The Four Kingdoms in the Terumah Offering and Daniel's Vision

Another interpretation: "And this is the offering [that you shall take from them: gold and silver and bronze]" (Exodus 25:3). Gold corresponds to the kingdom of Babylon, concerning which it is written, "You are the head of gold" (Daniel 2:38). And silver, this is the kingdom of Media, concerning which it is written, "and ten thousand talents of silver" (Esther 3:9). And bronze, this is the kingdom of Greece, which was the lowliest of them all. "Rams' skins dyed red" (Exodus 25:5), this is the kingdom of Edom, as it is said, "And the first came forth ruddy" (Genesis 25:25). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Even though you see these four kingdoms exalting themselves over you, by your lives, I will cause salvation to sprout for you out of the midst of the servitude. What is written after it? "Oil for lighting" (Exodus 25:6). What is "lighting" (ma'or)? This is the King Messiah, as it is said, "There I will make a horn sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for My anointed" (Psalm 132:17). And Daniel saw these [four] kingdoms and was afraid, as it is said, "My spirit was distressed, I, Daniel" (Daniel 7:15). And what did Daniel see? Rather, since Nebuchadnezzar saw the dream, and Daniel came and interpreted it for him, he said to him, "You are the head of gold" (Daniel 2:38). "Its breast and its arms of silver" (Daniel 2:32), this is the kingdom of Babylon. "And after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you" (Daniel 2:39); "its belly and its thighs of bronze" (Daniel 2:32), this is the kingdom of Media. "And a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth" (Daniel 2:39); "its legs of iron" (Daniel 2:33), this is the kingdom of Greece. "And a fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron; and the feet, part of them iron and part of them clay" (Daniel 2:40, 42), this is Edom. Why was it likened to iron and clay? Our Rabbis said: This wicked kingdom is destined to use coinage of clay.