Summary
In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign the king has a disturbing dream of a great statue and demands an explanation. The Chaldean sages refuse or fail to interpret it, prompting the king to order the execution of the wise men. Daniel receives a nocturnal vision, which he translates: the statue’s gold head is Babylon, the silver chest is Media-Persia, the bronze belly is Greece, the iron legs are Rome, and the stone that destroys the statue is the everlasting kingdom of God. The king, humbled, worships Daniel and rewards him with high office, while the three companions are later appointed to govern Babylon. The narrative emphasizes divine sovereignty, prophetic insight, and the faithfulness of Daniel.