....... Chapter 2 - Nebuchadnezzar's Prophetic Dream

 Dan 2 (KJV)

Dan 2 World Wide Study Bible

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Why was Israel Exiled?

Jeremiah 25:4-12
    • God sent His prophets. Israel did not listen.
    • Israel did not obey.
    • They did not repent.
    • They went after other Gods.
    • Ezekiel 2:4 also in Babylon at this time, referred to them as stubborn and obstinate children. (Ezekiel was designated a "Watchman to the house of Israel". This is in contrast to Daniel who seemed to be used by God in conduction with the Gentile rulers.)

Time Frame: Daniel was probably in his teens. Since this is but the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Daniel is likely still participating in the training described in Dan 1:5. Note the maturity of Daniel as he deals with a major crisis in this chapter especial in light of his young age.

Written Language: Although much of Daniel is written in Hebrew, Dan 2:4-7:28 is written in Chaldean, the language of the Gentiles. This is appropriate in that the primary focus of this section is centers around the Gentiles.

Daniel in a Crisis

King Nebuchadnezzar was very upset from a dream and probably believed this unusual dream to have some far-reaching significance. It is important to King Nebuchadnezzar that this dream is interpreted correctly. To assure no chance of misinterpretation he asked his wise men to not only interpret the dream but to also tell him the dream. Nebuchadnezzar may have questioning the integrity of the wise men as evident from. vs 9; "...For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situations changed....." So the wise men had two choices 1) tell the dream, or 2) be put to death. Nebuchadnezzar must of had a management philosophy that included a need for strong insinuative programs.

Who were these wise men?

1. Magicians

2. Conjurers

3. Sorcerers

4. Chaldeans or Astrologers

Each of the above positions tended to be deeply rooted in the occult. This probably isn't a whole lot different than our society today where the Bible is looked down on more and more and various religions and superstitions are becoming more and more acceptable.

In verses 27-28, Daniel makes a clear distinction between these men and God.

In verses 10 & 11 Even the wise men had to admit that there was not a man on earth that could declare the mater for the king. Only the gods.

 

How does Daniel react in this crisis? What can we learn from him?

1. In vs 14 Daniel replies to Arioch - Commander of the Kings guard with discretion and discernment (NASV), wisdom and tact (NIV)

 

2. Daniel acted in faith. Vs 16 .... Daniel went to the king and asked for time that he might interpret the dream for him. Can you imagine this teenager having the faith and confidence to take this step. Can you imagine what this great king thought when he received the request from this lad.

 

3. vs 17 He explained the matter to his friends.

Why does the Bible encourage prayer with others?
    • Matt 18:20 says "Where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name there I am in the midst of them."
    • To encourage and uplift one another.
    • Corporate prayer yields corporate blessing.
    • God has called us to be a unified body under one head (Christ).

4. vs 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven.

Note The phrase "...plead for mercy from the God of heaven..." is found in the books of captivity: Ezra, Nehemiah & Daniel. God has departed from the Holy of Holies in Jerusalem in the temple and is now is recognized by Daniel as the God of Heaven.

 

vs 19-23 How did Daniel respond to answered prayer?

1. vs 19 Daniel praised the God of Heaven.

2. vs 21 Humble "... He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

3. vs 23 Thanksgiving "I thank and praise you .... "

 

What was Daniel's approach to the fulfilling of God's Will.

1. Prayed specifically.

2. Praised God for answered prayer.

3. Acknowledge God for who he is.

4. Realized that it wasn't him but God who delivered.

5. Acted.

6. Gave God the glory before the King.

 

What aspects of God's character are emphasized in vs 20-23?

1. Wisdom and power are His.

2. He changes times and seasons.

3. He sets up Kings and disposes them.

4. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

5. He reveals deep and hidden things.

 

How should knowledge of God's wisdom, sovereignty and power affect our view of the people and circumstances in our lives that seem to be beyond our control?

 

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

 

 

In vs 27-30 How did Daniel's knowledge of God's character reveal itself in his remarks to King Nebuchadnezzzar?

We see that Daniel drew the distinction between Man and God and gave glory to God.

1 Cor 1:20

20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. (NIV)

 

HERE DANIEL (a wise teenager who allowed himself to be used by God) HAS THE OPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE THE GOD OF HEAVEN TO A PAGAN KING.

 

Interpretation

 

Nebuchadnezzzar's dream reveals four Gentile world empires all connected with Israel.

 

HEAD OF GOLD - Babylon (BC626 - 539)
    • vs 38 Babylon - King Nebuchadnezzar
    • Babylon was an absolute monarchy and the first "world empire" that the world had seen.
    • Jeremiah prophesied this.

Jeremiah 27:5

5 With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please.

6 Now I will hand all your countries over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him. (NIV)

 

ARMS of Silver - MEDIA-PERSIA (BC 539 - 360) Darius the Mede under Cyrus the Persian
    • Two arms representing Media & Persia united as one.

