How to Interpret Dreams and Visions Perry Stone

dreamed of a metallic image that looked like a man. The head was gold, the chest and arms were of silver, the thighs were brass, the two legs were iron, and the two feet and ten toes were a mixture of iron and clay. (See Daniel 2.) The king was so troubled that he could not remember the dream. Daniel was called, and he not only revealed the dream, but he also gave the meaning, revealing that the various metals were different empires that would rule in succession of one another. How did Daniel know this was the meaning? In Daniel’s time, there was a belief among the Persians (Babylon’s next-door neighbors) that the world empires were similar to a man with seven different kinds of metals. Although he did not understand the meaning of his dream, Nebuchadnezzar would also have been aware of this Persian belief. Babylon (the head of gold) had amassed huge amounts of gold, including the gold from the temple in Jerusalem. The Persians (represented by the silver chest and arms) raised tax money in silver coinage. Some even had silver harnesses for their horses. Since Greece and Rome were in the future, it would have been impossible for Daniel to give the meaning without the inspiration of the Lord upon him! In the apocalyptic visions recorded in the Book of Daniel, even animals are used and identified with certain empires. I often wonder why certain animals were chosen to represent various empires. However, in my study I came to a conclusion that these were images that were already in existence and known among the ancients. For example, the ancient and modern empires all have animal-like symbols that are used to represent their particular empires, which are the same images