Old Testament Survey says that 36 yrs or longer may have elapsed since Dan 3. [7], In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, is troubled by a dream. Dan. Indeed, after giving his interpretation, Daniel begs the king to repent of his sins and to show mercy to the poor (cf. WebDaniel was the one who informed him that he could do this. When you recognize that God has shown an answer to you offer praise and thanks. The first recorded vision comes to Daniel in the form of a night vision, like those of Nebuchadnezzar (2:1; 4:5) during the first year of the reign of Belshazzar. Election [10] The first three verses of chapter 2 and part of verse 4 are in Hebrew. Unusually, the feet are an odd combination of solid iron and brittle clay. 27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. We could never predict the goals God has determined, nor the means He has ordained for history to reach them. A more modern-day interpretation could propose the chest is the Medo-Persian Empire, the belly and thighs the Greek and Roman empires, and the legs of iron/clay the modern-day Western civilizations led by the United States. WebInstead of using the lesson ideas for teaching Daniel 2:128, you could show the portion of the video that depicts the events related to Daniels interpretation of Nebuchadnezzars dream (time codes 6:1713:49).As students watch the video, invite them to look for what Daniel did when he needed wisdom and guidance. We should note Daniels distress in chapter 7 before turning to the other prophecies in Daniel, where we will find that prophecy very often produces distress. One of the more famous kings of ancient Babylon, ruling for over 40 years, from about 605 BC to 562 BC. The first recorded vision comes to Daniel in the form of a night vision, like those of Nebuchadnezzar (2:1; 4:5) during the first year of the reign of Belshazzar. Deut. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. But in the end, God will judge the wicked and establish His kingdom for His saints. While most of those in this kingdom may not have had a true conversion, at least they tolerated the Jewish faith as the religion of the state. Where it has not caused distress, it should have. The Son of Man was also Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). A night vision is given to king Nebuchadnezzar, apparently early in his reign as king of Babylon. The beasts are hardly worthy of prose, but the court of heaven deserves a description of the finest words. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. Then the rock initiates destruction that fills the entire earth. He Our text challenges such a conclusion, and later prophecies in Daniel further document that the coming of the King and of the kingdom will be some time further in the future. 21 And He changes the times and the seasons; And knowledge to those who have understanding. WebDaniels Interpretation: Daniel 2.37-43: You, O king, are a king of kings. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out fwithout hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. What role do they play in relation to the four beasts? (3) What principles should guide and govern our attempt to interpret the prophecy of this chapter? Daniel 2 - Wikipedia Earlier in Daniel, we are told how Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had besieged Jerusalem, took their king Jehoiakim captive and scuttled precious religious artifacts from the Great Temple. 4:3437 reports Nebuchadnezzars return to power. Who is the Son of Man? Note that even pagan records mention the kings absence and return to power. The scene of the four beasts arising from the sea, which Daniel saw in his night vision, is strikingly similar to the account found in the 13th chapter of Revelation: 1 And he stood on the sand of the seashore, and I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. [24] Daniel 2:2023 emphasizes the Divine as a repository of wisdom and the controller of the destiny of kings; such hymns and prayers are typical of postexilic biblical narratives. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the entire earth. Daniel was blank and his thoughts were blank when he learned the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's second dream. The Son of man, Jesus Christ, would come to the Ancient of Days [God] with the clouds of heaven. We get it. [13], Chapter 2 in its present form dates from no earlier than the first decades of the Seleucid empire (late 4th/early 3rd centuries BCE), but its roots may reach back to the fall of Babylon and the rise of the Persian Achaemenid empire, and some scholars have speculated that the dream of four kingdoms was originally a dream of four kings, Nebuchadnezzar and his four successors. It not only bore witness to the conversion of this king, but encouraged all of the subjects of Babylonian rule to worship the God of Israel. Pope Francis Issues Call for Peace on Anniversary of Russias Invasion of Ukraine. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all, you are this head of gold. Desiring a more detailed explanation, he apparently asked for one and received it. Prophecy is necessary then so that men are reassured of divine deliverance and blessing, as well as divine judgment (see 2 Peter 2:4-9). He features in the Bible, specifically the "Nebuchadnezzar's dreams in the Old English Daniel." Listen and subscribe to The Redeemed Mind Podcast on your favorite podcasting app or website. God of all my ancestors, all thanks! He will rule over all nations forever. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time. Different from the first three, this beast seems uglier, more powerful, and much more hostile toward God and His saints. (7:128) A vision of four world kingdoms replaced by a fifth, B'. In the latter days, before the kingdom of God is established on the earth, kings and kingdoms will become worse and worse. Nebuchadnezzars dream is revealed to DanielThe king saw a great image, a stone cut from the mountain without hands destroyed the image, and the stone grew and filled the whole earthThe stone is the latter-day kingdom of God. And yet God said they would. Daniel boiled down his vision to its essence, so we would not fail to understand the message he meant to convey to us. The New King James Version. However, the Son of Man must first suffer at the hands of men (17:22; 20:18). Ohio man charged with attempting to burn down church that planned to host drag show events. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. The second time, the expression is used in reference to Daniel himself, as it will be used very frequently in Ezekiel to refer to this great prophet: So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end (Daniel 8:17). 