made by God a universal ruler. The kingdom to follow Babylon is represented by the silver breast and arms. This world empire is stated in Daniel 5:28 to be Media-Persia. It is said by Daniel to be inferior to Ne buchadnezzar’s kingdom. Al t hough Prideaux affirms that “the kings of Persia were the worst race of men that ever governed an empire,” it seems likely that the term referred to the power of the rulers rather than to the quality of their characters. The kingdom which was to succeed Media-Persia was described as “an other third kingdom of brass, which shall - bear rule over all the earth.” This empire is identified by name in Daniel 8:21 as Greece. History tells us that Alexander the Great actually commanded that he be called “king of all the world.” The two thighs in the image may speak of the fact that this empire was, like Media-Persia, a com bination of two adjacent countries— Greece and Macedonia. The iron legs represented a fourth great world empire, which was to arise following that of Greece. This fourth kingdom is not named in the Old Testament but immediately one opens the New he reads: “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Au gustus, that all the world should be taxed” (Luke 2:1). This testifies that the prophecy of Daniel found its ful fillment in the great Roman Empire. Iron well typifies the resistless power of that kingdom. Vine, “between verses 40 and 41 there is an unreckoned period of time. The legs of iron spoke of the com mencement of the Roman Empire. But the vision then passed abruptly to the final state of that kingdom, at the time just prior to the second com ing of the Lord Jesus Christ. This period was symbolized by the feet and toes which were part of iron and part of clay. Thus between these two verses is to be found what has some times been called “the great parenthe sis” of Old Testament prophecy. We now know that between the rise of the Roman Empire and its reconstruction
showed his servant Daniel a picture of similar scope the imagery changed to ravenous beasts. “Nebuchadnezzar saw the imposing outward power and splendor of ‘the times of the Gen tiles,’ while Daniel saw the true char acter of Gentile world-government as rapacious and warlike, established and maintained by force. It is remark able that the heraldic insignia of the Gentile nations are all beasts or birds of prey” (Scofield). The mighty statue had a head of fine gold, breast and arms of silver,
BELIEVE IT There's a Story ever new, It is wonderful and true. And the best thing you can do, is believe it. It will calm your troubled breast, It will give you peace and rest; It's of all the news the best. Oh, believe it. I was serving Satan well, And in sin did far exceil. And would soon have been in hell, I believe it. But my Saviour He drew near, And He stopped my wild career, For His Gospel banished fear— I believe it. I could grace withstand no more, For I saw the sins He bore, So I entered by the door, And believed it. Now I'm happy all the day; I can sing as well as pray, For my sins are washed away— I believe it.
— John Ferguson
belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay mixed. As Nebuchadnezzar viewed it in amazement, suddenly and without warning a “stone cut out without hands” smote the colossus and com pletely demolished it. The stone then became a great mountain filling the whole earth. Daniel then pressed on to the in terpretation: the head of gold repre sented Nebuchadnezzar himself and his kingdom of Babylon. He had been
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