The recent world events have many people looking to the future with great anticipation. In countries that were once communist, millions of people are experiencing their first taste of freedom. Countless millions of other people are facing the worst crisis of their lives: drugs, violence, abuse, and suicide. These tragedies are very real reminders of the world that we live in. So what does the future hold for mankind?

        Rich or poor, young or old , people are obsessed with a desire to find out about the future. Many have looked to astrologers, magicians, and fortune tellers, hoping to get a glance of the future. For most people the future looks very depressing.

        To the committed Christian, God's word provides the answers to the questions we might have about the future. The recent events in our world should only encourage us to study and learn more about Bible prophecy. Through the study of Bible prophecy, we learn how world events are part of God's plan for the future.

Prophecy: A Blessing Often Ignored

        Wonderful blessings await those who seek to understand the prophecies in the Bible.
   “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” (Revelation 1:3)

 When we gain understanding, we also increase our faith, as the events we read about come to pass.

    “And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.”(John 14:29)

The Key to Bible Prophecy

        Do you feel you should know more about Bible prophecy? Or do you think prophecy is too difficult to understand? Or should we read prophecy, but not take it too seriously for fear that we might be wrong about its interpretation? If you feel that way, then you are not alone. Many struggle with Bible prophecy and its interpretation. If the message of prophecy was relevant at the time it was written, then its message is even more so today.

        Many people believe that no one can understand Bible prophecy because of the symbolic language used. In this study we will see that the Bible clearly interprets the passages for us.

        Various prophetic scriptures may not be quite as easy to understand as the one found in Daniel 2. Only with God's wisdom, available through His Holy Spirit, can we start to put some of the pieces together.
        The metallic-man image of Daniel 2 represents a key to interpreting and understanding all Bible Prophecy.

Daniel 2:1:
    “And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.”

        As we begin reading in Daniel 2, we see that King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. The unusual part about the story is that the king did not remember what the dream was about. He called for the magicians, the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and asked them to tell him what his dream was about. These men were unable to tell the king. When they informed Nebuchadnezzar that no man on earth could show him what his dream was about he became furious. He then commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be put to death, this included Daniel and his friends.

        Arioch the captain of the King's guards went to Daniel. We read that this is the first time Daniel hears about the king's dream. Daniel then went and told his friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Together they sought the Lord in prayer about the king’s dream. That very night Daniel received a revelation from God about the dream.
        When Daniel went to King Nebuchadnezzar, he told him that it was through the power of God that the dream had been revealed. Daniel never sought glory for himself, but always glorified God.

The Dream

 In verse 28 Daniel tells King Nebuchadnezzar what the dream was about.

Daniel 2:28:
   “But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;”
        The dream is about the latter days. The term latter days shows us the dream was not only for King Nebuchadnezzar, but for future rulers as well. Today, it is extremely important for us to understand this scripture. It has been recorded to reveal events, past and future, that will help us understand the plan of God for mankind.

Daniel 2:31-35:
   “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.”

        If this was all that Daniel was told about the dream then he might have wondered what it meant. We might never know, except the Lord then gives Daniel a full explanation, which is easy to understand. (Whenever possible let Scripture interpret Scripture.)

Daniel 2:36-45:
   “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.
        “Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”

The Interpretation

Verse 38 shows from the beginning the meaning of the head of gold.

Daniel 2:38:
   “Thou art this head of gold.”

        The head of gold represented Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon was the world power at that time and was recognized for it's wealth. The high walls of Babylon and it's hanging gardens made it famous the world over. Along with the architecture, Babylon was also recognized for it's science and religion. Many of the practices in religion today find there root in Babylon.

        Verse 39 then describes another kingdom which will rise. This kingdom will be inferior to the first.This kingdom is symbolized as breast and arms of silver. At the time this dream is revealed to Daniel, Babylon is still the only world power. So from verse 39 on, the prophecy is talking about events that were to take place in the future, after the fall of Babylon.

