2000-8-17 10:11:00
This is the Part One of the Interpretation of Daniel's dream about the manifestation of the Kingdom of God.
The greatest prophecy in the scriptures concerning the kingdom of God was given by the ancient prophet Daniel. Unfortunately, this is one of the most widely used but least understood scriptures on the planet. We shall now attempt to intuitively unravel its mysteries which have perplexed man for thousands of years.
The prophecy was given to king Nebuchadnezzar in a dream which he could not remember or understand. As a last resort he called on Daniel the Hebrew sage who not only received the same revelation, but the interpretation thereof. However, he did not expound the entire meaning to the king, but only enough to satisfy him, yet enough is given so we may expand upon it and receive a better understanding.
First let us present the dream and interpretation as given by Daniel:
"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 in 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.
"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 heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this bead 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 break 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."
(Daniel 2:31-45)
There are two popular interpretations of this prophecy. The first interpretation is that the head of gold was the ancient kingdom of Babylon, the silver was the Medes, the brass Persia, and the iron Greece under Alexander the Great. In the days of Christ there was supposed to have been ten kings corresponding to the ten toes. Many believe that at that time Jesus set up the kingdom of God which destroyed the image.
It should be obvious that the correspondence does not fit here. In two thousand years we see no evidence that Christianity destroyed any particular ten kingdoms. Today we see that Christianity exists within other kingdoms and is not given a dominion over any of them as depicted in the prophecy.
The second interpretation says that the head of gold was ancient Babylon, but the silver was the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians together. This makes sense and agrees with a later prophecy. (Daniel 8:20) The third kingdom is then Greece. So far so good. This agrees with Daniel 8:21. The fourth kingdom of iron is then Rome. This seems to correspond. Then as the clincher, they tell us that. the ten toes represent ten kingdoms, the same as mentioned in Revelation 17:12. These, they say, evolved from the Roman Empire and they are the Common Market countries. These ten countries were expected to be, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, and Greece. The claim is that these will bond together through the power of an Antichrist who will probably come from Rome and will form the greatest power for evil the world has ever seen. They believe that the kingdom of God that will smash these ten kings will be Jesus making his grand second coming.
This second interpretation is closer to the truth than the first, but still much correspondence is lacking. First, the membership of "ten" in the Common Market was a temporary thing. At one time there were only nine and now there are more than ten which upsets the exactness of prediction. As of this writing there are 15 nations in the European Union (EU) which are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
We are told that these ten toes and the feet are part iron and part miry (muddy) clay, "partly strong, and partly broken." No one has thought to tell us which countries represent iron, and the ones which are of clay. None of them seem to be iron as the Roman Empire was, or of clay either.
For those who insist on a literal interpretation there is another lack of correspondence in the fact that these are not ruled by ten literal kings. Belgium is the only Common Market nation with a king, and even there Parliament has veto power.
All total there are five constitutional monarchies in the Common Market, and most of these are figureheads with little power.
All of the constitutional monarchies and the remaining republics in the Common Market have constitutions patterned after the Constitution of the United States.
Obviously the ten toes, or ten kings, do not refer to literal kings in the last days. Daniel did not have a word in his vocabulary for some of the governments existing today so the term "kings" was a natural for him, for the leader of every nation in his day was king.
Both the words "king" and "kingdom" are derived from the same Hebrew word MALAK which means "to reign" or "have dominion." At one point Daniel calls the four kingdoms of the image kings: "These great beasts, which are four, (corresponding to the gold, silver, copper and iron), ARE FOUR KINGS, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom (dominion), and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." (Daniel 7:17-18)
The ten kings, then, may not be ten actual kings, or even ten countries, but ten dominions on the earth.
Then there is another important part of the prophecy which is totally ignored by interpreters. That is, the stone which was cut out of the mountain without hands not only pulverized the ten toes of iron and clay, but also the brass, silver, and gold. The full statue was still standing in the days when the Kingdom of God would be set up. We are clearly told that the head of gold is Babylon. How then, can the head of gold still be here on the earth to be destroyed by a kingdom of God which is yet future?
The Kingdom of Brass which is identified with Greece was to "bear rule over all the earth" (Daniel 2:39). Where is there a Kingdom of Brass today ruling the earth awaiting destruction from the kingdom of God? Surely it is not the Greece of today.
The consideration that the image is to be all here in the days of the Kingdom of God, that the whole person of the statue will be awaiting the confrontation with the stone cut out of the mountain without hands -- this is the grand key to understanding the entire vision. The stone did not merely hit feet standing there alone with no body, but first struck the feet and then consumed all the rest of the entire image.
One may object here that Daniel definitely identified Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylon of old with the head of gold (Daniel 2:38). Is Babylon of old to be resurrected and confront the Kingdom of God?
The truth is, Babylon never died, but is still with us. So also are the Kingdoms of silver, brass, iron, and clay, and to understand the vision they must be identified.
