Daniel - Chapter 2
Daniel – Chapter 2
Taught by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Sunday Evening, October 2, 2011
2: 1-2: “And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, he dreams wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep broke from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.”
The year would be 605 B.C. and Daniel’s third year in exile. Which means the dream would coincide with Daniel finishing his three years of schooling under the Chaldeans.
2: 3-6: “The king said to them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Syriack (Aramaic), O king live forever; tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, the thing is gone from the dream; if you will not make known to me the dream, with the interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if you show the dream, and the interpretation, you shall receive of me gifts, rewards, and great honor; therefore show me the dream and the interpretation.”
The superstitious king demanded and immediate explanation. The listing of the king’s academic corps underlines their prominence. It is interesting to note that Aramaic would be the language of the educated. It would also be Daniel’s language.
2: 7-13: They answered again and said, let the king tell his servants the dream and we will show the interpretation. The king answered that he could not remember the dream. You must make known the dream to me. If you can tell me the dream then I will know that you can show me the interpretation. The Chaldeans answered, there is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s dream; there is no king, lord, nor ruler that would ask such things of any magician, astrologer or Chaldean. It is a rare thing that the king requires and there is no one that can show the dream to the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. The king was angry and commanded all the wise men of Babylon to be destroyed. The decree went forth which included Daniel and his fellows.”
His impatience and panic would indicate that the king was very frightened by the dream. Babylonian learning rested upon observed facts and events. Their spells could not persuade their gods to reveal the dream. The frustrated king issued an order for their immediate execution.
Daniel’s demeanor saved him from instant death. He gained the good will of the king’s captain. The king received Daniel and gave him the period of grace he requested. No doubt all the wise men were on their needs praying hopefully to the God of Heaven.
2:17: Then Daniel went to his house and put his companions to prayer that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then was the secret revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”
The Lord still speaks to His servants as he did to Daniel in Visions of the night and dreams.
Daniel breaks out in a hymn of worship to the Lord. He proclaims God’s name to be honored supremely as the spring of wisdom, controller of dynasties and monarchs, omniscient, the one who supplies His own as they need. The God of heaven denotes Israel’s God particularly.
2:20-23: “Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and might are His; And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings, and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding; He reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him. I thank You, and praise You, O You God of my fathers, who have given me wisdom and might, and have made known to me now what we desired of You; for you have now made known to us the king’s matter.”
Although Daniel had access to the king shortly before (Verse 16), Daniel now made his approach through the captain of the guard, delaying him in his executions, and enabling the man whom the king might be expected to trust the most to introduce him.
2:24-29: The Captain brought Daniel before the king in haste. He said, I have found a man of the captives of Judah that will make known to the king the interpretation…(Vs. 27) Daniel answered in the presence of the king, the secret which the king demanded cannot be told by the wise men, astrologers, magicians, or soothsayers. But there is a God in heaven that reveals secrets, and makes known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, are these. The thoughts that came into your mind are prophetic of what shall come to pass hereafter; He that reveals secrets makes known to you what shall come to pass.”
Why would God unroll future history to Nebuchadnezzar? Well he was a chosen vessel of the Lord to bring judgment on Israel. The Babylonians under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah in 589 B.C. enslaving many Jews. In his second year as monarch, he was already a military victor and monarch of a large realm. Daniel carefully emphasized his own human inability and assured the king he would give him the explanation for his benefit, not for his own glory. The dream is straightforward but fearful. I call this the dream of the metallic man.
2:31-36: “You O king saw, and behold a great image. This great image whose brightness was excellent, stood before you; and the form thereof was terrible. The image’s head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass. Its legs were of iron, and its feet part of iron and part of clay. You saw a stone cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, he brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. I will now tell you the interpretation.” (Verses 31-35 are fulfilled prophecy. Verses 33b-35 are unfulfilled).
Daniel interpreted the dream recognizing that Nebuchadnezzar was chosen of God to be a one of the great monarchs of history. By Daniel receiving the revelation, he reveals that God is sovereign over all nations; God is the only One who guides human affairs; God is all knowledge and wisdom; God is the author of prophecies.; to make known the plan of God from Daniel’s day into all eternity. (37-38): “You, O king, are a king of kings; for the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength and glory. Wherever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven has he given into your hand. He has made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold.”
Nebuchadnezzar worshipped Merodach, but Daniel pointed out that the God of heaven is one who made him king. Nebuchadnezzar reigned 43 years and was succeeded by Evil-Merodach (2 Ki. 25:27; Jer. 52:31)
(Vs. 39) “And after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over the earth.” The second kingdom in the times of the Gentiles is the coalition kingdom of the Medes and Persians which conquered Babylon during Daniel’s lifetime in the first year of Belshazzar, King of Babylon. The Persian king, Cyrus allowed the Judean exiles to return to their homeland. Under Zerubbabel, they rebuilt the temple. When we get to chapter 7, we will again deal more specifically with the kingdom of the Medes and Persians with Daniels Dream of the Four Beasts.
