And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.
And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come—God prophesies three generations of Babylonian dominance: Nebuchadnezzar, his son (Evil-merodach, 2 Kings 25:27), and grandson (Belshazzar, Daniel 5). The phrase until the very time of his land come uses 'ad-bo' 'et-artso (עַד־בּוֹא עֵת־אַרְצוֹ), literally 'until comes the time of his land'—indicating divine appointment for both Babylon's rise and its fall. History is not cyclical or random; God establishes both the duration and termination of empires according to His purposes.
And then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him—The verb shall serve themselves of (avadu bo, עָבְדוּ בוֹ) indicates Babylon would become subject to the very nations it had conquered. This was fulfilled when the Medo-Persian coalition under Cyrus conquered Babylon (539 BC), ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The prophecy demonstrates God's absolute control over history's rise and fall of empires—what He establishes, He also terminates. Daniel 2's vision of the statue with different metals illustrates this succession of kingdoms, all under divine sovereignty. This prophetic precision should have given the plotting envoys pause: if God ordained Babylon's dominion, resistance was futile; if God also ordained Babylon's fall, patience would be rewarded.
Historical Context
The prophecy was precisely fulfilled: Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC), his son Evil-merodach (562-560 BC), and his grandson Belshazzar (co-regent 553-539 BC) ruled before Babylon fell to Cyrus the Persian in 539 BC. Technically, Belshazzar was Nebuchadnezzar's grandson through his daughter (Daniel 5:11), not direct line, but Hebrew 'son' can mean descendant. The seventy-year period from Jerusalem's destruction (586 BC) to Cyrus's decree allowing return (538 BC) corresponds to this Babylonian dominance. The Cyrus Cylinder (archaeological artifact) confirms Cyrus's policy of allowing conquered peoples to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples, fulfilling both Jeremiah's prophecy and Isaiah's even earlier prediction naming Cyrus (Isaiah 44:28-45:1).
Questions for Reflection
How does God's precise control over the rise and fall of empires provide comfort or challenge to your faith?
What does this passage teach about the temporary nature of all earthly power and authority?
How should believers living under ungodly governments balance submission with the knowledge that God will eventually judge all earthly powers?
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Analysis & Commentary
And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come—God prophesies three generations of Babylonian dominance: Nebuchadnezzar, his son (Evil-merodach, 2 Kings 25:27), and grandson (Belshazzar, Daniel 5). The phrase until the very time of his land come uses 'ad-bo' 'et-artso (עַד־בּוֹא עֵת־אַרְצוֹ), literally 'until comes the time of his land'—indicating divine appointment for both Babylon's rise and its fall. History is not cyclical or random; God establishes both the duration and termination of empires according to His purposes.
And then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him—The verb shall serve themselves of (avadu bo, עָבְדוּ בוֹ) indicates Babylon would become subject to the very nations it had conquered. This was fulfilled when the Medo-Persian coalition under Cyrus conquered Babylon (539 BC), ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The prophecy demonstrates God's absolute control over history's rise and fall of empires—what He establishes, He also terminates. Daniel 2's vision of the statue with different metals illustrates this succession of kingdoms, all under divine sovereignty. This prophetic precision should have given the plotting envoys pause: if God ordained Babylon's dominion, resistance was futile; if God also ordained Babylon's fall, patience would be rewarded.