Nebuchadnezzar listened intently as Daniel explained the meaning of his dream. "Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings, and G-d has highly honored you with power over all humans, animals, and birds. You are the head of gold. After you are gone, another kingdom will rule, but it won't be as strong; it will be followed by a kingdom of bronze that will rule the whole world. A kingdom of iron will then come into power, crushing and shattering everything.

This fourth kingdom will be divided--it will be both strong and brittle, just as the feet and toes were a mixture of iron and clay. This last kingdom will be the result of a marriage between kingdoms, but it will crumble, just as iron and clay do not stick together.

During the time of those kings, the G-d who rules from heaven will set up an eternal kingdom that will never fall. It will be like the stone that was cut from the mountain, but not by human hands--the stone that crushed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. Your Majesty, in your dream, the great G-d has told you what is going to happen, and you can trust this interpretation."6

When Daniel finished speaking, Nebuchadnezzar fell at Daniel's feet to honor him. He ordered an offering and incense to be presented to him. He told Daniel, "Surely your G-d is the G-d of gods and the L-rd of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery."7

Nebuchadnezzar gave Daniel a very important job and many presents. He made Daniel ruler over all Babylon and placed him in charge of all the wise men. Daniel asked the king to give Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah jobs, too. So the king appointed them administrators over the province of Babylon.

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Brian, chewing on a blade of grass, looked out over Lake Superior. He hadn't missed a word. It was obvious he was deep in thought.

"Gee Dad, this is getting difficult," sighed Jamie.

He smiled at his daughter. "You haven't seen anything yet."

Brian said thoughtfully, "Four kingdoms, starting with Nebuchadnezzar. There have been more than four kingdoms. There have been hundreds of countries and kingdoms."

"Yes, there are and have been hundreds of countries, but there have only been four world empires. Historians agree the four empires were: the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Grecian Empire, and the Roman Empire,"8 Darryl explained.

"The Bible specifically said the head of gold represented the Babylonians. So the silver must represent the Medo-Persians. The bronze would have to represent the Grecian, leaving the iron to represent the Roman Empire," Jamie said triumphantly.

"That's exactly right, Jamie," said Darryl.

Now Brian had a question. "Is there anything special about the types of metal?"

Jamie's father continued, "Yes, there is. The mightiest empire was the Babylonian Empire, so it is fitting that it is represented by gold. Silver is a slightly inferior metal indicating the second kingdom would be inferior to the first. The Medo-Persian Empire, though great, was indeed inferior to the Babylonian Empire. The Grecian Empire was inferior to the Medo-Persian Empire just as bronze is inferior to silver. Iron, though inferior in value to the other metals, is the strongest and this perfectly describes the Roman Empire. The decline in the metals represents the moral decline of the world."9

"The one arm must be for the Medes and the other arm for the Persians," Jamie said. "But what about the two legs?"

"The Roman Empire was divided; one group had its headquarters in Rome and the other in Constantinople,"10 replied Darryl.

"I don't understand the clay mixed in with the iron ... what does it represent?" asked Brian.

"Ah ... that is the part of the dream that is beginning to be fulfilled in our lifetime. It is important, when studying the Bible, to look at other passages of Scripture. We will be looking at these four empires repeatedly in the book of Daniel, as G-d reveals more and more details about them. For now, all you need to know is that the iron mixed with the clay reveals a revived Roman Empire," he explained.

"You mean with Roman soldiers and everything?" asked a spellbound Jamie.

"Not quite," Darryl smiled at her. He was so pleased to see she had an interest in studying the Bible.
"Finally, the rock that crushed the statue represents the kingdom that G-d will set up, and it will never end!"

"Wow!" cried Brian. "When is that going to take place?"

"We don't know the exact day or hour, but G-d has given us many clues in the Bible to let us know when the time is near. We will talk more about this after we have studied a few more chapters. I am afraid we'll have to stop for now; it's time to go home for supper." Darryl turned to Brian, "Our family is going camping in the mountains tomorrow; perhaps you could join us."

"Oh, Dad ... can he really come with us?" Jamie cried.

"He'll have to ask his parents for permission, but he's certainly welcome," was her father's warm reply.