The Greek view proposes the silver chest and arms are the Median Kingdom, brass belly/thighs are the Persian Empire, and iron/clay legs are the Greek Empire. [21] An inscription of the historic Babylonian king Nabonidus, for example, tells of a dream he had of his great predecessor Nebuchadnezzar, mentioning a young man who appeared in the dream to reassure him that it was not an evil portent. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Having gained an appreciation for Daniel and his three Hebrew friends, over a period he came to faith in their God. 2:14; 1 John 4:56)? 26 But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. Hearing this, Nebuchadnezzar affirms that Daniel's god is "the God of gods and Lord of kings and revealer of mysteries". 2:41 In that you were seeing feet and toes partly of wet clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom. All of this is by divine design. Salvation Then the whole thing fell to piecesiron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold, smashed to bits. 4:1315, 23). Before the coming of Christ, who would? The vision recorded in chapter 8 took place in the third year of Belshazzar. Daniel blessed the God of heaven, saying. 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up ya 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 for ever. Daniel Sign up for the Bible Blender newsletter and receive the latest on science and tech news, new product notifications, exclusive features, and more. Did Arioch take credit for Daniels gift? 28:28; Rom. Parables of Jesus He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in the darkness, and light dwells with him. 44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these: 29 As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. 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. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; 38 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 allyou are this head of gold. 4:13, 8 signals that a change had occurred, which he describes in this chapter. Encouraged to do so, it savagely devours. Later, he began having visions from the Lord about the end times. Consequently, it is little wonder that in the events recorded in Daniel 5, Belshazzar was ignorant of Daniel and the abilities God had given him. Holiness 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. Third, is the removal of the kings mental faculties, for a time, until his conversion (cf. 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 went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the Kings wise men, and said to him, Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Kingdom of God 4:3 is almost identical to Ps. 31 Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statuean enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. These are the things Daniel sees in the vision. WebDaniels Interpretation: Daniel 2.37-43: You, O king, are a king of kings. This vision was an interactive vision, as Daniel was not only present in the vision but was able to approach one standing by to ask the meaning of what he saw. They believed that the Messiah would come to establish the kingdom, to bless the Jews and to condemn the Gentiles. These beasts, each different from the other, are described in verses 4-7. If, in Gods eyes, a day is as 1,000 years and 1,000 years as a day (2 Peter 3:8), then the coming of our Lord has only been a few days from beginning to end. Daniel interprets King Nebuchadnezzar's dream and earns his What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? Unity Take me to the king and Ill interpret his dream., 25 Arioch didnt lose a minute. We could never predict the goals God has determined, nor the means He has ordained for history to reach them. Holy Spirit He had been charmed, but not changed. Second, is the appearance of an angel, called a watcher, who declares and facilitates the removal of Nebuchadnezzar from power (cf. Propitiation 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. Quora God may choose to delay judgment on the wicked until their sin reaches full bloom; the possession of the land of Canaan would not happen in Abrahams lifetime, but more than 400 years later after the suffering of the people of God (see Genesis 15:12-17). Daniel 78 A subsequent and related vision comes to him in this kings third year (see 8:1). WebIntroduction; Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's first dream; the Three Youths cast into the Fiery Furnace. Are you tempted to give up on the salvation of evil world rulers and other wicked people who are in power? What is the meaning of Nebuchadnezzars dream in Then a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule in all the earth. 9:1; 12:1, AV, RV), and the book of Daniel insists here and in subsequent chapters (8:27; 10:1, 10, 11, 15, 18) on the anxiety and psychological turmoil involved in receiving, even at Gods hand, understanding of the future course of history. Joyce C. Baldwin, Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1978), p. 143. Both sets of kingdoms are brought to a sudden end and are replaced by an eternal kingdom. 12 and he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. 19 Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. 2:31 You, O king, were watching as a great statueone of impressive size and extraordinary brightnesswas standing before you. