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 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


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


Daniel 2:41, 42 The kingdom shall be _______________. ... As the


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?


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: _______________


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


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