Daniel Two
and the Time of the End:

(Ulrike Unruh)

This chapter reveals several things about prophetic events.
1. Only God knows the future
2. There is an outline of the progression of historic kingdoms
3. Yet there is much more! The battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the evil one. The battle between true and false worship.


The battle to find the source of truth
The Progress of History. Is that all the Image Tells Us?
The Mystery Revealed in the Feet
The Mysterious Stone, When ? What?
The Kingdom that Has No End



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.
2.2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
2.3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

One of the first things we see is the battle between the source of truth!

The king seeks truth and calls for his:
Magicians: who seek answers to truth in magic and superstitions.

Astrologers: who seek answers by studying the stars and their positions in the universe. Like horoscopes and other related ideas.

Sorcerers: who are in contact with occultic powers and witch craft seeking answers from the powers of evil and the supposedly dead.

Chaldeans: who seek to find truth by rational, logical thinking in maths and sciences.

Now is this something only to be found in Babylon of ancient times? Or could it be that people in our day are relying on the same source for answers? Could this be a warning applicable to our world, our society, which is also looking for truth to eternal questions in all the wrong places?


2.10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things of any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
2.11 And it is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no one that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
2.16 Then Daniel went in before the king, to request of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the dream and its interpretation.
2.17 Then Daniel went to his house, discussed the matter with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
2.18 That they would seek the mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
2.19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

The first lesson to be learned from this chapter:

The truth concerning eternal matters is to be found only in God. We must look to the sources we know are from God, not to any other source for truth. GOD'S WORD IS TRUTH!

God revealed himself to Daniel in answer to earnest prayer. How intense that prayer meeting must have been as Daniel and his three companions very lives depended upon them receiving the answer to the kings dilemma.
Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.


2.20 Daniel said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
2.21 And he changes the times and the seasons: he removes kings, and sets up kings: he gives wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
2.22 He reveals the deep and secret things: he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
2.23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.

Daniel praised God the source of all

  • wisdom and might,
  • the One who gives wisdom to the wise
  • the One who gives knowledge and understanding
  • the One who can reveal things hidden to man
  • the One in control of the flow of earth's history
  • the One who revealed the kings dream and it's interpretation.

    A second lesson we can learn from Daniel 2: God will have people through whom He can teach others; people who are loyal to Him, and looking to Him for answers; who will be ushered before kings and rulers in places where God can use them.


    Even before the king Daniel claimed no glory for himself, but made it plain all wisdom and knowledge upon the matter was from God!


    2.26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Are you able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
    2.27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers,cannot show unto the king;
    2.28 But there is a God in heaven that reveals secrets, and makes known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, are these;
    2.29 You, O king, had thoughts come into your mind while upon your bed, concerning things which should come to pass in the future: and he that reveals secrets makes known to you what shall come to pass.
    2.30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any other living person, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that you might know the thoughts of your heart.

    THE PROGRESS OF HISTORY

    We all know the story of King Nebuchadnezzar, who, having experience an impressive dream, demanded that his magicians and soothsayers tell him both the dream and it's interpretation. When they couldn't produce the dream, for they dared not guess, the king demanded their execution. Daniel, who was one of the kings wisemen but also a devote follower of God, asked the king for time to pray. That night he was given the same dream and also the interpretation by God.
    Next he told the king about the image in his dream, declaring that he, Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom were the head of gold, but inferior kingdoms would follow. Finally a stone, cut out without hands, would smash the image and all its' pieces would fly away like chaff.


    2.31 Thou, O king, looked, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before you; and the form thereof was terrible.
    2.32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
    2.33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
    2.34 Thou watched 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.
    2.35 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.
    2.36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

    2.37 Thou, O king, are a king of kings: for the God of heaven haq given you a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
    2.38 And where ever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven has he given into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all. YOU ARE this head of gold.
    2.39 And after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you, and then another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
    2.40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things: and as iron that breaks all these, so shall it break in pieces and bruise.

    The vision confirms our faith in prophecy, for history reveals the kingdoms came just as the prophecy said they would.

