The Metal Man of Daniel 2 pictures the same Four World empires that the Four Beasts of Daniel 7.  Here too is a general outline of the succeeding world powers from Daniel’s time to the coming of Jesus Christ, namely; Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.  It was during the time of Rome that our Saviour was born and began the development of His Church.

    The world image was not meant to be an idol, but to be a statue corresponding to a human form.  This statue was “Great” in the sense of being immense or large in form, and by its very size it must have been overwhelming in its implication of power.  Even Nebuchadnezzar, the absolute ruler recognized this as something greater than himself.  Notice, God had given Daniel understanding in dreams and visions, Dan. 1:17.

    In addition to the great size of the statue, it was remarkable for its brilliant appearance.  It apparently reflected light indicated by brightness, which is described as “excellent,” or unusual in brilliance.  The Image apparently was not seen at a distance but as standing very close to Nebuchadnezzar, “stood before Thee.”  The total effect of the Image was “Terrifying.”  Nebuchadnezzar, fearless man that he was, cringed before this unusual spectacle.

    Having revealed the impression that the Image had made on Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel quickly proceeds to describe the metallic character of the Image; namely, its head of gold, its breast and arms of silver, its abdomen and thighs of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet part of iron and part of clay.  As Daniel reveals, the king in his dream saw the stone described as “cut out without hands” and smiting the image at its feet to result in the feet to be broken into small pieces, corresponding to chaff of a summer threshing floor.  The stone that destroyed the Image grows into a great mountain and fills the whole earth.

    The identification of the head of Gold was Nebuchadnezzar; his Babylonian Empire, it existed from 606-538 B.C.  He became the head of the New Babylonian Empire when it was at the height of its glory.

    The identification of the Image’s breast and his arms was the Medes and the Persians.  The Babylonian Empire was defeated in the autumn of 539 B.C. at the hands of the Medes and Persians.  Shortly after Cyrus conquered Babylon, he made a proclamation throughout his kingdom that the Jews in his realm might return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple.

    The identification of his belly thighs, (sides), was Greece; the Grecian Kingdom, led by Alexander the Great.  The whole time of the Grecian Empire reached from about 331 B.C. to 168 B.C.  The Medes and Persians with Darius fell to Alexander in a battle near Nineveh in 331 B.C.

    The identification of the legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay, was Rome.  By 46 B.C. Julius Caesar was virtually “Lord of the Roman World.”  The Messiah our Saviour was born in Judea, which was then under Roman control.      The Stone, who smote the Image upon his feet and breaks them to pieces, and became a great mountain, is Jesus Christ; when He comes to set up His Kingdom.