Daniel Chapter Two
Daniel 2:1-6
Part Two—Daniel’s Fortitude—Chapters 2–6
CHAPTER TWO
I. DESPOT’S DREAM—Dan 2:1-16
a. CHALLENGE TO CHALDEANS
TEXT: Dan_2:1-6
1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.
2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.
3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.
4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye make not known unto me the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
6 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.
QUERIES
a. Why is Nebuchadnezzar concerned with this particular dream?
b. Why does the text mention the Syrian (Aramaic) language?
c. Why did Nebuchadnezzar forget the dream?
PARAPHRASE (Daniel 2:1-6)
One night in the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had a very vivid and graphic dream. He was unable to sleep because he was deeply agitated in his mind and soul to know if the dream had some meaning for his life, So he immediately called in all his magicians, enchanters and sorcerers and wise men and demanded that they tell him what his dream had been. When they had come into his presence, the king said to them, I have had a terrifying and mystifying dream and my very soul is in great anxiety to know what it means. Then the king’s wise men, speaking in the Aramaic language, which was the language of common discourse then, said to the king, O king, may you live forever: if you will tell your humble servants the details of your dream we will begin at once to use all our knowledge and mystic powers to discern the interpretation of your dream. But the king replied, You are supposed to know every hidden thing: the details of the dream are thoroughly and indelibly set in my mind and now I am testing your claims. If you do not tell me exactly both the details of the dream itself and the interpretation of the dream, I will have you literally cut to pieces and dismembered and your homes destroyed and publicly disgraced. But, if you tell me both the dream and its interpretation I will give you many wonderful gifts and honors. So, begin!
COMMENT
Dan 2:1 . . . NEBUCHADNEZZAR DREAMED DREAMS; AND HIS SPIRIT WAS TROUBLED. . . . According to Babylonian reckoning, the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar would be the third year of Daniel’s training. First year of reign for a Babylonian emperor was called The Year of Accession; his first year of reign would really be his second year; and his second year of reign would really be his third year on the throne. Even at that, this very graphic dream, sent by God, occurred at a very early period of this heathen emperor’s reign.
Young seems to think the force of the plural should be translated “Nebuchadnezzar was in a state in which a dream came to him.” Leupold believes the king dreamed several dreams, one of which finally roused and disturbed him. Whatever the case, the significant dream was the one of the great image. And it was no ordinary dream, but one which Jehovah God sent directly to this pagan ruler. It was such an arresting dream he could not sleep for anxiety of spirit and soul, deeply troubled as to its meaning. The dream must have been so vivid as to seem to be actually happening right then—the king was terrified.
Dan 2:2-3 . . . THE KING . . . COMMANDED . . . THE CHALDEANS, TO TELL HIS DREAMS . . . Four classes of dream interpreters or wise men are summoned to appear before the king. Leupold translates “magicians” as scholars; “enchanters” as astrologers. From other listings of such wise men in Daniel it does not seem any technical sense is intended here. The fourfold mention here is evidently designed to include all the classes of wise men and priests of Babylonian religion (see our Special Study on Babylonian Priesthood at the end of this chapter). “Chaldeans” constitute the most important group in the entire assembly. They seem to be regarded in their day as the very elite of Babylonian society, men in whose ranks the emperor himself appears to have been enrolled. A people by the name of “Chaldean” lived in southern Babylonia in the days of the early patriarchs (cf. Gen 11:28). They were a warlike group who in the course of time caused the Assyrians much trouble and finally overcame them in the person of Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar’s father. These “Chaldeans” of Daniel’s time were, therefore, probably men of great learning who could trace their ancestry back to families of the original conquerors of Babylon. They made themselves masters of that group of wise men who exercised the strongest influence in the political and religious affairs of the state.
The Babylonians, as did other ancients, put much stock in a philosophy that the movements of the stars and heavenly bodies determined the events of history and destinies of men on the earth. Astrology, the casting of horoscopes and other predictions based on observations of the stars was used to determine political, religious and moral meaning to mystical experiences such as dreams. Nebuchadnezzar undoubtedly had some strange, inexplicable foreboding concerning the dream that kept him awake.
Dan_2:4 . . . TELL THY SERVANTS THE DREAM, AND WE WILL SHOW THE INTERPRETATION . . . Xenophon relates that the Babylonians spoke a form of Aramaic and it is not unlikely that this would be the language of common discourse. The covenant people of the exile returned to their homeland speaking Aramaic which they learned in captivity. Just why the fact is deemed necessary to mention in Dan 2:4 that the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian (Aramaic) language is unknown.
The Chaldeans made the only request they could, being finite creatures with no knowledge of the secrets of men’s hearts unless they are told those secrets, There was no possibility of anyone telling the king what he had dreamed unless he tell them the dream or unless God, who knows all the secrets of men’s minds, tell it, God did eventually tell it through Daniel. If the king had related the facts of his dream to the Chaldeans, they could have set about at once to compare the details with their astrological charts, cast their horoscopes, made their incantations, submitted the dream to their magic and have come up with an interpretation (which, by the way, would probably have been flattering to the king’s ego and favorable to his whims of government and indulgence).
Dan 2:5-6 . . . IF YE MAKE NOT KNOWN . . . THE DREAM AND THE INTERPRETATION . . . YE SHALL BE CUT IN PIECES . . . BUT IF YE SHOW THE DREAM AND THE INTERPRETATION, YE SHALL RECEIVE . . . GIFTS . . . REWARDS . . . GREAT HONOR . . . Why did Nebuchadnezzar insist that the Chaldeans tell him the details of the actual dream as well as the interpretation? It is not because he had forgotten the dream. Our English translation is misleading here. Leupold, Young and many others agree that the proper rendering of the original here should read “the matter has been fully determined by me.” The king was sure and certain of the details of the dream itself. Now he was testing his “wise men” to see, in such a significant experience, if they really had access to the deepest and most completely hidden things. It may very well be that Nebuchadnezzar, deep within himself, knew that most of the religion of Babylon was mere superstition and not the truth—he must have been skeptical of a great part of it. There is a record of a king of Yemen, Rabia by name, who saw a vision and was terrified by it. He assembled all the priests and magicians and star-gazers of his kingdom and said to them, “Verily, I have seen a vision and was frightened by it. Tell it to me and its interpretation.” They said, “Relate it to us, and we shall inform thee of its interpretation.” So he replied, “If I tell you it, I shall have no certainty as to what you tell me of its interpretation. Verily, no one knows the interpretation unless he knows it before I tell him (the dream).” So, Nebuchadnezzar was putting his wise men to the test to determine once and for all if they could divine the secret things of men and nature or not.
The despotic nature of the punishment pronounced should the Chaldeans fail is in character for an Eastern monarch of that day. Assyrians and Persians were especially notorious for the barbarity of their punishments. Even today in Arabia cruel punishments for misdemeanors are meted out even to the severing of members of the body for certain crimes. These Chaldeans faced certain dismemberment since they had no power to tell Nebuchadnezzar his dream. They would be hacked to pieces and their homes razed. And as a final indignity the ruins of their homes would be made public toilets.
It is plain that God is active in this matter to demonstrate to Nebuchadnezzar, to Daniel, to all the heathen who will learn and to all the covenant people who will learn, that there is only One, True God, who knows the secrets of men and Jehovah is His Name; there is only one true prophet of God, Daniel is his name. God sent the dream; now He, through His prophet, will demonstrate that the interpretation His prophet places on the dream is true because His prophet will tell the king what he dreamed.
QUIZ
1. How many years had Nebuchadnezzar actually been on the throne now?
2. Who are the “Chaldeans” and where did they come from?
3. Why did the Chaldeans speak to the king in Syriac (Aramaic)?
4. Why did Nebuchadnezzar insist that they tell him his dream?
5. How was God at work in this event in Nebuchadnezzar’s life?
Daniel 2:7-11
b. DILEMMA OF THE DIVINERS
TEXT: Dan_2:7-11
7 They answered the second time and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
8 The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
9 But if ye make not known unto me the dream, there is but one law 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.
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter, forasmuch as no king, lord, or ruler, hath asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean,
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is no other than can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
QUERIES
a. Why was Nebuchadnezzar suspicious of their “stalling?”
b. Why was the king’s demand such a “rare” thing?
c. Which “gods” did the Chaldeans have in mind?
PARAPHRASE
The Chaldeans replied again, If the king please, only tell his humble servants what he dreamed and we will most gladly show him its interpretation. But the king retorted, I can see very plainly that you are only stalling for time, because you are aware that my mind is made up to punish you severely if you do not tell me the dream. And, you are correct, for if you do not tell me what I dreamed there is only one consequence you may expect—the punishment which I have decreed. I know what you are up to—you have agreed with one another to try to deceive me with words hoping that the passing of time will bring a change in my demands. I am wise to your scheme. Tell me the dream—only then will I believe that you can show me the true interpretation. The Chaldeans pleaded with the king, saying, You are asking the impossible—there is not a man on the earth who can tell the king what he has dreamed. No great king, lord or ruler such as yourself has ever asked such an impossible thing of any mortal magician, enchanter or Chaldean such as we. What you have asked is so difficult there is no human being who could ever reveal to the king what he dreamed. Only the gods could do this and they do not dwell on earth with mortals.
COMMENT
Dan 2:7 . . . LET THE KING TELL HIS SERVANTS THE DREAM . . . Notice the subtle flattery here. The Chaldeans berate themselves as “servants.” They must find out what the dream was and so they insist—but they insist politely.
Dan 2:8 . . . I KNOW . . . THAT YE WOULD GAIN TIME, BECAUSE . . . THE THING IS GONE FROM ME . . . They are not fooling the king. He knows they are stalling for time and he knows why—they are aware of his resolute determination that they shall either tell him what he dreamed or they shall be punished severely. It is the immutability of the king’s decree that is meant by the phrase “because ye see the thing is gone from me.”
Dan 2:9 . . . YE HAVE PREPARED LYING AND CORRUPT WORDS TO SPEAK BEFORE ME, TILL THE TIME BE CHANGED . . . Nebuchadnezzar seems to be fully cognizant of their scheme to hide their insufficiency. He senses that there is some kind of collaboration between them to speak words of deception and legerdemain until, they hoped, circumstances would change; perhaps the king’s ugly mood will change with time if they can only stall the matter by talk, But the king sees through their scheme, If they do not with haste make known to the king what he dreamed as well as the interpretation, he has determined their fate by royal decree and that decree cannot be changed.
Dan 2:10-11 . . . THERE IS NOT A MAN UPON THE EARTH THAT CAN SHOW THE KING’S MATTER . . . EXCEPT THE GODS, WHOSE DWELLING IS NOT WITH FLESH . . . These Chaldeans face a terrifying dilemma. On the one hand there is a desperate attempt not to say anything that might further irritate or offend the despot; on the other hand they must convey to the king the idea that his demand is unreasonable and impossible. Their first statement is a frank admission of their impotency in the matter demanded. Then they hastily add another subtle innuendo of flattery, “No great king or ruler has ever asked such an impossible thing from such lowly magicians and enchanters as we.” They are trying to convey to the king that the gods have not given these priests of the national religion the power to reveal the dream—they have power only to interpret the dream. Their statement is that only the gods could produce what the king has demanded and the gods do not dwell among men. There seems to be in their consciousness an admission of higher, superhuman beings, but their concepts are so saturated with ignorance and moral depravity they are thoroughly polytheistic. The enchanters specify that the gods do not dwell with men in order to specify that they have no way of being instructed with the superior knowledge of the gods.
QUIZ
1. How do the Chaldeans use flattery to try to learn the king’s dream?
2. What does the king accuse them of attempting to do?
3. What advantage did the Chaldeans think time would bring them?
4. How did the Chaldeans frankly declare their inability to tell his dream?
Daniel 2:12-16
c. SAVED BY THE SUBJUGATED
TEXT: Dan 2:12-16
12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 So the decree went forth, and the wise men were to be slain; and they sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.
14 Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, who was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon;
15 he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Wherefore is the decree so urgent from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16 And Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation.
QUERIES
a. Why destroy all the wise men of Babylon?
b. Why did Daniel think he could do what the others could not?
PARAPHRASE
The admitted inability of the Chaldean wise-men to be able to tell Nebuchadnezzar his secret dream and its interpretation made the king’s anger grow exceeding furious. He commanded that all the wise-men of the city of Babylon should be executed. The decree of the arrest and execution of all the wise-men was made official and as it was being carried out they eventually came to arrest Daniel and his three Hebrew companions. When Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, came to arrest Daniel, Daniel reasoned with him with great discretion and prudence. Among other things, Daniel asked Arioch why the decision of the king was so severe. Arioch answered Daniel and told him all about the wise-men’s failure and the king’s decree. It was then that Daniel, observing all the proper protocol, gained audience with the king and asked for a personal appointment affirming that he would be able to show both the dream and the interpretation.
COMMENT
Dan 2:12-13 . . . THE KING WAS ANGRY AND VERY FURIOUS . . . The verb used here indicates a growing mounting anger until it reaches the point of violence. He commanded that all the wise-men of Babylon be put to death. The king is enraged at these who have gained fame and fortune and power by claiming to know the deepest secrets of man and the gods—and they cannot even tell him what he has dreamed.
After the king issued his personal command it would have to be transmitted in formal publication throughout the capitol city. His guards would have to go in search of many of the wise-men not present at the royal court that particular day. It would be some time before the actual execution could take place. Finally, the captain of the king’s guard, Arioch, came to take Daniel and his three Hebrew companions into custody.
