Did you know that we are living in the middle of the events in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream statue?

The word of God speaks truths and facts that influence our lives to this very day. These truths and facts are what makes the Bible so reliable and a trustworthy source for our everyday problems. Listen to the author of Hebrews as he encourages us:

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Hebrews 1:1-4

To understand why Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light, we must go back many centuries and examine the book of Daniel. During its time, the Babylonian Empire was one of the most powerful and wealthy kingdoms. King Nebuchadnezzar ruled over the empire 650 years before Christ was born. This was a wealthy and powerful empire that took Jerusalem captive, including Daniel who served in the King’s court.

In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that was eating him up. He wanted to find an interpretation of this dream because it disturbed him so much. Later God revealed the dream to Daniel. When Daniel explained it to the King, he found the God of Daniel to be astonishing.

The dream was about a statue made of many different materials. The head was made of fine gold. The chest and arms made of silver. The stomach and thighs were made of bronze. The remainder of the legs were made of iron. And the feet were a mixture of iron and clay. In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, a rock struck the image by its feet. Nebuchadnezzar was upset because he wanted someone to tell him what the dream was and to interpret it for him. None of his wise men were able to do this.

Nebuchadnezzar orders all wise men in Babylon to be killed instantly. Daniel instead asked for an audience with the King. God had his eye on Daniel because of Daniel’s love and devotion to his God. This love and devotion to God would save Daniel’s life and foretell of the coming of Jesus Christ.

Daniel interpreted the dream for Nebuchadnezzar. This statue represented Nebuchadnezzar’s current kingdom and the kingdoms that would come to rule over the earth. Eventually, all of these Kingdoms would be destroyed and overtaken by a Kingdom set up by God (Daniel 2:31-35). Daniel did know that the first kingdom was Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, but did not specifically know who the other kingdoms were at the time.

A study of history shows us a true interpretation of the dream:

• Head of Gold. Babylon was given to King Nebuchadnezzar to rule from 626-539 BC. Gold symbolized might and power.
• Chest and Arms of Silver. This was an inferior kingdom that would destroy the Babylon kingdom. The Medo-Persians reigned from 539-331 BC under Cyrus.
• Belly and Thighs of Bronze. This represented the kingdom of Greece that lasted from 331-63 BC. Many evil rulers came out of this empire, including Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Antiochus is the fulfillment of the prophecy in Daniel 8 and also gives us a glimpse of the coming Antichrist. This kingdom extended out through the known world but eventually would be overthrown by another Kingdom.
• Legs and Feet of Iron and Clay. This is a divided kingdom that is both strong a week. Clay is brittle and this indicated that this kingdom will have a mixture of people who are not united as one. A divided kingdom emerged in Rome in the year 63 BC. A Roman general named Pompey conquered Jerusalem. Many successors followed including Julius Caesar who was murdered by Brutus and Cassius. Later this kingdom would be conquered by Octavian and Mark Antony who defeated Brutus and Cassius at a battle. In 37 BC, a man named Herod the great was appointed king over Judea by Octavian and Mark Antony. In 27 BC, Caesar Augustus became the first Roman Emperor. Herod refurbished the temple in Jerusalem. It is also believed that a revived Roman empire, one that has not occurred yet, will be in place just before the return of Jesus to set up His earthly Kingdom.

It is believed that Jesus was born sometime between 6-4 BC. In this time Judea became a province ruled by a governor. As we look back in history, we know that Jesus was crucified by Pontius Pilate. After 3 days, Jesus rose from the dead and was seen by over 500 people. This event took place around 30 AD

Jesus told his apostles that the temple that Herod had refurbished would be crushed. Jesus predicted the destruction of the Jerusalem temple which took place in 70 AD by the Roman Empire (Matthew 24:2). The Roman Empire lasted a long time and finally fell in 476 AD.

Next week, we will discuss the last piece of this dream: the rock that destroys the statue. Find out why the rock is so important to this story and to our lives today.