Daniel Nightmares and Dreamscapes ~ Part 2 Chapter 2:24-43

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1 Daniel Nightmares and Dreamscapes ~ Part 2 Chapter 2:24-43 AS WE GO THROUGH THIS SERIES WE LL SEE that even when people have access to truth it doesn t mean the result will be a saving acceptance of God/Christ. For me the saddest example of this truth is seen in the history of Jewish people. Fortunately we know that because they do have access to truth one day they will understand it fully and grieve over their disobedience. The result will be restoration to their promised relationship with God. And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves (Zechariah 12:10 14 ESV). According to the commentators, Rome, in the heavenly vision (7:8) seen by Daniel and explained by the angel, undergoes a metamorphosis from the secular power of the old empire into the religious power, Christianity. The powerless orphan adopted by the mighty empire, originally by Emperor Constantine I and later by his successors, grew up to utilize its unique position as state religion of the great empire and moved on to a period of unprecedented growth. Its power, whether temporal or spiritual, eclipses that of kingdoms and empires. Thus throughout our exile, the fourth kingdom is represented by the Christian church, conceived of, despite all its diverse forms, as one unit. The coming of the Messiah, about whom the prophet Zephaniah prophesied (3:9); Then I will turn to the nations a pure language, that they shall all call upon the name of HASHEM, to serve Him in unison, is contingent upon and parallels the demise of the most powerful religion challenging the tenet of pure monotheism which is the cornerstone of our religion. And all these matters that of Yeshu the Nazarene and that of the Ishmaelite who arose after him are only to prepare the way for the Messianic king and to perfect the whole world to serve God together, as it is written (Zeph. 3:9); Then I will turn to the nations a pure language, that they shall all call upon the Name of HASHEM to serve him in unison. How? The world has already been filled with the subject of the Messiah, the subject of the Torah, and the subject of the commandments. These matters have already spread to the far isles and to many unrefined nations, who discuss these things and the commandments of the Torah. Some say that these commandments were true, but have been abrogated in our times and they are not binding for [all] the generations. Others say that the commandments have mystical meanings, and are not to be taken literally, and that the Messiah has already come and revealed their mysteries. But when the true Messianic king will come and succeed and be elevated and exalted, they will immediately recant and they will

2 know that they have inherited falsehood from their ancestors and that their prophets and ancestors have mislead them. 1 What the author doesn t realize is, he is right. But the ones who will recognize the true Messiah will be the Jews. His Christ isn t the living Christ. He is the invention of those who reject Him. Goldwurm is speaking of his own people and Christ without understanding it. IV Nebuchadnezzar s Dreams A. Dream #1 Chapter Daniel and the King Verses a. The Dream Verses b. The Interpretation Verses i. Babylon Verses ii. Medo-Persia/Greece Verse 39 iii. Rome Verses iv. The Heavenly Kingdom Verses The King and Daniel Verses Introduction: First, as I was preparing this morning s lesson, I realized this was the first time in this series I was going to have to take what I intended to cover and break it into two lessons. The first part is going to be a history lesson. The second will be prophetic dealing with the heavenly kingdom and the balance of the chapter. Second, I have to take a moment to go back to a question that came up last time, one for which I didn t have an answer. Last week Julie noted that there seemed to be a problem with the timing of the events of Chapter 2. And it does seem a but confusing. But as I was editing the podcast and listening to myself, which I don t do when teaching, I think I came up with a possible answer. Chapter one covers an extended time of Daniel's life in Babylon. It summarizes the time he was there from his first involvement with Nebuchadnezzar and identifies the end of his life when Cyrus was king. It includes an account of the taking of Jerusalem, the tests of Daniel and his companions and their passing. This would have included the three years as students. Now it s possible Chapter 2 steps back in time. This is consistent with a number of biblical passages including Genesis 1 and 2. It picks up with Nebuchadnezzar s dream and his sending for all the wise men, not including the four boys. Why becomes obvious if they still in the training program. But being included in the wise men training program they would have also been covered by the king's death edict. And why Daniel would have come before the king after the group as a whole. On the other hand Cabal gives an alternate possibility. How could Daniel have finished a three-year training program by Nebuchadnezzar s second year if he was captured in the year that Nebuchadnezzar became king (605 b.c.)? During this period the Babylonians used the accession-year dating method whereby the king s first year did not begin until after the new year. Thus, Daniel s first year of captivity corresponded to Nebuchadnezzar s accession year, his second year of captivity to the king s first regnal year, and so forth. Moreover, Daniel did not have to 1 Goldwurm, Rabbi Hersh, Daniel, Mesorah Publications, Ltd., Brooklyn, NY, 2002, p ) 34 (

