Dan 2:1-4
1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him. 2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream. 4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
Second year of his rein? (Vs 1)
Jer 25:1 says his first year was just before Nebuchadnezzar surrounded Jerusalem w army and took most people to Babylon.
Maybe add three years from Dan 1 to it: maybe 4 years?
Or maybe: "in the second year", that is, after Daniel and his companions had been presented to the king and promoted?
Or maybe: the second year of his reigning alone, or the fourth from his first reigning jointly with his father?
vs4
Here begins the Chaldee portion of Daniel, which continues to the end of the seventh chapter. The other parts, are in Hebrew.
Dan 2:5-7
5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye make not known unto me the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. 6 But if ye show the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore show me the dream and the interpretation thereof. 7 They answered the second time and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
Why might Nebuchadnezzar be so harsh with them?
-testing them?
-angry with them?
-cruel and ruthless tyrant?
-God's way of promoting Daniel?
Dan 2:8-13
8 The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. 9 But if ye make not known unto me the dream, there is but one law for you; for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof. 10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter, forasmuch as no king, lord, or ruler, hath asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean. 11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is no other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. 12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went forth, and the wise men were to be slain; and they sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.
**Why were Daniel and friends included?
-This event had to occur after Dan 1 where the king "he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his realm."
-evidently they were counted as wiseman, magicians or enchanters
Dan 2:14-18
14 Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, who was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon; 15 he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Wherefore is the decree so urgent from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation. 17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: 18 that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Arioch
- lion-like
-captain of the executioners
Daniel
-Why so harsh or severe a decree?
Any assumptions about Daniel and friends positions?
Daniel and friends knew little or nothing of the matter prior to this?
Despite the king finding them "ten times better" than all the other prophets, they weren't immediately elevated to some super high position within the Babylonian kingdom.
Action steps by Daniel?
nothing to lose, gonna die anyway
Tries to schedule appt with king to show interpretation
Then Daniel goes home to friends pray for mercy concerning secret (dream) so they wouldn't die like rest of the wisemen
**Is it fair to describe this event as another period of "Ten Days" for Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah?
Daniel 2:19-23
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are his. 21 And he changeth the times and the seasons; he removeth kings, and setteth up kings; he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that have understanding; 22 he revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. 23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast now made known unto me what we desired of thee; for thou hast made known unto us the king's matter.
***Crazy, great bold action steps of Daniel and friends result in Daniel learning the secret in a vision of the night.
Who did Daniel answer in verse 20?
God?
Why might Daniel have said in verse 21 "And he changeth the times and the seasons; he removeth kings, and setteth up kings…"?
Dan 2:24-28
24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and said thus unto him: Destroy not the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show unto the king the interpretation. 25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. 26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 27 Daniel answered before the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded can neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, show unto the king; 28 but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these:
Summary
Daniel goes to Arioch, I know the interpretation
Arioch brings Daniel into the king alarmed and prob frightened
Says "this man of the captivity of Judah" will make known your interpretation
King says " will you make known my dream AND the interpretation?
Daniel gives all glory to God as the "revealer of secrets" and tells him that the enchanters, wiseman, magicians and soothsayers can't know it, only God.
Tell him that the dream is "what shall be in the LATTER DAYS"
Dan 2:28-31
28 but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these: 29 as for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter; and he that revealeth secrets hath made known to thee what shall come to pass. 30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that thou mayest know the thoughts of thy heart. 31 Thou, O king, sawest, and, behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the aspect thereof was terrible.
***Nebuchadnezzar, a heathen king was shown "what should come to pass" in the latter days. Wonder why?
Image
- idolatrous figure; from root word meaning: shade; a phantom, i.e. (figuratively) illusion, resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idol:—image, vain shew.
Psa 39:6
Surely every man walketh in a vain show; Surely they are disquieted in vain: He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
Psalms 39:6 AMP
Surely every man walks around like a shadow [in a charade]; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; Each one builds up riches, not knowing who will receive them.
