Nebuchadnezzar's Dream:
- In Nebuchadnezzar's dream, he saw a colossal statue made of various materials – head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, feet partly of iron and partly of clay.
- The statue was destroyed by a stone cut out of a mountain without hands, which crushed the entire image into dust.
- Nebuchadnezzar was troubled and perplexed by this dream.
Balthasar's Interpretation:
- Balthasar explains that the various parts of the statue represent successive kingdoms that will rise and fall: Babylonia (head of gold), Medo-Persia (chest and arms of silver), Greece (belly and thighs of bronze), Rome (legs of iron), and a divided kingdom (feet of iron and clay).
- Just like in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, the statue is demolished by a stone that was not carved by human hands.
- Balthasar identifies that the stone symbolizes the everlasting kingdom of God.
Points of Comparison:
- Both involve a vision of a symbolic statue that represents different kingdoms.
- Destruction of the statue: In both accounts, the statue is ultimately destroyed by an external force – the stone in Nebuchadnezzar's dream and the kingdom of God in Balthasar's interpretation.
- Kingdom of God: Both versions hint at the ultimate triumph of God's kingdom over the worldly powers.
- Historical Correlation: The kingdoms described by Balthasar align with historical events during that time, which may suggest that Nebduchadnezzar's dream was a prophetic vision of the coming political developments.
- Divine Intervention: Both the dream and its interpretation highlight God's sovereignty over the rise and fall of human empires.
By comparing the dream and the news brought by Balthasar, we see a consistent thread of symbolism and emphasize the inevitability of God's ultimate reign over earthly kingdoms.