3 train three full years; according to Hebrew usage a part of a year could be counted as a whole (cp. the three days between Jesus death and resurrection [Jn 2:19 21], which was actually on the third day [1 Co 15:4]). 2 So when we come up against a difficult passage the only conclusion we can come to is that we don t understand, not that it s contradictory. Now back to our passage. It s been a tough time in Babylon. The king has been having bad nights. He s been having dreams which have disturbed him significantly. And when the king is disturbed, so is everyone else. He sent for his wise men, and just to make life tough on them he wouldn t settle for just an interpretation. He also wanted them to describe the dream. That way he wouldn t have to worry about being lied to. Well this was just too much. There is no way one can tell someone his dreams without supernatural intervention. This wasn t gong to cut it with Nebuchadnezzar and so all the wise men suddenly found themselves under a death sentence. This included Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. But before the death sentences were carried out Daniel asked for a hold while he went to the God of heaven to find out the content and the explanation of the dream. Harry Ironside says of this title Now as to this expression, The God of heaven, there are three books in the Old Testament where it is used, and one in the New Testament the Revelation. The three Old Testament books are Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel. All refer, practically, to the same period, when God had scattered His people among the nations, because of their sins. He had forsaken His throne at Jerusalem. The glory had gone up to heaven, and He was no longer called the Lord of the whole earth. He was now the God of heaven, and, so far as the world is concerned, that is still His title. He will never again be owned as the Lord of the whole earth until the Millennium. 3 And praise the God of Heaven, Daniel was given time to pray and praise and he did get the information he needed. Which brings us to the meeting between Daniel and the king. 3. Daniel and the King: It is clear at the point that the executions haven t begun. Daniel, having received the information from God, proceeds to the king. He asks Arioch, who seems to be he king s executioner, not to doing any killing until he could talk to Nebuchadnezzar. So Arioch took Daniel into the king, identifying him as one of the Judeans and as is the usually the case in politics he didn t bother mentioning that Daniel came to him. Instead he took credit for finding Daniel. It never hurts to be on the right side of the king. Verses 26-30: Now Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar get down to business. The king asks if Daniel can tell him his dream and of course the answer is yes. But Daniel wants to make the bottom line clear. None of the Babylonian wise men could answer the king s needs. The reason of course is no man could. The only one who could answer the king s questions was God. This was really a confirmation of what Nebuchadnezzar had been told earlier by his own people. It was also a slap at them because they couldn t connect up with their own entities and answer the king. It took a 2 Cabal, Ted, ed., The Apologetics Study Bible, Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, TN Ironside, H. A.. Lectures on the Prophet Daniel, CrossReach Publications ) 35 (

4 Judean who followed the true God and therefore had access to the source of all truth. Of course this shouldn t be surprising since God was the one who sent the dream in the first place. It s always embarrassing when your wise men fail while some one representing a different god succeeds. the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, When Pharaoh says to you, Prove yourselves by working a miracle, then you shall say to Aaron, Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent. So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron s staff swallowed up their staffs. Still Pharaoh s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said (Exodus 7:8 13 ESV). I want us to again notice something we saw last time about Daniel, his humility. He wasn t using this as an opportunity to advance himself or make himself look good. It is about God. I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness (Ephesians 4:1 2 ESV). So Daniel pointed out the process that lead to the dream. Apparently the king had been concerned about the future of Babylon and his reign. And in response to his concerns God sent him the answer to his concerns in the dream. a. The Dream: First, in compliance with the kings demands, Daniel describes the dream. There were two phases to the dreams. The first was a giant statue in human form. It was made up of four distinct areas. The first was the head which was made of gold. The second section was the chest and it was made of silver. The third was the belly and the thighs and it was bronze. The last was the legs and these were made of mixed materials, iron and clay. We are discussing the times of the Gentiles, or as Jesus said: They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (Luke 21:24 ESV). The second aspect of the dream was a huge stone carved out of a mountain by unseen hands and it destroyed the statue. The destruction was so complete that the winds scattered the dust and there was nothing left. Daniel had certainly proved that he did have access to truth. Since he knew the content of the dream, it was safe to assume he could also interpret the dream. This must have been a source of relief to Nebuchadnezzar. Introduction to the Interpretation: While there is disagreement over the understanding of the interpretation the traditional/conservative view is consistent, whether presented by a ) 36 (