Psa 73:20
As a dream when one awaketh, So, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou wilt despise their image.
Whose image?
***Look at this Ps 73 carefully.
-properity of wicked - vs 1-3
-eyes stand out with fatness - v7-9
-have more than heart could wish - v7
-they speak loftily v8
-mouth set in heaven, tongue walks thru the earth - vs9
-how does God know? vs11-12
-is God watching? vs11
-always at ease vs12
Until…
-their latter end v17-18
-cast down to destruction v18
-God despises their image v20
Who are they that God despises their image?
-them that play the harlot -vs27
-them that depart from God -vs27
Images
Eze 7:20
As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things therein: therefore have I made it unto them as an unclean thing.
Eze 16:17
Thou didst also take thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest for thee images of men, and didst play the harlot with them;
Daniel 2:32-35
32 As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass, 33 its legs of iron, its feet part of iron, and part of clay. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Image
Head of gold
Breast and arms of silver
Belly and thighs of brass
Legs of iron (prob lower legs)
Feet are part iron, part clay
Stone
cut w/o hands strikes the feet of iron and clay
Breaks the feet
Then iron, clay, brass, silver and gold break too
They become like chaff of the summer threshing floor
Wind carries them away, no place found for them
Stone
-becomes a great mountain (or rock) and fills the earth.
Who is the stone cut without hands?
Jesus
Mat 21:43-44 to Pharisees
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust.
Rev 9:20
And the rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk:
Deu 4:28
And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
Interpretation
Dan 2:36-38
36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 37 Thou, O king, art king of kings, unto whom the God of heaven hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory; 38 and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all: thou art the head of gold.
Vs36 - "we will tell" ???
Nebuchadnezzar (Head of gold)
king of kings (vs 37)
God of heaven has given the kingdom? What kingdom? (Vs 37)
Given rule over...
Wherever children of men dwell
Beasts of the field
Birds of the heavens
Eze 31:12-13
12 And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the watercourses of the land; and all the peoples of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him. 13 Upon his ruin all the birds of the heavens shall dwell, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches;
Dan 2:39-43
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee; and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that crusheth all these, shall it break in pieces and crush. 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay.
Greater to lesser
Gold - Nebuchadnezzar (or Babylon)
-head
Silver - lesser kingdom ?
-breast and arms
Brass - even lesser kingdom ?
-belly and thighs
Iron - even lesser kingdom in value?
-lower leg
Strong
Breaks in pieces and subdues
Breaks in pieces and crushed
Iron/Potters clay - even lesser value ?
-toes
Mixture
Part iron, part Potters clay/miry clay
Divided kingdom
Partly strong/partly broken
Shall mix, but shall not adhering to each other. Shall mix themselves with the seed of men
What could this represent?
Nations including Babylon that ruled that area of the world? Medio-Persians, Greece, Rome
God giving over spiritual kingdom to Babylon?
Unknown plan of God
Dan 2:44-46
44 And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Stone made w/o hands:
-Jesus, God sets Him up in the days of these kings
-won't be destroyed
-sovereignty won't be left to another people
-it shall break in pieces all the kingdoms mentioned (gold, silver, brass, iron and mixture)
-it will stand forever
*God shows Nebuchadnezzar what will occur.
It is certain and the interpretation is sure.
Why?
Does Daniel really interpret the dream for Nebuchadnezzar?
-not really, not entirely
-maybe as far as Nebuchadnezzar desires
-why doesn't he desire to know the rest?
Dan 2:46-49
46Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him. 47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou hast been able to reveal this secret. 48 Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 And Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel was in the gate of the king.
**This event ushers Daniel and friends to positions of prominance.
**Seems that these "ten-day" periods or events are what God uses to elevate his people.
***Why are Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah referred to with their Babylonian names here?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego
**Why isn't Daniel referred to as Belteshazzar?
Act 17:29
Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man.
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