Daniel 2:31–49 - The Rise & Fall of Nations

Introduction

Introduction: Russia Invaded Ukraine

This last week we watched the horrors of nations determining to go to war as Russia invaded Ukraine. We have prayed together as a Church over these horrible events. I know for me, I was brought to tears in my ofice on Thursday as I watched video footage of a father saying goodbye to his five year old daughter as she was bussed away from the front lines. We are watching the first invasion of a European nation since World War II.

Personal

As Christians, what core doctrines of our theology can assist us in processing this moment. Not from a perspective of ‘what is the correct political move to make.’ That is another question for another sermon. Rather, what is it about our God, and our theology that are foundational truths that we can lean on as we endure moments like these. Does God have a say in the rise and fall of nations? Is God absent from the movement of empires? As individuals with very little influence over such historic events like these, what comfort does our God provide us?

Contextual

Today we continue our study through the book of Daniel. Recall the big picture that Daniel is an exile from Jerusalem living in Babylon. Daniel is a faithful follower of God despite being forced to live in Babylon, and in chapter one Daniel and his three friends have risen up the ranks to become important advisors to Nebuchadnezzar himself. Then last week, a vital moment occurred. King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that was so powerful in his mind that he felt he must have the true interpretation of the dream. None of his astrologers or magicians, those whom he would normally lean on to provide such an interpretation, were up to the task. In a rage, he was prepared to kill every one of his wise counsel members, of whom Daniel was a part. And just when it appeared as if all hope was lost, Daniel’s God provided Daniel with both the contents and the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

Caveat: Engaging with Prophecy in Daniel

Today, we study one of the most famous prophetic passages in the Bible. As Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream we discover that God, through the dream, was accurately foretelling what was to be the next six hundred years of the rise and fall of empires in world history. The contents of this chapter can be lined up directly with the vision of Daniel 7, which provides nearly the exact same vision but with far greater detail. Daniel was so accurate then some atheist scholars have attempted to demonstrate that these chapters were not written in 550BC, but were in fact written hundreds of years later. These claims are nearly impossible to defend, the fact of the matter is that Daniel accurately predicted world history. In all the details we engage with today, I want you to walk away with one simple memorable idea, God controls history, and uses sinful empires and pagan kings, in order to accomplish His ultimate purposes.

Move 1 Daniel

The Content of the Dream

Recall Daniel is now standing before Nebuchadnezzar is is going to reveal both the contents of what Nebuchadnezzar dreamed as well as the interpretation and the significance of the dream. First, we begin with the content of the dream.

Daniel 2:31-36 “31 “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 36 “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation.”

Let’s at this point just review. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about a great statue with five different components. The statue had a head of gold, shoulders and arms of silver, middle and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet that were partly and partly clay. Those ten toes were struck by stone, that no human had made. The stone destroyed the statue and grew to be the a great mountain that filled the earth.

The Interpretation of the Dream

Next, let’s look at the interpretation of the dream.

Daniel 2:37-45 “37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. 39 Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. 41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so t…”

The Four Parts of the Statue are Four Empires

Let’s look together at the miracle of Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Daniel states that each of the four major segments of the statue represent four separate empires that would rise and fall over the centuries. What is startling about this dream, is that it was interpeted by Daniel around 550 BC (that’s 550 years before the birth of Christ), and yet it nearly pinpoint accurately portrays the rise and fall of empires exactly as they happened throughout history. Secondly, it is worth noting at this point that later in Daniel 7 a very similar dream will speak of the rise and fall of these same four empires only with incredibly more detail. So, the dream in Daniel 2 and the vision in Daniel 7 are speaking of the same things with different details highlighted in each chapter.

The Head of Gold

Daniel is very clear that the head of gold on the statue represents Nebuchadnezzar and his Kingdom.

