The Millennial Man
The Story . . .
Daniel 2:1-49
The vast kingdom of Babylon was opulent and
prosperous, yet Nebuchadnezzar the king stirred in his royal bed.
How long would this golden era last, he wondered, and what
would become of his powerful empire when he was gone?
With these disturbing questions in mind, the mighty
monarch drifted off to sleep. That night, a vivid image of a
towering multi-mineral man flashed into his mind with a
panorama of color unlike anything he had ever experienced.
Throwing aside his embroidered covers,
the king jumped out of bed and shouted
to his bodyguards: "Call all the magicians
and astrologers to come at once. I must
know the meaning of this dream!"
The king's wise men were roused
and herded into the presence of the
bewildered sovereign. "And the king said
unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and
my spirit was troubled to know the
dream." Daniel 2:3. One of the phony
prophets smugly responded, "Tell your
servants the dream, and we will give the
interpretation." But as often happens with
dreams, the details had already grown
cloudy in Nebuchadnezzar's mind. These
men had claimed divine insight, but the
king was beginning to doubt their
abilities. This would be the perfect test. "Tell me the dream and
the interpretation, and you will be rewarded," the king told his
counselors, "otherwise I will cut you in pieces and turn your
homes into dumps!"
The magicians and astrologers had no choice but to admit
that they were powerless to explain the king's dream without
first hearing it. Furious with these imposters, the king
commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be gathered for
execution. However, the Lord still had one person in Babylon
who could explain the dream of the colossal Millennial Man.
The Study
Fill in the blanks after reading each Bible text.
1. Why did God give the Babylonian king this dream?
Daniel 2:28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth
_______________, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what
shall be in the _______________ days.
NOTE: In this dream of the multi-mineral image, God outlined for all future
millenniums the rise and fall of the empires that would have a direct influence on
His people.
2. When the king's counselors failed to reveal and interpret
the dream, what was Nebuchadnezzar's command?
Daniel 2:12 The king ... commanded to _______________ all the wise
men of Babylon.
NOTE: The astrologers and magicians of Babylon claimed to have supernatural
power, but when they could not reveal the dream to the king, they were shown to
be impotent imposters. If the king had recalled the dream, they would have simply
manufactured a bogus interpretation. In his rage, Nebuchadnezzar commanded all
the wise men to be slain-even those who were not present. Among those absent
from the first meeting with the king was a God-fearing captive named Daniel,
who had just been trained for the king's service.
3. When Daniel learned about the death decree, what did
he ask of the king and what did he tell his friends?
A. Daniel 2:16 Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give
him_______________, and that he would shew the king the
_______________.
B. Daniel 2:17, 18 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing
_______________ to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this
_______________.
NOTE: Daniel requested a little time from Nebuchadnezzar and promised that he
would reveal the dream and its meaning. The king, who was still desperate to
know the significance of his vision, granted Daniel's request. Then he and his
friends appealed to the only Source who could reveal the king's dream. They
prayed to the God of heaven.
4. When the Lord revealed the dream to Daniel, to whom
did he give praise and credit?
Daniel 2:23, 28 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou
_______________ of my fathers. ... There is a _______________ in
heaven that _______________ secrets.
NOTE: The rise and fall of empires may appear as if happening by the will of
men, but Daniel's prayer of praise clearly reveals the essence of divine
intervention. Nothing happens that God is not already aware of and has not
allowed. Sometimes we may not understand what is happening in our world
today or why, but it is comforting to know that God is still sovereign. Only
Daniel could reveal the dream to the king, yet he clearly gives the credit to the
One who revealed the dream to him-the God of heaven.
5. What two objects did Daniel say the king saw in his
dream?
A. Daniel 2:31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold, a
_______________ _______________ .
B. Daniel 2:34 Thou sawest ... that a _______________ was cut out
without hands.
NOTE: The first thing the king saw was a great image made of the following
mineral elements:
1. The head was of gold.
2. The breast and arms were of silver.
3. The belly and thighs were of brass.
4. The legs were of iron.
5. The feet of iron and clay.
Next, the king saw a stone that had been cut without hands. At this point, King
Nebuchadnezzar was no doubt sitting spellbound on the edge of his throne.
Daniel had related the dream precisely as God had given it to him. Now the
king eagerly waited, wondering what the dream meant. Daniel proceeded to
explain the interpretation as the Lord had revealed it to him, and we would do
well to take it just as He gave it. The only safe way to interpret the Bible and
prophecy is to allow the Bible to explain itself.
6. What does the head of gold represent?
Daniel 2:38 Thou art this _______________ of gold.
NOTE: The king was regarded as the head of the state. This is why
Nebuchadnezzar represented Babylon, the empire that began the prophecy.
Neo-Babylon ruled the world from 612-539 B.C. as one of the mightiest
empires of antiquity-one that could aptly be described as the head of gold.
Notice that the prophecy begins with Daniel's time.
7. Would the Babylonian kingdom last forever?
Daniel 2:39 After thee shall arise _______________ kingdom inferior
to thee.
NOTE: Babylon's supremacy would not last forever. Succeeding kingdoms,
inferior to Babylon, would rule in their turn. Just as silver is inferior to gold, so
the kingdom that followed Babylon enjoyed diminished glory. Led by Cyrus in
539 B.C., the Medo-Persian empire conquered Babylon and reduced it to ruins.
The Medes and Persians were the ruling world power from 539-331 B.C.
