Feet of Clay

Daniel Series # 2

In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, he had a dream and wanted his wise men to interpret it without revealing the dream. None could do it, except for Daniel. He and his friends, recognizing the power of prayer, fervently prayed to God, who revealed the dream and its meaning. Daniel then informed the king of both.

Daniel 2:39-46

“You were looking, O king, and there appeared a great statue. That statue was huge, its brilliance extraordinary; it was standing before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of that statue was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its midsection and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked on, a stone was cut out, not by human hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were all broken in pieces and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors, and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

36 “That was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, the king of kings—to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the might, and the glory, 38 into whose hand he has given human beings wherever they live, the wild animals of the field, and the birds of the air and whom he has established as ruler over them all—you are the head of gold. 39 After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over the whole earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron; just as iron crushes and smashes everything, it shall crush and shatter all these. 41 As you saw the feet and toes partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the strength of iron shall be in it, as you saw the iron mixed with the clay. 42 As the toes of the feet were part iron and part clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so will they mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall this kingdom be left to another people. It shall crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from the mountain not by hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The great God has informed the king what shall be hereafter. The dream is certain and its interpretation trustworthy.”

46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, worshiped Daniel, and commanded that a grain offering and incense be offered to him.

The dream of King Nebuchadnezzar—a vision of a great statue with a gold head, silver chest, bronze thighs, iron legs, and feet partly of iron and partly of clay is a strange reminder that human powers are temporary and only God’s kingdom endures forever. As hinted in the closing verse of the last chapter, where it is stated that Daniel will last until Cyrus the Great comes to power, Daniel will inform the king that although God blesses him, he is not immortal.

The first lesson from Daniel 2 is that God's sovereignty serves as the foundation for our faith. Daniel, a devout man of God, acknowledges that the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is ultimately in God's hands, especially since the king will not reveal the content of the dream. Daniel proclaims, “Blessed be the name of God from age to age, for wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons, deposes kings, and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding." (vs. 2:20-2)

Daniel reminds the king and us that no ruler or empire can thwart God's divine plan. The sovereignty of God is not a theological concept; it is the foundational truth of Christian identity. As Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will." In a world filled with chaos and uncertainty, trusting in God's sovereignty provides a firm foundation. Our confidence must rest not in princes or presidents but in the Lord who rules over all nations and history. We must, like Daniel, humbly acknowledge that God's kingdom is the only unshakable kingdom (Hebrews 12:28).

Next, we observe that while Nebuchadnezzar served as God's instrument of judgment on Judah, he was not without his weaknesses. The king’s request for someone to interpret his dream—without revealing its details—highlights his desperation and arrogance. He demanded certainty from his magicians, yet this demand stemmed from pride and distrust. He threatened to kill them all if they could not fulfill his request. I assert that this is the first indication of a mental issue, a recurring theme that will lead to a complete loss of the king’s faculties in Chapter 4. 

More importantly, Nebuchadnezzar’s fatal flaw was his inability to recognize God's sovereignty. His pride led him to believe he was the greatest king. However, Nebuchadnezzar proved the words of Lord Dalberg-Acton true: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Nebuchadnezzar’s story parallels that of other biblical figures who were humbled by God [Pharaoh (Exodus 5-14), Herod (Acts 12:21-23)]. Their downfall reminds us that no matter how powerful a ruler appears, they are mortal and finite. Their kingdom is fragile, built upon the sand of their pride. 

The lesson here is clear: the king may be crazy for asking for details of a dream he does not want to disclose or can’t remember, but God is sovereign over even the most irrational rulers. The dream clearly spooked the king in some way. Maybe he could not recall the details, only the feeling it left him with. Have you ever had a dream like that? I have. The question is whether we trust in God's sovereignty or are tempted to place our hope in worldly power. 

Finally, the stone cut out without hands in Daniel 2:44 crushes the statue at its feet, symbolizing the destruction of all earthly kingdoms. This stone represents God's eternal kingdom, which will never be destroyed. Gold may be precious, silver and bronze shiny, and iron strong, but clay weakens the iron. All nations, empires, and rulers—represented by the head of gold to the feet of clay—rise and fall, but only God's reign is everlasting. 

