The Dream Team (Sorry, I couldn't help myself.)
Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 The king said to them, “I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.” Daniel 2:1–3
- As mentioned in mentioned in my previous post, the 2nd year for Nebuchadnezzar was the third year for the Hebrew captives in training, so they were wrapping up or done with their studies and had been found exceptional, so they were now in the king's service.
- We can only assume that it was God troubling his dreams. God is very hands on with Neb. and shows love for him with a very personal relationship.
- Chaldeans in another phrase for Babylonians.
- He surrounded himself (as the kings did) with magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers. While this can mean con men and mystics, it was also the scientists and philosophers of the day. Those with knowledge the commoner couldn't access. I'm sure that was part of te training for Daniel and the Hebrew captives.
The Chaldean wise men spoke up first, in Aramaic—the cross cultural, diplomatic language of the day, originally from the Assyrian empire. The Chaldeans offered to interpret the dream once they heard it. The king, who had been a successful military leader, not a soft nepo-baby, wasn't going to play that game. He didn't want to hear what he wanted to hear, he wanted the truth of the matter. Score one for Team Neb. Not only that, if they couldn't tell him the dream, he was going destroy them. If they could, then gifts and a reward. (carrot and stick of dynamite.)
They tried again to get the dream from him, and he stood firm, calling them on stalling for time. He actually calls the on being corrupt and working together to deceive him. They reply that it is an unreasonable request that no man could do and no king has asked. Only the gods could do what he asked. Note: A Ryrie footnote states that one interpretation of this exchange is that the king has forgotten the dream, he's not withholding it on purpose. SO he wants them to tell him what has disturbed his rest. I thought was interesting to ponder.
Neb is not pleased and commands all of the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. Sadly, this is the exact role Daniel and the Hebrew boys have been trained for, so they were on the list for destruction.
Daniel, politely reach's out to the captain of the King's guard, who was assigned to slay him and asks about the situation. The captain fills him in. This is similar to the royal food issue from chapter 1. Daniel makes connection to key people and learns how to speak to them to get what he needs.
Daniel then asks for time from the king to work on the interpretation. Then he heads home to inform the others of the situation...
... so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Daniel 2:18
He didn't go home and gripe or whine or gossip; he went home to join together with other believers and seek God's compassion together. They had held their faith and obedience to the one true God, to whom they could run in ties of need.
Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven; Daniel 1:19
MIRACLE
Nebuchadnezzar had a dream; but Daniel had a vision.
The Chaldeans had complained that only the gods could do this thing. They were partially correct. God did it.
And Daniel praised and thanked Him. And it is beautiful. Read this and hold it in your heart to understand God and how to speak to Him.
20 Daniel said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him.
21 “It is He who changes the times and the epochs;
He removes kings and establishes kings;
He gives wisdom to wise men
And knowledge to men of understanding.
22 “It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And the light dwells with Him.
23 “To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise,
For You have given me wisdom and power;
Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You,
For You have made known to us the king’s matter.” Daniel 2:20–23
What a beautiful song of praise.
Now Daniel returns to the King's captain and asks him to pause the destruction of the wise men and bring him to the king.
The king speaks to Daniel under his Babylonian name, Belteshazzar, and asks him if he can speak the dream and the interpretation. Pay close attention, now, this is really good stuff. Here's Daniel's answer to the king's question:
27 Daniel answered before the king and said, “As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. 28 However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. Daniel 2: 27–28
Hold that in your heart, believer. When someone wants to know what you know or can do, always give the glory to God–from whom all blessings flow. Daniel didn't want to be within a hundred mile of taking credit. And he was also answering the other wise men–yes only THE GOD can do this impossible thing.
Daniel is such a good role model.
Then Daniel starts to describe the dream the King had in his bed. He tells the king these are real events being predicted for the future latter days (end times).
- The king is looking at a large, extraordinary, awesome statue.
- head = gold
- breast and arms = silver
- belly and thighs = bronze
- legs of iron
- feet of iron and clay
- a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them
35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:35
That stone is Jesus Christ, my friends! I'll explain the rest of the symbolism as Daniel breaks ti down; but hear the end of the story first. Take this spoiler-alert and celebrate. Jesus wins in the end. Better days are coming for all of us and everything.
Starting in verse 36, Daniel now interprets the dream:
I mentioned the love God shows to Nebuchadnezzar, a gentile king. We see that in verse 37. He calls Neb the king of kings (lower case), but a tremendous honorific. Nebuchadnezzar has been given great power and dominion. He is the gold head.
GOLD=BABYLON
After the Babylonians will come another inferior kingdom.
SILVER=Medes/Persian
After that will come another inferior kingdom.
BRONZE= Greece
After that, another kingdom:
40 Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces.
41 In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay.
42 As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle.
43 And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery.
IRON/CLAY=ROME (through and including today)
The first three kingdoms were described as ruling the world; but starting with Rome, the world spreads out fats and power is held differently than one big kingdom.
There is a near-time, parallel vision for the unfolding of the Greek and Roman kingdoms, but ultimately, in the end times there will be 10 kingdoms and Christ Second Coming will crush evil and reign forever.
Spoiler alert, better days are coming.
And then something unheard of happened:
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense. 47 The king answered Daniel and said, “Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Daniel 2:46–47
The man who God had ordained to rule the whole known world, bowed down before another man, Daniel. He gave homage and a sacrifice. And then he proclaimed Daniel's God as the God of gods and the Lord of kings. Revealing the mystery convinced this conquering king to bow down. Daniel's work let God's character be known. Oh, that we should all be so blessed and obedient. Neb is still calling God "Daniel's God", but that will change.
Then the king promoted Daniel, gave him gifts, and made him ruler over the province of Babylon and chief prefect over the wise men. Daniel requested his friend also serve with him and they were promoted over Babylon, while Daniel stayed in the king's court.
Makes me think that this is while Ezekiel and his folks had a more pleasant captivity.
This is such a great book. I really love it. Again, how did I think I was going to gloss passed this?
For such a time as this, turn the work of your hands to God, seek discernment from Him, praise Him, and give Him all of the glory.
Be like Daniel.
Amen.