Dan 2:14-16 THEN DANIEL RETURNED ANSWER WITH COUNSEL AND PRUDENCE . . . The first thing to realize about this account is that it is very abbreviated—we do not have a record of all that Daniel must have said to Arioch. As Leupold says, “The very audacity of Daniel’s plan” must have impressed Arioch. Besides, the king would still be perplexed as to the interpretation of his dream and knowing of the exceptional wisdom and capabilities of Daniel (Arioch had undoubtedly heard of Daniel’s fame also), it would be very prudent for Daniel to talk with Arioch and persuade him that he could interpret the king’s dream. Daniel was acting on the basis of his faith in God and without doubt on the basis of a revelation from God that he should do so.
Daniel speaks to Arioch as if they were already well acquainted—perhaps even good friends—when he asks, “Why is the decree of the king so severe?” Arioch feels impelled to answer Daniel’s question and probably relates the entire incident to him.
Leupold points out that when Daniel “went in, and desired of the king . . .” we must presume that Daniel went through the proper channels and observed the correct protocol in approaching the king. We know from the book of Esther that unless one were bidden properly to approach an Eastern potentate to do so presumptuously meant certain death. All that Daniel asks is “time.” This will postpone the execution until he could commune with his God, and give the desired interpretation to the king.
It is most interesting to note that Daniel was sure he could give the king the interpretation of the dream before he had even received the knowledge of what the dream was from God (cf. Dan 2:19). Daniel had such faith in God that he believed the will of God would be done before it was actually done! This same “great” faith the Lord expects of all His children. Only the “interpretation” is mentioned and not the dream itself. However the conciseness of the narrative explains this omission. If Daniel knows the interpretation, he most certainly must first know the dream and he is not asking the king what the dream was, as did the Chaldeans.
QUIZ
1. Why seek out Daniel to be slain?
2. How did Daniel answer with “counsel and prudence?”
3. Why did Daniel ask for an appointment to the presence of the king?
4. How would one have made such an appointment in those days?
Daniel 2:17-24
II. DANIEL’S DECLARATION—Dan 2:17-35
a. PRAYER
TEXT: Dan_2:17-24
17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon,
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are his.
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 have understanding;
22 he revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast now made known unto me what we desire of thee; for thou hast made known unto us the king’s matter.
24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had appointed 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.
QUERIES
a. Was Daniel selfish in praying for his own safety?
b. Does God really have a hand in putting rulers in rule?
c. Why does Daniel pray for the safety of the Chaldean wise men?
PARAPHRASE (Daniel 2:17-24)
Then Daniel went home and told the whole matter to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and having confided in them he asked them to pray to the God of the heavens to grant them His mercy and reveal to them this secret mystery in order that Daniel and his companions would not be executed together with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. And that very night the secret of the king’s dream was revealed unto Daniel in a vision. Then, in prayer, Daniel praised the God of heaven, saying, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for He alone has all wisdom and all power. World events are under His control and are used for His purpose. He removes kings and rulers and sets others on their thrones according to His sovereign purpose. All true wisdom, knowledge and understanding comes from Him. All His plans that are not yet known to man He reveals in His own good time and His own way because He knows all things that are hidden. He is all-wise and there is no ignorance in Him at all. I think and praise You, oh God of my fathers, for You have given me wisdom and ability to solve the problem at hand. You have revealed to me all that we desired concerning the king’s perplexity. Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, who had been ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said, Do not slay the wise men of Babylon. Take me in to the king and I will reveal to him the interpretation of his puzzling dream.
COMMENT
Dan 2:17-18 THEN DANIEL WENT TO HIS HOUSE, AND MADE THE THING KNOWN . . . Daniel’s associates are so thoroughly one with him in faith in God and in purpose to glorify God that he can immediately confide in them and seek their assistance. Daniel asks their counsel and consent, and believes that their fellowship in intercessory prayer will please the Lord and accomplish His will for their lives in this particular circumstance. The chief object of the intercession is not selfish. This is evident when in Dan 2:24 Daniel intercedes on behalf of the pagan wise men of Babylon that they might not be slain. Daniel’s purpose in praying for salvation from the executioner’s sword was because he was fully persuaded God had put him in Babylon “for just such a time as this.” Daniel simply wanted to be allowed to be God’s “living sacrifice” to bring the revelation of God to this pagan emperor and to God’s own covenant people who so desperately needed strengthening now. He was praying for a higher purpose than mere physical existence, but physical existence was a necessity that the higher purpose be served.
Dan 2:19-22 . . . THE SECRET REVEALED UNTO DANIEL . . . THEN DANIEL BLESSED . . . GOD . . . WISDOM AND MIGHT ARE HIS . . . AND HE CHANGETH THE TIMES AND THE SEASONS . . . HE REMOVETH KINGS, AND SETTETH UP KINGS . . . This is one of those most arresting passages of O.T. scripture speaking of the divine sovereignty and immutability of the purposes of God in the events of earth’s history. It does not teach “predestination” or “irresistible grace” in the strict Calvinistic sense. However, it is a fact of scripture, too often ignored by Restoration preachers and writers, that the prophets and apostles speak of God as doing things which He permits, without distinguishing verbally between His direct action and His permissive action. If we are going to speak where the Bible speaks we must insist upon preaching the Living God of intimate, actual relationships in every-day history. Our God is God of the “now.” In 2Sa 24:1 and 1Ch 21:1 ff we read, respectively, that David was moved by the Lord to number Israel and Judah, and that Satan provoked David to number Israel. Taking these two passages of Scripture together, there is no contradiction but simply a lesson that God acts in what He permits. God permitted Satan to provoke David to number Israel. Whatever God permits, He permits for His own good purpose. Just as in the case of Joseph and his brethren, Joseph was able to say, “you intended it for evil but God intended it for good . . .” (Gen 50:20). So we are to understand that whatever evil God may permit in allowing despotic rulers to reign He permits as a part of His disciplinary or sanctifying providence.
We quote here from Charles Hodge: “The decrees of God are free in the sense of being absolute or sovereign. The meaning of this proposition is expressed negatively by saying that the decrees of God are in no case conditional. The event decreed is suspended on a condition, but the purpose of God is not. It is inconsistent with the nature of God to assume suspense or indecision on his part . . . whatever God foreordains must certainly come to pass. The distinction between the efficient (efficacious) and the permissive decree of God, although important, has no relation to the certainty of the event. All events embraced in the purpose of God are equally certain, whether he has determined to bring them to pass by his own power, or simply to permit their occurrence through the agency of (the free will of) his own creatures . . . some things he purposes to do, others he decrees to permit to be done. He effects good, he permits evil. He is the author of the one, but not of the other.
“The universality of the decrees follows from the universal dominion of God. Whatever he does, he certainly purposes to do. Whatever he permits to occur, he certainly purposes to permit. Nothing can occur that was not foreseen, and if foreseen, it must have been intended. As the Scriptures teach that the providential control of God extends to all events, even the most minute, they do thereby teach that his decrees are equally comprehensive.” (cf. all of the following scriptures: Heb 1:3; Col 1:17; Neh 9:6-7; Job 9:12; Job 12:7-10; Psa 104:27-32;
Psa 135:6; 1Ch 29:12; Dan 4:35; Jer 27:5-7; Isa 10:5 ff; Isa 45:5-7; and cf. also our commentary Minor Prophets, pages 93–111, “Theoramic Philosophy of History.”)
Leupold notices how fluent Daniel was in Scripture in his prayer according to the quotations (on Dan 2:20 a see Psa 103:1-2; Psa 113:1-2 on Dan_2:20 b see 1Ch 29:11-12; Job 12:13; Job 16-22. on Dan 2:21 a see Psa 31:15; on Dan 2:21 b see Job 12:18; Psa 75:6-7 on Dan 2:21 c see 1Ki 3:9-10; 1Ki 4:29; on Dan 2:22 a see Job 12:22; on Dan 2:22 b see Job 26:6; Psa 139:12; Isa 45:7; on Dan 2:22 c see Psa 36:9 on Dan 2:23 a see Gen 31:42; Exo 3:15).
The phrase “changeth the times and the seasons” reminds us that God determines how long one culture or influence shall prevail and when another shall become operative. One dynasty influences world culture and wanes and disappears at the directing influence of God’s immutable moral laws governing the universe, and another comes to the fore (cf. Jer 27:5 ff). God creates both “weal and woe” (cf. Isa 45:5-7). God is able and does this because He has all wisdom and understanding and knowledge. He is able to reveal the future—the deep and secret things—because all time and space and mass are within His knowledge and control at all times—all at once. Nothing can be hidden from Him and if He hides anything man can know it only if He reveals it to man. “God is light and in him is no darkness at all . . .” (1Jn 1:5). This entire passage (Dan 2:20-22) has to do with God’s special revelations to prophets (and later to apostles) concerning His scheme of redemption.
Dan 2:23-24 I THANK THEE . . . THOU HAST MADE KNOWN . . . THE KING’S MATTER . . . DANIEL WENT . . . UNTO ARIOCH . . . DESTROY NOT THE WISE MEN OF BABYLON . . . I WILL SHOW . . . THE KING THE INTERPRETATION. The original language here is emphatic . . . “THEE, praising am I.” God is placed first, It is interesting to note that Daniel, in his prayer of praise, includes his companions as equally important in this matter. He does not forget them, thinking that God is interested only in him. Having glorified the name of God and being satisfied that he is carrying out the will of God in this matter, Daniel seeks the emperor’s presence through Arioch, one of the chief guards of the palace. He persuades Arioch not to destroy the wise men of Babylon because he will be able to make known to Nebuchadnezzar both the dream and its interpretation. So Daniel the captive, the foreigner, intercedes on behalf of the Babylonian wise men and saves their lives through the revelation God graciously provided. It is difficult for us, inasmuch as we are so familiar with this account and removed from it some 2600 years, to realize that it was an actual, historical event—it really happened. When we do realize its actuality, we stand amazed at the working of God in carrying out His purposes!
QUIZ
1. Why did Daniel immediately make known to his companions the matter?
2. Why did Daniel pray for salvation from the executioner’s sword?
3. What does the phrase “he changeth the times and . . . seasons” mean?
4. How does God remove kings and set up kings?
5. What does the fact that this was an actual event mean to you?
Daniel 2:25-30
b. PROFESSION
TEXT: Dan 2:25-30
25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
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?
27 Daniel answered before the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded can neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, show unto the king;
28 but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made 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:
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 hath made known to thee what shall come to pass.
30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that thou mayest know the thoughts of thy heart.
QUERIES
a. Had Arioch “found” Daniel or had Daniel sought Arioch?
b. How did Daniel have the courage to talk about his God to king Nebuchadnezzar?
c. Does Daniel mean in Dan_2:30 that God’s immediate purpose was to reveal something to a pagan king?
PARAPHRASE (Daniel 2:25-30)
Then Arioch, in great excitement, brought Daniel into the presence of the king, and said to him, O King, Behold, I have found one of the captives from Judea who claims he is able to tell you your dream and its interpretation. The king said, Belteshazzar, is this true? Are you able to make known to me both what I dreamed and its interpretation? Daniel replied, As far as my revealing to you myself what your dream was—I could not do it any more than your own wise men. No mortal could do such a thing! But there is a God of heaven who reveals secrets. And He has seen fit in His own purpose to reveal to you, king Nebuchadnezzar, in your dream, what is going to happen in the future. Yes, your dream was this: You dreamed of coming events. He who reveals secrets was speaking to you. But, it is as I said before, it is not because I am wiser than any other living person that I know this secret of your dream, but because God has chosen me to be His instrument to make known to you what your secret thoughts mean.
COMMENT
Dan 2:25-26 . . . ARIOCH BROUGHT IN DANIEL . . . I HAVE FOUND A MAN . . . ART THOU ABLE? Notice the precociousness of Arioch! He seizes the opportunity to feather his cap by claiming to “have found” an answer to the most perplexing problem Nebuchadnezar has ever had in all his life. In fact, Daniel had found Arioch! How could Arioch make such an incongruous statement seeing that he had just a few hours before this gained an audience before the king for this same Hebrew lad? Arioch is doing what is incongruous but normal for practically all underlings of some great monarch—making the most of any occasion to put himself in favorable estimation by his superior.
The king, greatly vexed of soul, and constantly plagued by such machinations of his underlings, probably did not give Arioch’s attempt at politicking a second thought. He was intent upon finding someone who could set his mind at rest concerning this troubling dream, The king, skeptical that anyone could do what he asked, makes a special point of asking Daniel if he is able to tell both the dream and its interpretation. The king calls Daniel by his Babylonian name, Belteshazzar.
Dan_2:27 . . . THE SECRET . . . THE KING . . . DEMANDED CAN NEITHER WISE MEN . . . ETC. . . . Daniel quickly disavows any human ability to tell secrets. He wants the king to be prepared for his next statement which will be a testimony to the One True God. Daniel’s words are also a mild rebuke to the king for expecting so much from any human “wise man.”
Dan_2:28 . . . BUT THERE IS A GOD IN HEAVEN THAT REVEALETH SECRETS . . . What a wonderful opportunity for Daniel to plant the seed of Truth in the mind of a pagan monarch. What courage it took to stand in the presence of such an absolute despot who considered himself a god and speak of The Living God. Daniel’s courage was born of his faith in God and his knowledge of the situation—the extremity of Nebuchadnezzar’s anxiety.
