Daniel was brutally frank in explaining the dream to the king. The time remaining for the king was relatively short, his empire which was the head of gold would be replaced by another with would be the chest and arms of silver, which would also be replaced and so on. All these empires would replace each other, influencing each other but they would all be smashed by the coming kingdom of God. I am curious that the appearance of the statue was that of a man! Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom and the successive ones are what can only be described as the best that man can do! That in contrast to what man cannot do. The stone that was cut out, but not by human hands (v. 34). The best of man verses the best of God. At the end of the day there is no competition. God’s kingdom will last but mankind’s kingdoms will never last. History will always be full of regimes, empires, kingdoms that will never last!