Even though ancient Babylon was destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BC, that which she represented continued to live on in the eyes of the prophets. Peter mentions "The church that is at Babylon...." (1 Peter 5:13)
John the Revelator mentions Babylon again and again and tells those who want to be in the kingdom of God to "Come out of her, my people." (Revelation 18:4) This call will come in the days of a messenger who will have "the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth." (Revelation 14:6) John calls Babylon: "Mystery Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth." (Revelation 17:5) This name was written on the forehead of the adulterous woman who represented the false churches of the world. The woman was "drunk with the blood of the saints," [See Revelation 17:6.] and rode on the beast with seven heads and ten horns. Merchants are made rich through Babylon; and she is "clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls [...] And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." (Revelation 18:16 & 24) She says "I am a queen on my throne. No mourning for me, no widow's weeds...." [Verse 7, New English - Revelation 18:7 KJV]
All of these are hints as to what the Babylon is, and has been with us since olden times, but the greatest hint of all is in the representation of Babylon as the "head of gold."
In the next chapter in Daniel (Chapter 3) we find that Nebuchadnezzar had an image of gold created (possibly patterned after the dream) and commanded all his subjects to gather together and bow down and worship it. Most are familiar with the story of how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down and were cast into the fiery furnace and then delivered.
The most famous golden image of all, however, is from the days of Moses: the golden calf created by the Hebrews while Moses was on the mount. As Moses was receiving the commandments his people were bowing down to a golden image. They were breaking three of the ten commandments: (1) "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," (2) "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them...." (7th Commandment) [Exodus 20:3-5], and (3) "Thou shalt not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14) They were leaving their true husband (God) and uniting with a stranger (the golden calf).
It is time for the Lights to understand the mystery of Babylon the great, which soon will fall! Babylon is that power, glamour, or thoughtform which holds the attention of the minds of men focused on false gods and images of gods. Men bow down and worship the image of gold and glitter without realizing that the true god is within. The spirit of God that dwells in each of us is the true God and when we seek for God in heaven, a flying saucer, or in the form of a Master or even resurrected and glorified man we bow down to Babylon the great which "is drunk on the blood of the prophets." [See Revelation 16:6 & 17:6.] Babylon demands that all men bow down to some image, dogma, or creed and when holy men of the past have refused this they were slain for their testimony of the true God.
All false religion has "Mystery Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth" (Revelation 17:5) written on her forehead, or they have the image of their creed engraved in their mind locking the door to the truths of the Holy Spirit. They are completely closed minded to any new truth for all that they will let come within the realms of their thoughts is "Mystery Babylon."
Indeed, Babylon is still with us for the false gods without and the engraven images of creeds and dogmas based on illusion and glamour abound. The day is coming and the call is issued for the Lights of Israel to "come out of her" both mentally and physically "that we be not partakers of her sins nor receive of her plagues" (Revelation 18:4) for the hour of her judgment is coming and the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands will strike Babylon and pulverize her and in one hour "the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all." (Revelation 18:21)
When Zion is built, individual and collective Babylons will be cast aside. When one discovers that the true fullness of the godhead is in each of us then one will never again bow down to mystery Babylon, nor have any desire to.
The next kingdom is represented in the breast and arms, and this we are told is made of silver. The fact that Babylon was represented by the head tells us that the phantom images within it control the thoughts and beliefs of men. Ancient Babylon gained and held control more through glamour and illusion than by actual power.
The silver portion of the image covered the area of the arms, throat, and heart showing that this kingdom controls the labor, creative energy, and love that a man has. These three energies build the kingdom of silver which was physically represented by the Medes and Persians. These two countries represented wealth and power and even though they no longer have dominion we are told that "their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. (Daniel 7:12) The life of the silver outlives the Medes and Persians.
The ancient Hebrew and Chaldean words for silver were often synonymous with money or wealth, and of course with wealth comes power. Thus the kingdom of silver rules by wealth and the power derived therefrom, but the head of gold had to proceed the silver because the soul of man cannot be controlled by wealth unless he first worships gods other than the one true God and bows down to false images. If the kingdom of Babylon falls then silver will also go. When man gives false images power over his mind then money will have power over his heart, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:21)
Daniel said that this kingdom of silver would be "inferior" to Babylon. The word "inferior" is from the Chaldean -- ARA which is later translated "earth" in that same verse. (Daniel 2:39) The meaning inferred here is more like "earthward, baser, or more material." As we progress through the metals of the image we see that each lower one decreases in atomic weight and commercial value, but increases in strength. This corresponds to the increase of the power of the image over the minds of men and the corresponding decrease in the personal reward men get from the image.
The root Hebrew word for silver can imply "fear, greed, or desire" and these negative feelings feed the kingdom of silver with power over humanity.
The kingdom of silver tempts man to break three of the ten commandments: (6) "Thou shalt not kill," (8) "Thou shalt not steal" and, (10) "Thou shalt not covet." (Exodus 20:13) If wealth had no power over the hearts of men transgression of these laws would rarely occur.
Just as the kingdom of Babylon is still with us alive and well, so has the kingdom of silver outlived the Medes and Persians who brought its power to fruition. In our day wealth and its power has a greater hold over the minds of the people than ever before, not only in the democratic but also the totalitarian countries. A great deal of political, religious, and educational thought, as well as public opinion, is influenced adversely through wealth.