I wrote in my notes in September 1993, the importance of taking note of the satanic prince of Persia, (The Medes and Persians). In chapter 10, Daniel had a visitation from One who looked like a man (Verse 16), but Daniel called Him Lord. He is described in 10:5 as clothed in linen (worn by priests); finest gold (purity) like chrysolite (gleamed); face like lightning, eyes like flaming torches, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. This could only be a description of Jesus. The Angel of the Lord fought with the satanic ruler prince of Persia who was the ruler at the time of chapter 10 and defeated him that the Prince of Grecia might come. There is a war in the heavenlies and the Lord Defeats satanic forces over each existing kingdom of the world before He will bring other kingdoms on the scene to fulfill other parts of His prophetic word. The five kingdoms represented by the metallic man succeeded each other as the time came for them to fulfill God’s plan pertaining to Israel. The Medes and Persians succeeded Babylon at the end of the 70 years’ captivity of the Jews. (Dan. 2:39; 5: 1-31; 8:20; 9:1)
Michael, Israel’s prince, was the Angel of the Lord’s helper two years previously in the first year of Dairus when the satanic prince of Babylon was overthrown and the Prince of Persia came.
The third Kingdom to oppress Israel in the time of the Gentiles was Alexander the great who conquered the Medo-Persian Empire. The Encyclopedia states that the Greek rulers of Syria conquered Palestine in 170B.C. He was also one of the monarchs who dominated Israel in the times of the Gentiles.
Alexander the Great brought under his control Macedonia in Europe, Iran and Syria in Asia, and Egypt in Africa (three continents). It is also interesting to note that Israel which is a little larger than the state of Vermont links three continents in the curve of the eastern Mediterranean shore, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Thus the brass which formed the belly extended to the thighs and divided into two parts because the kingdom extended both to the east and the west.
The legs of iron symbolize the Roman Empire which was the fourth kingdom to oppress Israel in the times of the Gentiles. In 63 B.C. the Romans conquered Palestine, they were harsh and cruel. It was a time of Roman oppression of the Jews. During this troubled time, Jesus of Nazareth was born. His Kingdom, the Kingdom of God was established. The Apostles whom he chose brought forth “The Church”.
The Roman Empire extended to the east and the west. It was the strongest and most terrible in history. Its army broke other nations to pieces.
There has been over 2000 years since the time of the Roman Empire. Since that time (if we count Hitler), nine (9) world empires have oppressed the Jews.
(1) Byzantine Empire which grew out of the East Roman Empire. It was a mixture of several cultures built on the Roman Traditions of justice and a strong central government.
(2) Muslim Empire which originated with the Arabs. Their religion is Islam. This empire was larger than the Roman Empire. They seized Palestine around A.D.600. The empire lasted about 400 years.
Then Palestine fell to the (3) Seljuk Turks.
Later the Turks lost Palestine to the (4) Christian Crusaders who came from Europe to free the Holy Land from the Moslems.
The Crusaders were driven out by the (5) Marmadukes of Egypt.
In 1517 Palestine was conquered by the (6) Ottoman Turks (Turkey).
(7) In 1918 British troops drove out the Turks during World War I and it came under British rule but were still oppressed by Arab guerilla fighting.
(8) Then came the Nazi terror of Jews and many returned to Palestine.
In May 1948, Israel became a nation again.
(9) Since 1948, they have been oppressed by the Arab Moslems.
Luke 21:20: “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you know that its desolation is near…` (Vs22) for these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. …there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”
The United States of America is certainly a mixture of clay and iron. This could also represent the United Nations. The feet and toes represent the fifth kingdom to oppress Israel in the times of the Gentiles in the vision given to Nebuchadnezzar. It is traditionally believed to be the revised Roman Empire of 10 kingdoms, ruled by 10 kings from 10 separate capitals. However this is still future prophecy and is conjecture by all who attempt to interpret. These ten kingdoms represented by the 10 toes will exist in the last days. They will be ruled by 10 kings during the first 3-1/2 years of the 70th week, then by the antichrist the last 3-1/2 years. Finas J. Dake makes the observation that “the clay represents the rule by the masses and the iron the rule by kings….The 10 kingdoms will form what is known to Bible scholars as the Revised Roman Empire dealt with in Dan. 7 and Rev. 17:12-17). This interpretation like all others is conjecture and theory. None of us know this to be a certainty. Especially since the global populace is now a mixture of all nations, religions and cultures.
Two empires oppressed Israel before Babylon---Egypt and Assyria. Five empires are described in the vision of the metallic man. The 8th will be the antichrist.
The Lord removes kings and sets up kings. He is still sovereign and can do as He wills among men. There is no power but of God (Rom. 13: 1-8). He gives power to all created beings, but He is not responsible for how they use that power. He gave power to satan and has not taken it away. He will judge him for the misuse of that power (Mt. 25:41). God has pre-ordained the rise and fall of certain kingdoms. If any overstep His will in the exercise of their authority, they will be judged by Him. God has used unsaved men as rulers to carry out certain of His necessary purpose on earth. He raised up Pharaoh who would resist His will so that He could make His power known (Ex. 4-15). The Assyrians were raised up to punish the 10 tribes (1 Ki. 17). Nebuchadnezzar was raised up o punish Judah for her sins and to fulfill prophecy (2 Ki. 24; Jer. 25).
Thus God has worked and is still working among nations to bring about His eternal purpose of testing man and bringing him into the Presence of His Glory. Satan and his agents seek to stop God’s Kingdom on earth. We get to decide which one we will serve and assist in Kingdom building. There are three votes. The devil votes against us, Jesus votes for us, whichever way we vote makes the difference.
2: 44-45: “In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Forasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and th e gold, the great God has made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter; and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”
In verses 48-49, the king made Daniel a great man, ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief of the governors over all the wise men. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego share in his triumph. In chapter 3, they are prominent and Daniel entirely absent.
Taught by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V.; Quotes from Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible and F.F. Bruce Bible Commentary; Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those from whom I have gleaned.