The phrase “latter days” can mean only one thing in its context! It refers to the days which follow from that present time unto the coming of the Messianic kingdom which occurred, of course, when the church was established on Pentecost, Acts 2. We shall treat this subject thoroughly in the remainder of the chapter.
Dan 2:29 . . . THY THOUGHTS CAME . . . WHAT SHOULD COME TO PASS HEREAFTER . . . Evidently the king had gone to bed thinking about the future—what is going to happen in my future. Nebuchadnezzar was somewhat of an “Alexander the Great.” He had conquered the civilized world of his day; he had done just about everything a monarch of that day could do in conquests, building, etc. With such personal glory already his he might well wonder what the future had in store. He was at the top of the ladder already! He lay down to dream because there were no more worlds to conquer! And what a dream!
Daniel describes his God as The Revealer of secrets and distinctly states that Jehovah has sent this dream to Nebuchadnezzar in order to tell him what shall happen in the future.
Dan 2:30 . . . AS FOR ME . . . NOT REVEALED . . . FOR ANY WISDOM THAT I HAVE . . . Again Daniel disavows any personal, meritorious claim upon the gift of God to interpret dreams. He makes it plain that he is being used only as an instrument through which God is making known to the king what all these secret thoughts and dreams mean.
We admire Daniel’s courage before a great monarch such as this. We would also do well to reflect on the trust in God necessary for Daniel not to presumptuously claim for himself these powers to reveal secrets! What a temptation it would be for most of us to take to ourselves this glory rather than give it to God, Looked at from an immediate and physical or selfish perspective it could have been exceedingly profitable for Daniel to have claimed these powers all on his own. But, like Joseph, he said, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer . . .” (Gen 41:16).
QUIZ
1. Why did Arioch claim to have found Daniel when in the king’s presence?
2. Why did the king ask Daniel if he were able to tell the dream?
3. How did Daniel rebuke the king’s decree to kill all the wise-men?
4. What had the king probably gone to bed thinking about before his dream?
5. What does “the latter days” refer to?
6. What is especially significant of Daniel’s disavowal to any personal merit?
Daniel 2:31-35
c. PUBLICATION
TEXT: Dan 2:31-35
31 Thou, O king, sawest, and, behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the aspect thereof was terrible.
32 As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass,
33 its legs of iron, its feet part of iron, and part of clay.
34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
QUERIES
a. Exactly what does the word “image” mean?
b. Why all the different metals in one image?
c. What is the significance of the grinding to dust of the image?
PARAPHRASE(Daniel 2:31-35)
Oh king, you saw in your dream a huge and powerful statue of a man shining brilliantly, frightening and terrible, so fascinating you were unable to take your eyes off what you saw. The head of this statue was made of purest gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of bronze, and it had legs of iron with feet part iron and part clay. Then as you watched, a stone was cut out by supernatural means. It came hurtling towards the statue and crushed the feet of iron and clay, grinding them into dust. Then the whole statue collapsed into a heap and the iron, clay, bronze, silver and gold were all ground into dust by the stone and the dust was blown away forever. The stone that struck down the great statue became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.
COMMENT
Dan 2:31 . . . A GREAT IMAGE . . . THE ASPECT THEREOF WAS TERRIBLE . . . The image was a huge statue bearing the resemblance of a man. This dream-statue would undoubtedly appear to Nebuchadnezzar exactly like the statues of Assyrian-Babylonian men discovered by archaeologists. The original language indicates that Nebuchadnezzar was “continually staring” at this statue, as if transfixed by it. It was brilliant and terrifying.
Dan 2:32-33 . . . HEAD OF GOLD . . . BREAST OF SILVER . . . BELLY . . . OF BRASS . . . LEGS OF IRON . . . FEET . . . OF IRON AND CLAY . . . Why all the different meals in one image? We suppose the scarcity of the metals would tend to give the image greater significance. We note the steady descending scale in preciousness of the metals from the head of the image down to its feet. The word translated brass means bronze or copper. One of the things which transfixed the king was the size of this statue. Another fascinating thing about it was its extraordinary splendor. It must have been an imposing sight indeed. As far as can be determined there is no precedent concerning such symbolism—therefore God has given a unique vision to the king—its origin is in divine revelation. We must look for a revealed interpretation, guided by common sense and hermeneutical principals that are in accord with other accepted interpretative principles.
Dan 2:34-35 . . . A STONE . . . CUT OUT WITHOUT HANDS . . . SMOTE THE IMAGE . . . The dream now becomes a “moving picture.” Action takes place. A stone (we would suppose a large stone) is “detached” or cut loose from, we assume, a mountain, and it is cut loose without natural or human aid—it must therefore have been cut loose by supernatural aid. We note that “stone” is an appropriate symbol here for the kingdom of God in both Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament God refers to Himself as the Rock (cf. Deu 32:15; Psa 18:2; Psa 31:2; Psa 62:2; Isa 44:8; Isa 51:1) and Christ’s deity is referred to as the “rock” upon which the church is built (Mat 16:18; cf. also 1Co 10:4).
The great statue lay directly in the path of the moving stone. The stone struck the statue specifically at the feet which was the most vulnerable part of the whole because they were part iron and part clay. The remainder of the statue was demolished so that the whole thing was utterly destroyed, ground to dust, and blown away with the wind. One might expect the statue to be broken into large portions with such a blow from a large stone, but a very unexpected thing happens—it is ground to dust in its entirely and the original language indicates the blowing away was so complete that the dust found no visible resting place. It is important to remember, when we come to the interpretation of the dream, that the entire statue was obliterated when the stone struck it.
The climax is the unusual, supernatural growth of the stone which had struck the image. It grew to such gigantic proportions that it became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
Leupold observes: “So the vision begins with a huge statue; it ends with the largest possible mountain. There is not a superfluous word in Daniel’s entire description and account. It is a masterpiece of pithy word painting.” This is indeed one of the finest examples of symbolism in Old Testament literature. It is a great aid in understanding the symbolism in other places in the scriptures (Ezekiel, Zechariah, Revelation).
QUIZ
1. What resemblance would this “great image” probably bear?
2. Why an image of different kinds of metals?
3. What caused the king to be so transfixed by this image?
4. Why is “stone” so appropriate here?
5. What is important about the stone striking the image in its interpretation?
6. How significant is the symbolism of this dream?
Daniel 2:36-39
III. DICTATORSHIP’S DESTINY—Dan 2:36-39
a. FIRST THREE KINGDOMS
TEXT: Dan 2:36-39
36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
37 Thou, O king, art king of kings, unto whom the God of heaven hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory;
38 and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all: thou art the head of gold.
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.
QUERIES
a. How could God give “the kingdom” to Nebuchadnezzar?
b. Who are the other two kingdoms?
c. Did they rule the entire earth?
PARAPHRASE(Daniel 2:36-39)
That was the dream you dreamed; now we shall tell you exactly what it means. You, O king Nebuchadnezzar, are a king over many lesser kings, for the God of heaven has given you rule over all the known civilized world and all the power, strength and glory you enjoy has been given you by Him. You are absolute monarch over all the inhabitants of the earth because God has given them into your hand. You and your glorious kingdom are represented on this great image you dreamed about by the head of gold. And after your kingdom has come to an end, another world ruler (Medo-Persian) will arise to take your place. This empire will be inferior in many ways to your empire. And after that kingdom has fallen, yet a third great empire (Greek) represented by the bronze belly of the statue, will rise to rule the world.
COMMENT
Dan 2:36-38 . . . THOU, O KING, . . . ART THE HEAD OF GOLD . . . Having told Nebuchadnezzar exactly all the details of what he had dreamed, Daniel now prepares to give the king the divine interpretation of the dream. As may be seen from the succeeding verses, the main thrust of the whole dream is to predict the eventual, historical victory of God over “principalities and powers” and the establishment of God’s kingdom here on earth, at a particular time in the history of the earth. Daniel was to tell the king that someday pagan domination of the civilized world would be overcome by a supernatural kingdom.
Daniel designates Nebuchadnezzar as the first representative of absolute world domination. Other prophets speak of the king of Babylon in the same manner (cf. Jer 7:5-7; Eze 26:7). The king of Assyria, Sennacherib, made claim to universal domination, but Assyria was never the absolute ruler of the world in the same sense that Babylon and her successors were.
There can be no argument whatsoever with the designation of the first kingdom! Daniel explicitly states the head of gold represents Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. Gold was a fitting symbol for it too! Herodotus, who was at Babylon some ninety years after the era of Nebuchadnezzar, was amazed at the amount of gold which he found within the precincts of the sanctuary of Bel. In the smallest temple, which stood on the top of the tower of Babylon, was a table of gold. In the second temple below was an image of the god “all of gold,” seated on a golden throne with a golden base and in front of “a large golden table.” Outside the temple there was also an altar of “solid gold.” All the gold used to form these sacred objects amounted—it is estimated—to eight hundred talents (a talent of gold would be worth approximately $100,000 in our inflationary society). From archaeological inscriptions left by Nebuchadnezzar we get the impression that his consuming interest was to build, beautify and glorify his beloved city Babylon. Nothing was too precious to be bestowed on his city. Herodotus records these instructions from Nebuchadnezzar’s inscriptions: “. . . the walls of the cell of Merodach must be made to glisten like suns, the hall of his temple must be overlaid with shining gold, . . . and alabaster; and the chapel of his lordship which a former king had fabricated in silver, Nebuchadnezzar declares that he overlaid with bright gold” (Herod. iii. 1–7). The roofing of Ekua, the cell of Merodach, is also overlaid with bright gold; and the cell of Nebo at Borsippa is treated in the same manner.
The reference, while made to the Babylonian kingdom, is made in personal form for it is in the person of the emperor himself that the empire is embodied. It is perfectly true that Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom did not hold sway over the entire earth, but in the sense that it did hold dominion over the known, influential and powerful-enough-to-be-reckoned-with portions of the world it could be properly designated in the hyperbolical way Daniel did.
Dan 2:39 . . . AFTER . . . ANOTHER KINGDOM INFERIOR TO THEE . . . AND ANOTHER THIRD KINGDOM . . . WHICH SHALL BEAR RULE OVER ALL THE EARTH . . . Now Daniel does not specify the second great world empire by name but there is enough symbolism and other details mentioned in Daniel chapter 7 and in history subsequent to these predictions of Daniel to make the task of discovering it rather simple.
With the coming of the Medo-Persian empire (the only true universal empire to follow the Babylonian) all the concentration of building simply for magnificence sake changed. The Semitic keseph, kaspu (silver) also means “money” since silver was the criterion of value and the medium of exchange then. When Daniel speaks of the gold giving place to the silver, he must mean that with the coming of the second kingdom, magnificence and outward show were exchanged for treasure, diligently collected by taxation and carefully hoarded up to form the muscles of war when needed. In Daniel, chapter 6, we read that an attempt was made by Darius, in the first year of the downfall of Babylon, to organize the finances of the empire. Herodotus shows that under Cambyses there was a system of taxation throughout the empire. However, it was under the second Darius, (Darius Hystaspes) that this system was brought to perfection. Herodotus furnishes us with a long and exact account of the 20 satrapies established by Darius and the yearly amount at which each was assessed. The tribute was paid in silver talents, except that of the Indians. The Indian satrapy was the richest of all, and yielded 360 talents of gold-dust, which the historian reckons as equivalent to 4,680 talents of silver, thus showing that silver was the standard of value.
The Medo-Persian empire kept its eye steadily fixed on this main object and this is substantiated by the Old Testament (cf. Ezr 4:13; Neh 9:37). In consequence of this policy of the silver kingdom these kings became rich, and it is foretold in Dan 11:2 that the fourth king, Xerxes, “Shall be far richer than they all; and that when he is waxed strong through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.” The vast army which Xerxes collected for the invasion of Greece, and with which he crossed over into Europe, would have been an impossibility but for the system of finance perfected by his father Darius. So keen was Darius in amassing wealth that, according to Herodotus, he appeared to his subjects as a huckster, “one who looked to making a gain in everything.” The silver kingdom was stronger than the golden kingdom, and consequently it lasted very much longer. Babylon was master of the ancient world for only 70 years; Medo-Persia for over 200 years.
Silver was stronger than gold; but, as the Persian kings were soon to learn, brass was stronger than silver. The third kingdom of brass was that of the Greek empire which ruled over the world to a greater extent than either of the previous two. This was the empire built and ruled over such a short time by Alexander the Great. The power of the Medo-Persian empire built upon wealth was overcome by the force of arms wielded by a brave, idealistic and free people—the Greeks. Josephus saw in the mention of a brazen kingdom an unmistakeable prediction of the victorious arms of Alexander and his brazen-clad Greeks. Herodotus describes the striking difference between the brazenclad Greek warriors and the Persians clad in soft hats, tunics with sleeves, and trousers. The fame of Greek battle armor was making itself known earlier than Nebuchadnezzar’s time! Ezekiel speaks of the wares brought to the famous port of Tyre as including vessels of brass from Javan, Tubal and Heshech (Javan is simply another form of Ionian). The assumption that Alexander the Great’s empire is the third is confirmed by the symbolism of Daniel chapter 7--we shall deal with this symbolism in our comments there.
In one sense there is progressive inferiority in the symbolism from one world power to the next. But in another sense there is progressive symbolism of superiority. The former is progression downward in outward magnificence while the latter is progression upward in power and extension. Keil thinks the progression toward inferiority is symbolic of the downward trend of inner unity and cohesion of the successive empires. Calvin thought the devolution was in the moral sphere. The bronze part of the great statue was that of the abdomen and the thighs which symbolically may point to that which began as a unit (the Greek empire) and divided itself into two separate parts (Syria and Egypt) which were not reunited when the last empire (Rome) appeared on the scene.
