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The Book of Daniel – Dan 2:31-49  Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory

[Study Aired February 22, 2024]

Dan 2:31  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. 
Dan 2:32  This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
Dan 2:33  His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Dan 2:34  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 to pieces. 
Dan 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. 
Dan 2:36  This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 
Dan 2:37  Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 
Dan 2:38  And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. 
Dan 2:39  And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 
Dan 2:40  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.
Dan 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. 
Dan 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. 
Dan 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. 
Dan 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. 
Dan 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. 
Dan 2:46  Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. 
Dan 2:47  The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. 
Dan 2:48  Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. 
Dan 2:49  Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king. 

In the first chapter of Daniel we learned of the captivity of Judah within the first seven verses, and how that captivity represents our going into Babylon to be held captive by Nebuchadnezzar who represents the god of this world Satan who has humanity in spiritual captivity (2Co 4:4). King Nebuchadnezzar is the negative example of a king of kings as he is called in (Dan 2:37 , Rev 19:16).

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 

Dan 2:37  Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.

Rev 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Satan is the head or god of this world, and the blinded minds of men are his subjects. He is typified by Nebuchadnezzar who was a ruler with vast power and influence over the kings and nations of the world of his time. Nebuchadnezzar’s rulership over Babylon, represented by the head of the great statue in his dream, tells us that he is a type of the god of this world who has ruled over the hearts and thoughts of mankind, from the garden of Eden and throughout the various empires that are typified by a great image. “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” (Dan 2:31-33). The image was interpreted by Daniel, a type of the elect, who won’t eat the false doctrines of this world, represented by the king’s meat, which has been the food source for all these various empires on the great statue that have been orchestrated by the head throughout the ages, Satan, who is typified by Nebuchadnezzar.

Dan 2:31  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. 
Dan 2:32  This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 
Dan 2:33  His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

The second section of the first chapter of Daniel instructs us regarding how we are in the world and not of the world, if we don’t love the things of this world [the king’s meat] (1Jn 2:15), eating the body and blood of Christ and not the meat of Nebuchadnezzar, which meat represents all the millions of lies in Babylon [the briers, the thorns, the scorpions, the locusts] that have held the world in captivity right from the foundation of the world with our first parents Adam and Eve (Isa 9:15, Rev 12:4, Rev 9:2-3).

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Isa 9:15  The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. 

Rev 12:4  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Eze 2:6  And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 
Rev 9:3  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

The statue of which Nebuchadnezzar dreamed is most commonly interpreted in religious circles as representing the empires of this world, and then each empire is very often connected to the four beasts that are spoken of in Daniel chapter 7. This natural outward interpretation is what precedes a spiritual inward interpretation that God’s elect are blessed to see, understanding that it applies to their own lives now with judgment in this age (1Co 15:46, 1Pe 4:17). God is destroying the man of perdition on the throne of our hearts (2Th 2:5-8), which man is typified by the terrible statue and the beasts mentioned in Daniel chapter 7, each representing some part of that body of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

The king’s meat [Nebuchadnezzar’s meat] will only keep us focused on an outward interpretation of this statue and the beasts in chapter seven along with the amalgamated beast that is discussed in the book of Revelation (Rev 12:3,  Rev 13:1-2). This beast is also the beast with which we must identify, along with the beasts mentioned in Daniel 7, or we will be left knowing only a physical history of what Nebuchadnezzar’s dream meant.

Rev 12:3  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

Rev 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 
Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

God’s elect have to go into Babylon and then ‘come out of her my people’, and like Daniel, we are able to interpret the dream of king Nebuchadnezzar, which typifies for us our being able to discern the truth in this age with eyes that see and ears that hear what God has given to very few to see and hear (Mat 13:16). Daniel however prophesied these dreams not to himself but for our sakes, and was never left knowing the true spiritual interpretation of these dreams, but rather a type and shadow interpretation that would serve him in his time and stay the hand of Nebuchadnezzar “to destroy the wise men of Babylon” (Dan 2:24, Mat 13:16-17, 1Pe 1:12, 1Co 10:11). When the truth becomes clear on any matter, we come to see that we are the beast in every instance where God is talking about them. The beastly flesh contributes nothing to our salvation is what this all points to, and it is the spirit that quickens us (Joh 6:63) as the treasure within these earthen vessels (2Co 4:7) accomplishes God’s will in this life (Mat 6:10). Until we are given to see that inward application of God’s words, all these dreams and their interpretations will serve as only a history lesson and give opportunity for the beast still on the throne of our own hearts to point out and accuse someone else, some other nation, some other person, anyone, just not me, of being that beast, or that terrible statue (Ecc 3:18).

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them [Mat 13:16], and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. 

