| Don’t forget to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide and to teach you. |
| Daniel 2 |
| Daniel Chapter 2 |
| Da2.1 ¶ And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. |
| Da2.2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. |
| Da2.3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. |
| Da2.4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation. |
| Da2.5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. |
| Da2.6 But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore show me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. |
| Da2.7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it. |
| Da2.8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. |
| Da2.9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, [there is but] one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof. |
| Da2.10 ¶ The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter: therefore [there is] no king, lord, nor ruler, [that] asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. |
| Da2.11 And [it is] a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. |
| Da2.12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise [men] of Babylon. |
| Da2.13 And the decree went forth that the wise [men] should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. |
| Da2.14 ¶ Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise [men] of Babylon: |
| Da2.15 He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why [is] the decree [so] hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. |
| Da2.16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation. |
| Da2.17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: |
| Da2.18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise [men] of Babylon. |
| Da2.19 ¶ Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. |
| Da2.20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: |
| Da2.21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: |
| Da2.22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. |
| Da2.23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast [now] made known unto us the king’s matter. |
| Da2.24 ¶ 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 show unto the king the interpretation. |
| Da2.25 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. |
| Da2.26 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? |
| Da2.27 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, show unto the king; |
| Da2.28 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; |
| Da2.29 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. |
| Da2.30 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. |
| Da2.31 ¶ Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible. |
| Da2.32 This image’s head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, |
| Da2.33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. |
| Da2.34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. |
| Da2.35 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. |
| Da2.36 ¶ This [is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. |
| Da2.37 Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. |
| Da2.38 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. Thou [art] this head of gold. |
| Da2.39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. |
| Da2.40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things]: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. |
| Da2.41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. |
| Da2.42 And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. |
| Da2.43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the SEED of MEN: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. |
| Da2.44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a 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. |
| Da2.45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream [is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. |
| Da2.46 ¶ Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. |
| Da2.47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth [it is], that your God [is] a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. |
| Da2.48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise [men] of Babylon. |
| Da2.49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel [sat] in the gate of the king. |
| Daniel Chapters 2–7 Overview |
| Daniel wrote Daniel 2:4 to Daniel 7:28 in the Aramaic language. This literary change gives the reader a clue that this part is a distinct section of the Book. The content of this section also identifies it as special. It concerns the future history of the Gentiles during “times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24). Aramaic was the common language of the world in which Daniel lived when he wrote. It is natural that he would have recorded what concerns the world as a whole in the language of the Gentiles. |
| Daniel, the writer constructed this section of the Book in chiastic form: |
| • A A prophecy of an image concerning four Gentile nations and their end – Chapter 2 |
| • B The supernatural persecution and deliverance of Daniel’s friends – Chapter 3 |
| • C God’s revelation to the Gentile king Nebuchadnezzar – Chapter 4 |
| • C God’s revelation to the Gentile king Belshazzar – Chapter 5 |
| • B The supernatural persecution and deliverance of Daniel – Chapter 6 |
| • A A prophecy of animals concerning four Gentile nations and their end – Chapter 7. |
| Chapters 2 and 7 explain the succession of four gentile empires that would exert control over Jerusalem and the Jews until God’s kingdom is established. Chapters 3 and 6 warned the Jews of the persecution they would face during this period and exhorted them to remain faithful to God. Chapters 4 and 5 encouraged the Jewish remnant by reminding them that a time would come when even the gentile rulers would acknowledge that the God of Israel rules over the nations. |
| Daniel 2 |
| Interestingly, Chapter 1 plus the first three verses of this Chapter were written in Hebrew. From verse 4 of this Chapter to the end of Chapter 7 are in Aramaic. The rest of the Book of Daniel, from Chapters 8 to 12 were written in Hebrew. Note also that Chapters 7 (in Aramaic) and 8 (in Hebrew) were written in “the first” and “third” years of Belshazzar long before the events of the fifth (Aramaic) Chapter took place. Also, Chapter 9 (in Hebrew) was written about the same time as the (Aramaic) 6th Chapter was written. |
| Perhaps, since Chapters 1 and 8 to 12 were written in Hebrew, they were intended specifically for Hebrew readers during and after the time of Nebuchadnezzar as well as the time of Cyrus. Then, since Chapters 2 through 7 are in Aramaic, they (because of the unfavorable references to the Babylonian kings Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar) could have been intended for the Babylonian readers during the time of Darius and Cyrus. But that might not be correct because king Nebuchadnezzar himself probably authored some if not all of Chapter 4, and as the Commentary cites: “When, at the end of his life, Daniel collected all his writings into one Book, he may not have deemed it necessary to translate certain parts in order to unify the book linguistically, knowing that most of his readers were bilingual . . .” [1]. |
| • [1] Seventh–day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, page 749. Several other interesting possibilities are discussed on pages 749, 750. |
| Daniel Chapter 2 |
| Daniel 2 gives a comprehensive picture given of world history, stretching from the time of Daniel, 600 years before Christ, to the second advent of Christ. Daniel was given this broad revelation which Christ called ’times of the Gentiles’ (Luke 21:24), Also, the chronological prophecy of Israel’s history stretching from the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the second advent of Christ. |
| Note the contrast between Chapter 1 to Chapter 2. Chapter 1 closes with recognition and security while Chapter 2 introduces rejection and danger. |
| Daniel opened this new section of his Book with another chronological reference (cf. Daniel 1:1; Daniel 1:21). This indicates that his interest in this Book was in the progress of events and their relationship to one another. As the Book unfolds, chronology plays an important part in what God revealed, though the chronology is not always without interruption. |
| The events related in this Chapter happened in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. According to several reliable scholars, Nebuchadnezzar officially became king on September 7, 605 BC. On the first of Nisan, 604 BC, the following spring, the first official year of his reign began. The intervening months constituted his accession year and were credited to his father’s reign. The first year of his reign then ended on the first of Nisan the following year, 603 BC. The second year of his reign (Daniel 2:1) began in 603 BC and ended in 602 BC. |
| Daniel probably arrived in Babylon during the summer of 605 BC and began his three–year education (Daniel 1:4–5) shortly after that, perhaps in the fall. His curriculum may not have taken three full years; it could have ended in the spring of 602 BC. Thus Daniel probably had finished his education and entered into government service when the events of Chapter 2 unfolded, as the text implies. |
| The Hebrew of Daniel 2:1 says that Nebuchadnezzar had “dreamed dreams” that disturbed him. Evidently he had a recurring dream or similar dreams that he later described as one dream (Daniel 2:3). These dreams robbed him of rest, as Pharaoh’s dreams did him (Genesis 41), and Ahasuerus’ dream did him (Esther 6). All of these Gentile rulers suffered insomnia as part of God’s dealings with them and the people who lived under their authority. Another earlier Gentile ruler who received revelations from God was Abimelech (Genesis 20:3). The ancients regarded dreams as having significance and as portents of events to come. |
| Lessons from Daniel 2 |
| Are you interested in the future? Daniel 2 is one of the best–known Chapters in Scripture that deal with future developments. It contains an astonishing prophecy, reaching from the time of Daniel to the end of this world. |
| I. Discussion of the Chapter |
| The king’s dream cannot be interpreted |
| 1. Verse 1—During his reign as king of the Babylonian Empire, Nebuchadnezzar receives a special revelation from God. |
| 2. Verse 2—Daniel and his friends are not invited with the wise [men] to interpret the dream. |
| 3. Verses 3–12—How does the king contrast with the wise [men]? |
| The king: |
| • He does not tell them the dream. |
| • He is distrustful and afraid of a false interpretation. |
| • On one hand he pressures them; on the other he offers honor and gifts. |
| • His distrust increases. |
| He succumbs to wrath and issues a death decree. |
| The wise [men]: |
| • They demand to know the dream. |
| • They exhibit only human wisdom and a seemingly arbitrary interpretation. |
| • They make a second demand to be told the dream, exposing their insecurity and trickery. |
| • They refuse to meet the king’s request on the grounds that it is humanly impossible to fulfill. |
| 4. Verse 13—Although they are not present, Daniel and his friends are affected by the king’s decree. |
| 5. Verses 14, 15—Daniel gets more information. |
| 6. Verse 16—Why does the king grant Daniel’s request for additional time when he had denied the wise [men’s] request in verse 8? |
| • The king is still disturbed by the dream and may be glad for another interpretation of the dream. |
| • Daniel was not with the other wise [men] when the king first asked for an interpretation. Possibly, the king considered it fair to allow Daniel to try. |
| • The wise [men] demanded to know the details of the dream. Daniel requests only time and not the details. |
| • God is involved behind the scenes. |
| The prayer and it’s fulfillment |
| 1. Verses 17–23—What do we learn about Daniel’s devotional life, especially his prayer life (see Daniel 6 and 9)? |
| • Daniel approaches God for help. He trusts God. Therefore, there is no need for him to lament and complain. |
| • He has a season of prayer with his friends. |
| • He does not forget to express his gratitude. He praises God. |
| • Daniel is intensely, and on a daily basis, involved in prayer. |
| • He even risks his life for his desire to seek God regularly in prayer. |
| What does Daniel know about God? |
| • God is omnipotent and omniscient. |
| • God is the Lord of history. |
| • God is associated with light (e.g., John 8:12) |
| Daniel considers himself to be a servant and steward. He remains humble. |
| Daniel before the king |
| 1. Verses 24–30—What about Daniel’s character and philosophy of life can be derived from verses 24–30? |
| • Daniel does not care only about himself. He attempts to help the wise [men] and his friends too. |
| He supports the statement of the wise [men] in verses 10 and 11. |
| • He points to the true God and is a witness of God while being involved with the ruler of the Babylonian world empire (see also verse 37). |
| • This takes faith and courage. |
| • Daniel does not boast but regards himself a tool in God’s hand. |
| Daniel became a “man of God” because of his prayer life and his determination not to compromise but remain faithful to God’s will. This commitment allowed him to have great experiences with God. |
| 2. Verses 29—Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is about the future. |
| The dream |
| 1. Verses 31–35—These verses contain a record of the dream. Even without the details, one notices that earthly things are transient and do not last. |
| The interpretation of the dream |
| 1. Verses. 36–45—What is the time frame of the dream? |
| • It starts with Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. |
| • It ends with the kingdom of God. |
| The dream describes world history from the Babylonian time till the end of the world. The image consisting of different metals represents earthly kingdoms/empires: |
| • Gold – Babylon (606–539 BC) |
| • Silver – Medo–Persia (539–331 BC) |
| • Bronze – Greece (331–146 BC) |
| • Iron – Rome (168 BC–AD 476) |
| • Iron–clay – Empires of Western Europe (AD 476–end of the world) |
| Some people have identified the following iron–clay nations: |
| • Alemanni – Germany |
| • Anglo–Saxons – Great Britain |
| • Burgundians – Switzerland |
| • Franks – France |
| • Herulians – destroyed |
| • Lombards – Italy |
| • Ostrogoths – destroyed |
| • Sueves – Portugal |
| • Vandals – destroyed |
| • Visigoths – Spain |
| The last part of the dream, which deals with the stone, is described in great detail. |
| What statements are made about the iron–clay mixture? |
| • It is a divided kingdom, and no longer a world empire. |
| • It still contains some of the hardness of iron. To some extent Rome continues to live on in the subsequent nations. |
| • All attempts to unify these nations fail. European politics of intermarriage between the royal houses did not work. Attempts to unify Europe under Charles the Great (eighth century), Charles V (sixteenth century), Louis XIV (seventeenth and eighteenth century), Napoleon (nineteenth century), Emperor Wilhelm II (twentieth century), and Hitler (twentieth century) were not successful. Today the European Union struggles to survive. |
| The climax of the prophecy is the stone. In the Old and New Testaments the stone is an image for God/Jesus (2Samuel 22:2; 1Peter 2:4–8; Matthew 21:42, 44). Our destiny depends on how we relate to Jesus Christ. He will return soon and establish His indestructible and eternal kingdom (Revelation 11:15). |
| Reactions of the king and Daniel |
| 1. Verses 46–49—Because of Daniel’s faithfulness and trust in the Lord, Nebuchadnezzar paid attention to the true God. Daniel again cares for his friends. |
| II. Application |
| • We do not fully understand world history. We do not see what happens behind the scenes. We are tempted to regard history as a purely human enterprise in which God is not involved. |
| • Yet history has a goal and is moving toward Christ’s Second Coming and the establishment of His kingdom. |
| • God is involved in human history. Even though humans make their free decisions, God still pursues His plans. |
| • As God guides human history, He is willing to guide my personal history and life and bring it to a good conclusion. |
| Conclusion |
| Because God is the Lord of history we commit our lives to Him. We trust Him, and are looking forward to a marvelous future. |
| Chapter 2 deals with a dream that Babylon’s ruler had; an important dream but one which he could not remember. |
| The beast vision in Chapter 7 parallels Chapter 2 but greater detail is given. |
| (1–11) The Chaldeans were highly educated advisors to King Nebuchadnezzar. |
| But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14. The Holy Spirit blesses the humble sincere searcher after truth with understanding that the “wise [men]” of the world are unable to comprehend. |
| 2:1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. |
| CHAPTER 2 |
| 1 Nebuchadnezzar, forgetting his dream, requireth it of the Chaldeans, by promises and threatenings. 10 They acknowledging their inability are judged to die. 14 Daniel obtaining some respite findeth the dream. 19 He blesseth God. 24 He staying the decree is brought to the king. 31 The dream. 36 The interpretation. 46 Daniel’s advancement. |
| 1. Second year. On the identification of the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign and for an explanation of how the three years of Daniel’s training (Daniel 1:5, 18) were completed before the end of the king’s 2nd year. See on Chapter 1:18. |
| Dreamed dreams. Possibly the plural is intended to describe the series of incidents in the dream. The singular occurs in verses 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.. The records of ancient Mesopotamia tell of many royal dreams. In one of these Gudea saw a man with a kingly crown upon his head whose stature reached from earth to heaven. The ancients regarded dreams with awe, treated them as revelations from their deities, and sought to discover their true interpretation. |
| The Lord in His providence gave Nebuchadnezzar this dream. God had a message for the king of the Babylonian realm. There were representatives in the palaces of Nebuchadnezzar through whom God could communicate a knowledge of Himself. God is no respecter of men or of nations. His object is to save as many as are willing, of whatever tribe or nation. He was as anxious to save the ancient Babylonians as He was to save Israel. |
| The dream was intended to reveal to Nebuchadnezzar that the course of history was ordained by the Most High and subject to His will. Nebuchadnezzar was shown his place of responsibility in the great plan of Heaven, in order that he might have the opportunity of cooperating effectively with the divine program. |
| The lessons of history given to Nebuchadnezzar were designed for the instruction of nations and men till the close of time. Other scepters than those of Babylon have held sway over the nations of men. To every ancient nation God assigned a special place in His great plan. When rulers and people failed in their opportunity, their glory was laid in the dust. Nations today should heed the lessons of past history. Above the fluctuating scene of international diplomacy the great God of heaven sits enthroned “silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will” (PK 500). Eventually stability and permanence will come when God Himself, at the end of time, sets up His kingdom, which shall never be destroyed. (verse 44). See on Chapter 4:17. |
| God approached King Nebuchadnezzar through a dream because, evidently, that was the most effective means by which to impress his mind with the importance of the message thus imparted, win his confidence, and secure his cooperation. Like all ancient peoples, Nebuchadnezzar believed in dreams as one of the means by which the gods revealed their will to men. Divine wisdom always meets men where they are. In communicating a knowledge of His will to men today God may use means that are less spectacular, yet as certainly ordained for the accomplishment of His beneficent purposes. He ever adapts His modes of working with men to the capacity of each individual and to the environment of the age in which each lives. See further on Chapter 4:10. |
| Was troubled. Or, “was disturbed”. The Hebrew verb thus translated occurs also in Gen. 41:8 and Psalms 77:4. The dream experience had greatly impressed King Nebuchadnezzar. |
| While Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by a dream, many of us may be troubled by this “second year” in his “reign” because he did not conduct the examination of Daniel and his companions depicted in Chapter 1 until “three years” had elapsed (Daniel 1:5). Thus, the question arises: “did the crises depicted in Chapter 2 transpire while Daniel and his companions were still students?” |
| If we were to accept the usual method of dating, we would be compelled to conclude just that. However, we should remember that the reign of a king, back in those days, was calculated on the basis of the first full year of his reign. If his reign began any time after the new year’s day, that year did not count. Since Nebuchadnezzar’s father died in the latter part of 605 BC on August 15 [2], his “first year” did not officially begin until the following year. |
| • [2] Mervyn Maxwell in God Cares Vol.1, page 15. Note that Maxwell uses the date 605 BC while Ushers uses 607 BC. If we use 605, the seventy years of Jeremiah would end in 535 BC, three years before 538 BC which is the date Cyrus freed the Jews. |
| While the record says “the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar” by his dating, it was really his “third year” by ours. |
| That should clear the air for us and we can get down to what was troubling the king. It was a dream that bothered him to the point of insomnia. |
| We have no way of knowing how many months or weeks after Daniel completed his training this account begins, but it was not long. “Soon after Daniel and his companion entered the service of the king of Babylon . . . Nebuchadnezzar had a remarkable dream, by which ‘his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him” [3]. |
| • [3] Prophets and Kings by E.G. White page 491 more discussion can be found on this point in Seventh–day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, pages 766 and 762. |
| This verse says he “dreamed dreams” with the plural form repeated in the next verse while a singular “dream” is depicted thirteen times in verses 3–7, 9, 26, 28, 36 & 45. Even though it could denote the fact that he had many other dreams throughout his life that “troubled” him, it seems possible, this particular dream was repeated more than once, possibly multiple times. |
| King Pharaoh of Egypt had a similar experience as related in Genesis 41 when he dreamed two dreams that “troubled” him. They were about seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean, then seven full ears of corn being eaten by seven thin. Joseph explained that “The dream of Pharaoh [is] one: God hath showed Pharaoh what he [is] about to do”. (Genesis 41:25). |
| The same experience came to Peter when a vision came to him of “a great sheet . . . wherein were all manner of four footed beasts . . . and there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. . . This was done thrice”, (Acts 10:3, 11, 13 & 15). Therefore, repetition is strong evidence of its divine source. |
| DANIEL 2 – Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. |
| (1) The troubling dream. |
| Da2.1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. |
| In the second year: It is difficult to understand the exact time this speaks of. Some commentators say this happened while Daniel was in his three–year training course; others say that it was soon after he finished. |
| The ancient Babylonians spoke of the beginning and end of the reign of their kings in a way that often overlapped years. Therefore, the year 602 BC could be both the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign and after three years of training for the Hebrew youths. |
| His spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. There was something disturbing about this dream and Nebuchadnezzar knew that it was unusually significant. |
| And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar |
| This first verse sets the stage for all of the events that will follow in this Chapter. The original Hebrew word for “reign” in this verse is “malkuth”, (a derivative form of the Hebrew word for king, “melek”) meaning royal power over a realm or a kingdom. King Nebuchadnezzar ruled the Babylonian empire with an iron fist. He “reigned” in every sense of the word. |
| Note that the following events are transpiring in the “second year”, which is very early into Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. |
| Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, |
| In ancient times, dreams of royalty carried great significance. |
| Wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. |
| In Genesis 41:1–9, we read about Pharaoh’s prophetic dream, after which he awakens and finds “his spirit was troubled”. Interestingly, this is the exact Hebrew phrase used in this verse. |
| The word for “troubled” is the Hebrew word, “paam”, meaning to thrust, impel, or agitate. Like Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream shakes his spirit and leads him in a desperate search for answers. |
| And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar – There is an apparent chronological difficulty in this statement which has given some perplexity to expositors. It arises mainly from two sources: |
| • (1) That in Jeremiah 25:1, it is said that the first year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar corresponded with the fourth year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and as the captivity was in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim Daniel 1:1, the time here would be the ”fourth” year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, instead of the second. |
| • (2) That we learn from Daniel 1:5, Daniel 1:18, that Daniel and his three friends had been in Babylon already three years, under a process of training preparatory to their being presented at court, and as the whole narrative leads us to suppose that it was ”after” this that Daniel was regarded as enrolled among the wise [men] (compare Daniel 2:13–14), on the supposition that the captivity occurred in the first year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, this would bring the time of the dream into the fourth year of his reign. This difficulty is somewhat increased from the fact that when Nebuchadnezzar went up to besiege Jerusalem he is called ”king”, and it is evident that he did not go as a lieutenant of the reigning monarch; or as a general of the Chaldean forces under the direction of another. See 2Kings 24:1, 2Kings 24:11. Various solutions of this difficulty have been proposed, but the true one probably is, that Nebuchadnezzar reigned some time conjointly with his father, Nabopolassar, and, though the title ”king” was given to him, yet the reckoning here is dated from the time when he began to reign alone, and that this was the year of his sole occupancy of the throne. |
| Berosus states that his father, Nabopolassar, was aged and infirm, and that he gave up a part of his army to his son Nebuchadnezzar, who defeated the Egyptian host at Carchemish (Circesium) on the Euphrates, and drove Necho out of Asia. The victorious prince then marched directly to Jerusalem, and Jehoiakim surrendered to him; and this was the beginning of the seventy years, captivity. Nabopolassar probably died about two years after that, and Nebuchadnezzar succeeded to the throne. The period of their reigning together was two years, and of course the second year of his single reign would be the fourth of his entire reign; and a reckoning from either would be proper, and would not be misunderstood. Other modes of solution have been adopted, but as this meets the whole difficulty, and is founded on truth, it is unnecessary to refer to them. |
| Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams – The plural is here used, though there is but one dream mentioned, and probably but one is referred to, for Nebuchadnezzar, when speaking of it himself Daniel 2:3, says, ”I have dreamed a dream”. In the Latin Vulgate, and in the Greek, it is also in the singular. It is probable that this is a popular use of words, as if one should say, ”I had strange dreams last night”, though perhaps but a single dream was intended. Among the methods by which God made known future events in ancient times, that by ”dreams” was one of the most common. See Daniel 1:17; compare Genesis 20:3, Genesis 20:6; Genesis 31:11; Genesis 37:5–6; Genesis 40:5; Genesis 41:7, Genesis 41:25; 1Kings 3:5; Numbers 12:6; Joel 2:28; Job 33:14–16. The belief that the will of heaven was communicated to men by means of dreams, was prevalent throughout the world in ancient times. |
| By what laws it was so regulated that a dream should be ”known” to be a pre-intimation of coming events, we have now no means of ascertaining. That it is ”possible” for God to have access to the mind in sleep, and to communicate his will in this manner, no one can doubt. That it was, so far as employed for that purpose, a safe and certain way, is demonstrated by the results of the predictions thus made in the case of Abimelech, Genesis 20:3, Genesis 20:6; of Joseph and his brethren, Genesis 37:5–6; of Pharaoh, Genesis 41:7, Genesis 41:25; and of the butler and baker, Genesis 40:5. God now communicates his truth to the souls of men in other ways. |
| Wherewith his spirit was troubled – Alike by the unusual nature of the dream, and by the impression which he undoubtedly had that it referred to some important truths pertaining to his kingdom and to future times. See Daniel 2:31–36 The Hebrew word here rendered ”troubled” means, properly, to ”strike, to beat, to pound”; also to be moved, or agitated; and also to be agitated, or troubled. The proper signification of the word is that of striking as on an anvil, and then it refers to any severe stroke, or anything which produces agitation. The ”verb” occurs only in the following places: Judges 13:25, where it is rendered ”move”; and Psalms 67:4; Genesis 41:8; Daniel 2:1, Daniel 2:3, where it is rendered ”troubled”. The ”noun” is of frequent occurrence. ”And his sleep brake from him”. |
| Literally, ”His sleep was upon him”. The Greek is, ”his sleep was from him”; i.e., left him. The Vulgate, ”his sleep fled from him”. But it may be doubted whether the Hebrew will bear this construction. Probably the literal construction is the true one, by which the sense of the Hebrew – ”upon” – will be retained. The meaning then would be, that this remarkable representation occurred when he was ”in” a profound sleep. It was a ”dream”, and not ”an open vision”. It was such a representation as passes before the mind when the senses are locked in repose, and not such as was made to pass before the minds of the prophets when they were permitted to see visions of the future, though awake. Compare Numbers 24:4, Numbers 24:16. There is nothing in the words which conveys the idea that there was anything preternatural in the sleep that had come upon Nebuchadnezzar, but the thought is, that all this occurred when he ”was” sound asleep. |
| 2:2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. |
| 2. Magicians. A Hebrew word but an Egyptian loan word (see Chapter 1:20). |
| Astrologers. Hebrew ’ashshaphim, an Akkadian loan word (see Chapter 1:20). |
| Sorcerers. Hebrew mekashshephim, from a root meaning “to use enchantments”. The Babylonians called them by the cognate word kashshapu. The mekashshephim professed to be able to produce magic spells (see on Ex. 7:11). The Mosaic law pronounced the death penalty upon those who practiced this black magic (Leviticus 20:27; cf. 1Samuel 28:9). |
| Chaldeans. (See Chapter 1:4). |
| Who knows. It could have been midnight when the king impatiently rang the alarm rousing his sleepy cabinet members from their beds. |
| His counselors, depicted as four groups, specialized in four main approaches to the mystical realm of the unknown, were now expected to demonstrate their expertise. They were held in high esteem throughout the pagan world. God did His best to isolate His people from those approaches saying “Thou shalt not suffer a witch [a sorcerer] to live”. “There shall not be found among you [any one] that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, [or] that useth divination, [or] an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things [are] an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee”. (Exodus.22:18; Deuteronomy 18:10–12). |
| Daniel and his companions must have struggled with the many mystical concepts that were thrown at them during the three years of their training. Even though it must have been clear to their tutors that they followed a different line of reasoning that often collided with that of their masters, they were still given “knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams”. Incredibly, their pagan examiner, in spite of their refusal to accept the basics of mysticism and occultism, “found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm”! (Daniel 1:17, 20) |
| Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. |
| Shaken by the strange images in his dream, Nebuchadnezzar gives orders that four groups of wise [men] should be summoned to his aid: |
| The magicians – This word is “chartom” in Hebrew. Except for this verse, this word always refers to Egyptian magicians. |
| The enchanters – This word is “ashshaph” in Hebrew and refers to conjurers or necromancers, that is, those who can conjure up and communicate with the deceased. |
| The sorcerers – This word is “kashaph” in Hebrew and refers to those who engage in witchcraft and the casting of spells. |
| The Chaldeans – The Chaldeans (people from Chaldea) are mentioned numerous throughout the Bible. They were a partly nomadic tribal people who lived in southern Babylon. While they are often lumped in with the Babylonian people, they had their own distinct culture and were known for their intelligence. They were well known for their study of astronomy and astrology, which is likely why Nebuchadnezzar wanted them brought into his court. |
| For to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. |
| Nebuchadnezzar apparently wants to test the supernatural abilities of the wise [men] in his region by forcing them to provide an interpretation of his dream — without first describing the dream! |
| Then the king commanded – That is, when he awoke. The particle rendered ”Then”, does not imply that this occurred immediately. When he awoke, his mind was agitated; he was impressed with the belief that he had had an important Divine communication; but he could not even recall the dream distinctly, and he resolved to summon to his presence those whose business it was to interpret what were regarded as prognostics of the future. |
| The magicians, and the astrologers – These are the same words which occur in Daniel 1:20. |
| And the sorcerers – Syriac, ”magician”. The Hebrew word is to practice magic; to use magic formulas, or incantations; to mutter; and it refers to the various arts by which those who were addicted to magic practiced their deceptions. The particular idea in this word would seem to be, that on such occasions some forms of prayers were used, for the word in Syriac means to offer prayers, or to worship. Probably the aid of idol gods was invoked by such persons when they practiced incantations. The word is found only in the following places: once as a ”verb”, 2Chronicles 33:6, and rendered ”used witchcraft”; and as a ”participle”, rendered ”sorcerers”, in Exodus 7:11; Daniel 2:2; Malachi 3:5; and ”witch”, in Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 18:10. The noun is used in the following places, always with reference to sorcery or witchcraft: Jeremiah 27:9; 2Kings 9:22; Isaiah 47:9; Micah 5:12; Nahum 3:4. It may not be easy to specify the exact sense in which this word is used as distinguished from the others which relate to the same general subject, but it would seem to be that some form of ”prayer” or ”invocation” was employed. The persons referred to did not profess to interpret the prognostics of future events by any original skill of their own, but by the aid of the gods. |
| And the Chaldeans – See Daniel 1:4. The Chaldeans appear to have been but one of the tribes or nations that made up the community at Babylon (Isaiah 23:13), and it would seem that at this time they were particularly devoted to the practice of occult arts, and secret sciences. It is not probable that the other persons referred to in this enumeration were Chaldeans. The Magicians, if any of these were employed, were Medians (see Daniel 1:20), and it is not improbable that the other classes of diviners might have been from other nations. The purpose of Nebuchadnezzar was to assemble at his court whatever was remarkable throughout the world for skill and knowledge, and the wise [men] of the Chaldeans were employed in carrying out that design. The Chaldeans were so much devoted to these secret arts, and became so celebrated for them, that the name came, among the Greek and Roman writers, to be used to denote all those who laid claim to extraordinary powers in this department. |
| It is not probable that the whole nation of Chaldeans was devoted to these arts, but as a people they became so celebrated in this kind of knowledge that it was their best known characteristic abroad. |
| For to show the king his dreams – To show him what the dream was, and to explain its import. Compare Genesis 41:24; Judges 14:12; 1Kings 10:3. That it was common for kings to call in the aid of interpreters to explain the import of dreams, appears from Herodotus. Herodotus shows that what is here related of the king of Babylon, demanding the aid of magicians and astrologers to interpret his dreams, was by no means an uncommon occurrence. |
| (2–3) Nebuchadnezzar assembled his wise [men] (Daniel 2:12) to interpret the meaning of what he had dreamed. Daniel identified four distinct groups of them here. The king wanted to make sure someone could help him. • The magicians (Heb. hartummim) were evidently scholars who could divine the future by using various means. • The conjurers or enchanters (assapim) could evidently communicate with the dead. • The sorcerers (mekassepim) practiced sorcery and cast spells. • The Chaldeans, or astrologers (kasdim), refer here to the priestly caste that studied the heavens to determine the future. |
| (2–9) Nebuchadnezzar demands to know the dream and its interpretation from his wise [men]. |
| (2–9) Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore show me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it. The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, [there is but] one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof. |
| Make known unto me the dream: It is hard to say if Nebuchadnezzar really remembered the dream or not. Perhaps he had a general sense of it but only a vague remembrance of the details. |
| Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation: Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t know for certain that the wise [men] gave a correct interpretation of the dream. But he could test their ability to tell what he dreamed. |
| Despite their protests, Nebuchadnezzar didn’t ask too much of these magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans. These men made their living on their supposed ability to contact the gods and gain secrets from the spirit realm. If they were really what they claimed to be, they should be able to tell Nebuchadnezzar both the dream and its interpretation. |
| Ye shall be cut in pieces: The harsh threat of Nebuchadnezzar and the method of execution he described are both perfectly consistent with the character of ancient eastern monarchs. |
| Archer described one method of dismemberment: four trees were bent inwards and tied together at the top. The victim was tied to these four trees with a rope at each limb. Then the top rope was cut and the body snapped into four pieces. |
| The Chaldeans: This is the first mention of the Chaldeans as a class of soothsayers to the king. Critics take the use of this word as a mistake that only a second century BC writer would make. Critics suppose that in Daniel’s day, the term Chaldean was only used as a racial designation, describing what the Chaldeans thought was the master race who ruled Nebuchadnezzar’s superpower empire. |
| But linguistic research has demonstrated that the Babylonian word for an astrologer–priest and their word for their supposed master race were homonyms, both having the sound Chaldean, but each retaining their own meaning. This is the same way that the English sound tu can mean to, two, or too. |
| Daniel’s understanding of this is clear from the text, because he also used the term Chaldean in its racial sense (Daniel 3:8 and 5:30). |
| Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: From Daniel 2:4–7:28, the Biblical text is in Aramaic – not Hebrew. This is the only section of the Bible written in Aramaic. This was the language of the Babylonian Empire. |
| 2:3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. |
| The end of the first section of writing in Hebrew. |
| 3. To know the dream. Though the king had been deeply impressed by the dream, when he awoke he found it impossible to recall the particulars (see PK 491). Some have suggested that Nebuchadnezzar had not forgotten his dream and that he was putting to the test the reputed skill of the supposedly wise [men]. But the king appears too concerned about gaining a knowledge of the dream and its interpretation to use the occasion to test his would–be interpreters. |
| Where were Daniel and his companions? It appears, according to verse 13 and onwards, that they had not been notified and could not have responded to the king’s summon. Having, just recently, been “found ten times better than all” the others, this seems surprising. Perhaps, this being the middle of the night, the newcomers may have been overlooked, or their peers, being jealous of their position and being bested because of the brilliance of the despised captives, took care to exclude them. If that was the reason, it almost cost them their lives! |
| And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. |
| With his entire “prophetic” posse of magicians and seers now gathered, King Nebuchadnezzar issues an unprecedented challenge. The king explains to his servants that he has had a profound dream that he greatly desired to understand. The king admits that the dream has deeply disturbed his innermost thoughts (his spirit). And he is anxious and eager for a correct interpretation to his nocturnal puzzle. While the wise [men] do not know it yet, this is the only detail about the king’s dream that they will be given before being asked to give their interpretation. Besides explaining the fact that he had a dream, the king adds that his spirit has been troubled by the dream so much that he demands an immediate interpretation. |
| And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream – That is, clearly, to know all about it; to recollect distinctly what it was, and to understand what it meant. He was agitated by so remarkable a dream; he probably had, as Jerome remarks, a shadowy and floating impression of what the dream was – such as we often have of a dream that has agitated out minds, but of which we cannot recall the distinct and full image; and he desired to recall that distinctly, and to know exactly what it meant. See Daniel 2:1. |
| 2:4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation. |
| Daniel now writes in Aramaic until the end of Chapter 7, whereupon the rest of the Book is in Hebrew. |
| Syriack – the Hebrew word for Aramaic – The royal family and the ruling class of the empire were Aramaic–speaking Chaldeans originating from southern Mesopotamia. |
| The Aramaeans – important Semitic people having a language of many dialects. |
| (Babylonian being the tongue of the native population of Babylon). |
| O king, live for ever – cf. Daniel 6:21. |
| 4. Syriack. Heb. ’aramith, “Aramaic”. The royal family and the ruling class of the empire were Aramaic–speaking Chaldeans originating from southern Mesopotamia. It is therefore not surprising to find that the king’s courtiers spoke to him in Aramaic and not in Babylonian, the tongue of the native population of Babylon. The Aramaeans were an important branch of the Semitic peoples, and their language included many dialects. From this verse on to the end of Chapter 7 the record is in Aramaic and not in Hebrew, as is the remainder of the Book. |
| O king, live for ever. The Babylonian formula found in contemporary inscriptions reads somewhat like this: “May Nabu and Marduk give long days and everlasting years to the king my lord”. Compare 1Samuel 10:24; 1Kings 1:31; Nehemiah 2:3; Daniel 3:9; 5:10; 6:21. |
| This verse marks the point where the language used, until the end of Chapter 7, was “Syriack” or Aramaic [4]. Its not clear just why Daniel calls our attention to that point because that was the language they always used. But it is possible that Chapters 2 to 7, which were all written “in Syriack” or Aramaic may have been intended for reading, not only by the king, but for all the nobility living in Daniel’s time. Perhaps, after Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliating experience depicted in Chapter 4, he had it published to be distributed far and wide. |
| • [4] “Syriac” is from “’Aramiyth” (Strong’s #762) meaning “the language of Aram, Aramaic”. “The royal family and the ruling class of the empire were Aramaic–speaking Chaldeans originating from Southern Mesopotamia. It is therefore not surprising to find that the king’s courtiers spoke to him in Aramaic and not in Babylonian, the tongue of the native population of Babylon…From this verse on the end of Chapter 7 the record is in Aramaic and not in Hebrew, as is the remainder of the book”. (4BC 767 Right column 5th paragraph) |
| That Chapters 1 and 8 to 12 were written in Hebrew, suggests that the matters concerned therein would not be readily understandable by the Babylonians. Or, by the time Daniel collected all these writings together, he had found himself in a totally different environment (during the time of “king Cyrus” Chapter 1:21) and the general interest in his writings had waned. |
| The wise [men] had likely been called many other times to solve something like this and had developed a routine. First, they expected to be given some details to go by before rendering an interpretation. But, this time, they were asked to do something that had never before been required. They were stunned. |
| Then spake the Chaldeans to the king |
| The Chaldeans are the first ones to respond to the king’s challenge. They were a proud people known for their fierce intelligence. |
| In Syriack |
| It is also worth noting that beginning in this verse, the language of the original texts and parchments of the Book of Daniel suddenly shift from Hebrew to Aramaic. The original language will remain in Aramaic until Daniel 7:28, where it then reverts back to Hebrew. Why does the language shift to Aramaic? Some commentators suggest that it is because much of the prophetic details of this portion of the Book deals with gentile kingdoms. Therefore, it is fittingly written in a Gentile language. |
| O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation. |
| The response by the Chaldeans begins with a reverent, but typical, verbal salute to the king, followed by a plea for the king to retell his dream, including all of the important details, so that they could then apply their otherworldly powers in concocting a satisfactory interpretation for the king. Chaldeans are saying: “If you give, we’ll give”. |
| Then spake the Chaldeans to the king – The meaning is, either that the Chaldeans spoke in the name of the entire company of the soothsayers and magicians (see Daniel 1:20; Daniel 2:2), because they were the most prominent among them, or the name is used to denote the collective body of soothsayers, meaning that this request was made by the entire company. |
| In Syriac – In the original – ”Aramean”. Greek, Suristi – ”in Syriac”. So the Vulgate. The Syriac retains the original word. The word means Aramean, and the reference is to that language which is known as East Aramean – a general term embracing the Chaldee, the Syriac, and the languages which were spoken in Mesopotamia. See Daniel 1:4. This was the vernacular tongue of the king and of his subjects, and was that in which the Chaldeans would naturally address him. It is referred to here by Daniel, perhaps to explain the reason why he himself makes use of this language in explaining the dream. The use of this, however, is not confined to the statement of what the magicians said, but is continued to the close of Chapter 7. The language used is what is commonly called Chaldee. It is written in the same character as the Hebrew, and differs from that as one dialect differs from another. It was, doubtless, well understood by the Jews in their captivity, and was probably spoken by them after their return to their own land. |
| O king, live for ever – This is a form of speech quite common in addressing monarchs. See 1Samuel 10:24; 1Kings 1:25 (margin); Daniel 3:9; Daniel 5:10. The expression is prevalent still, as in the phrases, ”Long live the king”, ”Vive l’ empereur”, ”Vive le roi”, etc.. It is founded on the idea that long life is to be regarded as a blessing, and that we can in no way express our good wishes for anyone better than to wish him length of days. In this place, it was merely the usual expression of respect and homage, showing their earnest wish for the welfare of the monarch. They were willing to do anything to promote his happiness, and the continuance of his life and reign. It was especially proper for them to use this language, as they wore about to make a rather unusual request, which ”might” be construed as an act of disrespect, implying that the king had not given them all the means which it was equitable for them to have in explaining the matter, by requiring them to interpret the dream when he had not told them about the dream. |
| Tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation – The claim which they set up in regard to the future was evidently only that of ”explaining” what were regarded as the prognostics of future events. It was not that of being able to recall what is forgotten, or even to ”originate” what might be regarded pre-intimations of what is to happen. This was substantially the claim which was asserted by all the astrologers, augurs, and soothsayers of ancient times. Dreams, the flight of birds, the aspect of the entrails of animals slain for sacrifice, the positions of the stars, meteors, and uncommon appearances in the heavens, were supposed to be intimations made by the gods of what was to occur in future times, and the business of those who claimed the power of divining the future was merely to interpret these things. When the king, therefore, required that they should recall the dream itself to his own mind, it was a claim to something which was not involved in their profession, and which they regarded as unjust. To that power they made no pretensions. |
| The Chaldeans took the lead in replying to the king. They responded in the Aramaic language that was widely used in business and government throughout the empire. |
| Aramaic was called Chaldean until the latter half of the nineteenth century. |
| This reference to Aramaic introduces the section of the Book that Daniel wrote in Aramaic (Daniel 2:4 to Daniel 7:28), apparently because it concerns matters of worldwide concern. The Chaldeans addressed the king with appropriate respect: “O king, live forever!” (cf. 1Kings 1:31; Nehemiah 2:3; Daniel 3:9; Daniel 5:10; Daniel 6:6; Daniel 6:21). |
| Evidently it was customary for the Babylonian kings to tell their dreams to their advisers, who would then provide a politically correct interpretation that would satisfy the monarch. However, Nebuchadnezzar wanted his wise [men] not only to give him an interpretation but also to tell him what he had dreamed. |
| 2:5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. |
| Cut in pieces – dismembered – cut from limb to limb. The Assyrians and Babylonians were notorious for such cruelty and barbarity. |
| Dunghill – refuse heap – ruin. |
