The image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream is a great, terrifying man-like figure with a head of fine gold.
In Daniel 2:31, the vision is described as a 'great image' whose brightness was excellent and whose form was terrible — shaking the king and going beyond human understanding. Les Feldick points out that the image must be a humongous likeness of a man, since it has a head, shoulders, belly, legs, feet, and toes. He also highlights that the dream image had just a head of gold, and that the dream became a catalyst for Nebuchadnezzar's later self-made gold image in Daniel 3.
Daniel 2:31 — This verse records the very vision Nebuchadnezzar saw — the great image whose brightness was excellent and whose form was terrible — and is the foundation for the whole question.
Daniel 2:32 — This verse names the head of fine gold, which Les Feldick specifically highlights from the dream image.
In Daniel 2:31, King Nebuchadnezzar is told, 'Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.' The vision was so overwhelming that it terrified the king, and the language describes a brightness that was excellent paired with a form that was terrible — beyond normal human understanding. The image itself is described in human terms, built from head to toe of different materials. Daniel 2:32-33 tells how the image was composed: 'This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.' The image stands as a single man-like figure whose materials change from head to foot.
Les Feldick teaches that the image Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream was a great, humongous likeness of a man — so overwhelming that the king was shaken to his feet even in the dream. He emphasizes the phrases 'whose brightness was excellent' and 'the form thereof was terrible,' explaining that the vision was frightening, terrifying, and beyond human understanding. Les also brings out that the dream image had just a head of gold — gold that glittered in the Middle Eastern sun — and that Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed that he later made an entire image of gold, 60 cubits (about 90 feet) high and 6 cubits (about 9 feet) wide, demanding that his whole known world worship it. Les sees the dream itself as the catalyst for what Nebuchadnezzar then did in Daniel chapter 3. Finally, Les connects this to Bible prophecy: just as Nebuchadnezzar tried to unite all the pagan religions of his day under the worship of one image of himself, so the last great world ruler — the Antichrist — will do the same thing at the end of the age.
In Daniel 2:31, Daniel tells the king that he saw a great image 'whose brightness was excellent' and 'the form thereof was terrible.' Les Feldick explains that the whole context shows this great, humongous image just shook Nebuchadnezzar to his feet — it was frightening, terrifying, and something beyond human understanding. The combination of an excellent brightness and a terrible form is what made the vision so overwhelming.
Yes. Les Feldick points out that the image 'has to be in the form of a man, we're sure of that, because it's going to have head and shoulders and belly and legs and feet and toes.' So Nebuchadnezzar saw a humongous likeness of a man — a single towering figure made of different materials from head to toe.
Les observes that Nebuchadnezzar's all-gold image in Daniel 3 may have been prompted by the dream. Since the dream image just had a head of gold, Nebuchadnezzar apparently got the idea to make an entire image of gold — about 90 feet high and 9 feet wide — and set it on the desert sands, demanding that his whole then-known world worship it. Les describes this as Nebuchadnezzar being so filled up with his own power that he wanted to unite all the pagan religions under one image of himself.
Les Feldick teaches that Nebuchadnezzar's attempt to unite the pagan religions of his day under the worship of one image of himself points ahead to the last great world ruler. Just as Nebuchadnezzar demanded worship of his gold image, the Antichrist will do the same thing — and that, Les says, is what ties the whole story together.
Background: Nebuchadnezzar's Self-Made Image
Nebuchadnezzar later built a huge gold image of himself and tried to merge all the religions of his day under its worship, which helps explain the king's response to the dream.
The Great and Terrible Image
The dream image was great, bright, and terrifying — so overwhelming it shook the king and went beyond human understanding.
The Image Is a Man-Like Figure
The image must be in the form of a man, since it has a head, shoulders, belly, legs, feet, and toes — a humongous likeness of a man.
The Image Is a Man-Like Figure (Duplicate of Clip 2)
Les repeats the same point — the dream image is a humongous man-like figure with head, shoulders, belly, legs, feet, and toes.
The Head of Gold and Nebuchadnezzar's Response
The dream image had only a head of gold, yet Nebuchadnezzar later made an all-gold image 90 feet high and 9 feet wide and demanded the known world worship it.
The Head of Gold and Nebuchadnezzar's Response (Duplicate of Clip 4)
Les repeats the contrast between the dream image's gold head and Nebuchadnezzar's massive all-gold worship image in Daniel 3.
The Antichrist Connection
The dream was a catalyst for Nebuchadnezzar's self-worship statue, and the Antichrist as the last great world ruler will likewise unite the world under the worship of one image.
The Antichrist Connection (Duplicate of Clip 6)
Les repeats that the last great world ruler, the Antichrist, will do the same thing Nebuchadnezzar did — demand worship of one great image.
Daniel 2:31: Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
The foundational verse describing the great image Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream — excellent in brightness and terrible in form.
Daniel 2:32: This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
Names the head of fine gold that Les highlights and begins the image's material progression.
Daniel 2:33: His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Completes the biblical description of the image with iron legs and feet of iron mixed with clay.
Yes. Les Feldick says the image has to be in the form of a man because it has a head, shoulders, belly, legs, feet, and toes. Nebuchadnezzar saw a humongous likeness of a man in his dream.
Daniel 2:31 says the image's brightness was excellent but the form thereof was terrible. Les explains that the vision was frightening, terrifying, and beyond human understanding — it shook Nebuchadnezzar to his feet.
Les teaches that the dream was a catalyst. Although the dream image had only a head of gold, Nebuchadnezzar later made an entire image of gold, about 90 feet high and 9 feet wide, and demanded that his whole known world worship it.
Les Feldick connects Nebuchadnezzar's attempt to unite all pagan religions under worship of his own image to the coming Antichrist, who as the last great world ruler will do the same thing.
Watch the Teaching: Why Is Nebuchadnezzar's Dream Still Relevant Today? Daniel 2