The Giant with Feet
of Clay
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1
Let us ask for God's assistance:
Our Lord,
Once again, we humbly come near You to ask for Your guidance during our study of Bible
prophecy.
May this lesson bring us comfort and hope in these difficult times we are going through.
We thank You, Lord, for hearing and answering our prayer. In Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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Matthew 24:15
When you see the «abomination of desolation», spoken of
by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand).
Now that we possess all the tools we need to properly understand Bible
prophecy, let's get to the heart of the matter.
Since Jesus recommends the book of Daniel to the students of Bible prophecy, and since one
of our tools is precisely this very book of Daniel (see the previous lesson, «The Little Open Book»), this is where our journey
will begin.
The present lesson and the following three will tackle four prophecies of Daniel.
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Isaiah 46:9,10
Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and
there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the
beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done.
The four prophecies of Daniel that we will study together have a common point:
they all cover a long period of history, from the time of Daniel up to the end of the
world.
Now, let's begin with the first of these prophecies, that is, the one found in Daniel
chapter 2.
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Daniel 2:1
Now, in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign,
Nebuchadnezzar had dreams.
First of all, let's grasp the context.
In the year 604 B.C., in the city of Babylon, and over the Babylonian Empire reigned a
king called Nebuchadnezzar.
The king had just spread his empire by means of many conquests, including Jerusalem,
capturing many Jews, among whom was the prophet Daniel. The power of Nebuchadnezzar was
undisputed.
One night, the king had a disturbing dream: he awakened and, unfortunately, was unable to
remember the content of that dream...
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Daniel 2:2
Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the
astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams.
King Nebuchadnezzar, like many kings of Antiquity, was often consulting
astrologers and magicians, notably for interpretation of dreams.
However, this time, his demand was unusual because he was asking more than the simple
interpretation of the dream: the king wanted to know its contents!
This was a «first» for the magicians, astrologers, and all others... and they were
panic-stricken!
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Daniel 2:4
Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic,
«O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the
interpretation.»
As is the case today, the king's magicians and astrologers were just fakes
making a living from the gullibility of those who consulted them.
It was easy to say anything when interpreting dreams: however, when he a
sked them to tell him the dream's content, Nebuchadnezzar discovered that during all his
reign, his prestigious consultation team was actually nothing more than a bunch of
liars...
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Daniel 2:9
For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words
before me till the time has changed.
Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.
As we can see, the king was now suspicious: if magicians and astrologers could
not guess his dream, it was proof that they were nothing but fakes without any power!
Trapped, they tried to explain to the king that his demand was not reasonable, but it only
contributed to throwing him into a «royal» wrath...
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Daniel 2:12
For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and
gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
Due to his noble origins, Daniel was not treated like a common peasant:
instead, he received the training necessary to serve as an official attached to the king's
court.
Being among «the wise men of Babylon», he was also affected by the death decree. So he
hastened to appear before the king, asking to be allowed a short period of time so as to
discover the dream's content.
Knowing Daniel's honesty, the king accepted.
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Daniel 2:19
Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision.
So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
Asking God to reveal him the king's dream and its interpretation, Daniel
received a positive answer.
The next morning, he returned to see the king, eager to tell him what he wanted to know.
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Daniel 2:27,28,30
Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said,
«The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians,
and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king.
But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King
Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. (...)
But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than
anyone living.»
Always humble, Daniel wanted first to give all glory to his God in heaven,
before revealing the dream and its interpretation.
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Daniel 2:31-35 : The dream of King
Nebuchadnezzar, who immediately recognized it.
You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image!
This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was
awesome.
This image's head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of
bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.
You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of
iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and
became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no
trace of them was found.
And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
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Daniel 2:36-38
This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of
it before the king.
You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power,
strength, and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field
and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over
them all.
You are this head of gold.
As we can see, each part of the statue represents a kingdom.
The first one, the head of gold, is the kingdom of Babylon, in power from 606 B.C. to 539
B.C.
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Jeremiah 51:7
Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord's hand.
Revelation 17:4,5
The woman was (...) adorned with gold (...), having in
her hand a golden cup (...).
And on her forehead a name was written: Mystery, Babylon the great.
It is interesting to note that elsewhere in the Scriptures, the name of Babylon
is associated with gold.
