DANIEL 2

BACKGROUND:

Daniel 2 contains one of the great key prophecies of the entire Bible – Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the great image. Here in this chapter we have an outline of God’s future program for Israel, the nations, and for the coming millennial kingdom that the Lord is going to set up when He returns. This chapter is basic to the understanding of all Bible prophecy. M.R. DeHaan said: "This passage is the ABC of prophecy, just as the book of Revelation may be called the XYZ of prophecy" (Daniel the Prophet). As we get into this account of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s interpretation of it, we need to remember that Nebuchadnezzar was ruler over most of the civilized world at that time, and also a great deal of the uncivilized, barbarian world as well. The Bible clearly teaches that God gave this rule to Nebuchadnezzar, and He puts every ruler where they are – even tyrants. As I pointed out in our study of chapter 1, Israel was being punished and set aside by God due to her disobedience and backsliding (cf. Jer.27:5-9). This marks the beginning of the "times of the Gentiles" (Luke 21:24).

2:1 When Nebuchadnezzar first invaded Judah, he was not yet king but ruled as a subordinate of his father, King Nabopolasser. While Nebuchadnezzar was in Judah his father died, and then he became king. Therefore, as Daniel 2 begins, Nebuchadnezzar has been king for two years. He united several tribes, took over the Assyrian empire, then the Syrian empire, overcame the Egyptians, and built the first great world empire. Yet he had no peace and went to bed wondering "what should come to pass hereafter" (2:29). God revealed Himself to King Nebuchadnezzar in his dreams one night, but the king did not understand the meaning of the dreams. This sort of communication was common in Bible times but not today (cf. Num.12:6; Job 33:14-16). Unfortunately there are many "dreamers" around today but they are not to be taken seriously. In the Bible God gave dreams to Abimelech (Gen.20:3), Joseph (Gen.37:5), Pharaoh (Gen.41:1,25), Solomon (I Kings 3:5), the wise men (Matt.2:12), and Joseph (Matt.2:19,22). Nebuchadnezzar forgot his dream, perhaps out of fright.

2:2 Nebuchadnezzar called for the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans (southern Babylonians). These were the wise men of Babylon, the king’s cabinet. They had received the same type of training that Daniel had received but they had one major disadvantage – they did not know the Lord. He wanted them to reveal the dreams to him for apparently he forgot them (cf. vss.2-5,8).

2:3 Nebuchadnezzar’s "spirit was troubled." He knew that his dreams were important but he could not grasp what it meant.

2:4 They apparently were flattering the king but this seems to have been the customary way to greet a king. For example, in England they would say: "Long live the king!" (perhaps they got the idea from the Bible). Daniel is the only book in the Old Testament that was not written entirely in Hebrew. From 2:4 through 7:28, the original text was written in Aramaic (or "Syriack" as it is called here; this was the language of the Babylonians; cf. Scofield notes, p. 899, bottom of page).

2:5,6 Nebuchadnezzar put fear in their hearts and they knew that it was no idle threat. On the other hand, if they could describe the dream and the interpretation thereof, they would be greatly rewarded.

2:7 The king’s wise men were insistent that he first tell them the dream, and then they would "shew the interpretation of it."

2:8,9 Nebuchadnezzar accused them of stalling for time, and of using "lying and corrupt words." He probably had his doubts about their ability to interpret dreams and to prove that they were for real, he demanded that they explain the dream as well as the explanation. A comparison can be made with the modern day "charismatics" who boast of their supernatural gifts and abilities. When tested carefully though, they come up short.

2:10,11 The wise men protested that "there is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter…" They were no doubt sincere and did not realize that God could reveal the dream to Daniel. It was perhaps a "rare thing that the king requireth" but their excuses would hardly satisfy a tyrant like Nebuchadnezzar. Although they were idolatrous heathens, they understood that there were great mysteries in the universe that were beyond mortal men.

2:12,13 As could be expected, their response to his request infuriated Nebuchadnezzar. The magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers are called "wise men" (cf. 2:13,14,18,24,27,48). This order "to destroy all the wise men of Babylon" would include Daniel and his companions, who were trained as wise men (2:13).

2:14 "Arioch the captain of the king’s guard" = his executioner (margin).

2:15 Daniel wanted to know why the decree was "so hasty" and Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.

2:16-18 After getting permission from the king for more time, Daniel conferred with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Then they "desired mercies of the Lord," i.e. they prayed. The Babylonians worshipped the heavens (the stars, the moon, and the sun), but Daniel and his companions worshipped "the God of heaven."

2:19-23 Someone has called Daniel a man of purpose, a man of prayer, and a man of prophecy – this is one of the several times we see Daniel praying. God answered Daniel’s prayer and revealed "the secret" to him.

2:24 Daniel tells Arioch to call off the execution.

