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Chapter 2 records the results of a dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had, one he could not remember. The king called for his "wise men" (Magi, magicians, enchanters, sorcerers). He commands them to tell him what he had dreamed and what it meant. "How can we tell you what your dream meant if we do not know what it was?" "Tell us the dream and we will tell you what it meant." But the king could not remember what it was that he dreamed. Because his wise men could not tell him what he wanted, he ordered them all to be rounded up and executed. Daniel and his companions were rounded up with the others to be killed.
Daniel inquired of Arioch, the king's chief executioner, why they were being killed. Arioch told him what had happened and Daniel pleaded with the king for a little time that he might be able to not only tell the king what he had dreamed but also tell him what it meant.
Daniel went home with his friends and he prayed to God for wisdom concerning the king's dream and the Lord answered his prayer. The next day Daniel went to Arioch and asked him not to kill the wise men but to take him to the king and he would tell the king what he wanted to know.
Taken into the presence of the king, Daniel described to the king, his dream. In the dream, the king saw an image, bright and terrifying. It's head was gold, it's breast and arms were silver, it's belly and thighs were bronze, it's legs were iron, and it's feet were partly iron and partly clay. Then the king saw a stone and the stone struck the image and the image broke into a million pieces and like chaff, the wind blew it away. Then the stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. The king was pleased that Daniel was able to tell him exactly what he had dreamed, but now, he must know what the dream meant, so Daniel interpreted the dream.
The head of gold represented the Babylonian Empire. The body of silver and bronze represented kingdoms that would arise who were inferior to Babylon, the Medes, the Persians and the Greeks. The iron legs represented a kingdom that would arise and shatter the other kingdoms, the Romans. The feet of iron and clay represented the Roman Kingdom that was divided socially, the nobles and the commons. The stone that destroyed the image was the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom that would destroy all nations and stand forever.
Chapter 2 continues, when the king heard Daniel's interpretation, he fell upon his face and did "homage" to Daniel. Then he made Daniel Ruler over Babylon and at Daniel's request, Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego were also set over the affairs of Babylon.
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