Dan. 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
Dan. 2:41 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.
Dan. 2:42 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.
Dan. 2:43 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.
Though the metals decrease in value, they seem to increase in strength. Maybe this is because they are increasing in size and encompassing more land and people. Brief mention is made of the second and third kingdoms, but more is revealed about the fourth. Its influence will be very dominating on the earth, but it will eventually be divided. The resulting divisions of this kingdom will still be quite strong; they just won’t be as stable as the original kingdom.
The CJB translates verse 43 with another possibility and the ESV supports it: “You saw the iron mixed with clay; that means that they will cement their alliances by intermarriages; but they won’t stick together any more than iron blends with clay.”
Tanya Koenig at watch.org (2/4/26) had some good insight I think: The final phase is iron mixed with clay—strength outward, fragility inward….Iron can dominate, deter, sanction, strike, and reorganize the map. Clay cannot bind. Clay fractures under stress and resists cohesion.”
The interpretation of Daniel’s dream in chapter 8 aligns with world history in identifying the kingdoms being referenced as:
- the breast and arms of silver = the combined kingdom of the Medes and the Persians
- the belly and thighs of brass = the kingdom of Greece
- the legs of iron = the Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was eventually divided into Eastern and Western seats of power before losing world influence altogether. The question arises as to why no reference is made to other great empires such as the Ottoman Turks. I think the key is that the scripture is a revelation of God’s purposes for man and planet earth through His dealings with the nation of Israel. When the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, Israel ceased to be a nation; and its people were dispersed throughout the empire. Biblical reference to events on planet earth basically resumes at a time when Israel is once again established as a nation. Much is revealed regarding God’s dealing with the “church,” “the body of Christ,” spiritual Israel (as explained in Romans 9-11). But the rest of human history is basically ignored until the time that God again resumes His dealings with the nation of Israel and the nations/kingdoms that have direct impact upon her.
It is clear that each kingdom represented in this dream includes much of the territory of the preceding kingdom. Since the Spirit only referenced four kingdoms in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, we can assume that the Kingdom represented by the ten toes is considered part of the fourth kingdom—the Roman Empire. Just as Israel was reborn, the Roman Empire in some form will be reborn to fulfill her destiny as the kingdom of Antichrist. If that were not the case, the Spirit would have referenced a fifth kingdom. The two legs of iron representing the Roman Empire were strong and powerful. History shows that the influence of the Roman Empire remained powerful for about 500 years. The fact that the toes were part iron and part clay indicates a change in the makeup of the kingdom and its ability to endure as an influential world power. It would seem to indicate that its influence on the world will eventually be exercised through ten entities (nations, kings/kingdoms, etc.) whose origins are rooted in that fractured empire. The Antichrist will emerge from one of those entities and his kingdom will enjoy its greatest influence for only 3.5 years, as we will learn in later chapters of this book as well as through the study of the book of Revelation.
“they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men” - I’ve heard much speculation regarding this phrase. I am reminded that Paul clearly states that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12). I think it possible that this phrase is a reference to the spiritual forces and beings that will be exercising their influence through the ten human entities represented by the toes—possibly through demonic possession. Still thinking…
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