QUIZ
1. What is the main thrust of the whole dream of Nebuchadnezzar?
2. Where are we to begin in designating which part of the great statue symbolizes which world empire?
3. Why does the Babylonian empire so fittingly lend itself to being symbolized by gold?
4. Why the Medo-Persian empire symbolized by silver?
5. Why the Greek by bronze?
6. Is there any significance to the progression of inferior metals?
Daniel 2:40-43
b. FOURTH KINGDOM
TEXT: Dan 2:40-43
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that crusheth all these, shall it break in pieces and crush.
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
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.
43 And whereas thou sawest the 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 doth not mingle with clay.
QUERIES
a. What is the significance of the fourth kingdom subduing all?
b. Why is the emphasis so pointed on its weakness?
c. How will they “mingle themselves with the seed of men?”
PARAPHRASE (Daniel 2:40-43)
And the fourth kingdom shall have destructive power as strong as iron. Just like iron crushes and smashes all things, so shall this fourth kingdom crush and demolish all other kingdoms. The feet and toes you saw composed of two diverse elements symbolizes the fact that this kingdom shall be a divided kingdom. It will have in it the element of strength as is represented by the iron and it will have in it the element of weakness represented by the clay. This mixture of iron with clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage of their rulers; but this will not succeed any more than mixing iron with clay will not succeed.
COMMENT
Dan 2:40 . . . THE FOURTH . . . STRONG AS IRON . . . BREAK IN PIECES AND CRUSH . . . Iron is a very appropriate symbol to describe the Roman empire. And, as a matter of fact, we are passing, generally speaking, from the bronze age to the iron age when we pass from the third kingdom (Greece) to the fourth kingdom (Rome). To the Roman poets, Virgil and Lucretius, bronze weapons spoke of olden time. Actually, iron was used long before the coming of the Roman empire, but it was not in wide-spread use before Rome. Iron swords and armor took the place of bronze weapons. The Roman infantry soldier of that era carried with him that distinctively Roman weapon the pilum, a sort of spear or javelin with a long iron neck fitted to a wooden shaft, the metal extending for about a third of its entire length. The feature Daniel emphasizes in his interpretation of this fourth empire is the strength of the iron kingdom. The Roman war machine was many times more destructive than any of its predecessors. The special feature of Alexander’s career was its amazing swiftness (pictured by the four-winged leopard in Daniel chapter 7). But the special feature of Rome’s empire was its total destructive power (depicted by the intensely ferocious beast in Daniel 7). Rome’s ruthless severity is exemplified by her destruction of Carthage, the War against the slaves (Spartacus) when the Appian Way was lined with six thousand crosses bearing aloft as many bodies, and the siege and destruction of Jerusalem and the extinction of the Jewish nation.
One characteristic of the fourth kingdom (in Daniel 7, at least) was its diversity from all the kingdoms (beasts) before it. Boutflower illustrates this with a passage from 1Ma 8:13-14 which relates the impression the Roman system of government made on the Jews. The whole passage emphasizes how very much the Oriental mind was impressed by this strange and novel form of government which was not inclined to dress and act with all the pomposity and subtleties of Eastern potentates. The Romans acted with brashness and nothing was sacred to them.
The strongest claim of the Roman empire to be the iron kingdom is found first in the length of its duration—the best proof of its strength. Babylon lasted only 70 years—Medo-Persian empire lasted 200 years—the Greek 130 years—while the Roman empire in its undivided state lasted some 500 years, and in its divided state as the ten kingdoms, continues in succession down to the present time. See comments on next verse.
Dan 2:41-43 . . . FEET AND TOES . . . OF CLAY . . . OF IRON . . . DIVIDED . . . PARTLY STRONG . . . PARTLY BROKEN . . . MINGLE THEMSELVES . . . BUT . . . NOT CLEAVE ONE TO ANOTHER . . . Note: A fuller explanation of the relationship of the Roman empire to present day world powers will be made in chapter 7. Note: nowhere are “ten” toes specifically mentioned. We assume the statue had ten toes and not 6 or 15. The main emphasis of this passage is the eventual divided and weakened nature of this ferocious kingdom. There is no symbolic interpretation of the “ten” toes whatsoever. We agree with Leupold: “. . . the toes, generally speaking, represent the kingdoms into which the Roman Empire broke up when the disintegration set in . . . ten is the number of completeness or totality . . . the toes represent the sum total of these kingdoms. All attempts to name the resultant kingdoms of an earlier or a latter date prove abortive and unreliable. For the number ten is definitely a symbolic number as are numbers generally in visions or dreams of this type. There might in reality be nine or eleven or nineteen or twenty (divisions of the Roman kingdom). Ten represents the totality of whatever number there is.” These divisions all arise, in one sense or another, historically from the ancient Roman Empire. This does not mean that each one of the empires must be able to trace its origin immediately to Rome. The kingdoms of modern Europe, for example, might be said to have come from the Roman Empire, but certainly not directly.
The lack of inner unity of this fourth empire and the tendency to fragment or splinter is described. Iron and clay will not fuse. There will always be something of the firmness of iron in this fourth empire, but there shall always be present a lack of cohesion. Never again will a world empire dominate the entire population of the earth in a universal way like the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, or early Roman empires.
The phrase “they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another,” probably refers to the migration of barbarian hordes who came in countless myriads from the Germanic forests and central Europe and intermarried with Roman peoples (especially in the royal and ruling families) as a sort of melting-pot experiment to attempt to bring some inner unity to the expansive Roman empire. But the resultant stock was not of which enduring empires are made.
The important thing to remember about this whole image is that all together it represents symbolically pagan, heathen, carnal world-power in opposition to the kingdom of God. It is man’s rule over man opposed to God’s rule over man. Not that worldly governments are not necessary as temporary expedients due to man’s sinful condition—indeed carnal government is necessary to restrain the lawless (cf. 1Ti 1:8-9; Rom 13:1-7; 1Pe 2:13-17). But all carnal government is at best totally inadequate and at worst in direct opposition to what God has purposed for man through regeneration, repentance and renewed communion with Him in His new kingdom! So the fourth empire represents the early ferocious Roman empire, later divided into many successive kingdoms yet unable to ever again regain that inner unity necessary to dominate the whole world. Then we see the whole image which represents carnal government dealt a fatal blow by the kingdom of God (the stone) beginning in the days of the kings of the fourth empire and eventually grinding the whole image into a dust which is blown away,
QUIZ
1. What is the fourth kingdom?
2. What is the first characteristic mentioned of this kingdom?
3. What characteristic of this kingdom is symbolized by feet and toes of iron and clay?
4. What is meant by “they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men?”
5. What is the important thing to remember about the whole image?
6. Why are carnal governments necessary?
7. Why is carnal government inadequate and opposed to God’s ultimate purpose for man?
Daniel 2:44-45
c. FINAL KINGDOM
TEXT: Dan 2:44-45
44 And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, or shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the sliver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: that the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
QUERIES
a. In the days of which kings will God’s kingdom be set up?
b. When will it break in pieces and consume all the kingdoms?
c. Why tell Nebuchadnezzar of things far in the future?
Daniel 2:46-49
d. FELICITOUS KING
TEXT: Dan 2:46-49
46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him.
47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou hast been able to reveal this secret.
48 Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.
49 And Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel was in the gate of the king.
QUERIES
a. Why did the king worship Daniel?
b. Was the kings’ profession one of a true believer in God?
c. Where is “the gate of the king?
PARAPHRASE (Daniel 2:46-49)
Suddenly the king fell upon his face and did obeisance to Daniel as an act of respect to Daniel, a representative of the God who had revealed the king’s dream, and the king commanded that tributes of offerings and incense be made in honor of Daniel. And the king said to Daniel, It is true! Your God is the God of all the gods. He is Ruler of kings. He is Revealer of secrets. I am convinced of this because you were able to reveal my secret dream. Then the king declared that Daniel should have great honor and position. He gave Daniel many rich gifts and appointed him to be the second in command over the province of Babylon and chief over all the Babylonian wise men. And Daniel requested favors for his Hebrew companions. So Nebuchadnezzar appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as Daniel’s assistants, to be in charge of official affairs of the province of Babylon. Daniel served as chief magistrate in the king’s court.
COMMENT
Dan 2:46-47 . . . NEBUCHADNEZZAR . . . WORSHIPPED DANIEL . . . AND SAID, OF A TRUTH YOUR GOD IS THE GOD OF GODS . . . The word “worship” does not always, in the Bible, mean religious worship. First, Daniel would not have permitted such a thing without some verbal correction, at least. Second, it was a common practice for pagan rulers to bow before those whom they thought were representatives of gods. Josephus records that Alexander the Great bowed before the high priest of the Jews, and when asked by his general, Parmenio, as to the meaning of his action, replied, “I do not worship the high-priest, but the God with whose high-priesthood he has been honored.” We believe Nebuchadnezzar was simply showing his respect for Daniel and at the same time doing obeisance through Daniel as the accredited representative of the God who had the power to reveal secrets. Notice that Nebuchadnezzar does not in any way call Daniel a god. It is evident, therefore, that the king is worshipping and sacrificing to Daniel’s God through Daniel as an intermediary.
It is further evident that Nebuchadnezzar is not making a profession or confession of Jehovah-God as a monotheist. His concept of deity is still one of polytheism. What he does recognize is the superiority of Daniel’s God over all the other gods of his pantheon, for Daniel’s God is able to do what the gods of the Chaldean wise men could not do—reveal his secret dream.
Dan 2:48-49 . . . MADE DANIEL GREAT . . . GAVE HIM MANY GIFTS . . . MADE HIM TO RULE . . . AND BE CHIEF GOVERNOR OVER . . . WISE MEN . . . AND . . . SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO . . . The king’s mood changed from one of rage to pleasantness. He seems greatly relieved to know the interpretation of his dream. Perhaps he was relieved to know there was nothing immediately foreboding toward him personally in this dream. Perhaps he is excited to learn there is some Power or some One who is able to know the secrets of men and he has this One’s representative in his own court. Whatever the immediate reason we know that God was the giver of grace to Daniel in order that he should not perish but would be used by God as a vessel to serve His purpose.
The king now keeps his promise to reward richly anyone who could tell him his dream and its interpretation. There is no way to know just how great was Daniel’s reward, He was made “great” which probably means given social and political status next to the king himself. He was undoubtedly given a spacious home or palace with a retinue of servants, perhaps jewels and splendid robes. Daniel’s official position was ruler of the province of Babylon. The word describing his office is rab signin, chief overseer. He certainly was not ruler over all the empire of Babylon. He was subordinate to the king for he had to make request to the king to get appointments for his three Hebrew companions to official position even in the province of Babylon. The king retained final authority in all matters in all provinces! It is not often that such recognition comes to a man who is so young! One note of interest concerning the date of writing of this book—if these words were written at the time of the Maccabees or at any other period of strict Judaism, it is difficult to understand why the author, supposedly a strict Jew with an abhorrence of everything pagan, would represent his Jewish hero as receiving such honors from a pagan king.
Daniel is not ungrateful to forget his Hebrew companions and their courage and assistance in his confrontation with the king—they prayed with Daniel, and gave him encouragement. He made request to the king and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were appointed to official positions in the affairs of government in the province of Babylon, probably as Daniel’s assistants. But Daniel was elevated to the position equivalent to cabinet office in the king’s court. He was immediately responsible to the king as ruler over Babylon.
So Daniel’s first confrontation with pagan dictatorship comes to a successful conclusion. But behind the scenes we see the providential, supernatural working of Jehovah-God in order that His purposes may be served. The carrying out of God’s purpose through particular men (i.e. Daniel) is, of course conditioned upon the surrendered will of such persons. God could not work through Daniel if Daniel refuses to allow God to do so. But God does not need Daniel-He could find someone else through whom to work. Daniel needs God! God’s purposes will conquer, one way or another, through one person or another—He is immutable, He does not change. But if man would wish to receive the rewards of God’s purposes, man must submit to be used for God’s purposes.
It is the lesson of this chapter of Daniel, and all succeeding chapters of Daniel (and all the Old Testament prophets), that the schemes, political kingdoms and religious philosophies of men will go the way of all flesh. One kingdom arises, proves to be inadequate for man’s spiritual renewal, and collapses. Each new political or social structure invariably meets with the same overthrow simply because man is incapable of bringing about his own rebirth. This has to have a supernatural source. So history is one defeat after another. Our contemporary society with its philosophy of existential despair and desperation is simply another testimony to this reality of history. Man cannot find God—but MAN CAN KNOW THE GOD WHO HAS FOUND MAN BY REVEALING HIMSELF! The one who knows the Almighty God is delivered from the futility of hopelessness and despair. The one who knows God learns that history has a purpose because history is being used by the Supernatural God whose plan and power is to regenerate and renew all who will allow Him to do so. The kingdom, the spiritual brotherhood, of this God is man’s only hope. This is the lesson of the great image Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. Daniel revealed God’s message concerning this image. See our chart at the end of this chapter.
QUIZ
1. Give two reasons why we do not need to assume Daniel accepted the “worship” of king Nebuchadnezzar.
2. Why do we believe Nebuchadnezzar has not yet come to a monotheistic concept of God?
3. Why was the king’s mood so radically changed from rage to pleasantness?
4. What was Daniel’s official position after the king promoted him?
5. What positions did the Hebrew companions of Daniel likely receive?
6. What is the lesson of this chapter?
Part Two—Daniel’s Fortitude—Chapters 2–6
CHAPTER TWO
I. DESPOT’S DREAM—Dan 2:1-16
a. CHALLENGE TO CHALDEANS
TEXT: Dan_2:1-6
1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.