    Head of Gold ........................ Babylon
    Chest and Arms of Silver... Media Persia
    Thighs of Bronze..................Greece
    Legs of Iron...........................Rome
    Feet of Clay and Iron..........Papal Rome
    Toes.......................................Divisions of Europe

    Here we also have a key to understanding the other visions in Daniel

    Daniel 2 begins in the time of the prophet Daniel and reaches to the close of earth's history. It is the INTRODUCTORY OUTLINE upon which the other visions are based. Babylon--Media Persia--Greece-- Rome -- Papal power hold together the divided kingdom of ten toes.
    Daniel 7 confirms this SAME SEQUENCE and covers this same time, with the same characters.

    Thus Daniel 8 and 11 follow suit-- to abort them and focus them on some character like Epiphanies is not correct. All four visions (2,7,8,11)reach from the prophets time to the end of time.

    However, could this dream be more than a history lesson? We are familiar with the identification of the image in it's historical significance, but now take note for there is more!

    "The image shown to Nebuchadnezzar in the visions of the night represents the kingdoms of the world. The metals in the image, symbolizing the different kingdoms, became less and less pure and valuable, from the head down. The head of the image was of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the sides of brass, and the feet and toes iron mingled with clay. So the kingdoms represented by them deteriorated in value. The result of making void the law of God may be seen in the increasing immorality of these several kingdoms". (RH.1900-02-06.005)
    Political historical progression is only the framework.
    These metals also include the build up of the false worship systems, and with it a downward spiral in morality and worth.

    Let's compare Daniel 2 with several verses in Daniel 5 for further insights.
    Daniel 5 is a type of the judgment. A mockery of God's laws and sacred things ends in having judgment pronounced against Babylon. Belshazzar brought out the utensils taken from the sanctuary in Jerusalem to use for his party. It was a mixing of the sacred things with the common that brings down the judgment.
    Two particular texts in chapter five are interesting as they relate to chapter two. Here's verse 4:

    "They brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God...and drank in them, they drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron , or wood and of stone. (ceramic clay?)" Where did we read that list of metals before?
    The significance is that Daniel, in this chapter, identifies the gods worshiped by the Babylonians in the order of the great image! Gold, silver, bronze, iron, clay (ceramic stone). The image of Daniel 3 probably also had wood, overlaid with gold. Then in verse 23 Daniel says:
    "You lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven; and brought the vessels of his house before you....and drank wine in them, and you praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood and stone, which see not, nor hear; nor know..."

    Notice the silver and gold are now reversed? The gold is being put under the silver--the Medes and Persians are about conquer Babylon.

    Interesting to note that none of these metals disappear until the very end of the vision! NONE! They all remain. The religious systems of each mingle and intermingle with each successive political kingdom for they are all one kingdom — the kingdom of evil — the kingdom of false worship systems.

    These are all political kingdoms with false religious state worship. They are all STATE-church powers. King Nebuchadnezzar demonstrated this by the fact that he had the power to command that his religious councilors be put to death. The state controlled religion.

    Thus a third lesson we can glean from the second chapter of Daniel:While representing the kingdoms of this earth, the image that was revealed to Nebuchadnezzar also fitly represented deterioration of religion. We grow weak morally and spiritually, just in proportion as we forget God and praise the gods of this earth.

    THE MYSTERY REVEALED IN THE FEET


    2.41 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.
    2.42 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.
    2.43 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.

    Now let's move on down the kingdoms to the clay.

    The feet and toes are made of iron mixed with clay. (Dan. 2:33)
    Iron is Rome. What is the clay?
    This Iron Clay kingdom rules over the ten toes? "The kingdom shall be divided" Rome was divided into the ten tribes of Europe. But what rules over them?
    What rules over the ten horns in Daniel 7:20? The Little horn!
    Who is the little horn?
    Papal Rome! Papal = clay, Iron = Rome.
    Together they form Papal Rome.

    Never do the ten toes form a united kingdom like the former empires, though they try, through marriage contracts, economic measures, wars, etc., somehow they do not manage to cleave together. But still it is Papal Rome ruling over the ten toes, actually using their weakness for it's own strength, often pitting one tribe against the other to achieve it's goals in the power struggle.

    4BC p. 1168 Ellen White writes, "We have come to a time when God's sacred work is represented by the feet of the image in which the iron was mixed with the miry clay...The mingling of church craft and statecraft is represented by the iron and the clay."

