Daniel 2
H.A. Ironside · Citado em PreceptAustin
Daniel 2:1-23
Ironside - We learn from Daniel’s address to him that this great king had been concerned about what was coming on the earth. Look at the Da 2:29: “As for you, O king, [while] on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place.” Nothing could be more natural. Nebuchadnezzar was the most powerful monarch the world had ever known. As he lay on his bed that night, he began to ponder what would come to pass in the future. He knew he could not stay here forever. He would have to pass away as other potentates had done before him. What would follow? It was not unwise for him to consider these things. All men should be more concerned about what the future has in store. The great business of today seems to be securing wealth and pleasure for the present life; most people seem utterly indifferent about what is to come to pass afterward. God has not left us in ignorance as to the future. He has given us the prophetic word to shed light on what is to come. If people were willing to seriously read the Bible, in subjection to its holy author, they would find that in it the whole course of human events, right up to the great white throne, has been clearly revealed. Anyone who earnestly desires it, may know the truth of God’s ways right on to the end. (Daniel 2 Commentary - Ironside's Notes) Jesus alludes to the problem of power and riches - "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Mt 6:19-21-note) Then Jesus warns that "“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." For this reason (What reason? What has He just said? Could this have anything to do with anxiety?) I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, [as to] what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, [as to] what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing? (Mt 6:24-25--note) God used dreams elsewhere to give revelation to Gentile rulers - Abimelech (Ge 20:3) and Pharaoh (Ge 41:1-8). Note that dreams is plural in the Hebrew, suggesting that this was a recurring dream, which he describes as one dream in Da 2:3. The writer of Hebrews records that God has used various methods to reveal Himself "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, through Whom also He made the world. (Heb 1:1, 2) Two vehicles God has used to reveal Himself include dreams and visions, Moses recording "He (Jehovah) said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. (Nu 12:6) Visions are divine presentations to a person's mind while that person is awake, as for example in Isaiah's famous vision of Jehovah (Isa 6:1-13, Jn 12:41 - Isaiah saw the glory of Jehovah = Jesus). Dreams (02472) (halom) describes a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep, in short, a dream. There are 16 dreams recorded in the OT (Ge 20:3, 6; 28:12; 31:10, 11, 24 ; 37:5, 9 ; 40:5 ; 41:1, 5 ; Jdg 7:13; 1Ki 3:5; Da 2:1; 4:5 ; 7:1) with Jacob having 3 dreams (Ge 31:10,11), three having 2 dreams (Joseph = Ge 37:5-10, 42:9; Pharaoh = Ge 41:15, 17, 22, 32, Nebuchadnezzar - Da 2:1, 2, 3) and the rest only one dream (Abimelech = Ge 20:3, 6, Laban = Ge 31:24, Pharaoh’s cupbearer = Ge 40:5, 8, 9-11, Pharaoh’s baker = Ge 40:5, 8, 16-17, a soldier = Jdg 7:13, 15, Solomon = 1Ki 3:5, 15, Daniel = Da 7:1), indicating that the dreamers included Jews as well as pagan Gentiles (many of the latter having very troubling dreams as in Daniel 2!). Ten of these 16 dreams involved symbols which necessitated interpretation. The two main interpreters of dreams were Joseph and Daniel. In both the OT and NT God used dreams to reveal His will. (See also Dreams - Thompson Chain Reference Concordance) Halom - 55 verses - Ge 20:3, 6; 31:10, 11, 24; 37:5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 19, 20; 40:5, 8, 9, 16; 41:7, 8, 11, 12, 15, 17, 22, 25, 26, 32; 42:9; Nu 12:6; Dt 13:1, 3, 5; Jdg 7:13, 15; 1Sa 28:6, 15; 1Ki 3:5, 15; Job 7:14; 20:8; 33:15; Ps 73:20; Ec 5:3, 7; Is 29:7; Jer 23:27, 28, 32; 27:9; 29:8; Da 1:17; 2:1, 2, 3; Joel 2:28; Zech 10:2. NAS = dream(41), dreamer*(1), dreamers(1), dreams(22). The following verses are all the uses of dream in Daniel (this includes both Hebrew and Aramaic words for "dream") = Da 1:17; 2:1-3, 9, 26, 28, 36, 45; 4:5-9, 18-9; 5:12; 7:1) The canon of Scripture is completed and has brought to close God's use of dreams to convey divine revelation. The writer of Hebrews records that "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways (including dreams), in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. (He 1:1,2) Moses alludes to God's use of dreams as a mode of communication with His prophets writing "He said (Jehovah is speaking), "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; With him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the LORD… " (Nu 12:6, 7,8) Jehovah gave strict guidelines for interpreting whether the dream was truly given as Divine revelation "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,' 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 "You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. 