And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts ... and the fowls - the dominion originally designed for man (Genesis 1:28; Genesis 2:19-20), forfeited by sin; temporarily delegated to Nebuchadnezzar and the world-powers; but, as they abuse the trust for self, instead of for God, to be taken from them by the Son of man, who will exercise it for God, restoring, in His person, to man the lost inheritance (Psalms 8:4-6).
Thou art this head of gold - alluding to the riches of Babylon; hence called "the golden city" (Isaiah 14:4; Jeremiah 51:7, "a golden cup in the Lord's hand;" cf. as to her spiritual antitype, the apostate Church, Revelation 18:16).