45. The Stone

Time: 604 BC

Place:  King's Palace

Scripture:  Daniel 2:34-35; 44-45

What Smites the Image?  The Stone

  

The Image & The Stone

Daniel 2:34-35

• While you were watching, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. 
• It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 
• Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer.
• The wind swept them away without leaving a trace.

But the Stone that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.

The Interpretation of The Image & The Stone

Daniel 2:44-45

·        In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people.

·        It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. 

·        This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.

In our previous article, we have seen the four successive worldly empires ruling the earth.  These dominant world powers have come and gone just as God said they would.  

Daniel 2:44 "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed."  This Kingdom that shall never be destroyed is the Messianic Kingdom, established by Yahweh God  at the second coming of Jesus.  

We are living in extraordinary times to this great climax for the final act of the Rock, cut not by human hands, destroying all the worldly empires.

Tomorrow, we will look at more spiritual principles so that we can see how all these apply to our lives.

:)

44. The Image - Four Successive Empires

Scripture:  Daniel 2:31-43

Nebuchadnezzar had seen an enormous statue:

The Image (Daniel 2:31-33):

1.  A Head of Gold

2.  Chest and arms of Silver

3.  Belly and thighs of Bronze

4.  Legs of Iron with Feet of Iron and Clay

Interpretation of the Image  (Daniel 2:36- 43):

1.  Head of Gold 

     Nebuchadnezzar - you are the head of gold (Dan 2:38)

2.  Chest and arms of Silver 

     Another kingdom will arise but inferior (Dan 2:39)

3.  Belly and thighs of Bronze 

     A third kingdom will rule over the whole earth (Dan 2:39)

4.  Legs of Iron with Feet of Iron and Clay 

     A fourth kingdom and will be a divided kingdom (Dan 2:40-43)

Daniel 2:45 “The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

This is a prophetic dream revealing to Daniel through Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the future. 2600 years have passed since the time of Nebuchadnezzar.  We have the advantage of hindsight to know what had happened in history in the last 2600 years.

From History, we have seen the above 4 successive Empires:

1.  Head - The Kingdom of Gold - Babylon  605-539 BC 

Nebuchadnezzar's Kingdom was the first world power, which is modern day Iraq.  The Babylonians worshipped Bel Marduk made out out of solid gold.  The prophecy says that it would not last forever.  Another world kingdom will arise.

2.  Chest & Arms - The Kingdom of Silver - Persia  538 - 331 BC

 Nebuchadnezzar's Kingdom crumbled into ruins when Cryus, the Persian General overthrew the Babylonian Empire in 539 BC.  We see this in Daniel 5:28 that it was the Medo-Persia that succeeded Babylon, just as God said it would.

3.  Belly & Thigh - Kingdom of Bronze - Greece 331 - 168 BC

The Kingdom of Greece defeated the Persians at the battle of Arbela in 331 BC.  Alexander the Great conquered the Medes and Persians, turning Greece into the world's 3rd great empire.  Dan 8:21 says Greece succeeded Medo-Persia, just as God said it would.

4.  Legs & Feet - Kingdom of Iron & Clay - Rome

After the death of Alexander the Graet, the Greece empire weakened and split into rival factions.  At the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC, the 'iron empire' of Rome crushed Greece.  Rome continued to rule the world through the time of Jesus.

 Eventually Roman fractured into numerous kingdoms symbolized by the feet and toes, partly iron, partly clay.

Here is a picture that summarizes the above:

Tomorrow we will look at the 'Rock cut out of a mountain but not by human hands'.  :)

43. The Great Image & Its Interpretation

Date:  604 BC
Place: King's Palace
Scripture: Daniel 2:36-45


Read Daniel 2:36-45

36 “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation.

37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory,

38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold.

39 Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.

40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these.

41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay.

42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.

43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay.

44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,

45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

You can watch the video here:

:)

41. Daniels' utter humility - Not Because...But In Order

Time:  604 BC
Place: King Nebuchadnezzar Palace
Scripture:  Daniel 2:24-30


Read Daniel 2:24-30

24 Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation.”

25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.”

