What was Daniel's vision of the statue?

Answer 1

The "statue" vision or "dream" wasn't Daniel's. It was the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar [Dan.2], which Daniel, through the inspiration of God, interpreted it for the king.

"...there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar WHAT SHALL BE IN THE LATTER DAYS..." (Dan.2:28).

Nebuchadnezzar's dream is revealed to be an Old Testament PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL [good news] OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, to the king of Babylon.

The statue is a "man" composed of different "metals" from the head down... each metal, decreasing in rarity and value [which references decreasing spiritual understanding and awareness by men as time passes, according to some studies].

The most valuable metal [gold] is the statue's "head."

Daniel tells the king that the "head" of the statue is the "Babylonian Empire"... King Nebuchadnezzar, himself -- "...Thou art this head of gold." (Dan.2:38) --

the first of four "world-ruling empires" that would rule the earth through to the "latter days" of God's plan; when a "stone" or a "ROCK" [Christ] appears, smashes all of man's government systems, and spreads and grows into a "...great Mountain [the Kingdom or Government of God], and filled the whole earth." [Dan.2:35]

"And in the days of these kings [ten latter day kings represented by the "iron toes" of the last world-ruling system, Rome] shall the God of heaven SET UP A KINGDOM, WHICH SHALL NEVER BE DESTROYED: and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people [kind of like President Bush left the Iraqis to form their own government after he destroyed their old one], but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and IT SHALL STAND FOR EVER." (verse 44)

"...the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure." (verse 45)

So, the "statue vision" is an OLD TESTAMENT preaching of the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD to the King of Babylon centuries before Jesus Christ was born in the flesh.

Jesus Christ... the Creator God of the Old Testament [John 1:3]... who gave Daniel the interpretation.

Daniel's own vision or dream was of "four BEASTS" [Dan.7]... which, it turns out, also is revealed to have the same interpretation as Nebuchadnezzar's statue.

Man's allotted time finally runs out... and the "beastly" governments of man come to their blessed end [which is 'good news' -- gospel -- according to God] by the personal hand of God, Himself.

"Until the Ancient of Days came, and Judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that THE SAINTS POSSESSED THE KINGDOM." (Dan.7:22)

Compare with: "Then shall the King say unto them [His saints] on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, INHERIT THE KINGDOM PREPARED FOR YOU FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD..." (Matt.25:34).

The message thread of The Bible is consistent -- the Kingdom of God is its message... the message of Jesus Christ:

"...Jesus came into Galilee, PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and saying, The time is fulfilled [He had just defeated the god of this world, Satan, through the "temptations"... thereby qualifying Himself to become the New King of the coming Government of God], and the KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND: repent ye, and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL [good news]." (Mark 1:14-15)

The world doesn't "believe" it, of course... but that doesn't change the ultimate fulfillment of the wonderful message that was preached to the world's first world ruler:

"...THE DREAM IS CERTAIN, and the INTERPRETATION THEREOF SURE."