5 "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk (cp Jer 23:26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, Jer 29:8). So you shall purge the evil from among you. (Dt 13:1-5) What about dreams today? Richard Ruble in his paper "The Doctrine of Dreams" wrote that "Both Thomas Aquinas and A. J. Gordon believed that dreams in the post-Biblical era could come from God. However, it is doubtful that God has communicated with men by dreams since the close of the canon. Arthur B. Fowler says that God “could reveal His will in dreams today, but the written Word of God, and the indwelling Holy Spirit have made dreams of this sort unnecessary.” There is no Biblical evidence for the contention that God speaks today in dreams. God speaks today in His Word (2Ti 3:16, 17). He has given the Holy Spirit to every Christian to lead him into the truth (John 16:13; 1Cor 6:19,20). With the Bible in his hand and the Holy Spirit in his heart, the Christian has ample provision for guidance into God’s perfect will. (Doctrine of Dreams -- click for subscription info) What Should I Think of what I Experience in Dreams? Can Dreams Have Symbolic Meaning or Messages from God? How Did God Use Dreams and Visions in the Bible? Does God Still Give Visions to People Today? What Does the Bible Say About Nightmares? What is the Meaning of Nebuchadnezzar's Dream in Daniel 2? Torrey Topical Textbook Dreams American Tract Society Dream Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Dream Easton's Bible Dictionary Dream Fausset Bible Dictionary Dream Holman Bible Dictionary Dreams Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Dreams Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Dream (2) Dream Smith Bible Dictionary Dreams Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Dreams McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Dream The Jewish Encyclopedia Dreams John
Daniel 2:24-49
Ironside reminds us that "At the time that Nebuchadnezzar dreamed his dream the Persian kingdom did not exist. Persia was but a Babylonian province. A Grecian empire might have seemed an utter impossibility. The Hellenic states were a lot of warring tribes and kingdoms, giving little promise of their future greatness (See Map of Ancient Greece). The city of Rome was just being founded-an insignificant little village on the banks of the Tiber (See History of Rome - see Timeline). How did Daniel portray with such accuracy the future history of all these powers if unaided by the Holy Spirit of God? (Ed: A Rhetorical Question of course!)" (Daniel 2 Commentary - Ironside's Notes) Whitcomb - After the death of Nebuchadnezzar in 562 B.C., a drastic deterioration of the qualities of the kingdom occurred under the rule of his son Evil-Merodach, two usurpers of the throne (Neriglissar and Nabonidus), and finally his daughter's son Belshazzar. By 539 B.C. the golden qualities of brilliant and absolute dictatorial autocracy which had characterized the forty-three-year reign of Nebuchadnezzar were almost gone. Then it was that "the time of his own land" finally came, and Cyrus, though inferior to Nebuchadnezzar in the authority by which he ruled (being subject to the laws of the Medes and Persians, 6:8, 15), was nevertheless overwhelmingly greater than the morally rotten Belshazzar, who was weighed in God's balances and found wanting (Da 5:27). (Whitcomb, J. Daniel Everyman's Bible Commentary) NLT Study Bible Note (page 1394) - In antiquity and in our era, some interpreters have argued that Greece is the fourth empire, and they treat the Medes as a separate kingdom. This interpretation is due in part to denying the possibility of prediction and assuming that the book was written about 164BC, when the Roman empire had not yet arisen. But Media and Persia are usually regarded as one empire, and the Median kingdom had been mostly assimilated by the Persians by the time Cyrus II conquered Babylon in 539BC. NET Bible note - The identity of the first kingdom is clearly Babylon. The identification of the following three kingdoms is disputed. The common view is that they represent Media, Persia, and Greece. Most conservative scholars identify them as Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Daniel 2:40 "Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. fourth: Da 2:33 7:19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 8:24 9:26 11:36-45 Jn 11:48 Da 7:7 Jer 15:12 Am 1:3 FOURTH KINGDOM STRONG AS IRON Then again is an expression of time marking the succession of kingdoms. Observe that the fourth kingdom warrants 5 verses of description emphasizing its significance prophetically. Summary of the historical fulfillment of the prophecy up to this point… The head… fine gold - Gold = Da 2:32, 38 = Lion Da 7:4 = Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon) (fell in 539 BC - See Da 5:28, cp Da 8:20, 21, 22) Breast and its arms - Silver = Da 2:32,39; Bear = Da 7:5; Ram = Da 8:6, 20 = Media & Persia (539-331 BC) Its belly and its thighs - Bronze = Da 2:32, 