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 2:45 You saw that a stone was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands; it smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold into pieces. Dan. The ruler changed 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. After destroying the iron kingdom, Gods rule over earth will endure forever. WebDaniel and his friends complete their three years of learning. For the remainder of Nebuchadnezzars life, it seems that religion in the kingdom of Babylon was at least favorable to the worship of the God of the Jews. Daniel The remainder of chapter 2 and chapters 37 are in Aramaic and are in the form of a chiasmus, a poetic structure in which the main point or message of a passage is placed in the centre and framed by further repetitions on either side:[11], Daniel 2 forms a chiasmus within the larger structure of Daniel 27:[12], Chapter 1 and the first few lines of chapter 2 are in Hebrew, but in verse 4 the text says, in Hebrew, "Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic," and the book then continues in Aramaic until the end of chapter 7, where it switches back to Hebrew. As we shall show later, the content of the prophecy of Daniel 7 is very closely related to the reign of Belshazzar. Our attention should be given to what is clearly and emphatically said. Deliverance His actions reveal that he had not learned the lessons of his first dream which God had caused him to have. Developed by. As the wicked prosper in their sin, it seems as though they can continue in sin without any fear of divine judgment (see Psalm 73:1-11; 2 Peter 2:3-4). We provide the highest quality of service and utmost personalized level of support to our clients. 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. Suddenly, the boasting beast is silenced by death, and his body is cast into the burning fire. Take me to the king and I will interpret his dream for him. Daniel does not say, Do not execute us yet or Hold on, dont kill me. He would rise from the dead (12:40). About Us, Bible Blender (3) What principles should guide and govern our attempt to interpret the prophecy of this chapter? I am a nurse from the Philippines with two years of experience before I came to New Zealand. 4849 Then the king promoted Daniel to a high position in the kingdom, lavished him with gifts, and made him governor over the entire province of Babylon and the chief in charge of all the Babylonian wise men. Copyright 2021 Bible Blender. He would, after His death, burial, and resurrection come in His glory, rewarding men according to their deeds (16:27). In the second scene, heaven calmly prepares for court, which will determine that the time for judgment has come. Desiring a more detailed explanation, he apparently asked for one and received it. Peter heals a lame beggar at the Temple (Acts 3:1 3:10). A person should not take credit for what God does through him. by Bible Blender, Complete but concise summary of each book of the Bible (Old Testament and New Testament), Chronological summary of the New Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John timeline), Daniel interprets King Nebuchadnezzars dream and earns his good graces (Daniel 2:19 2:49), Daniels concern for the wise men of Babylon. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. We are told the Old Testament prophet could not see the distance between the first and the second coming of our Lord, just as one cannot see the distance between two mountains, when viewed from afar. [17], Daniel 2 exhibits both these genres, but it is also made up numerous subgenres: a court tale, a dream report, a legend, an aretalogy, a doxology, and a midrash. Dan. The wicked will prosper and appear to get away with their opposition toward God and His saints. He came and said to him, Dont destroy the wise men of Babylon! Daniel 5 is an illustration and a prototype of what will happen in the end times, as described in the prophecy of Daniel 7. With the death of Nebuchadnezzar comes a change in the peoples attitudes, especially their leaders toward Judaism. WebNebuchadnezzar's Account of his Dream Daniel 4:4-18 Nebuchadnezzar begins by stating he was secure at rest and was prosperous (flourishing) in his palace. Daniel Timeline - The Prophet Daniel in Biblical History Pope Francis Issues Call for Peace on Anniversary of Russias Invasion of Ukraine. 3:253:50 lines 279361 Daniel B: lines 1-71 Harbus, Antonina. And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the kings demand., 24 Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. This fourth beast seems to regenerate in the form of subsequent kings and kingdoms. WebHe made known and also interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream; and many years afterwards, when he was now an old man, amid the alarm and consternation of the terrible night of Belshazzar's impious feast, he was called in at the instance of the queen-mother (perhaps Nitocris, the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar) to interpret the mysterious 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. [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. In an unprecedented turn of events, King Nebuchadnezzar reversed his decision to execute his advisors. The saints of the Highest One are given all the kingdoms of the earth for an everlasting kingdom. 76 It is not altogether accurate to refer to chapters 1-6 as historical and 7-12 as prophetic. However, this peaceful state was broken when in his sleep he had a troubling dream. (8) Is there any relationship between Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter 2 and Daniels dream in chapter 7? (6) How important is it for us to identity the kings and the kingdoms mentioned in our text? False Teachers He summons his magicians and astrologers to interpret it, but demands that they first tell him what the dream was. Specifically, the account of The Bad News at Belshazzars Banquet (not a bad title for that lesson) in chapter 5 was given to us so that we could better understand the prophecies of chapters 7 and 8. ASP Immigration Services Limited, our firm provides comprehensive immigration representation to clients located throughout New Zealand and the world. Sanctification 20 Daniel answered and said. Daniels response to the vision was far from assuring or calming. 