From Splendor to Shadow

Daniel's Refreshing Honesty

In his first words the Jewish captive disclaimed honor for himself and exalted God as the source of all wisdom. To the inquiry of the king, “Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?” he replied: “There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days ... . As for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but ... that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.” SS 257.1

“Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.” SS 257.2

“Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” SS 257.3

“This is the dream,” confidently declared Daniel; and the king, listening with closest attention, knew it was the very dream which had troubled him. Thus his mind was prepared to receive with favor the interpretation. He was to be awakened, if possible, to a sense of his responsibility to Heaven. The events of the future down to the end of time were to be opened before him. SS 257.4

“Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory ... . Thou art this head of gold.” SS 258.1

“And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.” SS 258.2

“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.” SS 258.3

“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.” SS 258.4

“In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever ... . The dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” SS 258.5