Bible Daniel cap.2: 1-49  (Translation by Google)

We highly recommend that you first, to open the Holy Bible and see the entire prophecy by it. The book of Daniel in our present Bible is the last of the major prophets, but in the Hebrew Bible is a group of sacred writings or Ketubim = Hagiography Hebrew writings.  Part of the book was received in Aramaic, (2:4-7: 28), the rest (1:2:4) and cap. 8-12 in Hebrew.  Belongs to a gender born to the second century A. C., the apocalyptic (from the greek apokàlipsis = revelation).

Babylon, the scene of the ministry of Daniel, was the wonder city of the ancient world.  Located in the cradle of mankind, the region of the garden of Eden, built around the tower of Babel, was the first headquarters of the Empire, the residence of King Babylonians, Assyrians and Persians, and even Alexander the Great.  A city for all the impressive pre-Christian era, Babylon reached the zenith of its glory and its power to the days of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel, a friend of Daniel, and that during his 45 years of the reign never tires of making them build more and more magnificent, temples and palaces.  Between the city and the walls there was a space of about 400 mt, and the latter were protected by wide and deep ditches filled with water.  They were topped with 250 towers, serving as guard towers, gates and had one hundred of copper.  The Euphrates divided the city into two almost equal, and both sides were protected by walls that extend throughout their length, with 25 ports that put them in communication between the various roads, and ferries.  A bridge piers of stone, the length of m. approximately 800 large and 9, was levatorie with parts that were removed at night.  There was also a tunnel under the river of the width of m.4, 50, and high 3.60.   Excavations of recent years have largely confirmed the veracity of the stories, apparently fabulous, ancient historians.

The great temple of Marduk (Bel) contiguous to the tower of Babel was the most famous sanctuary of the whole valley dell'Eufrate. It contained a golden image of Bel, and a table of gold, their weight was not less than 24 tons.  On top were placed the golden image of Bel and Isthar., Two lions of gold, a table of gold, 12 meters wide and 4:50 and a human figure of solid gold high m. 4.50. Babylon was actually the city of gold (Isaiah 14:4), and was very religious, there were 53 temples and 180 altars dedicated to the goddess Isthar.  It was probably the plain between the tower of Babylon and the palace of Nebuchadnezzar that the statue was erected of gold. Dan 3:1.

The palace of Nebuchadnezzar, which Daniel often  went to, was one of the most extraordinary buildings ever erected on earth.  Its extensive ruins were brought to light by Koldwey in the period 1899-1912.  The southern walls of the throne room were 6 m thick, the northern side of the building was protected by three walls, just north of which there were high walls 15 meters thick, and still more outside, more massive walls.  At about km. 1.5 to the outside there was the inner wall of the city, formed by two parallel walls of bricks, each of the thickness of 6 meters, and distant from one another 12.  The space between them was filled with stones, forming a total thickness of 24 meters, surrounded by a large ditch or channel.  It was then the outer wall was built the same way.  For those days the city was simply impregnable.

The hanging gardens of Babylon were one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.  They were built by Nebuchadnezzar for his Queen of Media, the beautiful daughter of Ciassarre who had helped his father to conquer Nineveh.  They were put to a variety of arches, one over the other, each supporting a solid platform. They had a mq.120. The upper terraces were covered with flowers, shrubs and trees and the garden was placed on top.  A tank top and place at which the water came from the river by hydraulic pumps that provided watering.  Below, in the arcades, there were luxury apartments, the park of the pleasures of the palace.  The construction period was it when Daniel was in charge of Satrapi of Babylon: Koldewey brought to light the arches on the angle north-east of the building that he believed were the hanging gardens.  The street processions, the great sacred royal road to which access was gained from the North, ascending gradually, passed in the gardens of the palace on the north-east through the door Isthar and the center of the city, gradually descending to the corner South East of the wall of the tower of Babylon, which was going directly west to the bridge of the river.  On each side there were high walls for defensive purposes, 6 meters thick and decorated by multicolored enameled reliefs depicting lions.  The road was paved with slabs of stone of 90 square centimeters.  Currently near the palace, the blocks of stone are still in place, as when they walked about Daniel, the prophet of God

He belongs to the tribe of Judah, and is the author of the book that bears his name.  Little is known of the first period of his life, we know only that he was brought to Babylon probably still a teenager, along with other nobles and principles of real race. Dan.1 :3-6.  This happened in the third year of Ioachim (tributario as King of Babylon), the third year began in the spring of 618 AEV (Dan.1: 1).  On the death of inglorious Ioachim, Ioachin his son reigned for a few months before surrendering.  At the beginning of the 617 a. E. V. Ioachin and other prominent men, including the young Daniel (II King 24:15), were enslaved by Nebuchadnezzar (Nebuchadnezzar). While many exiles were at the river Cheb, out of Babylon, Daniel and his three companions were chosen to receive special education about the writing and the language of the Chaldeans, that were able to perform the tasks of government.  As was customary, were given their Babylonian names, while Daniel was Baltassar.  Not wanting to be contaminated by the food allocated to them, which could include things prohibited by law, he asked that their diet was limited to vegetables and water.  Daniel continued to serve at court until the fall of Babylon. In Dan 1:19 it is said that his three companions "continued to stand in front of the King" (of Babylon).  Is not specified whether they lived and kept this position until the fall of Babylon, Daniel, but yes, after which it remained at the Persian court at least until the third year of Cyrus. - Dan 10:1.

