daniel, and others. (Read more about the identity of Gog in my free newsletter. Sign up and read about who Gog is and what's he is doing today. Start with volume #1.)
Conclusion:
I suspect that Nebuchadnezzar was worried about his kingdom and what would happen to it in the future. Most kings, such as Nebuchadnezzar, desire to leave a mark and legacy upon the world. He did this by building a fabulous city, Babylon, including the famous Hanging Gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. On this momentous night, he dreamed a dream that he could not understand. God used Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to give him, and those who followed after him, a glimpse into the future. Through Daniel, God blessed the prophet and gave all his fellow Jews who were in exile with him, faith knowing that God was listening to their prayers and would answer them.
Nebuchadnezzar saw a set of four kingdoms representing the body of a statue. As one kingdom succeeded the other, time passes, the fourth breaking up onto smaller units, the toes. He saw a fifth in the form of a stone cut without hands from a mountain. This stone, the Kingdom of God, rolled down the mountain growing in size until, in the last days, it filled the whole earth and crushed all of the other kingdoms: Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Macedonia, and Seleucia.
The Head of Gold. The Babylonian Empire.
The Chest and Arms of Silver. The Medo-Persian Empire.
The Belly and Thighs of Bronze. The Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great.
The Legs of Iron. The Seleucid Empire.
The Feet and Toes of Iron and Clay. The kingdoms that followed the Seleucid empire as it crumbled.
The Kingdom Cut Without Hands. The Kingdom of God which Jesus Christ set up during His ministry that will fill the earth and in the last days destroy all earthly kingdoms to prepare for Christ’s Millennial reign.
I did not include Daniel’s own visions of the future for a reason. This was Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and stands alone. However, I do believe that what Daniel saw in the interpretation caused him to contemplate the future and he may even have been worried by some of the scenes he saw that would unfold in the region, since it included his own beloved Kingdom of Judah. In future articles I will delve into chapters 7, 8, 10, and 11. I covered chapter 9 in the previous article, The Prophecies of Daniel: Part 4, 70 Weeks-The Coming of the Messiah.
JK Sellers
See also:
The Prophecies of Daniel: Part 1, The Historical Setting
The Prophecies of Daniel: Part 2, Who was Daniel
The Prophecies of Daniel: Part 3, Daniel and Alexander the Great.
The Prophecies of Daniel: Part 4. Chapter 9, 70 Weeks-The Coming of the Messiah.
The Prophecies of Daniel: Part 6. Chapter 7, Daniel's Four Beasts.
The Prophecies of Daniel: Part 7. Chapter 8, The Ram, Goat and the Little Horn.
The Prophecies of Daniel: Part 8. Chapters 10-12, The Wars of the Kings of the North and the South.
The Prophecies of Daniel Part 9. Daniel's Fourth Beast was not Rome. It was the Seleucid Empire.