DANIEL 2 - KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR`S DREAM
Dec
11
Written by:
12/11/2011 9:09 PM
DANIEL 2
KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR`S DREAM
Nov. 20, 2011
(Dan 2:1 NIV) In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. (Dan 2:2 NIV) So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, (Dan 2:3 NIV) he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means." (Dan 2:4 NIV) Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it." (Dan 2:5 NIV) The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. (Dan 2:6 NIV) But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me." (Dan 2:7 NIV) Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it." (Dan 2:8 NIV) Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: (Dan 2:9 NIV) If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me." (Dan 2:10 NIV) The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. (Dan 2:11 NIV) What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men." (Dan 2:12 NIV) This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. (Dan 2:13 NIV) So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.
The king had asked a very difficult thing. The king had a dream and he wanted the dream interpreted. However, he would not even tell what the dream was. If none of the wise men of Babylon could interpret the dream King Nebuchadnezzar would have all the wise men killed. When Daniel learned what was happening he went to the king and asked for time so that he might interpret the dream. Daniel then asked his three friends to plead for mercy from God so they would not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Daniel had been given the gift of interpreting dreams, but he still asked for prayer support from his three friends. During the night the meaning of the dream was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Daniel praised God and thanked God for giving the interpretation of the dream. (Dan 2:20 NIV) and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. (Dan 2:21 NIV) He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. (Dan 2:22 NIV) He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. (Dan 2:23 NIV) I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king."
Daniel was then given a chance to appear before the king. The king asked Daniel what he saw in the dream and if he could interpret it. (Dan 2:27 NIV) Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, (Dan 2:28 NIV) but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these: Daniel did not take any personal credit for interpreting the dream. We must never take credit and glory for what God does through us. Daniel gave God the credit for interpreting the dream. Daniel also said that God had given the king the dream.
The king saw a large statue in the dream. (Dan 2:31 NIV) "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue--an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. (Dan 2:32 NIV) The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, (Dan 2:33 NIV) its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay.
While the king was watching the statue it was destroyed supernaturally. (Dan 2:34 NIV) While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. (Dan 2:35 NIV) Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
The statue represented four kingdoms as follows:
(1) The head of pure gold represented King Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. The kingdom was the neo-Babylonian Empire (605 B.C.).
(2) The chest and arms of silver represented the second kingdom. That kingdom was the Medo-Persian Empire established by Cyrus (539 B.C.)
(3) The belly and thighs of bronze represented the third kingdom. That kingdom was the Grecian Empire established by Alexander the Great (334 B.C.)
(4) The legs of iron represent the fourth kingdom. That kingdom was the Roman Empire that began in (27 B.C)
The feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay probably represent the nationalistic kingdoms that came in the area after the Roman Empire. Some have been strong and lasted a long time (iron). Others were weak and lasted a short time (clay). This brings us up to the time we are now living in. However, there is one final kingdom to come that will never be destroyed. (Dan 2:44 NIV) "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. (Dan 2:45 NIV) This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands--a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy."
After King Nebuchadnezzar heard the interpretation of the dream he acknowledged the greatness of God. (Dan 2:47 NIV) 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." The interpretation of the dream saved the lives of Daniel, his friends and all the wise men of Babylon. The king honored Daniel by making him ruler over the entire providence of Babylon. Also Daniel`s three friends were given important positions.
The dream God gave to the king was a very amazing preview of future world kingdoms until the final kingdom of God will be established on the earth, a kingdom that will endure forever!