    Whenever Daniel enumerates the minerals in chapter two something significant is happening to the position of the clay element. Read Daniel 2:33,35,45,

    The clay begins at the bottom, verse 33,
    But in verse 35 the iron and clay are at the very top as the stone comes and smashes the images to pieces.

    Then in verse 45 the clay is right in the middle showing it's central role in the whole outline of history. The mixing of church and state power to enforce the false worship systems was all through history, but only in the last days, just before the coming of our Lord will the great CHURCH-state power be at it's height. At this point it will seem that the kingdom of the evil one has triumphed. At this time "all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Rev. 13:8

    When that stone hits "Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold are all crushed TOGETHER!
    This image which depicts the rise and demise of earthly kingdoms, contains something more enduring then mere historical empires. We would expect the various metals to disappear when their kingdom comes to an end. But no, it is destroyed all together when the stone strikes!

    Today, we see that the religions and philosophies of all the past world empires are alive and thriving! They have achieved a phenomenal resurgence in popularity in our present day! We are confronted by them daily. Sad to say, pagan religions have also remained alive and well because they have invaded the church, and the church has historically promoted pagan worship at the expense of the truth as taught by the Holy Scriptures!

    THE MYSTERIOUS STONE, WHEN ? WHAT?


    2.34 You watched till 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.
    2.35 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.

    2.44 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.
    2.45 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 Bible makes it plain that the stone represents Jesus Christ:

    Isa. 8:13-14 -- LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel
    Isa. 28:16 -- A stone, a tried stone, a Precious corner stone, a sure foundation....
    1 Peter 2:3-8 -- The Lord is gracious, to whom coming a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious... A chief corner stone, elect, precious and he that believe on Him shall not be confounded...the stone which the builders rejected, the same is made the headstone of the corner...
    1 Cor. 10:4 -- That spiritual Rock ..that Rock was Christ...
    Luke 20:17, 18 -- The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to poweder.
    Zech. 3:9 -- the stone...upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold I will engrave the graving thereof, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day....
    Rev. 5:6 -- the Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes...

    When is the stone cut from the mountain?

    Well, first we must determine what the mountain represents?

    Mount Zion is often used to depict the people or kingdom of God, or the place where God's people come together to worship Him.

    Isa. 2.3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God..

    Eze. 20.40 For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me:

    However, mountain can also mean the place of worship of false gods.
    Jer. 3.23 Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.

    It is very interesting to compare the use of "mountain" in Daniel 2 with the concepts of "mountain" understood by the Babylonians.

    Daniel's whole emphases is on THE ONE TRUE GOD, whose mountain will, in the end, fill the whole earth.

    Babylon had many gods, Bel-Marduk being the chief god of the pantheon. The Babylonian priesthood (who were the Chaldean magi we meet in chapter 2) wielded an enormous power. They were often more powerful than the Babylonian king himself! (Though Nebuchadnezzar kind of put them in their place!) However, the monarch had to acknowledge the priests’ intermediary role and “take the hands of Marduk” each year at the New Year Festival”. Marduk was the head of the pantheon of gods. The king thus became the son of the god and was obliged to protect the religious hierarchy.

    Now these leading priests of the god Marduk, are also called the priests of "The Great Mountain"!

    Their centers of worship were Ziggurats-- huge structures some being 50 metres high. The Ziggurat of Marduk was a central feature of Babylonian life, with an entire culture and economy surrounding it. The city of Babylon boasted a ziggurat or temple complex that was the largest and most famous of all the temples of the ancient Orient!

    All the ziggurats were built with specific parts aligned to the heavens and based on the geometry of the land and grid points of energy on planet Earth.

    The ziggurats were "mountains" of the gods, the word means “pinnacle, mountain top" Their function was to connect humanity to the gods above who would one day return. Their flat tops were "meeting places" with the gods.

    It is believed that the ancient Egyptian pyramids also belonged to this "mountain" concept. They too are aligned with the stars of heaven etc. But unlike the Babylonian ziggurats they are constructed out of HUGE STONES and do not have flat tops.

    There are literally hundreds of ziggurats of various styles scattered over the Earth, in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Far East, Southeast Asia and South Pacific, and in North and South America.

    Often one finds huge stone heads or animal shapes (like the famous sphinx by the Egyptian pyramids) - placed at specific angles nearby- - who they believed were links to their gods who lived in the skies and would return one day.