This truth echoes the message of Psalm 90:2, “Before the mountains were brought forth or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” It also reminds us of Jesus’ declaration in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

In our modern context, we witness the rise and fall of nations—empire after empire—yet God's kingdom remains unshaken. The clay feet of the statue symbolize the fragility of human power, built on unstable foundations. They also represent the sin that separates us from God. We are not perfect; stained by sin, which distances us from God, we must confess and repent. Only God's unshakable throne endures forever, and only the blood of Christ can cleanse us from our sins, restoring us to the embrace of God’s grace. As Christians, we must fix our eyes on that eternal kingdom, not on the fleeting powers of this world. We are like the statue's feet of clay: fragile yet part of a greater story that culminates in God's everlasting reign. 

Another aspect of the statue and its placement is that it also prophesies the coming of Jesus. If Nebuchadnezzar represents the head of gold, symbolizing the Babylonian Empire, and the chest of silver represents King Cyrus the Great of Persia, then the midsection of bronze likely represents Alexander the Great of Greece, who defeated the Persian Empire. (A little history lesson) Alexander’s empire will split, and Rome will become the next superpower. However, as time passes and the Roman Empire expands too far, it begins to weaken. This is the feet of iron and clay. As the statue stands, it becomes unstable when a rock, not carved by human hands, strikes it. It crumbles and blows away, but the stone endures. That stone is the kingdom of God, sent from heaven and represented by Jesus. Many scholars debate the date of Daniel's composition due to the prophecies contained in the book. Few believe Daniel wrote it, while many more say it was written during the Maccabean era. We know that it couldn’t be later than that because of how often it is quoted in the New Testament: Matthew 24:30, Mark 13:26, 1462, and Luke 21:27. Additionally, the book is alluded to or echoed around 130 times in the New Testament. Some scholars even suggest that the book of Daniel is quoted or alluded to over 200 times, placing it among the most frequently referenced Old Testament books in the New Testament.

As we reflect on the feet of clay, let us examine our hearts. Are we placing our trust in earthly powers that will inevitably crumble? Or are we anchoring our hope in the everlasting kingdom of God? The kingdoms of this world are indeed temporary, but God's kingdom is everlasting. Therefore, let us live with humility, fully trusting in God's sovereignty and proclaiming the arrival of His eternal reign. 

Ultimately, the king failed to grasp the essence of Daniel’s interpretation. Verse 46 states, “Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, worshiped Daniel…” By falling on his face and worshipping Daniel, an instrument of God and not God Himself, he inadvertently reveals his lack of understanding. This, too, is reflected in the New Testament. Look at Acts 10, Acts 14, or Revelation 19:10, and you will see people worshipping an instrument of God, but not God. We must not let our faith be misplaced. Like Daniel, we should rely on prayer to keep us aligned with the Holy Spirit, seeking God’s will in our lives. If we do this, we will not have feet of clay, but hearts unwavering in faith, steadfastly believing and committed to God. May you prayerfully stand firm against doubt or temptation that could be symbolized by "feet of clay," and seek the Lord in all you do.

Let us pray:

"Lord, help us to trust in Your sovereignty and not to place our hope in fleeting powers. Teach us to seek Your eternal kingdom above all else. In a world of shifting sands, help us cling to the unshakable rock—Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. May we be humble in our dependence and steadfast in our hope of Your everlasting kingdom. May we stand firm in You, knowing that only You are forever. Amen." 

Bibliography

Daniel in the New Testament: Visions of God's Kingdom [Online] / auth. Evans Craig A. // Brill.com. - Brill Deutschland GmbH, 2025. - June 18, 2025. - https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789004276093/B9789004276093-s011.xml.

New Testament References to Daniel [Online] / auth. Hardy, Ph.D. Frank W. // www.historicism.org. - Historicism, September 19, 2010. - June 19, 2025. - http://www.historicism.org/Documents/Jrnl/DanNT.pdf.

NRSVue // Holy Bible w/ With Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament. - Wahington D.C. : Zondervan, 2021. - Vol. Updated Edition. - National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

The Harper Collins Study Bible, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical Books // NRSV Bible/ed. Meeks Wayne A. [et al.]. - New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1993.