39; Leopard Da 7:6; Male, Shaggy Goat = Da 8:8,21 = Greece under Alexander the Great (331-63 BC) A fourth kingdom - While this kingdom is not named in Daniel from history we know this to be the Roman Empire, larger, stronger and longer lasting than the 3 preceding kingdoms. Unlike the 3 preceding kingdoms, the Roman Empire fell both internally (moral collapse) and externally (Barbarian invasion). Also unique is that there is no absolutely definite date of its fall as there is with the other 3 kingdoms. Strong as iron - This describes the power of this kingdom. Renald Showers on the description strong as iron - Iron was an excellent designation of Rome for at least two reasons. First, ancient Rome was noted for its use of iron in its military weaponry. Second, as Daniel indicated in Da 2:40, just as iron is able to crush gold, silver and bronze because it is stronger, so Rome would crush and shatter the ancient world. Ancient Rome did just that through its great military strength. (The Most High God- A Commentary on the Book of Daniel-) It will crush and break all these in pieces - Luke indirectly testifies to the fact that Rome crushed all resistance for at Jesus' birth "there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed (Luke 2:1). Caesar Augustus could hardly have levied a tax on all the world (See map of extent of Rome's rule) had he not first crushed them and subjugated them to Roman rule! Campbell - The mark of the fourth empire was strength, but it was destructive strength. The iron legions of Rome "crushed and demolished" all resistance. It is true that the world lived in peace—the Pax Romana—but it was a peace enforced by the iron heel of Rome, a peace that stamped out freedom (Borrow Daniel Decoder of Dreams - aka God's Man in a Secular Society page 24) PROPHECY ABOVE… FULFILLED IN HISTORY Then comes a "TIME GAP" Therefore the… PROPHECY BELOW… YET TO BE FULFILLED IN THE FUTURE Daniel 2:41 "In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. the feet: Da 2:33, 34, 35 7:7,24 Rev 12:3 13:1 17:12 From our vantage point in 2015 the prophecies of Da 2:31-40 have been fulfilled in history while the prophecies of Da 2:41-45 are yet to be fulfilled. The feet and toes - How many toes? Ten toes. Compare to the record of 10 horns in the parallel passage in Da 7:7 where we learn that 10 horns = 10 kings (Da 7:24) (cp Rev 17:12-note). It will be a divided kingdom - In context this still refers to the fourth kingdom and as alluded to above it is divided into 10 kingdoms. Ray Pritchard - It is highly significant that no world empire ever arose after the Roman Empire broke up. It is out of the old Roman Empire that what we call “Western Civilization” arose. In a sense though the Roman Empire no longer exists, its influence is still felt through all the nations that came out of the territory it once ruled. And “Western Civilization” itself (which includes the United States in a broad sense) traces its history in large part back to ancient Rome and Greece. (The World According to God) The question is "Has there ever been a contemporaneous [in contrast to a succession of] 10 king confederacy in the history of the world that would fulfill this prophecy?" And the answer is "No", which means that this aspect of the Great Statue is yet future to us (written March, 2015). And thus this component of the fourth kingdom which was historically identified as fulfilled in the form of the Roman Empire (in the "2 leg and foot" stage) has not yet materialized in the "ten toe" form in history, which means that there is a time delay (if you will) in the fulfillment of this detail of the king's Dream. In the study of prophecy this is commonly termed a time gap and is not uncommon in prophetic literature. For more discussion see Jesus' Incredible Teaching on "Time Gaps" in the fulfillment of prophecy. (He quotes part of Isa 61:1-2 in his first "sermon" in Lk 4:14-18. On "power of the Spirit" [cp Acts 10:37-38] see also discussion of The Holy Spirit). One practical implication of this truth is that if someone told us that Jesus is coming tomorrow to set up His Kingdom, we can say that they are wrong because we do not yet have a kingdom composed of a loose federation of ten kings, some strong, some weak. God says what He means, and means what He says and we can stake our lives on it, now and forevermore. Amen. Daniel 2:42 "As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. the toes: Da 7:24 Rev 13:1 As noted above, when we examine world history there is no evidence that this toe stage has yet been fulfilled. And so I agree with most conservative evangelical commentators that this will be in one sense a form of the "Revived Roman Empire". Donald Campbell - Mussolini said, "I believe in the resurrection of the [Roman] Empire!" But his abortive attempts to resurrect it met with colossal failure for he was ahead of his, or rather God's, time. (Borrow Daniel Decoder of Dreams - aka God's Man in a Secular Society page 24) (Another quote by Mussolini) Iron… some of the kingdom will be strong - Some