The Controlling Vision in Daniel: the Vision of the Great Image in Daniel 2

But there is a God in the heavens who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the last days. This is your dream, even the visions of your head upon your bed (Daniel 2:28).

This week in our morning revival we come to the topic of, The Vision of the Great Image—the Controlling Vision in the Book of Daniel. In the book of Daniel we see many visions, but the governing vision that interprets all the other visions is the vision of the great image in Daniel 2.

This vision is concerning “what will happen in the last days”. We need to see and understand the vision of the great human image and its destiny – it should be a wake-up call for us!

We are right now at the feet of the great human image, very close to the manifestation of the ten toes. If we are clear about this, we will know where we are and what we should do.

Looking around us, we see that the culture, sphere, essence, and influence of the Roman empire (the clay mixed with iron) is still here, and the Bible tells us that the Roman empire will be resurrected and eventually Antichrist will be manifested!

The whole earth is now getting ready for the resurrection of the Roman empire and the coming in of the ten toes, which will bring in Christ with His overcomers as the stone cut without hands to smash the human government and usher in the kingdom of God on the earth!

Lord, unveil us to see this vision of the great human image in Daniel 2 and its proper interpretation. Lord, we want to see the signs of the end of the age and be clear concerning where we are and what we should do. Keep us enjoying You, eating and drinking You, that we may grow in life unto maturity and be produced as Your overcomers at the end of this age to bring You back!

The Controlling Vision in Daniel

King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream which troubled him, and he summoned all the wise men and magicians in Babylon to tell him the dream and its interpretation (see Daniel 2).

No man can ever do this – only the real and living God can reveal man’s dreams and their interpretation! Daniel contacted God and God revealed to him what the dream is and what the interpretation of the dream is.

This great image signifies the aggregate of all the human governments throughout history – starting from Babel (Babylon, Gen. 10:8-10; 11:1-9) to the termination of the human government in the Roman empire with the ten kings / ten toes (Dan. 2:40-44; 7:24; Rev. 13:1; 17:12).

This vision is concerning the entire human history and the end of the human government! This vision is the controlling vision in the book of Daniel, and all the other visions are interpreted in its light.

If you study human history in the light of God’s economy and of this vision in Daniel 2, you will realize that from its beginning to its termination, human government has always done three things: rebel against God, exalt man, and worship idols!

The Vision of the Great Image in Daniel 2

What king Nebuchadnezzar dreamed was a single great image – large and its brightness surpassing, standing opposite him, and its appearance was frightful (Dan. 2:31).

The head of the image was of fine gold, the breast and arms of silver, the abdomen and thighs of bronze, the legs of iron, and the feet partly of iron and partly of clay (Dan. 2:32-33).

The head of gold corresponds to the first beast in Dan. 7:3-4 and signifies Nebuchadnezzar, the founder and king of Babylon, and the Babylonian empire, bright and shining, ruling over the whole earth.

The breast and arms of silver correspond to the second beast in Dan. 7:5 and signify Medo-Persia, the Medo-Persian empire (smaller than the Babylonian Empire, but nonetheless very strong).

The abdomen and thighs of bronze correspond to the third beast in Dan. 7:6 and signify Greece including Macedonia – the Greek and Macedonian Empire, which continued after Alexander the Great’s death with his successors and lasted until the Roman Empire.

The legs of iron and the feet partly of iron and partly of clay correspond to the fourth beast in Dan. 7:7-8 and signify the Roman Empire with its last ten kings (see Dan. 2:40-44a; 7:7-11, 19-26; Rev. 17:7-13).

A History of the Human Government

The great image in Daniel 2 gives us a clear picture of the history of the human government, from its beginning of the great Babylonian Empire to the Roman Empire.

In God’s eyes in the whole history of the world there are only four empires that succeed one another: the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Macedonian-Grecian Empire, and the Roman Empire.

What began with Nimrod at the tower of Babel with the first human government will conclude with Antichrist, who is the culmination of man’s rebellion against God, man’s exaltation of man, and man worshiping idols.

Each of the empires not only succeeded in the previous one but also assimilated elements of the culture from the previous one. Today we still live in the Roman Empire with its democratic culture (while some presidents still try to be as strong as iron), and with it’s law, politics, and government.

We are right at the feet of the great image, right toward the end of the human government. Outwardly the Lord is able to change history and bring in / put down rulers very easily, but what He is waiting for is for His people to be ready and prepared for His return.

We need to be desperate before the Lord, open to Him, and sincerely utter the prayer in Rev. 22:20-21, Come, Lord Jesus! His desire is to come and end the reign of man over man – the reign of Satan through man – and bring in the kingdom of God!

In the midst of the outward human history, the Lord needs some who live absolutely one with Him, who worship Christ and Christ alone, who reject any idols, and who have prayer as their way of living!

Lord Jesus, every moment we want to be those loving You and Your word to hasten Your coming! May we see what age we are in, what is really going on, what will happen very soon, and what we need to do. May our living and our work match the age and give You more ground to bring in the kingdom age. Lord, we reject anything and anyone that tries to replace You in our being. We worship only You, and we desire only You! Come, Lord Jesus!

References and Further Reading

• Sharing inspired from brother Dick Taylor’s speaking in this message and portions in, Life-study of Daniel (msg. 3), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on Crystallization-Study of Daniel and Zechariah, week 3 (entitled, The Vision of the Great Image—the Controlling Vision in the Book of Daniel).
• Hymns on this topic:
  # As we trust in the Lord helplessly, / Depend on Him as our love and strength, / And listen to His speaking, / Our hope is to be raptured / Through the redemption of our body.
  # We praise Thee, Lord, for Thy great plan / That we Thy dwelling-place may be; / Thou live in us, we filled with Thee, / Thou in the Son expressed might be.
  # God’s kingdom is God’s reigning, / His glory to maintain; / It is His sovereign ruling, / His order to sustain.
• Picture credit: Via, Inspiration Unlimited Facebook page, HWMR Daniel and Zechariah Quotes album.