DANIEL SIMPLIFIED
CHAPTER 2.24
Gleanings
from the Book of Daniel:
A
Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series
DANIEL
Chapter
Two
The Dream of Nebuchadnezzar
(The Rise and Fall of Empires)
Review
The last segment focused on Daniel’s answered
prayer. After he was granted a stay of execution by King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel
called a prayer meeting between himself and his three associates, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. As a result of seeking God, by divine revelation, God made
known the content and the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to His
faithful prophet.
Daniel is now prepared to appear before
the king. But first, he needed permission from the captain of the king’s guard,
Arioch. What transpires next is extraordinary…
1. The Dream of Nebuchadnezzar (2:1)
2. The Demands of Nebuchadnezzar (2:2-11)
3. The Decree of Nebuchadnezzar (2:12-13)
4. The Decision of Daniel (2:14-23)
5. The Disapproval of Daniel (2:24-30)
(Verse 24)
Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the
king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not
the wise men of
Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the
interpretation.
Arioch,
still under orders from the king to execute all the wise counsel of Babylon,
paused and listened to Daniel’s request. In a compassionate, intercessory, and substantiative
fashion, Daniel first asked Arioch to spare the lives of wise men. Then,
with assuredness, he appealed to Arioch for a meeting with Nebuchadnezzar to
reverse the king’s decision of execution and to reveal the interpretation of
his dream.
Question:
Why
was Daniel intent on having the wise men spared?
Answer:
Despite
their obvious failure, Daniel allowed the heathen Babylonian counsel to know the
one true God and His mighty works. This strategy is better understood through
the lives of Paul and Silas:
Acts 16:25-26 - And at midnight Paul and Silas
prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a
great earthquake, so that the foundations of
the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's
bands were loosed.
This
remains a boundless application for a Christian whose company has opposing
views.
(Verse 25)
Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king
in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah,
that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
Arioch hastily brought
Daniel into the royal palace before King Nebuchadnezzar. Implying he had
diligently sought an interpreter, Arioch attempted to gain the king’s favor by
boasting he had discovered a man, amongst the exiled children from the land of
Judah. The king was told this man, not only could identify the dream, but also give
its interpretation.
(Verse 26)
The king answered and said to Daniel, whose
name was Belteshazzar,
Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the
interpretation thereof?
Nebuchadnezzar turned to Daniel who was
identified by his Chaldean name – Belteshazzar – the name of the king’s god. Being
skeptical, the king, reasserted his request to describe the dream and its
interpretation, and at the same time pressed Daniel for confirmation.
(Verse 27)
Daniel answered in the presence of the king,
and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians,
the soothsayers, shew unto the king?
Fully understanding God’s hand was upon
him, Daniel proceeded to answer the king with a provocative question. Daniel
queried (most likely to exemplify the point he is about to make in the next
verse) why the sages of Babylon were unable to reveal the secret of the dream.
(Verse 28)
But there is a God in Heaven that revealeth
secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the
latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these.
Standing alone on its
merit is the phrase, Daniel spake,
There is a God in Heaven!
And let the Church
say…
AMEN.
Not willing to gain
credit for himself, Daniel humbly and assertively introduced the Revealer of
all mysteries – The one true God in Heaven. By glorifying the God of Israel, he
brilliantly disavowed the pantheon of useless heathen deities. Additionally,
Daniel implied to Nebuchadnezzar that his God was still with the Israelites,
even though He permitted them to enter captivity.
God in Heaven…maketh known to the king
Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days
The End Times
There are several
eschatological (last things) phrases used in Scripture exclusive to end-times.
1. The latter days
In this context, latter days, or future days is a
euphemism used in the Old Testament 15 times to designate God’s dealing with
the destiny of mankind, extending to the Messianic Kingdom.
2. The Times of the Gentiles
Initially, God committed to the
government of the world to His chosen people administered through priests,
prophets, and godly kings. However, Israel disobeyed God, and He temporarily paused
and allowed Gentile nations to dominate Israel until Messiah comes. So, this
expression is a period in history that begins with the destruction of Jerusalem
and the Temple (605 B.C.) and continues to the end of the Tribulation Period at
His Second Coming and final judgment.
Luke
21:24 - And they shall fall
by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be
trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
3. The Fullness of the Gentiles
Found only in Romans 11, the fullness
of the Gentiles is a biblical mystery dealing with national Israel. It is in
the Church Age that the Gospel of salvation is freely preached to blind Israel
by the Gentiles. This period ends at the
catching up, or rapture of the Church (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
Romans
11:25 - For I would not,
brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits;
that blindness in part is
happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy
bed, are these
Daniel begins to
explain to the king what the dream and visions which came to him (conceptions
in his head) were all about while he was dreaming, and lying on his bed. Only a
powerful ruler would have had this kind of dream, and vision.
Recollect: Not only
were the dream and visions from God, but also they were important events
pertaining to the king's curiosity about his future kingdom, and succeeding empires.
(Verse 29)
As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what
should (shall) come to pass hereafter: and He that revealeth secrets
maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
In this parallel
passage, Daniel even goes one step further: He reminded Nebuchadnezzar that
before he fell asleep, he was thinking. So, the dream was about the future
of Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom and its outcome.
(Verse 30)
But as for me, this secret is not revealed to
me for any wisdom
that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the
king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
At the same time,
Daniel recounts and reaffirms the mysteries or secrets. He tells the king, not
that he was wiser than the other sages or soothsayers, but by the providence of
his God, they were divulged. And, like Joseph, Daniel discredits the power of
interpreting dreams by dream books, and the wisdom of man (cf. Genesis 40:8;
41:16).
Overview
A. Daniel’s character as a man of God is fully displayed:
1. Daniel was a man who
walked with God
2. Daniel never
compromised his faith
3. Daniel was a man of
prayer
4. Daniel gave God the glory
for answered prayer
5. Daniel was sensitive
to others
6. Daniel utilized his
God-given gifts
7. Daniel prepared in his
heart to bring honor to God
B. Daniel’s character accomplished the following:
1. Daniel made known the
things the king dreamed
2. Daniel brought God to
the attention of a heathen nation
3. Daniel exposed the
inadequacy of false gods
4. Daniel fully honored
the name of God
5. Daniel saved his
servants who trusted in God
6. Daniel included his
friends in God’s blessing
7. Daniel gave glory to
God for the revelations
One of the most
prophetic dreams in the Bible will be revealed in the following study.
QUESTIONS:
1. Why were the wise men of Babylon
spared?
2. What were the intentions of the captain
of the guard?
3. What was Daniel’s Chaldean name?
4. How did Daniel discredit the false
gods?
5. How did Daniel credit the one true God?
6. What does the phrase in the latter days mean?
7. What is the predominant characteristic
of Daniel?
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