of 10 kings will be strong presumably politically and militarily. Pottery… part of it will be brittle - Implication is that some of these kings will be weaker. Pottery "breaks" much easier than iron. See the fate of 3 of the 10 kings in Da 7:24 and this would seem to be related to the facts Daniel expounds in the present passage. Pottery (02635)(hasap) is an Aramaic masculine noun which means clay which Webster says is "an earthy material that is plastic when moist but hard when fired, that is composed mainly of fine particles of hydrous aluminum silicates and other minerals, and that is used for brick, tile, and pottery. (See also Clay - Wikipedia) The Septuagint translates hasap with words that mean "made of clay/earth" (earthenware) (ostrakinos - used in 2Cor 4:7, 2Ti 2:20 and ostrakon = an earthen vessel - not found in NT, only OT, e.g., Job 2:8, Ps 22:15 = potsherd, Isa 30:14 = pottery) Hasap - 9x in 7v only in Daniel 2 - Da 2:33-35, 41-43, 45. Translated (NAS) as clay (7), pottery (2). DIGRESSION ON THE CONCEPT OF A TIME GAP Let's summarize (repeats some of the prior discussion) the answer to the question "Since the statue is a single statue or a unit and the legs of iron are fulfilled in the Roman Empire, how do we get to the 10 toe/10 king stage?" The Roman Empire went off the scene as an active "player" in world history in about 476AD (animated map that depicts the progressive rise and then the progressive fall of the Roman Empire). So how does the "10 King Stage" fit into the prophecy puzzle? Remember that this stage is characterized as a loose "confederacy" of iron and clay. If Rome declined from the world scene and yet has a toe stage that has not yet occurred, one is forced to invoke a delay or gap of time between the historical fulfillment of the iron leg stage and future fulfillment of the feet and toe stage. (See Wikipedia's Decline of the Roman Empire and Fall of the Western Roman Empire) Wikipedia writes - The Fall of the Western Roman Empire (commonly known as Fall of the Roman Empire or Fall of Rome) was the period of decline in the Western Roman Empire in which it disintegrated and split into numerous successor states. By 476 CE, when Odoacer deposed the Emperor Romulus, the Western Roman Empire wielded negligible military, political, or financial power and had no effective control over the scattered Western domains that could still be described as Roman. Invading "barbarians" had established their own polities on most of the area of the Western Empire. While its legitimacy lasted for centuries longer and its cultural influence remains today, the Western Empire never had the strength to rise again. (Ref) Daniel did not state specifically that there was a time delay or time gap so one must ask does the Bible teach such a principle? The answer is that yes it does, so let's look at it. There are a number of excellent examples but one of the best is when Jesus indirectly "taught" the principle of a time gap in His first "sermon" (actually a short reading and terse closing exposition!) in the synagogue in Nazareth. First take a moment and read Luke 4:14-21 - In context (Lk 4:1) Jesus is "full of the Holy Spirit" (How do we interpret this description? What you are "full of" is that which controls you. If you are "full of" wine you are controlled by wine as Paul says in Eph 5:18. In several passages (1Cor 11:1, 4:16, 1Jn 2:6, 1Pe 2:21) believers are commanded to live their Christian life just as Jesus did (1Jn 2:6). Since He lived as a Man filled and empowered with the Spirit, we too are commanded to "be continually filled with [controlled by] the Spirit" in Eph 5:18! To try to live this supernatural life in our natural power is doomed to failure! See more discussion of our need for The Holy Spirit). In the passage below notice how Luke describes Jesus' return to Galilee… Luke 4:14 And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit; and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. (APPLICATION? JESUS WHO WAS FULLY GOD/FULLY MAN LIVED HIS EARTHLY LIFE IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT LEAVING FOR EACH OF US "an example for you to follow in His steps" 1Pe 2:21-note. Similarly Paul commands us "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ" 1Co 11:1) 15 And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. 16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book, and found the place where it was written (JESUS OPENED TO ISAIAH 61:1, 2 and began to read -- Notice what He read from Isaiah and what He said when He finished reading) 18 "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE DOWNTRODDEN, 19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." 