As we go through this last section of chapter 2, we want to ask our Father to help keep us focused on the spiritual inward application of what we are reading. In doing that, we can then see how we live upon those words that help us identify the beast and overcome his mark, by Christ (Rev 20:4-5) who has given us eyes to see and ears to hear the inward spiritual lesson for the very purpose of overcoming (1Jn 4:4).

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, [the great image] neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

1Jn 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Dan 2:31  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. 
Dan 2:32  This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
Dan 2:33  His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Dan 2:34  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 to pieces.

These opening verses are an overview of the empires of this world represented by the “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“, which empires contain all the sins of the world that are within us, which sins are likened unto four metals, ‘four’ meaning the whole, or all, of the sin (1Jn 2:16). The head being gold, which is a precious metal, represents our deceived-by-Satan state as the first Adam who cannot initially acknowledge our marred-in-the-Potter’s-hand state that is a wretched, miserable poor and blind earthen vessel in need of a Saviour who will deliver each man in his appointed time (Jer 18:4, Rev 3:17). 

Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: [The golden head of the statue]

Salvation comes through the destruction of the marred vessel that is made anew in the Potter’s hand. The marred vessel is broken to pieces like the great statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was destroyed. It takes Christ coming into our lives, the One who accomplishes that destruction of our old man, the stone who destroys the man of perdition on the throne of our hearts (2Th 2:5-8), “a stone was cut out without hands” (1Ki 6:7). It takes a supernatural all-powerful God to create this new creation (Eph 2:10) that has nothing to do with the hands of men, but “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Rom 7:24-25, Eph 2:8).

1Ki 6:7  And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. 

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Dan 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. 

What this verse demonstrates is the effect God has on our lives when we are dragged to Christ (Joh 6:44), and what we learn is that all the sin of the world must be dealt with by His goodness leading us to repentance that is connected to the “threshingfloors” (Rom 2:4). This breaking down of all these four metals, “broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors“, represents our overcoming the nations of the world within us, all the sin of the world, through Christ so that we can be made ready to rule all the nations of the world outwardly, “and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth“, and judge them in the great white throne judgment which is preceded by the thousand-year rule and reign [symbolic period of time] under Christ and His Christ (Rev 20:11, Rev 20:6). The stone has to smite the image (Heb 12:6), and it is the spirit of God represented by the wind (“and the wind carried them away“) that will give us victory over all fleshly thinking, “every wind of doctrine”, causing us to cease from sinning (1Pe 4:1, Eph 4:14). The Lord chastens and scourges every son He is receiving in this age, thereby setting us free as we are given to bring every thought into subjection to Christ as we die daily and endure until the end through Him (Rev 13:4, Joh 8:36). If we are granted to judge those empires within us today, then we will be prepared through that judgment (1Pe 4:17) to judge the kingdoms of the world without, when God’s government is established on this earth (Rev 11:15).

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Dan 2:36  This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 
Dan 2:37  Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 
Dan 2:38  And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. “And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold”.

Daniel reminds us that he has others who have been praying and asking the God of heaven and earth what these dreams mean, so he starts off by saying this to Nebuchadnezzar: “This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.” This scenario with Daniel and his colleagues working together to interpret this dream for the king is what God’s elect will be doing with all of humanity during their rule and reign on earth (Rev 20:6) and at the time of the lake of fire (1Co 6:3-5). What Daniel tells the king is symbolic of what we will tell all men, and that is that God sets up the basest of men (Dan 4:17) to rule over the kingdoms of this world. “Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory“, and God gives them dominion over the “beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.” This giving dominion over the beasts of the field and the fowl of the air is what God granted Adam and Eve from the very beginning and typifies how they will ultimately be given to rule over the beasts and fowls of the air within them through Christ one day (Gen 1:26, Jas 3:7-10). This rulership that Nebuchadnezzar has over the “beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold“, is the negative example of ruling over men, making them two-fold more the child of hell, which is what carnal men do in positions of power (Mat 23:15, Mat 20:25-26).

Mat 23:15  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Mat 20:25  But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Mat 20:26  But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

Dan 2:39  And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 
Dan 2:40  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. 

It’s important to remember that Nebuchadnezzar is the head of this statue in the dream that represents the Babylonian empire, and as such his influence, or mind, is controlling all the other empires that make up the body. He also typifies Satan who is the god of this world, the head of this present evil age. The first empire, Babylon, is associated with the lion spoken of in Daniel 7:4. Why a lion?, because Nebuchadnezzar typifies Satan, and Satan walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1Pe 5:8). Satan’s kingdom and the servants of his kingdom will only wax worse and worse as the time goes on, and so the metals in the body decrease in their value, ultimately becoming the base metal of iron that represents the hardened unconverted heart of mankind that has only waxed worse and worse throughout the ages of these empires.