The Chest and Arms of Silver

The chest and arms of silver represent an inferior kingdom that would arise after Nebuchadnezzar. Now there is some debate about which empire Daniel was prophesying of. But the general concesus is that the chest and arms of silver represent the Medo-Persian empire that came immediately after Babylon. This empire greatest leader was Cyrus of whom we read about in the books Ezra and Nehemiah, when Cyrus permitted the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple.

The Middle and Thighs of Bronze

The middle and thighs of the statue are said by Daniel to be of bronze. After the persians, the next great empire was the Greeks with their greatest leader Alexandar the Great.

Legs of Iron

Next are the legs of iron. If you know world history, the empire that arose after the Greeks was the Roman empire. The Roman empire ruled the world with an iron fist.

Feet Partly Iron and Partly Clay

As we get to the feet of this vision there are some different interpretive ideas. Personally, I think it is absolutely who and what Daniel is prophesying about. But in humility, I want to say that not all commentators agree. In fact, not all Pastors at Park agree on this. We’re told the feet had 10 toes and was partly iron and partly clay, representing that there was some weakness throughout the feet. In Daniel 7, these 10 toes are represented as a beast with 10 horns. What I first want to do is walk you throguh what is a very popular opinion on interpreting the feet of iron and clay and the stone that becomes the mountain. I don’t believe this is correct, but I want you to see it so you can understand it.

A Different Interpretation

Some say that the ten toes represent an entire separate empire, more like a confederation, or something like the United Nations (a coming together of separate nations). Some go so far as to say that the United Nations is the agency that will become the 10 toes. And that the stone cut from no human hand is not the Kingdom that Christ established and that we are living in right now. But rather, the stone represents Christ’s second coming in our future, when Christ will come back and establish a final Kingdom where he will rule in physical body here on this Earth. One of the stronger casees for this position is verse 35 which says:

Daniel 2:35 “35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found....”

They say that the Roman empire didn’t “become like chaff” and immediately blow away. It took a few hundred years for the Roman empire to fall. Even now there are other empires, the United States of America is a global empire. They say if this eternal Kingdom of God has truly been established as Daniel foresaw than empires like the United States of America should no longer be in existence. It’s a good claim, and one worth considering. But my response is that a simple reading of the text clearly shows, the stone progresses over time from a stone to the greatest mountain. It’s not a smash and its done. It’s a smash and then it grows.

The Preterist Interpretation

I don’t think that’s the case however. I believe it is very clear that the ten toes are part of the legs, and represent ten specific kings that ruled from the Roman empire. I think verse 42 says that very directly, that the toes are not a separate kingdom but rather demonstrate the frailty of the various Kings of the fourth empire. Which means, the ten toes are ten Roman Kings. Why is this so important?

A Stone Cut Out By No Human Hand

Let’s consider the stone that becomes the mountain from the vision:

Daniel 2:34 “34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.”

Daniel interprets this stone that was not cut by human hands in verses 44-45

Daniel 2:44-45 “44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.””

What kingdom is this kingdom that is represented by a stone? What details emerge from the text about this kingdom. First, it arose in the days of the kings of the fourth empire (that’s the Roman empire). Second, it is an eternal kingdom, one that will never be destroyed. Third, it will be greater than every other empire that has ever been established on this Earth. Fourth, it was not "cut by human hands” or human effort. In other words this is not like other kingdoms that build their empires on military strength. Fifth, if we go back to the details of the dream in verse 35 we see that this empire does not come in its fullness all at once, but rather is established as a stone and grows progressively over time to become a great mountain that fills the whole Earth.