2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.
3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.
4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye make not known unto me the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
6 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.
QUERIES
a. Why is Nebuchadnezzar concerned with this particular dream?
b. Why does the text mention the Syrian (Aramaic) language?
c. Why did Nebuchadnezzar forget the dream?
PARAPHRASE (Daniel 2:1-6)
One night in the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had a very vivid and graphic dream. He was unable to sleep because he was deeply agitated in his mind and soul to know if the dream had some meaning for his life, So he immediately called in all his magicians, enchanters and sorcerers and wise men and demanded that they tell him what his dream had been. When they had come into his presence, the king said to them, I have had a terrifying and mystifying dream and my very soul is in great anxiety to know what it means. Then the king’s wise men, speaking in the Aramaic language, which was the language of common discourse then, said to the king, O king, may you live forever: if you will tell your humble servants the details of your dream we will begin at once to use all our knowledge and mystic powers to discern the interpretation of your dream. But the king replied, You are supposed to know every hidden thing: the details of the dream are thoroughly and indelibly set in my mind and now I am testing your claims. If you do not tell me exactly both the details of the dream itself and the interpretation of the dream, I will have you literally cut to pieces and dismembered and your homes destroyed and publicly disgraced. But, if you tell me both the dream and its interpretation I will give you many wonderful gifts and honors. So, begin!
COMMENT
Dan 2:1 . . . NEBUCHADNEZZAR DREAMED DREAMS; AND HIS SPIRIT WAS TROUBLED. . . . According to Babylonian reckoning, the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar would be the third year of Daniel’s training. First year of reign for a Babylonian emperor was called The Year of Accession; his first year of reign would really be his second year; and his second year of reign would really be his third year on the throne. Even at that, this very graphic dream, sent by God, occurred at a very early period of this heathen emperor’s reign.
Young seems to think the force of the plural should be translated “Nebuchadnezzar was in a state in which a dream came to him.” Leupold believes the king dreamed several dreams, one of which finally roused and disturbed him. Whatever the case, the significant dream was the one of the great image. And it was no ordinary dream, but one which Jehovah God sent directly to this pagan ruler. It was such an arresting dream he could not sleep for anxiety of spirit and soul, deeply troubled as to its meaning. The dream must have been so vivid as to seem to be actually happening right then—the king was terrified.
Dan 2:2-3 . . . THE KING . . . COMMANDED . . . THE CHALDEANS, TO TELL HIS DREAMS . . . Four classes of dream interpreters or wise men are summoned to appear before the king. Leupold translates “magicians” as scholars; “enchanters” as astrologers. From other listings of such wise men in Daniel it does not seem any technical sense is intended here. The fourfold mention here is evidently designed to include all the classes of wise men and priests of Babylonian religion (see our Special Study on Babylonian Priesthood at the end of this chapter). “Chaldeans” constitute the most important group in the entire assembly. They seem to be regarded in their day as the very elite of Babylonian society, men in whose ranks the emperor himself appears to have been enrolled. A people by the name of “Chaldean” lived in southern Babylonia in the days of the early patriarchs (cf. Gen 11:28). They were a warlike group who in the course of time caused the Assyrians much trouble and finally overcame them in the person of Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar’s father. These “Chaldeans” of Daniel’s time were, therefore, probably men of great learning who could trace their ancestry back to families of the original conquerors of Babylon. They made themselves masters of that group of wise men who exercised the strongest influence in the political and religious affairs of the state.
The Babylonians, as did other ancients, put much stock in a philosophy that the movements of the stars and heavenly bodies determined the events of history and destinies of men on the earth. Astrology, the casting of horoscopes and other predictions based on observations of the stars was used to determine political, religious and moral meaning to mystical experiences such as dreams. Nebuchadnezzar undoubtedly had some strange, inexplicable foreboding concerning the dream that kept him awake.
Dan_2:4 . . . TELL THY SERVANTS THE DREAM, AND WE WILL SHOW THE INTERPRETATION . . . Xenophon relates that the Babylonians spoke a form of Aramaic and it is not unlikely that this would be the language of common discourse. The covenant people of the exile returned to their homeland speaking Aramaic which they learned in captivity. Just why the fact is deemed necessary to mention in Dan 2:4 that the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian (Aramaic) language is unknown.
The Chaldeans made the only request they could, being finite creatures with no knowledge of the secrets of men’s hearts unless they are told those secrets, There was no possibility of anyone telling the king what he had dreamed unless he tell them the dream or unless God, who knows all the secrets of men’s minds, tell it, God did eventually tell it through Daniel. If the king had related the facts of his dream to the Chaldeans, they could have set about at once to compare the details with their astrological charts, cast their horoscopes, made their incantations, submitted the dream to their magic and have come up with an interpretation (which, by the way, would probably have been flattering to the king’s ego and favorable to his whims of government and indulgence).
Dan 2:5-6 . . . IF YE MAKE NOT KNOWN . . . THE DREAM AND THE INTERPRETATION . . . YE SHALL BE CUT IN PIECES . . . BUT IF YE SHOW THE DREAM AND THE INTERPRETATION, YE SHALL RECEIVE . . . GIFTS . . . REWARDS . . . GREAT HONOR . . . Why did Nebuchadnezzar insist that the Chaldeans tell him the details of the actual dream as well as the interpretation? It is not because he had forgotten the dream. Our English translation is misleading here. Leupold, Young and many others agree that the proper rendering of the original here should read “the matter has been fully determined by me.” The king was sure and certain of the details of the dream itself. Now he was testing his “wise men” to see, in such a significant experience, if they really had access to the deepest and most completely hidden things. It may very well be that Nebuchadnezzar, deep within himself, knew that most of the religion of Babylon was mere superstition and not the truth—he must have been skeptical of a great part of it. There is a record of a king of Yemen, Rabia by name, who saw a vision and was terrified by it. He assembled all the priests and magicians and star-gazers of his kingdom and said to them, “Verily, I have seen a vision and was frightened by it. Tell it to me and its interpretation.” They said, “Relate it to us, and we shall inform thee of its interpretation.” So he replied, “If I tell you it, I shall have no certainty as to what you tell me of its interpretation. Verily, no one knows the interpretation unless he knows it before I tell him (the dream).” So, Nebuchadnezzar was putting his wise men to the test to determine once and for all if they could divine the secret things of men and nature or not.
The despotic nature of the punishment pronounced should the Chaldeans fail is in character for an Eastern monarch of that day. Assyrians and Persians were especially notorious for the barbarity of their punishments. Even today in Arabia cruel punishments for misdemeanors are meted out even to the severing of members of the body for certain crimes. These Chaldeans faced certain dismemberment since they had no power to tell Nebuchadnezzar his dream. They would be hacked to pieces and their homes razed. And as a final indignity the ruins of their homes would be made public toilets.
It is plain that God is active in this matter to demonstrate to Nebuchadnezzar, to Daniel, to all the heathen who will learn and to all the covenant people who will learn, that there is only One, True God, who knows the secrets of men and Jehovah is His Name; there is only one true prophet of God, Daniel is his name. God sent the dream; now He, through His prophet, will demonstrate that the interpretation His prophet places on the dream is true because His prophet will tell the king what he dreamed.
QUIZ
1. How many years had Nebuchadnezzar actually been on the throne now?
2. Who are the “Chaldeans” and where did they come from?
3. Why did the Chaldeans speak to the king in Syriac (Aramaic)?
4. Why did Nebuchadnezzar insist that they tell him his dream?
5. How was God at work in this event in Nebuchadnezzar’s life?
Daniel 2:7-11
b. DILEMMA OF THE DIVINERS
TEXT: Dan_2:7-11
7 They answered the second time and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
8 The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
9 But if ye make not known unto me the dream, there is but one law 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.
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter, forasmuch as no king, lord, or ruler, hath asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean,
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is no other than can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
QUERIES
a. Why was Nebuchadnezzar suspicious of their “stalling?”
b. Why was the king’s demand such a “rare” thing?
c. Which “gods” did the Chaldeans have in mind?
PARAPHRASE
The Chaldeans replied again, If the king please, only tell his humble servants what he dreamed and we will most gladly show him its interpretation. But the king retorted, I can see very plainly that you are only stalling for time, because you are aware that my mind is made up to punish you severely if you do not tell me the dream. And, you are correct, for if you do not tell me what I dreamed there is only one consequence you may expect—the punishment which I have decreed. I know what you are up to—you have agreed with one another to try to deceive me with words hoping that the passing of time will bring a change in my demands. I am wise to your scheme. Tell me the dream—only then will I believe that you can show me the true interpretation. The Chaldeans pleaded with the king, saying, You are asking the impossible—there is not a man on the earth who can tell the king what he has dreamed. No great king, lord or ruler such as yourself has ever asked such an impossible thing of any mortal magician, enchanter or Chaldean such as we. What you have asked is so difficult there is no human being who could ever reveal to the king what he dreamed. Only the gods could do this and they do not dwell on earth with mortals.
COMMENT
Dan 2:7 . . . LET THE KING TELL HIS SERVANTS THE DREAM . . . Notice the subtle flattery here. The Chaldeans berate themselves as “servants.” They must find out what the dream was and so they insist—but they insist politely.
Dan 2:8 . . . I KNOW . . . THAT YE WOULD GAIN TIME, BECAUSE . . . THE THING IS GONE FROM ME . . . They are not fooling the king. He knows they are stalling for time and he knows why—they are aware of his resolute determination that they shall either tell him what he dreamed or they shall be punished severely. It is the immutability of the king’s decree that is meant by the phrase “because ye see the thing is gone from me.”
Dan 2:9 . . . YE HAVE PREPARED LYING AND CORRUPT WORDS TO SPEAK BEFORE ME, TILL THE TIME BE CHANGED . . . Nebuchadnezzar seems to be fully cognizant of their scheme to hide their insufficiency. He senses that there is some kind of collaboration between them to speak words of deception and legerdemain until, they hoped, circumstances would change; perhaps the king’s ugly mood will change with time if they can only stall the matter by talk, But the king sees through their scheme, If they do not with haste make known to the king what he dreamed as well as the interpretation, he has determined their fate by royal decree and that decree cannot be changed.
Dan 2:10-11 . . . THERE IS NOT A MAN UPON THE EARTH THAT CAN SHOW THE KING’S MATTER . . . EXCEPT THE GODS, WHOSE DWELLING IS NOT WITH FLESH . . . These Chaldeans face a terrifying dilemma. On the one hand there is a desperate attempt not to say anything that might further irritate or offend the despot; on the other hand they must convey to the king the idea that his demand is unreasonable and impossible. Their first statement is a frank admission of their impotency in the matter demanded. Then they hastily add another subtle innuendo of flattery, “No great king or ruler has ever asked such an impossible thing from such lowly magicians and enchanters as we.” They are trying to convey to the king that the gods have not given these priests of the national religion the power to reveal the dream—they have power only to interpret the dream. Their statement is that only the gods could produce what the king has demanded and the gods do not dwell among men. There seems to be in their consciousness an admission of higher, superhuman beings, but their concepts are so saturated with ignorance and moral depravity they are thoroughly polytheistic. The enchanters specify that the gods do not dwell with men in order to specify that they have no way of being instructed with the superior knowledge of the gods.
QUIZ
1. How do the Chaldeans use flattery to try to learn the king’s dream?
2. What does the king accuse them of attempting to do?
3. What advantage did the Chaldeans think time would bring them?
4. How did the Chaldeans frankly declare their inability to tell his dream?
Daniel 2:12-16
c. SAVED BY THE SUBJUGATED
TEXT: Dan 2:12-16
12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 So the decree went forth, and the wise men were to be slain; and they sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.
14 Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, who was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon;
15 he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Wherefore is the decree so urgent from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16 And Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation.
QUERIES
a. Why destroy all the wise men of Babylon?
b. Why did Daniel think he could do what the others could not?
PARAPHRASE
The admitted inability of the Chaldean wise-men to be able to tell Nebuchadnezzar his secret dream and its interpretation made the king’s anger grow exceeding furious. He commanded that all the wise-men of the city of Babylon should be executed. The decree of the arrest and execution of all the wise-men was made official and as it was being carried out they eventually came to arrest Daniel and his three Hebrew companions. When Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, came to arrest Daniel, Daniel reasoned with him with great discretion and prudence. Among other things, Daniel asked Arioch why the decision of the king was so severe. Arioch answered Daniel and told him all about the wise-men’s failure and the king’s decree. It was then that Daniel, observing all the proper protocol, gained audience with the king and asked for a personal appointment affirming that he would be able to show both the dream and the interpretation.
COMMENT
Dan 2:12-13 . . . THE KING WAS ANGRY AND VERY FURIOUS . . . The verb used here indicates a growing mounting anger until it reaches the point of violence. He commanded that all the wise-men of Babylon be put to death. The king is enraged at these who have gained fame and fortune and power by claiming to know the deepest secrets of man and the gods—and they cannot even tell him what he has dreamed.
After the king issued his personal command it would have to be transmitted in formal publication throughout the capitol city. His guards would have to go in search of many of the wise-men not present at the royal court that particular day. It would be some time before the actual execution could take place. Finally, the captain of the king’s guard, Arioch, came to take Daniel and his three Hebrew companions into custody.