| 5. The thing is gone from me. Some scholars translate this expression so as to give it the meaning “the thing is certain with me”, or “the word is promulgated by me”. The RSV reads, “the word from me is sure”. These alternative translations are based on the assumption that the Aramaic word ’azda’ is an adjective rather than a verb, as the translators of the KJV considered it. The translation of the KJV is supported by the LXX and by Rashi, who translates ’azda’ “has gone”. Whatever meaning is adopted there is no question about Nebuchadnezzar’s being unable to recall the particulars of the dream (see on v. 3). The dream was purposely taken from the king, that the wise [men] should not place upon it a false interpretation (see FE 412). |
| Cut in pieces. Literally, “dismembered”. They were to be cut limb from limb (see 2Maccabees 1:16; Josephus Antiquities xv. 8. 4). Such cruelty as is here depicted was common in the ancient world. The Assyrians and Babylonians were notorious for the severity and barbarity of their treatment of offenders. Ashurbanipal reports that he cut in pieces rebel rulers. |
| Dunghill. Aramaic newali, which, from a similarity with an Akkadian root, some interpret as meaning “ruins”. Others retain the definition “dunghill”, or “refuse heap”, and interpret the clause as meaning that the houses would be turned into “public privies” (see 2Kings 10:27). The LXX supports neither interpretation, but reads, “your houses shall be spoiled”. |
| King Nebuchadnezzar is not a king to take orders or ultimatums from his underlings. He angrily demands that those present immediately provide him with both the contents of his dream, and their interpretation. If not, the king warns that they each will be “cut into pieces” and that their lineages will be expunged from the earth. |
| The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me – The Vulgate renders this, ”Sermo recessit a me” – ”The word is departed from me”. ”It has fallen away from me”, or has departed from me. Coverdale, ”It is gone from me”. The Chaldee word rendered ”the thing” means, properly, ”a word, saying, discourse” – something which is ”spoken”; then, like the Greek, a ”thing”. The reference here is to the matter under consideration, to wit, the dream and its meaning. The fair interpretation is, that he had forgotten the dream, and that if he retained ”any” recollection of it, it was only such an imperfect outline as to alarm him. The word rendered ”is gone” ,which occurs only here and in Daniel 2:8, is supposed to be the same as ”to go away, to depart”. |
| • (1) It is the natural construction, and accords best with the meaning of the original words. Thus no one can doubt that these words are used in the sense of ”thing”, and that the natural and proper meaning of the Chaldee verb is, to ”go away, depart”. Compare the Hebrew in Deuteronomy 32:36, ”when he seeth that [their] power is gone”; 1Samuel 9:7, ”for the bread is spent in our vessels”; Job 14:11, ”the waters fail from the sea”; and the Chaldee in Ezra 4:23, ”they went up in haste to Jerusalem”; Ezra 5:8, ”we went into the province of Judea”; and Daniel 2:17; 2:24; and 6:18, 19. |
| • (2) This interpretation is sustained by the Vulgate of Jerome, and by the Greek. |
| • (3) It does not appear that any such command had at that time gone forth from the king, and it was only when they came before him that he promulgated such an order. |
| • (4) It was so understood by the magicians, and the king did not attempt to correct their apprehension of what he meant. Thus, in Daniel 2:7, they say, ”Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation thereof”. This shows that they understood that the dream had gone from him, and that they could not be expected to interpret its meaning until they were apprised what it was. |
| • (5) It is not necessary to suppose that the king retained the memory of the dream himself, and that he meant merely to try them; that is, that he told them a deliberate falsehood, in order to put their ability to the test. Nebuchadnezzar was a cruel and severe monarch, and such a thing would not have been entirely inconsistent with his character. |
| For these reasons, it seems that our common version has given the correct sense of this passage, and that the meaning is, that the dream had actually so far departed from him that he could not repeat it, though he retained such an impression of its portentous nature, and of its appalling outline, as to fill his mind with alarm. It is said of him in 2Kings 25:7, ”And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon”. Compare 2Kings 25:18–21; Jeremiah 39:5, following; Jeremiah 52:9–11. See also Daniel 4:17, where he is called ”the basest of men”. |
| If ye will not make known, unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof – Whatever may be thought as to the question whether he had actually forgotten the dream, there can be no doubt that he demanded that they should state what it was, and then explain it. This demand was probably as unusual as it was in one sense unreasonable, since it did not fall fairly within their profession. Yet it was not unreasonable in this sense, that if they really had communication with the gods, and were qualified to explain future events, it might be supposed that they would be enabled to recall this forgotten dream. If the gods gave them power to explain what was to ”come”, they could as easily enable them to recall ”the past”. |
| Ye shall be cut in pieces – Margin, ”made”. The Chaldee is, ”Ye shall be made into pieces; ”referring to a mode of punishment that was common to many ancient nations. Compare 1Samuel 15:33: ”And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal”. |
| And your houses shall be made a dunghill – Compare 2Kings 10:27. This is an expression denoting that their houses, instead of being elegant or comfortable mansions, should be devoted to the vilest of uses, and subjected to all kinds of dishonor and defilement. The language here used is in accordance with what is commonly employed by Orientals. They imprecate all sorts of indignities and abominations on the objects of their dislike, and it is not uncommon for them to smear over with filth what is the object of their contempt or abhorrence. The Greek renders this, ”And your houses shall be plundered”; the Vulgate, ”And your houses shall be confiscated”. But these renderings are entirely arbitrary. |
| (5–6) The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. |
| So, “although the king’s mind was deeply impressed, when he awoke he found it impossible, to recall the particulars” [5] yet, he could not dismiss it from his mind. |
| • [5] Some believe the king deliberately withheld what he actually remembered. However, Daniel and the Spirit of prophecy makes is pretty clear that was not the case. See Prophets and Kings by E.G. White page 491 for the quoted statement. |
| While dreams are frequently the meanderings of the subconscious mind that have little or no practical meaning, it was different with Nebuchadnezzar. Evidently, he took them all seriously and his wise [men] made a good living telling him what they meant. He “believed in dreams as one of the means by which the gods revealed their will to men”. God took this into consideration for “Divine wisdom always meets men where they are . . . He ever adapts His modes of working with men to the capacity of each individual and to the environment of the age in which each lives” [6]. |
| • [6] Seventh–day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, page 767. |
| This particular dream really had him worried. The year was probably 602 BC in the midst of his expansionistic campaigns to conquer the then known world. So, while his campaigns were very successful, he was worried about the future and whether or not his kingdom could retain its dominance. He loved to hear the address of the wise [men] who shouted “O king, live for ever” because they harmonized with his fond wish for the perpetuity of his kingdom. |
| But, even though he could not recall the details, the dream left him with deep forebodings of possible, future disaster. |
| The king’s demand threw the wise [men] into a frenzy of deliberation for they had never faced such a mandate before. They had always been given some clue, some hint to go by, but now, nothing like that was forthcoming. Guess–work was out of the question for the king must have known enough so that any pretense on the part of the wise [men] would have been immediately detected sealing their fate. But, the king’s forgetfulness was more than a simple lapse of memory. Inspiration tells us that “the dream was taken from him, that the wise [men] by their claimed understanding of mysteries, should not place upon it a false interpretation” [7]. |
| • [7] Fundamentals of Education by E.G. White page 412. |
| So, things were rapidly going down hill. The king was frustrated and so were the wise [men]. The king’s threat did nothing to alleviate the pressure the wise [men] were under, nether did his offer of reward, but they had to say something. |
| The barbarity of the king’s penalty, to be “cut in pieces and [their] houses. . . made a dunghill”, for not complying with his demand seems completely unreasonable. Such viciousness seems completely out of character when compared to his considerate provisions for his prisoners in Chapter 1. No wonder Ashpenaz feared for his “head to the king” (Daniel 1:10). He knew what the king was capable of! |
| 2:6 But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore show me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. |
| But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation thereof |
| After threatening their lives, King Nebuchadnezzar provides an assurance to his wise [men] if they will reveal both the contents and the interpretation of his remarkable dream. |
| Ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour |
| In a final attempt to force his wise [men] into leveraging their professed “otherworldly” powers, the king resorts to offering bribes (“gifts and rewards and great honor”) to any who could meet his challenge. |
| But the spiritual power that was available to the king’s wise [men] originated in the kingdom of darkness, not the Kingdom of Light. Just as the blind cannot lead the blind, the king’s wise [men] had no ability to decode God’s profound prophetic message. |
| As Biblical commentator Matthew Henry observes of this verse: “Those who deceived, by pretending to do what they could not do, were sentenced to death, for not being able to do what they did not pretend to”. |
| Therefore show me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. |
| The king is insistent upon receiving the answer. His repetition of the request perhaps displays the deep angst the dream has caused within him. |
| But if ye show the dream – If you show what the dream was. |
| And the interpretation thereof – What it signifies. That is, they were so to state the dream that Nebuchadnezzar would recognize it; and they were to give such an explanation of it as would commend itself to his mind as the true one. On this last point he would doubtless rely much on their supposed wisdom in performing this duty, but it would seem clear, also, that it was necessary that the interpretation should be seen to be a ”fair” interpretation, or such as would be ”fairly” implied in the dream. Thus, when Daniel made known the interpretation, he saw at once that it met all the features of the dream, and he admitted it to be correct. So also when Daniel explained the handwriting on the wall to Belshazzar, he admitted the justness of it, and loaded him with honors, Daniel 5:29. So when Joseph explained the dreams of Pharaoh, he at once saw the appropriateness of the explanation, and admitted it to be correct Genesis 41:39–45; and so in the case above referred to (see Daniel 2:2), of Astyages respecting the dreams of his daughter, he at once saw that the interpretation of the dreams proposed by the Magi accorded with the dreams, and took his measures accordingly. |
| Ye shall receive of me gifts, and rewards, and great honor – Intending to appeal to their highest hopes to induce them, if possible, to disclose the meaning of the dream. He specifics no particular rewards, but makes the promise general; and the evident meaning is, that, in such a case, he would bestow what it became a monarch like him to give. That the usual rewards in such a case were such as were adapted to stimulate to the most vigorous exertions of their powers, may be seen from the honor which he conferred on Daniel when he made known the dream Daniel 2:48, and from the rewards which Belshazzar conferred on Daniel for making known the interpretation of the writing on the wall Daniel 5:29: ”Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom”. Compare Esther 5:11; Esther 6:7–9. |
| 2:7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it. |
| The wise [men] were desperate and must somehow pry something out of the king that would give them something to go by. It was a dangerous game of wit. Their “job security” laid only in keeping the king placated. |
| But, their scheme, to ease his mind, was having the opposite effect. To answer “again” with the same request was insulting, but, that was all they could think of. |
| Consider their situation. It was always a game of wits. Keeping the king comfortable, was rule number one. He had to be left with a sense of reassurance. Anything negative had to be said in such a way as to make the king feel he was in control. The future, which was the usual burden of concern, had to be pictured favorably. Therefore, the wise [men] were actually psychotherapists, acting as prognosticators. They knew nothing more of the future than any other man. Even the master magician Satan, cannot read the future. But, “Satan knows better than many professed Christians what is written, for he is a diligent student of the Bible, and he works to pervert the truth, and lead men into the paths of disobedience” [8]. So, astonishing as it may seem, he relies on the Bible for his information. But, he cunningly perverts and distorts it to suit his own purpose. Satan is acutely aware of what the Bible says about the future and does his best to confuse and destroy its meaning. He has many many ways of doing that! |
| • [8] Signs of the Times 8–28–93. |
| Because of the importance of this particular dream, God made it impossible for the wise [men] to come up with anything that would confuse the king’s mind at this point. Perhaps, they thought, the king was only pretending to forget and was prepared to trap them with the knowledge he really did have were they to come up with something. |
| They answered again and said, |
| In a daring move, the king’s wise [men] persist in their original request a second time. |
| Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it. |
| Defying the king’s orders, and confronted with their own execution, the wise [men] once again ask the king to tell them the dream so that they may furnish him with an interpretation. |
| They answered again, and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it – Certainly not an unreasonable request, in any circumstances, and especially in theirs. They did not profess, evidently, to be able to recall a dream that was forgotten, but the extent of their profession on this subject appears to have been, that they were able to ”explain” what was commonly regarded as a prognostic of a future event. |
| Not the repetition of the wise [men’s] request. This repeating is done frequently with Biblical writers as repetition assures the reader that something is very important or absolutely certain. This is especially true in prophetic revelations such as the ones that follow in this Book (cf. Genesis 41:32). |
| 2:8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. |
| The fabric of his faith was built around a belief that the gods communicated with men through the various channels represented by these men. (cf. spiritualism.) |
| 8. Gain the time. Literally, “buy the time”. The wise [men] were temporizing, and their repeated request aroused the suspicion of the king that they were seeking to gain and advantage by delay. It is doubtful whether at this point he was already seriously questioning their ability to give him the requested information. The whole fabric of his faith was built around a belief that the gods communicated with men through the various channels represented by these men. Their hesitancy to comply immediately with his request may at first have aroused his suspicion that they had conspired together to take advantage of him. If the dream contained a communication concerning action to be taken at an auspicious moment, delay would result in tragic loss. Certain communications through divinations demanded that action be undertaken at a precise moment, such as a particular conjunction of the planets. The expressions, “gain the time”, and “till the time be changed” (verse 9), may have reference to such a supposed opportune moment. |
| The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, |
| Nebuchadnezzar rightly perceives that his clueless soothsayers are attempting to stall in answering his question in order to protect their lives and their families. |
| Because ye see the thing is gone from me. |
| Their fears are justified as Nebuchadnezzar is in no mood for games. His divine dream has so greatly disturbed him that he is desperate for an accurate interpretation. He will certainly not spare the lives of his false seers if they fail to perform. |
| The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time – Margin, ”buy”. The Chaldee word means, to get for oneself, buy, gain, procure. Greek – ”that ye redeem time”. The idea is, that they saw that they could not comply with his requisition, and that their asking him Daniel 2:7 to state the dream was only a pretext for delay, in the hope that in the interval some device might be hit on by them to appease him, or to avert his threatened indignation. It would be natural to suppose that they might hope that on reflection he would become more calm, and that, although they ”might” not be able to recall the dream and explain it, yet it would be seen to be unreasonable to expect or demand it. The king seems to have supposed that some such thoughts were passing through their minds, and he charges on them such a project. It is not improbable that what they said was more than the simple request recorded in Daniel 2:7. They would naturally enlarge on it, by attempting to show how unreasonable was the demand of the king in the case, and their arguments would give a fair pretext for what he here charges on them. |
| Because ye see the thing is gone from me – According to the interpretation proposed in Daniel 2:5, the ”dream”. The meaning is, ”You see that I have forgotten it. I have made a positive statement on that point. There can be no hope, therefore, that it can be recalled, and it is clear that your only object must be to gain time. Nothing can be gained by delay, and the matter may therefore be determined at once, and your conduct be construed as a confession that you cannot perform what is required, and the sentence proceed without delay”. This makes better sense than to suppose that he means that a sentence had gone forth from him that if they could not recall and interpret it they should be put to death. |
| (8–9) The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, [there is but] one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof. |
| The word “certainty” suggests Nebuchadnezzar had been suspicious all along of the validity of their claims. Likely he had often before been manipulated into allowing time for the Chaldeans to compose interpretations of other dreams that he had told them about. Not only did they have to come up with an interpretation, they had to be unified and agree among themselves on the particulars in case the king decided to cross–examine them. A dangerous game indeed! |
| So, the king, thinking he was being trifled with, demanded an immediate answer. He was not prepared to wait even a few minutes! |
| Interestingly, when “Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time . . .” (verse 16) the king granted it. Evidently, it was his long–standing suspicion of the wise [men] that made the difference. “The king knew that if they could really tell the interpretation, they could tell the dream as well. The Lord had in His providence given Nebuchadnezzar this dream, and had caused the particulars to be forgotten, while the fearful impression was left upon his mind, in order to expose the pretensions of the wise [men] of Babylon” [9]. |
| • [9] Sanctified Life page 34. |
| 2:9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, [there is but] one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof. |
| Decree – sentence or penalty. |
| 9. One decree for you. Literally, “your law is one”. The word for “decree” may also be rendered “sentence,” or “penalty.” |
| Time be changed. Either until the king should forget the whole affair or till they could invent some form of reply. “Time” here may also refer to the auspicious moment for carrying out the alleged communication of a god (see verse 8). |
| But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, [there is but] one decree for you: |
| Nebuchadnezzar has already pronounced this sentence earlier in verse 5, namely, that they “shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins”. |
| For ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: |
| Nebuchadnezzar accuses the wise [men] of conspiring to mislead him with lies with the hopes that he may change his mind or that the current situation will change. |
| Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof. |
| The king presses them once again to tell him both the contents of his dream, as well as its interpretation, under the penalty of death. |
| But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, [there is but] one decree for you – That is, you shall share the same fate. You shall all be cut to pieces, and your houses reduced to ruin, Daniel 2:5. There shall be no favor shown to any class of you, or to any individual among you. It seems to have been supposed that the responsibility rested on them individually as well as collectively, and that it would be right to hold each and every one of them bound to explain the matter. As no difference of obligation was recognized, there would be no difference of criminality. It should be said, however, that there is a difference of interpretation here. The word translated ”decree” has been rendered ”counsel, plan, purpose”, and suppose that it means, ”this only is your counsel, or plan”; that is, to prepare lying words, and to gain time. The original word, however, is most commonly used in the sense of law or decree. See Deuteronomy 33:2; Esther 1:8, Esther 1:13, Esther 1:15, Esther 1:19; Esther 2:8; Esther 3:8, Esther 3:14–15; Esther 4:3, Esther 4:8, Esther 4:11, Esther 4:16; Esther 8:13–14, Esther 8:17; Esther 9:1, Esther 9:13–14; and there seems to be no necessity for departing from the common translation. It contains a sense according to the truth in the case, and is in accordance with the Greek, Latin, and Syriac versions. |
| For ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me – That is, ”You have done this in asking me to state the dream Daniel 2:4, Daniel 2:7, and in the demand that the dream should be made known to you, in order that you may interpret it. I shall know by your inability to recall the dream that you have been acting a false and deceitful part, and that your pretensions were all false. Your wish, therefore, to have me state the dream will be shown to be a mere pretence, an artifice for delay, that you might put off the execution of the sentence with the hope of escaping altogether”. |
| Till the time be changed – That is, until a new state of things shall occur; either until his purpose might change, and his anger should subside or until there should be a change of government: It was natural for such thoughts to pass through the mind of the king, since, as matters could be no ”worse” for them if the subject was delayed, there was a possibility that they might be ”better” – for any change would be likely to be an advantage. There does not appear to have been any great confidence or affection on either side. The king suspected that they were influenced by bad motives, and they certainly had no strong reasons for attachment to him. See Daniel 2:21, and Daniel 7:25. |
| 2:10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter: therefore [there is] no king, lord, nor ruler, [that] asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. |
| 10. Not a man. The Chaldeans were compelled to acknowledge their inability to reveal the dream. They told the king that he was asking for something that was beyond human power to reveal, and that no king had ever made such an unreasonable request of any of his subjects. |
| King, lord, nor ruler. Literally, “king, great and powerful”. “Great king” (see 2Kings 18:28) is an old Babylonian title. Such an expression as “Great King. Mighty King, King of Assyria [or, of Babylon]” is common in the inscriptions. |
| The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, |
| Once again, it is the Chaldeans who speak up in response to the king. |
| There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter: |
| In their final attempt at saving their lives, the Chaldeans appeal to the king’s sympathy and compassion by explaining to him that no mere mortal possessed the ability to answer the king’s demand. |
| Therefore [there is] no king, lord, nor ruler, [that] asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. |
| Their hope is to demonstrate that Nebuchadnezzar’s request is not only unusual but entirely unprecedented, in that such a request had never demanded of any wise man on earth. |
| The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said – Perhaps the ”Chaldeans” answered because they were the highest in favor, and were those in whom most confidence was usually reposed in such matters. see Daniel 2:2. On such an occasion, those would be likely to be put forward to announce their inability to do this who would be supposed to be able to interpret the dream, if any could, and on whom most reliance was usually placed. |
| There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter – Chaldee – ”upon the dry ground”. Compare Genesis 1:10. The meaning is, that the thing was utterly beyond the power of man. It was what none who practiced the arts of divining laid claim to. They doubtless supposed that as great proficients in that art as the world could produce might be found among the wise [men] assembled at the court of Babylon, and if they failed, they inferred that all others would fail. This was, therefore, a decided confession of their inability in the matter; but they meant to break the force of that mortifying confession, and perhaps to appease the wrath of the king, by affirming that the thing was wholly beyond the human powers, and that no one could be expected to do what was demanded. |
| Therefore [there is] no king, lord, nor ruler, [that] asked such things – No one has ever made a similar demand. The matter is so clear, the incompetency of man to make such a disclosure is so manifest, that no potentate of any rank ever made such a request. They designed, undoubtedly, to convince the king that the request was so unreasonable that he would not insist on it. They were urgent, for their life depended on it, and they apprehended that they had justice on their side. |
| (10–11) The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore [there is] no king, lord, nor ruler, [that] asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And [it is] a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. |
| At that point, the wise [men] were pushed to the wall. According to the Tay version, they had said “this is an impossible thing the king requires”. For once in their life they had uttered the truth, but it didn’t help them. |
| (10–11) The wise [men] explain the impossibility of Nebuchadnezzar’s request. |
| The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore [there is] no king, lord, nor ruler, [that] asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And [it is] a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. |
| There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: When the Chaldeans said this they admitted that true revelation comes from God down to man. They understood – perhaps against their own inclinations – that revelation was not the achievement of man. |
| Despite all their wisdom – real and imagined – these wise [men] had no answer for Nebuchadnezzar, because only God could bring an answer to the king. |
| “They were like some modern ministers of our own day who spend their time studying philosophy, psychiatry, psychology, social science, political science, and then continue under the pretense of being God’s messengers to men”. (Strauss) |
| No king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things: The strategy of the wise [men] was to convince the king that he was unreasonable, not that they were incompetent. |
| Except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh: As far as these pagan magicians, astrologers, and wise [men] knew, this was true. They did not know what we know so plainly since the revelation of Jesus – that He is Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). |
| 2:11 And [it is] a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. |
| Rare – difficult. |
| 11. Rare. Better, “difficult”. |
| Gods. Some see a hint here of two classes of gods. They suggest that these wise [men] claimed to be in communication with certain gods, such subordinate deities as were supposed to maintain contact with men, but that the higher gods were unapproachable. In any case the Chaldeans were revealing the limitations of their art. |
| Others suggest that the plural ’elahin, “gods”, even as the Hebrew plural ’elohim (see Vol. I, pp. 170, 171), could be used of a single deity, and that, in common with other polytheists, the Chaldeans recognized some supreme deity. In any case the wise [men] were frank to admit that they recognized a higher intelligence, some master mind or minds, that had knowledge beyond that possessed by human beings. This confession of failure provided a remarkable opportunity for Daniel to reveal something of the power of the God whom he served and worshiped. |
| And [it is] a rare thing that the king requireth, |
| Finally, the Chaldeans attempt to appeal directly to Nebuchadnezzar’s reasoning, calling the rare request “difficult”. |
| And there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, |
| They add that Nebuchadnezzar is asking too much from men when only the “gods” possess the kind of interpretative power that he seeks. |
| Whose dwelling is not with flesh. |
| This final phrase of their statement of defense reveals the neo–Babylonian view of the ability of the “gods” to manifest themselves in the flesh. In essence, the Chaldeans are telling the king that “the gods” are the only ones who can answer your question, and they are not here. It’s only us and we are unable to provide an answer”. |
| And [it is] a rare thing that the king requireth – Chaldee – meaning, ”choice, valuable, costly”; then, ”heavy, hard, difficult”. Greek, barus. Vulgate, ”gravis – heavy, weighty. The idea is not so much that the thing demanded by the king was ”uncommon” or ”rarely made” – though that was true, as that it was so difficult as to be beyond the human powers. They would not have been likely on such an occasion to say that the requirement was absolutely unjust or unreasonable. The term which they used was respectful, and yet it implied that no man could have any hope of solving the question as it was proposed by him. |
| And there is none other that can show it before the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh – This was clearly true, that a matter of that kind could not be disclosed except by Divine assistance. It would seem from this that these persons did not claim to be inspired, or to have communication with the gods; or, at least, that they did not claim to be inspired by the Supreme God, but that they relied on their own natural sagacity, and their careful and long study of the meaning of those occurrences which prefigured future events, and perhaps on the mystic arts derived from their acquaintance with science as then understood. The word ”gods” here, the same as the Hebrew, is in the plural number, but might be applied to the true God, as the Hebrew. It is by no means certain that they meant to use this in the plural, or to say that it was an admitted truth that the gods worshipped in Babylon did not dwell with people. |
| 2:12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. |
| The command was in keeping with the customs of the times – but a bold step as they were the learned classes of society. |
| Babylon – probably the city rather than the whole realm of Babylonia. |
| 12. Commanded to destroy. The severity of the sentence was not out of keeping with the customs of the times. It was, however, a bold step on the part of the king, because the men whose death he had ordered were the learned classes of society. Babylon. Possibly only the city and not the whole realm of Babylonia. |
| For this cause the king was angry and very furious, |
| This verse uses two words to describe the king’s anger: 1) “Benas” meaning “to be enraged” and 2) “qetsaph” meaning “to be furious”. This second word is augmented with the modifier “saggi”, meaning “very”. The Book of Daniel reveals that King Nebuchadnezzar was given to fits of rage, at times. When the king becomes angry, he often becomes extremely violent. We will see his anger boil over once again in Daniel 3:13,19 over the failure of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to bow down in worship to the king’s statue. |
| And commanded to destroy all the wise [men] of Babylon. |
| Why is the king so furious? Because he is desperate to understand his bizarre dream, which he believes to be of divine origin, and all of his supposed “diviners” are unable. He considers them to be useless. Here, King Nebuchadnezzar issues a horrifying edict: The putting to death of every so–called “wise man” in his kingdom. His rage at the “few” impairs his judgment towards “all”. |
| For this cause the king was angry – Because they failed in explaining the subject which had been referred to them. It is true that his anger was unjust, for their profession did not imply that they would undertake to explain what he demanded, but his wrath was not unnatural. His mind was alarmed, and he was troubled. He believed that what he had seen in his dream foreboded some important events, and, as an arbitrary sovereign, unaccustomed to restrain his anger or to inquire into the exact justice of matters which excited Iris indignation, it was not unnatural that he should resolve to wreak his vengeance on all who made any pretensions to the arts of divining. |
| And very furious – Wrought up to the highest degree of passion. Chaldee, ”Much enraged”. It was not a calm and settled purpose to execute his threat, but a purpose attended with a high degree of excitement. |
| And commanded to destroy all the wise [men] of Babylon – That is, all who made pretensions to this kind of wisdom; all who came under the well-known denomination of ”wise [men]”, or ”sages”. He had called that class before him Daniel 2:2; he had demanded of them an explanation of his dream; he had been assured by the leading men among them, the Chaldeans Daniel 2:10–11, that they could not recall his dream; and, as he supposed that all who could be relied on in such a case had failed, he resolved to cut them off as impostors. |
| (12–13) For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise [men] of Babylon. And the decree went forth that the wise [men] should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. |
| These verses make it evident that “Daniel and his fellows” were not in the first group of “wise [men]” that had been called. “Daniel and his fellows” could have been included with the rest of his fellow captives, that is, if they had not been ‘dismissed for failure’ during the three–year training program. They may have all been quartered together in the same dormitory. |
| After being found “ten times” wiser than all “all the magicians and astrologers that were in all [the king’s] realm” (Daniel 1:20), this “decree” must have been a real shock to Daniel and his three friends. Popularity and favor, regardless of talent, was no guarantee of security. Rather, it was like living with a lion whose temperament could change at any moment and they could be consumed in a sudden, unexpected fit of anger. |
| (12–13) A furious Nebuchadnezzar sentences all his wise [men] to death. |
| For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise [men] of Babylon. And the decree went forth that the wise [men] should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. |
| The king was angry and very furious: Though he was a despot, Nebuchadnezzar knew that false religion is worse than useless. He knew that it was a curse, and he had no use for wise [men] that could not bring him wisdom from God. |
| And commanded to destroy all the wise [men] of Babylon: As a new king, Nebuchadnezzar also perhaps used the situation to test the suitability of his father’s old advisors. The dream provided him with a good reason to clean house. |
| (12–13) Their confession of inability, and their complaint that the king was being unfair with them, made Nebuchadnezzar very angry (cf. Genesis 40:2; Genesis 41:10; Daniel 3:13; Daniel 3:19). He gave orders to execute all the wise [men] in Babylon, specifically, those who were his counselors. Probably the city of Babylon is in view here, rather than the province or the whole empire (cf. Daniel 2:49; Daniel 3:1), since the king’s counselors were the targets of his wrath. Daniel and his three friends fell under the edict because they were advisers to the king (Daniel 1:20), not because they practiced divination, which they did not. |
| 13–19. God chose Daniel, a man of upright character, to be His representative to the court of the most powerful empire in the world. God honoured Daniel’s fervent prayer, and provided him with the interpretation of the king’s dreams. |
| Daniel took no credit to himself, but instead directed all the glory and honour to God. Because of his faithfulness and honesty the king eventually promoted Daniel to a high position in the government of Babylon. |
| 2:13 And the decree went forth that the wise [men] should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. |
| Proof that they were already members of the profession of ‘wise [men]‘. |
| 13. They sought Daniel. Daniel and his friends would not have been “sought” had they not already become members of the profession of “wise [men]”. Thus the view that they were still in training seems unfounded (see on Chapter 1:18). The fact that they had but recently graduated is sufficient to explain why they had not been called to interpret the dream. The monarch would have summoned only the highest ranking leaders, representative of all the knowledge of their craft. Neither the king nor the leading wise men would have thought of calling on Daniel and his three friends any more than the top specialists of the land, baffled by a royal ailment, would consult fledgling doctors just out of medical school. Nor is it necessary to suppose that Daniel’s training included courses in exorcism and soothsaying, as modern critics suggest (see on Chapter 1:20). |
| And the decree went forth that the wise [men] should be slain; |
| Immediately, the king’s decree (“dath”= lit. “law, decree”) is carried out. The king’s men were notified of their new task: to slay all of the wise [men] in the land of Babylonia. The king’s wrath was not just isolated to those in his court, but all “wise [men]” in his kingdom. |
| And they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. |
| The narrative now returns to Daniel and his three companions. It is doubtless that some within the king’s court were envious of Daniel and his friends. After all, he had publicly garnered the king’s favor in the previous Chapter. Now, armed with the legal authority to kill him and his friends, it is likely that they were viewed as a prized target of this royal extermination by those who envied their abilities and wisdom. |
| And the decree went forth that the wise [men] should be slain – The original here will bear a somewhat different translation, meaning, ”the decree went forth, ”and” the wise [men] were slain”; that is, the execution of the sentence was actually commenced. The Greek version is – ”and the wise men were slain”. This seems to be the more probable interpretation, and better to suit the connection. Then it would mean that they had actually begun to execute the decree, and that in the prosecution of their bloody work they sought out Daniel and his companions, and that by his influence with Arioch the execution of the sentence was arrested. |
| And they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain – His three companions Daniel 1:6, who probably had not been among those who were summoned to court to explain the matter. Had they been consulted at first, the issuing of the decree would have been prevented, but it seems to have been the design of Providence to give the fairest trial of the ability of these sages, and to allow matters to come to a crisis, in order to show that what was done was wholly beyond human power. |
| 2:14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise [men] of Babylon: |
| Daniel was tactful in approaching his superiors. |
| 14. Wisdom. The Aramaic word may also be translated “taste”, or “discretion”. |
| Daniel showed great tact in approaching his superior. |
| Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom |
| It is here where the detail officially turns as Daniel enters into the scene. From the moment that Daniel is injected into this dramatic scene, his “prudence” and “discretion” are on full display. The delicacy of the situation demands these character traits as Daniel’s face certain death. However, these same character traits will soon bring him before the king to tell and interpret the dream. |
| To Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise [men] of Babylon: |
| Little else is known about Arioch except for what we have in this verse. As the “captain of the king’s guard”, Arioch was the king’s chief executioner. He is the one responsible for overseeing the wholesale slaughter of all of the wise [men] in Babylon. |
| Then Daniel answered – Margin, ”returned”. The original literally is, ”returned counsel and wisdom”, meaning, that he returned an answer which was replete with wisdom. It would seem probable that Arioch had communicated to Daniel the decree of the king, and had stated to him that he was involved in that decree, and must prepare to die. |
| Counsel and wisdom – That is, ”wise counsel”. He evinced great prudence and discretion in what he said. He made such a suggestion to Arioch as, if acted on, would stay the execution of the sentence against all the wise [men], and would secure the object which the king had in view. What was the exact nature of this answer is not mentioned. It is probable, however, that it was that he might be enabled to disclose the dream, and that he made this so plausible to Arioch, that he was disposed to allow him to make the trial. It is evident that Arioch would not have consented to arrest the execution of the sentence, unless it had appeared to him to be in the highest degree probable that he would be able to relieve the anxiety of the king. Knowing that the ”main” object of the king was to obtain the interpretation of his dream, and seeing that this object was not any the more likely to be secured by the execution of this stern decree, and knowing the high favor with which Daniel had been received at court Daniel 1:19–21, he seems to have been willing to assume some measure of responsibility, and to allow Daniel to make his own representation to the king. |
| To Arioch the captain of the king’s guard – Margin, ”chief of the executioners, or slaughter–men, or chief marshal”. Greek – chief cook of the king. The Vulgate renders this”, Then Daniel inquired respecting the law and the sentence of Arioch, the commander of the royal army”. The Chaldee word rendered ”guard” is derived from to slaughter; to kill animals; and then to kill or slay men. The ”noun”, then, means a slaughterer or slayer; a cook; an executioner, or one who kills men at the will of a sovereign, or by due sentence of law. There can be no doubt that the word here refers to Arioch, as sent out to execute this sentence; yet we are not to regard hint as a mere executioner, or as we would a hangman, for undoubtedly the king would entrust this sentence to one who was of respectable, if not of high rank. It is probable that one of the principal officers of his body–guard would be entrusted with the execution of such a sentence. In 1Samuel 8:13, the word is rendered ”cooks”. It does not elsewhere occur. That he was not a ”mere” executioner is apparent from the title given him in the next verse, where he is called ”the king’s captain”. |
| Which was gone forth to slay the wise [men] of Babylon: – He had gone to execute the decree, and its execution had already commenced. |
| (14–15) Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why [is] the decree [so] hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. |
| Probably, the wise men had already been rounded up by the guards and were in confinement awaiting their fate. If this were after hours, Daniel and his companions may have been sleeping, and then rudely roused to hear the terrifying news from “Arioch”, whose name means “lion–like”. The fact that this rough captain, who had probably been assigned many tasks like this and took time to answer Daniel’s question, suggests he did not relish this assignment. Notice that Daniel giving no evidence of fear and keeping a cool head, “answered with counsel and wisdom” when he heard the news. Neither did he manifest “a spirit of retaliation” [10] which would seem quite reasonable since he was known to have great “understanding in all visions and dreams” (Daniel 1:7). |
| • [10] Youth Instructor 9–1–03. |
| (14–15) When Daniel learned of his sentence, he responded with customary discretion and discernment (cf. Daniel 1:8; Daniel 1:12), not with objections (cf. Daniel 2:10–11) or anger (cf. Daniel 2:12). The harshness of the verdict puzzled Daniel. Clearly the court officials, including the king himself, had come to respect Daniel highly, since they listened to him and granted his requests. |
| God reveals the dream to Daniel. |
| (14–16) Daniel reacts to Nebuchadnezzar’s decree by asking for a brief extension. |
| Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise [men] of Babylon: He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why [is] the decree [so] hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation. |
| Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch: Daniel was obviously innocent in all this, yet he calmly and discretely dealt with the crisis. Daniel’s calmness in this crisis showed what kind of man he really was. In one sense, crises do not make the man. Instead, they reveal the man. |
| Desired of the king that he would give him time: This wasn’t just a stalling tactic. Daniel knew that it takes time to listen to the Lord and to wait upon Him, and Daniel was willing to take the time if the king would grant it. |
| As one of the king’s counselors and wise [men], Daniel and his friends faced a gristly execution if they could not tell Nebuchadnezzar not only what he dreamed but also its interpretation. In this emergency, as was his custom, Daniel sought God in prayer. Consider how God answered that prayer beyond what Daniel could have asked or imagined: |
| 1. Daniel was able to give the king the answer to his question, revealing the present and the future to us as well as Nebuchadnezzar. |
| 2. God’s intervention saved the lives of Daniel and his friends, as well as the rest of the king’s counselors. |
| 3. Daniel’s answer demonstrated to the Chaldeans and to Nebuchadnezzar that God knows everything –– past, present, future. |
| 4. The truth of the word of God exposed to the entire kingdom that the fortune tellers and sorcerers were phonies and fake. |
| Today our confidence should not focus on politicians, false prophets, or earthly governments but on King Jesus––King of Kings and Lord of Lords forever! Earthly kingdoms will pass away. Presidents of nations will come and go. Our hopes should center, not on a government ruled by a political party, but on the New Jerusalem, our true home. |
| 2:15 He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why [is] the decree [so] hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. |
| 15. Hasty. The LXX has pikros, which means “bitter”, or “harsh”. Some scholars also assign this meaning to the Aramaic, whereas others insist that the original has the basic idea of urgency. |
| He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why [is] the decree [so] hasty from the king? |
| Daniel, no doubt surprised by the severity of the king’s decision to slaughter all of the wise [men] of Babylon, inquires of Arioch why the king chose to be so harsh. The original word for “urgent” is “chatsaph”, which means “to be harsh or insolent”. |
| Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. |
| Arioch answers by explaining the reasons behind the king’s decision to Daniel. Here, Daniel learns that the sentence is rooted in the king’s disturbing dream, to which he had demanded an interpretation. |
| He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain – The word ”captain” – a different word from what occurs in Daniel 2:14, – denotes one who has rule or dominion; one who is powerful or mighty; and it would be applied only to one who sustained a post of honor and responsibility. See the use of the word meaning ”to rule”, in Nehemiah 5:15; Ecclesiastes 2:19; Ecclesiastes 6:2; Ecclesiastes 8:9; Esther 9:1; Psalms 119:133. The word here used is the same which occurs in Daniel 2:10, where it is rendered ”ruler”. It doubtless denotes here an officer of rank, and designates one of more honorable employment than would be denoted by the word ”executioner”. It should be said on these verses Daniel 2:14–15, however, that the office of executioner in the East was by no means regarded as a dishonorable office. It was entrusted to those high in rank, and even nobles considered it an honor, and often boasted of it as such, that among their ancestors there were those who had in this way been entrusted with executing the commands of their sovereign. |
| Why [is] the decree [so] hasty from the king? – Implying that all the effort had not been made which it was possible to make to solve the mystery. The idea is, that a decree of such a nature, involving so many in ruin, ought not to have proceeded from the king without having taken all possible precautions, and having made all possible efforts to find those who might be able to disclose what the king desired. It was to Daniel a just matter of surprise that, after the favor and honor with which he had been received at court Daniel 1:19–20, and the confidence which had been reposed in him, a command like this should have been issued. so comprehensive as to embrace him and his friends, when they had done nothing to deserve the displeasure of the king. |
| Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel – The statement respecting the dream; the trouble of the king; the consultation of the magicians; their inability to explain the dream, and the positive command to put all the pretenders to wisdom to death. It is clear that Daniel had not before been informed of these things. |
| 2:16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation. |
| Daniel’s previous faithfulness in lesser things now opened the door to greater things. |
| Daniel’s request differed from the Chaldeans – they wanted dream details – Daniel wanted time to interpret the dream. |
| 16. Give him time. One of the things that infuriated the king was that the wise [men] were seeking to postpone their answer (see on verse 8). Obviously the king was still troubled over the dream, and may have been happy over the new prospect of finding a solution to the mystery that was harassing his spirit. Since Daniel had not been consulted previously, the king may have thought it only fair to give him an opportunity. In his previous contact with this young Judean captive, Nebuchadnezzar had evidently been favorably impressed with Daniel’s sincerity and ability. Daniel’s previous faithfulness in lesser things now opened the door to greater things. |
| Interpretation. Daniel’s request differed from that of the Chaldeans. The wise [men] demanded that the king relate to them the dream. Daniel simply requested time, and assured the king that the interpretation would be provided. |
| So, after asking Arioch “why the haste”, it appears his next move was to go directly to the king without asking permission even from Arioch, a daring thing to do. Nevertheless, “Taking his life in his hand, he ventured to enter the king’s presence, and begged that time be granted . . .” [11]. Instead of making the king even more angry when he suspected a scheme for a time extension in verse 8, the king agreed! |