This is Christ’s Kingdom

I believe that that there is one empire, and only one empire, that perfectly fits this description. It’s the Kingdom of Christ to which every believer belongs right now. First, Christ’s Kingdom came right in the midst of those ten Kings of the Roman empire. Second, His kingdom has been established by his death and resurrection and it is an eternal kingdom. The more you try to crush it, the faster it grows. third, Christ’s Kingdom is greater in number and size and devotion than any other kingdom that has ever existed in all of humanity. Fourth, Christ’s Kingdom was not cut by any human hands. Christ was born of a virgin and as God in the flesh, he rules over a heavenly Kingdom. Fifth, his Kingdom is in a state of progressive growth since its inauguration. What started as a stone cast into the Roman empire with 12 Apostles, has progressively grown over 2,000 years of history. It is, as the text says, growing to cover the entire Earth.

Jesus’ Teaching

Jesus gave a number of parables stating the same idea. In Matthew 13 Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God this way.

Matthew 13:31-32 “31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.””

Additionally the New Testament teaches that Jesus is the rock to build your life upon (Matt. 7:24). He is the stone the builders rejected (Matt. 21:42). Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and said, “behold the Kingdom of God is in your midst (Luke 17:21).” And in Luke 11:20 Jesus explicitly states that his power and presence is the result of the Kingdom of God coming upon you. Even when we pray the Lord’s prayer, what do we say? “Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.” Meaning, “God your kingdom has been established, and now as it grows increasingly may your will be done on this Earth through this kingdom.

Quote: Napoleon

The greatest empire on this planet right now, is the Kingdom of God. He is ruling and reigning, and progressing through history. Napoleon Bonaparte, the infamous French emperor recognized this reality and said it more poetically than most.

"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for him."

The Ethics of This View

Does the view we take on the ten toes and the stone that became the mountain matter? Yes it does. I believe there are significant ethical implications for how we interpret passages like this. If what this passage says is that we are living in the days of progress, where the stone of Christ's kingdom is growing to become the biggest of mountains on the whole planet, then we ought to be infused as Christians with unbeleivable courage to go claim ground for Christ. What that means is that the growth of the Church and the impact of the Church ought to be assumed in the long run to win out, the stone is still growing. Sometimes it feels like Christians start ministries and don't really expect those ministries to be effective. Their mindset is something like, "It's a good thing to do, but it probably will only be a little effective." Well that type of thought is not consistent with the idea that we are living in the Kingdom of Christ that is growing right now and will grow to take over the entire Earth.

Move 2: Applications for Us

Let’s talk applications for a bit. Think of what this dream would have meant to the various people involved in this chapter. We’ve got Nebuchadnezzar. For Nebuchadnezzar this dream should have served as a check against his ego and pride. It’s interpretation should have been a clear warning that he is not in charge, the God of the Bible is in charge, and Nebuchadnezar needed to humble himself. Unfortunately as we will see next week, Nebuchadnezzar failed to truly get that message as he builds for himself a massive gold statue and established himself as a god. For Nebuchadnezzar this was a check against pride. For the other astrologers and magicians who could not answer Nebuchadnezzar’s request for an interpreation. Daniel’s interpretation was a clear warning that those astrologers needed to abandon their idolatry and their syncretism and they needed to believe in the one true God. They were about to die, and their lives were spared by the God of the Bible. For Daniel and his three friends, the intepretation of this dream would have spoken deeply to them as they survived as exiles in a foreign land. It reminded them that while there is so much beyond their control, life is not what they wished it was, they served a God who was in full control. I think all three of those ideas need to be worked into our hearts as we process this.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Pride

Like Nebuchadnezzar we tend to think of ourselves as little Kings building our own little Kingdoms. While none of us will have the resources or the opportunity to build a kingdom like Nebuchadnezzar’s, our pursuit of building a life of security and comfort by human means reveals that the heart of Nebuchadnezzar and our own hearts are not all that different. But remember Daniel’s words to Nebuchadnezzar

Daniel 2:37-38 “37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold.”

Everything Nebuchadnezzar had was given to him by a higher King, by God. We spend much of our time building and securing our kingdoms and our bank accounts. This dream and its interpretation is a firm warning that God can take all that away in a second. It’s not ours. Our wealth is not ours. Our homes are not ours. Our networks are not ours. They are on loan to us from God for a short while, and our responsibility to submit them underneath God’s authority. And as we will learn in later chapters of Daniel, there are severe consequences for those who believe and live as if they are a king unto themselves.