In the second year of his reign (606-605 a. RV) King Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a great statue composed of various metals, whose head was of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of copper , the legs of iron and feet part iron and part clay.  While the king was watching a rock fell off not by the hand of a man hitting the image at the bottom consisting of iron and clay and the statue is shattered.  The stone that had struck the foot of the statue became a great mountain.  No magician or astrologer of his kingdom was able to explain this strange dream, only Daniel (for the divine will see Dan.2: 30) gives full interpretation to King Daniel to do this, specifically the involvement of his God (Dan 2:17-23).

From verse 37 onwards, as the prophet says the head of the golden statue is the same King as he the head of the then first world power, Babylon.  After him would succeed another kingdom inferior to her, because the material of the statue loses its value because it comes from gold silver (the chest and arms) and is well identified with the Medo-Persian alliance that succeeded to Babylon.  The history teaches us that the third world power was Greece with Alexander the Great which out performs what was left of the two empires past, well represented by ver.39 talking about a kingdom of bronze, which would have dominated the earth.  After that arose fourth kingdom, strong as iron (vers. 40) which was crushed and shattered the previous reign. The characteristic of this last kingdom that distinguishes it from previous ones, is the nature of the materials of which it is composed: clay and iron!

Can never amalgamate these two materials?  Why are used these elements of nature as contrasted with one another?  It is no coincidence that this dream was made terrible by the King of Babylon!  It was at the head of a world power that promoted the cult of personality an unbridled adoration and idolatry and Daniel, with the wisdom that comes from above was immediately able to identify him as the head of the golden statue of a dream.  The Babylonians originated in the plains of Scinata and soon they were known by other people for wanting to dominate and subjugate other nations.  In fact, the Lord (see this special predisposition domain) confused their languages in order to halt or slow their ascent to the domain). See Gen.11 :1-9. Nevertheless, the rise and expansion of this people was so important that, even today to appreciate the magnificence and greatness of this nation, just visit the Pergamon Museum in Berlin where it was partly rebuilt the temple erected to the goddess Isthar, or graphs riguardandi the hanging gardens (which were part of the 7 wonders of the ancient world).  Because of what Babylon (which means confusion) has become the symbol of what is contrary to the will of God and His right to a government. Riv.18 :1-3.

Returning to the foot of this statue, anyone who studies history understands that the kingdom as strong as the iron is Rome, which lasted the longest of previous world powers. The founding of Rome (which became the Capital of) occurred precisely when and by whom, is shrouded in legend and mythology. Tradition has it that it was founded in 753 AEV by Romulus, the first King But tombs and other archaeological evidence indicate that it was already inhabited long before.  According to Pliny the Elder, in 73 e.V. the walls surrounding the city were about 21 km long and over time were allowed hills and valleys, including the 44 acres currently occupied by the modern city of the Vatican. On the international stage Roma reached the pinnacle of glory under the Caesars.  The first of these was Julius Caesar who was assassinated by conspirators in 44 EV It was during the reign of Augustus, who was born Jesus this power was immediately ready to absorb any form of false worship.  The historian Lord John describes the situation in Rome reigned superstition because it saw the priests and devotees of all countries subject: the daughters of Isis of dark skin, with drums and tambourines and unrestrained behavior; followers of the Persian god Mithra ; emasculate Asian, priests of Cybele, with their dances and screams unleashed a blind, worshipers of the great goddess Diana; prisoners barbarians with the rites of priests Teutonici; astrologers Syrians, Jews, Chaldeans, and sorcerers of Thessaly.

It is about 2000 years since Rome in the centuries became the official seat of the Catholic Church and we can not deny the pagan roots that are inside it. Worship of images, false doctrines cult of the dead, commingling of church and state are there for all to see.   For a long time, the papal system to pretend to be the kingdom that "God of Heaven" promised to raise, and that, in fulfillment of that prophecy had to crush and consume all other kingdoms.  The truth is that the nominal church is simply combined with the land empires in the same way that clay is with iron, and that the papacy has never been the alleged "Kingdom of God", but a caricature of it. One of the best evidence that the papacy is not destroyed and consumed those kingdoms land, is their present existence!   Now that over time the muddy clay has dried, (become brittle), its strength is less and less attractive, and these materials so completely incompatible, all show the weakness of a castle built on sand.  For this we look forward to the "rock" the true Kingdom of God will soon fall off from the "upstream" and affect (as says the prophet) behind this empire of evil that has deviated so much from the holy and righteous teachings of Scripture. See Dan.2 :41-45.

From the ashes of 'Roman Empire arose the current European nations, where we find the ancient admixture between states and religions, and even (in the various religious denominations) all forms of paganism contraddistinsero that the succession of world powers described by the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar.  The verse 44 of that chapter clearly identifies not only a King
(a power that ruled one at a time in succession), but at the time of the King, - to indicate that this would come when the kingdom of God, many nations would have power and the claim in the political landscape of the world.

E 'in our time that we await with faith to see how the Kingdom of God will cancel all the kingdoms of this world to make room for the government who has the right to reign!

The prophecy of Dan.cap.4 about the dream of a big tree - again by King Nebuchadnezzar - shed further light on the above written.

Even here call my reader to read in full:
Daniel 4: 2-37