27. Each metal of the “image” pictures what, politically?

²⁷ Inasmuch as Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar, “You yourself are the head of gold,” the metallic image as a whole pictured a series of emperors or world rulers. Really, the “head of gold” pictured more than Nebuchadnezzar himself. It pictured the ruling dynasty that was established in him. Thus the golden head pictured, in full, Nebuchadnezzar himself, then his oldest son Evil-merodach, then Nabonidus the son-in-law of Nebuchadnezzar, and finally Belshazzar the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. (2 Kings 25:27-30; Jeremiah 52:31-34; Daniel 5:10, 11, 18, 22) This dynasty stood as representative of the Babylonian World Power. Accordingly, the series of four metals in the image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream represents a series of world powers that have exercised world domination without interference from God’s kingdom (either the typical earthly kingdom or the antitypical heavenly kingdom). Daniel’s interpretation of the dream proves this point.

Accordingly, the series of four metals in the image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream represents a series of world powers that have exercised world domination without interference from God’s kingdom (either the typical earthly kingdom or the antitypical heavenly kingdom). Daniel’s interpretation of the dream proves this point.

28, 29. Why was the next kingdom, inferior to Babylon, not named?

²⁸ Pointing to the world domination that was to be exercised by the successors to the Babylonian World Power, Daniel went on with his interpretation, saying to Nebuchadnezzar, the “king of kings”: “And after you there will rise another kingdom inferior to you; and another kingdom, a third one, of copper, that will rule over the whole earth.”​—Daniel 2:39.