| • [11] Ibid. |
| Note Daniel’s confident assertion “he would shew the king the interpretation”, not only the “dream”. This suggests past experience gained in “understanding in all visions and dreams” [12] during his training years, had long since banished any doubt God would sustain him just as well now as He had in the past. Furthermore, he had to depend just as much upon God, for his understanding during his three years of training as he was forced to do now. This was not a new thing to him. |
| • [12] Ibid. |
| Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, |
| Upon learning of the king’s mysterious dream from Arioch, Daniel goes before the king to request more time to interpret the dream. |
| And that he would show the king the interpretation. |
| While the text does not explicitly say that the king agreed to stay his execution plans, it is inferred from the narrative. Note Daniel’s faith in God’s ability to reveal the dream. Of course, it may be said that Daniel had little to lose since a death sentence was already hanging over him. However, to single himself and his God out before Nebuchadnezzar in his anger must have required a tremendous belief that God would provide Daniel with both the dream and its interpretation. If Daniel were to fail to deliver the interpretation, it would be devastating to both Daniel’s temporal life and to his God’s reputation in the world’s greatest empire of the time. |
| Then Daniel went in … – Either by himself, or through the medium of some friend. Perhaps all that is meant is not that he actually went into the presence of the monarch, but that he went into the palace, and through the interposition of some high officer of court who had access to the sovereign, desired of him that he would give him time, and that he would make it known. It would rather appear, from Daniel 2:24–25, that the first direct audience which he had with the king was after the thing was made known to him in a night vision, and it would scarcely accord with established Oriental usages that he should go immediately and unceremoniously into the royal presence. A petition, presented through some one who had access to the king, would meet all the circumstances of the case. |
| That he would give him time – He did not specify ”why” he desired time, though the reason why he did it is plain enough. He wished to lay the matter before God, and to engage his friends in earnest prayer that the dream and the interpretation might be made known to him. This request was granted to him. It may seem remarkable, as no time was allowed to the Chaldeans that they might make inquiry Daniel 2:8, that such a favor should have been granted to Daniel, especially after the execution of the sentence had been commenced. |
| There is no other record of God having given anyone knowledge of a dream that another person had – without the dreamer telling him about it. Joseph had interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh and his servants after they told him what they were. However, Daniel believed that God could do anything, even reveal the dream itself to him, as well as its interpretation. |
| 2:17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: |
| Obedient May Speak Freely.–Those who live in close fellowship with Christ will be promoted by Him to positions of trust. The servant who does the best he can for his master, is admitted to familiar intercourse with one whose commands he loves to obey. In the faithful discharge of duty we may become one with Christ; for those who are obeying God’s commands may speak to Him freely. The one who talks most familiarly with his divine Leader has the most exalted conception of His greatness, and is the most obedient to His commands. (MS 82, 1900). [4BC 1168.2] |
| The history of Daniel, if all was written, would open Chapters before you that would show you the temptations he had to meet, of ridicule, envy, and hatred; but he learned to master the difficulties. He did not trust in his own strength; he laid his whole soul and all his difficulties open to his heavenly Father, and he believed God heard him, and he was comforted and blessed. He rose superior to ridicule; and so will every one who is an overcomer. Daniel acquired a serene and cheerful state of mind, because he believed God was his friend and helper. The taxing duties he had to perform were made light because he brought the light and love of God into his work. “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth” to such as walk in them (YI Aug. 25, 1886). [4BC 1168.3] |
| Daniel returns home after learning of the king’s request to be told his dream, and its interpretation. Without God’s intervention, no one could answer King Nebuchadnezzar’s demands. Daniel wisely consults with his faithful companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, to whom we were first introduced to in the last Chapter. |
| Then Daniel went to his house – It is quite evident that he had obtained the object of his request, though this is not expressly mentioned. The king was undoubtedly, for the reasons above stated, willing that he should have a fair opportunity to try his skill in disclosing the mysterious secret. |
| And made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah – Made the whole matter known – the perplexity respecting the dream; the failure of the Chaldeans to interpret it; the decree; and his own petition to the king. They had a common interest in knowing it, as their lives were all endangered. |
| (17–18) Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise [men] of Babylon. |
| Even though Daniel was the recognized authority in “understanding [of] all visions and dreams” even above that of his three companions, he was not jealous of his standing. His first thought was to seek God with his companions because they were all in it together. |
| “Their faith was strong in the consciousness that God had placed them where they were, that they were doing His work and meeting the demands of duty. In times of perplexity and danger they had always turned to Him for guidance and protection, and He had proved an ever–present help” [13]. |
| • [13] Prophets and Kings by E.G. White page 493. |
| So, even though they all prayed and begged God for mercy to preserve them from the sentence of death, “the secret [was revealed only] unto Daniel”. Even though the “secret” could have been revealed to all of them at the same time, we can be sure they dismissed any feelings of jealousy, but were happy their request was granted. |
| If the scenario of verses 1–13 took place in the early hours of the morning and Daniel’s request of the king was at sun–up, God’s answer took place the following night when “the secret [was] revealed . . . in a night vision” suggesting after having prayed fervently for some time, they all retired to their beds for a sound sleep. Not a trace of worry kept them awake tossing and turning . . . unlike the king whose “sleep brake from him”. |
| (17–18) Daniel asks his companions for prayer. |
| Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise [men] of Babylon. |
| That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven: Daniel was in the type of situation where only God could meet his need. Therefore, he knew how important it was for both him and his companions to pray. |
| The battle was won when Daniel prayed with his friends. Praying friends are a blessing, and “In prayer meetings such as this, history has been made”. (Strauss) |
| Concerning this secret: Daniel had confidence that God could do an unprecedented miracle. Joseph had interpreted dreams with God’s help, but had not reconstructed the dreams. |
| Should not perish: Considering what was at stake, there is little doubt that their prayers were extremely earnest. God listens to earnest prayer. |
| (17–18) In the first instance of united prayer recorded in Scripture, Daniel informed his three friends of the situation so they could pray together about it (cf. Philippians 4:6–7). |
| The four young men prayed for compassion (mercy) from God, since the king’s edict was very harsh (Daniel 2:15). They asked that God’s compassion (mercy) would manifest itself by a revelation of the king’s dream, and its interpretation (Daniel 2:16), so they would not die with the other wise [men] who were worthy of death (Daniel 2:18; cf. Genesis 18:22–33). |
| 2:18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise [men] of Babylon. |
| Daniel and his companions could approach God with strong faith and implicit confidence because, to the best of their knowledge and ability, they were living up to His revealed will. (1 John 3:22) |
| 18. Desire mercies. Daniel and his companions could approach God with strong faith and implicit confidence because, to the best of their knowledge and ability, they were living up to His revealed will (see 1 John 3:22). They had the consciousness that they were in the place where God wanted them to be, and were doing the work that Heaven designed. If in their earlier experience they had compromised principle and had yielded to the temptations that constantly surrounded them in the royal court, they could not have expected such marked divine intervention in this crisis. Contrast their experience with that of the prophet of Judah who forfeited divine protection by his rash disobedience (1Kings 13:11–32). |
| That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; |
| Note the great dependency upon displayed by that Daniel in this passage. Once he fully understood the king’s request, Daniel hurried home to implore his friends to join him in seeking God’s mercy in cracking the mystery of the king’s dream. |
| That Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise [men] of Babylon. |
| Without God’s divine revelation, Daniel and his companions would be put to death along with the “rest of the wise [men] of Babylon”. |
| That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret – That they would implore of God that he would show his mercy to them in revealing this secret, that their lives might be spared. In the margin, as in the Chaldee, this is ”from before the God of heaven”. All depended now on God. It was clear that human skill was exhausted, and that no reliance could be placed on any ability which man possessed. The art of the Chaldeans had failed, and Daniel, as well by this failure as by the promptings of his own feelings, must now have perceived that the only hope was in God, and that his favor in the case was to be obtained only by prayer. As his three friends were equally interested in the issue, and as it was an early principle of religion, and one found in all dispensations (compare Matthew 18:19), that ”united” prayer has special power with God, it was natural and proper to call on his friends to join with him in asking this favor from Him who alone could grant it. It was the natural and the last resource of piety, furnishing an example of what all may do, and should do, in times of perplexity and danger. |
| That Daniel and his fellows should not perish – Margin, ”or, they should not destroy Daniel”. The leading in the margin is most in accordance with the Chaldee, though the sense is substantially the same. The word ”fellows” is the same which is before rendered ”companions”. |
| With the rest of the wise [men] of Babylon – It seems to have been certain that the decree would be executed on the Chaldeans, soothsayers, etc.. And, indeed, there was no reason ”why” the decree should not be executed. They had confessed their inability to comply with the king’s command, and whatever Daniel could now do could not be construed in their favor as furnishing any reason why the decree should not be executed on them. It was presumed, therefore, that the law, severe as it seemed to be, would be carried into effect on them, and we may suppose that this was probably done. The only hope of their escaping from the common lot was in the belief that the God whom they served would now interpose in their behalf. |
| 2:19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. |
| Daniel’s first response is to thank God for answered prayer. |
| 19. Night vision. Aramaic chezu, akin to the Heb. chazon (see on 1Samuel 3:1). Daniel blessed. Upon receiving the divine revelation, Daniel’s first thought was to return due praise to the Revealer of secrets, a worthy example of what all should do who receive signal blessings from the Lord. |
| Regarding “blessed the God” see Psalms 63:4. |
| (19) God reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and its interpretation to Daniel. |
| Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. |
| The secret revealed unto Daniel: This was not religion, but revelation. Daniel did not find it out, God revealed it to him. |
| Christianity begins with the principle of revelation. What we know about God is what He has revealed to us. We do actively seek Him, but we seek what He has revealed. Our job isn’t to figure things out about God, but to understand what He has revealed to us. |
| In a night vision: We don’t know exactly what this is. It may have been a dream, or a supernatural vision that happened at night. |
| Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel |
| To Daniel, it was given to understand the mystery (lit. “hidden secret”) of the King’s dream. |
| In a night vision. |
| Visions and dreams are the hallmarks of God’s revelation to His prophets. (See Numbers 12:6; Job 33:14–16) The Book of Daniel is filled with prophetic visions and dreams that contain deep meaning. |
| Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. |
| Daniel must have been elated at God’s merciful revelation. In verse 18, Daniel had urged his companions to join him in seeking “mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery”. The answer had come and now, thanks to God, the life of Daniel (and many others) would now be spared! |
| Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel – To wit, the dream and the interpretation. The thing which had been ”hidden” was disclosed. We may suppose that this occurred after a suitable time had been given to prayer. |
| In a night vision – A representation made to him at night, but whether when he was asleep or awake does not appear. See Daniel 1:17; Isaiah 1:1; Job 4:13; Job 33:15. |
| Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven – Nothing would be more natural than that he should burst forth in a song of grateful praise for disclosing a secret by means of which his life, and the lives of his companions, would be preserved, and by which such signal honor would redound to God himself, as alone able to reveal coming events. |
| Daniel records these events to help us understand that God revealed the mystery as a response to the prayers of the four young men (cf. James 4:2). The answer came at night, but in a vision, rather than in a dream. In a vision, the person receiving the revelation was awake, whereas in a dream, he or she was asleep. Both methods were common divine methods of revelation at this time (Numbers 12:6). |
| (19–20) Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: |
| Therefore, a number of hours must have elapsed from the time Daniel approached the king in the morning until he experienced this “night vision”, sometime after slipping into bed. His first thought after receiving it was to praise God for His omniscience and omnipotence which was revealed in the form of a duplicate dream both he and the king just received. |
| The dream was nothing less than history in advance, something possible only to God whose vision of future things is far more accurate than any historian’s vision of the past. The events of history, as seen through the eye of the historian, always undergoes some distortion because of bias and limited knowledge. At best, predicting the future, is always guess work. |
| Not so with God. With Him there is no such thing as “bias or guess work” and His knowledge, either of the past or of the future, is unlimited. |
| 2:20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: |
| Name – often used in the Bible synonymously with ‘character’. |
| 20. Name of God. The expression is frequently used to denote the being, power, and essential activity of God. “Name” is often used in the Bible synonymously with “character”. |
| Wisdom. Those who lack wisdom may receive it from its true source in response to the prayer of faith (James 1:5). The boasted claim of the Babylonians that their deities possessed wisdom and insight had been demonstrated to be false. Heathen deities continually disappoint their devotees. |
| Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: |
| Daniel’s benediction comes immediately after God reveals the mystery of the king’s dream. Once again, this displays the solid character of Daniel who properly credits God for the revelation without haste. |
| For wisdom and might are his: |
| In addition to blessing the name of God, Daniel boasts of God’s attributes of “wisdom” and “might”. Only God has such infinite power to reveal those things which are hidden from the eyes of men. |
| Daniel answered and said – The word ”answer”, in the Scriptures, often occurs substantially in the sense of ”speak” or ”say”. It does not always denote a reply to something that has been said by another, as it does with us, but is often used when a speech is commenced, as if one were replying to something that ”might” be said in the case, or as meaning that the circumstances in the case gave rise to the remark. Here the meaning is, that Daniel responded, as it were, to the goodness which God had manifested, and gave utterance to his feelings in appropriate expressions of praise. |
| Blessed be the name of God forever and ever – That is, blessed be God – the ”name”, in the Scriptures, being often used to denote the person himself. It is common in the Bible to utter ascriptions of praise to God in view of important revelations, or in view of great mercies. Compare the song of Moses after the passage of the Red Sea, Exodus 15; the song of Deborah after the overthrow of Sisera, Judges 5; Isaiah 12:1–6. |
| For wisdom and might are his – Both these were manifested in a remarkable manner in the circumstances of this case, and therefore these were the beginnings of the song of praise: ”wisdom”, as now imparted to Daniel, enabling him to disclose this secret, when all human skill had failed; and ”might”, as about to be evinced in the changes of empire indicated by the dream and the interpretation. Compare Jeremiah 32:19, ”Great in counsel, and mighty in work”. |
| (20–22) Daniel mentioned God’s wisdom and power at the beginning and the end of his praise (Daniel 2:20; Daniel 2:23), and he illustrated both characteristics in between. This entire Book clearly reveals God’s wisdom and power. Evidence of His power is His control of events; He changes times and seasons. In other words, He determines when in history events will happen and how long each process or phase of history will last. The second evidence of God’s power is that He controls the destiny of nations; He sets up kings and deposes them. |
| Daniel identified two evidences of God’s wisdom. First, He gives wisdom to the wise; He is the source of all wisdom. Second, He reveals things that would remain unknown to humans. |
| (20–23) Daniel praises God for this revelation. |
| Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast [now] made known unto us the king’s matter. |
| He changeth… He removeth… He knoweth: Daniel praised God for His power and might. Daniel thought of how God is in command of all things, and how God is mightier than a mighty king like Nebuchadnezzar. |
| He giveth… He revealeth: Daniel praised God for His communication to man. All God’s power and might were of little help to Daniel if God stayed silent. Daniel was grateful that God revealed His great knowledge. |
| Who hast given… thou hast [now] made known unto us: Daniel had the certainty of faith to believe that God gave him the answer, even before confirming it before Nebuchadnezzar. |
| Our level of faith is often indicated by how long it takes us to start praising God. If we won’t praise Him until the answer is in hand, then we don’t have much faith. Greater faith is able to praise God when the promise is given and received. |
| 2:21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: |
| Daniel recognises that God alone “changeth the times and the seasons” (cf. Daniel 7:25 where a power on earth ‘thinks to change times and laws’). It is God’s prerogative to remove and set up kings as only He has the destiny of nations under His control ( cf. Daniel 7:25). |
| The LORD delights to bestow wisdom upon those who will use it wisely. |
| 21. And he. The pronoun is emphatic in the Aramaic. The effect may be shown in the English by the translation, “It is he that changeth”, etc.. |
| Times and the seasons. The two words are almost synonymous. The latter may refer to a more specific point of time; the former seems to stress more the idea of a period of time. |
| Removeth kings. Here is portrayed the true philosophy of human history. Kings and rulers are ultimately under the direction and control of an almighty Potentate (see Education 173; see verse 1 and Chapter 4:17). |
| Unto the wise. The Lord delights to bestow wisdom upon those who will use it wisely. He did this for Daniel, and He will do it today for every one who trusts fully in Him. |
| And he changeth the times and the seasons: |
| Daniel extols Almighty God as the one who alone can control the course of world events. Nature obeys His commands. He set the universe in motion and through His infinite wisdom, the earth’s seasons rotate in perfect precision. Night and day, light and dark, winter and summer are all creations of, and dependent upon, God’s eternal power. |
| He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: |
| As the King of kings, God oversees the setting up and removal of earthly kings. Here, Daniel is likely referring to the contents of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, having discerned that it pertains to future kingdoms that God will allow to rise and rule the earth. |
| He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: |
| As the source of all true wisdom, Almighty God may bestow His divine wisdom upon those He chooses. Those who boast of wisdom have been made wise by God. And those who have deep understanding have received their knowledge from God. Here, Daniel is obviously showing gratitude to God for revealing Nebuchadnezzar’s mysterious dream to him. Note that Daniel is always quick to credit God for his revelations. |
| And he changeth the times and the seasons – The object of this is to assert the general control of God in reference to all changes which occur. The assertion is made, undoubtedly, in view of the revolutions in empire which Daniel now saw, from the signification of the dream, were to take place under the Divine hand. Foreseeing now these vast changes denoted by different parts of the image Daniel 2:36–45, stretching into far–distant times, Daniel was led to ascribe to God the control over ”all” the revolutions which occur on earth. There is no essential difference between the words ”times” and ”seasons”. The words in Chaldee denote stated or appointed seasons; and the idea of times ”appointed, set, determined”, enters into both. Times and seasons are not under the control of chance, but are bounded by established laws; and yet God, who appointed these laws, has power to change them, and all the changes which occur under those laws are produced by his agency. Thus the changes which occur in regard to day and night, spring and summer, autumn and winter, clouds and sunshine, health and sickness, childhood and youth, manhood and age, are under his control. Such changes, being in accordance with certain laws, may be regarded as ”appointed”, or ”set”, and yet the laws and the revolutions consequent on them are all under his control. So in regard to the revolutions of empire. By the arrangements of his providence he secures such revolutions as he shall see it to be best should occur, and in all of them his high hand should be regarded. The words ”seasons” and ”times” are of frequent occurrence in Daniel, and are sometimes used in a peculiar sense (see Daniel 7:12, Daniel 7:25), but they seem here to be employed in their usual and general signification, to denote that ”all” the revolutions which occur on earth are under his control. |
| He removeth kings, and setteth up kings – He has absolute control over all the sovereigns of the earth, to place on the throne whom he will, and to remove them when he pleases. This was doubtless suggested to Daniel, and was made the foundation of this portion of his hymn of praise, from what he was permitted to see in the disclosures made to him in the interpretation of the dream. He then saw (compare Daniel 2:37–45) that there would be most important revolutions of kingdoms under the hand of God, and being deeply impressed with these great prospective changes, he makes this general statement, that it was the prerogative of God to do this at pleasure. Nebuchadnezzar was brought to feel this, and to recognize it, when he said Daniel 4:17, ”The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will”; ”he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” |
| Daniel 4:32, Daniel 4:35. This claim is often asserted for God in the Scriptures as a proof of his supremacy and greatness. ”For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south: but God is the judge; he putteth down one, and setteth up another”, Psalms 75:6–7. Compare 1Samuel 2:7–8. Thus he claimed absolute control over Sennacherib to employ him at his pleasure in executing his purposes of punishment on the Hebrew nation Isaiah 10:5–7, and thus over Cyrus to execute his purposes on Babylon, and to restore his people to their land, Isaiah 45:1. See also Isaiah 46:10–11. In this manner, all the kings of the earth may be regarded as under his control; and if the Divine plan were fully understood it would be found that each one has received his appointment under the Divine direction, to accomplish some important part in carrying forward the Divine plans to their fulfillment. A history of human affairs, showing the exact purpose of God in regard to each ruler who has occupied a throne, and the exact object which God designed to accomplish by placing ”him” on the throne at the time when he did, would be a far more important and valuable history than any which has been written. Of many such rulers, like Cyrus, Sennacherib, Pilate, Henry VIII, Edward VI, and the Elector of Saxony, we can see the reason why they lived and reigned when they did; and doubtless God has had some important end to accomplish in the development of his great plans in the case of every one who has ever occupied a throne. |
| He giveth wisdom unto the wise … – He is the source of all true wisdom and knowledge. This is often claimed for God in the Scriptures. Compare Proverbs 2:6–7: |
| For the Lord giveth wisdom; Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous; He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. |
| See also 1Kings 3:9–12; Exodus 31:3. |
| (21–22) And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. |
| To the secular historian, all that has happened is just a matter of chance, fortune or misfortune with no overruling hand of providence. But the outline of the future, depicted in this “night vision”, is undisputable evidence, from our perspective, that God even changes “times and seasons”, which even includes the weather. He overthrows and establishes “kings”, endows the foolish with “wisdom” and makes the “wise” even wiser. He is like a floodlight in the “darkness” and reveals secrets to those who seek Him, bringing to naught the plans and hopes of those who reject Him. |
| As we shall see, this “night vision” was only the beginning of what God revealed to Daniel in his subsequent visions. We can safely call this “vision” the skeletal outline of world history. It is a sketch of future events which are fleshed out in extraordinary detail in Chapters 7, 8, 9 and 10–12. Even today, men are still amazed at its accuracy and many are scratching their heads in wonder over many of Daniel’s revelations which are yet to be fulfilled. |
| Even though this vision is really quite open and plain, there are still some things that still lie unrecognized. We need to be humble and realize that “The truth is an advancing truth, and we must walk in the increasing light” [14]. |
| • [14] 1888 Materials page 547. |
| 2:22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. |
| 22. He revealeth. God reveals Himself in nature (Psalms 19), in personal experience, through the prophetic gift and other gifts of the Spirit (1Corinthians 12), and His written Word. |
| Deep. Things beyond human comprehension until revealed. |
| Darkness. That which man is unable to see is not hidden from the eye of God (see Psalms 139:12; 1John 1:5). |
| He revealeth the deep and secret things: |
| Daniel boasts that Almighty God is the revealer of the unfathomable depths of knowledge and wisdom. He alone has the power to uncover those things which are concealed. There is no unsearchable mystery which is not laid completely bare before Him. Nothing can hide from His eyes. |
| He knoweth what [is] in the darkness, |
| While we stumble in the darkness being unable to see, it is not so with God. There can be no absence of light with Him. Nothing can obscure his vision. |
| And the light dwelleth with him. |
| Because the light dwells with Him, darkness has no power to shroud anything from his view. Light shines forth from His being. All things are illuminated before Him. His knowledge and wisdom know no bounds. |
| He revealeth the deep and secret things – Things which are too profound for man to fathom by his own power, and which are concealed or hidden until he makes them known. What is said here is an advance on what was affirmed in the previous verse, and relates to another kind of knowledge. ”That” related to such knowledge as was not properly beyond the grasp of the human intellect when unaided in any supernatural manner, and affirmed that even then all discoveries and inventions are to be traced to God; ”this” refers to a species of knowledge which lies beyond any natural compass of the human powers, and in which a supernatural influence is needed – such things as the Chaldeans and astrologers claimed the power of disclosing. |
| He knoweth what [is] in the darkness – What appears to man to be involved in darkness, and on which no light seems to shine. This may refer not only to what is concealed from man in the literal darkness of night, but to all that is mysterious; all that lies beyond the range of human inquiry; all that pertains to unseen worlds. An immensely large portion of the universe lies wholly beyond the range of human investigation at present, and is, of course, dark to man. |
| And the light dwelleth with him – The word rendered ”dwelleth” means, properly, to loose, to unbind, to solve, as e.g., hard questions, Daniel 5:16; and is then applied to travelers who unbind the loads of their beasts to put up for the night, and then it comes to mean to put up for the night, to lodge, to dwell. Hence, the meaning is, that the light abides with God; it is there as in its appropriate dwelling–place; he is in the midst of it: all is light about him; light when it is sent out goes from him; when it is gathered together, its appropriate place is with him. Compare Job 38:19–20 : |
| Where is the way where light dwelleth? And as for darkness, where is the place thereof? That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, And that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof? |
| Compare also 1Timothy 6:16: ”Dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto”. 1John 1:5: ”God is light, and in him is no darkness at all”. |
| 2:23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast [now] made known unto us the king’s matter. |
| 23. Thank thee. The pronoun is emphatic in the Aramaic. The word order in the original is as follows: “To thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks”. |
| What we desired. Although the dream has been revealed to Daniel, he does not take all the credit to himself, but includes his companions who prayed with him. |
| It is intriguing to realize that this incredible revelation was opened to mankind because a heathen king had a bad night! |
| Interestingly, many centuries later at “Geneva, where Farel and Calvin had spread the truths of the Reformation, Gaussen preached the message of the second advent. While a student at school, Gaussen had encountered that spirit of rationalism which pervaded all Europe during the latter part of the eighteenth and the opening of the nineteenth century; and when he entered the ministry he was not only ignorant of true faith, but inclined to skepticism. In his youth he had become interested in the study of prophecy. After reading ‘Rollin’s Ancient History,’ his attention was called to the second Chapter of Daniel, and he was struck with the wonderful exactness with which the prophecy had been fulfilled, as seen in the historian’s record. Here was a testimony to the inspiration of the Scriptures, which served as an anchor to him amid the perils of later years. He could not rest satisfied with the teachings of rationalism, and in studying the Bible and searching for clearer light he was, after a time, led to a positive faith” [15]. |
| • [15] The Great Controversy by E.G. White, page 364. |
| And so, even from the time of Daniel, more than 2500 years ago, the ripple affect of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream has continued to reverberate throughout the generations of the ages even to our time. And, we might add, it will not cease until the very end of time! |
| I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, |
| Daniel prays to the God of his “fathers”, that is, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He blesses God with a heart of gratitude and worship. |
| Who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: |
| Daniel specifically praises God for enduing him with shrewdness, wisdom, and strength and for answering his urgent request. |
| For thou hast [now] made known unto us the king’s matter. |
| Note the “we” and “us” in this passage. Daniel is clearly thanking God for answering the prayer of both him and his three companions, who had all labored diligently in prayer seeking God’s wisdom in answering the king’s challenge. |
| I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers – By his ”fathers” here, Daniel refers doubtless to the Jewish people in general, and not to his own particular ancestors. The meaning of the phrase ”God of my fathers” is, that he had been their protector; had regarded them as his people; had conferred on them great favors. The particular ground of thanksgiving here is, that the same God who had so often revealed himself to the Hebrew people by the prophets in their own land, had now condescended to do the same thing to one of their nation, though a captive in a strange country. The favor thus bestowed had an increased value, from the fact that it showed that the Hebrew people were not forgotten, though far from the land of their birth, and that, though in captivity, they might still hope for the benign interposition of God. |
| Who hast given me wisdom and might – The word ”wisdom” here undoubtedly refers to the ability which had now been given him to declare the nature and purport of the dream, imparting to him a degree of wisdom far superior to those pretenders to whom the matter had been at first submitted. The word ”might” (Chaldee, strength) does not probably differ materially from ”wisdom”. It means ”ability” to interpret the dream – implying that it was a task beyond natural human ability. |
| For thou hast [now] made known unto us the king’s matter – That is, it had been made known to him and his friends. He joins himself with them, for, although it was particularly made known to him, yet, as they had united with him in prayer that the secret might be disclosed, and as they shared common dangers, he regarded it as in fact made known to them all. |
| Daniel gave the credit for the wisdom, and its resultant power that he had received, to it’s proper Source. Daniel did not originate these revelations but received them from God and communicated them to others (cf. 2 Peter 1:21). He viewed the vision as an answer to the prayers of himself and his three friends (Daniel 2:23). He was confident that the information God had given him would save their lives. This confidence is testimony to the clarity and obvious supernatural source of this revelation. Daniel did not need to contrive an answer that he hoped would satisfy the king, as the Babylonian seers did. He simply needed to declare the revelation that the only living and true God had given him. |
| We should bear this testimony of Daniel in mind when we read the later revelations God gave him in this Book. They are as reliable as this one was, because they too came from the God of wisdom and power. |
| 2:24 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 show unto the king the interpretation. |
| Daniel’s first concern was to plead for the wise [men] of Babylon. |
| 24. Destroy not the wise [men]. Daniel’s first concern was to plead for the wise [men] of Babylon, that the sentence of death upon them might be canceled. They had done nothing to earn their reprieve, but they were saved because of the presence of a righteous man in their midst. It has often been thus. The righteous are “the salt of the earth”. They have a preserving quality. Because of Paul’s presence in the ship the sailors and all aboard were saved (Acts 27:24). The wicked know not how much they owe to the righteous. Yet how often the wicked ridicule and persecute the very ones whom they should thank for the preservation of their lives. |
| This time, instead of going directly to the king as he did in verse 16, Daniel, following court protocol, first approached Arioch asking him not to carry out the king’s decree but to spare the lives of his fellow wise [men], another audacious thing to do. In order to reassure this officer that things would be all right, he confidently informed him that he could tell the king what he wanted to know. |
| Evidently, Arioch had delayed carrying out his orders, because this was at least 24 hours since Nebuchadnezzar had issued the death decree. Perhaps, Daniel’s question to Arioch in verse 15 gave the captain some hint that his bloody assignment might be canceled after all. |
| Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise [men] of Babylon: |
| After Daniel is given the dream and its interpretation, he first glorifies God and then goes before Arioch, Nebuchadnezzar’s chief captain. Arioch has been commanded to execute all of the wise [men] of Babylon, at the king’s command. |
| He went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise [men] of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will show unto the king the interpretation. |
| Daniel’s bold appeal to Arioch is rooted both in faith and knowledge. Daniel knows the only reason that King Nebuchadnezzar has ordered the execution of all of the wise [men] in Babylon is that he is desperate to know his dream. Daniel has faith that God has indeed revealed the entire dream and its interpretation to him. Armed with this knowledge, Daniel acts swiftly both to meet the king’s seemingly impossible demand while saving as many lives as possible in the meantime. He appeals to Arioch for a meeting with the king to show him his dream, and its interpretation. |
| Therefore Daniel went in, unto Arioch – In view of the fact that the matter was now disclosed to him, he proposed to lay it before the king. This of course, he did not do directly, but through Arioch, who was entrusted with the execution of the decree to slay the wise men of Babylon. That officer would naturally have access to the king, and it was proper that a proposal to arrest the execution of the sentence should be made through his instrumentality. The Chaldee is, properly, ”on this whole account ” – or, ”on this whole account because” – in accordance with the usually full and pleonastic mode of writing particles, Similar to the German ”alldieweil”, or the compound English ”forasmuch as”. The meaning is, that in view of the whole matter, he sought to lay the case before the king. |
| Destroy not the wise [men] of Babylon – That is, ”Stay the execution of the sentence on them. Though they have failed to furnish the interpretation demanded, yet, as it can now be given, there is no occasion for the exercise of this severity”. The ground of the sentence was that they could not interpret the dream. As the execution of the sentence involved Daniel and his friends, and as the reason why it was passed at all would now cease by his being able to furnish the required explanation, Daniel felt that it was a matter of mere justice that the execution of the sentence should cease altogether. |
| Bring me in before the king – It would seem from this that Daniel did not regard himself as having free access to the king, and he would not unceremoniously intrude himself into his presence. This verse confirms the interpretation given of Daniel 2:16, and makes it in the highest degree probable that this was the first occasion on which he was personally before the king in reference to this matter. |
| Daniel had to go through Arioch to get to the king, since the king had authorized Arioch to execute all the wise [men]. |
| The dream of Nebuchadnezzar and its interpretation. |
| (24–30) Daniel is ushered into the king’s presence, and gives glory to God for revealing the dream. |
| 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 show unto the king the interpretation. 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. 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? 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, show unto the king; 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; 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. 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. |
| I have found a man: Arioch tried to glorify himself and Daniel for the answer to the king’s dream. But Daniel refused to take credit, recognizing that the credit went to God, who revealed this dream to Daniel. |
| What shall come to pass: Nebuchadnezzar’s dream didn’t just concern himself for his kingdom, but the whole span of the future – which was to Nebuchadnezzar the latter days. |
| 2:25 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, perhaps in ignorance of Daniel’s interview with the king (v16), appears to take the undeserved credit. |
| 25. In haste. Possibly because of his great joy that the secret had been discovered. He might now be spared the gory task of executing all the wise [men], an assignment for which obviously he had no heart. |
| I have found. Arioch appears to take undeserved credit to himself, for his statement seems to imply that through strenuous efforts on his part he had discovered someone who could interpret the dream. However, Arioch may not have known of Daniel’s interview with the king (verse 16). In this case his statement would be the natural way of announcing the discovery. |
| Arioch’s “haste” is more than suggestive of his eagerness. Declaring he had “found a man . . . that will make known . . . the interpretation” suggests he was unaware of Daniel having already gone “in, and desired of the king” the day before. So, after hearing Daniel’s confident assertion, he lost no time rushing Daniel to the king. The eagerness of the captain to settle the problem bloodlessly, suggests he dreaded having to execute this assignment. Furthermore, he may have developed a degree of fondness for Daniel. If his “find” amounted only to a hollow attempt to placate the king, he himself would be in jeopardy along with the rest of the wise [men]. He must have been concerned also, for the safety of the other wise [men] whose pathetic pleadings for just another chance may have been ringing in his ears. So, he was only too glad to give Daniel a chance to settle the matter and spare him having to “cut [them all] in pieces”. Therefore, it seems, Arioch was not a cruel person. |
| Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, |
| Arioch appears eager to bring Daniel before the king, likely knowing the king’s desperation at decoding his unusual dream. (The haste with which Daniel is brought before the king also echoes a similar occurrence found in Genesis 41 when Joseph was brought up from the dungeon to interpret Pharaoh’s bizarre dream.) |
| And said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, |
| Here, we see Arioch’s probable motivation to gain the king’s favor. Arioch claims: “I have found among the captives…” revealing his desire to obtain credit for his discovery. Of course, if Daniel’s interpretation is wrong, it could cost Arioch. Such was the faith that Arioch had in Daniel’s wisdom. |
| Also, note that the answer to the king of Babylon’s dream will come, not from the wisest Babylonian, but from a Jewish exile. It is this type of humility that is the hallmark of God. Never forget that our God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise! (1Corinthians 1:27) |
| That will make known unto the king the interpretation. |
| In the following verses of this Chapter, Daniel will not only explain Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in painstaking detail but will also provide the king with its interpretation. This is something that no one but God could do, as Nebuchadnezzar is very aware. (See Daniel 2:47.) |
| Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste – The Chaldee word used here implies ”in tumultuous haste”, as of one who was violently excited, or in a state of trepidation – ”to tremble, to be in trepidation”. |
| I have found a man – Margin, as in Chaldee. |
| Of the captives of Judah – Margin, as in Chaldee, ”of the children of the captivity”. The word ”Judah” here probably refers to the ”country” rather than to the ”people”, and means that he was among those who had been brought from the land of Judah. |
| That will make known unto the king the interpretation – It is clear, from the whole narrative, that Arioch had great confidence in Daniel. All the ”evidence” which he could halve that he would be able to make this known, must have been from the fact that Daniel ”professed” to be able to do it; but such was his confidence in him that he had no doubt that he would be able to do it. |
| Daniel convinced Arioch that he could identify the king’s dream and interpret it. The king’s commander therefore ushered Daniel into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence and presented him as someone Arioch had discovered, among the exiles of Judah of all people! Obviously the commander hoped to put himself in the king’s favor and to enjoy some of the reward that Daniel would receive. Arioch had great confidence in Daniel. If Daniel failed, Arioch would suffer the king’s wrath. Actually, Daniel had sought Arioch out, not the other way around. |
| 2:26 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? |
| 26. Belteshazzar. For the meaning of this name and the reason why it was given to Daniel see Chapter 1:7. In Nebuchadnezzar’s presence Daniel naturally assumed his Babylonian name. |
| The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name [was] Belteshazzar, |
| Once before the king, Daniel’s Babylonian name Belteshazzar is employed in the text. This name was bestowed upon him back in Daniel 1:7. Ironically, this name means: “Prince of Bel” or “Bel protect the king”. Bel is the Babylonian word for Lord and was used to refer to Marduk, the chief god of Babylon. |
| However, as Nebuchadnezzar will soon realize, Marduk is powerless to interpret his dream. Only the true God of Israel has such power. |
| Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? |
| You can almost hear the surprise in Nebuchadnezzar’s question. Here is a Jewish exile, albeit of good reputation, but a Jewish exile nonetheless. Nebuchadnezzar is about to come face to face with the awesome power of the God of Israel. The king has taken comfort in the many false gods of Babylon. It is likely that the king wondered how a Jewish exile, so unlearned in invoking the powers of Babylon’s false gods, could possibly do what no other wise man in his kingdom has been capable of doing… Namely, telling the king his dream and interpreting it. |
| The king answered, and said to Daniel, whose name [was] Belteshazzar – see Daniel 1:7. The ”king” may have addressed him by this name, and probably did during this interview. This was the name, it would seem, by which he was known in Babylon – a name which implied honor and respectability, as being conferred on one whom it was supposed the principal Babylonian divinity favored. |
| Art thou able to make known unto me the dream? – One of the first points in the difficulty was to recall ”the dream itself”, and hence, this was the first inquiry which the king presented. If he could not recall that, of course the matter was at an end, and the law would be suffered to take its course. |
| (26–27) Arioch had focused on Daniel as the solution to the king’s problem. Nebuchadnezzar viewed him the same way. Daniel, however, quickly redirected the king’s attention from himself and placed it where it belonged, on God who revealed the future. No human being, neither the Babylonian wise [men] nor himself, could provide what the king required. Daniel used a new name for one of these groups of seers here: “diviners”, meaning astrologers. They tried to draw information about the future from the heavens, but “the God of heavens” had revealed the mystery. |
| Specifically it was information about “the end of the days” that God had given Daniel for the king (Daniel 2:28). This phrase occurs first in Genesis 49:1 and always refers to the future. The context determines how much of the future is in view, but it usually focuses on Messiah’s appearance. |
| 2:27 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, show unto the king; |
| 27. Cannot the wise [men]. Daniel had no desire to exalt himself above the wise men. He aimed, rather, to impress upon the king the futility of trusting his wise [men] for counsel and help. He hoped to turn the king’s eyes to the great God in heaven, the God whom Daniel worshiped, the God of the Hebrews, whose people had been conquered by the king. |
| The astrologers, the magicians. See Chapter 1:20. |
| Soothsayers. Aramaic gazerin, from a root meaning “to cut”, “to determine”. Hence the generally accepted meaning is “the deciders”, or “the determiners [of destiny]”. From the position of the stars, by various arts of computation and divining, these soothsayers thought they could determine the future (see Chapter 1:20). |
| Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, |
| Here, Daniel is standing in the presence of one of the world’s most powerful monarchs of the ancient world. He is preparing to deliver a stunning message that will greatly impact the king’s entire world-view. Let’s listen carefully to the words of Daniel. |
| The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise [men], the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king; |
| In this stunning statement, Daniel informs King Nebuchadnezzar that no mere mortal can explain the contents nor provide an interpretation of the king’s prophetic dream. Daniel exposes the fraudulent soothsayers that the king takes comfort in, one by one. |
| The wise [men] (Original language: “chakkim”; literally those steeped in occultic knowledge and learning in ancient Babylon) |
| The astrologers (Original language: “gezar”; literally those who determine fates) |
| The magicians (Original language: “chartom”; this word is often used of Egyptian magicians in Exodus, literally those possessing occult knowledge and drawing or engraving magical lines or circles) |
| The soothsayers – enchanters (Original language: “ashaph”; literally a conjurer or a necromancer) |
| Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded, cannot the wise [men] … show unto the king – Daniel regarded it as a settled and indisputable point that the solution could not be hoped for from the Chaldean sages. The highest talent which the realm could furnish had been applied to, and had failed. It was clear, therefore, that there was no hope that the difficulty would be removed by human skill. Besides this, Daniel would seem also to intimate that the thing, from the necessity of the case, was beyond the compass of the human powers. Alike in reference to the question whether a forgotten dream could be recalled, and to the actual ”signification” of a dream so remarkable as this, the whole matter was beyond the ability of man. |