Dan 2:14-16 THEN DANIEL RETURNED ANSWER WITH COUNSEL AND PRUDENCE . . . The first thing to realize about this account is that it is very abbreviated—we do not have a record of all that Daniel must have said to Arioch. As Leupold says, “The very audacity of Daniel’s plan” must have impressed Arioch. Besides, the king would still be perplexed as to the interpretation of his dream and knowing of the exceptional wisdom and capabilities of Daniel (Arioch had undoubtedly heard of Daniel’s fame also), it would be very prudent for Daniel to talk with Arioch and persuade him that he could interpret the king’s dream. Daniel was acting on the basis of his faith in God and without doubt on the basis of a revelation from God that he should do so.
Daniel speaks to Arioch as if they were already well acquainted—perhaps even good friends—when he asks, “Why is the decree of the king so severe?” Arioch feels impelled to answer Daniel’s question and probably relates the entire incident to him.
Leupold points out that when Daniel “went in, and desired of the king . . .” we must presume that Daniel went through the proper channels and observed the correct protocol in approaching the king. We know from the book of Esther that unless one were bidden properly to approach an Eastern potentate to do so presumptuously meant certain death. All that Daniel asks is “time.” This will postpone the execution until he could commune with his God, and give the desired interpretation to the king.
It is most interesting to note that Daniel was sure he could give the king the interpretation of the dream before he had even received the knowledge of what the dream was from God (cf. Dan 2:19). Daniel had such faith in God that he believed the will of God would be done before it was actually done! This same “great” faith the Lord expects of all His children. Only the “interpretation” is mentioned and not the dream itself. However the conciseness of the narrative explains this omission. If Daniel knows the interpretation, he most certainly must first know the dream and he is not asking the king what the dream was, as did the Chaldeans.
QUIZ
1. Why seek out Daniel to be slain?
2. How did Daniel answer with “counsel and prudence?”
3. Why did Daniel ask for an appointment to the presence of the king?
4. How would one have made such an appointment in those days?
Daniel 2:17-24
II. DANIEL’S DECLARATION—Dan 2:17-35
a. PRAYER
TEXT: Dan_2:17-24
17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon,
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are his.
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 have understanding;
22 he revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast now made known unto me what we desire of thee; for thou hast made known unto us the king’s matter.
24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had appointed 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.
QUERIES
a. Was Daniel selfish in praying for his own safety?
b. Does God really have a hand in putting rulers in rule?
c. Why does Daniel pray for the safety of the Chaldean wise men?
PARAPHRASE (Daniel 2:17-24)
Then Daniel went home and told the whole matter to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and having confided in them he asked them to pray to the God of the heavens to grant them His mercy and reveal to them this secret mystery in order that Daniel and his companions would not be executed together with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. And that very night the secret of the king’s dream was revealed unto Daniel in a vision. Then, in prayer, Daniel praised the God of heaven, saying, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for He alone has all wisdom and all power. World events are under His control and are used for His purpose. He removes kings and rulers and sets others on their thrones according to His sovereign purpose. All true wisdom, knowledge and understanding comes from Him. All His plans that are not yet known to man He reveals in His own good time and His own way because He knows all things that are hidden. He is all-wise and there is no ignorance in Him at all. I think and praise You, oh God of my fathers, for You have given me wisdom and ability to solve the problem at hand. You have revealed to me all that we desired concerning the king’s perplexity. Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, who had been ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said, Do not slay the wise men of Babylon. Take me in to the king and I will reveal to him the interpretation of his puzzling dream.
COMMENT
Dan 2:17-18 THEN DANIEL WENT TO HIS HOUSE, AND MADE THE THING KNOWN . . . Daniel’s associates are so thoroughly one with him in faith in God and in purpose to glorify God that he can immediately confide in them and seek their assistance. Daniel asks their counsel and consent, and believes that their fellowship in intercessory prayer will please the Lord and accomplish His will for their lives in this particular circumstance. The chief object of the intercession is not selfish. This is evident when in Dan 2:24 Daniel intercedes on behalf of the pagan wise men of Babylon that they might not be slain. Daniel’s purpose in praying for salvation from the executioner’s sword was because he was fully persuaded God had put him in Babylon “for just such a time as this.” Daniel simply wanted to be allowed to be God’s “living sacrifice” to bring the revelation of God to this pagan emperor and to God’s own covenant people who so desperately needed strengthening now. He was praying for a higher purpose than mere physical existence, but physical existence was a necessity that the higher purpose be served.
Dan 2:19-22 . . . THE SECRET REVEALED UNTO DANIEL . . . THEN DANIEL BLESSED . . . GOD . . . WISDOM AND MIGHT ARE HIS . . . AND HE CHANGETH THE TIMES AND THE SEASONS . . . HE REMOVETH KINGS, AND SETTETH UP KINGS . . . This is one of those most arresting passages of O.T. scripture speaking of the divine sovereignty and immutability of the purposes of God in the events of earth’s history. It does not teach “predestination” or “irresistible grace” in the strict Calvinistic sense. However, it is a fact of scripture, too often ignored by Restoration preachers and writers, that the prophets and apostles speak of God as doing things which He permits, without distinguishing verbally between His direct action and His permissive action. If we are going to speak where the Bible speaks we must insist upon preaching the Living God of intimate, actual relationships in every-day history. Our God is God of the “now.” In 2Sa 24:1 and 1Ch 21:1 ff we read, respectively, that David was moved by the Lord to number Israel and Judah, and that Satan provoked David to number Israel. Taking these two passages of Scripture together, there is no contradiction but simply a lesson that God acts in what He permits. God permitted Satan to provoke David to number Israel. Whatever God permits, He permits for His own good purpose. Just as in the case of Joseph and his brethren, Joseph was able to say, “you intended it for evil but God intended it for good . . .” (Gen 50:20). So we are to understand that whatever evil God may permit in allowing despotic rulers to reign He permits as a part of His disciplinary or sanctifying providence.
We quote here from Charles Hodge: “The decrees of God are free in the sense of being absolute or sovereign. The meaning of this proposition is expressed negatively by saying that the decrees of God are in no case conditional. The event decreed is suspended on a condition, but the purpose of God is not. It is inconsistent with the nature of God to assume suspense or indecision on his part . . . whatever God foreordains must certainly come to pass. The distinction between the efficient (efficacious) and the permissive decree of God, although important, has no relation to the certainty of the event. All events embraced in the purpose of God are equally certain, whether he has determined to bring them to pass by his own power, or simply to permit their occurrence through the agency of (the free will of) his own creatures . . . some things he purposes to do, others he decrees to permit to be done. He effects good, he permits evil. He is the author of the one, but not of the other.
“The universality of the decrees follows from the universal dominion of God. Whatever he does, he certainly purposes to do. Whatever he permits to occur, he certainly purposes to permit. Nothing can occur that was not foreseen, and if foreseen, it must have been intended. As the Scriptures teach that the providential control of God extends to all events, even the most minute, they do thereby teach that his decrees are equally comprehensive.” (cf. all of the following scriptures: Heb 1:3; Col 1:17; Neh 9:6-7; Job 9:12; Job 12:7-10; Psa 104:27-32;
Psa 135:6; 1Ch 29:12; Dan 4:35; Jer 27:5-7; Isa 10:5 ff; Isa 45:5-7; and cf. also our commentary Minor Prophets, pages 93–111, “Theoramic Philosophy of History.”)
Leupold notices how fluent Daniel was in Scripture in his prayer according to the quotations (on Dan 2:20 a see Psa 103:1-2; Psa 113:1-2 on Dan_2:20 b see 1Ch 29:11-12; Job 12:13; Job 16-22. on Dan 2:21 a see Psa 31:15; on Dan 2:21 b see Job 12:18; Psa 75:6-7 on Dan 2:21 c see 1Ki 3:9-10; 1Ki 4:29; on Dan 2:22 a see Job 12:22; on Dan 2:22 b see Job 26:6; Psa 139:12; Isa 45:7; on Dan 2:22 c see Psa 36:9 on Dan 2:23 a see Gen 31:42; Exo 3:15).
The phrase “changeth the times and the seasons” reminds us that God determines how long one culture or influence shall prevail and when another shall become operative. One dynasty influences world culture and wanes and disappears at the directing influence of God’s immutable moral laws governing the universe, and another comes to the fore (cf. Jer 27:5 ff). God creates both “weal and woe” (cf. Isa 45:5-7). God is able and does this because He has all wisdom and understanding and knowledge. He is able to reveal the future—the deep and secret things—because all time and space and mass are within His knowledge and control at all times—all at once. Nothing can be hidden from Him and if He hides anything man can know it only if He reveals it to man. “God is light and in him is no darkness at all . . .” (1Jn 1:5). This entire passage (Dan 2:20-22) has to do with God’s special revelations to prophets (and later to apostles) concerning His scheme of redemption.
Dan 2:23-24 I THANK THEE . . . THOU HAST MADE KNOWN . . . THE KING’S MATTER . . . DANIEL WENT . . . UNTO ARIOCH . . . DESTROY NOT THE WISE MEN OF BABYLON . . . I WILL SHOW . . . THE KING THE INTERPRETATION. The original language here is emphatic . . . “THEE, praising am I.” God is placed first, It is interesting to note that Daniel, in his prayer of praise, includes his companions as equally important in this matter. He does not forget them, thinking that God is interested only in him. Having glorified the name of God and being satisfied that he is carrying out the will of God in this matter, Daniel seeks the emperor’s presence through Arioch, one of the chief guards of the palace. He persuades Arioch not to destroy the wise men of Babylon because he will be able to make known to Nebuchadnezzar both the dream and its interpretation. So Daniel the captive, the foreigner, intercedes on behalf of the Babylonian wise men and saves their lives through the revelation God graciously provided. It is difficult for us, inasmuch as we are so familiar with this account and removed from it some 2600 years, to realize that it was an actual, historical event—it really happened. When we do realize its actuality, we stand amazed at the working of God in carrying out His purposes!
QUIZ
1. Why did Daniel immediately make known to his companions the matter?
2. Why did Daniel pray for salvation from the executioner’s sword?
3. What does the phrase “he changeth the times and . . . seasons” mean?
4. How does God remove kings and set up kings?
5. What does the fact that this was an actual event mean to you?
Daniel 2:25-30
b. PROFESSION
TEXT: Dan 2:25-30
25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
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?
27 Daniel answered before the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded can neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, show unto the king;
28 but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made 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:
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 hath made known to thee what shall come to pass.
30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that thou mayest know the thoughts of thy heart.
QUERIES
a. Had Arioch “found” Daniel or had Daniel sought Arioch?
b. How did Daniel have the courage to talk about his God to king Nebuchadnezzar?
c. Does Daniel mean in Dan_2:30 that God’s immediate purpose was to reveal something to a pagan king?
PARAPHRASE (Daniel 2:25-30)
Then Arioch, in great excitement, brought Daniel into the presence of the king, and said to him, O King, Behold, I have found one of the captives from Judea who claims he is able to tell you your dream and its interpretation. The king said, Belteshazzar, is this true? Are you able to make known to me both what I dreamed and its interpretation? Daniel replied, As far as my revealing to you myself what your dream was—I could not do it any more than your own wise men. No mortal could do such a thing! But there is a God of heaven who reveals secrets. And He has seen fit in His own purpose to reveal to you, king Nebuchadnezzar, in your dream, what is going to happen in the future. Yes, your dream was this: You dreamed of coming events. He who reveals secrets was speaking to you. But, it is as I said before, it is not because I am wiser than any other living person that I know this secret of your dream, but because God has chosen me to be His instrument to make known to you what your secret thoughts mean.
COMMENT
Dan 2:25-26 . . . ARIOCH BROUGHT IN DANIEL . . . I HAVE FOUND A MAN . . . ART THOU ABLE? Notice the precociousness of Arioch! He seizes the opportunity to feather his cap by claiming to “have found” an answer to the most perplexing problem Nebuchadnezar has ever had in all his life. In fact, Daniel had found Arioch! How could Arioch make such an incongruous statement seeing that he had just a few hours before this gained an audience before the king for this same Hebrew lad? Arioch is doing what is incongruous but normal for practically all underlings of some great monarch—making the most of any occasion to put himself in favorable estimation by his superior.
The king, greatly vexed of soul, and constantly plagued by such machinations of his underlings, probably did not give Arioch’s attempt at politicking a second thought. He was intent upon finding someone who could set his mind at rest concerning this troubling dream, The king, skeptical that anyone could do what he asked, makes a special point of asking Daniel if he is able to tell both the dream and its interpretation. The king calls Daniel by his Babylonian name, Belteshazzar.
Dan_2:27 . . . THE SECRET . . . THE KING . . . DEMANDED CAN NEITHER WISE MEN . . . ETC. . . . Daniel quickly disavows any human ability to tell secrets. He wants the king to be prepared for his next statement which will be a testimony to the One True God. Daniel’s words are also a mild rebuke to the king for expecting so much from any human “wise man.”
Dan_2:28 . . . BUT THERE IS A GOD IN HEAVEN THAT REVEALETH SECRETS . . . What a wonderful opportunity for Daniel to plant the seed of Truth in the mind of a pagan monarch. What courage it took to stand in the presence of such an absolute despot who considered himself a god and speak of The Living God. Daniel’s courage was born of his faith in God and his knowledge of the situation—the extremity of Nebuchadnezzar’s anxiety.
The phrase “latter days” can mean only one thing in its context! It refers to the days which follow from that present time unto the coming of the Messianic kingdom which occurred, of course, when the church was established on Pentecost, Acts 2. We shall treat this subject thoroughly in the remainder of the chapter.
