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.

²⁹ Daniel did not name that kingdom, “inferior” to Nebuchadnezzar, that was to follow right after the Babylonian World Power. Naming it would have put the Babylonian World Power on guard against the future aspirant to world domination. But from the earlier prophecies of Isaiah (13:1-17; 21:2-9) Daniel could have known that the Medes, the allies of the Persians, would be involved in the toppling of Babylon from her high position of world power.

30. How could Daniel know about the overthrower of Babylon?

³⁰ Daniel could also know from Isaiah 44:24 through 45:7 that Jehovah would use a man named Cyrus, who proved to be a Persian, to bring divine vengeance upon the Babylonian World Power for destroying Jerusalem and its temple of Jehovah’s worship. (Isaiah 46:11) As a student of Jeremiah’s prophecy also, Daniel knew that the Medes would be prominent in the final siege of Babylon and would have a part in overthrowing this persecutor of his people. (Jeremiah 51:28; Daniel 9:2) But Daniel did not then disclose this information to Nebuchadnezzar, who would not live to see that overthrow. Why should he be made to worry?

31. How was Daniel privileged to introduce Babylon’s successor?

³¹ The prophet Daniel had the privilege to introduce, as it were, the “kingdom” or world power that was symbolized by the silver of the dream image. This was on that autumn night in 539 B.C.E. when Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, King Belshazzar, was holding a royal banquet with a thousand of his grandees inside the besieged city of Babylon. At the height of their feasting a miraculous hand wrote upon the wall the enigmatic words “Mene, Mene, Tekel and Parsin.” As a last recourse, terrified King Belshazzar had to summon Daniel to interpret this handwriting on the wall. In explaining the last word “Parsin,” which is the plural of the word “Peres,” Daniel said to Belshazzar: “PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.” That same night the besiegers gained entrance into Babylon, King Belshazzar was killed, and the Medo-Persian World Power was set up. As the Medes and the Persians were Aryans, world power now shifted from the Shemitic race to the Japhetic race.​—Daniel 5:1-31; 6:12; Esther 1:19.

32. In what way was Medo-Persia “inferior” to Babylon?

³² As silver is inferior to gold, the Medo-Persian World Power was inferior to the Babylonian. In what way? In that it did not exalt itself so high as did the Babylonian Empire, which destroyed the city of Jerusalem and its temple for Jehovah’s worship. Thus the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, appeared to exalt himself above Jehovah God, whose name was called upon the city of Jerusalem where the kings of David’s royal line sat upon “Jehovah’s throne.” (1 Chronicles 29:23; Isaiah 14:4-14) Also, with that overthrow of Jehovah’s typical kingdom in the year 607 B.C.E., the period of 2,520 years known as “the times of the Gentiles” or “appointed times of the nations” took its start. (Luke 21:24, AV; NW) Instead of trying to “resemble the Most High,” King Cyrus the conqueror of Babylon recognized Jehovah’s Godship.

33. How did Cyrus harmonize his course with Isaiah’s prophecy?

³³ In recognition of the expressed will of Jehovah, King Cyrus tried to harmonize his course of action with what Jehovah had prophesied concerning him in Isaiah, chapters 44, 45 forty-four and forty-five. So, in 537 B.C.E., he let a band of Israelite volunteers and their attendants leave their Babylonish prison and return to their homeland, to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and its holy temple. But the typical kingdom of Jehovah was not reestablished there, with a royal descendant of King David sitting on “Jehovah’s throne” at Jerusalem.​—2 Chronicles 36:20-23; Ezra 1:1 through 2:2.