| The wise [men], the astrologers … – On these words, see Daniel 1:20. All these words occur in that verse, except the word rendered ”soothsayers”. This is derived from gezar – ”to cut, to cut off”; and then ”to decide, to determine”; and it is thus applied to those who decide or determine the fates or destiny of men; that is, those who ”by casting nativities from the place of the stars at one’s birth, and by various arts of computing and divining, foretold the fortunes and destinies of individuals”. The Greek is the Chaldee word in Greek letters. This is one of the words – not very few in number – which the authors of the Greek version did not attempt to translate. Such words, however, are not useless, as they serve to throw light on the question how the Hebrew and Chaldee were pronounced before the vowel points were affixed to those languages. |
| (27–28) 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; 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; |
| So, Daniel precedes his answer with a personal disclaimer confirming the truth of what the other wise [men] had said, that “there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh” (Verse 11). But polytheistic “gods” in their answer was countered by Daniel’s reference to the monotheistic “God in heaven” without having to be bribed and cajoled like the other imaginary gods. |
| Note that verse 27, and the first part of verse 28 comprise one sentence indicating that Daniel, surmising what was on the king’s mind, felt he had to talk fast, yet he would not forget to give all the credit of his amazing revelation to the One who had revealed it to him. |
| Note the assurance in Daniel’s claim “Thy dream, and the visions . . . are these”, not “maybe” or “perhaps”. His confidence in the information given him in the “night vision” was absolute. |
| 2:28 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; |
| Daniel directs the king to the God of the Hebrews, whose people the king had just conquered. |
| God had revealed to him the future developments – from that time until Christ’s second coming – not to satisfy his curiosity but for instruction, to awaken in his mind a sense of personal responsibility toward heavenly programme. |
| 28. Latter days. See Isaiah 2:2. The message of the dream was for the instruction of Nebuchadnezzar as well as of the rulers and people to the end of time (see verse 1). The outline of prophecy carries us from Nebuchadnezzar’s day (see verse 29) down to the end of the world and the second coming of Christ (see verses 44, 45). Nebuchadnezzar had been looking forward with anxious forebodings to the future (see SL 34). God revealed to him the future, not to satisfy his curiosity, but to awaken in his mind a sense of personal responsibility toward the program of heaven. |
| But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, |
| Note the singularity of Daniel’s statement. There is “a God” — one God, not many gods as the Babylonians believed — who resides in the heavens above. |
| Daniel is careful to ascribe honor and glory, not to human wisdom, but to his God as the one who “revealeth secrets”. |
| And maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. |
| Daniel explains that King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was “maketh known” to him by this one God of heaven. Notice that the purpose of this dream is to reveal “what will be in the latter days”. That is, the interpretation of this dream will contain information regarding the future, but specifically, the end times. |
| As we will see, the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s astonishing dream contains important eschatological knowledge that will be confirmed, and added to, in other parts of scripture. |
| Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; |
| At last, we come to the climax of this ancient occurrence. Daniel, standing in the presence of the King of Babylon, boldly announces that he will now declare the contents and interpretation of his dream, not by might, but by the power of God. What no other “wise man” in Babylon could do, Daniel will do, by God’s power and revelation. |
| But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets – One of the principal objects contemplated in all that occurred respecting this dream and its interpretation was, to direct the mind of the monarch to the true God, and to secure the acknowledgment of his supremacy. Hence, it was so ordered that those who were most eminent for wisdom, and who were regarded as the favorites of heaven, were constrained to confess their entire inability to explain the mystery. The way was thus prepared to show that he who ”could” do this must be the true God, and must be worthy of adoration and praise. |
| And maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar – Margin, ”hath made”. The translation in the text is more correct, for it was not true that he had as yet actually made these things known to the king. He had furnished intimations of what was to occur, but he had not yet been permitted to understand their signification. |
| What shall be in the latter days – Greek – ”in the last days”. Vulgate, – ”in the last times”. Chaldee, – ”in the after days”; or, as Faber expresses it, ”in the afterhood of days”. The phrase means what we should express by saying, ”hereafter – in future times – in time to come”. This phrase often has special reference to the times of the Messiah, as the last dispensation of things on the earth, or as that under which the affairs of the world will be wound up. See Isaiah 2:2. It does not appear, however, to be used in that sense here, but it denotes merely ”future” times. The phrase ”the latter days”, therefore, does not exactly convey the sense of the original. It is ”future days” rather than ”latter days”. |
| Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed – The phrase ”visions of thy head” means conceptions or notions formed by the brain. It would seem from this, that, even in the time of Daniel, the brain was regarded as, in some sense, the organ of thinking, or that ”thought” had its seat in the head. We are not to suppose that by the use of these different expressions Daniel meant to describe two things, or to intimate that Nebuchadnezzar had had visions which were distinct. What he saw might be described as a dream or a vision; it, in fact, had the nature of both. |
| 2:29 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. |
| 29. Hereafter. In this dream are depicted future developments beginning with the time of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar and extending to the end of the world. |
| Although the “dream / vision” is by now more than 2500 years old, it is far more significant to us now then it was to Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar. While they could only guess at the significance of much of it in their time, now, we can look back through the eyes of credible historians and confirm its accuracy even going so far as to attach dates and names of kings and nations who came and went in precise fulfillment of this most remarkable of prophecies. |
| As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came [into thy mind] upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: |
| Daniel begins by telling the king specific details. Namely, the thoughts came to Nebuchadnezzar as he laid in bed. And these thoughts pertained to things that would take place in the future. |
| And he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. |
| Once again, Daniel confirms that it was the God of heaven who revealed these prophetic mysteries to the king. Daniel is faithful to His God and always seeks to ensure that He is the one receiving credit, not himself. |
| As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came [into thy mind] upon thy bed – Margin, ”up”; that is, thy thoughts ascended. The Chaldee is, ”thy thoughts ascended”?. So the Greek: ”Thy thoughts ascended upon thy couch”. There is, evidently, some allusion to the thoughts ”ascending”, or ”going up”; and perhaps the idea is, that they were employed on important subjects – an idea which we now express by saying that one’s thoughts are ”elevated”, as contrasted with those which are ”low” and ”grovelling”. |
| Daniel then related the king’s dream and its interpretation. He proceeded to remind Nebuchadnezzar that before he had fallen asleep, he had been thinking about the future. The dream that God had given him was a divine revelation of what that future would hold. |
| No dream [recorded or referred to in the Bible], before this or since, has ever revealed so much of world history. |
| Daniel then assured the king again, that it was the true God who was responsible for this revelation, rather than Daniel himself, who was no greater than any other man. Thus Daniel gave all the glory to God (cf. Joseph in Genesis 41:16). It was important for Nebuchadnezzar to receive this revelation, since he was to be the first Gentile king in a significant period of history, namely: the times of the Gentiles. “times of the Gentiles” refers to the period during which Gentile nations would dominate Israel, lasting until Messiah subjugates Gentile power under His reign. |
| 2:30 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. |
| 30. [Their] sakes. “Their” is a supplied word. The clause reads literally, “but on account of the thing that they may make known to the king the interpretation”. “They” appears to be used impersonally. The LXX probably gives the simplest meaning of the passage, “Moreover, this mystery has not been revealed to me by reason of wisdom which is in me beyond all living, but for the sake of making known the interpretation to the king, that thou mightest know the thoughts of thine heart”. |
| Once again as in verse 28, Daniel reminds the king there was no wisdom within himself. Note that for “[their] sakes” the thing was to be made known. Although “their” is a supplied word, still he seems to mean that the dream was to be made known, not only for the sake of the king, but for all the “living” from that time forth. Instead of its significance diminishing with time, its significance has grown in relevance. All who make the effort to familiarized themselves with it, can can be confident that the final detail of this vision will be fulfilled with absolute certainty. |
| But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for [any] wisdom that I have more than any living, |
| Notice how Daniel carefully deliberates before sharing the interpretation of the king’s dream. He obviously wants to separate himself in the king’s mind from all of the other “wise” men in Babylon by deflecting credit for his revelations. Instead, Daniel explains that the interpretation came to him, not because he is wiser than any other living person, but for the benefit of the king. |
| But for [their] sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart. |
| Here, Daniel explains the purpose of the interpretation. Namely, to help the king understand the profound nature of the dream. |
| But as for me – So far as I am concerned in this matter, or whatever skill or wisdom I may evince in the interpretation, it is not to be traced to myself. The previous verse commences with the expression ”as for thee”; and in this verse, by the phrase ”as for me”, Daniel puts himself in strong contrast with the king. The way in which this was done was not such as to flatter the vanity of the king, and cannot be regarded as the art of the courtier, and yet it was such as would be universally adopted to conciliate his favor, and to give him an elevated idea of the modesty and piety of the youthful Daniel. In the previous verse he says, that, as to what pertained to the king, God had greatly honored him by giving him important intimations of what was yet to occur. |
| This secret is not revealed to me for [any] wisdom that I have more than any living – That is, ”it is not ”by” any wisdom which I have above others, nor is it ”on account of” any previous wisdom which I have possessed or manifested”. There is an absolute and total disclaimer of the idea that it was in any sense, or in any way, on account of his own superiority in wisdom. All the knowledge which he had in the case was to be traced entirely to God. |
| But for [their] sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king – Margin, ”or, the intent that the interpretation may be made known”. The margin is the more correct rendering, and should have been admitted into the text. The literal translation is, ”but on account of the thing that they might make known the interpretation to the king”. The word rendered ”make known” is indeed in the plural, but it is evidently used in an impersonal sense, meaning that the interpretation would be made known. ”It was to the intent that they might make it known”; that is, that somebody might do it, or that it might be done. |
| And that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart – In reference to this matter; that is, that he might be able to recall the thoughts which passed through his mind in the dream. This Daniel 2:27–30 is the introduction to the important disclosure which Daniel was about to make to the king. |
| 2:31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible. |
| Image – a statue. |
| Terrible – dreadful. |
| 31. Image. Aramaic for “a statue”, corresponding to the Hebrew, which also may be translated “statue”. In every instance except one (Psalms 39:6, where it is translated “vain shew”) the KJV translates it as “image”, though statue would be an appropriate translation in a number of instances, such as 2Kings 11:18; 2Chronicles 23:17; Amos 5:26. Whose brightness [was] excellent. Or, as in the LXX, “whose appearance was extraordinary”. |
| Terrible. Or, “dreadful”. The word occurs again in Daniel 7:7, 19. |
| Subsequent verses indicate this figure to be in the “form” of a man because he had a “head, breast, arms, belly, legs” and “feet”. It was a splendid “image” of great height and impressive musculature with a “terrible”, or terrifying expression on the face. Its stance was a menacing position. Overall, it was threatening, intimidating. Little wonder it was disturbing to the king! |
| Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. |
| At last, the prophet Daniel unveils the specifics of the king’s mysterious dream. As the dream opens, the king sees a single massive statue. In the original language (Aramaic), this “great image” is literally one exceedingly great (large) image (or statue). |
| This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible. |
| Daniel re–emphasizes the sheer size of this statue or image by calling it “mighty” (literally “great” in Aramaic) and adds that it boasted an “exceeding brightness”. In essence, Daniel suggests that this statue, which we will later learn has the appearance of a man, has an extraordinary and surpassing splendor. It must have been an amazing sight to behold. However, its “appearance was frightening”. The king was in shock and awe of this extraordinarily massive statue. This formidable image was so dreadful, it frightened the king of Babylon, the most powerful man on earth. |
| Thou, O king, sawest – Margin, ”wast seeing”. The margin is in accordance with the Chaldee. The language is properly what denotes a prolonged or attentive observation. He was in an attitude favorable to vision, or was looking with intensity, and there appeared before him this remarkable image. Compare Daniel 7:1–2, Daniel 7:4, Daniel 7:6. It was not a thing which appeared for a moment, and then vanished, but which remained so long that he could contemplate it with accuracy. |
| And, behold, a great image – Chaldee, ”one image that was grand”. The object seems to be to fix the attention on the fact that there was but ”one” image, though composed of so different materials, and of materials that seemed to be so little fitted to be worked together into the same statue. The idea, by its being represented as ”one”, is, that it was, in some respects, ”the same kingdom” that he saw symbolized: that is, that it would extend over the same countries, and could be, in some sense, regarded as a prolongation of the same empire. There was so much of ”identity”, though different in many respects, that it could be represented as ”one”. The word rendered ”image” denotes properly ”a shade”, or ”shadow”, and then anything that ”shadows forth”, or that represents anything. |
| It is applied to man Genesis 1:27 as shadowing forth, or representing God; that is, there was something in man when he was created which had so far a resemblance to God that he might be regarded as an ”image” of him. The word is often used to denote idols – as supposed to be a ”representation” of the gods, either in their forms, or as shadowing forth their character as majestic, stern, mild, severe, merciful, etc.. Numbers 33:52; 1Samuel 6:5; 2Kings 11:18; 2Chronicles 23:17; Ezekiel 7:20; Ezekiel 16:17; Ezekiel 23:14; Amos 5:26. |
| This great image – The word here rendered ”great” is different from that used in the previous clause, though it is not easy to determine the exact difference between the words. Both denote that the image was of gigantic dimensions. |
| Whose brightness [was] excellent – ”Whose brightness ”excelled”, or was unusual and remarkable”. The word rendered brightness is found only in Daniel. It is rendered ”brightness” in Daniel 2:31; Daniel 4:36, and in the margin in Daniel 5:6, Daniel 5:9; and ”countenance” in Daniel 5:6 (text), and in Daniel 2:9–10; Daniel 7:28. From the places where it is found, particularly Daniel 4:36, it is clear that it is used to denote a certain beauty, or majesty, shining forth in the countenance, which was fitted to impress the beholder with awe. |
| Stood before thee – It stood over against him in full view. He had an opportunity of surveying it clearly and distinctly. |
| And the form thereof [was] terrible – Vast, imposing, grand, fearful. The sudden appearance of such an object as this could not but fill the mind with terror. The design for which this representation was made to Nebuchadnezzar is clearly unfolded in the explanation which Daniel gives. It may be remarked here, in general, that such an appearance of a gigantic image was well adapted to represent successive kingdoms, and that the representation was in accordance with the spirit of ancient times. |
| Daniel next pictured clearly and concisely what Nebuchadnezzar had seen in his dream. The king had been viewing a large statue that was standing before him. There is no basis in the text for concluding that this was an idol. The statue was extremely splendid and awe–inspiring because of its appearance. |
| (31–35) Daniel describes Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. |
| Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible. This image’s head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 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. |
| Behold, a great image: Daniel’s description was clear. This was a massive and spectacular image made of different materials (fine gold… silver… bronze… iron… partly of iron and partly of clay). |
| The materials descended in value from top to bottom, with gold at the top and iron mixed with clay at the bottom. |
| Brake them to pieces: This spectacular image was destroyed by a stone made without hands, and what remained of it was blown away like worthless chaff, while the stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. |
| 2:32 This image’s head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, |
| 4 (metals) is often linked with the world. 4 metals being symbolic of mankind. |
| Fine (or pure) gold. |
| Thighs – the upper part of the hips. |
| Brass – bronze (or copper). |
| Fine gold. That is, “pure gold”. |
| Brass. Rather, “bronze”, or “copper” (see on 2Samuel 8:8; 1Kings 7:47). |
| This image’s head [was] of fine gold, |
| At the top of this dreadful and formidable statue is the “head” or “resh” in Aramaic which means head, or chief (related to Hebrew: “Rosh”). The head was composed of fine gold |
| His breast and his arms of silver, |
| The statue’s chest (lit. breast) and its arms are composed of silver. Note that the strength of a man is often considered to be in the “arms”. (2Samuel 22:35; Daniel 11:6) |
| His belly and his thighs of brass, |
| The statue’s “middle” (lit. belly, and can even imply internal organs in the stomach), as well as its thighs (and loin), are composed of “bronze”. In the original Aramaic, this word refers either to bronze or copper. Regardless, note that bronze is not a pure single metal, but instead an alloy metal that is created by mixing copper with other metals, often tin. Throughout history, bronze has been used in ship making due to its water–resistant properties, thus preventing corrosion. |
| This image’s head [was] of fine gold – Chaldee, ”good gold” – that is, fine, pure, unalloyed. The whole head of the figure, colossal as it was, appeared to be composed wholly of this. Had the ”whole” image been made of gold, it would not have been so striking – for it was not uncommon to construct vast statues of this metal. Compare Daniel 3:1. But the remarkable peculiarity of this image was, that it was composed of different materials, some of which were seldom or never used in such a structure, and all of which had a peculiar significancy. On the significancy of this part of the figure, and the resemblance between this head of gold and Nebuchadnezzar himself, see Daniel 2:37–38. |
| His breast and his arms of silver – The word rendered ”breast” is in the plural number, in accordance with common usage in the Hebrew, by which several members of the human body are often expressed in the plural; as – ”faces”, etc.. There is a foundation for such a usage in nature, in the two–fold form of many of the portions of the human body. The portion of the body which is here represented is obviously the upper portion of the front part – what is prominently visible when we look at the human frame. Next to the head it is the most important part, as it embraces most of the vital organs. Some degree of inferiority, as well as the idea of succession, would be naturally represented by this. |
| His belly and his thighs of brass – Margin, ”sides”. It is not necessary to enter minutely into an examination of the words here used. The word ”belly” denotes, unquestionably, the regions of the abdomen as externally visible. The word rendered ”thighs” in the text is rendered ”sides” in the margin. It is, like the word ”breast” in the previous verse, in the plural number and for the same reason. The Hebrew word is commonly rendered ”thigh” in the Scriptures (Genesis 24:2, Genesis 24:9; Genesis 32:25 (26), 31, 32(32, 33), et al.), though it is also frequently rendered ”side”, Exodus 32:27; Exodus 40:22, Exodus 40:24; Leviticus 1:11; Numbers 3:29, et al. It is that part on which the sword was formerly worn, Exodus 32:27; Judges 3:16, Judges 3:21; Psalms 45:3 (4). It is not improperly here rendered ”thighs”, and the portion of the figure that was of brass was that between the breast and the lower legs, or extended from the breast to the knees. The word is elsewhere employed to denote the shaft or main trunk of the golden candlestick of the tabernacle, Exodus 25:31; Exodus 37:17; Numbers 8:4. |
| Of brass – An inferior metal, and denoting a kingdom of inferior power or excellence. On the kingdom represented by this, see Daniel 2:39. |
| (32–33) This image’s head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. |
| Interestingly, the major portion of the image was composed of sturdy metallic material while the feet, the most important component of its support was composed of what we could call reinforced concrete, substance far weaker than its preceding parts except for the soft golden “head”. |
| Nothing is said here about the position of its arms or legs leaving it up to us to fill in the picture with our imagination. Therefore, it is left up to us to decide what it should look like and we can allow the artist free reign on that matter. Most of us are familiar with various artistic renditions that depict its arms folded and legs together. |
| This dream is, in essence, a pictorial, sequential outline of world history from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to an event which is yet to come in the near future. We can say “near” because all of the elements mentioned in verses 32 and 33 have been fulfilled in detail! |
| The head was of fine gold. Its chest and arms were silver. Its abdomen and thighs were bronze. Its lower legs were iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and clay. Archaeologists have discovered similar images made of several types of precious metals in Babylonia. |
| Note that: • 1. The head is the only member of the body made of only one metal. All the other parts had more than one substance with the exception of the arms. For example, the upper torso was silver but bronze lower down. The same was true of the legs and feet. • 2. There is a consistently decreasing value to the substances beginning at the top and proceeding to the bottom of the image. • 3. The image was top–heavy. The specific gravity of gold is about 19, silver about 11, brass about 8.5, and iron 7.8. • 4. The substances progress from the softest to the hardest, top to bottom. The feet are a non–adhering combination of very hard and hard but fragile materials. The clay in view may have been baked clay that the Babylonians used as tiles in construction projects. |
| Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Statue |
| Head – – – – – – – Gold – – Valuable – – – – Soft – – – – – – Self–contained unit – – – Heavy – – Smallest |
| Chest & arms – – – Silver – – Less valuable – – – Harder – – – – 1 unit & 2 parts – – – – Lighter – – Larger |
| Abdomen & Thighs – Bronze – Even less valuable – Even harder – 1 unit & 2 different parts – Even lighter – Even larger |
| Lower Legs – – – – Iron – – Still less valuable – – – Still harder – – – – – 2 parts – – – – Still lighter – Still larger |
| Feet & Toes – – – – Iron & clay – Least valuable – Very hard and very soft – 2 parts & 10 segments – Lightest – Largest |
| The materials – – Their interpretation |
| Gold – – – – – Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian Empire |
| Silver – – – – – The Medo–Persian Empire |
| Bronze – – – – The Greek Empire |
| Iron – – – – – The Roman Empire of the past |
| Iron and Clay – – The Roman Empire immediately before Christ’s second coming |
| Rock – – – – – The messianic kingdom of Christ |
| 2:33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. |
| The precise brass/iron transition on the legs is not clear. |
| Clay – earthen vessel or a potsherd rather than the clay itself – i.e.. ‘moulded clay’ or ‘earthware’. |
| 33. Legs. The word thus translated seems here to refer to the lower part of the legs. The word translated “thighs” (verse 32) refers to the upper part of the hips. Precisely where on the leg the transition from brass to iron occurred is not clear from these words. |
| Clay. Aramaic chasaph. From an examination of the cognate languages chasaph seems to designate an earthen vessel or a potsherd rather than the clay itself from which these objects are formed. The word for “clay”, occurs in verses 41, 43, in connection with chasaph, and is there translated “miry”. It seems better, therefore, in verse 33 to translate chasaph “molded clay”, or “earthenware”, rather than simply “clay”. |
| His legs of iron, |
| Daniel continues to move down the statue describing the content of each body part. Next, he comes to the legs which he describes as being made of iron. Iron is the strongest of all of the metals mentioned so far in this passage and, figuratively speaking, carries the meaning of harshness, strength, or oppression. |
| Iron is known for its strength but also its usefulness. When heated, a skilled blacksmith can work it into practically any imaginable shape. Finally, it should be noted that unlike gold or silver, iron is prone to rust and corrosion. Prolonged exposure to oxygen leads to the formation of a new compound known as oxide, which serves to weaken the metal at the atomic level. |
| His feet part of iron |
| The statue’s feet (“regal”) are also composed of iron. The feet carry their own unique importance in that they are what support men when standing upright (Ezekiel 3:24). The feet are required to physically move and follow. We stumble when our feet slip (Psalms 121:3; Matthew 18:8) and men use their feet to run to evil (Proverbs 1:16). Proverbs 6:13 even states that men can “speak” with their feet, obviously referring to how our actions can speak volumes for both good purposes (Romans 10:15) and evil purposes (Romans 3:15). We also “tread” things down with our feet. (Ezekiel 34:18,19; Matthew 7:6) |
| Finally, in John’s vision of the Lord on the island of Patmos, we learn that Jesus’ feet appeared “like burnished bronze when it has been made to glow in a furnace” (Revelation 1:15, 2:18). |
| And part of clay. |
| In addition to being partially composed of iron, the statue’s feet are also partially made of clay (“chasaph”), which literally means “pottery”. Unlike the head of pure gold and the arms of pure silver, the feet of this statue is composed of a blend of iron and clay. |
| In summary, all of the body parts of this statue are composed of earthly elements. This is an early indication that whatever these body parts represent (as Daniel will reveal later in this Chapter), it is human, in nature. |
| His legs of iron – The portion of the lower limbs from the knees to the ankles. This is undoubtedly the usual meaning of the English word ”legs”, and it as clearly appears to be the sense of the original word here. Iron was regarded as inferior to either of the other metals specified, and yet was well adapted to denote a kingdom of a particular kind – less noble in some respects, and yet hardy, powerful, and adapted to tread down the world by conquest. On the application of this, see Daniel 2:40. |
| His feet part of iron and part of clay – As to his feet; or in respect to his feet, they were partly of iron and partly of clay – a mixture denoting great strength, united with what is fragile and weak. The word rendered ”clay” in this place is found nowhere else except in this Chapter, and is always rendered ”clay”, Daniel 2:33–35, Daniel 2:41 (twice), 42, 43 (twice), 45. In some instances Daniel 2:41, Daniel 2:43, the epithet ”miry” is applied to it. This would seem to imply that it was not ”burnt or baked clay”, or ”earthenware”, but clay in its natural state. The idea would seem to be, that the framework, so to speak, was iron, with clay worked in, or filling up the interstices, so as to furnish an image of strength combined with what is weak. That it would be well adapted represent a kingdom that had many elements of permanency in it, yet that was combined with things that made it weak – a mixture of what was powerful with what was liable to be crushed; capable of putting forth great efforts, and of sustaining great shocks, and yet having such elements of feebleness and decay as to make it liable to be overthrown. For the application of this, see Daniel 2:41–43. |
| 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. |
| Stone – no ordinary stone but one cut and formed by God. |
| Cut out – quarried or broken out. |
| 34. Cut out. Or, “quarried”, or “broken out”. |
| Without hands. That is, unaided by human agencies. |
| This is THE event yet to be fulfilled. The three features in this final part of the vision include the “stone”, the cutting “out . . . without hands” and the “feet”. They are full of meaning which Daniel will interpret. Worthy of note is that this final stage of earth’s history covers a period of time much longer than the combined “gold, silver, brass” and “iron” of its succeeding parts. The head began in 605 BC and the legs ended in 476 AD, when Rome was overcome by the Barbarians. The head to the leg part of the image covers 1,080 years [605 BC to 476 AD with no zero year] of history. Whereas, the “feet”, up to the year 2022, covers 1,546 years – and still counting! Playing with figures, the ratio after completion of year 2036, which gives 1,560 years, would be 1,560 / 1,080 = 1.444444444444 (re–occurring 4), where 4 represents earthly things. Also note that 1,560 = [2x2x2x3x5]x13 whereas 1,080 = [2x2x2x3x5]x9. So again, there is similarity; and note that 13 – 9 = 4 (earthly things) once more. Also, 1,560 and 1,080 are both divisible by 40, giving 39 and 27. Do these numbers sound familiar? How many Books are there in the Old and New Testament? Isn’t this the way that God – the greatest mathematician – works? |
| Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, |
| After describing this stunning statue in intricate detail, Daniel continues by telling King Nebuchadnezzar about the next phase of his dream in which he saw “a stone” that was miraculously “cut out” out of a mountain, without the aid of human hands. Note that this act of seemingly divine origins is in sharp contrast to the human and earthly nature of the statue. |
| Which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, |
| Next, note that this stone strikes this immense statue on its feet, which are composed of iron and clay. |
| And brake them to pieces. |
| When the stone smites the statue’s feet, it shatters them into many pieces, likely separating the iron from the clay in the process. |
| Thou sawest – Chaldee, ”Thou wast seeing”; that is, thou didst continue to behold, implying that the vision was of somewhat long continuance. It did not appear and then suddenly vanish, but it remained so long that he had an opportunity of careful observation. |
| Till that a stone was cut out without hands – That is, from a mountain or hill, Daniel 2:45. This idea is expressed in the Latin and the Greek version. The vision appears to have been that of a colossal image ”standing on a plain” in the vicinity of a mountain, standing firm, until, by some unseen agency, and in an unaccountable manner, a stone became detached from the mountain, and was made to impinge against it. The margin here is, ”which was not in his hands”. The more correct rendering of the Chaldee, however, is that in the text, literally, ”a stone was cut out which was not by hands”: or perhaps still more accurately, ”a stone was cut out which was not in hands”, so that the fact that it was not in or by ”hands” refers rather to its not being projected by hands than to the manner of its being detached from the mountain. The essential idea is, that the agency of hands did not appear at all in the case. The stone seemed to be self–moved. It became detached from the mountain, and, as if instinct with life, struck the image and demolished it. The word rendered ”stone” determines nothing as to the ”size” of the stone, but the whole statement would seem to imply that it was not of large dimensions. It struck upon ”the feet” of the image, and it ”became” itself a great mountain Daniel 2:35 – all which would seem to imply that it was at first not large. What increased the astonishment of the monarch was, that a stone of such dimensions should have been adequate to overthrow so gigantic a statue, and to grind it to powder. The points on which it was clearly intended to fix the attention of the monarch, and which made the vision so significant and remarkable, were these: |
| • (a) the colossal size and firmness of the image; |
| • (b) the fact that a stone, not of large size, should be seen to be self detached from the mountain, and to move against the image; |
| • (c) the fact that it should completely demolish and pulverize the colossal figure; and |
| • (d) the fact that then this stone of inconsiderable size should be itself mysteriously augmented until it filled the world. |
| Which smote the image upon his feet – The word here used means, to ”strike”, to ”smite”, without reference to the question whether it is a single blow, or whether the blow is often repeated. The Hebrew word is uniformly used as refering to ”the clapping of the hands”; that is, smiting them together, Psalms 98:8; Isaiah 55:12; Ezekiel 25:6. The Chaldee word is used only here and in Daniel 2:35, referring to the smiting of the image, and in Daniel 4:35 (32), where it is rendered ”stay” – ”none can stay his hand”. The connection here, and the whole statement, would seem to demand the sense of a continued or prolonged smiting, or of repeated blows, rather than a single concussion. The great image was not only thrown down, but there was a subsequent process of ”comminution”, independent of what would have been produced by the fall. A fall would only have broken it into large blocks or fragments; but this continued smiting reduced it to powder. |
| And brake them to pieces – In Daniel 2:35, the idea is, ”they became like the chaff of the summer threshing–floors”. The meaning is not that the image was broken to ”fragments”, but that it was ”beaten fine” – reduced to powder – so that it might be scattered by the wind. This is the sense of the Chaldee word and of the Hebrew word. See Exodus 32:20: ”And he took the calf which they had made, and burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder”. Deuteronomy 9:21: ”and I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust”. Isaiah 41:15: ”thou shalt thresh the mountains and ”beat them small”, and shalt make the hills as chaff”. 2Kings 23:15: ”he burnt the high place, and ”stamped” it ”small” to powder”. 2Chronicles 34:4: ”and they brake down the altars, etc., and ”made dust” of them, and strewed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them”. Compare Exodus 30:36; 2Chronicles 34:7; 2Kings 23:6. From these passages it is clear that the general meaning of the word is that of reducing anything to fine dust or powder, so that it may be easily blown about by the wind. |
| 2:35 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. |
| Threshingfloors – a common illustration. |
| 35. Chaff. For a description of threshing as carried out in ancient Oriental lands, see Ruth 3:2; Matthew 3:12. Inasmuch as Inspiration has attached no particular significance to the “chaff” and the “wind” that blows it away (see Matthew 13:3), it is best to consider them simply details added to complete the picture. For a description of the threshing floor as a common illustration, see on Psalms 1:4; (cf. Matthew 13:3). |
| So, the “image” depicted in the likeness of men representing man’s repeated, vain, humanistic effort to establish a one–world–government, is doomed to ultimate failure. It will evaporate, as it were, into “chaff” carried away by “the wind”. In other words it will never be reconstructed. The “stone”, being the instrument used by God to bring about its destruction, takes the place of the “image” and grows into “a great mountain” that envelopes “the whole earth”. |
| While the forgoing parts of the dream are confirmed even by secular historians, this last part lies beyond the power of the skeptic to confirm or refute. It requires a faith based on the ample evidence God has just given that he is able to predict the future with absolute accuracy. In the light of that evidence it is foolish to question the validity of the “stone that [smites] the image” and become God’s indestructible kingdom. |
| Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, |
| After being struck at the feet by this miraculous stone, all of the earthly elements are also shattered into pieces. This stone devastates the former state of stability and continuity of this statue. |
| And became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; |
| The shattered pieces of this formerly immense and imposing statue is crushed to the point where it scatters in the wind, “like the chaff in the summer threshing floors”. |
| And the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: |
| The fragments are blown away in the wind leaving not a trace of their former existence. |
| And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. |
| However, the stone that smote the statue morphs into a massive mountain filling the entire earth. This stone not only replaces the glory of the former statue but grows in size to cover the whole earth. |
| 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 threshing–floor – The word rendered ”together” our translators would seem to have understood as referring to ”time”; to its being done simultaneously. The more literal interpretation, however, is, ”as one”; that is, ”they were beaten small as one”, referring to identity of condition. They were all reduced to one indiscriminate mass; to such a mass that the original materials could no longer be distinguished, and would all be blown away together. The literal meaning of the word is, ”one”, or ”first”. Ezra 4:8, ”wrote a letter”; Ezra 5:13, ”in the first year of Cyrus”; Ezra 6:2, ”a roll”; Daniel 2:9; ”[there is but] one decree for you”; Daniel 3:19, ”heat the furnace one seven times hotter”, etc.. United with the preposition (k it means ”as one”, like the – Ecclesiastes 11:6; 2Chronicles 5:13; Ezra 2:64; Ezra 3:9; Isaiah 65:25. The phrase ”chaff of the summer threshing–floors” refers to the mode of winnowing grain in the East. This was done in the open air, usually on an elevated place, by throwing the grain, when thrashed, into the air with a shovel, and the wind thus drove away the chaff. Such chaff, therefore, naturally became an emblem of anything that was light, and that would be easily dissipated. see Isaiah 30:24; Matthew 3:12. |
| And the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them – They were entirely dissipated like chaff. As that seems to have no longer any place, but is carried we know not where, so the figure here would denote an entire annihilation of the power to which it refers. |
| And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth – The vision which was before the mind of the king as here represented was, that the stone which was cut out of the mountain was at first small, and that while he contemplated it, it swelled to larger dimensions, until it became an immense mountain – a mountain that filled the whole land. It was this which, perhaps more than anything else, excited his wonder, that a stone, at first of so small dimensions, should of itself so increase as to surpass the size of the mountain from which it was cut, until it occupied every place in view. Everything about it was so remarkable and unusual, that it was no wonder that he could not explain it. |
| (36–38) This [is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 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. Thou [art] this head of gold. |
| Each succeeding kingdom was to be inferior to the previous. Yet each kingdom was also stronger in military might than the ones that came before. This prophecy reveals the basic outline of the major prophecies of Daniel and Revelation: they start in the prophet’s day and extend to the end of time. |
| 2:36 This [is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. |
| Daniel includes his prayer partners. |
| 36. We will tell. The plural may indicate that Daniel classed his companions with himself. They had joined him in earnest prayer that the interpretation might be revealed, and Daniel may have wished to acknowledge their part in the matter (verses 17, 18). |
| Daniel didn’t stop to ask the king if he thought the description sounded familiar. Without hesitation he assumed that it was accepted and plunged into the “interpretation”. |
| This [is] the dream; |
| Note the certainty in Daniel’s words. He does not ask King Nebuchadnezzar if what he has described fits his dream. He knows that he has perfectly described the king’s dream in accurate detail and states it with certainty: “This was the dream”. |
| And we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. |
| We will tell is a phrase that reveals Daniel dependence upon God to provide the interpretation. Daniel is the mouthpiece and God is the interpreter. Together, they will provide Nebuchadnezzar the true meaning of this bizarre dream. |
| This [is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king – Daniel here speaks in his own name, and in the name of his companions. Hence, he says, ”we will tell the interpretation”. It was in answer to their united supplications Daniel 2:18, that this meaning of the vision had been made known to him; and it would not only have been a violation of the rules of modesty, but an unjust assumption, if Daniel had claimed the whole credit of the revelation to himself. Though he was the only one who addressed the king, yet he seems to have desired that it might be understood that he was not alone in the honor which God had conferred, and that he wished that his companions should be had in just remembrance. Compare Daniel 2:49. |
| (36–45) The interpretation of the dream. |
| This [is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 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. Thou [art] this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things]: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the SEED of MEN: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a 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. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream [is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. |
| And we will tell the interpretation thereof: Daniel first accurately reported the content of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. This gave Daniel credibility when explaining what the dream meant: the interpretation. |
| Thou [art] this head of gold: Nebuchadnezzar was clearly said to be the head of gold. After him would come three other kingdoms, each represented by the different materials Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. After the succession of kingdoms, then came the final kingdom set up by God. |
| Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom was likened unto gold because it was an absolute monarchy, God’s ideal government. Nebuchadnezzar was not, however, God’s ideal monarch! |
| The dream [is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure: This prophetic dream was clearly fulfilled in history. |
| Three dominating empires came after Babylon: Medo–Persia, Greece, and Rome. The nature of these empires was accurately reflected by the nature of the image Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. |
| The empires succeeding Babylon were inferior to Nebuchadnezzar’s head of gold in the sense of their centralization of absolute power. Nebuchadnezzar was an absolute monarch, and the succeeding empires were progressively less so. They were larger and lasted longer than Babylon, but none held as much centralized power as Nebuchadnezzar did. |
| Babylon, the head of gold, was an absolute autocracy. Persia, a monarchial oligarchy with the nobles equal to the king in all but office, is represented by silver. Greece is set forth by brass, indicated the still lower value of it aristocracy of mind and influence. Rome, a democratic imperialism, with military dominion dependent upon the choice of army and citizenry and administered in the spirit of martial law, is set forth by iron. |
| The third kingdom of bronze was the one which shall rule over all the earth. Indeed, Alexander’s Grecian Empire was the largest among those compared in the image (except the final government of the Messiah). |
| The Babylonian Empire stood for 66 years; the Medo–Persian Empire for 208 years; the Grecian Empire for 185 years, and the Roman Empire stood for more than 500 years. |
| And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: This described the fulfillment of this prophecy in the future. The stone cut without hands shatters a confederation of kings, represented by the feet of the image, and then God’s Kingdom will dominate the earth. |
| Since Roman history provides no fulfillment of this federation of kings (which seems to number ten, because of the number of toes, and passages like Daniel 7:24 and Revelation 17:12) this prophecy must still be future. |
| Since the fall of the Roman Empire, there has never been a world–dominating empire equal to Rome. Many have tried – the Huns, Islam, the so–called Holy Roman Empire, Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin – but none have succeeded. Each of these had amazing power and influence, but nothing compared to that of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire, in some form or another, will be revived under the leadership of the final fallen dictator, the Antichrist. |
| It brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold: This described a single, decisive event that shattered the image representing the glory of man’s rule on earth. Since the Church or the Gospel have not, in a single decisive event, shattered the reign of human kingdoms, this event is still in the future. |
| This isn’t the gradual salvation of the world by the church; Smashing is not salvation. Crushing is not conversion. Destroying is not delivering. Pulverizing is not same as purification. |
| This stone cut without hands is the Messiah, not the Church. Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14; 28:16; and Zechariah 3:9 also refer to Jesus as a stone. |
| Therefore, the final superpower of the world is thought to be a revival of the Roman Empire, a continuation of this image. This will be the final world empire that the returning Jesus will conquer over. |
| The kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken: This final world empire will be according to the nature of clay mixed with iron. It will have more the image of true strength than the substance of strength. |
| As a whole, the image accurately represented human power and empire. The image seems invincible, but it was actually unstable at its base. Therefore one blow to the foundation could topple the whole thing. |
| It’s also significant to see that the image described devolution, not evolution. Instead of man beginning in the dust and evolving into gold, this vision declares that man’s dominion begins with gold and devalues into dust. |
| Some 40 years after this, Daniel had a vision describing the same succession of empires. Daniel saw it from God’s perspective, and Nebuchadnezzar saw it from man’s perspective. Nebuchadnezzar saw these empires as an impressive image; Daniel saw them as fierce beasts. |
| The dream [is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure: Daniel didn’t guess or analyze. Through him God announced the future. The only reason that God can predict history is because he can control it. |
| The dream is revealed |
| So here at last is a description of the dream Nebuchadnezzar had. He saw a tremendous statue constructed mostly by previous metals. A few things are noteworthy concerning this image of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar saw. You hopefully understand that the dream spoke of four gentile empires that would dominate Jerusalem from the time of Daniel onwards. The gentile kingdoms are of course, as follows: |
| The Gentile Kingdoms in the dream |
| • Head of Gold – Babylonian Empire (605–539 BC) |
| • Silver Chest and Arms – Medes and Persian Empire (539–331 BC) |
| • Thighs of Bronze – Greek Empire (331–146 BC) |
| • Legs of Iron – Roman Empire (168 BC – 476 AD) |
| • Feet of Iron & Clay – Revised Roman Empire (476AD –?AD) |
| Firstly, you will note that the metals described decrease in value as they are described, but they increase in strength. That is, the metals go from gold, to silver, to bronze, to iron – they decrease in value going from the most expensive to the least. Thus, God was showing that each successive kingdom would be less glorious that it’s predecessor. But note also that each metal is stronger than the predecessor so each empire would be succeeded by one that was stronger. Each metal also characterized that Kingdom. |
| A stone (or rock as other translations have it) that was cut out, but not by human hands, struck the statue on its feet and sent the whole crashing down! This rock then became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. And a great wind blew on the broken statue pieces like chaff and blew them all away so that there was not a trace of them left. |
| The Interpretation |
| (36–45) This [is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 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. Thou [art] this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things]: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the SEED of MEN: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a 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. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream [is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. |
| We know from this prophecy and others that the last kingdom that will reign on this earth will be one of ten kings. That is what is meant by the ten toes mentioned above. Daniel 7:23–24 is an associated prophecy to this: |
| Daniel 7:23–24: The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. |