    Given the cultural understanding in Daniel's day can we see the tremendous impact the vision of Daniel two had upon the king of Babylon?

    The ONE TRUE GOD, would come, whose mountain would fill the entire earth!

    The kings in those days were considered almost on the same level as the gods they served as we will discover in Daniel 3, thus with the "smashing" of their kingdoms comes the "smashing" of their "gods".

    God was calling this king to recognize all these "mountains" of human devising were nothing-- The priests of these mountains could not explain a dream that obviously involved their very function and position.

    BUT THERE IS A GOD IN HEAVEN!!!

    Yes, Christ is that rock, and upon Him is built the "mountain" or "church" of God. "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 3:11. "Upon this rock," said Jesus, "I will build My church." In the presence of God, and all the heavenly intelligences, in the presence of the unseen army of hell, Christ founded His church upon the living Rock. That Rock is Himself,--His own body, for us broken and bruised. Against the church built upon this foundation, the gates of hell shall not prevail.

    Christ has identified Himself with His church. He became flesh and dwelt among us, He became PART of the mountain of the people of God, in order to reconcile that “mountain” back to God. But then He was “caught up” to God. He, the stone cut out without hands, will come again.

    When does the stone hit, that stone not cut out with hands, therefore of no human origin!

    Some say He already did this at His first coming by establishing the kingdom of grace. But did Christ put a final end to the kingdoms of this world at that time? Others say the stone will be the spreading of the gospel into all the world in the last days, but again we must ask, is this the time the nations of earth completely disappear?

    The stone breaks the image, and it becomes like the chaff of summer threshing-floors, and the wind carries it away so that no place is found for it. All earthly kingdoms are first broken, and cease to exist; then, and not till then, does the stone fill the whole earth. The kingdom mentioned here in Daniel two, is NOT the spiritual kingdom established in the minds and hearts of mortal men. How can we know that? If it is said that the spiritual kingdom is not set up till the last days, then we must wonder, was there no kingdom of grace before that time-- no power to convert the nations? Or do we expect the world to suddenly be converted just before Christ comes and this conversion results in revolutions against earthly governments? No, that is not what we see here at all.

    At the time of these kings! At the time when the image of the false kingdom is in full bloom with all elements in full recognition, with the clay and iron at the top! A time when the world is in open rebellion not against earthly governments but against the government of God! That's when the stone hits and smashes it completely. That's when Rev. 19 finds it's fulfilment as Christ rides forth to rule the nations with a rod of iron, (Ps. 2.9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.) Notice again, that the image is smashed before God's kingdom fills the earth. The smashing is sudden and complete and thorough before God's kingdom fills the earth.

    The fulfilment of the smashing and subsequent building of God's kingdom happen at the second and third coming.

    The initial smashing is at the second coming. Satan's kingdom is destroyed. False worship is smashed with one mighty blow. The righteous are taken to heaven to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

    However, it is at the third coming after the 1000 years are finished, that all the wicked, including all the wicked of the four earthly kingdoms depicted by the image, are present TOGETHER. They have all been resurrected. TOGETHER. All the subjects from all the earthly kingdoms plot to overthrow God's kingdom, the new Jerusalem, come down from heaven. All together, a multitude greater than the sands of the sea they march on Jerusalem, the fulfilment of Ezekiel 38 in it's ultimate fulfilment, Gog and Magog, march on the city of God. (Rev. 20:7-9) All these kings are alive and crafty in their plottings and plannings, but once again the stone, cut out with hands, not from human origin, strikes. The image topples forever into total oblivion. Satan and his false religious kingdoms receive their judgement and destruction TOGETHER.

    The Kingdom that Has No End

    This is the time when the vision of the prophets is to be fulfilled:
    John the Revelator wrote concerning the events to take place after the 1000 years:
    "And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them."

    Daniel, speaking of the destruction of earthly kingdoms, says: "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 forever. 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 has made known . . . what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure."

    John continues: "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God: and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:11-15

    Then shall the God of heaven set up His kingdom , never to be destroyed, never to be given to another people than His own, who shall inhabit it forever.

    And all the earth will be "His mountain" for all will freely and gladly worship HIM! May we all be in that kingdom.

    (See:Selections from Testimonies 1898 PH150, where EGW uses the above text combination)


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