In its latest front page article titled “Political Turmoil That Fulfills Bible Prophecy”, jw.org once again attempts to connect current world events with the vision found in Daniel chapter 2, particularly the image composed of various metals. Their interpretation of Daniel 2:42 is laid out in the following paragraph:
"The feet of the image are made ‘partly of iron and partly of clay,’ a combination that is inherently weak. (Daniel 2:42) Today, the power of both the United States and Britain is weakened by elements within their own societies. For example, both countries experience internal conflicts among their own citizens. People violently protest for their rights. Their elected representatives often fail to reach a majority agreement. Because their people are so divided, both governments are at times unable to implement their policies effectively." — jw.org front page article
This interpretation continues a longstanding Watchtower tradition of equating the iron and clay with modern governments and their citizens. According to their view, the iron symbolizes ruling powers such as elected officials, while the clay represents the general population. However, this reading runs into a critical problem: nowhere in Daniel chapter 2 does the Bible make such a claim. The text never identifies clay as citizens or iron as political leaders. That conclusion is an assumption designed to support a specific narrative.
When we examine what Scripture actually says about these elements, a different picture emerges. Daniel 2:42 states: “And just as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom will be partly strong and partly fragile.” (NWT). But what does the clay truly represent? The Bible consistently uses clay to symbolize humanity in its earthly, mortal state. Isaiah 45:9 warns: “Woe to the one who contends with his Maker, For he is just an earthenware fragment among the other earthenware fragments on the ground! Should the clay say to the Potter: ‘What are you making?’” Likewise, Isaiah 64:8 says: “But now, O Jehovah, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are our Potter; We are all the work of your hand.” These passages clearly present clay as a symbol for mankind—not a political class or ideological group.
The iron, on the other hand, requires a closer look. While metal can occasionally refer to human authority, it often serves a deeper purpose in the biblical narrative—especially when linked to divine or spiritual realities. In Daniel 10, we are introduced to supernatural figures described as the “prince of Persia” and the “prince of Greece,” who are clearly not human but spiritual beings opposing the angels Gabriel and Michael. These represent fallen angels or territorial spirits influencing earthly kingdoms. The use of metal to describe strength, dominion, and spiritual force is not unprecedented. Psalm 2:9 uses iron in a context of divine judgment: “You will break them with an iron scepter, And you will smash them like a piece of pottery.” Iron is thus tied not merely to earthly rule, but to the exertion of divine or even fallen authority over humanity.
Daniel 2:43 provides the most revealing clue: “Just as you saw iron mixed with soft clay, they will mix with the offspring of mankind; but they will not stick together, one to the other, just as iron does not mix with clay.” Who are “they” who attempt to mix with mankind’s offspring? The passage never says they are human rulers. Instead, it draws a deliberate line between these entities and human beings, implying that the “iron” represents non-human forces attempting to blend with humanity. This language unmistakably parallels Genesis 6:1–4, which recounts how the “sons of the true God” took wives from among human women and produced the Nephilim—a hybrid race that led to the corruption of the earth and the eventual flood. Jesus Himself warned that the last days would mirror the “days of Noah” (Matthew 24:37), suggesting that this fusion of the spiritual and the human would occur again.
This makes Daniel’s prophecy not just about political instability, but about a spiritual invasion. The final kingdom, represented by the feet and toes of iron and clay, will be characterized by a failed attempt to mix fallen spiritual beings with humanity. It is not simply about divided governments—it is about unnatural unions that defy God’s created order. The weakness of this final empire does not stem from political disagreement but from the inherent impossibility of uniting what God has separated: the spiritual and the human.
The Watchtower’s interpretation reduces this profound warning to mere political commentary, missing the deeper layer embedded in Daniel’s vision. The true message of Daniel 2:42–43 reveals a chilling repetition of the angelic rebellion in Noah’s day—a renewed effort to mingle with the “offspring of mankind,” which Scripture clearly tells us will fail. Just as iron does not mix with clay, fallen angels cannot permanently integrate with humanity. Their plans, once again, will be brought to ruin.
The stone cut without hands—representing the coming Kingdom of Christ—will ultimately crush this unnatural alliance. As Daniel 2:44 declares: “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed.” The final empire will fall, not because of political unrest, but because of divine judgment against a spiritual rebellion. The real danger is not civil division—it is spiritual infiltration. Let those with ears to hear understand: the image is nearly complete, and the stone is already on its way.