| And just as the ten toes are partly iron and partly clay, so it will be based on a revived Roman empire, but there will be division and weakness within its strength. It specifically says that within this last kingdom there will be a brittle component due to disunity. This may come about because of the vast immigration most countries in the West have seen in these last days leaving these nations with a mixture of cultures, religions, ideas and allegiances. Now, the main thing to focus on is a different kingdom. It is pictured as a stone or a rock that will crush all these gentile kingdoms (but it strikes specifically at the feet – or in the days when the ten kings represented by the ten toes, are in power). Who or what is this stone? [16] |
| • [16] Jesus is known as the Rejected Stone Psalm 118:22, Tried Stone Isaiah 28:16, Stumbling Stone Isaiah 8:14–15, Living Stone 1 Peter 2:4–8, The Stone of Israel Genesis 49:24. |
| This stone then, who is Jesus, will strike the ten kings at His coming as is revealed in Revelation 17:12–14. In this passage, they are pictured as ten horns: |
| The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings – and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers. |
| Jesus shall then reign on this earth as it says above for the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed, see Isaiah 2:1–4. Please also remember what it said earlier in Daniel 2:35 – 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. |
| Jesus’ Kingdom is Coming! |
| In other words this prophetic dream saw something radical! It doesn’t give us a picture of Christianity slowly becoming greater and man’s kingdom’s slowly decreasing. It shows God smashing all earthly kingdom’s in one event and at one time. |
| Note also that the entire image (all its kingdoms) were smashed at the same time. So while the last human kingdom focused on the revived Roman Empire with its ten toes (kings) there will still be remnants and power in the other kingdoms as well such as Babylon (Iraq, Syria region) and Medo–Persia (Iran). All will be destroyed at the same time and to such an extent that they will be swept away without a trace! A whole new order will then be set up that is established over the entire earth. The kingdom of God! Finally. |
| A Dual Representation.–The image revealed to Nebuchadnezzar, while representing the deterioration of the kingdoms of the earth in power and glory, also fitly represents the deterioration of religion and morality among the people of these kingdoms. As nations forget God, in like proportion they become weak morally. [4BC 1168.4] |
| Babylon passed away because in her prosperity she forgot God, and ascribed the glory of her prosperity to human achievement. [4BC 1168.5] |
| The Medo–Persian kingdom was visited by the wrath of heaven because in this kingdom God’s law was trampled under foot. The fear of the Lord found no place in the hearts of the people. The prevailing influences in Medo–Persia were wickedness, blasphemy, and corruption. [4BC 1168.6] |
| The kingdoms that followed were even more base and corrupt. They deteriorated because they cast off their allegiance to God. As they forgot Him, they sank lower and still lower in the scale of moral value. (YI Sept. 22, 1903). [4BC 1168.7] |
| 2:37 Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. |
| Nebuchadnezzar attributes his regnal success to his god Marduk – Daniel corrects in a kind manner. |
| 37. King of kings. This same title is found in the inscription of the Persian king Ariaramnes, a contemporary of Nebuchadnezzar. |
| God of heaven hath given. In his inscriptions Nebuchadnezzar attributes his regal success to his god Marduk, but Daniel, in a kindly manner, corrects this mistaken idea. He affirms that it is the God of heaven who has bestowed such power upon him. |
| A kingdom. The territory that Nebuchadnezzar ruled had had a long and checkered history and had been under the varied leadership of different peoples and kingdoms. According to Genesis, the city of Babylon was part of the kingdom founded by Nimrod, the great–grandson of Noah (Genesis 10:8–10). A number of city–states existed in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates at a very early period. Later, some states were grouped together into several Sumerian kingdoms. Following the first period of Sumer’s domination came the kingdom of Akkad, with its great Semitic kings Sargon and Naram– Sin. However, these Semites were again replaced by various nations, such as the Guti, Elamites, and Sumerians. They in turn had to give way to the Semites who founded the Old Babylonian Empire, which flourished in the time of the later patriarchs. This Amorite Empire, of which Hammurabi was the most important king, came to include all of Mesopotamia and expanded into Syria, like the Akkadian Empire of Sargon. Later, Mesopotamia was taken over by Hurrians and Kassites, and Babylonia became less important than the powerful Hittite and Egyptian empires. Then in northern Mesopotamia arose another world power, the Assyrian Empire, which again united Mesopotamia and Western Asia to the Mediterranean. After a period of Assyrian domination Babylon became independent again under Chaldean rule, and took over once more the leadership of the world. Nabopolassar (626–605 BC) was the founder of what is termed the Chaldean, or Neo–Babylonian, Empire, which had its golden age in the days of King Nebuchadnezzar (605–562 BC), and lasted until Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians in 539 BC. |
| Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: |
| Daniel begins the interpretation by honoring Nebuchadnezzar’s role and status as the greatest of all earthly kings of his day. The phrase “king of kings” is also quite literal in that other regional kings paid tribute to King Nebuchadnezzar, including the kings of Judah, Ammon, and Moab. (See Jeremiah 27:5–8) |
| For the God of heaven hath given thee |
| In Jeremiah 27:5, the God of heaven states: “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me”. Earlier in Daniel 2:21, we read that it is God who “removes kings and sets up kings”. |
| A kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. |
| This passage explains that God chose to bestow four specific blessings upon King Nebuchadnezzar. |
| These include: |
| • (1) A kingdom (“malku”) – God gave him royal power and dominion over the kingdom |
| • (2) A power (“chesen”) – God gave him the strength to possess the kingdom |
| • (3) A strength or might (“teqoph”) – God gave him authority to reign over the kingdom |
| • (4) A glory (“yeqar”) – God gave him honor and splendor fitting for a king |
| Thou, O King, [art] a king of kings – The phrase ”king of kings” is a Hebraism, to denote a supreme monarch, or one who has other kings under him as tributary, Ezra 7:12; Ezekiel 26:7. As such it is applied by way of eminence to the Son of God, in Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16. As here used, it means that Nebuchadnezzar ruled over tributary kings and princes, or that he was the most eminent of the kings of the earth. |
| For the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom … – At the same time that Daniel gave him a title which might in itself have ministered to the pride of the monarch, he is careful to remind him that he held this title in virtue of no wisdom or power of his own. It was the true God who had conferred on him the sovereignty of these extensive realms, and it was one of the designs of this vision to show him that he held his power at his will, and that at his pleasure he could cause it to pass away. It was the forgetfulness of this, and the pride resulting from that forgetfulness, which led to the melancholy calamity which befell this haughty monarch, as recorded in Daniel 4. |
| (37–38) Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 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. Thou [art] this head of gold. |
| Note the pronouns “thou”, “thee”, and “thine” each indicating Nebuchadnezzar himself as well as his kingdom is represented by “this head of gold”. Like all prophecies having to do with time, the establishment of the beginning point is of prime importance, and Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom is just that. |
| The title “king of kings” given Nebuchadnezzar by Daniel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was the title assumed by “Artaxerxes” 145 years later when he decreed the release of the Jews in 457 BC (Ezra 7:12). But, Ezekiel must have been familiar with this dream because he also called “Nebuchadnezzar . . . a king of kings” (Ezekiel 26:7). But only Jesus is given this title “King of kings, and Lord of lords” in the New Testament. |
| So, this title is additional evidence that Nebuchadnezzar, in the estimation of heaven, was an exceptional king in comparison with all other kings of his time and, for that matter, all kings following his time. More evidence of this will be found in Chapter 4. |
| Nebuchadnezzar was the supreme authority in the world of his day. Earlier, Jeremiah had warned the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon: that God had given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him (Jeremiah 27:6–7; Jeremiah 27:14). While the extent of his empire was not as great as those that followed him, he exercised absolute control as no one after him did. |
| The Lord referred to Nebuchadnezzar as “king of kings” in Ezekiel 26:7. Nonetheless “the God of heavens” (cf. Daniel 2:18; Daniel 2:28) had given this mighty monarch his position. The king ruled under the authority of a higher, infinitely more powerful ruler. |
| It took considerable courage for Daniel to tell the most powerful ruler of his time that he was responsible to God (Elohim). God had given Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty (symbolized by the head of the statue), power (the head’s weight), strength (the connotation of the head on a body), and glory (its value as gold). The head of gold aptly described Nebuchadnezzar. It also symbolized the kingdom over which he ruled. Nebuchadnezzar ruled about 43 years (605–562 BC), and his empire only lasted another 23 years. Nebuchadnezzar’s father, Nabopolassar, founded the Neo–Babylon Empire in 626 BC, and it fell to the Persians in 539 BC. So it existed for only 87 years. |
| 2:38 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. Thou [art] this head of gold. |
| Thou [art] this head – Nebuchadnezzar was the Neo–Babylonian Empire personified. |
| Babylon embellished in an abundance of gold. Jeremiah (51:7) likens Babylon to a golden cup. |
| The Neo–Babylonian golden kingdom – the first of the 4 great kingdoms of this world (605 BC – 562 BC – 539 BC). |
| To capture Babylon, Cyrus and Darius, with the Medes and Persians, drained the Euphrates River and southerly marched along the river bed into Babylon. Babylon fell in 539 BC – Daniel 5. |
| 38. Beasts of the field. See Jeremiah 27:6; Jeremiah 28:14 cf. Genesis 1:26. A fitting representation of Babylon’s dominion in the time of Nebuchadnezzar. The manner in which ancient kings included the animal world in their sphere of domination is illustrated by a statement by Shalmaneser III: “Ninurta and Palil, who love my priesthood, have given me all the beasts of the field”. |
| The following passage from the so–called East India House inscription is typical of archeological evidence which substantiates Daniel’s description of Nebuchadnezzar’s conquests: |
| “In his [Marduk’s] exalted service I have traversed distant countries, remote mountains from the Upper Sea [Mediterranean] to the Lower Sea [Persian Gulf], steep paths, blockaded roads, where the step is impeded, [where] no foothold is possible, [also] uncharted routes, [and] desert paths. The disobedient I subjugated; I captured the enemies, established justice in the land; exalted the people; the bad and evil I removed far from the people”. |
| Thou [art] this head. Nebuchadnezzar was the Neo–Babylonian Empire personified. The military conquests and the architectural splendor of Babylon were, in large measure, due to his prowess. |
| Gold. An abundance of gold was used in embellishing Babylon. Herodotus describes in lavish terms how gold sparkled in the sacred temples of the city. The image of the god, the throne on which he sat, and the table and the altar were made of gold (Herodotus i. 181, 183; iii. 1–7). The prophet Jeremiah compares Babylon to a golden cup (Jer. 51:7). Pliny describes the robes of priests as interlaced with gold. |
| Nebuchadnezzar was outstanding among the kings of antiquity. He left to his successors a great and prosperous kingdom, as may be gleaned from the following inscription: |
| “[From] the Upper Sea [to] the Lower Sea (one line destroyed) … which Marduk, my lord, has entrusted to me, I have made … the city of Babylon to the foremost among all the countries and every human habitation; its name I have [made, or elevated] to the [most worthy of] praise among the sacred cities. … The sanctuaries of my lords Nebo and Marduk (as a) wise (ruler) … always. … “At the time, the Lebanon (La–ab–na–a–nu), the [Cedar] Mountain, the luxurious forest of Marduk, the smell of which is sweet, the hi[gh] cedars of which, [its] pro[duct], another god [has not desired, which] no other king has fe[lled] … my nâbû Marduk [had desired] as a fitting adornment for the palace of the ruler of heaven and earth, (this Lebanon) over which a foreign enemy was ruling and robbing (it of) its riches— its people were scattered, had fled to a far (away region). (Trusting) in the power of my lords Nebo and Marduk, I organized [my army] for a[n expedition] to the Lebanon. I made that country happy by eradicating its enemy everywhere (lit.: below and above). All its scattered inhabitants I led back to their settlements (lit.: collected and reinstalled). What no former king had done (I achieved): I cut through steep mountains, I split rocks, opened passages and (thus) I constructed a straight road for the (transport of the) cedars. I made the Arahtu float and carry to Marduk, my king, mighty cedars, high and strong, of precious beauty and of excellent dark quality, the abundant yield of the Lebanon, as (if they be) reed stalks (carried by) the river. Within Babylon [I stored] mulberry wood. I made the inhabitants of the Lebanon live in safety together and let nobody disturb them. In order that nobody might do any harm [to them] I ere[cted there] a stela (showing) me (as) everlasting king” (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, p. 307). |
| 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. |
| God gives rulership over men, animals, birds to whomever he wishes. Although some commentaries claim that this verse hearkens back to Genesis 2, which details Adam’s areas of dominion, it is incomplete. In Genesis 2, God never gave authority over other men to Adam. This is clearly something God gives to kings in their fallen state. |
| Thou [art] this head of gold. |
| Here, King Nebuchadnezzar is described as the “head of gold”. The Babylonian empire, initially under the rulership of Nebuchadnezzar, is interpreted as the pure gold head of this imposing statue. |
| And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the heavens, hath he given into thy hand – This is evidently general language, and is not to be pressed literally. It is designed to say that he ruled over the whole world; that is, the world as then known. This is common language applied in the Scriptures to the Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman kingdoms. Thus in Daniel 2:39, the third of these kingdoms, the Grecian, was to ”bear rule over all the earth”. Compare Daniel 8:5: ”And, as I was considering, behold, an he–goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth”. So of the Roman empire, in Daniel 7:23: ”The fourth beast shall devour the whole earth”. The declaration that his kingdom embraced the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air is a strong expression, meaning that he reigned over the whole world. A somewhat similar description of the extent of the empire of the king of Babylon occurs in Jeremiah 27:4–8: ”And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power, and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field I have given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him. And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand”. |
| At the time referred to by Daniel, the scepter of Nebuchadnezzar extended over all these realms, and the world was, in fact, placed substantially under one head. |
| Thou [art] this head of gold – The head of gold seen in the image represents thee as the sovereign of a vast empire. Compared with the other monarchs who are to succeed thee, thou art like gold compared with silver, and brass, and iron; or, compared with thy kingdom, theirs shall be as silver, brass, and iron compared with gold. It was common, at an early period, to speak of different ages of the world as resembling different metals. See Daniel 2:31. In reference to the expression before us, ”Thou [art] this head of gold”, it should be observed, that it is not probably to be confined to the monarch himself, but is rather spoken of him as the head of the empire; as representing the state; as an impersonation of that dynasty. The meaning is, that the Babylonian empire, as it existed under him, in its relation to the kingdoms which should succeed, was like the head of gold seen in the image as compared with the inferior metals that made up the remaining portions of the image. |
| 2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. |
| The Medo–Persian silver kingdom – the second of the 4 great kingdoms of this world (539 BC – 331 BC). |
| Silver being an inferior metal to gold. Medo–Persian Empire inferior to Neo–Babylonian Empire. |
| The origin of the Medes and Persians is unclear – Around 2000 BC, a number of Aryan tribes, led by Madai (Medes) began to migrate from southern Russia into northern Persia. Persians were among Aryans by 9th century BC. By 675 BC, a king was established in city of Anshan – but vassals of the Median king. In 550 BC, Cyrus became king of Persia and defeated Astyages of Media – the Persian Empire then dominant power over Median Empire as foretold by Isaiah 45:1. Babylon was taken in 539 BC by strategy. Compare Daniel 7:6 and refer to 4BC 773. |
| Brass – bronze or (copper). |
| The Persian Empire was overthrown by Alexander the Great in 331 BC at the Battle of Arbela. |
| The Grecian kingdom of brass – the third of the 4 great kingdoms of this world (331 BC – 146 BC). |
| Rome’s third [of four] Macedonian war ends. The Battle of Pydna [Pydia] took place in 168 BC between Rome and Macedon during the Third Macedonian War. The battle saw the further ascendancy of Rome in the Hellenistic world and the end of the Antigonid line of kings, whose power traced back to Alexander the Great. |
| 39. Another kingdom inferior. As silver is inferior to gold, the Medo–Persian Empire was inferior to the Neo–Babylonian Empire. |
| “Inferior” correctly means “downward”, “earthward”, but in this verse Daniel is speaking, not of the relative position of metals, but of nations. As we contrast the two kingdoms, we find that though the latter covered more territory, it certainly was inferior in luxury and magnificence. The Median and Persian conquerors adopted the culture of the complex Babylonian civilization, for their own was far less developed. |
| This second kingdom of Daniel’s prophecy is sometimes called the Medo–Persian Empire, because it began as a combination of Media and Persia. It included the older Median Empire and the newer acquisitions of the Persian conqueror Cyrus. The second kingdom cannot be the Median Empire alone, as some contend, with Persia as the third. The Median Empire was contemporary with the Neo–Babylonian, not its successor. Media fell to Cyrus the Persian before Babylon did. The fact that after Belshazzar’s death Darius the Mede “was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans” (Daniel 9:1) does not mean that there was a separate Median Empire after the Babylonian and before the Persians took over. Darius the Mede ruled in Babylon by permission of the real conqueror, Cyrus (see Additional Note Chapter 6), as Daniel obviously knew. The Book of Daniel repeatedly refers to the nation that conquered Babylon, and that Darius represented, as that of “the Medes and Persians” (see on chs. 5:28; 6:8, 28), and it pictures that dual empire elsewhere as a single beast (see on Chapter 8:3, 4). |
| The origin of the Medes and Persians is not clear, but it is believed that around 2000 BC a number of Aryan tribes, led by the Madai (Medes) began to migrate from what is now southern Russia into what later became northern Persia, where they first appear in history in the 9th century. Among these Aryans were also the Persians, who settled in the Zagros Mountains bordering on Elam late in the 9th century BC Probably by 675 their ruler established himself as king of the city of Anshan. There he and his descendants ruled in comparative obscurity. At the beginning of the 6th century they were vassals of the Median king, ruling a relatively insignificant border state in the large Median Empire, which stretched from eastern Asia Minor around the north and east of the Babylonian Empire. |
| In 550 BC Cyrus, who had become king of Persia as a vassal of the Median Empire, defeated Astyages of Media. Thus the formerly subordinate Persians became the dominant power in what had been the Median Empire. Since the Persians were the ruling power from the time of Cyrus on, it is now generally referred to as the Persian Empire. But the older prestige of Media was reflected in the phrase “Medes and Persians” applied to the conquerors of Babylon in Daniel’s day and even later (Esther 1:19; etc.). The honorary position of Darius the Mede after the conquest of Babylon demonstrates Cyrus’ deference to the Medes even after he himself wielded the actual power. |
| Years before, under prophetic guidance, the prophet Isaiah had described the work of Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1). This conqueror of Media soon defeated the neighboring tribes and ruled from Ararat in the north to southeastern Babylonia and the Persian Gulf in the south. To round out his empire, he defeated the rich Croesus of Lydia in 547 BC and took Babylon by strategy in 539 BC. Cyrus recognized that the Lord had given him all these kingdoms (2Chronicles 36:23; Ezra 1:2). For parallel prophecies concerning this empire, see on Daniel 7:5; 8:3–7; 11:2. |
| Third kingdom. The successor of the Medo–Persian Empire was the “Greek” (more properly Macedonian or Hellenistic) Empire of Alexander and his successors (see Chapter 8:20, 21). |
| The Hebrew word for Greece is Yawan (Javan), which is the name of one of the sons of Japheth. Javan is mentioned in the genealogy immediately after Madai, the progenitor of the Medes (see on Gen. 10:2). About the time the Israelites were settling in Canaan, those Indo–European tribes later called Greeks were migrating in successive waves into the Aegean region (mainland Greece, the islands, and the western coasts of Asia Minor), conquering or driving out the earlier Mediterranean inhabitants. These displacements were connected with the movement of the Peoples of the Sea (including the Philistines) into the eastern Mediterranean coastlands. Ionian Greeks were found in Egypt in the time of Psamtik I (663–610 BC) and in Babylonia during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar (605–562 BC), as attested by written records. |
| Greece was divided into small city–states with a common language but little concerted action. When we think of ancient Greece we think chiefly of the golden age of Greek civilization, under the leadership of Atlens, in the 5th century BC. This flowering of Greek culture followed the period of the greatest united effort of the divided city–states— the successful defense of Greece against Persia about the time of Queen Esther. On the Persian wars, see on Chapter 11:2. |
| The “Grecia” of Chapter 8:21 does not refer to the divided city–states of classical Greece, but rather to the later Macedonian kingdom that conquered Persia. The Macedonians, a kindred nation north of Greece proper, conquered the Greek cities and incorporated them for the first time into a strong, united state. Alexander the Great, inheriting his father’s newly expanded Greco–Macedonian kingdom, set out to extend Macedonian dominion and Greek culture eastward, and conquered the Persian Empire. The prophecy represents the kingdom of Greece as following Persia, because Greece never became united into a kingdom until the formation of the Macedonian Empire, which replaced Persia as the leading world power of that time (for parallel prophecies see on Daniel 7:6; 8:5–8, 21, 22; 11:2–4). |
| The last reigning king of the Persian Empire was Darius III (Codomannus), who was defeated by Alexander at the battles of Granicus (334 BC), Issus (333 BC), and Arbela, or Gaugamela (331 BC). For comments on the period of Alexander and the Hellenistic monarchies see on Chapter 7:6. |
| Brass. That is, bronze (see on 2Samuel 8:8). The Greek soldiers were noted for their brazen armor. Their helmets, shields, and battle–axes were made of brass. Herodotus tells us that Psamtik I of Egypt saw in invading Greek pirates the fulfillment of an oracle that foretold “men of bronze coming from the sea” (Herodotus i. 152, 154). |
| Rule over all the earth. History records that the rule of Alexander extended over Macedonia, Greece, and the Persian Empire, including Egypt and extending eastward to India. It was the most extensive empire of the ancient world up to that time. Its dominion was “over all the earth” in the sense that no power on earth was equal to it, not that it covered the whole world, or even the known world of that time. A “world power” may be defined as the one that stands above all the rest, invincible, not necessarily actually governing the whole known world. Superlative statements were commonly used by ancient rulers. Cyrus called himself “king of the world, … king of the four rims [quarters of the world]”. Xerxes styled himself “the great king, the king of kings, … the king of this big and far [reaching] earth”. |
| And after thee shall arise another kingdom |
| The next kingdom that would rise would be different from the first. |
| Inferior to thee, |
| The word used here for inferior is “ara”, meaning earth. It is the same word that corresponds to the Hebrew word for earth, “erets”. (As the earth is inferior to heaven.) |
| After thee shall arise |
| This kingdom will arise or stand after Babylon. From history, we know that this kingdom was the Medes and Persians, thus the two arms of silver. This kingdom, initially led by Darius the Mede, would later depose the Babylonian king Belshazzar and conquer Babylon. Under the direction of Dariu, they conquered Babylon. |
| And another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. |
| After the kingdom of silver, a third kingdom of “bronze” would rise and rule over all the earth. If the Babylonian empire was the head of gold and the Medes and Persians composed the arms of silver, then we know that the belly of bronze must be the kingdom that ultimately conquered the Medes and Persians. Namely, the Greek empire, initially under the leadership of King Phillip, and later his more well–known son, Alexander the Great. |
| And after thee – This must mean ”subsequently” to the reign, but it does not mean that the kingdom here referred to would ”immediately” succeed his own reign, for that would not be true. The Medo–Persian empire did not come into the ascendency until many years after the death of Nebuchadnezzar. This occurred during the reign of Belshazzar, a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, between whose reign and that of his grandfather there had intervened the reigns of Evil–merodach and Neriglissar; besides, as the remainder of the prophecy relating to the image refers to ”kingdoms”, and not to individual monarchs, it is clear that this also relates not primarily to Nebuchadnezzar as an individual, but as the head of a kingdom. The meaning is, that a kingdom would succeed that over which he reigned, so far inferior that it might be represented by silver as compared with gold. |
| Shall arise another kingdom – Chaldee, ”shall stand up another kingdom”. This is language which would denote something different from a succession in the same dynasty, for that would be a mere ”continuance of the same kingdom”. The reference is evidently to a change of empire; and the language implies that there would be some revolution or conquest by which the existing kingdom would pass away, and another would succeed. Still there would be so much of sameness in respect to its occupying essentially the same territory, that it would be symbolized in the same image that appeared to Nebuchadnezzar. The kingdom here referred to was undoubtedly the Medo–Persian, established by Cyrus in the conquest of Babylon, which continued through the reigns of his successors until it was conquered by Alexander the Great. This kingdom succeeded that of Assyria or Babylon, 538 years BC, to the overthrow of Darius Codomanus, 333 years BC It extended, of course, through the reigns of the Persian kings, who acted so important a part in the invasion of Greece, and whose defeats have given immortality to the names of Leonidas, Aristides, Miltiades, and Themistocles, and made the names of Salamis, Thermopylae, Marathon, and Leuctra so celebrated. For a general account of Cyrus, and the founding of the Medo–Persian empire. See Isaiah 41:2. |
| Inferior to thee – And therefore represented by silver as compared with gold. In what respects it would be inferior, Daniel does not specify, and this can only be learned from ”the facts” which occurred in relation to that kingdom. All that is necessary to confirm the truth of the prophetic description is, that it was to be so far inferior as to make the appellation ”silver” applicable to it in comparison with the kingdom of Babylon, represented by ”gold”. The expression would denote that there was a general decline or degeneracy in the character of the monarchs, and the general condition of the empire. |
| Compare Haggai 2:7: ”And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house” (the temple erected under the auspices of Cyrus and his successors) ”with glory, saith the LORD of hosts”. There was a propriety, therefore, that this kingdom should receive a distinct notice in the sacred Scriptures, for some of the most important events connected with the history of true religion in the world occurred under the auspices of Cyrus and his successors, and perhaps at no period has there been more occasion to recognize the hand of God than in the influences exerted on the minds of those pagan princes, disposing them to be favorable to the long–oppressed children of God. |
| And another third kingdom of brass – see Daniel 2:32. The parts of the image which were of brass were the belly and thighs, denoting inferiority not only to the head, but to the part which immediately preceded it – the breast and the arms of silver. It is not, indeed, specified, as in the former case, that this kingdom would be inferior to the former, and it is only from the position assigned to it in the image, and the inferior quality of the metal by which it is represented, that it is implied that there would be any inferiority. There can be no reasonable doubt that by this third kingdom is denoted the empire founded by Alexander the Great – the Macedonian empire. It is known to all that he overthrew the Persian empire, and established a kingdom in the East, embracing substantially the same territory which had been occupied by the Medo–Persian and the Babylonian empire. |
| Which shall bear rule over all the earth – In a sense similar to that of the Assyrian, the Babylonian, and the Medo–Persian empire. This is the common description of the empire of Alexander. He himself commanded that he should be called ”the king of all the world”. ”Having received the empire, he ordered himself to be called the king of all lands and of the world”. |
| The author of the Book of Maccabees gives a similar account of the extent of this kingdom: ”And it happened, after that Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian had smitten Darius king of the Persians and Medes, that he reigned in his stead, the first over Greece, And made many wars, and won many strong holds, and slew the kings of the earth, And went through to the ends of the earth, and took spoils of many nations, insomuch that the earth was quiet before him; whereupon he was exalted and his heart was lifted up”. 1Maccabees 1:1–3. |
| The world kingdom that succeeded Medo–Persia was Greece – under Alexander the Great (cf. Daniel 8:20–21). Its territory was even larger than that of Medo–Persia. Greece dominated the ancient cradle of civilization from 331 to 31 BC, so it lasted longer than either Babylonia or Medo–Persia (i.e., 300 years). However, after Alexander the Great died in 323 BC, the empire split into four parts, and each of Alexander’s generals took one piece. Antipater ruled Macedon – Greece, Lysimachus governed Thrace – Asia Minor, Seleucus headed Asia, and Ptolemy reigned over Egypt, Cyrenaica, and Palestine. Thus, Greece lacked the unified strength of Medo–Persia and Babylonia. Its democratic form of government gave more power to the people and less to the rulers. The two legs of the statue evidently represented the two major divisions of the Greek Empire: its eastern and western sectors. |
| (39–40) And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things]: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. |
| With just the few words of these verses, a tremendous swath of time is covered from 331 BC to 476 AD amounting to some 806 years [no year 0] from the overthrow of Babylon to the decline of Rome. |
| Also, note the words “after thee” followed by a “third” and then a “fourth kingdom” mandates a sequential nature of the image with the “interpretation” moving from top to bottom. While Daniel explicitly points out that Nebuchadnezzar was the first, no names of the subsequent kings were given even though God did assign the name of king “Cyrus” who overthrew Babylon in another prophecy. He said His “shepherd [Cyrus] shall perform all my pleasure” 109 years before he was even born! (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1) [18] It is historically factual that Cyrus was the king of the other “kingdom inferior” to Nebuchadnezzar’s. |
| • [18] Isaiah prophesied this in 712 BC and Daniel’s interpretation occurred in 603 BC, therefore 712 – 603 = 109 years. |
| So, from the time of Cyrus, the ruler of the Medo–Persian empire to its overthrow by Alexander the Great the king of Greece, a 208 year period is covered from 539 to 331 BC. Then, the Greek kingdom set up by Alexander faded from view in 168 BC when Rome took over under Julius Caesar. It, in turn, succumbed to a general decline when it was overthrown by a number of other pagan nations in 476 AD. 643 years [no year 0] later making it the longest lived one–world–government that has ever existed and will ever exist until God sets up His kingdom! |
| 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things:] and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. |
| The Roman iron kingdom – the fourth of the 4 great kingdoms of this world (168 BC – 476 AD). |
| Between 168 BC – 476 AD the great empire of Rome was broken up and divided by 10 tribes / nations – the Lombards, Franks, Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Burgundians, Suevi, Heruli, Vandals, Alemanni and Anglo–Saxons. These kingdoms are represented in the nations of Europe today: Italy (the Lombards), France (Franks), England (Anglo–Saxons), Austria, Belgium, Holland, Spain (Visigoths), Portugal (Suevi), Germany (Alemanni), Switzerland (Burgundians). (Daniel 2:41–43 & Daniel 7:24.) |
| 40. Fourth kingdom. This is not the later, divided stage of Alexander’s empire, but the next empire, which conquered the Macedonian world. Daniel elsewhere represents the Hellenistic monarchies, the divisions of Alexander’s empire, by the Grecian goat’s four horns (Daniel 8:22), not by a separate beast (compare the four heads of the leopard; see on Chapter 7:6). |
| It is obvious that the kingdom that succeeded the divided remnants of the Macedonian Empire of Alexander was what Gibbon has aptly called the “iron monarchy” of Rome, though it was not a monarchy at the time it first became the leading world power. Early Rome was settled, long before the traditional date of 753 BC, by Latin tribes who had come into Italy in successive waves about the time other related Indo–European tribes had settled in Greece. From about the 8th to the 5th century the Latin city–state was ruled by neighboring Etruscan kings. Roman civilization was strongly influenced by the Etruscans, who came to Italy in the 10th century, and especially by the Greeks, who arrived two centuries later. |
| About 500 BC the Roman state became a republic, and remained a republic for nearly 500 years. By 265 BC all Italy was under Roman control. By 200 BC Rome had emerged victorious from the life–and–death struggle with her powerful North African rival Carthage (originally a Phoenician colony). Henceforth Rome was mistress of the western Mediterranean, and more powerful than any of the states in the east, although she had not yet come to grips with them. From then on Rome first dominated and then absorbed, in turn, the three surviving kingdoms of Alexander’s successors (see on Chapter 7:6), and thus became the next great world power after Alexander’s. This fourth empire was the longest lived and most extensive of the four, stretching in the 2nd Christian century from Britain to the Euphrates. For a parallel prophecy see Chapter 7:7. |
| Breaketh in pieces. All that we have been able to reconstruct of Roman history confirms this description. Rome won her territory by the force or the fear of her armed might. At first she intervened in international affairs in a struggle for her life against her rival, Carthage, and was drawn into war after war. Then, crushing one opponent after another, she finally became the aggressive, irresistible conqueror of the Mediterranean world and Western Europe. At the beginning of the Christian Era and a little later, the iron might of the Roman legions stood back of the Pax Romana—the Roman peace. Rome was the largest and strongest empire the world had hitherto known. |
| And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: |
| The fourth and final kingdom has the strength of iron. It exceeds all of the other previous kingdoms in sheer power, might, and solidarity. |
| Forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things:] |
| Daniel provides an added description of these iron legs of this fourth kingdom when he says that iron “breaks” (“Deqaq”, Lit. crushes) other materials “into pieces” and that it “shatters” (“Chashal”, Lit. to shatter by a blow, to weaken and subdue) “all things”. |
| And as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. |
| Just as iron is strong enough to be able to crush and shatter other materials, Daniel explains that the fourth kingdom, represented by two legs of iron in the king’s dream, will crush and shatter all of these previous kingdoms. It will weaken and subdue them all. |
| And the fourth kingdom – Represented in the image by the legs of iron, and the feet ”part of iron, and part of clay”, Daniel 2:33. The first question which arises here is, what kingdom is referred to by this? In regard to this, there have been two leading opinions: one, that it refers to the Roman empire; the other, that it refers to the kingdoms or dynasties that immediately succeeded the reign of Alexander the Great; embracing the kingdoms of the Seleucidae and Lagidae, Syria, and Egypt – in the language of Prof. Stuart, who adopts this opinion, ”that the legs and feet were symbols of that intermingled and confused empire which sprung up under the Grecian chiefs who finally succeeded him”, (Alexander the Great). |
| Shall be strong as iron – It is scarcely necessary to observe that this description is applicable to the Roman power. In nothing was it more remarkable than its ”strength”; for that irresistible power before which all other nations were perfectly weak. |
| Forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things] – Iron is the metal which is used, and always has been used, for the purpose here suggested. In the form of hammers, sledges, and cannon–balls, and, in general, in reference to the accomplishment of any purpose, by beating or battering, this has been found to be the most valuable of the metals. It is heavy, is capable of being easily wrought into desired shapes; is abundant; is susceptible of being made hard so as not to be itself bruised, and has therefore, all the properties which could be desired for purposes like this. |
| And as iron that breaketh all these – That is, all these things; to wit, everything. Nothing is able to stand before it; there is nothing which it cannot reduce to powder. There is some repetition here, but it is for the sake of emphasis. |
| Shall it break in pieces and bruise – Nothing could better characterize the Roman power than this. Everything was crushed before it. The nations which they conquered ceased to be kingdoms, and were reduced to provinces, and as kingdoms they were blotted out from the list of nations. |
| Rome defeated the last vestige of the Greek Empire in 31 BC and ruled for hundreds of years–until AD 476 in the Western Roman Empire, and until AD 1453 in the Eastern Roman Empire. The eastern and western divisions of this empire crushed all opposition with a brutal strength that surpassed any of its predecessors. Certainly iron legs fitly symbolized the Roman Empire. Rome also dominated the map more extensively than any previous kingdom, encompassing almost all of Europe, including Spain and the British Isles, as well as India. Those legs stood astride most of the ancient world. |
| However, in terms of absolute authority, Rome was indeed an inferior power. The people and the senate played major roles in setting it’s policies, and they controlled the emperors more than had been true in the preceding empires in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Nebuchadnezzar was an absolute monarch, and those rulers who followed him (the Medo–Persian, Greek, and Roman sovereigns) were increasingly less powerful personally. |
| 2:41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. |
| 41. Toes. Though mentioning the toes, Daniel does not specifically call attention to their number. He does mention that the kingdom was to be divided (see 1T 361). Many commentators have held that the toes, of which there were presumably 10, correspond to the 10 horns of the fourth beast of Chapter 7 (see Chapter 7:7). |
| Miry clay. See on verse 33. Rome had lost its iron tenacity and strength, and its successors were manifestly weak, like the admixture of clay with the iron. |
| This is the first mention of the “toes”. Note that Daniel says nothing about their number either in this verse or the next[19]. Furthermore, the material comprising the “feet and [the] toes” is only “iron and clay” with no solid material, suggesting another single one–world–empire, will never again come into existence. |
| • [19] Note the comment made about this feature in Seventh–day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, page 775 (2nd paragraph left column) “Though mentioning the toes, Daniel does not specifically call attention to their number”. This might seem to be a matter of minor importance. But, when considering the “ten horns” of Chapter 7 as well as those of Revelation 12, 13 and 17, we will see it to be a matter of rather major importance. |
| According to the sequential nature of this image, it seems clear that “the kingdom [that] shall be divided” is the Roman Empire represented by “the legs of iron”. Beginning in 476 AD, the Roman Empire was split into several different segments by the invading hordes of barbarians who were originally defeated by Julius Caesar in the early part of Rome’s history. So, the dead skeleton of the Roman Empire became a combination of nations now known as Europe. It is composed of Germany, Italy, Switzerland, England, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Finland, Denmark, and Scandinavia and some others [20]. While England denies being a part of Europe, nevertheless, it was once a part of the Roman Empire and cannot disassociate itself from its past. |
| • [20] Interestingly, the Commentary, discussing the “ten horns” of Daniel 7:8, notes “. . . the fact that a score or more barbarian tribes invaded the Roman Empire . . .” not just ten. (see 4BC 826 left column, second paragraph.) |
| This illustration depicts how I understand the king’s dream and Daniel interpretation: |
| And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, |
| Daniel focuses now on the final manifestation of this statue, the feet and the toes. Note that they are distinct: Feet (“regal”) and toes (“etsba”). |
| Part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, |
| Daniel now elaborates on the feet and the toes, which are composed of two elements: clay and iron. |
| The kingdom shall be divided; |
| Daniel reveals that the dual composition of this final manifestation of the statue indicates that the final world kingdom will be divided. In the original Aramaic language, this word is “pelag”. This word is derived from the Hebrew word “paleg”, which reminds us of the genealogy of Genesis 10 where we read in verse 25: “And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one [was] Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name [was] Joktan”. |
| This is the first reference in the Old Testament to this word, “peleg”. It is clear from the context that the meaning of the word is “to divide”. |
| The kingdom is divided. It is split. |
| But there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, |
| This divided kingdom will have the strength of iron (“barzel”). |
| Forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. |
| This divided kingdom’s strength will be diluted as the iron is “mixed” with the “soft” clay. |
| The original Aramaic word for “mixed” is “arab”, which carries the literal meaning of “mingling” or “co–mingling”. It is derived from the Hebrew word “ereb”, which translates into “Arabia”. |
| The original Aramaic word for “soft” is “tin”, meaning “miry”. |
| To summarize, this strength of this final divided kingdom will be diluted as it will be composed of a mingling of pure iron and miry clay. |
| And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron – Daniel 2:41. The Chaldee is, ”of them clay of the potter, and of them iron”; that is, part was composed of one material and part of the other. The sense is, not that the feet were composed entirely of one, and the toes of the other, but that they were intermingled. There was no homogeneousness of material; nothing in one that would coalesce with the other, or that could be permanently united to it, as two metals might be fused or welded together and form one solid compound. Iron and clay cannot be welded; and the idea here clearly is, that in the empire here referred to there would be two main elements which could never be made to blend. |
| The kingdom shall be divided – That is, divided as the iron and clay were in the image. It does not necessarily mean that there would be an open rupture – an actual separation into two parts; but that there would be ”such a diversity in the internal constitution” that, while there would be the element of great power, there would be also an element of weakness; there would be something which could never be blended with the element of strength, so as to produce one harmonious and homogeneous whole. |
| But there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay – The principal idea in this part of the description is, that there would be great ”power”; that whatever elements of weakness there might be, yet the ”power” of the empire would be apparent. No one can fail to perceive how this applies to the Roman empire; a mighty power which, through all its long history, was distinguished for the vigour with which it carried forward its plans, and pressed on to universal dominion. As to the element of ”weakness” symbolized too by the clay, it may not be possible to determine, with absolute certainty, what is referred to. Any internal source of weakness; anything in the constitution of the state, whether originally existing and constituting heterogeneous material, or whether springing up in the empire itself, or whether arising from the intermingling of foreign elements that never amalgamated themselves with the state, any one of these suppositions would meet all that is fairly implied in this language. |
| From Daniel 2:43, ”they shall mingle themselves with the SEED of MEN”, it would seem, however, that the reference is to some ”foreign” admixture – like the intermingling of nations of other languages, laws, and customs, which were never truly amalgamated with the original materials, and which constantly tended to weaken and divide the kingdom. It is to be remarked, in the exposition of the passage, that in the previous three kingdoms there was comparative homogeneousness. In the fourth kingdom, there was to be something of a peculiar character in this respect by which it should be distinguished from the others. As a matter of fact, the other three kingdoms were comparatively homogeneous in their character. The predominant feature was ”Oriental”; and though there were different nations and people intermingled in the Babylonian, the Medo–Persian, and the Macedonian kingdoms, yet there was the same general prevailing character in each; there was not such an intermingling of foreign nations as to produce disturbing elements, or to mar the symmetry and strength of the whole. It was not thus with Rome. In that empire there was the intermingling of all nations and tongues, and though the essential element of the empire remained always – ”the Roman” – yet there was an intermingling of other influences under the same general government, which could be appropriately compared with clay united with iron, and which ultimately contributed to its fall (see Daniel 2:43). |
| they shall mingle themselves with the SEED of MEN: but they shall not cleave one to another |
| This verse predicted that unity of the different nations will fail. And history documents that attempts to unify the various countries that came out of the fourth empire into one great empires have not been successful. Temporarily certain parts have been united, but the union has not proved peaceful or lasting. |
| The royal families of Europe had intermarried their children so frequently that as the time of World War 1 they were all related to one another. Many have tried to put these nations together again. Leaders like Charlemagne (AD 800), Napoleon Bonaparte (1800), Kaiser Wilhelm 1 (1914–1918), and Adolf Hitler (1939–1945). All have failed. The royalty of the different countries inter–married in the hope of creating unity. But they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. It is interesting to add that the European Union does divide the world into ten different districts. This prophecy shows that the next great event in world history is the coming of the kingdom of God, which will destroy all earthly powers, and will continue forever. |
| End time scenario |
| This unity will again be repeated at the end of time. Satan will achieve a temporary union of all nations (Revelation 17:12–18; 16:14), but the federation will be brief, and in a short time the elements composing this union will again and according to Bible prophecy crumble and fall. |
| Then, the stone that was cut without hands and broke all the other metals will be God’s coming eternal kingdom. This prophecy shows that the next great end time event in world history would be Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven. God will soon restore this world to the original beauty and perfection of Eden, and His people to a life of peace and happiness (Revelation 21, 22). |
| (41–43) In contrast to the preceding empire descriptions, which were quite brief, Daniel gave an extended explanation of the fourth one. The chief feature of the feet is that there were two materials that composed them, and these two materials do not adhere well to one another. Whereas Daniel used metals to describe the kingdoms previously, now he referred to clay, perhaps kiln–fired clay, mixed with iron. The final form of the fourth kingdom – Daniel did not identify it as a fifth kingdom – would not have the cohesiveness that the earlier kingdoms possessed. |
| Daniel 2 emphasizes Rome in its past two stages (legs), but Chapter 7 reveals more about Rome in its future tenfold form (toes). |
| 2:42 And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. |
| Toes – 10 No. – correspond to the 10 horns of the 4th beast (Daniel 7:7). |
| Part of iron, and part of clay – mixed as miry clay – Rome had lost its iron tenacity and strength – successors were manifestly weaker. |