4143 But then the feet and toes that ended up as a mixture of ceramic and iron will deteriorate into a mongrel kingdom with some remains of iron in it. Enter your email address to join hundreds of others in following this website and to receive notifications of new posts by email. Usually it refers to a person as a human being. The boastful beast becomes even more aggressive, waging war with the saints and even overpowering them. (4) This is the first prophecy in the book revealed directly to Daniel. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Daniel made the dream and its interpretation known to Nebuchadnezzar, but first he provided context. Daniel 5 is an illustration and a prototype of what will happen in the end times, as described in the prophecy of Daniel 7. Take me to the king and Ill interpret his dream., 25 Arioch didnt lose a minute. The chapter falls into two major parts. First is a great tree that filled [5] On the human level Daniel is set against the Babylonian magicians who fail to interpret the king's dream, but the cosmic conflict is between the God of Israel and the false Babylonian gods. 2:37 You, O king, are the king of kings. Note that the description of the beasts is written in prose, while the description of the heavenly court in verses 9-10 and of the Son of Man in verses 13-14 is written in poetry form. Nebuchadnezzar captured Daniel and his buddies Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah when they were very young men (probably mid-teens), and we see glimpses of Daniel working in the palace until hes well over eighty years Just like iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything, and as iron breaks in pieces all of these metals, so it will break in pieces and crush the others. Note the change between the first and second dreams is how Nebuchadnezzar sought an interpretation, as here he freely reiterated his dream. Nebuchadnezzar (also called Nebuchadrezzar) was king of Babylon from around 605 BC to 562 BC. His actions reveal that he had not learned the lessons of his first dream which God had caused him to have. First, God enabled him to explain several of the kings dreams. For instance, Daniel says, you have made known to us the dream of the king and this was the dream and now we will interpret it for the king. 4:89). But later on two came forward, 61 and said, This man stated, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days. 62 And the high priest stood up and said to Him, Do You make no answer? 9 I kept looking until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, And the hair of His head like pure wool. The vision plays on before Daniel, almost as though in answer to his desire to know more. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. In his vision, Daniel observed the sea being stirred up into a raging storm by the four winds of heaven. This signifies that the events which follow have been ordained by God. The blasphemous horn of Daniel 7, which goes so far as to oppose the people of God, is suddenly taken by death, and his kingdom is removed. Ceremonial Laws Now there's much for us to learn in the story of Nebuchadnezzar's confession and open letter in this dream which is recorded here in verses 10 through 18. [1], The book of which Daniel is the hero divides into two parts, a set of tales in chapters 16, and the series of visions in chapters 712,[2] the tales no earlier than the Hellenistic period (32330 BCE), and the visions from the Maccabean era (the mid-2nd century BCE). In my opinion, the most dramatic reference of our Lord to His identity as the Son of Man comes as the Lord Jesus stands on trial before the Sanhedrin and the high priest: 59 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death; 60 and they did not find it, even though many false witnesses came forward. Seeing this image frightened and bothered him, but a king of his magnitude and 4:1018 the king describes his dream to Daniel. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself (verse 28). Up to this time, it was simply a synonym for being human, a son of man. He said to Daniel, Your God is beyond question the God of all gods, the Master of all kings. King Nebuchadnezzar died apparently nine years before Belshazzar came to power. 2:33 Its legs were of iron; its feet were partly of iron and partly of clay. It therefore seems that the two prophecies speak of the same four kingdoms by means of different imagery. No wonder His words stung and prompted them to act as they did. Providence Nebuchadnezzar Our Lords first coming happened over a period of more than 30 years, and yet we view this as one coming. [28] The concept of four successive world empires is drawn from Greek theories of mythological history, while the symbolism of the four metals is drawn from Persian writings. Just what this means is unclear, but it suggests this arrogant king not only speaks against God, but, like Satan, he aspires to change the order God has established. Prophecy is not a pep rally, which generates a great burst of short-term enthusiasm but does little to inspire faith and endurance in the midst of suffering. What the vision refers to is not specified. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.. The message of this prophecy is really quite simple and may be summed up this way. Daniel, a godly prophet and a man of unshakable faith, has been steadfast in his daily walk of fellowship with God throughout the first six chapters of the Book of Daniel. Suffering is an inseparable part of the process which leads to glory. 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. That was bad enough, from the religious leaders perspective, but the way in which He answered them was the last straw. The God of heaven has given you the works: rule, power, strength, and glory. Until Gods eternal kingdom is established, kingdoms will progress from bad to worse. Things are not as they appear to be! These kings will rise to power and dominate the earth. 26 But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beast of the field and the birds in the sky. Within this view, the arrival of the kingdom of God (the rock) is symbolic for the arrival of Jesus. This also underscores that these four kingdoms go from reasonably good to unbelievably bad. PCCC- Parker County Cowboy Church was live. - Facebook Daniel Chapter 7 moves from the historical accounts of Daniel and his three friends to the prophetic revelations received by Daniel in the last half of the Book.76 The following chart may help us visualize the relationship of Daniels prophecies to the historical setting in which they were revealed: The first prophetic revelation is found in Daniel 2. As I read through the statements men have made about the God of Israel in the first six chapters of Daniel, I find that what men came to know and to acknowledge through history, God declares through prophecy. 10 If any one is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if any one kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. In spite of all these beasts do and say, in spite of their power and even their success, neither they nor their kingdoms will last. Biblical Studies Press. The visions explanation was not thorough enough to satisfy Daniel.