        To help pinpoint these events, we must look at historical records to see how they fit this prophecy. We know that the head of gold represents Babylon. We are now able to set up a pattern to follow, which helps us to interpret the remaining parts of the image. The second kingdom represented by the metallic-man image is the empire of Media-Persia. In Daniel 5:28 we read that the kingdom of Babylon is conquered by the Medes and the Persians.

        Verse 39 then tells of a third kingdom, a kingdom of brass. The successor of the Medo-Persian empire was the Greek empire of Alexander the Great.
        The Medo-Persian armies tried at one time to conquer Greece but were unsuccessful. It was out of Greece that Alexander the Great arose, and conquered Media-Persia.
        Verse 40 tells us of a fourth kingdom. The next empire which conquered the world was the Roman empire. This empire was the longest lived and the most powerful of the four mentioned. As we look at the history of the Roman empire, we clearly see that it fits the description of a kingdom of Iron. A kingdom which would break in pieces and subdue all things. The Roman empire won her territory by force, or by the fear of her armed might.
        Verse 41 then deviates just a little in it's description from that of the previous parts of the image. In the previous verses the kingdom mentioned were always one substance: Gold, Silver, Brass and Iron. We now read a description of the feet of this image being part of iron and part of clay. Verses 41–43 offer us some insight into what this means.

Daniel 2:41–43:
    “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.”

        Since the fall of the Roman empire there has never been a world ruling power. Men have tried, such as Napoleon and Hitler, but they have always failed. As impossible as it is to mix iron with clay so is it impossible for there to be another world power. Which brings us to today. Can you see how clearly our time fits the feet of the Metallic-man image? There are many nations that are strong, and many that are weak. No matter how many times we try to unite as a world kingdom, it always failed!

Daniel 2:44-45:
   “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.
        “Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”

        In verse 44, we read about a world Kingdom that is not yet set up. The next World Kingdom to be set up is GOD’S. Some people have speculated that this part of the prophecy has already been fulfilled and that Christ has already set up his kingdom here on earth.

John 18:36:
    “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”

        In the prophecy of the metallic–man image the kingdoms mentioned are all kingdoms that ruled the earth. Christ is going to set up his kingdom here on earth.
        However It is to be set up after the fall of the Roman empire, and when there would be no single world power, but a mixture of strong and weak nations. It is apparent that we are living at the time just previous to this event, but it has not yet happened. From other passages of scripture, we see that the stone represents “Christ.” So the striking of the image represents his second coming.

        In verse 45 we read that when the image is destroyed the stone breaks into pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold. We know that these four kingdoms came to an end at different times. So why does this verse tell us that the entire image is destroyed when struck by the stone?

        For our answer we will see that there is more than one part to a kingdom. There is the physical and also the cultural. The physical part of these four kingdoms came to an end, but many of the cultures were passed on. For example the Babylonians were the first to divide the circle into 360 parts, something we still do today. The Babylonians also introduced sun worship, which many still practice. The Persians passed on the art of weaving. Our democratic form of government came from Greece. Rome’s law is the basis for much of our law today. The religion of Rome is still very much alive in many churches today.

        When Christ comes to establish his kingdom, he will not build on anything that man has done in the past. Everything that man has done will be destroyed. That is why when the stone strikes the image on the feet it destroys all parts of the metallic–man image; the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The parts of the image then become like chaff which the wind carries away. The stone then becomes a great mountain and fills the whole earth. Christ's kingdom is perfect and it will last for all eternity.

        With all the misunderstanding in prophetic interpretation, it is important that you understand these key points:

There will never be another world empire set up by man.

The next world empire will be God's.

Jesus will come as King of Kings and Lord of Lord's.

CONCLUSION

        If there was ever a time when we needed to hear the truth about Bible Prophecy it is now! Study for yourself what God’s word has to say about the future. It's time people stopped listening to what man has to say about the future, and learn what God has to say through his word, the Bible. Everything we need to know about the future is written in the Bible.

        The prophecy in Daniel that we have just studied, the metallic–man image, has stood the test of time. What a wonderful time we live in. A time when we are seeing first hand the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

Ecclesiastes 12:13:
   “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

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