| Partly strong – the barbarian kingdoms differed greatly in military prowess. |
| Partly broken – literally, ‘fragile’ or ‘brittle’. |
| 42. Partly strong. These barbarian kingdoms differed greatly in military prowess, as Gibbon states when he refers to “the powerful monarchies of the Franks and the Visigoths, and the dependent kingdoms of the Sueves and Burgundians”. |
| Broken. Literally, “fragile”, “brittle”. |
| Since the “stone”, depicted in verse 34 will smite the image upon its “feet”, clearly in the future, it becomes obvious that western Europe is not the only “kingdom” that will be destroyed. |
| Therefore, in this verse the singular word “kingdom” must be inclusive off all nations globally, not just the nations of western Europe. Notably, Russia and China, not to mention Japan and the United States and numerous other small nations would, of necessity also have to be included in this mixture of weak and strong “kingdom”. |
| And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, |
| Daniel now gives his readers clues about the toes of this bewildering statue. He explains that the toes of the feet are also partially composed of iron (“barzel”) and of clay (“chasaph”). |
| [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. |
| This means that this final manifestation of this final kingdom, represented by the toes, will have some strong elements and some brittle, or weak elements. The original Aramaic word for “strong” is “taqqiph” and implies to be full of power and might. |
| The original Aramaic word for “brittle” is “tebar”. This word, which is derived from the Hebrew word “shabar”, means to be so fragile as to be broken into pieces. |
| This final kingdom will be composed of great strength and significant weakness. |
| And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron and part of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken – Margin, ”brittle”. The margin is the more correct rendering of the Chaldee word. It means ”frail, fragile” – easily broken, but not necessarily that it was actually broken. That did not occur until the stone cut out of the mountain impinged on it. It has been commonly supposed, that the ten toes on the feet refer to the ten kingdoms into which the Roman empire was ultimately broken up, corresponding with the ten horns seen in the vision of Daniel, in Daniel 7:7. In regard to the fact that the Roman empire was ultimately broken up into ten such kingdoms. See Daniel 7:24. The thing which struck the monarch in the vision, and Daniel in the interpretation, as remarkable, was that the feet and toes were composed part of iron, and part of clay. |
| In the upper portion of the image there had been uniformity in the different parts, and had been no intermingling of metals. Here a new feature was seen – not only that a new metal was employed, but that there was intermingled with that, in the same portion of the image, a different substance, and one that had no affinity with the iron, and that could never be made to blend with it. In the latter part of this verse, the original word for ”partly” is not the same in each clause. In the former it is properly ”from the end”, sc., of the kingdom. Compare Daniel 12:13, ”At the end of the days”; Daniel 1:15, ”At the end of ten days”; and Daniel 2:5, Daniel 2:18. |
| 42–44. The nations of Europe represented by the “iron mixed with miry clay”, have attempted many times to “mingle themselves” into a single alloy. But the prophecy says, “they shall not cleave [join] one to another”. The military might of these nations has failed to reunite them as an empire, as have treaties, alliances and diplomacy. |
| 2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the SEED of MEN: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. |
| History has verified this prophecy: |
| • 605 BC–539 BC Babylon flourished |
| • 539 BC–331 BC Persian Empire |
| • 331 BC–146 BC Greece |
| • 168 BC–476 AD Rome ruled with a strong and cruel iron grip |
| • 476 AD–today Nations have remained separate and divided. |
| Miry clay – Rome had lost its iron tenacity and strength – successors were manifestly weak. |
| Iron and Clay—Mingled Churchcraft and Statecraft—We have come to a time when God’s sacred work is represented by the feet of the image in which the iron was mixed with the miry clay. God has a people, a chosen people, whose discernment must be sanctified, who must not become unholy by laying upon the foundation wood, hay, and stubble. Every soul who is loyal to the commandments of God will see that the distinguishing feature of our faith is the seventh–day Sabbath. If the government would honor the Sabbath as God has commanded, it would stand in the strength of God and in defense of the faith once delivered to the saints. But statesmen will uphold the spurious sabbath, and will mingle their religious faith with the observance of this child of the papacy, placing it above the Sabbath which the Lord has sanctified and blessed, setting it apart for man to keep holy, as a sign between Him and His people to a thousand generations. The mingling of churchcraft and statecraft is represented by the iron and the clay. This union is weakening all the power of the churches. This investing the church with the power of the state will bring evil results. Men have almost passed the point of God’s forbearance. They have invested their strength in politics, and have united with the papacy. But the time will come when God will punish those who have made void His law, and their evil work will recoil upon themselves. (Manuscript 63, 1899). 4BC 1168.8 |
| 43. With the SEED of MEN. Many commentators refer this to royal intermarriages, though the intent of the statement may be wider. The word for man is ’enash, “mankind”. “Seed” means descendants. Hence there may also be a general indication of a shifting back and forth of populations, but with nationalism continuing strong. The original LXX version has several variations from the Masoretic text, verses 42, 43 reading: “And the toes of the feet a certain part of iron and a certain part of earthenware, a certain part of the kingdom shall be strong and a certain part shall be broken. And as you saw the iron mixed with earthenware, there shall be mixings among nations [or, among generations] of men, but they shall not agree [literally, “be like–minded”], nor be friendly with one another even as it is impossible to mix iron with clay”. Theodotion’s translation of Daniel, which practically displaced the original Greek translation, known as the LXX, is more like the Masoretic text, but even it shows variations: “And the toes of the feet a certain part of iron and a certain part of clay, a certain part of the kingdom shall be strong and from it [a part] shall be broken. Because you saw the iron mixed with earthenware, there shall be mixings in the SEED of MEN and they shall not cleave this one with this one according as iron is not mixed with earthenware”. |
| It is difficult to evaluate the authority of the LXX in any given statement; hence it is impossible for us to know to what extent the above readings may have preserved Daniel’s original words. Interestingly, the recently discovered Chester Beatty Papyri, in the Daniel section dating from the beginning of the 3rd century AD., contain the original LXX version rather than the translation of Theodotion. |
| Shall not cleave. Daniel’s prophecy has stood and will stand the test of time. Some world powers have been weak, others strong. Nationalism has continued strong. Attempts to unite into one great empire the various nations that grew out of the fourth empire have ended in failure. Temporarily certain sections have been united, but the union has not proved peaceful or permanent. |
| There have also been many political alliances among the nations. Farseeing statesmen have tried in various ways to bring about a federation of nations that would operate successfully, but all such attempts have proved disappointing. |
| The prophecy does not specifically declare that there could not be a temporary union of various elements, through force of arms or political domination. It does declare, however, that the constituent nations, should such a union be attempted or effected, would not become organically fused, and that they would remain mutually suspicious and unfriendly. A federation created on such a foundation is doomed to crumble. The temporary success of some dictator or nation must, therefore, not be labeled a failure of Daniel’s prophecy. In the end Satan will actually be able to achieve a temporary union of all nations (Revelation 17:12–18; cf. Revelation 16:14; GC 624), but the federation will be brief, and in a short time the elements composing this union will turn on one another (GC 656; EW 290). |
| The gold standard of the ongoing effort to “mingle . . . with the SEED of MEN” is thought to be the “royal intermarriages” that took place between many of the early rulers of Europe. The marriage of Napoleon, the emperor of France, to Louise of Austria is one of them. |
| But that is not the only possible way to understand this. For example, the Commentary points to another possibility depicted in the “original . . . LXX” that reads: “And as you saw the iron mixed with earthenware, there shall be mixings among nations [or, among generations] of men, but they shall not agree [literally, ‘be like–minded’], nor be friendly with one another even as it is impossible to mix iron with clay” [21]. That view suggests an ongoing effort to consolidate nations and kingdoms under one head that will continue, by one means or another, until the end of time. |
| • [21] Seventh–day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, page 775 (right column, middle of the continued paragraph). |
| Two outstanding examples are the League of Nations, organized after World War I and the United Nations after World War II. The reluctance of our current leaders to stem the flow of illegal immigration probably originates from the desire to meld Mexico with the U.S. being one aspect of the current “Globalists’” movement. |
| And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, |
| Once again, Daniel refers to the mixture of this iron and [soft] clay in the feet and toes of the statue. |
| They shall mingle themselves with the SEED of MEN: |
| The strong iron and the brittle clay will mingle themselves with the seed (“zera”) of men. It is not exactly clear what is being stated. |
| But they shall not cleave one to another, |
| But this mingling of the seed will not “hold” (“dabaq”) together. Unlike God’s original intention for men and women, the iron and the clay will not “cleave” together. (Gen. 2:24) |
| Even as iron is not mixed with clay. |
| Daniel explains that this lack of adhesion between the iron and clay is not surprising as these two elements do not mix, even in nature. |
| And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the SEED of MEN – Various explanations have been given of this verse, and it certainly is not of easy interpretation. The phrase ”SEED of MEN”, would properly denote something different from the original stock that was represented by iron; some foreign admixture that would be so unlike that, and that would so little amalgamate with it, as to be properly represented by clay as compared with iron. The word rendered ”men” is employed in Hebrew and in Chaldee to denote men of an inferior class – the lower orders, the common herd – in contradistinction from the more elevated and noble classes. See Isaiah 2:9; Isaiah 5:15; Proverbs 8:4. |
| The word here used – to be sick, ill at ease, incurable, would properly denote feebleness or inferiority, and would be aptly represented by clay as contrasted with iron. The expression ”SEED of MEN”, as here used, would therefore denote some intermingling of an inferior race with the original stock; some union or alliance under the one sovereignty, which would greatly weaken it as a whole, though the original strength still was great. The language would represent a race of mighty and powerful men, constituting the stamina – the bone and the sinew of the empire – mixed up with another race or other races, with whom, though they were associated in the government, they could never be blended; could never assimilate. This foreign admixture in the empire would be a constant source of weakness, and would constantly tend to division and faction, for such elements could never harmonize. |
| In the Roman, the element of strength – ”the iron” – was in the original material of the empire; the weak, the heterogeneous element – ”the clay” – was what was introduced from the foreign nations. |
| Looking at the Roman empire at that period, and during the time when it occupied the position of the universal monarchy, and during which the ”stone cut out of the mountain” grew and filled the world, there is no difficulty in finding such an intermingling with other nations – ”the SEED of MEN” – as to be properly described by ”iron and clay” in the same image that could never be blended, The allusion is, probably, to that intermingling with other nations which so remarkably characterized the Roman empire, and which arose partly from its conquests, and partly from the inroads of other people in the latter days of the empire, and in reference to both of which there was no proper amalgamation, leaving the original vigour of the empire substantially in its strength, but introducing other elements which never amalgamated with it, and which were like clay intermingled with iron. |
| • (1) From their conquests. Tacitus says the lust of ruling is more ardent than all other desires; and this was eminently true of the Romans. They aspired at the dominion of the world; and, in their strides at universal conquest, they brought nations under their subjection, and admitted them to the rights of citizenship, which had no affinity with the original material which composed the Roman power, and which never really amalgamated with it, any more than clay does with iron. |
| • (2) This was true, also, in respect to the hordes that poured into the empire from other countries, and particularly from the Scandinavian regions, in the latter periods of the empire, and with which the Romans were compelled to form alliances, while, at the same time, they could not amalgamate with them. No reader of the Roman history can be ignorant of the invasions of the Goths, the Huns, and the Vandals, or of the effects of these invasions on the empire. |
| No one can be ignorant of the manner in which they became intermingled with the ancient Roman people, or of the attempts to form alliances with them, by intermarriages and other-wish, which were always like attempts to unite iron and clay. ”Placidia, daughter of Theodosius the Great, was given in marriage to Adolphus, king of the Goths; the two daughters of Stilicho, the Vandal, were successively married to Honorius; and Genseric, another Vandal, gave Eudocia, a captive imperial princess, to his son to wife”. The effects of the intermingling of foreign people on the character and destiny of the empire cannot be overstated. The last three hundred years has been consumed in apparent prosperity and internal decline. The nation of soldiers, magistrates, and legislators, who composed the thirty–five tribes of the Roman people, has been dissolved into the common mass of mankind, and confounded with the million of servile provincials who had received the name without adopting the spirit of the Romans. A mercenary army, levied among the subjects and barbarians of the frontier, was the only order of men who preserved and abused their independence. |
| By their tumultuary election, a Syrian, a Goth, or an Arab was exalted to the throne of Rome, and invested with despotic power over the conquests and over the country of the Scipios. The limits of the Roman empire still extended from the Western Ocean to the Tigris, and from Mount Atlas to the Rhine and the Danube. To the undiscerning eye of the common, Philip appeared a monarch no less powerful than Hadrian or Augustus had formerly been. The form was still the same, but the animating health and rigor were fled. The industry of the people was discouraged and exhausted by a long series of oppression. The discipline of the legions, which alone, after the extinction of every other virtue, had propped the greatness of the state, was corrupted by the ambition, or relaxed by the weakness of the emperors. The strength of the frontiers, which had always consisted in arms rather than in fortifications, was insensibly undermined, and the fairest provinces were left exposed to the rapaciousness or ambition of the barbarians, who soon discovered the decline of the Roman empire. |
| 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a 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. |
| The stone (Daniel 2:45) smashes down upon modern–day earthly country–kingdoms and obliterates them; covering the entire planet. |
| Symbolic of Christ’s Second Coming. |
| Hence nations will remain separate and divided. |
| 44. Set up a kingdom. Many commentators have attempted to make this detail of the prophecy a prediction of the first advent of Christ and the subsequent conquest of the world by the gospel. But this “kingdom” was not to exist contemporaneously with any of those four kingdoms; it was to succeed the iron–and–clay phase, which had not yet come when Christ was here on earth. The kingdom of God was still future at the time, as He clearly stated to His disciples at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:29). It is to be set up when Christ comes at the last day to judge the living and the dead (2Timothy 4:1; cf. Matthew 25:31–34). |
| The last three verses 41–43 are devoted to a description of the “feet and toes” of the “image”. The date for the beginning of the feet is 476 AD. |
| But while we are able to assign dates for the preceding parts of the image, something neither Daniel or Nebuchadnezzar were able to do, we, like them, are likewise unable to assign a date for the end of the “feet and toes”. Jesus, who actually gave Nebuchadnezzar the dream and its interpretation to Daniel, later said to the disciples during His earthly ministry, “But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only”. (Matthew 24:36). |
| Now, during the “days of these [specific] kings” of western Europe who originated from the division of the Roman Empire whose influence has had a profound affect on “every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people” of the world even to our day, we are still waiting for “the God of heaven [to] set up [His] kingdom”, and God is still waiting for us to preach “the everlasting gospel” (Revelation 14:6) to them! |
| And in the days of these kings |
| Daniel now turns his attention to the “days of these kings”. We are left with two options as to who exactly he is referencing: 1) All of the kingdoms that he has described, or more likely 2) the kings involved with the final kingdom, which he describes as being composed of strong iron and miry clay. Based on the context and the Aramaic language employed, the latter seems more plausible. |
| Shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: |
| During the reign of these kings, God will establish His own Kingdom, and this Kingdom will never be destroyed. |
| And the kingdom shall not be left to other people, |
| This Kingdom, established by God, will not be left (“shebaq”) to another people. |
| [but] it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, |
| God’s Kingdom will shatter and crush (“deqaq”) into pieces all of these other kingdoms. |
| And consume all |
| God’s Kingdom will bring all other kingdoms to an end. |
| And it shall stand for ever. |
| God’s Kingdom will endure into perpetuity. |
| And in the days of these kings – Margin, ”their”. The reading in the text ”these kings” – is the more correct. The Vulgate renders this, ”in the days of these kingdoms”. The natural and obvious sense of the passage is, that during the continuance of the kingdoms above–mentioned, or before they should finally pass away, that is, before the last one should become extinct, another kingdom would be established on the earth which would be perpetual. Before the succession of universal monarchies should have passed away, the new kingdom would be set up that would never be destroyed. Such language is not uncommon. In Ruth 1:1: ”It came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land”; that is, the famine occurred sometime under that general administration, or before it had passed away, evidently not meaning that there was a famine in the reign of each one. So it is said of Jephthah, that he was buried ”in the cities of Gilead”; that is, some one of them. Josiah was buried in, ”the sepulchres of his fathers”; that is, in some one of them. |
| Shall the God of heaven – The God, who rules in heaven; the true God. This is designed to show the Divine origin of this kingdom, and to distinguish it from all others. Though the others here referred to were under the Divine control, and were designed to act an important part in preparing the world for this, yet they are not represented as deriving their origin directly from heaven. They were founded in the usual manner of earthly monarchies, but this was to have a heavenly origin. In accordance with this, the kingdom which the Messiah came to establish is often called, in the New Testament, ”the kingdom of heaven”, ”the kingdom of God”, etc.. Compare Micah 4:7; Luke 1:32–33. |
| Set up a kingdom – ”Shall cause to arise or stand up”. It shall not owe its origin to the usual causes by which empires are constituted on the earth by conquests; by human policy; by powerful alliances; by transmitted hereditary possession – but shall exist because God shall ”appoint” and ”constitute” it. There can be no reasonable doubt as to what kingdom is here intended, and nearly all expositors have supposed that it refers to the kingdom of the Messiah. |
| Which shall never be destroyed – The others would pass away. The Babylonian would be succeeded by the Medo–Persian, that by the Macedonian, that by the Roman, and that in its turn by the one which the God of heaven would set up. This would be perpetual. Nothing would have power to overthrow it. It would live in the revolutions of all other kingdoms, and would survive them all. See Daniel 7:14; and the summary of the doctrines taught – see Daniel 2:45. |
| And the kingdom shall not be left to other people – Margin, ”thereof. Literally, ”Its kingdom shall not be left to other people”; that is, the ruling power appropriate to this kingdom or dominion shall never pass away from its rightful possessor, and be transferred to other hands. In respect to other kingdoms, it often happens that their sovereigns are deposed, and that their power passes into the hands of usurpers. But this can never occur in this kingdom. The government will never change hands. The administration will be perpetual. No foreign power shall sway the scepter of this kingdom. There ”may be” an allusion here to the fact that, in respect to each of the other kingdoms mentioned, the power over the same territory ”did” pass into the hands of other people. Thus, on the same territory, the dominion passed from the hands of the Babylonian princes to the hands of Cyrus the Persian, and then to the hands of Alexander the Macedonian, and then to the hands of the Romans. But this would never occur in regard to the kingdom which the God of heaven would set up. In the region of empire appropriate to it, it would never change hands; and this promise of perpetuity made this kingdom wholly unlike all its predecessors. |
| [But] it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms – As represented by the stone cut out of the mountains without hands, impinging on the image. See Daniel 2:34–35. |
| (44–45) These verses explain what the “stone” or rock signifies, that crushed the feet and toes of the image and destroyed it completely. It is a fifth kingdom that God Himself will establish, following the final phase of the fourth kingdom (Rome; cf. Psalms 2:7–9; Revelation 11:15). The “Rock”, a frequent symbol of God and Jesus Christ in Scripture (cf. Psalms 18:2; Isaiah 8:14; Isaiah 28:16; Zechariah 3:9; 1 Peter 2:6–8), evidently represents the King as well as His kingdom (cf. Daniel 2:38: “You are the head of gold”). The mountain out of which the rock comes is evidently God (cf. Deuteronomy 32:18; Psalms 18:2; Psalms 31:2–3), though a mountain is also a common figure for a kingdom or government in the Bible (cf. Isaiah 2:2; Isaiah 27:13; Jeremiah 51:25; Micah 4:1; et al.). “Those kings” evidently refers to the 10 kings represented by the 10 toes. They are quite clearly contemporaneous with one another, not sequential rulers. God’s kingdom, the mountain of Daniel 2:35, will fill the earth and will last forever (cf. 2 Samuel 7:16). It will never suffer destruction or be succeeded by another kingdom, as all the preceding kingdoms had. It will begin with the Millennium and continue forever in the eternal state. |
| 2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream [is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. |
| Stone – ‘a single stone’ in both Aramaic and Hebrew languages – a hewn stone – cut without hands. |
| Without hands – this kingdom has a superhuman origin – founded by the mighty hand of God. |
| 45. Stone. Aramaic ’eben, identical with the Heb. ’eben, “a single stone”, used of slabs, sling stones, hewn stones, stone vessels, precious stones. The word “rock”, frequently used of God (Deuteronomy 32:4, 18; 1Samuel 2:2; etc.), is from the Heb. ?ur rather than ’eben. It cannot be established that there is any necessary connection between Daniel’s symbol for the kingdom of God and the figure of a rock or stone used elsewhere. The interpretation offered by Daniel is of itself sufficient to identify the symbol. |
| Without hands. This kingdom has a superhuman origin. It is to be founded, not by the ingenious hands of man, but by the mighty hand of God. |
| Note that this same “stone” was previously alluded to in verses 34 and 35. This verse basically repeats what we were shown there except for one additional piece of information—the “stone” was “cut out of the mountain . . .” |
| Verse 35, without telling us from where the “stone” came, smote the “image” on it’s “feet”, ground it to powder, then “became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth”. |
| Here, in verse 45, while it also “brake” each element of the image, we are also told it “was cut out of the mountain . . .” |
| Therefore, from what we learned in verses 35 and 45, two “mountains” are depicted. The first “mountain” is here in verse 45 and is therefore the source of the “stone” which became the second “mountain” of verse 35. |
| While the second “mountain” of verse 35 represents God’s kingdom that “filled the whole earth”, what does the first “mountain” [22] of verse 45 represent? If that second “mountain” [23] will occupy “the whole earth” what happened to the first “mountain” of verse 45? Evidently, it will be destroyed along with the image! |
| [22] Although this point seems quite important, the SDA Bible Commentary, Clark’s Commentary and even Uriah Smith seem to have all overlooked it. |
| [23] The word “mountain” is translated from the Aramaic word “tuwr” (Strong’s #2906), the same word for “mountain” in verse 35. It corresponds to the Hebrew word “tsuwr” (Strong’s #6697) meaning “rock”. But, that doesn’t seem to be of much help with our understanding of the “mountain” in verse 45 because it cannot be the same “mountain” or “rock” that the “stone” became in verse 35! |
| It is important to recognize that the two words “cut out” are from a single Aramaic word “gezar” or “gazerin” [24] meaning “to cut” or “to determine” [25]. While that same word is translated “Soothsayers” in Daniel 2:27; 4:7, 5:7 and 11, it is translated “cut out” in Daniel 2:34 and 45. |
| • [24] Strong’s Concordance #1505. |
| • [25] Internet search. |
| Obviously, the “Soothsayers” in the previous verses, are human imposters claiming to possess omniscience. But, the “decider” of verses 35 and 45 is God Himself who selected the “stone” out of the first mountain. God, after destroying the “image” with the “stone”, grew the “stone” into a “great mountain [which] filled the whole earth” leaving no place for the first “mountain”. |
| So, what does the first “mountain” represent? |
| Two possibilities come to mind. Note that Daniel called “thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain” (Daniel 9:16). That was God’s church in Daniel’s day. But, since the “stone” strikes the image on its feet, it is possible the first “mountain” represents God’s end time church militant out of which God selects those who will vindicate His name at the end of time showing Satan, whose governmental principles are illustrated by the great “image”, to be a liar. |
| An alternative explanation could be that the first “mountain” represents the entire world, not just the church, out of which God will select those who will vindicate him. |
| Either way, it should be clear that the cutting out of the “mountain” is judgment language parallel to the judgment scene depicted later on in Chapter 7. |
| While there is some reason to believe that the “stone” represents Christ Himself (see, for example, Matthew .21:42, 44; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17, 18; or “rock” in Matthew 16:18; 1Corinthians 10:4) if we ignore its origin in this context, that traditional explanation becomes difficult if not impossible to defend when the first “mountain” of Daniel 2:45 is allowed its rightful place in the interpretation. Bear in mind that God is the prime mover, not the “stone”. The “stone”, of itself, possess no motive power whatsoever. It is selected by God and propelled by God. The “stone” does nothing of itself. “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). |
| So, what does the “stone” represent? It must be a symbol of God’s people who will vindicate His character during the last hours of earth’s history and bring to naught all the charges Satan brought against God’s government. The next Chapter, where Daniel’s three companions bravely stood while their peers bowed down, is an illustration of how God will use His people to destroy the image during the final hours of earth’s history. |
| Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; |
| Daniel now summarizes the meaning of the king’s amazing dream: A stone being hewn out of a mountain by supernatural forces annihilates the towering statue. This represents the destruction of all human government in order to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth. |
| The great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: |
| That the God of heaven would reveal such insight to a pagan king is indeed amazing. But in His perfect omniscience, God used the dream, and its interpretation to encourage Daniel and his people, as well as future generations who now benefit from the dream. |
| And the dream [is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. |
| Daniel assures the king that this is no ordinary dream. Instead, it is a true prophetic revelation that will indeed come to pass just as Daniel has described. |
| Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone … – On the meaning of the language employed here, see Daniel 2:34–35. The word ”forasmuch” may be taken either in connection with what precedes, or with what follows. In the former method, there should be a period at the word ”gold” in this verse; and then the sense is, ”In those days shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, etc., ”forasmuch”, or ”because” thou sawest a stone”, etc., that is, that was a certain indication of it. According to the other method, the meaning is, ”Forasmuch as thou sawest the stone cut out and demolish the image, the great God has made known the certainty of it”; that is, that is a certain indication that it will be done. The Vulgate is, ”According to what thou sawest, that the stone was cut out without hands, and reduced the clay, etc., the great God has shown to the king what will be hereafter”. The difference in the interpretation is not very material. |
| Cut out of the mountain – This is not inserted in the statement in Daniel 2:34. It seems, however, to be implied there, as there is mention of the stone as ”cut out”. The representation is evidently that of a stone disengaged from its native bed, the side of a mountain, without any human agency, and then rolling down the side of it and impinging on the image. |
| The great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter – Margin, the same as the Chaldee, ”after this”. The meaning is simply, in time to come; in some future period. Daniel claims none of the merit of this discovery to himself. but ascribes it all to God. |
| And the dream [is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure – That is, it is no vain and airy phantom; no mere working of the imagination. The dream was all that the monarch had supposed it to be – a representation of coming events, and his solicitude in regard to it was well–founded. Daniel speaks with the utmost assurance also as to its fulfillment. He knew that he had been led to this interpretation by no skill of his own; and his representation of it was such as to satisfy the monarch of its correctness. |
| 45–47. The validity of this prophecy has been borne out of history. Babylon was overthrown by Medo–Persia, which was in turn conquered by Greece, which was then overcome by Rome. Rome, rather than suffering defeat from another world power, slowly dissolved into the nations of Europe. |
| There is only one part of this prophecy that remains to be fulfilled. God will “set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed”. He will restore this world to the original beauty and perfection of Eden, and His people to a life of health and happiness. See Revelation 21 and 22. |
| We can have confidence that all these things will come to pass because God Himself has promised. For “the dream [is] certain and the interpretation thereof sure”. |
| 2:46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. |
| Fell upon his face – a mark of respect and reverence – frequently noted in Old Testament. |
| It is not known whether the oblation (a bloodless offering) and sweet odours (incense) were carried out – Daniel could have again pointed out the revelation was from God. Alternatively, Daniel could have accepted that Nebuchadnezzar’s limited knowledge of the true God lead him to believe he could worship through Daniel. A strict reading of the second commandment of the Decalogue brings such acts into serious question. |
| A Divine Revelation.–Nebuchadnezzar felt that he could accept this interpretation as a divine revelation; for to Daniel had been revealed every detail of the dream. The solemn truths conveyed by the interpretation of this vision of the night made a deep impression on the sovereign’s mind, and in humility and awe he “fell upon his face, and worshipped”. . . . [4BC 1169.1] |
| Nebuchadnezzar saw clearly the difference between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the most learned men of his kingdom (YI Sept. 8, 1903). [4BC 1169.2] |
| 46. Fell upon his face. A mark of respect and reverence. Such expressions of respect are frequently noted in the OT (Genesis 17:3; 2Samuel 9:6; 14:4). |
| Worshipped. Aramaic segad, a word that normally seems to imply actual worship. The king was already upon his face; so it may mean more than “bow down”. Segad is used throughout Chapter 3 to describe the worship of the golden image demanded by the king but refused by the Hebrews. The Hebrew words for “oblation” and “sweet odours”, combined with the word for “offer”, also strongly imply worship. Whether Daniel permitted these acts without remonstrance we are not told. The record says only that Nebuchadnezzar commanded that an oblation and sweet odors should be offered to Daniel, but does not say that the actions were carried out. Daniel may have tactfully called attention to what he had already positively affirmed, that the revelation came from the God of heaven and that he had not received it because of any superiority in wisdom (see verse 30). |
| In the light of Peter’s refusal of the worship of Cornelius (Acts 10:25, 26), of Paul and Barnabas’ rejection of the adoration of the men of Lystra (Acts 14:11–18), and of the angel’s reproof of John when he fell at his feet to worship him (Revelation 19:10), many think it unlikely that Daniel would have permitted the king to worship him. Others reason that, inasmuch as God accepts sincerity of motive when men follow the best light they have, Daniel may have been directed not to interfere in the matter at this time. |
| As yet Nebuchadnezzar knew but little of the true God, and even less of how to worship Him. Thus far his acquaintance with God was limited to what he had seen of the divine character reflected in the life of Daniel and to what Daniel had told him of God. It is entirely possible that Nebuchadnezzar, seeing in Daniel the living representative of “the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh” (verse 11), intended the acts of worship he accorded Daniel to be in honor of Daniel’s God. With his limited knowledge of the true God, Nebuchadnezzar was doubtless doing the best he knew at the time to express his thankfulness and to honor the One whose wisdom and power had been so impressively demonstrated. |
| An oblation. The Hebrew word corresponding to the Aramaic word here used generally denotes a bloodless offering (see Chapter 9:21). |
| Sweet odours. That is, incense. |
| What a change in demeanor from being “angry and very furious” (verse 12) to that of humble adoration bowing at Daniel’s feet! We are not told whether Daniel remonstrated with the king to prevent being worshiped, but we do know he took care not to take any credit to himself. Perhaps the relief brought to the king’s mind by this revelation was so great he forgot himself and cast aside his kingly dignity for the moment to express his profound gratitude. |
| Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, |
| Imagine the scene… The king of the world’s most powerful empire falls down on his face before a Jewish captive to worship him! However bizarre this may seem, it shows the great impact that Daniel’s correct interpretation had upon Nebuchadnezzar. This act of falling down to pay homage to Daniel is summed up in two Aramaic words: “Naphal” meaning to fall down and “Segid”, which means to worship. This is the first time that these words appear in this Book and they will reappear once again several times in Daniel Chapter 3 when King Nebuchadnezzar has a massive statue of gold made in his honor and commands that every inhabitant of Babylon to “fall down and worship the image of gold”. (Daniel 3:5) |
| And commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. |
| After falling down at Daniel’s feet in an extravagant show of honor, the king commands that his servants to pour out or offer (“nesak”) a gift offering (“minchah”) and incense full of soothing and tranquilizing aromas (“nichoach”) to Daniel. |
| While the text does little to reveal whether Daniel accepted this idolatrous act right before him, it is unlikely given that he refused to eat from the king’s table (Daniel 1) and would rather face a hungry den of lions than to fail to pray to his God. (Daniel 6) |
| Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face – This was the common method of signifying profound respect among the Orientals. Compare Genesis 17:3; Genesis 50:18; Leviticus 9:24; Numbers 14:5; Jos 5:14; Judges 13:20; Revelation 11:16. |
| And worshipped Daniel – The word rendered ”worshipped” here, in the Chaldee portions of the Bible is uniformly rendered ”worship”, Daniel 2:26; Daniel 3:5–7, Daniel 3:10–12, Daniel 3:14–15, Daniel 3:18, Daniel 3:28. It occurs nowhere else, and in every instance, except in the one before us, is employed with reference to the homage paid to an idol, all the other cases occurring in the third Chapter respecting the image that was set up by Nebuchadnezzar. The corresponding Hebrew word occurs only in Isaiah 44:15, Isaiah 44:17, Isaiah 44:19; Isaiah 46:6; and is, in every instance, rendered ”fall down”, also with reference to idols. The proper idea, therefore, of the word here is, that the monarch meant to render ”religious” homage to Daniel, or such adoration as was usually paid to idols. This is confirmed by what is immediately added, that he commanded that an oblation should be made to him. |
| That they should offer an oblation – That is, his attendants, or perhaps the priests to whom pertained the duty of making offerings to the gods. The word rendered ”oblation” does not refer to a ”bloody” sacrifice, but means a gift or present of any kind. It is applied in the Scriptures to denote: |
| • (1) ”a gift”, or ”present”, Genesis 32:13, Genesis 32:18, Genesis 32:20 (Genesis 32:14, Genesis 32:19, Genesis 32:21); Genesis 43:11, Genesis 43:15, Genesis 43:25–26. |
| • (2) ”a tribute”, such as was exacted from a subject nation, under the notion of a present, 2Samuel 8:2; 8:6; 1Kings 4:21; 5:1. |
| • (3) ”an offering” or sacrifice to God, especially a bloodless offering, in opposition to (zebach) – a bloody sacrifice, Leviticus 2:1, Leviticus 2:4–6; Leviticus 6:14; Leviticus 7:9; Psalms 40:6; Jeremiah 17:26. |
| There can be no doubt that Nebuchadnezzar meant that such an offering should be presented as was usually made in idol worship. |
| And sweet odors – incense was commonly used in worship, and it is not improbable that in the worship of the gods it was accompanied with other fragrant odors. Sweet odors, or ”savors”, expressed by the same word which is used here, were a part of the prescribed worship in the Hebrew ritual, Leviticus 1:9, Leviticus 1:13, Leviticus 1:17; Leviticus 2:2, Leviticus 2:9; Leviticus 3:5; Leviticus 6:21; Numbers 15:7. |
| (46–49) Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction to Daniel’s reporting of the dream and its interpretation. |
| Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth [it is], that your God [is] a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise [men] of Babylon. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel [sat] in the gate of the king. |
| Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face: This great king was obviously impressed. He wasn’t in the habit of showing such respect to anyone, especially a foreign slave who was about to be executed with the rest of the wise [men]. This confirmed that Daniel accurately reported the dream and skillfully explained its meaning. |
| Your God [is] a God of gods: Nebuchadnezzar knew that it wasn’t Daniel himself that revealed these things, but Daniel’s God revealed it through Daniel. Daniel wanted the glory to go to God, and it did. |
| Then the king made Daniel a great man: Daniel not only had his life spared, but he was promoted to high office – and he made sure his friends were also promoted. It was fitting that Daniel’s friends got to share in his advancement, because they accomplished much of the victory through their prayers. |
| The greatest mystery is yet to be revealed! |
| Obviously king Nebuchadnezzar is surprised. He is probably relieved to some extent that this dream doesn’t indicate the immediate end of him or his kingdom. In fact, such is his relief and amazement that he even lies down prostrate before Daniel. Remember that Daniel was a young Jewish boy exiled into a strange land. Not that Daniel would have wanted such praise however. He would have preferred God was given the glory. But the king states correctly that Daniel’s God is the God of gods and the revealer of mysteries. |
| And that is certainly what God is. With the coming of the Lord Jesus all manner of mysteries where revealed and this continued with the ministry of the Apostle Paul especially. But the greatest mystery is yet to be revealed however. It is one that has been announced will be revealed at the time of the end. Do you know which mystery I speak of? It is the greatest mystery of all. It is the mystery that has puzzled every generation since being banished from the garden [17]. |
| • [17] This greatest mystery is announced in Revelation 10:5–7. In it we read the following: And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. |
| And so Daniel is given a place of extreme honour. It is good to see that in his honour and exaltation, Daniel didn’t forget his friends! He makes sure that they too are given places of authority and are made administrators over the province of Babylon. Unfortunately, things have a habit of changing pretty quickly in this life, which is what happens in the next Chapter. |
| A Reflector of Light.–Through the Hebrew captives the Lord was made known to the heathen in Babylon. This idolatrous nation was given a knowledge of the kingdom the Lord was to establish, and through His power maintain against all the power and craft of Satan. Daniel and his fellow–companions, Ezra and Nehemiah, and many others were witnesses for God in their captivity. The Lord scattered them among the kingdoms of the earth that their light might shine brightly amid the black darkness of heathenism and idolatry. To Daniel God revealed the light of His purposes, which had been hidden for many generations. He chose that Daniel should see in vision the light of His truth, and reflect this light on the proud kingdom of Babylon. On the despot king was permitted to flash light from the throne of God. Nebuchadnezzar was shown that the God of heaven was ruler over all the monarchs and kings of earth. His name was to go forth as the God over all gods. God desired Nebuchadnezzar to understand that the rulers of earthly kingdoms had a ruler in the heavens. God’s faithfulness in rescuing the three captives from the flames and vindicating their course of action showed His wonderful power. [4BC 1169.3] |
| Great light shone forth from Daniel and his companions. Glorious things were spoken of Zion, the city of the Lord. Thus the Lord designs that spiritual light shall shine from His faithful watchmen in these last days. If the saints in the Old Testament bore such a decided testimony of loyalty, how should God’s people today, having the accumulated light of centuries, shine forth, when the prophecies of the Old Testament shed their veiled glory into the future.(Letter 32, 1899)! [4BC 1169.4] |
| 2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth [it is], that your God [is] a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. |
| Your God [is] a God of gods – Marduk had only been called ‘lord of gods’ / ‘lord of kings’. |
| Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges Daniel’s God is infinitely superior to the Babylonian gods. |
| 47. Your God [is] a God of gods. Better, “your God is God of gods”. The expression is in the superlative degree. Nebuchadnezzar, who called his patron god Marduk “lord of gods”, here acknowledges that Daniel’s God is infinitely superior to any of the so–called gods of the Babylonians. |
| Lord of kings. Nebuchadnezzar evidently knew that this was a title applied to Marduk in the Babylonian creation message; he himself annually received his kingship anew from Marduk in the New Year festival. Further, he was named for Nabu, the son of Marduk, the scribe who wrote the Tablets of Fate. |
| Nebuchadnezzar was himself a man of superior intelligence and wisdom, as his provision for the professional training of court officials (Daniel 1:3, 4) and his ability to evaluate their “wisdom and understanding” (verses 18–20) make clear. Imperfect as was Nebuchadnezzar’s concept of the true God, he now had irrefutable proof that Daniel’s God was infinitely wiser than either the wise [men] or the gods of Babylon. Later experiences were to convince King Nebuchadnezzar with respect to additional attributes of the God of heaven (see on Daniel 3:28, 29; 4:34, 37). |
| With the king answering “Daniel” and affirming that his “God [is] a God of gods”, implies that Daniel had again reminded him that no credit was forthcoming to himself for the revelation of “this secret”. |
| The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth [it is], that your God [is] a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, |
| Here we have the king of the known world at the time promoting the God of the Jews a “God of gods” and a “Lord of kings”. (Deuteronomy 10:17) Nebuchadnezzar will boast once again in the Hebrew God in Daniel Chapter 3 after Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego escape unharmed from a fiery furnace. |
| And a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. |
| One attribute that Nebuchadnezzar is quick to ascribe to the Hebrew God is that He is a “revealer” of hidden secrets. From the context of this occurrence, it is clear that the king is simply astonished to come face to face with real Divine power after dealing with his counterfeit sorcerers for years. |
| The king answered unto Daniel – Answered either what he had said in the interpretation of the dream, or ”possibly” something that he had said in regard to the impropriety of offering this homage to him. See Daniel 2:46. It is certain that, for some cause. whatever might have been the homage which he was disposed to render to Daniel, his thoughts were soon turned from him to the true God, and to an acknowledgment of him as superior to all other beings. He seems, at least, instantly to have reflected on what Daniel had himself said Daniel 2:30, and to have remembered that religious homage was due, not to Daniel, but to the God who had communicated the secret to him. |
| Of a truth [it is] – It is truly so. This had been shown by the manner in which this secret was disclosed. |
| That your God [is] a God of gods – Is superior to all other gods; is supreme over all. Compare Revelation 17:14; Ti1 6:15. The idea is, that whatever subordinate beings there may be, He is supreme. |
| And a Lord of kings – Supreme over kings. They are all inferior to him, and subject to his control. |
| And a revealer of secrets – One of the attributes of divinity. See Daniel 2:28. |
| Seeing thou couldest reveal this secret – A secret which the wisest men of the realm had sought in vain to disclose. The fact that a professed servant of God had been able to do this showed that God was himself supreme, and worthy of adoration. We have here, then, an instance in which a proud and haughty pagan monarch was brought to an acknowledgment of the true God, and was constrained to render him homage. This was a result which it was evidently intended to reach in the whole transaction; in the dream itself; in the fact that the wise men of Babylon could not interpret it; and in the fact that an acknowledged servant of the Most High had been enabled to make the disclosure. |
| 2:48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise [men] of Babylon. |
| Daniel’s aim was to exalt God before king / country. |
| King gave the rewards along with the position of ‘chief prefect’. |
| Chief of the governors. Better, “chief prefect”. Daniel did not interpret the dream with a view to obtaining any reward from the king. His one aim was to exalt God before the king and all the people of Babylon. |
| This tells us a lot about the king. Having been told that his kingdom would be displaced was bad enough, but to be displaced by “another kingdom inferior to” his was even more humbling. Nevertheless, according to verses 47 and 48 Nebuchadnezzar accepted the bad news along with the good and promoted Daniel to the dizzying height of “ruler over the whole province . . . and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon”. So, When Daniel was conducted into the presence of the king by Arioch, he was just a young, fledging upstart in his early twenties. Now he was second, perhaps, only to the king himself, much like Joseph who, having just been taken from prison and having interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, made him second in command only to himself (Genesis 41:40). |
| Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, |
| Overcome by his amazement at Daniel’s abilities, Nebuchadnezzar lavishes him with “many great gifts” and appoints him to a high position according to his promise earlier in verse 6. |
| And made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, |
| Nebuchadnezzar promotes Daniel to a position of great authority over the entire province of Babylon. |
| And chief of the governors over all the wise [men] of Babylon. |
| And, perhaps most poetically, Nebuchadnezzar appoints Daniel as the chief governor over all of wise [men] (including the Magi) in Babylon. |