Dan 7:4  The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

The next kingdom to appear is represented by the breasts and the arms of silver on the statue, which typifies the repentance of the world [silver] that is not accompanied with fruits meet for repentance (Mat 3:8). The ten-seconds sinner’s prayer is the gateway to a licentious life of sinning so that grace can abound (Rom 6:2) is what this silver part of the statue teaches us, and it is inferior to the first empire of gold. It is inferior because it is now a lesser-valued metal than gold, bringing forth the fruit of the blinded head of gold “supposing that gain is godliness” (1Ti 6:5). Saying ‘Lord, Lord’, and not doing the things He commands us is the self-righteous state of this empire represented by breasts and arms of silver. We are putting on our own self-righteous breastplate at this stage and glorying in the things that God does in our lives as if it is by our silver arms, our own efforts, that these things are being accomplished, when in fact there is truly no spiritual gain being had (Luk 6:46, 1Co 4:7, Eph 2:8-9).

1Ti 6:5  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 
1Ti 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain. 

1Co 4:7  For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The second part of the statue, which is made up of the breasts and arms of silver, is correlated with the bear spoken of in Daniel 7:5. It is a powerful self-righteous beast that is “raised up on one side, and has three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.”

Dan 7:5  And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 

The first beast is a lion that “was lifted up^H5191 from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it”, and represents how Nebuchadnezzar’s power as a beast was given by the devil who is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (Rev 13:2-4). 

Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 
Rev 13:3  And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

What is declared of the second beast is “it raised up^H6966  itself on one side” showing that this beast is controlled as well by the man of perdition, the devil’s influence, who deceives us into thinking we have free moral agency and are able to raise ourselves up on one side. With that spirit ruling in our heavens, we devour much flesh like the serpent who is the accuser of the brethren (Gen 3:14, Rev 12:10). The three “ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it” typify that negative outward process of judgment of others that all beasts are prone to do in their flesh. We devour much flesh through this life through our outward judgment of others until we are brought to repentance and stop trying to change others (Rev 11:2). That is when we start seeing those three ribs pointing inwardly at our old man who has to be destroyed through His judgment in our heavens (Heb 9:23).

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

The next kingdom that comes on the scene is the “third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth“, and this kingdom is likened unto “a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it” (Dan 7:6). 

Once again the dream is one, and we’re still talking about beasts that are controlled by the head, which is Nebuchadnezzar, who typifies the god of this world. This beast is a leopard that we know cannot change his spots (Jer 13:23), and just as the metals are decreasing in their value on the construct of this statue, so are the beasts becoming more evidently controlled by the powers and principalities of this world. Those powers are demonstrated as being wholly on the leopard who has “four wings of a fowl; the beast also had four heads; and dominion was given to it.” The wings of a fowl represent all the evil spirits of this world that manifest on the whole of mankind, the four heads, and dominion was given to this beast just as the kingdoms of this world are the kingdoms of Satan who has deceived the whole world and have dominion and sway over the hearts and minds of humanity (Rev 12:9, Mat 4:8-9). Brass, which is actually copper, represents the best that flesh has to offer, and as I’ve learned playing hockey, your torso never lies. Whatever direction it moves that’s the direction the body is going to go, and so this empire and section of the statue also demonstrates the inflexible heart of man that goes in the way that seems right to a man but leads unto death as it’s compelled by the spirits of this world to do what God wants (Pro 14:12, 1Ki 22:22).

Jer 13:23  Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

Rev 12:9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 

Mat 4:8  Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 

1Ki 22:22  And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

The last kingdom is the basest of all the kingdoms and also the strongest or overtly open in its opposition of truth. “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.” This fourth kingdom is “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth” as shown in Daniel 7:7. It’s from the mouth of the adversary that the accusations come day and night from the accuser of the brethren who has these iron teeth, meaning he is inflexible and a liar and unrepentant, as are his children, represented by this fourth beast, who like Satan wants to sift the elect as he goes about breaking in pieces and bruising whoever God will grant him the power to do (Mat 10:22). Of course the devil will not prevail in his attempt to destroy the church, and in fact it will turn to our deliverance and his being cast out along with his angels (Rev 12:7-9). This fourth beast that is “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly” is part of the composite beast spoken of in Revelation 13:1-18. The dream-is-one principle is in full effect here, as we see in chapter 13, all four beasts being brought together to represent one beast, and who that beast is all along is revealed in the last verse of this 13th chapter (Rev 13:17-18).

Dan 7:7  After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 
Dan 7:8  I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. 
Dan 7:9  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

Rev 13:18  Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Dan 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. 
Dan 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. 
Dan 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.

These next verses discuss the condition of the earth prior to our Lord’s return, both in our lives when that happened and outwardly when Christ manifests Himself to the world as our great King and Saviour (Rev 11:15). The fourth beast, as we read in Daniel and the book of Revelation (Dan 7:8-10, Rev 12:10-17), goes on to try to destroy the church that God says ‘the gates of hell won’t prevail against’ (Mat 16:18). As mentioned, all four beasts that we’ve looked at are the composite beast discussed in Revelation 13:1-18 where we learn that this beast, in his time, overcame us, but by the grace of God the elect are given the patience and the faith of Christ to overcome the beasts we are (Rev 13:10, Rev 13:18).