26 The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” 

27 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, 

28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: 

29 To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 

30 But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.

Let's learn from Daniel's humility:

• Remember Daniel stood out from the crowd and in Daniel 1:19-20, there were none equal to him and his friends and that they were 10 times better than all the others.

• Daniel had every reason to be proud of the great gifts God had given him.

• I see how men of God are put on human pedestal because of their brilliance, gifts and charisma.  With all the human praise and appreciation lavishing on them, many men of God fell.  Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."

• Daniel was tempted in all fronts along this line. You can see throughout the book of Daniel how Daniel faces each crisis of temptation with utter humility.

What is the key to humility?  3 Points:

1.  Always acknowledge God - There is a God who reveals knowledge and mystery. Turn people's attention to this one God who acts. This is how we give glory to God.

2.  "Not because" of any wisdom we have more than others.... how many can truly say these words.  "I am not better than anyone else."  "I can't take any credit."  "I am not anyone special."  But today, I hear men of God always raving at 'look at how much wisdom and gifts God have given me .... more than others... I get to be in the elite class"  Do you feel this way as you compare yourself to others?  You have fallen into Satan's trap. This is why God cannot use you anymore.  You carry a name of being God's servant but a pitiful servant without inner power.

3. "But in order" - all that we do and say are to fulfill God's purpose.  God wants the king to know the dream and its interpretation.  So when we do God's will, we have nothing to brag about. We are just executing God's order for us and we must humbly do our task, not because of what we have but of 'in order' for God's will to be fulfilled.

Daniel would not take any credit for knowing Nebuchadnezzar's dream and its interpretation.  God is the revealer of mystery. Daniel is the instrument God uses to make the mystery known to the king.


Let us also: "Not Because" .... "But in order"!

:)

38. Nebuchadnezzar's Troubled Dream

Time: 604 BC
Place:  King's Bedroom
Event:  Nebuchadnezzar's Troubled Dream
Scripture: Daniel 2:1-16

Read Daniel 2:1-16 - I highlighted some wordings in "red" so that you can visually see the significant points as you read the passage:

"In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 

2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 

3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” 

4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live for ever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” 

5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall betorn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 

6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honour. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” 

7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” 

8 The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— 

9 if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” 

10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.

11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” 

12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.

13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. 

We will note a few points here and you can watch the video:

• Nebuchadnezzar had several 'dreams'.
• These dreams were so alarming and disturbing that he was unable to sleep for nights.
• He was devastated and called in the magicians and enchanters to tell him his dreams.
• He could not even 'verbalize' his dreams.  
• In his anxiety, he isolated to one dream that he wanted the interpretation.
• He was strickened with panic as he could not remember much of the details.
• He wanted his dream to be made known.
• No one could tell him what his dream was and its interpretation
• In his fury, Nebuchadnezzar commanded all the wise men to be killed.

This was how 'desperate' and 'deeply troubled' Nebuchadnezzar was with his dream:

Tomorrow we will look into the content of his dream.

Daniel 2:14-16

14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 

15 He declared to Arioch, the king's captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. 

16 And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king."

:)

37. 604 BC - Daniel 2 Times of the Gentiles

Time:  604 BC
Place:  Nebuchadnezzar's palace
Event:  Nebuchadnezzar's First Dream

The Book of Daniel records Nebuchadnezzar's two big dreams.

Daniel Chapter 2 talks about his first dream.

Daniel 2:1 "In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams.  His spirit was troubled and his sleep left him."

Homework:

Take out your Timeline Graph and let's fill in Chapter 2.

Let's note down a few insights here:

• This event happened while Daniel was still in his 3 years of training program

• As you can see God's judgement came upon the Israelites because they had spiritually degenerated into gross idolatry.   The Israelites had already begun in captivity in Babylon (605 BC)  with the second group coming in 7 years time (597 BC)  and then the impending destruction of Jerusalem only 18 years away (586 BC).

• Now God chooses a new path to reveal his revelation. This is the beginning of the "Times of Gentiles", a term that our Lord Jesus uses in the Gospel.

• This prophetic revelation is given through this Gentile king, Nebuchadnezzar.

• The prophecy is not just for the Gentiles but for everyone including the Israelites, and God chooses Daniel to be the instrument to interpret these dreams.

Tomorrow we will talk about his first dream.

:)