20 And He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon Him. 21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Below is the OT version of the passage Jesus read in the synagogue, a prophecy written by Isaiah somewhere between 740-680BC, more than 500 years prior to Jesus' first coming… compare what Isaiah wrote with what Jesus read… Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives, And freedom to prisoners; 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, What do you observe when comparing Isaiah 61:1-2 with what Jesus actually read? What did Jesus state was fulfilled? What did Jesus NOT read from Isaiah 61:2 and by deduction what was not yet fulfilled? What does Isaiah 61:2b say about "the day"? What is the day of vengeance (punishment inflicted in retaliation for an offense)? When will it be fulfilled? So clearly Jesus stopped reading Isaiah's prophecy in "mid stream" so to speak. He stated that the favorable year of the LORD had been fulfilled = This fulfillment was His first coming which was to bring salvation ("the favorable year") to the Jews who were listening to Him in the synagogue on that very day and to all mankind (Jews and Gentiles). However when He returns the Second time (see Second Coming), He will bring JUDGMENT ("the day of vengeance of our God"). This truth is amplified in many other passages but is summarized by Daniel in Da 2:34, 35 when the Stone (Christ Jesus) strikes the Statue at the "10 King stage" and crushes it all at the same time. The Stone's striking will in fact be the fulfillment of Isaiah's ancient prophecy regarding God's judgment on this present evil world on "the day of vengeance of our God" (cp Isa 34:8, 35:4, 63:4, Micah 5:15, Ps 96:13, Ps 45:3, 4a, Rev 19:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20-see notes beginning @ Re 19:11). As an aside note Isaiah's prophecy of "to comfort all who mourn", which I personally think alludes to the events that follow the return of the Stone, the time when "all Israel will be saved" (Ro 11:26, 27-note, Ro 11:28, 29-note) and Messiah establishes His 1000 year Millennial Kingdom (the Messianic Age) (See the following Scriptures regarding mourning and comforting associated with His return = Rev 1:7-note, Mt 24:30, Zech 12:10, 11,12, Is 61:2b, Is 61:3, Mt 5:4-note) So just as there was a TIME GAP (now almost 2000 years) between the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:2a (favorable year of the LORD = Christ's First Coming to bring salvation) and Isaiah 61:2b (the day of vengeance of our God = Judgment on the World), so too there is a TIME GAP (of almost 1500 years) between the fulfillment of Daniel 2:36-40 (and specifically the "fourth kingdom as strong as iron" = Rome which ended about 476AD) and Daniel 2:41-45 (As discussed below, the so-called "Revived Roman Empire" in the form of a loose confederacy composed of 10 kings). So the prophet Daniel writing between 605-536BC did not see nor did he describe a specific time gap (but neither did the prophet Isaiah in Isa 61:2). However, reasoning from Daniel's interpretation and what we know has already been fulfilled in history, we can see that there has to be a portion of Daniel's prophecy which is yet to be fulfilled. Daniel will fill us in on more details (especially in Daniel 7) describing this fascinating "Toe Stage" of the Statue. The apostle John also discusses this "Toe Stage" (10 Kings) in the Revelation of Jesus Christ. So we see that the progressive revelation of God's prophetic word building "precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little" (Isaiah 28:13 KJV) Dear reader, don't be discouraged or frustrated if you don't yet have all the pieces of God's prophetic puzzle perfectly perceived! As alluded to God presents this truth in a number of other places in Scripture, but He begins in Daniel 2 with undoubtedly the best outline of future events (the "backbone of all Bible prophecy") in all of Scripture. Now I think what we have observed leads to an accurate interpretation but not all commentators agrees with what we have observed and concluded for several reasons… (1) they do not read the prophecy of Daniel literally (and do not seek the single meaning of Daniel's figurative descriptions), (2) they are liberal and don't accept supernatural revelation/phenomena and/or (3) they interpret the 10 toe stage as already fulfilled in history (but to read their explanations is like pushing a round peg in a square hold… in my humble opinion). So let's assume you accept the "Toe Stage" (even if you do not fully understand it) as indicative of a Kingdom composed of a confederacy of 10 Kings that are somehow associated with the old Roman Empire. What do we do with that truth? Well, first of all we believe the truth of God's Word and that is always to be our main objective. But He has given us these truths that we might know what is to come to pass before it happens, ultimately so that (one of many reasons) we might live as aliens and strangers as Peter called us and might be motivated to make daily, moment by moment choices "to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul." (1Peter 2:11-note) knowing that "our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait (Greek = a continual mindset of expectant looking and anticipation of seeing Jesus in the air!) for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Php 3:20-note - What/who