| There the king made Daniel a great man – That is, he gave him an honorable appointment; he so honored him that he was regarded as a great man. He was really made great by the grace of God, and the extraordinary favor which God had bestowed upon him, but the estimate which the king had of his greatness was shown by the tokens of the royal favor. ”And gave him many great gifts”. This is a common way of showing esteem in the East. The estimate in which one holds another is evinced by the variety and richness of the presents conferred on him. Hence, all persons of distinction expect gifts of those who approach them as expressive of their regard for them, and of the esteem in which they are held. Compare Daniel 2:6. |
| And made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon – Chaldee – caused him to preside over, or to rule over, from the verb ”to rule”, and commonly applied to one who rules as a prince, or in an elevated office. From this word the terms ”sultan” and ”sultana” are derived. |
| And chief of the governors over all the wise [men] of Babylon – This would seem to be an appointment which did not pertain to him as governor of the province of Babylon, or as presiding in the capital, but was a separate appointment, and, therefore, an additional mark of favor. The phrase ”chief of the governors” would seem to imply that the magi of Babylon were disposed in certain orders or classes, each of which had its appropriate head, like the head of a college or university. Daniel was placed over the whole as the president, principal, or chancellor. It had been the policy of Nebuchadnezzar to assemble at the capital the principal talent and learning of the realm. See Daniel 1:18–20; Daniel 2:2. Daniel thus, in both these stations of honor at an early period of life, though recently an unknown stranger, and a captive; was exalted to the highest honors which could be conferred on a subject, and raised to posts of distinction which would usually be regarded as the highest rewards which could be obtained by a long life of devotedness to the welfare of the country. |
| The king also promoted Daniel to be head man over the province of Babylon, and chief of the wise [men]. He evidently became the ruler in charge of this most important province (cf. Daniel 3:2). Normally this position would have gone to a Chaldean, a member of the “master race” of Babylonian society. The fact that Nebuchadnezzar gave it to a Jewish captive shows the tremendous respect that Daniel had earned with this revelation. |
| 2:49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel [sat] in the gate of the king. |
| Daniel remembered his comrades – they shared in prayers (2:18); they shared in the reward. |
| Gate – the place where Oriental kings sat as judges and where chief councils convened (Genesis 19:1). |
| 49. Daniel requested. Daniel did not become intoxicated by the great honors that had been conferred upon him. He remembered his comrades. They had shared in the prayer (verse 18); they shared also in the reward. |
| Gate. The place where Oriental kings sat as judges and where chief councils convened (see Gen. 19:1). |
| At Daniel’s request, the king also promoted Daniel’s three friends to positions of authority within the provincial administration (cf. Daniel 2:17–18). Daniel himself remained in the palace and was available to Nebuchadnezzar as an adviser when the king needed him. God prepared for the arrival of thousands of exiled Judahites (in 597 and 586 BC) by placing men in authority who were sympathetic to their needs (cf. Joseph). |
| So, his new responsibilities did not go to his head. His first thought was of his companions with whom he had just prayed the preceding night and had shared the plight of a captive for the past three plus years or so. The bonds of friendship were strong even though now, Daniel’s responsibilities, which were now given to his friends, were to take him to places far apart from those of his friends as he “sat in the gate of the king”, the place “were Oriental kings sat as judges and where chief councils convened” [26]. |
| • [26] Seventh–day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, page 777 (right column, last paragraph). |
| The two “mountain” sequence depicted in Daniel 2:35 and 45 can be illustrated with a diamond, being the best material to represent the “stone”, and symbolizes God’s last day people whom God will use to vindicate His character: |
| Obviously, this is symbolic judgment language. It depicts, in general, God’s final movement during the last stage of His great plan of salvation when He selects, from among the living (in the world in general, and the church militant in particular), those who will vindicate His character during the final hours of earth’s history. The concept is enlarged upon in Chapters 7 to 12 and fleshed out in further detail in the Book of Revelation. The narrative portion of Daniel’s Book, complemented by Chapters 2 and 3 in the Book of Revelation, depict the kind of character and behavior God approves and disapproves. His everlasting kingdom will be composed of those whose character and behavior He approves. |
| This interpretation is inclusive of far more than the generally recognized understanding that the “stone” only represents Christ’s second coming. While that is certainly part of the picture, I find it incomplete. While the Bible Commentary neglects any mention of the “mountain” featured in verse 45, it does make thoughtful mention of the “stone”: “It cannot be established that there is any necessary connection between Daniel’s symbol for the kingdom of God and the figure of a rock or stone used elsewhere. The interpretation offered by Daniel is of itself sufficient to identify the symbol” [27]. Since the “stone” is made up of the selected material from the first “mountain” with God’s hand featured making the selection, it seem undeniable that the “stone” represents the people of God who will vindicate His name during the final hours of this earth’s history. In that case, the process of the final vindication of God’s character should be considered inclusive of the pre millennial time of trouble, the thousand year millennial time of judgment and the post millennial executive judgment to be concluded by the lake of fire. Only then will the complete destruction of the image representing man’s vain effort to govern will be completely destroyed. |
| • [27] Seventh–day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol.4, page 770 right column under “Soothsayers”. |
| A diamond has been chosen to represent God’s people as it is a mineral that God can use to grind up the gold, silver, brass and iron and will last forever. Bear in mind that the “stone” cannot move on its own. God does with it what he will. The “stone” does nothing on its own! Therefore, it does not represent militancy whatsoever. The question remains: Can God use you? Can He use me to carry forward His plan of salvation, whatever it is?” |
| Summary of Chapter 2: The 49 verses of this Chapter, as compared to the 45 of Chapter 11, make it the longest in Daniel’s Book. This is suggestive of its relative importance. Note how it depicts the character and behavior of five outstanding individuals, namely Daniel, his three companions and Nebuchadnezzar, the king himself. Another person named Arioch, the king’s captain, is another outstanding person who represents a certain measure of integrity that God approves. They, against the background of obsequious individuals seen here as the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans, represent those whom God condemns but are spared in order that the contrast between themselves and the others becomes more apparent. Even though Nebuchadnezzar was heathen to the core, God saw value in his character that would eventually bring honor to His name. Thus he was chosen to receive what could well be considered one of the greatest revelations of all time, that of the great multi element image of his dream. But, probably the greatest revelation of that great revelation is the “stone” that was selected by God Himself out of a “mountain” and used by divine providence to destroy the image. It seems irrefutable that its selection from the “mountain” of verse 45 is an analogous metaphoric representation of the judgment scene depicted in Chapter 7. That the metaphoric “stone” is representative of such individuals as Daniel, his three companions and even Nebuchadnezzar and Arioch, also seems very likely. People like them will compose the “great mountain” of verse 35 that will fill “the whole earth” sometime after “the judgment was set, and the books were opened” in Chapter 7. |
| Then Daniel requested of the king … – In his own remarkable prosperity, and in the extraordinary honors conferred on him, he did not forget the companions of his humbler days. They were his countrymen; they had been captives with him; they had been selected with a view to stand with him before the king Daniel 1:3–4; they had shared with him in his rules of abstinence Daniel 1:11–17; they had all passed an honorable examination before the king Daniel 1:18–19; they had united with him in supplication to God that he would disclose the meaning of the vision Daniel 2:17–18; and now it was proper that they should be remembered by him who had been so signally honored. |
| Over the affairs of the province of Babylon – In what particular departments of business they were employed is not mentioned; but it would seem that all that especially pertained to this province was entrusted to them. Daniel had the general superintendence, but the subordinate duties growing out of the office were entrusted to them. The fact that the king granted the request shows the influence that Daniel had at the court. The reasons which influenced the king in granting the request may have been, not only the favor with which he regarded Daniel, but the fact that the duties of the office conferred on him now were such as to require assistance, and the remembrance of the virtues of these youths when they stood before him. |
| But Daniel [sat] in the gate of the king – The post of chief honor and dignity as a counselor of the king. The ”gate” of a city in the East, being a chief place of concourse, was the place where courts were held, and public business was usually transacted. To say, therefore, that he ”sat in the gate of the king”, is merely to say that he occupied a place with the chief counselors and dignitaries of the realm. The phrase ”Sublime Porte”, that is, ”the Sublime Gate”, is still employed at Constantinople to denote the government of the sultan, for, in the earlier days of Ottoman rule, the reigning sovereign, as is still the case in some parts of the East, held courts of justice and levees at the entrance of his residence. The office of Daniel was, perhaps, not far different from that of the grand vizier of the Turkish government. |
| Spirit of Prophecy on DANIEL 2 |
| “Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judea, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. The king answered and said to Daniel, … Art thou able to make known unto me the DREAM which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 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, show unto the king; but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king NEBUCHADNEZZAR what shall be in the latter days. {Lt90–1894} |
| “The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me; if ye will not make known unto me the DREAM, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses made a dunghill. But if ye will show the DREAM and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore shew me the DREAM, and the interpretation thereof. Still the wise [men] returned the same answer, Let the king tell his servants the DREAM, and we will show the interpretation of it”. {Ms8–1896} |
| NEBUCHADNEZZAR began to see that the men whom he trusted to reveal mysteries through their boasted wisdom, failed him in his great perplexity, and he said, “I know of a certainly that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. But if ye will not make known unto me the DREAM, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed; therefore tell me the DREAM, and I shall know that ye can shew the interpretation thereof. The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter…. It is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh”. Then was the king “angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon”. {Ms8–1896} |
| Hearing of this decree, “Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the thing the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions; that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret”. The Spirit of the Lord rested upon Daniel and his fellows, and the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. As he related the facts, the DREAM came fresh to the king’s mind, and the interpretation was given, showing the remarkable events that were to transpire in prophetic history. {Ms8–1896} |
| The Lord was working in the Babylonian kingdom, communicating light to the four Hebrew captives, that He might represent His work before the people. He would reveal that He had power over the kingdoms of the world, to set up kings and to throw down kings. The King over all kings was communicating great truth to the king of Babylon, awakening in his mind a sense of his responsibility to God. He saw the contrast between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the most learned men in his kingdom. {Ms8–1896} |
| The Lord gave His faithful representatives lessons from heaven, and Daniel declared before the great men of the king of Babylon, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding. He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him”. “There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to king NEBUCHADNEZZAR what shall be in the latter days”. Glory was not given to the men who stood as oracles in the kingdom, but the men who put their entire trust in God, seeking for grace and strength and divine enlightenment, were chosen as representatives of the kingdom of God in wicked, idolatrous Babylon. {Ms8–1896} |
| The historic events relating in the king’s DREAM were of consequence to him; but the DREAM was taken from him that the wise men by their claimed understanding of mysteries should not place upon it a false interpretation. The lessons taught in it were given by God for those who live in our day. The inability of the wise men to tell the DREAM is a representation of the wise men of the present day, who have not discernment and learning and knowledge from the Most High, and therefore are unable to understand the prophecies. The most learned in the world’s lore who are not watching to hear what God says in His Word and opening their hearts to receive that Word and give it to others, are not representatives of His. It is not the great and learned men of the earth, kings and nobles, who will receive the truth unto eternal life, though it will be brought to them. {Ms8–1896} |
| Daniel’s exposition of the DREAM given by God to the king resulted in his receiving honor and dignity. “The king NEBUCHADNEZZAR fell on his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him. And the king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth… your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. {Ms8–1896} |
| “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”. “Daniel sat in the gate of the king”—a place where judgment was dispersed, and his three companions were made counselors, judges, and rulers in the midst of the land. These men were not puffed up with vanity, but they saw and rejoiced that God was recognized, above all earthly potentates, and that His kingdom was extolled above all earthly kingdoms. {Ms8–1896} |
| So we see that the highest line earthly education may be obtained, and yet the men possessing it may be ignorant of the first principles which would make them subjects of the kingdom of God. Human learning cannot qualify for that kingdom. The subjects of Christ’s kingdom are not made thus by forms and ceremonies, by a large study of books. “This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent”. The members of Christ’s kingdom are members of His body, of which He Himself is the head. They are the elect sons of God, “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people” that they should show forth the praises of Him who has called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. {Ms8–1896} |
| “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people. But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. {Ms8–1896} |
| “Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations. And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments and the statutes and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them”. {Ms8–1896} |
| If God’s commandments are to binding for a thousand generations, it will take them into the kingdom of God, into the presence of God and His holy angels. This is an argument that cannot be controverted. The commandments of God will endure through all time and eternity. Are they, then, given us as a burden? No. “And the Lord commanded us to do all the statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day”. The Lord gave His people commandments in order that by obeying them they might preserve their physical, mental, and moral health. They were to live by obedience, but death is the sure result of the disobedience of the law of God. {Ms8–1896} |
| The Old and New Testament Scriptures need to be studied daily. The knowledge of God and the wisdom of God come to the student who is a constant learner of His ways and works. The Bible is to be our light, our educator. When we will acknowledge God in all our ways, when the youth are educated to believe that God sends the rain and the sunshine from heaven, causing vegetation to flourish, when they are taught that all blessings come from Him, and that thanksgiving and praise [are] due to Him, when with fidelity they acknowledge God and discharge their duties day by day, and God will be in all their thoughts; they can trust Him for tomorrow, and that anxious care that brings unhappiness to so many live will be avoided. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. {Ms8–1896} |
| It is God who gives power to make men efficient in His service. He will impart power to His workers who have an eye single to His glory. But there is danger that you yourself or your associate physicians may set God aside, and trust in your own wisdom. If any of you entertain the thoughts and cherish the feelings that NEBUCHADNEZZAR cherished, you will be in danger of passing through a trying experience. God had revealed Himself to NEBUCHADNEZZAR in giving him the DREAM of the GREAT IMAGE, and in sending His servant Daniel to explain its meaning. God had made known to the king what should be hereafter, and his kingdom was represented by the HEAD of GOLD. The king and his counselors were flattered by the idea that the HEAD of GOLD represented Babylon, and each successive kingdom was represented by a baser metal, signifying that as the nations should separate more and more from God, they would decrease in value. Heathen counselors flattered the king, and caused him to place himself before the people as an object of worship. {Ms15–1896} |
| Hundreds of years before a people has come upon the stage of action, the prophetic pen, under the dictation of the Holy Spirit, has traced its history. The prophet Daniel described the kingdoms that would rise and fall. Interpreting to the king of Babylon the DREAM of the GREAT IMAGE, he declared to NEBUCHADNEZZAR that his kingdom should be superseded. His greatness and power in God’s world would have its day, and a second kingdom should arise which also should have its period of test and trial as to whether the people would exalt the one Ruler, the only true God. Not doing this, their glory would fade away, and a third kingdom would occupy their place. Proved by obedience or disobedience, this also would pass away; and a fourth strong as IRON, was to subdue the nations of the world. This Word, opened by the infinite God to finite man, recorded on the prophetic page, and traced on the pages of history, declares that God is the ruling power. He changeth the times and the seasons, He removeth kings and setteth up kings, to fulfil His own purpose. {Ms36–1896} |
| Under King NEBUCHADNEZZAR, Babylon was the richest and most powerful kingdom on the earth. Its riches and splendor have been faintly portrayed by Inspiration. But when God’s time had come, that kingdom of pride and power, ruled by men of the highest intellect, was broken, shattered, helpless. Christ has declared, “Without me ye can do nothing”. Illustrious statesmen did not regard themselves as dependent upon God. They thought that they themselves had created all their grandeur and exaltation. But when God speaks, they are as the grass that groweth up, and the flower of the grass that fadeth away. The Word and will of God alone liveth and endureth forever. {Ms36–1896} |
| This movement, demanding that all observe as sacred an idol sabbath, resembles the act of NEBUCHADNEZZAR in making a GOLDEN IMAGE, and setting it up for all to worship. In the interpretation of the king’s DREAM, Daniel had told him, “Thou art this HEAD of GOLD”. The DREAM was given the king to show him that earthly kingdoms were not enduring, but would pass away and be followed by the kingdom of the Prince of heaven, which should fill the whole earth. But NEBUCHADNEZZAR determined to make an IMAGE like that which he had seen, only it was to be made all of GOLD. This idol of GOLD was to be a most imposing spectacle, and was to take the place of God, and be WORSHIPED as God. {Lt90–1897} |
| The Sunday idol is set up as was this IMAGE. Human laws demand that it be WORSHIPED as sacred and holy, thus putting it where God’s holy Sabbath should be. Men speak great swelling words, and exalt their power, placing themselves where God should be. Sitting in the temple of God, they strive to make themselves as God, showing themselves to be God. When Pilate said of Christ, “I find no fault in him”, the priests and elders declared, “We have a law, and by our law he ought to die”. As the advisers of NEBUCHADNEZZAR hit upon the scheme of ensnaring the Hebrew captives, and causing them to bow to the idol by leading the king to proclaim that every knee should bow to the IMAGE, so men will strive today to turn God’s people from their allegiance. But the men who sought to destroy Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were themselves destroyed. Those who make cruel enactments, seeking to destroy, are destroyed by the recoil of their actions. {Lt90–1897} |
| When the power invested in kings is allied to goodness, it is because the one in responsibility is under the divine dictation. When power is allied with wickedness, it is allied to satanic agencies, and it will work to destroy those who are the Lord’s property. The Protestant world have set up an idol sabbath in the place where God’s Sabbath should be, and they are treading in the footsteps of the Papacy. For this reason, I see the necessity of the people of God moving out of the cities into retired country [places], where they may cultivate the land, and raise their own produce. Thus they may bring their children up with simple, healthful habits. I see the necessity of making haste to get all things ready for the crisis. {Lt90–1897} |
| The wise providence of God had light for NEBUCHADNEZZAR. Jehovah was exalted as more powerful than any other kingdom by the interpretation of NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM. The Lord thus coming in close contact with human minds, even the minds of idolaters, was for a purpose. But NEBUCHADNEZZAR read the interpretation of the DREAM in accordance with his own idolatrous mind. This led to the setting up of a GOLDEN IMAGE, which represented the kingdom of Babylon, and more particularly, the king of Babylon. {Lt109a–1898} |
| CHRIST HIMSELF WALKED IN THE FIERY FURNACE WITH HIS THREE FAITHFUL SERVANTS, who would not bow the knee to that idolatrous IMAGE set up in the plain of Dura. NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S heart was so wrought upon by this wonderful miracle that he believed in God, and in His superior power. He was instructed by Daniel that all, whether king or subjects, were to read the Scriptures and Providence, not in the light of their DREAMS, but were to read their DREAMS in the light of the living Oracles. The DREAM given to the king was interpreted by Daniel in the light of the Scriptures, but NEBUCHADNEZZAR had so brought his DREAM into harmony with his own human understanding that he made a most wonderful display of idolatry, which he supposed was of sufficient authority to convert all nations to the WORSHIP of that IMAGE, representing the excellence of Babylon. But the fall of Babylon came at an hour of feasting and revelling. {Lt109a–1898} |
| So will it be in the end of the world. The period in which we are now living is one of peculiar and momentous importance. The students of God’s Word will, in these last days, work away from the customs and appointments of the world’s great counsellors. They will not take the position, My lord delayeth his coming; for since the fathers fell asleep, all things remain as they were from the beginning of creation”. Only the wise virgins will be prepared, with oil in their vessels with their lamps, to go forth to meet the bridegroom. {Lt109a–1898} |
| You know how quickly He deprived NEBUCHADNEZZAR of his reason because he did not acknowledge God. And the Lord would teach even that king. He gave him a DREAM but he could not remember it; there had to be someone come in that was connected with God to help that man. There he was in trouble and perplexity, and there he had to call in those that were serving God; and they were brought in by the providence of God, and then he remembered all about it. Now, that was to show him how the kingdoms were to indicate the appearance of the end, that every kingdom would be of less and less value. {Ms163–1898} |
| “Thou art this HEAD of GOLD”, said Daniel. How did the king treat that? Now in the place of letting that DREAM teach him what was to be the end of the kingdoms, he studied on the DREAM and the devil took possession of his mind, leading him to build that GREAT IMAGE of GOLD and to set it up. All the time he was thinking, “Thou art this HEAD of GOLD”. There you see [that his] reason did not work under the control of God, and therefore he set up his IMAGE to be worshipped. Everybody was to fall down and bow to this IMAGE, which was a representation of his kingdom. There were young men there that would not bow down, for they had been educated that “the fear of the Lord was the beginning of wisdom”. They had been educated to WORSHIP God and serve Him only. {Ms163–1898} |
| God gave Daniel and his companions “knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and DREAMS. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before NEBUCHADNEZZAR. And the king communed with them; … and in all matters of wisdom and understanding, … he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm”. {Ms13–1900} |
| Babylon was at this time the greatest kingdom in the world. God permitted Daniel and his companions to be taken captive, that they might take to the king and nobles of Babylon the knowledge of Him, the only true God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. {Ms13–1900} |
| In the interpretation of NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM, it was to the Hebrew captives, those who felt that they were exiles in a strange land, and that God was their only dependence, that the Lord opened the glory that they had in heaven. He did not show this to those who were charmed with the splendor of Babylon. {Lt151–1904} |
| Today He desires to teach His medical missionaries the precious lessons of heaven. To those who refuse to be charmed by the things of time and sense, He will reveal the treasures of eternity. To those who will come out from the world and be separate, faithfully performing the duties assigned them, will be opened the glories of the eternal world. {Lt151–1904} |
| After giving the wonderful DREAM to NEBUCHADNEZZAR, the first thing God did in its interpretation was to silence the wise men of Babylon. They were placed where they had to acknowledge their inability to revive in the mind of the king his forgotten DREAM. In many ways God can show the wisdom of men to be folly, in order that man may not glory in his wisdom. The Chaldean magicians were placed where they had to acknowledge the inefficiency of their scientific power, so that God could show the superior wisdom possessed by those who WORSHIP Him. He sought to lead princes and people from broken cisterns to the living fountain, by revealing the divine science of eternity. {Lt151–1904} |
| Daniel told the DREAM and the interpretation to NEBUCHADNEZZAR. The words, “Thou art this HEAD of GOLD”, made a deep impression on the king’s mind, and he resolved to make an IMAGE which would be all GOLD to represent himself. This IMAGE he caused to be set up in the plain of Dura and gave command that at a certain time all were to fall down and WORSHIP it. But the Hebrew captives refused to obey, saying to the king: “O NEBUCHADNEZZAR, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor WORSHIP the GOLDEN IMAGE which thou hast set up”. {Lt151–1904} |
| For a time NEBUCHADNEZZAR was impressed by the warning and the counsel that had been given him; but a heart that is not fully transformed by the grace of God soon loses the impressions made by the Holy Spirit. Only when accepted and practiced in daily life, does the light of heaven exert a transforming influence upon character. Notwithstanding the instruction that God had given the ruler of Babylon, the king’s inordinate ambition again controlled him, soon leading him once more to cherish a spirit of jealousy against the kingdoms that were to follow. The statement, “Thou art this HEAD of GOLD”, still flattered his vanity, and he determined that his kingdom should be like an IMAGE of pure GOLD. His rule, which had heretofore been, to a great degree, just and merciful, became oppressive. Hardening his heart, he felt independent of God, and used his God–given talent of reason for self–glorification, exalting himself above the God who had given him life and power. {Ms169–1904} |
| “As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and DREAMS. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before NEBUCHADNEZZAR. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the kind enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm”. {Ms33–1909} |
| “And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. And Daniel continued even unto the first year of Cyrus”. {Ms85–1910} |
| The Hebrew youth who were faithful to right principles of temperance reform were, in the providence of God, raised to positions of high honor in the Babylonian Empire. They were placed where they could have large influence. Never would they have been exalted to these positions had they not refused to indulge. {Ms85–1910} |
| There is much comprehended in temperance reform. Right habits of eating and drinking have a great deal to do with right habits of thinking. A large variety of food taken at one meal has its sure effect on the brain. {Ms85–1910} |
| God’s cause today is in need of faithful men and women whose purpose it is to be true to Him under every circumstance of life. Every believer is to occupy some position of usefulness in the Lord’s work. Some may act a humble part in a line of work that is easily understood. Others may be able to carry larger responsibilities. All are to act as laborers together with God. Everyone is to trade upon the talents lent him of the Lord, and preserve his body blameless. {Ms85–1910} |
| But if every one was in that position where parents would understand how to treat their children, we should see a very different complexion upon the countenances. We should see a very different understanding as it is represented here by the course of keeping out of their mouths and out of their stomachs things that would quarrel. {Ms85–1910} |
| We put a great deal too much of different kinds of food into our stomach when we set out our table. Let us have one class of food in the morning, and another at noon. But don’t have half a dozen kinds of things in your stomach at once. That stomach will rebel. Then you hear the complaint, Somehow my head aches, and somehow I have trouble. Well, you just try self–denial, and see what you can do in the line of self–denial in eating and in drinking, and in every way possible you do your duty. Do what you can to preserve health. {Ms85–1910} |
| (Daniel 2): “And in the second year of the reign of NEBUCHADNEZZAR NEBUCHADNEZZAR DREAMED DREAMS, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his DREAMS. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said unto them, I have DREAMED a DREAM, and my spirit was troubled to know the DREAM. {Ms85–1910} |
| “Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live forever: tell thy servants the DREAM, and we will show the interpretation. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the DREAM, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if ye show the DREAM, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore show me the DREAM, and the interpretation thereof. {Ms85–1910} |
| “They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the DREAM, and we will show the interpretation of it. The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. But if ye will not make known unto me the DREAM, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the DREAM, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof”. {Ms85–1910} |
| Well now, as we read on, we find that the Lord came right in to His servants. They were to be destroyed. They were going to kill them all, and Daniel with them; but the Lord gave the interpretation, and they understood it, and therefore their lives were spared. {Ms85–1910} |
| I am not going to go any farther in this Chapter, but I will speak again of some other things. I want to tell you, we do not arise to our high positions to have intercourse with that power that is above us, which is Jesus Christ. We want to understand the truth that will stand the test of trial and of judgment. We want to know what is truth. If you study, you will find that God requires every soul of us to keep His commandments. And His commandments are wisdom; and it is truth in righteousness. We want that every one should come into right relation with God, and your eating and your drinking are to come into that position that you are an example in your home. {Ms85–1910} |
| NEBUCHADNEZZAR the king of Babylon DREAMED a DREAM, which none of his wise men could interpret. The secret was revealed to Daniel in the night vision, and we read: ”Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: and he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: he revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter”. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 3} |
| Daniel did not stand before king NEBUCHADNEZZAR to glorify human power, to dishonor God by failing to acknowledge his goodness. Had he not acknowledged God as the source of his wisdom, he would have been an unfaithful steward. Those who follow the example set by Daniel will connect with the Lord. They will consult him as a son consults a wise father. Not all human fathers possess wisdom; but God may always be trusted and depended on. With perfect assurance we may commit the keeping of our souls to him as unto a faithful Creator. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 4} |
| Did Daniel’s faithful recognition of God before kings, princes, and statesmen detract from his influence?––No. Read his firm, bold testimony, and then follow his example. Let the clear–cut testimony, like a sharp, two–edged sword, cut to the right and to the left. Make appeals that will bring foolish, wandering minds back to God. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 5} |
| After Daniel had given NEBUCHADNEZZAR God’s warning in regard to self exaltation, he said to him, ”Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be accepted unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility”. Had the king heeded this counsel, the threatened evil might have been averted; but he went on with proud superiority until his reason was taken from him, and he became as the beasts of the field. God allowed him to suffer seven years of deplorable degradation, and then removed his chastening hand. Then the king acknowledged his sin. ”At the end of the days”, the record reads, ”I NEBUCHADNEZZAR lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honor and brightness returned unto me; and my counselors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I NEBUCHADNEZZAR praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase”. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 6} |
| Those who act a part in the work of God do good only because God is behind them, doing the work. Shall we then praise men, and give thanks to them, neglecting to recognize God? If we do, God will not co–operate with us. When man puts himself first and God second, he shows that he is losing his wisdom and righteousness. All that is ever done toward restoring the moral IMAGE of God in man is done because God is the efficiency of the worker. Christ, in his prayer to his Father, declared, ”This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent”. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 7} |
| Said the great apostle Paul, ”Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful”. Let every steward understand that as he strives to advance the glory of God in our world, whether he stands before Christians or infidels, peasants or princes, he is to make God first and last, and best in everything. Man can not show greater weakness than by thinking he will find greater acceptance in the sight of men if he leaves God out of his assemblies. God must stand the highest. The wisdom of the greatest man is foolishness with him. The true Christian will realize that he has a right to his name only as he uplifts Christ with a steady, persevering, and ever–increasing force. No ambitious motive will chill his energy; for it comes from an inexhaustible source –– the light of life. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 8} |
| ”It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful”. When we are faithful in making God known, our impulses will be under divine supervision, and we shall make steady growth, spiritually and intellectually. But when men enter into a confederacy to exalt men, and have little to say of God, they are weakness itself. God will leave those who do not recognize him in every effort made to uplift humanity. It is Christ’s power alone that can restore broken–down human machinery. In every place let those around you see that you give God the glory. Let man be put in the shade; let God appear as the only hope of the human race. Every man must rivet his character–building to the eternal Rock, Christ Jesus; then it will stand amid storm and tempest. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 9} |
| God will prepare the mind to recognize him who alone can help the striving, struggling soul. All who stand under his banner he will educate to be faithful stewards of his grace. God has given man immortal principles, to which every human power must one day bow. He has given us truth in trust. The precious beams of this light are not to be hidden under a bushel, but are to give light to all that are in the house. Truth, imperishable truth, is to be made prominent. Show those with whom you come in contact that the truth is of consequence to you. It means much to you to stand by the principles that will live through the eternal ages. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 10} |
| God has given every man talents, that His name may be exalted, not that man may be lauded and praised, honored and glorified, while the Giver is forgotten. All have been entrusted with God’s gifts, from the lowest and most poverty stricken to the highest and wealthiest, who walk in haughty pride. To every man have been given physical, mental, and moral powers. Let none waste their God–given time in regrets that they have only one talent. Spend every moment in using the talents that you have. They are the Lord’s, to be returned to him. It is not your own property you are handling, but the Lord’s. One day he will come to receive his own with usury. Faithfully fulfil your appointed stewardship, that you may meet him in peace. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 11} |
| Have we consecrated all our talents to God? We can not be excused in withholding one from him. Reason is a precious gift. Do not abuse it; for God can remove it. The gift of speech is a valuable talent. Never despise nor undervalue this gift. Thank God for entrusting it to you. It is a precious gift, to be sanctified, elevated, and ennobled. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 12} |
| As a sacred trust the voice should be used to honor God. It should never utter harsh, impure words, or words of faultfinding. The gospel of Christ is to be proclaimed by the voice. With the talent of speech we are to communicate the truth as we have opportunity. It should ever be used in God’s service. But this talent is grievously abused. Words are spoken that do great harm. Christ declared, ”Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of Judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned”. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 13} |
| Money is a talent, which is to be placed in God’s treasury, for investment in his cause. But many are robbing God in tithes and offerings. ”Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me”, God declares. ”But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it”. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 14} |
| Are we as individuals searching the word of God carefully and prayerfully, lest we shall depart from its precepts and requirements? The Lord will not look upon us with pleasure if we withhold anything, small or great, that should be returned to him. If we desire to spend money to gratify our own inclinations, let us think of the good we might do with that money. Let us lay aside for the Master small and large sums, that the work may be built up in new places. If we spend selfishly the money so much needed, the Lord does not, can not, bless us with his commendation. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 15} |
| As stewards of the grace of God, we are handling the Lord’s money. It means much, very much, to us to be strengthened by his rich grace day by day, to be enabled to understand his will, to be found faithful in that which is least as well as in that which is great. When this is our experience, the service of Christ will be a reality to us. God demands this of us, and before angels and men we should reveal our gratitude for what he has done for us. God’s benevolence to us we should reflect back in praise and deeds of mercy. Please read the eighth and ninth Chapters of 2 Corinthians. These words show the impression made on those for whom we work when we act as Christ would have acted in our place: ”He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: . . . being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; and by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift”. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 16} |
| Do all church–members realize that all they have is given them to be used and improved to God’s glory? God keeps a faithful account with every human being in our world. And when the day of reckoning comes, the faithful steward takes no credit to himself. He does not say, ”My pound”; but, ”Thy pound hath gained” other pounds. He knows that without the entrusted gift no increase could have been made. He feels that in faithfully discharging his stewardship he has but done his duty. The capital was the Lord’s, and by his power he was enabled to trade upon it successfully. His name only should be glorified. Without the entrusted capital he knows that he would have been bankrupt for eternity. The approval of the Lord is received almost with surprise, it is so unexpected. But Christ says to him, ”Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord”. {RH, September 12, 1899 par. 17} |
| It was to Daniel that NEBUCHADNEZZAR, unable to get help from his wise men, turned for an account of his forgotten DREAM, and for an interpretation of it. Daniel and his companions sought the Lord in prayer, and he revealed to them the DREAM and its interpretation. And when they related to the king what God had shown them, NEBUCHADNEZZAR said, ”Of a truth it is that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldst reveal this secret”. {RH, November 10, 1904 par. 10} |
| ”And in the second year of the reign of NEBUCHADNEZZAR, NEBUCHADNEZZAR DREAMED DREAMS, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his DREAMS”. ”And the king said unto them, I have DREAMED a DREAM, and my spirit was troubled to know the DREAM. . . . Therefore tell me the DREAM, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof. The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter”. ”It is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh”. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 1} |
| Upon hearing this, the king was very angry, and commanded that all the wise men should be slain. But God revealed the DREAM to Daniel in a night vision. ”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 show unto the king the interpretation”. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 2} |
| Daniel was taken in to the king, and said to him: ”The secret which the king hath demanded can not the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, show to the king. 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: . . . Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a GREAT IMAGE. This GREAT IMAGE, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible”. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 3} |
| After describing the IMAGE which the king had seen, Daniel said, ”This is the DREAM; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings; for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 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. Thou art this HEAD of GOLD. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of BRASS, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as IRON. . . . And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a 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 forever”. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 4} |
| This DREAM was given to the king of Babylon, the events of the future, reaching down to the end of time, were opened before him, that he might have light on this important subject. It was also given for the benefit of all future generations. The record was traced by the prophetic pen that the light might be shared by those kingdoms which should succeed the kingdom of Babylon. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 5} |
| Tho this wonderful DREAM caused a marked change to take place in the ideas and opinions of King NEBUCHADNEZZAR, his soul was not cleansed from its pride, its worldly ambition, its desire for self–exaltation, by the converting power of God. The rise and fall of the kingdoms which were to succeed Babylon, were minutely described to him by the prophet; but instead of treasuring the conviction which had been made on his mind in regard to the fall of all earthly kingdoms, and the greatness and power of Jehovah’s kingdom, the king, after the immediate impression wore away, thought only of his own greatness, and studied how he might make the DREAM turn to his own exaltation and honor. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 6} |
| In all the gatherings of young and old, there is present an uninvited guest, a witness from heaven, as there was a witness at the sacrilegious feast of Belshazzar. Could those who dishonor God by their words and actions, behold the writing in the record, their countenances would change, as surely as did the countenance of the king when he saw the part of the bloodless hand that wrote on the WALL of his palace. You may think that you are sinning in secret, or you may be entirely indifferent to the matter; but for all that, every dishonoring word spoken against God will bring its sure reward. That which you sow you will also reap. The Lord has said, ”Them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed”. You may suppose that your reasonings are very clear and sharp. NEBUCHADNEZZAR thought the same. Warnings were given him in DREAMS, and no one of his wise men could interpret them. Daniel alone was found to interpret the DREAMS of the king, and to add words given him of God, to exhort the king to repentance and reformation. {YI, November 9, 1893 par. 3} |
| Daniel said to the king, ”O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity”. But the king did not heed the message of Daniel. For twelve months he was tested and proved of God, to see if he would humble his proud heart, and the witness was with him when he came in and when he went out; and at the end of the twelve months he walked in his palace in the kingdom of Babylon. ”The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king NEBUCHADNEZZAR, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will”. {YI, November 9, 1893 par. 4} |
| The king’s reason was taken away, and the word of God was fulfilled to the very letter. For seven years his kingdom was ruled by others, while the might and mind and power of the king were humbled. He ate grass as an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven. ”And at the end of the days I NEBUCHADNEZZAR lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honor and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I NEBUCHADNEZZAR praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase”. {YI, November 9, 1893 par. 5} |
| Before Daniel interpreted the writing on the WALL of the king’s palace, he rehearsed the experience of NEBUCHADNEZZAR before Belshazzar. ”Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let they gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. O thou king, the most high God gave NEBUCHADNEZZAR thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor: and for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: and he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruleth in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them: and thou hast praised the gods of SILVER, and GOLD, of BRASS, IRON, wood, and STONE, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hah numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. Tekel;’ Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Peres; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians”. {YI, November 9, 1893 par. 6} |
| The Lord exalted his name even among the heathen, and kings honored God because of his wonderful works, which revealed him to be the only true God. {YI, November 9, 1893 par. 7} |
| Our God is, and he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Daniel sought the Lord when the decree went forth to slay all the wise men of the kingdom of Babylon because they could not relate or interpret a DREAM which had gone from the king’s mind. NEBUCHADNEZZAR demanded not only the interpretation of the DREAM, but the relation of the DREAM itself. If the wise men would supply this, he would accept it as a proof of their claim as magicians and astrologers. The magicians were full of fear and trembling. They declared that the request of the king was something unreasonable, and the test beyond that which had ever been required of any man. The king became furious, and acted like all men who have great power and uncontrollable passions. He decided that every one of them should be put to death, and as Daniel and his fellows were numbered with the wise men, they also were to share this fate. This manner of action is what we may expect from men who are in high authority, and are controlled by unholy passion. {YI, November 22, 1894 par. 1} |
| Daniel came before the king, and pleaded for time to bring this matter before the supreme court of the universe, from whose decision there could be no appeal. When his request was granted, Daniel laid the whole matter before his companions, who were united with him in WORSHIPING the TRUE GOD. The matter was fully considered, and on their bended knees they pleaded that God would give them the power and wisdom that would alone avail them in their great necessity. They asked God that he would so arrange matters that they need not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. {YI, November 22, 1894 par. 2} |
