Nebuchadnezzar's Image (Part One):
'Head of Gold'
by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," May 1994
Topics
Babylon
Bronze
Daniel, Book of
Daniel, Prophecies of
Daniel, Vision of
Gold
Graven Image
More…
Related
Is the 'Mark of the Beast' an Implanted Microchip (Revelation 13:16-18)?
What Do the Words Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin Mean (Daniel 5:25)?
Series
The Nebuchadnezzar's Image series:
Nebuchadnezzar's Image (Part One): 'Head of Gold'
Nebuchadnezzar's Image (Part Two): Chest and Arms of Silver
Nebuchadnezzar's Image (Part Three): 'Belly and Thighs of Bronze'
Nebuchadnezzar's Image (Part Four): Iron and Clay
The image seen by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in a dream has always held a certain fascination to students of Bible prophecy. Daniel's interpretation of the symbolism only heightens their curiosity to know the corresponding empires and the significance, if any, it has on the time of the end. It is time to rehearse our understanding of this key prophecy of Daniel 2:32-35:
This image's head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You [Nebuchadnezzar] watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
Several important details surface immediately. First, it is an image. The second commandment (Exodus 20:4-6) describes God's revulsion of images of any kind used in worship. Although no one is seen worshiping this image, the idea that what this image represents is contrary to God is definitely present.
Second, the image's body parts are formed from different materials in descending value (Daniel 2:39). Gold is more valuable than silver, which is more valuable than bronze, etc. Finally, it ends in iron mixed with clay, an amalgam that is practically worthless and useless. However, the order of these materials increases in hardness with the exception of the iron-clay mixture (verses 40-43). This symbolizes two aspects of the same idea: While the spiritual, moral or cultural qualities of these empires decline, their military or political power increases as one empire overthrows another.
Third, the progression from head to toes conveys the movement of time. Though these empires overlap to a small degree as one rises and another falls, their dominance in world affairs is successive. This is clearly shown in Daniel's explanation: "But after you shall arise another kingdom . . . then another" (verse 39). Thus, we should expect to be able to follow this prophecy on a historical time line except where it continues into the future.
Fourth, the body parts themselves describe traits of the empires they symbolize. The head of the image shows a monolithic structure of government which determines the course of the body, just as in the symbolism of Christ being the Head of the body, the church (Colossians 1:18). The two arms and two legs indicate divisions of government or bases of power. Ten toes of inconsistent materials symbolize a weak-strong and possibly short confederation.
The Head of Gold
The Bible gives us the interpretation of the head of gold in Daniel 2:37-38:
You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—you are this head of gold.
Babylon had existed for centuries before this time, but only under Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC) had she reached her height. In a flurry of activity, he had conquered from Persia to Egypt, picking up the reins of power left unheld by the decline of Assyria. During this time he conquered Judah, taking its citizens into captivity to Babylon.