39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The message of this prophecy is really quite simple and may be summed up this way. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. When He came with His kingdom, they would be sure to recognize Him (24:27). God's Sovereignty We do not walk by sight, but by faith. he imparts knowledge to those with understanding; 2:23 O God of my fathers, I acknowledge and glorify you. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. 11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. The rock that smashes the feet of the iron kingdom represents God. The prophecy of this chapter is divinely interpreted. His disciples were promised that they would share in His reign as King (19:20). What God determined to reveal to Daniel should be enough for us. He also makes great assumptions that Daniel is going to be able to do this. 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. The ten horns, Daniel is told, represent ten kings who will emerge out of the fourth kingdom. He intends to make changes in time and in law. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. Ceremonial Laws 32 This images head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. A striking component of Daniels interpretation of Nebuchadnezzars dream is that when he first heard the dream, he was astonished (Dan. Editing is often evident in the Bible (see John 20:30-31; 31:25). Previously, the king 2:47 The king replied to Daniel, Certainly your God is a God of gods and Lord of kings and revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery! 2:48 Then the king elevated Daniel to high position and bestowed on him many marvelous gifts. Yet, the most important event in this passage, is Nebuchadnezzars conversion that occurred when the Lord sovereignly returned the kings understanding to him. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said: Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; 23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king., 24 Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. 36 This is the dream. A keen reader will notice that the value of the metals decreases from head to feet (i.e. 79 Compare Jeremiah 49:14-22, 28, where Nebuchadnezzar is compared to a lion and an eagle. In his night dream, the king saw a gigantic statue made of four metals, from its head of gold to its feet of mingled iron and clay; as he watched, a stone "not cut by human hands" destroyed the statue and became a mountain filling the whole world. As National Day of Prayer approaches, Pope suggests we spend time with Jesus every evening to reflect on the day. Our study of this chapter will isolate what troubled Daniel about the future. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. It is a testimony to his faithfulness to God that over a decade into Daniels court service to the king, Nebuchadnezzar still knew his real name (cf. It would be but a very few years until Cyrus would come to power and assist the Jews to return to Jerusalem and the land of Israel. 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? God gives us wisdom in ways we may not always readily recognize. What Is So Impactful about Nebuchadnezzars Dream? His declaration, which resulted from the deliverance of the three Hebrews, made it unlawful to hinder the worship of the Jews; his decree recorded at the end of chapter 4 went much further. Usually it refers to a person as a human being. The words of verse 1 point to the relationship between the prophecy Daniel received and its historical setting and context. Daniel 12 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. There are three main components to the dream. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. 4:1018 the king describes his dream to Daniel. As the destruction of the last beast and the blaspheming horn came as a complete shock to them, so the Lords coming will catch unbelievers unprepared as well (24:27-39). The kingdom of God would not be established in Daniels lifetime, nor in the life of those who returned to the land of Israel from their captivity. The silver chest and arms are a future ruler that will be inferior to Nebuchadnezzar. Daniels first inner turmoil occurs in chapter 7. Daniel tells the king he saw a large statue, and then a stone hit the feet of that statue. [14] In folkloric terms it can be typified as a "court legend," a story set in the royal court, concerned with wonderful events and containing an edifying message. Daniel 2 25 And he will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. The revelation of the writing on the banquet hall wall, already described in chapter 5, actually happened later, on the last day of Belshazzars life. It may seem to them that their defeat is certain and that their hopes of entering into the eternal kingdom are lost. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. They surely knew this text to be messianic, but they had always applied it to the Gentiles. We get it. The king is told that all of these earthly kingdoms would be destroyed by the stone not fashioned by human hands, and that an eternal kingdom would take the place of these temporal kingdoms. The expression, son of man, is not new to Daniel nor to the Jews of his day. (10) What effect did the vision have on Daniel, and why? 49 Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king. (1) Daniel 7 is the last chapter written in Aramaic in the Book of Daniel. [25] Finally Nebuchadnezzar prostrates himself before Daniel and commands that offerings and incense be offered to him, suggesting that he views Daniel as divine; nevertheless, although he acknowledges and respects the god of Daniel, he is not a convert. The events seen by Daniel in chapter seven would signal the establishment of the everlasting kingdom which Daniel described in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. It seems there is more of a sense of urgency in seeking the meaning of the second dream. Jesus quoted the words of Daniel 7:13. iron is stronger than gold) except for the feet which are made of an uncommon, unstable combination of materials. It was a dream of a great statue with a head of gold, arms and chest of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of mingled iron and clay. When he came to the Ancient of Days he would be given dominion, and glory, and a Looking about with its numerous eyes, no one can escape his look or hide from him.80 With its mouth, the beast continues to speak boastfully. He wants to know more about this dreadful beast, different from the rest, especially in the destruction he wrought. God will establish His kingdom, and that kingdom, unlike the kingdoms of men, is eternal. Daniel was given wisdom and the ability to interpret the dream by God. How old was Daniel in the Bible when he was taken captive? In many of the verses, Daniel refers to we instead of I and us instead of me. You are that head of gold. Now we will set forth before the king its interpretation. Let the name of God be praised forever and ever. 2:1), he was wondering about his future (cf. According to our text, the prophecies of Daniel 7 will not be fulfilled for a considerable period of time. 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. Clearly, the king knew of Daniels abilities and even had made him chief of the magicians (Dan. Life lessons, Bible study, Christian news, and more. In a similar way, Belshazzar becomes blasphemous and is suddenly removed by God for his wickedness. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. Prophecy speaks not only of the joys and glories of Gods kingdom to come but of the suffering and tribulation preceding the eternal blessings of the kingdom of God. After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. He has put you in charge of men and women, wild animals and birds, all over the worldyoure the head ruler, you are the head of gold. for you have bestowed wisdom and power on me. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, Arise, devour much meat! 6 After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. They protest that no man can do such a thing, and Nebuchadnezzar orders that they all be executed. (4) Suffering is to be expected by the saints, before they enter into the glorious kingdom of God. The vision plays on before Daniel, almost as though in answer to his desire to know more. 49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king. The ten horns are of interest to him, but most of all that final horn which arose, surpassing and replacing three others and speaking boastfully. There are conflicting views of which countries are represented by the enormous statues remaining components silver chest and arms, bronze belly and thighs, and iron legs. But the stone that hit the statue became a huge mountain, dominating the horizon. Neither peer opposition nor the king's new law (chapter 6) greatly disturbed Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar has a dream of a huge tree. 4:3437 is majestic as he admits Gods power and justice, as well as his own sin and divine dependence. God would strike him down suddenly too and bring his kingdom to a swift end. You must also be aged 55 or under, and meet English language, health, and character requirements. True. Then He said to me, Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you! (Ezekiel 2:1). The gap is not the prophets problem; it is ours. Four kings will establish four kingdoms, and some of these kingdoms have a number of kings. Dan. Interpretation [4] The lack of linguistic continuity (the switch from Hebrew to Aramaic at verse 4), and of continuity with other parts of Daniel (e.g., the king needs an introduction to Daniel despite having interviewed him at the completion of his training in Daniel 1:18), as well as various instances of repetitiveness (see verses 2830), are sometimes cited as evidence that later hands have edited the story, or as signs that the author was working from multiple sources. Sin distorted this authority with this particular disease, even turning man into an animal. 8:58; 1 Cor. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.. 2:46). Get an internationally recognised education and have the time of your life. Print. The head of the statue was pure gold, the chest and arms were silver, the belly and hips were bronze, the legs were iron, and the feet were an iron-ceramic mixture. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; 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. WebIn the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, is troubled by a dream. When you recognize that God has shown an answer to you offer praise and thanks. We see a gapan almost insurmountable gapbetween suffering and glory; God does not. What so upset Daniel about the future? As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. Biblical Studies Press, 2006. 4445 But throughout the history of these kingdoms, the God of heaven will be building a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will this kingdom ever fall under the domination of another. They are far from pleasant but an unavoidable part of the process. Daniel made the dream and its interpretation known to Nebuchadnezzar, but first he provided context. 2:32 As for that statue, its head was of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of bronze.