Book of DANIEL

Compiled by WD Kemner January 2024

CHAPTER 2

Nebuchadnezzar’s First Dream: The Statue

Daniel Chapter 2 verses 1-3

And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

During the Second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that he wants interpreted. He does no longer remember the dream. The magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans are all brought in to do so.  They complain that he must at least tell them the dream in order to be interpreted.  These are men that supposedly can even read minds and now they are caught not being able to meet the king’s request.

Daniel Chapter 2 verses 4

Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.

They “spake…to the king in Syriack”   The Hebrew word for “’Syriack” is “aramith”.  It means they spoke in Aramaic

This was put in here by the author of the book to tell the readers that what was to follow was now in Aramaic, which was the language of the Syrians.  This is the language that was used from here to chapter 7 of the book of Daniel.

Daniel Chapter 2 verse 5-13

The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it. The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.

The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.

Three times they told the king they could not do it. By that point the king is furious.  He made a decree to have ALL the wise men killed.  This would include all those in “training”. When this group had been called to the king, they would have been the “top/most experienced” men, those at the top of the heap in seniority.

Daniel and his friends were not included; they were the “minor leagues” still in training and not present during the exchange of conversation in these verses.  These Chaldeans go as far as stating that not only is there no man on the planet that can do what the king has requested but that only the “gods”.  They are about to find out that THE God can do it.

Daniel Chapter 2 verses 14-16  

Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.

Daniel and friends had not even known of the decree or what had caused it. Daniel requests an audience with the king. He is only 15-18 years of age at this point BUT had the confidence to approach with a request to see the king. Sounds similar to the story of Esther.

Daniel Chapter 2 verses 17-23

Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision.

Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.

Daniel goes to God in prayer to seek for information regarding the dream. He took the need to his friends, so they would join in prayer and it was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. He then Blessed God for it. How quick are we to accept an answer to prayer?  But do we bless God for that answer?

Daniel Chapter 2 verse 24-30

Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.

The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days.

Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

He goes before the king and the FIRST thing he does is point out that NO ONE else could do this EXCEPT God in heaven and makes sure to establish where the credit belongs.

The Dream: Vision of the Statue

Daniel proceeds to tell the King the dream.

Daniel Chapter 2 verses 31-35

Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

Interpretation of the Dream

Daniel now gives the Interpretation of the Dream

Daniel Chapter 2 verses 36-38

This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.  Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.

And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.

First Kingdom - Head of Fine Gold

Babylonian Empire 606 B.C.

(Nebuchadnezzar himself)

This is also represented as the “LION” in Daniel Chapter 7

Map of the Babylonian Empire about 580 B.C

(source: mapsontheweb.zoom-maps.com/post/162276375965/the-neo-babylonian-empire-and-its-neighbours)

As mentioned in the Introduction Chapter; nations of the world were being used to chastised the Jews.  First it had been Egypt and then the Assyrian Empire. Now at the point this vision is given, the Babylonians are the nation holding them captive.

The vision will outline each successive (they followed one after another) world power that would be used by God as a judgment upon the Jews. They would all dominate both Israel and Jerusalem.

Regardless of what he believes his purpose is, Nebuchadnezzar was put in place by God for this purpose.

Daniel Chapter 2 verse 39a

And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee,

Second Kingdom – Breast and Arms of Silver

Medo-Persia Empire

This is also represented as the “BEAR” in Daniel Chapter 7

Map of Persian Empire 525 B.C

(source: public domain)

The Medes and Persians that would conquer Babylon were obviously not inferior in military might. However, in wealth and luxury and form of government they were.  Babylon would be the last of the old form of rule where a king was the sole and final authority for government.  Medes and Persians had a government of laws and even their king did not step beyond those laws. As seen in Daniel 6:15

Daniel Chapter 2 verses 39b

and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

Third Kingdom – Belly and Thighs of Brass

Grecian Empire

This is also represented as the “LEOPARD” in Daniel Chapter 7

Map of Grecian Empire 325 B.C.

(source: public domain)

Alexander the Great and the Grecian kingdom would conquer all the land that both the Babylonian and Medo-Persian Empires had controlled.

Daniel Chapter 2 verses 40

And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

Fourth Kingdom – Legs of Iron

Roman Empire

This is also represented as the “BEAST” in Daniel Chapter 7

Map of the Roman Empire in the Third Century

(source: public domain)

The Roman Empire was merciless in its attempt to dominate the world.  Ultimately its sin led to its breaking apart from the inside out.

Daniel Chapter 2 verses 41-43

And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay

Fifth Kingdom – Feet of Iron and Clay

END TIMES KINGDOM

This is also represented as the “HORNS” in Daniel Chapter 7

“shall be divided” – a group of nations, each with their own agenda, but with common goals

“partly strong, and partly broken” – they will have the advantage of being able to unify at the time of mutual needs

“shall mingle themselves with the seed of men” – they will initially support the Anti-Christ

“shall not cleave one to another” – they will eventually stand against the Anti-Christ and when he comes against three of them, they will not be able to stand together

Daniel Chapter 2 verses 44-45

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

“in the days of these kings” – when these kingdoms are in existence

“shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed”–God will then set up a kingdom here on earth

“and the kingdom shall not be left to other people” – this kingdom will not be for anyone other than HIS people. The world has had UP UNTIL this point the ability to do things “their own way”, that will not happen any longer.

“but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” – HIS Kingdom will cause what is left of the kingdom of the antichrist to be destroyed.  God’s kingdom will be here for eternity.

The previous verses (Chapter 2:41-45) deal with a “kingdom” not yet in existence.  This IS a future “kingdom” involving the Antichrist during the End Times.

Any attempt to make prophecy “fit” into a particular day and time is wrong. This can never be done.

Prophecy in scripture was NOT written, for man to make use of it to “fit in” to theories where man decided it worked best.

Theories exist that the feet and toes are one of the following: Islam, ISIS, Catholic Church and EuroAmerica (United States of America and Great Britain).

Only study the entirety of scriptures.

Reaction by King to the Interpretation

Daniel Chapter 2 verses 46-49

Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.

Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

Nebuchadnezzar honored Daniel and made him ruler over Babylon and chief of the governors over the wise men.

This will instigate the hatred by those men who could not interpret the king’s dreams.  From here on they begin to build on their resentment toward Daniel.

Daniel asked that his three friends be placed in charge of the affairs of Babylon.  This happened largely due to their loyalty to their friend Daniel.

Daniel in turn was placed in a position near the king where he would always have the king’s ear and could be of influence to the king.

(source: unmarked images in this document are from pixabay.com and provided by user_id:2043895 and user_id:7438739)