This kingdom was one of the wonders of the ancient world. Because of its splendid
constructions and sumptuous gardens, Babylon deserved to be represented by gold, the king
of metals.
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Daniel 2:39
But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to
yours.
After a reign of 67 years, the Babylonian empire was overthrown by the kingdom
of the Medes and the Persians.
The Medo-Persian monarchy lasted 208 years, from 539 B.C. to 331 B.C. The prophet Daniel
himself witnessed the overthrow of Babylon.
Represented by the chest and arms of silver, the Medo-Persian kingdom was indeed not as
rich as Babylon, although its army was more powerful.
Note how, as the metals decrease in value, they increase in strength.
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Daniel 2:39
Then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule
over all the earth.
In 331 B.C. the Greek armies in turn crushed the last Persian king during the
famous Battle of Arbela. The Greeks were led into victory by the powerful king Alexander
the Great.
The Greek Empire was thus established, covering far more vast territories than the two
previous kingdoms.
The reign of the Greek Empire lasted 163 years, from 331 B.C. to 168 B.C.
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Daniel 2:40
And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron,
inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters all things; and like iron that crushes,
that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.
In 168 B.C., it was the turn of the Roman empire to impose its supremacy.
Iron perfectly symbolizes this kingdom: its military discipline, its domination over
conquered peoples, its laws, everything in it was like iron.
This kingdom existed until A.D. 476.
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Daniel 2:41
Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's
clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided.
Daniel did not foretell a fifth universal kingdom, but rather the division of
the fourth kingdom, which was the Roman empire. Indeed, that kingdom weakened and was
attacked by barbarian nations that finally defeated it.
Just like the toes of the statue, these nations were ten in number. Seven of them
originated European nations, but the other three disappeared.
Let's look at these ten nations.
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The Roman Empire divided in ten parts:
1. The Saxons, originating the
English nation.
2. The Franks, originating the French nation.
3. The Alamanni, originating the German nation.
4. The Visigoths, originating the Spanish
nation.
5. The Suevi, originating the Portuguese nation.
6. The Lombards, originating the Italian nation.
7. The Burgundians, originating the Swiss
nation.
8. The Heruli, who have since disappeared.
9. The Vandals, who have since disappeared.
10. The Ostrogoths, who have since disappeared.
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Daniel 2:43
As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle
with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix
with clay.
Daniel foretold that in spite of their efforts, European nations would not
succeed in unifying to form a fifth universal empire.
Charlemagne, Charles the Fifth, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Guillaume II, and Hitler, all tried
in turn to place Europe under the authority of only one ruler, but each one saw his dream
fail.
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Daniel 2:44
And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set
up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other
people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand
forever.
God did not give us this prophecy simply to entertain our historical curiosity.
He wants us to be aware that history is going to culminate with a very important event:
the return of Jesus Christ, who will set up His kingdom, putting an end to this world.
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Daniel 2:45
You saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain
without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and
the gold.
The symbol of the stone is often used in the Bible to represent Jesus Christ,
as we will see in the following verses.
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Acts 4:11
[Jesus] is the stone.
1 Corinthians 10:4
For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them,
and that Rock was Christ.
Ephesians 2:20
Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.
The return of Christ, the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, will
wipe out all the earthly kingdoms.
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Daniel 2:45
The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.
The interpretation of the dream ends with this clear and direct statement by
the prophet Daniel.
This prophetic road-map has proved to be incredibly accurate until now, and it would be
wise for us to examine its predictions for our own future.
By looking at another chapter of the book of Daniel, the next lesson will give us more
fascinating details about the events to come.
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Let us pray:
Our Father,
It is a priceless privilege to probe the future with Your inspired Word, and we are
grateful to You.
You desired to warn us by the dream You communicated to King Nebuchadnezzar. Help us to
fully grasp the meaning and importance of Your warning as we continue to study Your Word,
and especially the book of the prophet Daniel.
In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
Source of the Pictures of this Lesson
Screen 1: «An oxeye daisy.» In: «Deluxe Compton's
Interactive Encyclopedia CD - 1998 Edition», Compton's Home Library, 1997. Screen
2: In: «The Children's Bible, volume 11», Golden Press, 1981, p.659.