2:25-29 Daniel is about to reveal the dream to Nebuchadnezzar. He starts out by telling him that whereas his wise men were unable to tell him the dream, "there is a God in heaven" who can. There are several key words and phrases used here:

• "the latter days" (2:28) – Nebuchadnezzar’s dream covers the history of Gentile rule from his day to the reign of antichrist and the second coming of Christ (cf. vss. 44, 45).
• "what should come to pass hereafter" (2:29) – Daniel makes it clear that the king’s dream was prophetic.
• "what shall come to pass" (2:29b) – not what might come to pass but "what shall come to pass." Most people do not take the prophecies in Daniel and in the book of Revelation seriously but when God says it "shall come to pass," it certainly will. Nebuchadnezzar went to bed wondering what the future would hold (vs. 29), but now he was going to find out a lot more than he ever expected.

2:30 Daniel is careful not to take any credit., that it is God who revealed the "secret" to him.

2:31 It is interesting to note that Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter 2 and Daniel’s vision in chapter 7 basically cover the same ground. However, whereas Nebuchadnezzar’s vision was of "a great image, whose brightness was excellent," Daniel’s vision was of four monstrous beasts. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was from man’s perspective, especially a man steeped in Babylonian paganism. Daniel’s vision was from God’s perspective. Scofield’s notes are helpful (p. 900,901). The statue "standing before" the king in his dream symbolized Gentile world power as it touches Israel during the times of the Gentiles from 605 BC till the second coming of Christ when He returns to establish His kingdom. All Bible prophecy, whether dealing with Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, Rome, Egypt, Russia, Red China, or any nation, always deals with these nations’ relationship with Israel. The form thereof was "terrible," i.e. the Gentile powers were ruthless and ferocious. That is why they are pictured as ravenous beasts in Daniel 7. "It is remarkable that the heraldic insignia of the Gentile nations are all beasts or birds of prey" (Scofield, p. 911).

2:32,33 The image consisted of a very strange assortment of metals. Another interesting aspect of the image was that it was rather top-heavy – the head was of fine gold, the breast and arms were silver, the belly and thighs were brass, the legs were iron, but the feet were "part of iron and part of clay" (2:33). Being top-heavy and cumbersome, it is bound to fall. The image represents deterioration and decline. There is a decline in the quality of the metals – gold is finer than silver, silver is finer than brass, etc.

2:34,35 As Nebuchadnezzar viewed this strange image in amazement, "a stone was cut out without hands" and "smote the image" and broke it into pieces, till it "became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors." Christ is often represented in the Bible as a "stone" or a "rock" (cf. Zech.4:7; Rom. 9:32,33; I Cor.10:4; Eph.2:20; I Peter 2:8). There can be no doubt but that this "stone" is Christ. He was "cut without hands," i.e., He was not created, but is the Creator God. Also, the "great mountain" that "filled the whole earth" is a reference to the millennial kingdom (cf. 2:44).

2:36 After describing the dream in vivid detail, Daniel does not ask, "Is this the dream?" but rather, "This is the dream." Daniel knew that the Lord had given him the secret to the dream.

2:37,38 "Thou, O King, art a king of kings" (cf. Ezek.26:7). We have already seen how God raised up King Nebuchadnezzar (Jer.27:5-9). "Thou art this head of gold." The first great world empire was Babylon.

2:39 The second kingdom, Media-Persia, is described as "inferior to thee." They are represented by two arms, Media and Persia (cf. 5:28,31; 6:8; 8:20; 11:2). Medo-Persia was not inferior in geographic size but in authority and organization. The third, Greece, "shall bear rule over all the earth" (cf. 8:21; 11:1-4).

2:40 The fourth kingdom is Rome (cf. 7:7). There is no mention of a fifth kingdom, indicating that it has never completely gone away. It is still alive today in various forms and will someday be reformed, probably through the United States of Europe, which is advancing quite rapidly. The RCC, and Charlemagne, and Napoleon, and Hitler and Mussolini, and many others have tried to put the Roman Empire back together but were unable to do so. But the antichrist will succeed. The final Roman government will produce the antichrist and the consummation of the wicked, Satanic one-world religion and one-world government.

2:41 cf. Scofield notes, p. 901, bottom of page. Iron and clay represent imperialism and democracy.

2:42 This strange mixture will not last long, it will eventually start to break apart.

2:43 This could be a reference to a Satanic effort to promote one-worldism through intermarriage. This is one of Rev. Moon’s goals. "The figure of mixing by seed is derived from the sowing of the field with mingled seed, and denotes all the means employed by the rulers to combine the different nationalities, among which the connubium [intermarriage] is only spoken of as the most important and successful means" (C.F. Keil).

2:44 Reference to the millennial kingdom (see Scofield, bottom of page 902).

2:45 "And the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure."

2:46 Nebuchadnezzar honors Daniel.

2:47 Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges the true God.

2:48 Nebuchadnezzar promotes Daniel.

2:49 Daniel looks out for his fellow Jews.