The Astrologers

Secondly, like the other astrologers, we tend to play around with syncretism and idolatry. Remember the text, these astrologers were idolaters who were getting by pretty nice in the courts of Nebuchadnezzar. That was until it was revealed that their false idolatry had zero power to save when push came to shove. Like the astrologers, modern Christianity tends to make idols of many things. An idol is anything we fixate our hearts and minds and efforts on more than God. An idol is something you worship.

Modern Christians tend to worship Jesus on Sunday but then live the rest of their days worshiping the god of money, the god of success, the god of self-image. In the last twenty years, modern evangelicals can add the god of the government to that list of idols that we expect to be able to save us. The message to those idolaters among us is to abandon our false idolatry that cannot save. To refuse to play the game. To not settle for empty, shallow, half hearted Christinianity because we’re too busy playing with idols, toying with idols. Rid idolatry from your life. Wherever you sniff it out, determine in your soul to not let it linger. If you don’t kill it, it will kill you.

Daniel

Lastly, like Daniel, this passage ought to bring tremendous comfort. As we’ve said before, we are much like Daniel as Christians. Increasingly in the west, we are living in the midst of a secularizing culture, a culture going adrift from the worship of the God of the Bible. In that we are like exiles. And Daniel was reminded through this dream and its interpretation, that even when living in exile is exhausting, we serve a God who is in full control. He has a plan. He is executing that plan. Not one tank rolls across a field apart from God’s decree. While, we cannot understand the fullness of God’s purposes in why history plays itself out the way it does. Why living like an exile is so painful much of the time? We can take incredible comfort in the knowledge that your life is never out of control. Not a moment of it. As a follower of Christ, your life is submitted unto the one who is in full control. The one who is writing history according to his design. If you reflect on that reality, if you meditate on that, and begin to live as if you really believe it, you will find so much of the things we busy ourselves with worrying about tend to find themselves deeply resolved somehow, in the vastness of the wisdom of God.

Conclusion

This week I have been overwhelmed in grief for Ukraine. But I have also been humbled by the stories and videos and images of incredible faith I see from Ukrainian Christians. I have watched videos of father’s leading their family in worship and song around the dinner table. I have read of Christians giving their lives to protect orphans in orphanages on the Ukrainian border. I have seen Ukrainians gathering on street corners to pray. I have seen read the testimonies of own Park global workers, on the ground, listening to the sound of bombs in the background, sharing their joy in Jesus and the opportunities to share the love of Christ with their neighbors.

I came across this simple prayer on the Gospel Coalition earlier this week about what it means to let God be sovereign and to trust him even when we don’t understand. Join me in this prayer.

Dear heavenly Father, though there are days when I, the clay, presume to tell you, the Potter, what to create next; and though there are stories that I the character, want to dictate to you, the Author, how the plot should change; and though there are circumstances about which I, your subject, want to order you, my King, into action, I know those desires are foolish—a thousand times over, they are foolish.

I am so thankful that you are God, and I am not. I am so thankful that you are the Alpha and the Omega, and everything other Greek letter in between. I am so thankful you know the beginning and the ending, and every other moment as well. I am so thankful that you don’t answer all my prayers with a resounding “Yes!” I am so thankful that you don’t cater to my fancies, give into my whining, or share your throne with me—even for a nanosecond.

I am so thankful that you do as you please, even when your pleasure requires my displeasure. I am so thankful that you’re not co-dependent on me—in any way, shape, or form, and that I’m absolutely dependent on you—even when I “kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14); get frustrated with your sense of timing; or, in my moments of temporary insanity, question your goodness.

Father, I am so thankful you are God and the gospel is true, period. So very Amen I pray, in Jesus’ triumphant and tender name.