 

Belly & Thighs of Bronze - GREEK EMPIRE (BC 360-63) Alexander the Great
    • Archaeology reveals Ancient Greece as a typical bronze Age culture. (Volume Library)

 

Legs of Iron - ROMAN EMPIRE (BC 63 - 400 AD) Founded by Julius Caesar.
    • Was not conquered, but fell from within.
    • The Roman Empire fell apart like Humpty-Dumpty. So far no one has been able to put it back together again. (Roman Catholic Church, Charlemagne, Napoleon, several emperors of Germany, Hitler, Mussolini.
    • The fourth kingdom is also the kingdom of "the latter days". God is not quite ready for it to re-appear. TEN TOES

Dan 7:24

24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. (NIV)

 

Rev 17:12

12 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. (NIV)

 

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE IS NO 5TH KINGDOM

 OBSERVATIONS
    • Degradation takes place as we move from the 1st to the fourth. (Negative evolution.) vs 39 says each of the kingdoms below are inferior to the kingdoms above.
    • The value of the metal gets worse.
    • The specific gravity goes from heavier to lighter (unstable)
    • The position of the head has more honor than the feet.
    • Division of power goes with weakness. (2 arms, 2 legs, eventually 10 toes)

 

 

 

See "Book of Daniel - Chapter Summaries" for overview and maps of each of the four empires.

 

Parallel with Chapter 7 (Four Beasts) & Chapter 8

Chapter 7 takes place around BC 555 (50 years after start of captivity)

Lion (Babylon)

Dan 7:4

"The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.

(NIV)
    • Symbol of the strength of Babylon.
    • Wings - symbol of the swiftness of Nebuchadnezzar's victories.
    • Winged Lion - National symbol of Babylon at the time of Nebuchadnezzar. Wings were torn off - Nebuchadnezzar came to a full stop.
    • And the heart of man was given to it.

 

Bear (Media - Persia)

Dan 7:5

"And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up and eat your fill of flesh!' (NIV)

 

Dan 8:20

The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. (NIV)
    • The Bear is less strong than the Lion.
    • The 3 ribs probably represents the Nations conquered by Media - Persia (ie. Babylon, Lydia and Egypt)

 

Leopard or Panther (Greece)

Dan 7:6

"After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. (NIV)

 

Dan 8:21,22

21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king.

22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power. (NIV)

 
    • The Leopard with four wings is swift.
    • Alexander the Great (BC 336 - 323) conquered Asia (Syria, Egypt, India & more) in 6 years.
    • 4 Wings - Represents 4 generals who divided up the Kingdom after Alexander's Death.
      • Seleucus took Syria (out of which came the little horn of Dan 8, Antiochus Epiphanes)
      • Lysimachus took Asia Minor
      • Cassander took Macedonia
      • Ptolemy took Egypt.

 

Beast (Rome)

Dan 7:7

"After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast-- terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. (NIV)

 
    • The Beast was dreadful, terrifying and powerful. Unlike the other three that have counterparts in the jungles today.
    • Kingdom consisted of two materials (iron & clay) while the others were homogeneous.
    • Two Kingdoms

1. Possibly the West that continued to 731 AD

2. Possibly the East that continued to 1453 AD
    • The Roman Empire simply fell apart

 

  • 10 HORNS corresponds to the 10 TOES of chapter 2
  • 10 horns do not represent a new nation but grow out of the head of the fourth.
  • The Image toes are iron mixed with clay. The iron of Rome is still there but there is also a weakness.
  • It is believed that Rome will continue to the end of all earthly power and at that time reestablish itself out of which will come the ten horns followed by a little horn that
  • Some have associated the 10 horns with the European Common Market --- created by the Treaty of Rome 25 March 1957. This could work except for the problem that the European Common Market has now exceeded 10 nations. One thing that this does show is the infrastructure is in place for such an event to take place.

Includes; Ireland, Britain, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, West Germany, France, Italy, etc.

 
  • Little Horn

 

Dan 7:8

"While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully. (NIV)

 

Dan 7:24

24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.

25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. (NIV)

 
    • READ Revelation 13: 1-8

 

Interpretation of The Rock & The Mountain

Read Dan 2:44-45

 

Stone = the Lord Jesus Christ

vs 44 - A kingdom that will never be destroyed

 

Dan 7:24

24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.

25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.

26 "'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever.

27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.' (NIV)

 

Rev 17:12

12 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.

13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.

14 They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings-- and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." (NIV)

 

Matt 21:44

44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."

(NIV)

 

1 Cor 3:11

11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

(NIV)

 

Deut 32:15 He is the Rock of Salvation.

 

Deut 32:4 He is the Rock of judgement.

 

THE MOUNTAIN

Isa 2:2

2 In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.

3 Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (NIV)

 

Rev 19:11-21 Christ on Earth

 

King's Response

Dan 2:46

46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.

47 The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery."

48 Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.

49 Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court. (NIV)

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