Rev 13:10  He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Rev 13:18  Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

It is in the verses below from Daniel chapter 7 that we learn how even “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ” to those who have God’s spirit within them (Luk 17:20). As such, if we are granted to overcome in this age, we will appear with our Lord as that stone that crashes into “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” (Dan 2:41), which is just another way of saying, “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” (Rev 14:8).

She falls as a result of the stone hitting her, meaning all mankind, on the foot, on the corrupt foundation of man’s moral existence that is founded on “iron mixed with miry clay“, which was never going to withstand His glorious return announced with a symbolic trumpet blast (Deu 20:16, Mat 7:27). What we’re reading in Daniel 7:8-9 is another example of the power God gives these beasts, symbolized by the three ribs in the bear’s mouth and now in the fourth beast, “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” These horns, like the ribs of the other beast which was a bear, represent what comes out of the mouth of the false prophet (Rev 19:20) who is given power by God to deceive the world (Mat 24:5).  It is power that comes from Satan, but we know he has no power except that which our Father gives him (Joh 19:11). All of this must happen before the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ (Rev 11:15, Dan 7:9-10).

Dan 7:8  I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
Dan 7:9  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 
Dan 7:10  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 

Dan 7:26  But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 
Dan 7:27  And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. 

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 
Rev 12:11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 
Rev 12:12  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 

Dan 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. 

What comforting and reassuring words from our Lord! It is in the days of these kings, which represent humanity who all believe they are ruling their own world in their own way via their own mindset of being free moral agents, that God’s kingdom will be established and “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.” The breaking in pieces (“it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms“) represents the saints ruling with a rod of iron at this time (Rev 2:27,  Rev 12:5, Rev 19:15), bringing His judgments into the earth (Isa 26:9) so that in time men will not just learn of His righteousness but partake of it after His words that went forth throughout the thousand-year reign (Rev 20:6) are purified in the lake of fire (1Pe 1:7).

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

At that time of setting up the kingdom of God to rule over the kingdoms of this world (Rev 11:15), the unconverted mindset of mankind will remain thinking that they are kings unto themselves [the lie of free moral agency]. Satan is bound, but mankind has not changed and cannot exhibit true righteousness, which can only come from God through Christ Who is our righteousness (Pro 14:12, Gen 3:4-5). Even with Satan bound at this point, there can be no conversion in the earth without the spirit of God indwelling in humanity (Rom 8:9). When Satan is loosed for a season, the truth is revealed that mankind has never been converted during that reign of the saints. So what does God say about these kings that the elect will rule over (Rev 17:8-14)?

Rev 17:8  The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 
Rev 17:9  And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 
Rev 17:10  And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 
Rev 17:11  And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 
Rev 17:12  And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Rev 17:13  These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 
Rev 17:14  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful  [Rev 20:7-11].

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 
Rev 20:11  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.

Dan 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 dream is certain, flesh and blood, represented by the iron, brass, clay, silver, and gold, cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and this is truly understood only by those who have this stone within them, Jesus Christ as our hope of glory (Col 1:27), who “was cut out of the mountain without hands.” It is that stone that judges us in this age (1Pe 4:17), to have all these metals burned out of us, to become a new creation of God. God cannot lie, and we’re told “the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” (Heb 6:18).

Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

Dan 2:46  Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. 

Nebuchadnezzar falling down to worship Daniel symbolizes this moment in the life of God’s elect (Rev 3:9). His command “that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him” also implies that during the reign of the saints, the leaders of this world will come up to worship and bring sacrifices to offer before God, which are likened unto oblations and sweet odours (Zec 14:16).

Rev 3:9  Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

Zec 14:16  And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Dan 2:47  The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.

The king acknowledges with this statement, in type and shadow, what we read of in Revelation 11:15, and it is an acknowledgement that his own kingship was only in the earth and not in the heavens where God rules in the hearts and minds of His people (Col 3:15).

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 

Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Dan 2:48  Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.

This again represents what will happen during the thousand-year reign of the saints, and like Israel of old, the Israel of God (Gal 6:16) will ‘spoil the Egyptians’ (Exo 12:36), who are typified by “the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon“, i.e. all the kingdoms of this world (Rev_11:15).

Dan 2:49  Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

Once again Daniel’s humble spirit is on display, thinking of others, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego“, who with Daniel total four men that typifies the whole of the elect who will work in conjunction to rule over the nations of this world. Daniel also represents Christ here, who resides “in the gate of the king” having that pre-eminence and honor, representing how Christ is our King of Kings and Lord of Lords.