you are LOOKING for will or should radically impact what/who you are LIVING for!) Secondly, we are to understand the times (compare the "sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do" 1Chr 12:32) and watch the news and unfolding of geo-political events comparing them with Scripture. In so doing, most conservative, evangelical, literal Bible commentators believe that the European Union (EU) could possibly be the setting that allows for the fulfillment of the "Ten King Stage", (1) because the EU is a loose confederacy of individual "kingdoms" (2) some of the countries are strong and some are weak (3) the countries that compose the EU while currently more than the number "Ten", are predominantly from Western Europe in countries that were once part of the old Roman Empire which gives rise to the name the "Revived Roman Empire". In sum, the 10 King Stage has not occurred in history. The EU could possibly be a precursor to the 10 King stage but we have to be careful not to try to make the Scriptures fit current events (a constant temptation when you begin to study prophecy and there is a lot of "bad" info on the web so be very cautious what and who you read in this area). Finally, although we have not studied it yet (we will), the Rapture (the removal of the church from earth - 1Thes 4:13-18) is always imminent (could happen at any time) and so the "Ten King" stage could come into existence after we have been removed from earth. . Daniel 2:43 "And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery. Iron mixed with common clay - They are together in one sense but only loosely combined. They are ten entities in themselves and yet they are considered as a common kingdom. Ten kingdoms in one kingdom, but loosely federated with each other. And remember that they came from the Roman Empire, which gives rise to the term "Revived Roman Empire" which you will encounter in most conservative commentaries (especially those that interpret the passages of Daniel literally). Some of these commentaries go on to speculate that these kingdoms could somehow be related to the modern day European Union. Although this latter thought is speculative, it behooves modern day "Daniels and Danielles" to keep a watchful eye on the development of the European Union, all the while keeping our main focus on the plumbline of God's Word that is the source of true wisdom and discernment in these last days (Isa 2:2, Jer 23:20, 2Ti 3:1-note, Heb 1:2-note, 2Pe 3:3-note - these are not all of the uses of this phrase) in which we live. Combine with one another in the seed of men - This could refer to potential alliances brought about my politically strategic marriages. Daniel 2:44 "In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. In the days of those kings - Daniel 2:42 = "the toes" = ten the God: Da 2:28,37 set up: Ge 49:10 Ps 2:6-12 72:1-20 89:3,4,19-36 110:1, 2, 3, 4 Isa 9:6,7 Mt 3:2,3 28:18 Eph 1:20, 21, 22 shall never: Da 4:3,34 6:26 7:13,14 Ps 145:13 Eze 37:25 Mic 4:7 Lk 1:32,33 Jn 12:34 Rev 11:15 crush - Da 8:25 Ps 2:9 21:8,9 Isa 60:12 1Co 15:24,25 Rev 2:27 19:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 A CRITICAL TIME PHRASE: IN THE DAYS OF THOSE KINGS The great statue of Daniel 2 teaches us that God is in control of the flow of all human history. Empires rise and fall in accordance with His divine purpose, which ultimately is moving toward day of coronation of His Beloved Son as the King of kings and Lord of lords, that glorious day when "at the name of "Jesus" EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Php 2:10, 11-note) In the days of those kings - This is a critically important time phrase and begs several questions including "which days" and "which kings"? The nearest antecedent is "they" in Da 2:43 which in turn is a description of the "toes of the feet". How many toes on 2 feet? Ten toes. How many kings "in those days"? Ten kings. Compare the parallel passage in Da 7:7, 24 (cp Da 7:20, 24) which describes "ten horns". Jamieson is one of the most literal of the older commentaries and therefore always worth consulting. In his comments on set up a kingdom we read - Moreover, the visible "setting up of the KINGDOM" of glory on earth by the God of heaven is plainly here meant, not the unobserved setting up of the kingdom of grace. That kingdom of glory is only to come Christ's second advent (Acts 1:6 - Ed: “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” - notice Jesus did not rebuke them for asking this question!). We pray, "Thy kingdom come." (Mt 6:10-note) The kingdom was and is still preached as "at hand" (Matthew 4:17), but not yet come in manifestation (Luke 19:11-27). We live under the divisions of the Roman empire, which began 1,400 years ago, and which at the time of His coming shall be definitely ten. (Daniel 2: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged) (Bolding added) It is here where some commentators (especially those who do not believe in the millennium) see a fulfillment at the first coming of Christ. For example, amillennialist Bob