Dan 2:29 . . . THY THOUGHTS CAME . . . WHAT SHOULD COME TO PASS HEREAFTER . . . Evidently the king had gone to bed thinking about the future—what is going to happen in my future. Nebuchadnezzar was somewhat of an “Alexander the Great.” He had conquered the civilized world of his day; he had done just about everything a monarch of that day could do in conquests, building, etc. With such personal glory already his he might well wonder what the future had in store. He was at the top of the ladder already! He lay down to dream because there were no more worlds to conquer! And what a dream!
Daniel describes his God as The Revealer of secrets and distinctly states that Jehovah has sent this dream to Nebuchadnezzar in order to tell him what shall happen in the future.
Dan 2:30 . . . AS FOR ME . . . NOT REVEALED . . . FOR ANY WISDOM THAT I HAVE . . . Again Daniel disavows any personal, meritorious claim upon the gift of God to interpret dreams. He makes it plain that he is being used only as an instrument through which God is making known to the king what all these secret thoughts and dreams mean.
We admire Daniel’s courage before a great monarch such as this. We would also do well to reflect on the trust in God necessary for Daniel not to presumptuously claim for himself these powers to reveal secrets! What a temptation it would be for most of us to take to ourselves this glory rather than give it to God, Looked at from an immediate and physical or selfish perspective it could have been exceedingly profitable for Daniel to have claimed these powers all on his own. But, like Joseph, he said, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer . . .” (Gen 41:16).
QUIZ
1. Why did Arioch claim to have found Daniel when in the king’s presence?
2. Why did the king ask Daniel if he were able to tell the dream?
3. How did Daniel rebuke the king’s decree to kill all the wise-men?
4. What had the king probably gone to bed thinking about before his dream?
5. What does “the latter days” refer to?
6. What is especially significant of Daniel’s disavowal to any personal merit?
Daniel 2:31-35
c. PUBLICATION
TEXT: Dan 2:31-35
31 Thou, O king, sawest, and, behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the aspect thereof was terrible.
32 As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass,
33 its legs of iron, its feet part of iron, and part of clay.
34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
QUERIES
a. Exactly what does the word “image” mean?
b. Why all the different metals in one image?
c. What is the significance of the grinding to dust of the image?
PARAPHRASE(Daniel 2:31-35)
Oh king, you saw in your dream a huge and powerful statue of a man shining brilliantly, frightening and terrible, so fascinating you were unable to take your eyes off what you saw. The head of this statue was made of purest gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of bronze, and it had legs of iron with feet part iron and part clay. Then as you watched, a stone was cut out by supernatural means. It came hurtling towards the statue and crushed the feet of iron and clay, grinding them into dust. Then the whole statue collapsed into a heap and the iron, clay, bronze, silver and gold were all ground into dust by the stone and the dust was blown away forever. The stone that struck down the great statue became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.
COMMENT
Dan 2:31 . . . A GREAT IMAGE . . . THE ASPECT THEREOF WAS TERRIBLE . . . The image was a huge statue bearing the resemblance of a man. This dream-statue would undoubtedly appear to Nebuchadnezzar exactly like the statues of Assyrian-Babylonian men discovered by archaeologists. The original language indicates that Nebuchadnezzar was “continually staring” at this statue, as if transfixed by it. It was brilliant and terrifying.
Dan 2:32-33 . . . HEAD OF GOLD . . . BREAST OF SILVER . . . BELLY . . . OF BRASS . . . LEGS OF IRON . . . FEET . . . OF IRON AND CLAY . . . Why all the different meals in one image? We suppose the scarcity of the metals would tend to give the image greater significance. We note the steady descending scale in preciousness of the metals from the head of the image down to its feet. The word translated brass means bronze or copper. One of the things which transfixed the king was the size of this statue. Another fascinating thing about it was its extraordinary splendor. It must have been an imposing sight indeed. As far as can be determined there is no precedent concerning such symbolism—therefore God has given a unique vision to the king—its origin is in divine revelation. We must look for a revealed interpretation, guided by common sense and hermeneutical principals that are in accord with other accepted interpretative principles.
Dan 2:34-35 . . . A STONE . . . CUT OUT WITHOUT HANDS . . . SMOTE THE IMAGE . . . The dream now becomes a “moving picture.” Action takes place. A stone (we would suppose a large stone) is “detached” or cut loose from, we assume, a mountain, and it is cut loose without natural or human aid—it must therefore have been cut loose by supernatural aid. We note that “stone” is an appropriate symbol here for the kingdom of God in both Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament God refers to Himself as the Rock (cf. Deu 32:15; Psa 18:2; Psa 31:2; Psa 62:2; Isa 44:8; Isa 51:1) and Christ’s deity is referred to as the “rock” upon which the church is built (Mat 16:18; cf. also 1Co 10:4).
The great statue lay directly in the path of the moving stone. The stone struck the statue specifically at the feet which was the most vulnerable part of the whole because they were part iron and part clay. The remainder of the statue was demolished so that the whole thing was utterly destroyed, ground to dust, and blown away with the wind. One might expect the statue to be broken into large portions with such a blow from a large stone, but a very unexpected thing happens—it is ground to dust in its entirely and the original language indicates the blowing away was so complete that the dust found no visible resting place. It is important to remember, when we come to the interpretation of the dream, that the entire statue was obliterated when the stone struck it.
The climax is the unusual, supernatural growth of the stone which had struck the image. It grew to such gigantic proportions that it became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
Leupold observes: “So the vision begins with a huge statue; it ends with the largest possible mountain. There is not a superfluous word in Daniel’s entire description and account. It is a masterpiece of pithy word painting.” This is indeed one of the finest examples of symbolism in Old Testament literature. It is a great aid in understanding the symbolism in other places in the scriptures (Ezekiel, Zechariah, Revelation).
QUIZ
1. What resemblance would this “great image” probably bear?
2. Why an image of different kinds of metals?
3. What caused the king to be so transfixed by this image?
4. Why is “stone” so appropriate here?
5. What is important about the stone striking the image in its interpretation?
6. How significant is the symbolism of this dream?
Daniel 2:36-39
III. DICTATORSHIP’S DESTINY—Dan 2:36-39
a. FIRST THREE KINGDOMS
TEXT: Dan 2:36-39
36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
37 Thou, O king, art king of kings, unto whom the God of heaven hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory;
38 and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all: thou art the head of gold.
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.
QUERIES
a. How could God give “the kingdom” to Nebuchadnezzar?
b. Who are the other two kingdoms?
c. Did they rule the entire earth?
PARAPHRASE(Daniel 2:36-39)
That was the dream you dreamed; now we shall tell you exactly what it means. You, O king Nebuchadnezzar, are a king over many lesser kings, for the God of heaven has given you rule over all the known civilized world and all the power, strength and glory you enjoy has been given you by Him. You are absolute monarch over all the inhabitants of the earth because God has given them into your hand. You and your glorious kingdom are represented on this great image you dreamed about by the head of gold. And after your kingdom has come to an end, another world ruler (Medo-Persian) will arise to take your place. This empire will be inferior in many ways to your empire. And after that kingdom has fallen, yet a third great empire (Greek) represented by the bronze belly of the statue, will rise to rule the world.
COMMENT
Dan 2:36-38 . . . THOU, O KING, . . . ART THE HEAD OF GOLD . . . Having told Nebuchadnezzar exactly all the details of what he had dreamed, Daniel now prepares to give the king the divine interpretation of the dream. As may be seen from the succeeding verses, the main thrust of the whole dream is to predict the eventual, historical victory of God over “principalities and powers” and the establishment of God’s kingdom here on earth, at a particular time in the history of the earth. Daniel was to tell the king that someday pagan domination of the civilized world would be overcome by a supernatural kingdom.
Daniel designates Nebuchadnezzar as the first representative of absolute world domination. Other prophets speak of the king of Babylon in the same manner (cf. Jer 7:5-7; Eze 26:7). The king of Assyria, Sennacherib, made claim to universal domination, but Assyria was never the absolute ruler of the world in the same sense that Babylon and her successors were.
There can be no argument whatsoever with the designation of the first kingdom! Daniel explicitly states the head of gold represents Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. Gold was a fitting symbol for it too! Herodotus, who was at Babylon some ninety years after the era of Nebuchadnezzar, was amazed at the amount of gold which he found within the precincts of the sanctuary of Bel. In the smallest temple, which stood on the top of the tower of Babylon, was a table of gold. In the second temple below was an image of the god “all of gold,” seated on a golden throne with a golden base and in front of “a large golden table.” Outside the temple there was also an altar of “solid gold.” All the gold used to form these sacred objects amounted—it is estimated—to eight hundred talents (a talent of gold would be worth approximately $100,000 in our inflationary society). From archaeological inscriptions left by Nebuchadnezzar we get the impression that his consuming interest was to build, beautify and glorify his beloved city Babylon. Nothing was too precious to be bestowed on his city. Herodotus records these instructions from Nebuchadnezzar’s inscriptions: “. . . the walls of the cell of Merodach must be made to glisten like suns, the hall of his temple must be overlaid with shining gold, . . . and alabaster; and the chapel of his lordship which a former king had fabricated in silver, Nebuchadnezzar declares that he overlaid with bright gold” (Herod. iii. 1–7). The roofing of Ekua, the cell of Merodach, is also overlaid with bright gold; and the cell of Nebo at Borsippa is treated in the same manner.
The reference, while made to the Babylonian kingdom, is made in personal form for it is in the person of the emperor himself that the empire is embodied. It is perfectly true that Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom did not hold sway over the entire earth, but in the sense that it did hold dominion over the known, influential and powerful-enough-to-be-reckoned-with portions of the world it could be properly designated in the hyperbolical way Daniel did.
Dan 2:39 . . . AFTER . . . ANOTHER KINGDOM INFERIOR TO THEE . . . AND ANOTHER THIRD KINGDOM . . . WHICH SHALL BEAR RULE OVER ALL THE EARTH . . . Now Daniel does not specify the second great world empire by name but there is enough symbolism and other details mentioned in Daniel chapter 7 and in history subsequent to these predictions of Daniel to make the task of discovering it rather simple.
With the coming of the Medo-Persian empire (the only true universal empire to follow the Babylonian) all the concentration of building simply for magnificence sake changed. The Semitic keseph, kaspu (silver) also means “money” since silver was the criterion of value and the medium of exchange then. When Daniel speaks of the gold giving place to the silver, he must mean that with the coming of the second kingdom, magnificence and outward show were exchanged for treasure, diligently collected by taxation and carefully hoarded up to form the muscles of war when needed. In Daniel, chapter 6, we read that an attempt was made by Darius, in the first year of the downfall of Babylon, to organize the finances of the empire. Herodotus shows that under Cambyses there was a system of taxation throughout the empire. However, it was under the second Darius, (Darius Hystaspes) that this system was brought to perfection. Herodotus furnishes us with a long and exact account of the 20 satrapies established by Darius and the yearly amount at which each was assessed. The tribute was paid in silver talents, except that of the Indians. The Indian satrapy was the richest of all, and yielded 360 talents of gold-dust, which the historian reckons as equivalent to 4,680 talents of silver, thus showing that silver was the standard of value.
The Medo-Persian empire kept its eye steadily fixed on this main object and this is substantiated by the Old Testament (cf. Ezr 4:13; Neh 9:37). In consequence of this policy of the silver kingdom these kings became rich, and it is foretold in Dan 11:2 that the fourth king, Xerxes, “Shall be far richer than they all; and that when he is waxed strong through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.” The vast army which Xerxes collected for the invasion of Greece, and with which he crossed over into Europe, would have been an impossibility but for the system of finance perfected by his father Darius. So keen was Darius in amassing wealth that, according to Herodotus, he appeared to his subjects as a huckster, “one who looked to making a gain in everything.” The silver kingdom was stronger than the golden kingdom, and consequently it lasted very much longer. Babylon was master of the ancient world for only 70 years; Medo-Persia for over 200 years.
Silver was stronger than gold; but, as the Persian kings were soon to learn, brass was stronger than silver. The third kingdom of brass was that of the Greek empire which ruled over the world to a greater extent than either of the previous two. This was the empire built and ruled over such a short time by Alexander the Great. The power of the Medo-Persian empire built upon wealth was overcome by the force of arms wielded by a brave, idealistic and free people—the Greeks. Josephus saw in the mention of a brazen kingdom an unmistakeable prediction of the victorious arms of Alexander and his brazen-clad Greeks. Herodotus describes the striking difference between the brazenclad Greek warriors and the Persians clad in soft hats, tunics with sleeves, and trousers. The fame of Greek battle armor was making itself known earlier than Nebuchadnezzar’s time! Ezekiel speaks of the wares brought to the famous port of Tyre as including vessels of brass from Javan, Tubal and Heshech (Javan is simply another form of Ionian). The assumption that Alexander the Great’s empire is the third is confirmed by the symbolism of Daniel chapter 7--we shall deal with this symbolism in our comments there.
In one sense there is progressive inferiority in the symbolism from one world power to the next. But in another sense there is progressive symbolism of superiority. The former is progression downward in outward magnificence while the latter is progression upward in power and extension. Keil thinks the progression toward inferiority is symbolic of the downward trend of inner unity and cohesion of the successive empires. Calvin thought the devolution was in the moral sphere. The bronze part of the great statue was that of the abdomen and the thighs which symbolically may point to that which began as a unit (the Greek empire) and divided itself into two separate parts (Syria and Egypt) which were not reunited when the last empire (Rome) appeared on the scene.
