The Book of Daniel, The Ten Toes of the Image, Daniel 2:41-43 - Lesson 11

Before we go further into the book of Daniel, specifically chapter 3, I would like to explore somewhat more, things about the feet and the toes of the great image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

The feet and the toes were that part of the image which received the smiting of the stone that was cut out without hands and were broken in microscopic pieces, as was the remaining parts of the great image.

All of the materials of the image became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors and were carried away by the wind and were found no more.

We learned from Daniel’s interpretation of the dream, the image portrayed the history of those kingdoms that were against God’s chosen people.

We call them the kingdoms of the gentiles and the history that is portrayed in the image concerns what is called the age of the gentile kingdoms, or the gentile age.

This age started with Nebuchadnezzar and continues to this day.

The present day Jews, although in the land, are not free in Israel and continue to be under the domination of gentile kingdoms, in fact they are surrounded by kingdoms whose leaders, with all of their being, desire their demise.

But as we see by the imagery given in the king’s dream the only way that God’s chosen people become free of gentile domination is by outside means, means that only God can execute and those means are pictured as a stone made without hands which destroys all remembrance of them.

God removes gentile domination totally by means of this stone made without hands which comes at the time when the gentile kingdom consists of a loosely formed coalition of nations which are pictured in the statue as two feet which contain ten toes.

The message of this one stature is that this coalition of nations begins with the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar and continues down to the toes which are pictured as composed of iron and clay.

In other words these nations are made of nations that began with Babylon and morphed into other powers by the demise of the previous power.

We know from history that Israel has been under the domination of the Babylonians, who were overcome by the Medo-Persians, who were overcome by the Greeks who were overcome by the Romans.

These powers have gone by the board but one power remains and that is the feet and the ten toes of the image.

The past powers are being morphed into an empire composed of iron and clay which awaits the coming stone of destruction.

This empire is divided, with strength of iron and weakness of clay.

It is partly strong and partly broken.

There is a mingling of men but not a cleaving one to another even as iron is not mixed with clay.

This is a loose confederation with one goal that unites them and that is the annihilation of the nation of Israel.

This is given to us in Daniel 2:41-43,  And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.  And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.  And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

When this final kingdom comes to power, the end is near for this stature shows the chronological progression of the kingdoms.

There has been much speculation about this kingdom for years and no doubt will continue until the stone comes to accomplish its destruction.

During my life the speculation has been that Europe will come together with ten nations forming the loose confederation that is described by the ten toes.

We had seen this confederation in the European Union but already this union has far surpassed ten nations and is now composed of 27 nations.

Among the 27 are such far removed nations as Denmark, Estonia, Poland, and Sweden.

None of these nations emanate from Babylon as the statue indicates they should if they are to be considered as being a part of the ten toes.

We are told that the nations composed of iron and clay do not adhere well, that is they do not have a close association but are loosely aligned.

This is not a picture of the European union for they are closely aligned even to the point of sharing the same currency.

Even to the point of having a common defense in the NATO organization, not to mention that at this time it is composed of 27 countries.

One thing that I have been taught is that the church age is a parenthesis in the plan of God.

The plan, always having as its center, the nation of Israel.

Once the church age is complete the stage returns to almost Biblical geography and the focus will be on Israel.

I have never been comfortable with the thinking that the ten toes are composed of European countries.

I think the ten toes are composed of traditionally Biblical countries which are interested in dominating Israel as was Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome.

Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome were world powers and at the coming of the stone, as we are told in other scriptures, the world will be under the domination of a world leader, most likely a man arising from the middle east.

Bible prophesy always centers on the Middle East, Israel and Jerusalem.

Presently the nations around Israel are enemy nations who desperately wish the demise of Israel.

They are like snarling, growling, wolves surrounding their prey.

It is interesting to note that Psalm 83 describes such a hatred of God’s nation by a confederation of nations which surround God’s land.

This hatred took place in Biblical times but continues with even more vehemence today.

What is described in Psalm 83, the Prayer of Asaph, would be expected to be repeated when Israel is again surrounded by ravening wolves seeking whom they may devour.

Psalm 83:1-18  starts out this way,  Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.  For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.  They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.   They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

This is what unites the nations surrounding Israel today.

They seem unable to unite in any other way and therefore are loosely connected to each other as iron and clay are loosely connected.

Some are strong, others are weak.

Some have charge of great oil deposits which give them an ever greater position in the world, for the world worships riches, while some are poorer and without the same means as their neighbors.

Some are attempting to amass great weapons with which to destroy Israel, while others simply support such efforts by crafty counsel.

They are not cohesive, they do not get along for they are self serving.

They fight against themselves, they are broken on most issues.

The iron in them contributes to some strength but the clay contributes to their breaking.

They cause harm to God’s land but they are limited in strength at this time with which to annihilate God’s people.

Their confederation is based upon one consent, one thing only and that is to push the Jews into the sea and to rid the land of all reminders of their presence.

They seem to be joined by one fierce heart against the chosen people and their God, and their goal is the total extermination of the Jews.

They wish to do what the stone made without hands will do to them, utterly destroy Israel that there will be no more remembrance of them.

They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

Note the confederation language here. "Let us cut them off"

This speaks of a group.

This group is described in Psalm 83.

The members of this group do not match the present names of the countries we know but we know the areas described.

They describe Israel’s neighbors to the north, to the south and to the east.

The tabernacles of Edom (1, southern Jordan),

This is the nearest of kin to the Jew, the heritage of Esau, the twin of Jacob. He despised the birthright and continues to despise Jacob.

and the Ishmaelites (2, Arabs); Those coming from Ishmael, the son of Abraham by Hagar still harboring the grudge that came between the son of the bondwoman, Ishmael, and the son of the free woman, Isaac.

of Moab (3, Central Jordan), The offspring of the son of Lot born of incest to his older daughter.

and the Hagarenes (4, Egypt); Those enemies of Israel coming from Hagar, the concubine wife of Abraham. These are those which Galatians 4:24 tell us gendereth to bondage.

Gebal (5, From Lebanon or from the edomites the heritage of Esau),

and Ammon (6, northern Jordan), Brother to the Moabites, From the offspring of the son of Lot born of incest to his younger daughter.

and Amalek (7 Sinai Penninsula); Grandson of Esau

the Philistines (8, Gaza Strip) who blinded Samson and captured the ark of the Lord, a perpetual enemy of Israel

with the inhabitants of Tyre (9, Lebanon); mercenaries from the north willing to kill for hire.

Assur also is joined with them (10, Syria): From the second son of Shem, the son of Noah, whose name became the name of the country Assyria

they have holpen the children of Lot.