Have you ever had a dream that left an impression but when you woke up the next morning you just couldn’t remember it? You know that it was important, bizarre, remarkable even, but for the life of you, you just can’t seem to remember a single thing about it?
Well, that exactly what happened to one of the greatest kings in history. In ancient Babylon dreams had special significance. Dreams were part of religious experience. It was believed that the gods spoke to people through dreams and that the king, especially, was a recipient of these divine messages.
So, when Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Babylonian Empire and the most powerful person on the planet, had a dream, an important one, and couldn’t remember it, he was upset and frustrated and desperately wanted to know what it was.
So, he summoned his wise men, who claimed to be in contact with the gods and said they knew how read minds, interpret dreams and tell the future. Of course, the king assumed that knowing how to interpret a dream also meant being able to conjure up a forgotten one as well.
He was wrong. In the end the God of heaven intervened and through Daniel, a Bible prophet, God showed Nebuchadnezzar not only his dream but its interpretation as well.
The dream and its interpretation are the key to understanding and knowing the future. It’s a kind of blueprint that maps both history and prophecy from the time of Babylon, 600 BC, right down to the second coming of Jesus and the end of the world as we know it. It’s one of the most amazing dreams and predictions ever recorded.
So, what was this dream? What did it predict, and why should that matter to us now? Well, let’s look at 12 facts about Nebuchadnezzar’s remarkable dream.
Fact number 1. The dream was given by God to give both Nebuchadnezzar and us a view of the future, and end time events.
The Bible says: “But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.” Daniel 2:28.
Fact number 2. Nebuchadnezzar saw a huge metallic statue in his dream which was shattered by a rock cut out without hands.
The Bible says: “Behold, a great image! …whose splendour was excellent, stood before you … This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of clay. You watched while a stone … struck the image … Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed … And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” Daniel 2:31-35.
Fact number 3. Each of the different metals represents a different world empire.
The Bible says: “You (Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon) are this head of gold.”
“But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours.” Daniel 2:38,39.
Fact number 4. The statue was made up on four metals and a fifth mixed compound; gold, silver, bronze, iron and then a mixture of iron and clay.
The Bible says: Behold, a great image! … This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of clay. You watched while a stone … struck the image … Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed … And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” Daniel 2:31-35.
Fact number 5. Babylon was represented by the head of gold.
The Bible says: “You (Nebuchadnezzar) are this head of gold.” Daniel 2:38.
Babylon, the first empire, ruled the world from 605 B.C. to 539 B.C. and was represented by the head of gold.
Fact number 6. The Medo-Persian Empire was represented by the silver chest and arms.
The Bible says: “But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours.” Daniel 2:39.
Medo-Persia, the second empire, ruled from 539 B.C. to 331 B.C.
Fact number 7. The Greek Empire, was represented by the belly and thighs of bronze.
The Bible says: “Then another, a third kingdom of bronze which shall rule over all the earth. ”Daniel 2:39.
Greece, the third empire, ruled from 331 B.C. to 168 B.C.
Fact number 8. The Roman Empire, was represented by the legs of iron.
The Bible says: “And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron.” Daniel 2:40. Rome, the fourth Empire, ruled from 168 B.C. to A.D. 476.
Fact number 9. Europe was represented by the feet and toes of iron and clay.
The Bible says: “It’s feet partly of iron and partly of clay.”
Fact number 10. Europe would arise from the fourth Empire, Rome, but it would not be as strong as the other Empires.
The Bible says: “Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided.” Daniel 2:41.
The nations of modern Europe arose out of the Roman Empire.
Fact number 11. Europe will always be divided.
The Bible says: As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. (Daniel 2:43)
The Bible predicts that Europe will always be divided and will never unite to form a strong, lasting, united empire. And that’s exactly the situation in modern Europe today.
And finally, fact number 12. The rock represents God’s eternal kingdom.
The Bible says: “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. (Daniel 2:44)
The Bible predicts that during the time of modern Europe Jesus will return and establish the eternal Kingdom of God which will cover the entire world.
So, there they are – 12 important Bible facts about the future as outlined in prophecy of Daniel 2
1. The dream was given by God to give Nebuchadnezzar and us a view of the future and end time events.
2. Nebuchadnezzar saw a huge metallic statue in his dream which was shattered by a rock cut out without hands.
3. Each of the different metals represented a world empire.
4. The statue was made up of four metals and a fifth mixed compound; gold, silver, bronze, iron and then a mixture of iron and clay.
5. Babylon was represented by the head of gold
6. Medo- Persia was represented by the chest and arms of silver.
7. Greece was represented by the belly and thighs of bronze.
8. Roman was represented by the legs of iron.
9. Europe was represented by the feet and toes of iron and clay.
10. Europe would rise up after the fourth Empire but it would not be as strong as the other Empires.
11. Europe will always be divided.
12. The rock represents God’s eternal kingdom.
And here’s what’s really amazing. World history has unfolded exactly as the Bible predicted! Babylon, the gold, was replaced by Media-Persia – the silver, which was replaced by Greece – the bronze, which was replaced by Rome – the iron.
Amazingly, God foretold that there would be these four world empires and no more. Then Europe would arise out of the break-up of the Roman Empire but would always be divided. It would never become a single entity. They’d never be united. And that’s exactly the situation in modern Europe today.
All this was written 2,600 years ago! God knows in advance exactly what’s going to happen. All the kingdoms did exactly as the Bible said they would. The only kingdom that hasn’t come yet, is God’s final kingdom.
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream reveals to us that Jesus’ second coming is imminent. We are living in the times of the toes of the statue, the times of divided Europe. The next great event of history will be Jesus’ coming and the establishment of God’s eternal kingdom.