QUIZ
1. What is the main thrust of the whole dream of Nebuchadnezzar?
2. Where are we to begin in designating which part of the great statue symbolizes which world empire?
3. Why does the Babylonian empire so fittingly lend itself to being symbolized by gold?
4. Why the Medo-Persian empire symbolized by silver?
5. Why the Greek by bronze?
6. Is there any significance to the progression of inferior metals?
Daniel 2:40-43
b. FOURTH KINGDOM
TEXT: Dan 2:40-43
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that crusheth all these, shall it break in pieces and crush.
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
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.
43 And whereas thou sawest the 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 doth not mingle with clay.
QUERIES
a. What is the significance of the fourth kingdom subduing all?
b. Why is the emphasis so pointed on its weakness?
c. How will they “mingle themselves with the seed of men?”
PARAPHRASE (Daniel 2:40-43)
And the fourth kingdom shall have destructive power as strong as iron. Just like iron crushes and smashes all things, so shall this fourth kingdom crush and demolish all other kingdoms. The feet and toes you saw composed of two diverse elements symbolizes the fact that this kingdom shall be a divided kingdom. It will have in it the element of strength as is represented by the iron and it will have in it the element of weakness represented by the clay. This mixture of iron with clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage of their rulers; but this will not succeed any more than mixing iron with clay will not succeed.
COMMENT
Dan 2:40 . . . THE FOURTH . . . STRONG AS IRON . . . BREAK IN PIECES AND CRUSH . . . Iron is a very appropriate symbol to describe the Roman empire. And, as a matter of fact, we are passing, generally speaking, from the bronze age to the iron age when we pass from the third kingdom (Greece) to the fourth kingdom (Rome). To the Roman poets, Virgil and Lucretius, bronze weapons spoke of olden time. Actually, iron was used long before the coming of the Roman empire, but it was not in wide-spread use before Rome. Iron swords and armor took the place of bronze weapons. The Roman infantry soldier of that era carried with him that distinctively Roman weapon the pilum, a sort of spear or javelin with a long iron neck fitted to a wooden shaft, the metal extending for about a third of its entire length. The feature Daniel emphasizes in his interpretation of this fourth empire is the strength of the iron kingdom. The Roman war machine was many times more destructive than any of its predecessors. The special feature of Alexander’s career was its amazing swiftness (pictured by the four-winged leopard in Daniel chapter 7). But the special feature of Rome’s empire was its total destructive power (depicted by the intensely ferocious beast in Daniel 7). Rome’s ruthless severity is exemplified by her destruction of Carthage, the War against the slaves (Spartacus) when the Appian Way was lined with six thousand crosses bearing aloft as many bodies, and the siege and destruction of Jerusalem and the extinction of the Jewish nation.
One characteristic of the fourth kingdom (in Daniel 7, at least) was its diversity from all the kingdoms (beasts) before it. Boutflower illustrates this with a passage from 1Ma 8:13-14 which relates the impression the Roman system of government made on the Jews. The whole passage emphasizes how very much the Oriental mind was impressed by this strange and novel form of government which was not inclined to dress and act with all the pomposity and subtleties of Eastern potentates. The Romans acted with brashness and nothing was sacred to them.
The strongest claim of the Roman empire to be the iron kingdom is found first in the length of its duration—the best proof of its strength. Babylon lasted only 70 years—Medo-Persian empire lasted 200 years—the Greek 130 years—while the Roman empire in its undivided state lasted some 500 years, and in its divided state as the ten kingdoms, continues in succession down to the present time. See comments on next verse.
Dan 2:41-43 . . . FEET AND TOES . . . OF CLAY . . . OF IRON . . . DIVIDED . . . PARTLY STRONG . . . PARTLY BROKEN . . . MINGLE THEMSELVES . . . BUT . . . NOT CLEAVE ONE TO ANOTHER . . . Note: A fuller explanation of the relationship of the Roman empire to present day world powers will be made in chapter 7. Note: nowhere are “ten” toes specifically mentioned. We assume the statue had ten toes and not 6 or 15. The main emphasis of this passage is the eventual divided and weakened nature of this ferocious kingdom. There is no symbolic interpretation of the “ten” toes whatsoever. We agree with Leupold: “. . . the toes, generally speaking, represent the kingdoms into which the Roman Empire broke up when the disintegration set in . . . ten is the number of completeness or totality . . . the toes represent the sum total of these kingdoms. All attempts to name the resultant kingdoms of an earlier or a latter date prove abortive and unreliable. For the number ten is definitely a symbolic number as are numbers generally in visions or dreams of this type. There might in reality be nine or eleven or nineteen or twenty (divisions of the Roman kingdom). Ten represents the totality of whatever number there is.” These divisions all arise, in one sense or another, historically from the ancient Roman Empire. This does not mean that each one of the empires must be able to trace its origin immediately to Rome. The kingdoms of modern Europe, for example, might be said to have come from the Roman Empire, but certainly not directly.
The lack of inner unity of this fourth empire and the tendency to fragment or splinter is described. Iron and clay will not fuse. There will always be something of the firmness of iron in this fourth empire, but there shall always be present a lack of cohesion. Never again will a world empire dominate the entire population of the earth in a universal way like the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, or early Roman empires.
The phrase “they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another,” probably refers to the migration of barbarian hordes who came in countless myriads from the Germanic forests and central Europe and intermarried with Roman peoples (especially in the royal and ruling families) as a sort of melting-pot experiment to attempt to bring some inner unity to the expansive Roman empire. But the resultant stock was not of which enduring empires are made.
The important thing to remember about this whole image is that all together it represents symbolically pagan, heathen, carnal world-power in opposition to the kingdom of God. It is man’s rule over man opposed to God’s rule over man. Not that worldly governments are not necessary as temporary expedients due to man’s sinful condition—indeed carnal government is necessary to restrain the lawless (cf. 1Ti 1:8-9; Rom 13:1-7; 1Pe 2:13-17). But all carnal government is at best totally inadequate and at worst in direct opposition to what God has purposed for man through regeneration, repentance and renewed communion with Him in His new kingdom! So the fourth empire represents the early ferocious Roman empire, later divided into many successive kingdoms yet unable to ever again regain that inner unity necessary to dominate the whole world. Then we see the whole image which represents carnal government dealt a fatal blow by the kingdom of God (the stone) beginning in the days of the kings of the fourth empire and eventually grinding the whole image into a dust which is blown away,
QUIZ
1. What is the fourth kingdom?
2. What is the first characteristic mentioned of this kingdom?
3. What characteristic of this kingdom is symbolized by feet and toes of iron and clay?
4. What is meant by “they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men?”
5. What is the important thing to remember about the whole image?
6. Why are carnal governments necessary?
7. Why is carnal government inadequate and opposed to God’s ultimate purpose for man?
Daniel 2:44-45
c. FINAL KINGDOM
TEXT: Dan 2:44-45
44 And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, or shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the sliver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: that the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
QUERIES
a. In the days of which kings will God’s kingdom be set up?
b. When will it break in pieces and consume all the kingdoms?
c. Why tell Nebuchadnezzar of things far in the future?
Daniel 2:46-49
d. FELICITOUS KING
TEXT: Dan 2:46-49
46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him.
47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou hast been able to reveal this secret.
48 Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.
49 And Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel was in the gate of the king.
QUERIES
a. Why did the king worship Daniel?
b. Was the kings’ profession one of a true believer in God?
c. Where is “the gate of the king?
PARAPHRASE (Daniel 2:46-49)
Suddenly the king fell upon his face and did obeisance to Daniel as an act of respect to Daniel, a representative of the God who had revealed the king’s dream, and the king commanded that tributes of offerings and incense be made in honor of Daniel. And the king said to Daniel, It is true! Your God is the God of all the gods. He is Ruler of kings. He is Revealer of secrets. I am convinced of this because you were able to reveal my secret dream. Then the king declared that Daniel should have great honor and position. He gave Daniel many rich gifts and appointed him to be the second in command over the province of Babylon and chief over all the Babylonian wise men. And Daniel requested favors for his Hebrew companions. So Nebuchadnezzar appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as Daniel’s assistants, to be in charge of official affairs of the province of Babylon. Daniel served as chief magistrate in the king’s court.
COMMENT
Dan 2:46-47 . . . NEBUCHADNEZZAR . . . WORSHIPPED DANIEL . . . AND SAID, OF A TRUTH YOUR GOD IS THE GOD OF GODS . . . The word “worship” does not always, in the Bible, mean religious worship. First, Daniel would not have permitted such a thing without some verbal correction, at least. Second, it was a common practice for pagan rulers to bow before those whom they thought were representatives of gods. Josephus records that Alexander the Great bowed before the high priest of the Jews, and when asked by his general, Parmenio, as to the meaning of his action, replied, “I do not worship the high-priest, but the God with whose high-priesthood he has been honored.” We believe Nebuchadnezzar was simply showing his respect for Daniel and at the same time doing obeisance through Daniel as the accredited representative of the God who had the power to reveal secrets. Notice that Nebuchadnezzar does not in any way call Daniel a god. It is evident, therefore, that the king is worshipping and sacrificing to Daniel’s God through Daniel as an intermediary.
It is further evident that Nebuchadnezzar is not making a profession or confession of Jehovah-God as a monotheist. His concept of deity is still one of polytheism. What he does recognize is the superiority of Daniel’s God over all the other gods of his pantheon, for Daniel’s God is able to do what the gods of the Chaldean wise men could not do—reveal his secret dream.
Dan 2:48-49 . . . MADE DANIEL GREAT . . . GAVE HIM MANY GIFTS . . . MADE HIM TO RULE . . . AND BE CHIEF GOVERNOR OVER . . . WISE MEN . . . AND . . . SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO . . . The king’s mood changed from one of rage to pleasantness. He seems greatly relieved to know the interpretation of his dream. Perhaps he was relieved to know there was nothing immediately foreboding toward him personally in this dream. Perhaps he is excited to learn there is some Power or some One who is able to know the secrets of men and he has this One’s representative in his own court. Whatever the immediate reason we know that God was the giver of grace to Daniel in order that he should not perish but would be used by God as a vessel to serve His purpose.
The king now keeps his promise to reward richly anyone who could tell him his dream and its interpretation. There is no way to know just how great was Daniel’s reward, He was made “great” which probably means given social and political status next to the king himself. He was undoubtedly given a spacious home or palace with a retinue of servants, perhaps jewels and splendid robes. Daniel’s official position was ruler of the province of Babylon. The word describing his office is rab signin, chief overseer. He certainly was not ruler over all the empire of Babylon. He was subordinate to the king for he had to make request to the king to get appointments for his three Hebrew companions to official position even in the province of Babylon. The king retained final authority in all matters in all provinces! It is not often that such recognition comes to a man who is so young! One note of interest concerning the date of writing of this book—if these words were written at the time of the Maccabees or at any other period of strict Judaism, it is difficult to understand why the author, supposedly a strict Jew with an abhorrence of everything pagan, would represent his Jewish hero as receiving such honors from a pagan king.
Daniel is not ungrateful to forget his Hebrew companions and their courage and assistance in his confrontation with the king—they prayed with Daniel, and gave him encouragement. He made request to the king and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were appointed to official positions in the affairs of government in the province of Babylon, probably as Daniel’s assistants. But Daniel was elevated to the position equivalent to cabinet office in the king’s court. He was immediately responsible to the king as ruler over Babylon.
So Daniel’s first confrontation with pagan dictatorship comes to a successful conclusion. But behind the scenes we see the providential, supernatural working of Jehovah-God in order that His purposes may be served. The carrying out of God’s purpose through particular men (i.e. Daniel) is, of course conditioned upon the surrendered will of such persons. God could not work through Daniel if Daniel refuses to allow God to do so. But God does not need Daniel-He could find someone else through whom to work. Daniel needs God! God’s purposes will conquer, one way or another, through one person or another—He is immutable, He does not change. But if man would wish to receive the rewards of God’s purposes, man must submit to be used for God’s purposes.
It is the lesson of this chapter of Daniel, and all succeeding chapters of Daniel (and all the Old Testament prophets), that the schemes, political kingdoms and religious philosophies of men will go the way of all flesh. One kingdom arises, proves to be inadequate for man’s spiritual renewal, and collapses. Each new political or social structure invariably meets with the same overthrow simply because man is incapable of bringing about his own rebirth. This has to have a supernatural source. So history is one defeat after another. Our contemporary society with its philosophy of existential despair and desperation is simply another testimony to this reality of history. Man cannot find God—but MAN CAN KNOW THE GOD WHO HAS FOUND MAN BY REVEALING HIMSELF! The one who knows the Almighty God is delivered from the futility of hopelessness and despair. The one who knows God learns that history has a purpose because history is being used by the Supernatural God whose plan and power is to regenerate and renew all who will allow Him to do so. The kingdom, the spiritual brotherhood, of this God is man’s only hope. This is the lesson of the great image Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. Daniel revealed God’s message concerning this image. See our chart at the end of this chapter.
QUIZ
1. Give two reasons why we do not need to assume Daniel accepted the “worship” of king Nebuchadnezzar.
2. Why do we believe Nebuchadnezzar has not yet come to a monotheistic concept of God?
3. Why was the king’s mood so radically changed from rage to pleasantness?
4. What was Daniel’s official position after the king promoted him?
5. What positions did the Hebrew companions of Daniel likely receive?
6. What is the lesson of this chapter?