The third kingdom is that of brass which composes the belly and upper thighs of the image. We are told that this kingdom "shall bear rule over all the earth." (Daniel 2:39) Daniel later tells us that the kingdom that will follow the Medes and Persians will be Greece (Daniel 8:21), and history verifies this.
The word "brass" comes from the Chaldean NeCHASH which is more literally rendered copper. Brass itself is merely copper mixed with an alloy to increase the hardness thereof. Copper is again a lighter and lesser evolved element than silver, but also a harder one. This represents an additional step that man has taken away from the true God that dwells unrecognized in every man, a step deeper into materialism.
NeCHASH, the Chaldean word for copper, is spelled almost identical to the Hebrew word for "serpent" as the one who tempted Eve, and both words correspond to the same root NACHASH which means "to hiss, or to make a magic spell." One of the reasons that copper was named after the serpent is because of its red color. The throat of a serpent is supposed to be red and serpents themselves are often identified with this color. In Chapter Twelve of Revelation, John tells us that the serpent called the Devil and Satan is represented by "a great red dragon."
Also in Revelation we find a red horse:
"And there went out another horse that was red; and power was given unto him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword." (Revelation 6:4)
Red is a symbol of power, and if it is not tempered with love it becomes the basest of colors and a symbol of great fiery emotion and anger, and desire for control, and, in it's lowest aspect, a desire to be worshipped as a God. The copper covered the area of the solar plexus which is the seat of the lower desires and emotions of man. It also covered the sacral center which is the center of physical creation and desire. The kingdom of copper rules others by appealing to the emotions of man rather than the mind, and seeks as the highest goal physical perfection, and worships the highest conceivable physical image.
The Copper Kingdom reached its fruition through Alexander the Great, the warlord from Greece. Alexander was filled with much lower glamour about his destiny to rule the world, and even felt that he was descended from the gods for that purpose. Alexander's driving purpose was to conquer the whole world and restructure all other cultures (by force) after what he thought was the better Greek culture, inspired by the gods. He sincerely believed he would be doing the world and the gods a great service by so doing.
He subdued all of the known world but died before he was able to accomplish his goal of transformation. He died the most successful conqueror in history at the young age of 33, an interesting antithesis to Jesus. There have been warlords before Alexander, and others after, but none as great. All others would have died in oblivion at such a young age. He came the closest to establishing the Kingdom of Copper as supreme.
Those after Alexander who have tried to establish the Kingdom of Copper have been Julius Caesar, Napoleon, and Hitler. Many other lesser men before and after these have been caught up in this same Messiah complex, and desire to subdue the world by military might. Then they will have power over the kingdom of silver (wealth) and the kingdom of Gold (men's idols and false gods). These men believe that might makes right and physical strength and power in the end is what determines control and conquest, as well as glory and adoration. They feel that they are chosen by the gods and have a strong inward desire to be respected and worshipped themselves. These men are the Antichrists. They believe that they are higher in intelligence than their fellow men and it would be beneficial for all if they do all the thinking.
Humanity itself supports the kingdom of copper by their strong desire for hero worship. When an Alexander appears on the scene to forcefully sweep away opposing ideologies they identify with the glory the man attracts around himself and lend him their support and adoration.
The Kingdom of Copper rules collectively as well as through one strong individual. It was the Copper Kingdom that led the persecutions in the Middle Ages, and then the Crusades, and also the conquistadors from Spain such as Cortes. These men would enter Indian villages and empires, subdue their leaders and throw down their images, and then put up their own -- the cross and Virgin Mary. Then they would command these people to bow down to the new images or be slain. This motivating power to subdue (not destroy) the other kingdoms of silver and gold by physical might is the Kingdom of Copper.
Unfortunately, this kingdom is still alive and well with us today and is still trying to rule the world. The United States supplies arms and strength to Hitler-like dictatorships in many parts of the world so these "little Hitlers" can put the fear of God in the peasants and torture and kill them according to their pleasure. This, they believe, will stop the common people from embracing Communism or totalitarianism. Unfortunately, it also stops them from embracing free enterprise.
Russia and other countries also supply arms and needed military might to insure economic survival and the same evils are created. Both sides of the world support the Kingdom of Copper.
We hope that another Antichrist representing the Kingdom of Copper does not arise. Saddam Hussein and other misled men are still not out of the picture so we must be ever vigilant.
The Kingdom of Copper tempts men to break all the commandments which men break in the kingdoms of silver and gold, but in addition he is tempted to disobey the third: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" and the fourth: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." (Exodus 20:7) When the Antichrist becomes a substitute for God, then His name is always used in vain and his Sabbath of rest is a rest from labor dedicated to the Antichrist and not to God. He also flagrantly violates: "Thou shalt not kill." (Exodus 20:13), all in the name of false gods. Much blood is spilled -- another symbol of the Red Dragon -- the adversaries of peace on earth, and goodwill to men.
-- End Of Chapter 26 --
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