This kings boasting turns to blasphemy. In the second scene, heaven calmly prepares for court, which will determine that the time for judgment has come. [15] Apocalypses were common from 300 BCE to 100 CE, not only among Jews and Christians, but Greeks, Romans, Persians and Egyptians. Q. The fact that wicked men will prosper and prevail and that the righteous will suffer is hardly pleasant news. 19-23 That night the answer to the mystery was given to Daniel in a vision. [18] The plot of such tales (another example is the story of Joseph and Pharaoh in Genesis 41) is as follows: a person of low status is called before a person of high status to answer a difficult question or to solve a riddle; the high-status person poses the problem but none present can solve; the person of low status solves it and is rewarded. In our passage, Daniel asks for and receives an explanation. The New King James Version. God has revealed in this interpretation what He wants us to know and has kept back that which we need not know. Biblical Studies Press, 2006. 38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. 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. Jesus tests the Pharisees Whose Son is the Messiah? Daniel 2. 3:15; Zc. The first thing Daniel does when the Kings dream is revealed to him is to acknowledge that God revealed the dream and thank God for giving him insight. As Daniel continues to watch, another horn emerges, as three of the other horns are plucked out by the roots to make room for it. Given Nebuchadnezzars repeated interaction with Daniel and his friends, why do you think he did not become a believer earlier (cf. These horns are also kings, from whom kingdoms arise (verse 24). While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. And yet God said they would. In the Old Testament, the expression son of man was used most frequently in reference to men, who were merely (as opposed to God) human. History has shown this to be true in the past, and prophecy assures us that it will be true in the future. Miracles You have things to do. In New Zealand, you can study for internationally-recognised qualifications at a wide range of educational institutions. All distinctions of race and colour and nationality are stripped away and one apparently human figure represents the whole human race. Joyce C. Baldwin, Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1978), p. 150. The chapter falls into two major parts. Are we supposed to discover their identity? That kingdom wont bond, wont hold together any more than iron and clay hold together. the dates below seem not to fit. [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). [9] The tales are in the voice of an anonymous narrator, except for chapter 4 which is in the form of a letter from king Nebuchadnezzar. (how can this be, 36 + 7 = 43, no room to be restored after 7 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. 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 emphasis is positive. As the king was about to execute the wise men of Babylon, including Daniel and his friends (Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah), God revealed Nebuchadnezzars dream and its meaning to Daniel in a vision during the night. Biblical Studies Press. (5) Prophecy is not written as hype but revealed to produce the hope of glory and endurance in present tribulation. Nebuchadnezzar then acknowledges the supremacy of Daniel's God and raises him to high office in Babylon. Get an internationally recognised education and have the time of your life. 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. [29] The consensus among scholars is that the four beasts of chapter 7 symbolise the same four world empires. Copyright 2021 Bible Blender. Deliverance He questioned His disciples so that they could confess that He, the Son of Man, was the Messiah (16:13f.). Many scholars have contrasted Nebuchadnezzars dream in Daniel 2 with Daniels vision in chapter 7. Both passages reveal the coming world kingdoms, but the symbolism is strikingly different in each. The pagan king sees the kingdoms of this world as a towering work of art, impressive in size, value, and grandeur (albeit with feet of clay). 36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. (6) How important is it for us to identity the kings and the kingdoms mentioned in our text? These are the things Daniel sees in the vision. They believed that the Messiah would come to establish the kingdom, to bless the Jews and to condemn the Gentiles. 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. Listen and subscribe to The Redeemed Mind Podcast on your favorite podcasting app or website. After this chapter, the book returns to the Hebrew language. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. ; The NET Bible. 2:29), and he questioned the loyalty of those in his court (cf. Would this horn Daniels vision revealed oppose the people of God and even blaspheme God Himself? God is eternal, and so is His plan for all creation. With the death of Nebuchadnezzar comes a change in the peoples attitudes, especially their leaders toward Judaism. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. Slavery in the New Testament Bible what the Bible really says about slavery. Let us listen then, and be sober, enduring the sufferings and trials sent our way, looking expectantly and certainly for His kingdom to come. He ran to the king, bringing Daniel with him, and said, Ive found a man from the exiles of Judah who can interpret the kings dream!, 26 The king asked Daniel (renamed in Babylonian, Belteshazzar), Are you sure you can do thistell me the dream I had and interpret it for me?. Since Daniel goes to great lengths to attribute his ability to interpret dreams to God, it is possible he is referring to himself and God to divert credit from himself. King Nebuchadnezzar died apparently nine years before Belshazzar came to power. New transgender policy for public schools empathizes with those with gender dysphoria while being steadfast in opposing gender ideology. The great God has made known to the king what will occur in the future. 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. But there is a God in heaven who solves mysteries, and he has solved this one. Nothing has caused him to panic or depart from his faith and practice as a godly Jew. Youre busy. 24 As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them,81 and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. Dan. 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). Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him., 25 Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means., 26 The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?. Then He said to me, Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you! (Ezekiel 2:1). 11 Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. From Daniel 2:4b to the end of chapter 7, the original text was written in Aramaic (the language of Babylon in that day). First is a great tree that filled Nebuchadnezzar was the first ruler of Babylon to have contact with Daniel. What God says, He will do. 2:42 In that the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, the latter stages of this kingdom will be partly strong and partly fragile. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. If Daniel had been shaken by the dark side of his vision, he is reminded in the interpretation of the outcome of these eventsthe establish- ment of Gods eternal kingdom. About Us, Bible Blender in 1971. [6] What counts is not Daniel's human gifts, nor his education in the arts of divination, but "Divine Wisdom" and the power that belongs to God alone, as Daniel indicates when he urges his companions to seek God's mercy for the interpretation of the king's dreams. Nebuchadnezzars Conversion (4:2837). Daniel was given wisdom and the ability to interpret the dream by God. Interpretation of Nebuchadnezzars Dream: The Final Kingdom In our last two studies in Daniel 2, we have discovered that Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar about his dream. By 650 AD they were block-printing prayers. 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. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. [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. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; 29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. The silver chest and arms are a future ruler that will be inferior to Nebuchadnezzar. Consider the birth of a child, remembering that Gods deliverance and salvation is likened to birth. 4:1018 the king describes his dream to Daniel. Liberals reject all prophecies, because they require a sovereign God and a miraculous revelation of future events. The events seen by Daniel in chapter seven would signal the establishment of the everlasting kingdom which Daniel described in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Our attention should be given to what is clearly and emphatically said. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. When that day comes for them, it is too late to repent. The prophecy of this chapter is divinely interpreted. Just as the toes of the feet were part ceramic and part iron, it will end up a mixed bag of the breakable and unbreakable. When the child is born, the pains of suffering are quickly lost in the joys of seeing a new life. Nebuchadnezzar's dream: the composite statue (France, 15th century), https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108226813.004, "From Prophecy to Apocalypticism: The Expectation of the End", "The Danilic Son of Man in the New Testament", "Millennialism, Scripture, and Tradition", "Stages in the Canonization of the Book of Daniel", Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daniel_2&oldid=1138723312, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, A. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 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. Daniel explains, as Nebuchadnezzar likely already understood, that the tree represented him (cf. Nebuchadnezzar then verbally acknowledged the greatness of God. 2 Daniel said, I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. Just as iron smashes things to bits, breaking and pulverizing, it will bust up the previous kingdoms. God grants this king success and his saints suffering, but only for an appointed time. The Ancient of Days is a designation for God, not found elsewhere in the Bible. Consequently, I believe that the prevailing Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. Daniel showed true love for the men, despite their abhorrence to God. 2:35 Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. 2345 Charles Ave. 2:38 Wherever human beings, wild animals, and birds of the sky livehe has given them into your power. At one point in Chapter 9, Daniel understood from the scriptures that the desolation of Jerusalem would last 70 years.. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More. [30] Verses 41b-43 give three different interpretations of the meaning of the mixture of iron and clay in the statue's feet, as a "divided kingdom," then as "strong and brittle," and finally as a dynastic marriage. Daniel's prayers were filled with praise and thanksgiving. WebDaniel 2. The God of heaven has granted you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13). Moreover, at Daniels request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court. 8 While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth uttering great boasts. 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. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints (Revelation 13:1-10). 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. 31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. When Arioch approaches the king to tell him that Daniel can interpret his dream, he tells the king, I have found a man among the exiles who can interpret the kings dream. The statement sounds like Arioch is taking credit for finding the solution to the kings dilemma. Those who will reign with Christ are those who have suffered (see Romans 8:17; Philippians 3:10-11; 2 Timothy 2:12). The beasts emerge out of chaos and confusion; the heavenly court is calm and dignified. When the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth, having added perfect humanity to His undiminished deity, He spoke of Himself very often as the Son of Man. In the Gospels, Jesus began not only to identify Himself as the Messiah, the promised Son of Man, but also to explain all that this involved. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. Nebuchadnezzars Dream (Daniel 4:1-18) Say: Everyone turn to Daniel 4. Leading film production company Cinedigm acquires Dove.org and Christian Cinema. Introduction But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. Both series of four kingdoms begin well and end badly. 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. God would strike him down suddenly too and bring his kingdom to a swift end. The expression, son of man, is not new to Daniel nor to the Jews of his day. Daniel praised God and said: Praise be to God forever; wisdom and power are his. This beast is also unique among the four in that he grows 11 horns. Daniel finds nothing to compare to it. In His response to the demand of the high priest, Jesus directly claimed to be the promised Messiah. He also makes great assumptions that Daniel is going to be able to do this. 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. However, after Daniel sought God in prayer, the mystery of the kings dream was revealed to Daniel, and he was taken to the king to interpret it. Enter your email address to join hundreds of others in following this website and to receive notifications of new posts by email. [20] 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. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which he constructed for his wife, was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The wicked will prosper and appear to get away with their opposition toward God and His saints. The ten horns, Daniel is told, represent ten kings who will emerge out of the fourth kingdom.

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