During their reign, all taxes had to be paid in silver.
8. What metal would represent the kingdom that
followed Medo-Persia?
Daniel 2:39 Another third kingdom of _______________ ... shall bear
rule over all the earth.
NOTE: The brass kingdom of Greece came into power when Alexander the
Great conquered the Medes and Persians at the battle of Arbela in 331 B.C.,
and Greece remained in power until about 168 B.C. Greek soldiers were called
"brazen coated" because their armor was all bronze. Notice how each succeeding
mineral depicted in the image is less valuable, yet more enduring than the one
before it.
9. What metal represents the fourth kingdom?
Daniel 2:40 The fourth kingdom shall be strong as_______________.
NOTE: The iron monarchy of Rome conquered the Greeks in 168 B.C. and
enjoyed world supremacy until Rome was captured by the Ostrogoths in A.D.
476. Rome is the kingdom that dominated the world when Jesus Christ was
born. Notice how Daniel foretold a thousand years of world history with
unerring accuracy. The rise and fall of these four world empires-Babylon,
Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome-are clearly foretold in the Bible and proved
by the history books.
10. What would happen after the fall of the Roman
Empire?
Daniel 2:41, 42 The kingdom shall be _______________. ... As the
toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be
partly strong, and partly broken.
NOTE: When the Roman Empire began to crumble in A.D. 476, it was not
overtaken by another world power. Instead, barbarian tribes conquered the
Roman Empire and divided it-just as Daniel prophesied. Ten of these tribes
evolved into modern Europe. They were the Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks,
Vandals, Alemannians, Sueves, Anglo-Saxons, Heruls, Lombards, and
Burgundians. Seven of them still exist today in Europe. For example, the Anglo-
Saxons became the English, the Franks became the French, the Alemannians
became the Germans, and the Lombards became the Italians.
11. Would these 10 kingdoms ever succeed in uniting?
Daniel 2:43 They shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they
shall _______________ _______________ one to another, even as
iron is not mixed with clay.
NOTE: Through marriage, alliances, and treaties, men have vainly attempted to
reunite the European continent. All throughout history, leaders such as
Charlemagne, Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm, Mussolini, and Hitler have fought to
build a new European empire; but these words of Scripture have stopped every
single would-be world ruler. Revelation 13 tells us there will be another attempt
to establish a universal religion, but Daniel's prophecy clearly states that the
world will remain politically divided for the rest of Earth's history.
12. Who will set up the final kingdom?
Daniel 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the _______________
of _______________ set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.
NOTE: The next great universal kingdom will be the kingdom of heaven, which
is described in Matthew 25:31-34.
13. What does the stone do to the other world kingdoms?
Daniel 2:34, 35 A stone was cut out without hands, which
_______________ the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and
_______________ them to pieces. ... And the stone that smote the image
became a great _______________, and filled the whole earth.
NOTE: The stone that was cut without human hands represents God's kingdom.
It will not be a conglomeration of earthly kingdoms, but a total replacement
(Revelation 21:1). The Scriptures declare that when Jesus Christ returns to earth,
He will completely consume all the kingdoms of earth and establish an everlasting
kingdom (Daniel 2:44). What exciting news! Jesus Christ is coming again! All
history is moving toward this climactic conclusion, when the Son of God shall
return in majesty to bring in the kingdom of everlasting righteousness. King
Nebuchadnezzar may have thought that he had defeated the true God when he
besieged Jerusalem and plundered the temple (Daniel 1:1, 2), but he was shown
very quickly that God is ruler over all. Human events are under His control, and
ultimately He will win the conflict. Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the
10 divisions of the Roman Empire may have sought to usurp divine authority and
destroy the people of God, but all earthly kingdoms will eventually be crushed by
the coming of Christ. Thank God, He will win the great controversy!
14. After hearing Daniel's clear interpretation of the dream,
what did Nebuchadnezzar say about the Lord?
Daniel 2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is,
that your God is a _______________ of _______________, and a Lord
of kings, and a revealer of secrets.
NOTE: Having seen that God has complete control of world events, even
Nebuchadnezzar readily acknowledged that the God Daniel served was above all
the heathen gods of Babylon. How quickly the picture had changed! Daniel and
his friends, because of their faithfulness to God, were elevated from their initial
captivity in Babylon to positions of prominent leadership for the kingdom (Daniel
2:48, 49). God always honors those who honor Him (1 Samuel 2:30).
Your Response
Recognizing that God is in full control of earthly events, are you willing to let
Him have full control of your life?
ANSWER: _______________
Supplement
This section provides additional information for further study.
Gold = Babylon
The head of gold represented Babylon,
which was the ruling world power from
612-539 B.C.
Silver = Medo-Persia
The chest of silver represented
Medo-Persia, the ruling
world empire from
539-331 B.C.
Bronze = Greece
The thighs of bronze
represented Greece, the dominant
world ruler from 331-168 B.C.
Iron = Rome
The legs of iron represented Rome,
which enjoyed world supremacy
from 168 B.C.-A.D. 476.
Iron and Clay =
the Divided Empire
The feet that were partly iron and
partly clay represented a divided
empire that would not cleave together.
No single power has ruled the world
since A.D. 476, and it will remain
divided until Christ's return.
Stone = Christ's Eternal Kingdom,
His Word, and His Law
