Daniel 2: The Financial Deterioration of the World
Daniel 2 uses the image of a man made out of different metals to show the financial deterioration of the world from 605 BC to the Second Coming of Jesus. The Babylonian kingdom was rich in gold, but the last kingdom will be worthless as iron and clay mixed together. God uses the image of a man to set in stone the order of all apocalyptic prophecy. No one would ever teach the events of ‘the feet’ occur in time before the head.
Each event happens in the order it is given {Rule #1}; thus time begins with the head and ends with the toes being smashed by Rock that represents Jesus, the Rock of Ages. The great image also establishes that no prophecy is fulfilled until all the specifications of a prophecy is met {Rule #2}; thus Dan 2 is still not fulfilled because the ten kings, represented by the toes, have not yet appeared and the Rock has not smashed the image. Dan 2 also establishes that God uses analogous language to describe events, {Rule #3}. Dan 2 is the template for all apocalyptic prophecy.