Todd Clippard

Topic(s): Old Testament, Church, Bible Infallibility

The head of gold is clearly identified as the Babylonian empire – Dan 2:36-38.  The only logical deduction as the first kingdom is specifically identified and the others were physical, world-dominating kingdoms to follow after. 

The next three sections of the image are identified as earthly kingdoms which ruled over all the earth.  In order of appearance, there is the Medo-Persian empire, the Macedonian (Greek) empire, and the Roman empire.  When the Roman empire began to weaken (clay and iron), the fifth kingdom - obviously a spiritual one (Dan 2:44-45) came into existence, a kingdom which is still present to this present day - the Lord's church. 

Christ is called a rock or stone in many places in Scripture (Isa 28:16, Acts 4:11; Eph  2:20).  He even refers to Himself as a stone or rock in Matthew 21:42-44, utilizing the same context as Daniel 2.

Finally, the passage "in the days of these kings" has an earthly connection to the establishment of the Lord's church.

Of note - In "The Life and Works of Josephus" in the "Antiquities of the Jews," it is said when Alexander the Great (in the process of destroying and supplanting the Persians) entered Jerusalem, that Jaddua the High Priest showed Alexander the book of Daniel and Alexander supposed himself to be the kingdom of brass (Antiquities of the Jews, book XI, chapter VIII, section 5).