Daniel 2:37

Daniel 2:37 says, Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.  Daniel began by telling Nebuchadnezzar that he was a very powerful king, and that he was so due to the God in heaven.  We can debate whether God actually placed Nebuchadnezzar in power or just allowed he to rise to such power.  I personally believe that God simply allowed Nebuchadnezzar to rise to power.  If we believe that God places every ruler in power, then all the atrocities committed by those rulers would ultimately be God's responsibility.  It might look as though Daniel was now flattering Nebuchadnezzar, but he was simply interpreting the dream.  Verse thirty-eight adds, And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.  Daniel once more proclaimed the power of Nebuchadnezzar.  The debate from above still applies.  When Daniel said God gave everything in the land over to Nebuchadnezzar, did that mean that God placed him in power or simply allowed him to have that power?  Either way, Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that he was the head of gold.  Daniel said that Nebuchadnezzar was the head of the image and made of the most valuable metal.  Verse thirty-nine continues, And after thee shall arose another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.  Matthew Henry says this represented the Medes and Persians, and then the Greeks.  Daniel said that after Nebuchadnezzar there would be a kingdom inferior to his, and after that another that was represented by the brass in the image.  These kingdoms would be less powerful than Nebuchadnezzar was.  I believe that we can say that no matter how powerful we think we are, if we aren't following the will of God our power and influence will never last.  Verse forty states, 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.  There was to be a fourth kingdom that was powerful and brutal.  Matthew Henry says this was the Roman empire.  There will always be some nation that believes that it should be the most powerful, but all will fall when Christ returns.  Verse forty-one adds, 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.  Daniel said this last kingdom would be divided, but it would still have the strength of iron.  Verse forty-two continues, 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. Verse forty-three concludes, 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.  Daniel said that though this kingdom would be strong that it would never be truly united.