The contents of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream were a great human image and its destiny. The vision of the great image in this chapter is the controlling vision in the book of Daniel. This great image signifies the aggregate of human government throughout human history, from the beginning of human government at Babel (Babylon) in the land of Shinar (Gen. 10:8-10; 11:1-9), as signified by the head of the image, to the termination of human government in human history in the Roman Empire with the ten kings (see note Dan. 2:32¹, par. 2), as signified by the ten toes (vv. 40-44a; Dan. 7:24; Rev. 13:1; 17:12). From its beginning to its termination, human government has always done three things: rebel against God, exalt man, and worship idols (Gen. 11:4 and note Gen. 11:4²).

In his interpreting of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel exalted God (vv. 25-30). He did not exalt himself.

Nebuchadnezzar’s marvelous dream should have impressed him deeply, but because he was blinded by worldly glory and power and did not have a heart for God’s interests, he could not understand the dream and eventually forgot it (vv. 1-3). All the magicians, all the wise men of Babylon, and the Chaldeans were unable to tell him the dream (vv. 4-13). However, there was a person named Daniel, who did not care for worldly glory and power, who set his heart on the spiritual things regarding God’s interests on earth, and who had the right position, the right angle, and the intrinsic capacity within him to understand the dream. He did not have the dream, yet he received the vision from God concerning it (vv. 17-23), and he interpreted it (vv. 24-45).

From here through Dan. 7:28 the text is in Aramaic, not in Hebrew.

At His appearing as the God-cut stone, Christ with His overcomers — the corporate Christ — will strike the ten kings with Antichrist (Rev. 19:11-21), thereby crushing the great image from the toes to the head (v. 35). This will be Christ’s universal judgment on the aggregate of human government from Antichrist back to Nimrod, thus ending the age of man’s government on earth in the old creation and initiating the age of God’s dominion over the entire earth in the millennium and in the new heaven and new earth for eternity.

The destiny of the great human image is to be crushed by a stone cut out without hands (vv. 34-35, 44-45). This stone is Christ. Through His crucifixion Christ was cut by God by being put to death (Zech. 3:9; Acts 2:23), and in His resurrection (Acts 2:24) He was cut out to be a stone in three aspects: the foundation stone and the cornerstone for the building up of the church (Isa. 28:16; Matt. 21:42), the stumbling stone to the unbelieving Jews (Isa. 8:14; Matt. 21:44a; Rom. 9:33), and the crushing stone to destroy the totality of human government (Matt. 21:44b).

When Christ comes as the crushing stone, He will not come alone; rather, He will come with His overcomers, His bride, His increase, as His army (John 3:29-30; Rev. 17:14; 19:7-8, 11, 14). During the church age, the age of mystery, Christ is building up the church to be His bride (Eph. 5:25-29). Before He descends to earth, Christ will have a wedding, in which He will marry the overcomers (Rev. 19:7-9), those who have been fighting the battle against God’s enemy for years and who have already overcome the evil one (cf. Rev. 12:11). After His wedding, He as the Husband will come with His newlywed bride to destroy Antichrist, who with his army will fight against God directly (Rev. 17:14; 19:19).

The two legs of iron signify the eastern Roman Empire and the western Roman Empire, and the feet and the toes, partly of iron and partly of clay (vv. 41-43), signify the nations in the period after the fall of Rome and before Christ’s second coming. These nations are partly autocratic and partly democratic. The ten toes of the image signify the ten kings of the revived and restored Roman Empire under Antichrist (v. 44a; Dan. 7:7, 24; Rev. 17:12). The periods of history signified by the first three parts of the great human image and the two legs have been fulfilled, but the period signified by the ten toes has not yet been fulfilled. It will be fulfilled at the end of the present age. See note Dan. 2:32¹, par. 2.

The head of gold (vv. 36-38), corresponding to the first beast in Dan. 7:3-4, signifies Nebuchadnezzar, the founder and the king of Babylon. The breast and the arms of silver (v. 39a), corresponding to the second beast in Dan. 7:5, signify Medo-Persia, and the abdomen and thighs of bronze (v. 39b), corresponding to the third beast in Dan. 7:6, signify Greece, including Macedonia. The legs of iron and the feet partly of iron and partly of clay (v. 33), corresponding to the fourth beast in Dan. 7:7-8, signify the Roman Empire with its last ten kings (vv. 40-44a; Dan. 7:7-11, 19-26; Rev. 17:7-13).

According to the human image in this chapter, in the sight of God all human government throughout history is composed of four empires: the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Macedonian-Grecian Empire, and the Roman Empire. The beginning of human government was at Babel (Babylon), which was built by Nimrod (Gen. 10:8-10), and the ending of human government will be the revived Roman Empire under Antichrist. Although the form and appearance of the Roman Empire have vanished, the culture, spirit, and essence of the Roman Empire continue to exist today (see note Dan. 7:12¹). At the beginning of the great tribulation (Matt. 24:21) the form and appearance of the Roman Empire will be restored under Antichrist. According to the books of Daniel and Revelation, the last Caesar of the Roman Empire will be Antichrist, who will be supported by ten kings (Rev. 17:10-12 and notes). Thus, the aggregate of human empires that began with Nimrod at Babel will consummate with Antichrist and his ten kings.

If the head of the great human image is Babylon, the entire image must also be Babylon. In the eyes of God, the entire human government from Nimrod to Antichrist is Babylon. Under Antichrist, the last Caesar, the Roman Empire will be both political and religious Babylon (Rev. 17—18). The empire of Antichrist will be the political and physical Babylon, i.e., “Babylon the Great” (Rev. 18:2), whereas the Roman Catholic Church, called “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT” (Rev. 17:5), will be the religious Babylon. See note Jer. 50:1^1a, par. 1.

This signifies the complete destruction of all human government from Nimrod to Antichrist.

Or, no place was found for them.

The great mountain here signifies the eternal kingdom of God, which will fill the whole earth forever (v. 44; 7:13-14). After coming to crush the aggregate of human government, the corporate Christ — Christ with His overcoming bride — will become a great mountain to fill the whole earth, making the whole earth God’s kingdom. Thus the great human image will be replaced with the eternal kingdom of God on earth (Rev. 11:15-17).

The increase of the stone into a great mountain signifies the increase of Christ (cf. John 3:29-30). The church is Christ’s increase in life, but the eternal kingdom of God is Christ’s increase in administration (Mark 4:26-29). Hence, Christ is not only the church but also the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 12:12; Luke 17:21). As the stone, Christ is the centrality of God’s move, and as the mountain, He is the universality. Hence, He is the all-inclusive One, the One who fills all in all (Eph. 1:23).

Lit., divided.

Denoting standing strength.

Emphasizing the notion of clay in contrast to the notion of iron.