| ”Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven”. They had not sought the mercies of God in vain. Then Daniel called together his companions, and thanked God that their prayers had been heard and answered, and they presented to God an offering of praise and thanksgiving, that was wholly acceptable to the Ruler of the universe. ”Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: and he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: he revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him”. Daniel and his fellows had a praise meeting, and all the universe of heaven united with them in thanksgiving. Daniel said: ”I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter. 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 show unto the king the interpretation”. {YI, November 22, 1894 par. 3} |
| Daniel was imbued with the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and he pleaded that the wise men of Babylon should not be destroyed. The followers of Christ do not possess the attributes of Satan, which make it a pleasure to grieve and afflict the creatures of God. They have the Spirit of their Master, who said, ”The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost”. ”I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”. Had Daniel possessed the quality of religious zeal which is so quickly inflamed today in the churches, when men are led to afflict and oppress and destroy those who do not serve God after their prescribed plan, he would have said to Arioch: ”These men who claim to be wise men are deceiving the king. They have not the knowledge they claim to have, and should be destroyed. They dishonor the God of heaven; they serve idols, and their lives in no way do honor to God: let them die: but bring me in before the king, and I will show unto the king the interpretation”. {YI, November 22, 1894 par. 4} |
| The transforming grace of God was made manifest in his servant, and he pleaded most earnestly for the lives of the very men who afterward in a secret, underhand manner made plans by which they thought to put an end to the life of Daniel. These men became jealous of Daniel, because he found favor with kings and nobles, and was honored as the greatest man in Babylon. ”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. The king answered and said to Daniel, . . . Art thou able to make known unto me the DREAM which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 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, show unto the king; 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; 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”. Then in all humility of mind he acknowledges that the wisdom is not in him, but in the God of heaven, and that the vision has been revealed to him for the sake of God’s servants, and that the king might know the thoughts of his heart. {YI, November 22, 1894 par. 5} |
| I would impress upon the youth that Daniel’s God is their God, and whatever difficulty may arise, let them do as did Daniel, ”desire mercies of the God of heaven”. {YI, November 22, 1894 par. 6} |
| ”And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever”. {YI, November 22, 1894 par. 7} |
| The dying charge of David to his son Solomon, with its warning and promise, is placed on record for the benefit of both parents and children. Parents should faithfully guard the feet of the inexperienced youth, and educate and train them to fear and love God, and to serve him with undivided heart. The youth are to heed the admonitions that come down to them in the sacred records through the ages to our time, that they may be wise in heavenly wisdom. ”The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you”. This was written to Israel at a time when it is recorded that Israel had been without ”the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law”. But ”when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them”. {YI, November 22, 1894 par. 8} |
| There are thousands today who have forsaken the law, and are making it void. God sends his messengers with a message in order that they may be convicted of their sins, and turn from transgression to the path of obedience. When Israel cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and sought him, he was found of them. In this statement there is great encouragement for those who are cold and backslidden to seek the Lord; they have the promise that he will be found of them in the day when they seek him with the whole heart. {YI, November 22, 1894 par. 9} |
| We need to look constantly to our heavenly Father for wisdom and guidance: for we must bear in mind the fact that God holds us accountable for improving the capabilities and powers that he has given us. We are to seek to reach the highest standard of efficiency. This requires that we be much engaged in earnest prayer; that we be shut in with God, holding communion with our Lord Jesus Christ. Our young men and young women should be workers devoted to the Master’s service. If they will walk in the light which the Lord has permitted to shine upon them, they will see precious opportunities which they may improve, and do God’s will from the heart. In doing this, the affections will become pure, refined, and sanctified, and they may grow up to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. ”Be strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded”. {YI, November 22, 1894 par. 10} |
| The Lord in his providence had a wise purpose in view in giving NEBUCHADNEZZAR this DREAM, and then causing him to forget the particulars, but to retain the fearful impression made upon his mind. The Lord desired to expose the pretensions of the wise men of Babylon. The king knew that if they could tell the interpretation, they could tell the DREAM as well. Angered over their inability to relieve his mind, he threatened that they should all be slain, if, in a given time, the DREAM were not made known. ”The thing is gone from me”, he said to the Chaldeans; ”if ye will not make known unto me the DREAM, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut to pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if ye show the DREAM, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore show me the DREAM, and the interpretation thereof”. Still the wise men returned the same answer, ”Let the king tell his servants the DREAM, and we will show the interpretation of it”. {YI, September 1, 1903 par. 3} |
| NEBUCHADNEZZAR began to see that the men whom he trusted to reveal mysteries by means of their boasted wisdom, failed him in his great perplexity, and he said: ”I know of a certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. But if ye will not make known unto me the DREAM, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the DREAM, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof. {YI, September 1, 1903 par. 4} |
| ”The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. {YI, September 1, 1903 par. 5} |
| ”For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon”. {YI, September 1, 1903 par. 6} |
| When the decree went forth that all the wise men of Babylon should be destroyed, Daniel and his fellows were sought for, and informed that in accordance with the king’s command, they must be slain. ”Then Daniel answered”, not in a spirit of retaliation, but ”with counsel and wisdom”, ”the captain of the king’s guard”, who ”was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon”. ”Why”, Daniel inquired, ”is the decree so hasty from the king?” Taking his life in his hand, he ventured to enter the king’s presence, and begged that time be granted, in order that he might reveal to him the DREAM and its interpretation. To this request the monarch acceded. {YI, September 1, 1903 par. 7} |
| ”Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon”. Together the Hebrew youth presented the matter before God, and sought for wisdom from the Source of light and knowledge. Although for a time they had lived in the king’s court, surrounded with temptation, they had not forgotten their responsibility to God. They were strong in the consciousness that His providence had placed them where they were; that they were doing His work, and meeting the demands of duty. They had confidence toward God. In times past they had turned to Him for strength when in perplexity and danger, and He had been to them an ever–present help. {YI, September 1, 1903 par. 8} |
| Daniel proceeded to relate the DREAM. ”Thy DREAM”, he declared, ”and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; 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. 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. {YI, September 1, 1903 par. 12} |
| ”Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a GREAT IMAGE. This GREAT IMAGE, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This IMAGE’S head was of fine GOLD, his breast and arms of SILVER, his belly and his thighs of BRASS, his legs of IRON, his feet part of IRON and part of CLAY. Thou sawest till that a STONE was cut out without hands, which smote the IMAGE upon his feet that were of IRON and CLAY and brake them to pieces. 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 threshing–floors; 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”. {YI, September 1, 1903 par. 13} |
| Listening with solemn attention as every particular was reproduced, the king recognized this as the DREAM over which he had been so troubled; and he was prepared to receive with favor the interpretation. {YI, September 1, 1903 par. 14} |
| NEBUCHADNEZZAR felt that he could accept this interpretation as a divine revelation; for to Daniel had been revealed every detail of the DREAM. The solemn truths conveyed by the interpretation of this vision of the night made a deep impression on the sovereign’s mind, and in humility and awe he ”fell upon his face, and WORSHIPED”, saying, ”Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret”. {YI, September 8, 1903 par. 6} |
| The events of the future, reaching down to the end of time, were opened before the king of Babylon, in order that he might have light on this important subject. The record of the DREAM and its interpretation was traced by the prophetic pen, in order that the rulers of the kingdoms that should succeed Babylon might have the same light. {YI, September 8, 1903 par. 9} |
| Under King NEBUCHADNEZZAR, Babylon was the richest and most powerful kingdom on the earth. Its riches and splendor have been faintly portrayed by Inspiration. But it did not fulfil God’s purpose; and when his time had come, this kingdom of pride and power, ruled by men of the highest intellect, was broken, shattered, helpless. Christ has declared, ”Without me ye can do nothing”. The illustrious statesmen of Babylon did not regard themselves as dependent on God. They thought that they had created all their grandeur and exaltation. But when God spoke, they were as the grass that withereth, and the flower of the grass that fadeth away. The word and will of God alone endure forever. {YI, September 29, 1903 par. 4} |
| If these several kingdoms had kept the fear of the Lord always before them, they would have been given wisdom and power, which would have bound them together and kept them strong. But the rulers of the kingdoms of the world made God their strength only when harassed and perplexed. Failing to obtain help from their great men, they sought it from men like Daniel, men who they knew honored the living God and were honored by him. To these men they appealed to unravel for them the mysteries of Providence; for they had separated themselves so far from God by transgression that they could not understand his warnings. They were forced to appeal to those whose minds were illuminated by heavenly light, for an explanation of the mysteries they could not comprehend. {YI, September 29, 1903 par. 5} |
| The voice of God, heard in past ages, is sounding down along the line, from century to century, through generations that have come upon the stage of action and passed away. Shall God speak, and his voice not be respected? What power mapped out all this history, that nations, one after another, should arise at the predicted time and fill their appointed place, unconsciously witnessing to the truth of that which they themselves knew not the meaning. {YI, September 29, 1903 par. 6} |
| The centuries have their mission. Every moment has its work. Each is passing into eternity with its burden, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, or, Woe to the wicked and slothful servant. God is still dealing with earthly kingdoms. He is in the great cities. His eyes behold, his eyelids try, the doings of the children of men. We are not to say, God was, but, God is. He sees the very sparrow’s fall, the leaf that falls from the tree, and the king who is dethroned. All are under the control of the Infinite One. Everything is changing. Cities and nations are being measured by the plummet in the hand of God. He never makes a mistake. He reads correctly. Everything earthly is unsettled, but the truth abides forever. {YI, September 29, 1903 par. 7} |
| In the eyes of the world, those who serve God may appear weak. They may be apparently sinking beneath the billows, but with the next billow, they are seen rising nearer to their haven. I give unto them eternal life, saith our Lord, and none shall be able to pluck them out of my hand. Though kings shall be cast down, and nations removed, the souls that through faith link themselves with God’s purpose shall abide forever. ”They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and forever”. {YI, September 29, 1903 par. 8} |
| NEBUCHADNEZZAR was an instrument of God’s judgments. ”Thus saith the Lord: . . . I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of NEBUCHADNEZZAR the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same NEBUCHADNEZZAR the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. Therefore harken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the Lord; and they shall till it, and dwell therein”. {YI, October 11, 1904 par. 4} |
| The vision of the GREAT IMAGE, in which Babylon was represented as the HEAD of GOLD, was given NEBUCHADNEZZAR in order that he might have a clear understanding in regard to the end of all things earthly, and also in regard to the setting up of God’s everlasting kingdom. Although in the interpretation he was declared to be ”a king of kings”, this was because ”the God of heaven” had given him ”a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory”. His kingdom was universal, extending ”wheresoever the children of men dwell”, yet it was to be followed by three other universal kingdoms, after which ”the God of heaven” would ”set up a kingdom”, which should ”never be destroyed”. {YI, October 11, 1904 par. 5} |
| In the providence of God, NEBUCHADNEZZAR was given ample opportunity to ascribe to the Lord the glory for the splendor of his reign. And for a time after the vision of the GREAT IMAGE, he acknowledged God as supreme. Falling back into idolatrous habits, he was again, by the miraculous deliverance of the three Hebrews from the fiery furnace, led to acknowledge that God’s ”kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation”. But once more the king perverted the warnings God had given him, and turned aside from the path of humility to follow the imaginations of his naturally proud heart. Thinking that his kingdom should be more extensive and powerful than any that would follow, he made great additions to the city of Babylon, and gave himself up to a life of pleasure and self–glorification. Of this time he himself says: ”I NEBUCHADNEZZAR was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace”. {YI, October 11, 1904 par. 6} |
| MR No. 24 – E. G. White Comments on Daniel2 |
| [Release requested by Bible teachers regarding the mingling of IRON and CLAY.] {1MR 49.1} |
| Succession of Empires Governed by Law of Obedience |
| Papacy Included in Ruins of Crumbled Rome |
| The IMAGE revealed to NEBUCHADNEZZAR, while representing the deterioration of the kingdoms of the earth in power and glory, also fitly represents the deterioration of religion and morality among the people of these kingdoms. As nations forget God, in like proportion they become weak morally. {1MR 50.1} |
| Babylon passed away because in her prosperity she forgot God, and ascribed the glory of her prosperity to human achievement. {1MR 50.2} |
| The Medo–Persian kingdom was visited by the wrath of heaven because in this kingdom God’s law was trampled under foot. The fear of the Lord found no place in the hearts of the people. The prevailing influences in Medo–Persia were wickedness, blasphemy, and corruption. {1MR 50.3} |
| The kingdoms that followed were even more base and corrupt . They deteriorated because they cast off their allegiance to God. As they forgot Him, they sank lower and still lower in the scale of moral value. {1MR 50.4} |
| The vast empire of Rome crumbled to pieces, and from its ruins rose that mighty power, the Roman Catholic Church. This church boasts of her infallibility and her hereditary religion. But this religion is a horror to all who are acquainted with the secrets of the mystery of iniquity. The priests of this church maintain their ascendency by keeping the people in ignorance of God’s will, as revealed in the Scriptures. The Youth’s Instructor, September 22, 1903, p. 6. {1MR 50.5} |
| IRON and CLAY––Mingled Church Craft and State Craft |
| We have come to a time when God’s sacred work is represented by the feet of the IMAGE in which the IRON was mixed with the MIRY CLAY. God has a people, a chosen people, whose discernment must be sanctified, who must not become unholy by laying upon the foundation wood, hay, and stubble. Every soul who is loyal to the commandments of God will see that the distinguishing feature of our faith is the seventh day Sabbath. If the government would honor the Sabbath as God has commanded, it would stand in the strength of God and in defense of the faith once delivered to the saints. But statesmen will uphold the spurious Sabbath, and will mingle their religious faith with the observance of this child of the Papacy, placing it above the Sabbath which the Lord has sanctified and blessed, setting it apart for man to keep holy, as a sign between Him and His people to a thousand generations. The mingling of church craft and state craft is represented by the IRON and the CLAY. This union is weakening all the power of the churches. This investing the church with the power of the state will bring evil results. Men have almost passed the point of God’s forbearance. They have invested their strength in politics, and have united with the papacy. But the time will come when God will punish those who have made void His law, and their evil work will recoil upon themselves. Ms 63, 1899, pp. 12, 13. (Untitled Manuscript, April 22, 1899.) White Estate Washington, D. C. September 29, 1943 {1MR 51.1} |
| IRON and CLAY––Mingled Churchcraft and Statecraft.––We have come to a time when God’s sacred work is represented by the feet of the IMAGE in which the IRON was mixed with the MIRY CLAY. God has a people, a chosen people, whose discernment must be sanctified, who must not become unholy by laying upon the foundation wood, hay, and stubble. Every soul who is loyal to the commandments of God will see that the distinguishing feature of our faith is the seventh–day Sabbath. If the government would honor the Sabbath as God has commanded, it would stand in the strength of God and in defense of the faith once delivered to the saints. But statesmen will uphold the spurious sabbath, and will mingle their religious faith with the observance of this child of the papacy, placing it above the Sabbath which the Lord has sanctified and blessed, setting it apart for man to keep holy, as a sign between Him and His people to a thousand generations. The mingling of churchcraft and statecraft is represented by the IRON and the CLAY. This union is weakening all the power of the churches. This investing the church with the power of the state will bring evil results. Men have almost passed the point of God’s forbearance. They have invested their strength in politics, and have united with the papacy. But the time will come when God will punish those who have made void His law, and their evil work will recoil upon themselves (MS 63, 1899). {4BC 1168.8} |
| Daniel, a man inspired by God, stood up in the Babylonian empire, when the kingdom seemed so strong and its influence so far–reaching that the most powerful foe could not take its scepter, and prophesied that it would pass away, notwithstanding its apparent magnificence, and that a second would succeed it. He prophesied also that the second empire would be succeeded by the third, and that a fourth empire would arise, more fierce, more determined, and more powerful than any kingdom that had preceded it. As strong as IRON, this kingdom would subdue and break in pieces all the nations of the world. {Ms39–1899} |
| The fruits of their self–denial were manifest in physical and mental vigor. No such students as these Hebrew youth were to be found in all the courts of Babylon. “As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and DREAMS”. At the end of the three years, these Hebrew captives were brought in before NEBUCHADNEZZAR, and their examination took place. “And in all matters of wisdom and understanding that the king required of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were is all his realm”. The Lord has said, “Them that honor Me I will honor”. {Ms2b–1895} |
| Daniel’s understanding of visions and DREAMS enabled him to act a very prominent part in connection with the rulers of Babylon as well as with his own captive people. Through him the God of heaven was revealed to NEBUCHADNEZZAR as an all–powerful God—“a God of gods, and a Lord of kings”. {Ms110–1904} |
| The event is a familiar one. In the same year that Daniel and his companions entered the service of the king of Babylon, NEBUCHADNEZZAR had a remarkable DREAM, by which “his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him”. Although this vision of the night made a deep impression on his mind, he found it impossible to recall the particulars. He applied to his wise men, but they failed so completely that the king discerned their hypocrisy and commanded that they be put to death. Daniel, hearing of this decree, sought an interview with the king and begged that time be granted in order that he might reveal to the king the DREAM and its interpretation. The monarch acceded to this request. Daniel went to his house and prayed, in company with his three companions, for light from heaven. In a night vision the secret was revealed unto Daniel. The rehearsal of the DREAM, with its interpretation, led NEBUCHADNEZZAR to revoke his edict for the destruction of the wise men. Their lives were spared because of Daniel’s connection with the God who is a “revealer of secrets”. {Ms110–1904} |
| The king knew that if they could really tell the interpretation, they could tell the DREAM as well. The Lord had in His providence given NEBUCHADNEZZAR this DREAM, and had caused the particulars to be forgotten, while the fearful impression was left upon his mind, in order to expose the pretensions of the wise men of Babylon. The monarch was very angry, and threatened that they should all be slain if, in a given time, the DREAM was not made known. Daniel and his companions were to perish with the false prophets; but, taking his life in his hand, Daniel ventures to enter the presence of the king, begging that time may be granted that he may show the DREAM and the interpretation. {SL 34.3} |
| To this request the monarch accedes; and now Daniel gathers his three companions, and together they take the matter before God, seeking for wisdom from the Source of light and knowledge. Although they were in the king’s court, surrounded with temptation, they did not forget their responsibility to God. They were strong in the consciousness that His providence had placed them where they were; that they were doing His work, meeting the demands of truth and duty. They had confidence toward God. They had turned to Him for strength when in perplexity and danger, and He had been to them an ever–present help. {SL 35.1} |
| ”The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king NEBUCHADNEZZAR what shall be in the latter days” (Daniel 2:27, 28). The king listens with solemn attention as every particular of the DREAM is reproduced; and when the interpretation is faithfully given, he feels that he can rely upon it as a divine revelation. {SL 36.1} |
| The solemn truths conveyed in this vision of the night made a deep impression on the sovereign’s mind, and in humility and awe he fell down and WORSHIPED, saying, ”Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets” (verse 47). {SL 36.2} |
| A most interesting and important history is given in Daniel 2. NEBUCHADNEZZAR, king of Babylon, DREAMED a DREAM which he could not bring to his remembrance when he awoke. ”Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans”, those whom he had exalted and upon whom he depended, and, relating the circumstances, demanded that they should tell him the DREAM. The wise men stood before the king in terror; for they had no ray of light in regard to his DREAM. They could only say, ”O king, live forever: tell thy servants the DREAM, and we will show the interpretation”. ”The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the DREAM, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses made a dunghill. But if ye will show the DREAM, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore show me the DREAM and the interpretation thereof”. Still the wise men returned the same answer, ”Let the king tell his servants the DREAM, and we will show the interpretation of it”. {SpTEd 9.2} |
| History and prophecy testify that the God of the whole earth revealeth secrets through His chosen light–bearers to the world. A skeptical world, talking and writing of higher education, is prating of things which it does not understand. It does not see that true, higher education comprehends a more perfect knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ, whom He has sent. There are few who understand that all true human science is from the God of science, and that God demonstrates to the world that He is King over all. {BTS, December 1, 1912 par. 6} |
| This record contains much of importance on the subject of health reform. In the experience of the four Hebrew children a lesson is given regarding the need of abstaining from all spirituous liquors, and from indulgence of perverted appetite. The position taken by these Hebrew youth was vindicated, and at the end of ten days they were found fairer in flesh and better in knowledge than all the rest whom the king was proving. {GCB, May 30, 1909 par. 7} |
| In this our day, the Lord would be pleased to have those who are preparing for the future, immortal life follow the example of Daniel and his companions in seeking to maintain strength of body and clearness of mind. The more careful we learn to be in treating our bodies, the more readily shall we be able to escape the evils that are in the world through lust. {GCB, May 30, 1909 par. 8} |
| There are many who believe that in order to be fitted for acceptable service, they must go through a long course of study under learned teachers in some school of the world. This they must do, it is true, if they desire to secure what the world calls essential knowledge. But we do not say to our youth, You must study, study, keeping your mind all the time on books. Nor do we say to them, You must spend all the time in acquiring the so–called higher education. Let us ask, What is the object of true higher education? Is it not that we may stand in right relation to God? The test of all education should be, Is it fitting us to keep our minds fixed upon the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus? {GCB, May 30, 1909 par. 9} |
| While King NEBUCHADNEZZAR was looking forward with anxious forebodings to the future, he had a remarkable DREAM, by which ”he was greatly troubled, and his sleep brake from him”. But although this vision of the night made a deep impression on his mind, he found it impossible to recall the particulars. He applied to his astrologers and magicians,––a class of impostors who professed to have power to reveal secret events,––and with promises of great wealth and honor commanded them to tell him his DREAM and its interpretation. But they said, ”Tell thy servants the DREAM, and we will show the interpretation”. {RH, February 1, 1881 par. 3} |
| Here their deceptive character was clearly exposed. The king knew that if they could really tell the interpretation, they could tell the DREAM as well. The Lord had in his providence given the king this DREAM, and had caused the particulars to be forgotten, while the fearful impression was left upon his mind, in order to expose the pretensions of the wise men of Babylon. The monarch saw through their subterfuge, and was very angry, threatening that every one of them should be slain if in a given time the DREAM was not made known. Daniel and his companions were to perish with the false prophets; but, taking his life in his hand, Daniel ventures to enter the presence of the king, begging that time may be granted that he may show the DREAM and the interpretation. {RH, February 1, 1881 par. 4} |
| The servants of God did not plead with him in vain. They had honored him, and in the hour of trial he honors them. The secret was revealed to Daniel, and he hastens to request an interview with the king. {RH, February 1, 1881 par. 6} |
| The Jewish captive stands before the monarch of the most powerful empire the sun had ever shone upon. The king is in great distress amid all his riches and glory; but the youthful exile is peaceful and happy in his God. Now, if ever, is the time for Daniel to exalt himself,––to make prominent his own goodness and superior wisdom. But his first effort is to disclaim all honor for himself, and to exalt God as the Source of wisdom:–– {RH, February 1, 1881 par. 7} |
| The mind of which error has once taken possession can never expand freely to after–investigation. The old theories will claim recognition. The understanding of things that are true and elevated and sanctifying will be confused. Superstitious ideas will enter the mind, to mingle with the true, and these ideas are always debasing in their influence. Christian knowledge bears its own stamp of unmeasured superiority in all that concerns the preparation for the future, immortal life. It distinguishes the Bible reader and believer, who has been receiving the precious treasures of truth, from the skeptic and the believer in pagan philosophy. {RH, November 10, 1904 par. 11} |
| Cleave to the word, ”It is written”. Cast out of the mind the dangerous, obtrusive theories which, if entertained, will hold the mind in bondage, so that man shall not become a new creature in Christ. The mind must be constantly restrained and guarded. It must be given as food only that which will strengthen the religious experience. {RH, November 10, 1904 par. 12} |
| The Bible teaches every soul to turn to the lands where the cross of Calvary has not been uplifted, and the name of Jesus exalted above every other name. The nation that gives free room for the circulation of the Scriptures opens the way for the minds of the people to work with greater vigor. The reading of the Scriptures causes light to shine into the darkness. As the Word of God is searched, life–giving truths are found. {RH, November 10, 1904 par. 13} |
| In the cities and nations of our world, there will be found among unbelievers a remnant who will appreciate the blessed Word, and who will receive the Saviour. Christ will give men and women power to become the sons and daughters of God. {RH, November 10, 1904 par. 14} |
| The prophet describes Babylon as the glory of kingdoms, and in the DREAM of NEBUCHADNEZZAR it was represented by the HEAD of GOLD. But although it was the greatest kingdom of the earth, the prophet had declared: ”I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son and nephew, saith the Lord. I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water; and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of hosts”. {ST, December 29, 1890 par. 4} |
| Through the prophet Isaiah the Lord declares what shall come upon those who pursue a course similar to that of these despisers of his word. He says: ”The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together; the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty”. He looks down the ages, and declares what shall be: ”Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt; and they shall be afraid; pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth; they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it”. The prophet then describes the signs of the day of God, and Christ also speaks of these signs as tokens of his near coming. ”For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine GOLD; even a man than the GOLDEN wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger”. {ST, December 29, 1890 par. 5} |
| Babylon is a symbol of the world at large. When its doom was made certain, its kings and officers seemed to be as men insane, and their own course hastened its destiny. When the doom of a nation is fixed, it seems that all the energy, wisdom, and discretion of its former time of prosperity, deserts its men of position, and they hasten the evil they would avert. Outside enemies are not the greatest peril to an individual or a nation. The overthrow of a nation results, under the providence of God, from some unwise or evil course of its own. But the people who fear God, who are loyal to his laws, who carry out the principles of righteousness in their lives, have a sure defense; God will be the refuge of those who trust in him. {ST, December 29, 1890 par. 6} |
| He said much regarding the interpretation given by Daniel, but the words, ”Thou art this HEAD of GOLD”, produced the greatest effect upon his mind. These impressed him so much that his wise men, who had not been able to tell the DREAM, proposed that he make such an IMAGE as the one seen in his DREAM, and that he set it up, that all might see the HEAD of GOLD, which was a representation of his kingdom. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 7} |
| This pleased the king. His pride and vanity found full scope in the thought that he could thus represent his importance; and he resolved that instead of merely copying the IMAGE he had seen, he would make an IMAGE that should excel the original. It was his design that the whole IMAGE should represent the greatness of Babylon. Therefore that which had been said regarding the kingdoms that were to follow, should be blotted from his mind, and from the minds of those who had heard the DREAM, by the splendor of the IMAGE he was about to make. This IMAGE should not deteriorate in value from the head to the feet, as had the one he had been shown, but should be composed throughout of the most precious metal. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 8} |
| God had spoken plainly to NEBUCHADNEZZAR in regard to his kingdom. ”In the days of these kings”, said Daniel, ”shall the God of heaven set up a 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 forever. . . . The DREAM is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure”. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 9} |
| The king had acknowledged the power of God, saying, ”Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets”; but notwithstanding this acknowledgment, he now united with the men he had once sentenced to death, to dishonor God. He had purposed to destroy these men, because he had discerned their deceptions, and because he was convinced that their learning did not possess the power he had supposed; and they had been saved from a cruel death by the intercession of Daniel. Now he joins with them to frame a design for his IMAGE, and to make the light from heaven serve his pride, and forward his exaltation. The kingdom of Babylon was interpreted to be the kingdom that was to break in pieces all other kingdoms, and to stand forever; and they endeavored to make an IMAGE which would fitly represent Babylon as eternal, indestructible, and all–powerful, ––a kingdom that would last forever. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 10} |
| ”NEBUCHADNEZZAR the king made an IMAGE of GOLD, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits; he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon”. As an idol, an object of worship, the IMAGE was placed in the most favorable position; and a proclamation was issued that all should WORSHIP it. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 11} |
| Thus the grand lesson given by God to the heathen, and to all people, was misconstrued and misplaced. That which was designed by God to teach lessons of truth, and to give the world clear, distinct rays of light, NEBUCHADNEZZAR turned from its purpose, making it minister to his pride and vanity. The prophetic illustration was made to serve for the glorification of humanity. The symbol designed to unfold important events was turned into a symbol which would hinder the spread of that knowledge which God designed the kingdoms of the earth should receive. By the height and beauty of his IMAGE, by the material of which it was formed, the king sought to make error and false doctrine magnificent and attractive, more powerful, seemingly, than anything God had given. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 12} |
| Those who are willing to be taught, may learn a lesson from the conduct of the king of Babylon. As the enemy sought to make God–given light serve his own purposes, by leading the king to work for his own glory instead of working for the glory of God, so he works today to pervert truth in order to hinder God’s purposes. All false religion has its origin in a corruption of the true. When unmixed with evil, truth is a mighty power to save; but if we allow the enemy to work through us, if by the light given us we seek to exalt self, even this truth may become a power for evil. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 13} |
| So it was in Christ’s day. In their pride the Jewish leaders perverted the meaning of their religious services. Those who sat in Moses’ seat could not bring their proud hearts to believe the prophecies, and they instilled into the minds of the people their false interpretation of Scripture. The truth was buried beneath their own doctrines, and maxims, and traditions. They taught the people that Christ was to appear as a great conqueror, to break the Roman yoke from the neck of the nation. They received that part of the prophecy which foretold one who was to shine before his ancients gloriously, who was to reign from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth; and they expected the Messiah to exalt Israel to universal dominion. When Christ did come, with no outward show of a conqueror, they turned their faces from him, resisting his words, and working by every conceivable means to counteract his influence. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 14} |
| The enemy would lead us all to the use, as did NEBUCHADNEZZAR, the light and knowledge of God for our own exaltation. But self–exaltation can find no place in the work of God. ”Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving– kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord”. {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 15} |
| The DREAM of the GREAT IMAGE, by which were opened future events reaching to the end of time, was given to NEBUCHADNEZZAR that he might understand the part he was to act in the world’s history, and also the relation that his kingdom sustained to the kingdom of heaven. This wonderful DREAM caused a marked change in his ideas and opinions, and for a little time he was influenced by the fear of God; but his heart was not yet cleansed from its pride, its worldly ambition, its desire for self–exaltation. {YI, February 2, 1904 par. 1} |
| The prophet Daniel described to King NEBUCHADNEZZAR the rise and fall of the kingdoms that were to succeed Babylon; but the king did not cherish the conviction that came to his mind in regard to the fall of all earthly governments, and the greatness and power of Jehovah’s kingdom. After the first impression wore away, he thought only of his own greatness, and studied how the DREAM might be turned to his own honor. {YI, February 2, 1904 par. 2} |
| The words, ”Thou art this HEAD of GOLD”, made the deepest impression upon NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S mind. Seeing this, the wise men who had been unable to tell his DREAM, proposed that he make an IMAGE similar to the one seen by him, and set it up where all might behold the HEAD of GOLD, which was a representation of his kingdom. {YI, February 2, 1904 par. 3} |
| This suggestion pleased the king. His pride was flattered by the thought that he could thus represent his greatness; and instead of merely reproducing the IMAGE seen in his DREAM, he determined to make an IMAGE that should excel the original. This IMAGE was not to deteriorate in value from the head to the feet, like the one he had been shown, but was to be composed throughout of the most precious metal. Thus the whole IMAGE would represent the greatness of Babylon; and he determined that by the splendor of this IMAGE the prophecy concerning the kingdoms which were to follow, should be effaced from his mind, and from the minds of others who had heard the DREAM and its interpretation. {YI, February 2, 1904 par. 4} |
| ”As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and DREAMS. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before NEBUCHADNEZZAR. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm”. {YI, December 31, 1907 par. 1} |
| God always honors the right. The most promising youth from all the lands subdued by the great conqueror had been gathered at Babylon; yet among them all, the Hebrew captives were without a rival. The erect form, the elastic step, the fair countenance, the undimmed senses, the untainted breath,––all were so many certificates of good habits, insignia of the nobility with which nature honors those who are obedient to her laws. {YI, December 31, 1907 par. 2} |
| During the past three years the youthful Hebrews had been gaining other wisdom than the learning of the Chaldeans; God had been giving them a knowledge of himself. They had placed themselves in right relation to God, and he could trust them with a deep knowledge of eternal truths. {YI, December 31, 1907 par. 3} |
| The habits and understanding of the youth who were not instructed by God were in accord with the knowledge that comes from idolatrous practises, and that leaves God out of its reckoning. Daniel and his companions, from the first of their experience in the king’s court, were gaining a clearer comprehension, a sounder and more accurate judgment, than all the wise men of the kingdom of Babylon. They placed themselves where God could bless them. They followed rules of life that would give them strength of intellect and would gain for them the greatest possible benefit from the study of God’s Word. {YI, December 31, 1907 par. 4} |
| While faithful to his duties in the king’s court, Daniel so faithfully maintained his loyalty to God, that God could honor him as his messenger to the Babylonian monarch. It was to Daniel that NEBUCHADNEZZAR, unable to get help from his wise men, turned for an account of his forgotten DREAM, and an interpretation of it. Daniel and his companions sought the Lord, and to Daniel was revealed the DREAM and its meaning. And when he had related to the king the vision God had shown him, NEBUCHADNEZZAR said, ”Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldst reveal this secret”. {YI, December 31, 1907 par. 5} |
| The history of Daniel and his companions has been recorded on the pages of the Inspired Word for the benefit of the youth in all succeeding ages. What men have done, men may do. If the youth will make the unreserved surrender of the will that Daniel made, God will help them as he helped Daniel. If they will appreciate the opportunities he gives for growing in understanding of him, he will give them wisdom and knowledge, and will fill their hearts with unselfishness. He will put into their minds thoughts that will inspire them with hope and courage as they seek to bring others under the sway of the Prince of Peace. They will have the co–operation of God and the angels. They will work out with carefulness the sum of their salvation, God working in them to will and to do of his good pleasure. {YI, December 31, 1907 par. 6} |
| As Daniel studied the Word of God, his understanding became ever clearer; and as he comprehended its ennobling principles, he purposed in his heart to form a character that God could approve. He could not foresee the result of his determination to be true to God in the courts of Babylon; but he resolved that even at the loss of all things, he would preserve his integrity. And the Lord fulfilled to him the word that he has pledged, ”Them that honor me I will honor”. {YI, December 31, 1907 par. 7} |
| There is wonderful encouragement in the message of Daniel for the youth who today are striving to gain knowledge. In his Word the Lord has left his children a divine instructor that will never disappoint those who seek its direction with a sincere heart. Its teachings will give a strength of character and mental development that no other book can impart. Let the student make the Word of God the chief book of study, giving all other branches of learning a secondary place. And as the heart is opened to the entrance of the Word, light from the throne of God will shine into the soul. The Word, cherished in the heart, will yield to the student a treasure of knowledge that is priceless. Its ennobling principles will stamp the character with honesty and truthfulness, temperance and integrity. {YI, December 31, 1907 par. 8} |
| This picture passes before us as a panorama. In spite of the warning he had received, NEBUCHADNEZZAR went on in his own strength till God took from him the talent of wisdom, that he might be brought to see and acknowledge the living God as One able to create and to destroy. Babylon passed away because in her prosperity she forgot God and ascribed the honor and glory of her prosperity to human achievements. So today when men refuse to obey the law of God they are humiliated. God tests them, and if they do not humble their hearts and confess their sins, they receive the penalty of transgression. {Ms39–1899} |
| The Medo–Persian kingdom was visited by the wrath of God because in it His law was trampled under foot. The fear of God possessed no power among the people. Wickedness, blasphemy, and corruption were the prevailing influences in this kingdom, and the kingdoms that followed were even more base and corrupt. They deteriorated because they cast God off. As they forgot Him they sank lower and lower in the scale of moral value. The vast empire of Rome crumbled into pieces. The church of Rome boasts of her infallibility and of her hereditary religion. But this religion is a horror to all who are acquainted with the secrets of the mystery of iniquity. The priests of this church maintain their ascendancy by keeping the people in ignorance of the will of God. {Ms39–1899} |
| While representing the kingdoms of this earth, the IMAGE revealed to NEBUCHADNEZZAR also fitly represents the deterioration of religion. We grow weak morally and spiritually just in proportion as we forget God. Those who claim to be Protestants are not today what Luther was. They have left the old landmarks, and have depended on forms, ceremonies, and outward display to make up for the lack of purity and piety, meekness and lowliness, found in obedience to God. It is sin that is ruining nations today. Even leaders in the religious world have not a good conscience toward God. {Ms39–1899} |
| There is no real standard of righteousness apart from the law of God. By obedience to this law the intellect is cultivated, the conscience enlightened and made sensitive. Righteousness exalteth a nation. People need an intelligent knowledge of God’s law. The words of the Bible and the Bible alone should be echoed from the pulpits of our land. God speaks in his word, and fulfills this word in the world. We need now to seek to understand the movements of God’s providence. Said Paul, “Ye brethren are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness”. {Ms39–1899} |
| The Bible is God’s great director. It is a lamp to our feet, a light to our path. It flashes its light ahead, that we may see the path by which we are travelling, and its rays are thrown back on past history, showing most perfect harmony in that which to the mind in darkness appears like error and discord. In that which seems to the worldling an inexplicable mystery, God’s children see light and beauty. {Ms39–1899} |
| God has marked out the way with His prophetic guideposts. We are not left to depend on man’s wisdom. The great waymarks God Himself has raised show us that the path of obedience is the only path we can follow with certainty. Men break their word, and prove themselves untrustworthy, but God changes not. His Word will abide the same forever. Those who love and obey the law of Jehovah will meet with trials and temptations, but this is only what Jesus met, and He declares, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand”. If we hope and pray and by faith trust His Word, we shall be able to say with Paul, “I am persuaded that neither life nor death, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. {Ms39–1899} |
| Have we wholly given ourselves up to do God’s will? Are we transformed by the grace of Christ? Some claim to be in Christ, while their special work is to make void the law of Jehovah. Shall we take their word for it? Shall we accept their assertions? How shall we distinguish God’s true servants from the false prophets which Christ said should arise to deceive many? There is only one test of character—the law of Jehovah. {Ms39–1899} |
| The Israelites placed over their doors a signature of blood, to show that they were God’s property. So every child of God in this age will bear the signature God has appointed. They will place themselves in harmony with God’s holy law. A mark is placed upon every one of God’s people, just as verily as a mark was placed over the doors of the Hebrew dwellings, to preserve the people from the general ruin. God declares, “I have them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify them”. When men say that the law of God is abrogated by the testimonies of “the fathers”, they are teaching for doctrine the commandments of men. Their word is not founded upon the teaching of the apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ is not the Chief Cornerstone of their structure. John says, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him”. Those who permit themselves to be deceived will, with the deceiver, feel the wrath of the Lamb. {Ms39–1899} |
| With God’s Word before us, with the lesson of instruction we may there learn, there is no need for us to be deceived. We are living in a momentous period in this earth’s history. The great conflict is just before us. We see the world corrupted under the inhabitants thereof. The man of sin has worked with a marvelous perseverance to exalt a spurious sabbath, and the disloyal Protestant world has wondered after the beast, and has called obedience to the Sabbath instituted by Jehovah disloyalty to the laws of the nations. Kingdoms have confederated to sustain a false sabbath institution, which has not a word of authority in the oracles of God. {Ms39–1899} |
| In the record of the vision given to John we read, “The dragon was wroth with the woman, (the church), and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ”. Satanic agencies have made the earth a stage for horrors which no language can describe. War and bloodshed are carried on by nations claiming to be Christian. A disregard for the law of God has brought the sure result. {Ms39–1899} |
| The great conflict now being waged is not merely a strife of man against man. On the one side stand the Prince of Life, acting as man’s substitute and surety; on the other the prince of darkness, with the fallen angels under his command. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand…. Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”. {Ms39–1899} |
| There will be a sharp conflict between those who are loyal to God and those who cast scorn upon His law. The church has joined hands with the world. Reverence to God’s law has been subverted. The religious leaders have taught for doctrine the commandments of men. As it was in the days of Noah, so it is in this age of the world. But shall the prevalence of disloyalty and transgression cause those who have reverenced the law of God to have less respect for it, to unite with the powers of earth to make void God’s law? The truly loyal will not be carried away by the current of evil. They will not throw scorn and contempt on that which God has set apart as holy. The test comes to every one. There are only two sides. Which are you on? {Ms39–1899} |
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