The Lord had revealed himself to Nebuchadnezzar, and had exposed the absolute nothingness but imposture of all claims in behalf of any other god. However, the king was not yet really acquainted with the Lord; he had much yet to learn of right principles.
In the interpretation of the remarkable dream that was given to him, the Lord had said to him that the head of gold of the great image represented the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar himself; and that after him should arise another kingdom inferior to his, and a third kingdom inferior to this, and yet another, a fourth kingdom, inferior even to this, and after that a condition of things yet further inferior. First there was gold, then silver, next brass, after that iron, and last of all, "iron mixed with miry clay." (Daniel 2:41)
Nebuchadnezzar, however, in his royal pride could not accept this statement. When he had received that wonderful dream, it was because that while upon his bed, thoughts had come into his mind as to "what should come to pass hereafter." (Daniel 2:29)
From what came to pass afterward with him, it is evident that his thoughts as to "what should come to pass hereafter," were to the effect that the mighty kingdom which he ruled, this "lady of kingdoms," (Isaiah 47:5) "Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency," (Isaiah 13:19) would in its greatness and glory continue on and on indefinitely. To correct this view, and show him the truth of the matter, the dream of the great image was shown to him. This told him that the golden glory of his kingdom would continue but a little while, and then another would arise, and another, and another, and then there would be division, with all these descending in a regular scale of inferiority, and then at last, "the God of heaven [would] set up a kingdom," (Daniel 2:44) and this alone would be the kingdom that should stand forever, and not be given to other people.
But the king could not accept this view of the subject; and after thinking upon it for a long time, he formulated his own idea in a great image, about a hundred feet tall and ten feet broad, all of gold from head to feet. This was a positive setting up of his own idea against that of God. This was to declare to all people that his golden kingdom was to endure forever, that there was to be no such thing as another kingdom arising separate from his and inferior to his,--a kingdom of silver, and another of brass, and then of iron, and even descending so low as iron mixed with miry clay. No! there should be only his golden kingdom of Babylon, and that should never be broken nor interrupted.
He therefore set up, to be worshiped by all, his great golden image as the just representation of what his great kingdom should continue to be. A great day was appointed for the dedication of the image; and "the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces," (Daniel 3:2) were gathered to do honor to the occasion and the image. Through proclamation by royal heralds, all were commanded, at a given signal of all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the golden image. In a number of points all this was an open challenge to the Lord.
1. It was the assertion that Nebuchadnezzar's idea of the kingdoms of men should be accepted as the true and divine idea instead of that of God.
2. It was the assertion that the embodiment of this idea should be worshiped as God.
3. And all this was indeed the putting of Nebuchadnezzar himself in the place of God as the ruler in the kingdom of men, the head of all religion, and the director of all worship.--Advent Review, March 29, 1898.