Screen 3: MANISCALCO, Joe. In: «Images from the Bible and Sacred History CD»,
Chosen Works, MLI Software, JM253.BMP. Screen 4: BOWER, Maurice. In:
«The Living Bible Encyclopedia in Story and Pictures, volume 4», New York, H.S. Stuttman
Co. Inc., 1968, p.484-b. Screen 5: MANISCALCO, Joe. In: «Images from the
Bible and Sacred History CD», Chosen Works, MLI Software, JM072.BMP. Screen 6: FORD,
Eric. In: «King Nebuchadnezzar's Golden Statue», coll. «The Story Bible Series from
Guideposts» #26, Lion Publishing, 1984, p.10. Screen 7: RUDEEN, Herbert.
In: «The Bible Story, volume 6» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1955, p.18. Screen 8: MANISCALCO, Joe. In: «Images from the
Bible and Sacred History CD», Chosen Works, MLI Software, JM074.BMP. Screen 9: RUDEEN,
Herbert. In: «The Bible Story, volume 6» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1955, p.22. Screen 10: RUDEEN, Herbert. In: «Uncle Arthur's
Bible Book» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1968, p.269.
Screen 11: HARLAN, Russell. In: «Uncle Arthur's Bible Book» (MAXWELL, Arthur
S.), Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1968, p.270. Screen 12: RUDEEN,
Herbert. In: «The Bible Story, volume 6» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1955, p.28. Table of Screen 12: HARLAN, Russell. In: «The
Bible Story, volume 6» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1955,
p.16. Screen 13: STEEL, John. In: «God Cares, volume 1» (MAXWELL,
C.Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1981, p.106. Picture edited by Cyberspace
Ministry. Screen 14: MANISCALCO, Joe. In: «Images from the Bible and
Sacred History CD», Chosen Works, MLI Software, JM101.BMP. Screen 15: STEEL,
John. In: «God Cares, volume 1» (MAXWELL, C.Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1981, p.106. Picture edited by Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 16: STEEL,
John. In: «God Cares, volume 1» (MAXWELL, C.Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1981, p.106. Picture edited by Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 17: STEEL,
John. In: «God Cares, volume 1» (MAXWELL, C.Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1981, p.106. Picture edited by Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 18: STEEL,
John. In: «God Cares, volume 1» (MAXWELL, C.Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1981, p.106. Picture edited by Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 19: BISHOP,
Tom. «Stone strikes feet of image (detail)». In: «New Pictoral Aid For Bible Study»
(BREADEN, Frank), Australian Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970, chart #7.
Screen 20: First picture: «Charlemagne, Portrait», Stadtmuseum of Aachen. In:
«Collier's Encyclopedia Deluxe 1998», Sierra Home. Second picture: «Charles V (Charles
I of Spain)», Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. In: «Collier's Encyclopedia Deluxe
1998», Sierra Home. Third picture: «Portrait de Louis XIV», Musée du Louvre, Paris
(http://www.louvre.fr/). Fourth picture: «Napoleon, Portrait», Kunsthistorisches Museum,
Vienna. In: «Collier's Encyclopedia Deluxe 1998», Sierra Home. Fifth picture: «William
II, last emperor of Germany», Museo della Guerra, Rovereto, Italy. In: «Collier's
Encyclopedia Deluxe 1998», Sierra Home. Sixth picture: «Adolf Hitler», The Bettmann
Archive. In: «Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Deluxe 1998», Grolier Interactive Inc.
Screen 21: RUDEEN, Herbert. In: «Uncle Arthur's Bible Book» (MAXWELL, Arthur
S.), Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1968, p.273. Picture edited by Cyberspace
Ministry. Table of Screen 21: Unknown source. Screen 22: In:
«Revelation Seminars», Seminars Unlimited, 1986, lesson #6 («Le Glorieux Enlèvement
Selon l'Apocalypse»), p.1. Screen 23: In: «The Watchtower» magazine
(November 15, 1986), New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.7. Screen
24: BISHOP, Tom. «Stone strikes feet of image». In: «New Pictoral Aid For
Bible Study» (BREADEN, Frank), Australian Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970, chart
#7. Screen 25: STEEL, John. In: «Prophecy Seminars», Seminars
Unlimited, 1989, Daniel lesson #1 («Introduction to the book of Daniel»), p.1.
Screen 26: «The Whirlpool Galaxy.» In: «Deluxe Compton's Interactive
Encyclopedia CD - 1998 Edition», Compton's Home Library, 1997.
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The test of Lesson 16 is waiting for you!