5 Christian or Jewish understanding, at least until we get to the aspects that refer to future events. Though, as we have saw earlier there is some similarity between the two. I will point out the differences when we get to each area of the statue. Showers states It is important to note that in the interpretation Daniel moved progressively from the top to the bottom of the image. This downward movement represented the passage of time. Thus, the upper parts of the image portrayed earlier history, and the lower parts portrayed later history. 4 The conservative approach is the one that is most consistent with scripture. But it isn t the only one. Longman states: nonconservatives have trouble with this approach because even they, for the most part, believe Daniel 2 was written before Rome was a major player on the world scene. Since (in their view) predictive prophecy does not occur, they cannot believe that the fourth kingdom is Rome. Typically, then, in the Greek view, the Medes and the Persians are treated as the second and third kingdoms respectively. The Greek kingdom is fourth. The mixed character of the toes then refers to the political situation in Egypt and the Levant after the death of Alexander, when the Ptolomies and Selecuids vie for control of Palestine. 5 i. Babylon: This is kind of a good news, bad news situation. Daniel is going to get to tell Nebuchadnezzar that the head of gold is his kingdom. But, he is also going to have to say, the kingdom will fall. This may explain why he was astute enough to avoid telling the king all of this in public. And, I believe, since the king was concerned about the future state of Babylon this wouldn t have come as a complete surprise. The other risky point Daniel makes is the king receives both his kingdom and his power from the God of heaven. This would be in contrast to the Babylonian gods who were off the earth. Fortunately for Daniel, since the king wanted answers, these non-politic truths wouldn t get him killed. And after all it was Daniel through his God who could reveal what his bunch and their gods couldn t Alright, there is no question about the identity of the gold head. It s Babylon. This initially must have been pleasing for the King. Unfortunately, as we ve noted there was both good news and bad news. Babylon wasn t going to last. It was going to fall. I don t know about you, but I wouldn t want to be the one to tell Nebuchadnezzar of the fall of Babylon. It lasted from 636 B.C. to 539 B.C. Jeremiah called Babylon a gold cup in the Lord s hand (Jer. 51:7). 6 ii. Medo-Persia/Greece: In this one verse we find two more kingdoms. Again there is pretty much consistency in considering who is the first of these two kingdoms. The breast and arms of silver The Medo-Persian kingdom ( B.C.) Darius the Mede conquered Babylon (Dan. 5:30-31). 7 4 Showers, Dr. Renald E., The Most High God, The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc., Bellmawr, NJ, 1988, p Longman III, Tremper, The NIV Application Commentary, Daniel, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1999, p Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Exposition Commentary, Old Testament, The Prophets, Victor Books, Colorado Springs, CO, 1986, p ) 37 (

6 Showers notes: Two arms coming together to form one breast pictured this kingdom perfectly. Two distinct peoples, the Medes and the Persians, were united together in 550 B.C. under the same king to form one great power. Why was silver a fitting representation of the Medo-Persian kingdom? In ancient times silver signified money, silver was the standard of value and the medium of exchange. Medo-Persia became noted for basing its power on money which was collected through an extensive tax system (Ezra 4:136 Dan. 11:2) 8 Keep in mind, with prophecy God often provides short-term fulfillment in order to validate the long-term. This second empire overtook Babylon in Daniel s own time and since then we have seen the fulfillment of the third and fourth, which in turn reassures us that the heavenly kingdom will also come to pass. There is disagreement among some as to who makes up the third kingdom. Some Jewish scholars believe it is a combined Greek/Roman Empire. The primary reason for taking this position is a belief that the fourth is either the Arab peoples or the religious one, Christianity. But this position isn t the generally accepted view of Judaism which is in lime with the normal Christian understanding, that is the third kingdom is Greece. Certainly Alexander believed this when we talked with the High Priest as he threatened to take Jerusalem. The belly and thighs of bronze The Grecian kingdom (330 63B.C.). Alexander the Great established what was probably the largest empire in ancient times. He died in 323. B.C. 9 Again quoting Showers: This would be the kingdom of Greece under Alexander the Great and his successors. One belly subdivided into two thighs was an excellent way for God to portray the Grecian kingdom ahead of time. After Alexander had unified his kingdom, he died at a young age. His kingdom was divided among his four leading generals. However, only two of the divisions played an important role in history. Those two division headquartered in Syria and Egypt. Why did God represent Greece with bronze? The Greeks developed this material highly and used it extensively in their implements of war. Thus, their kingdom was character by bronze. 10 iii. Rome: The fourth kingdom, following the traditional interpretation would then be Rome. As you remember from the opening quote some Jewish scholars, while understanding the reference is to Rome, project it on to Roman Christendom. This is because they realize the dream is about the Gentile peoples in relationship to Judaism. This is correct but of course they don t realize that Christianity isn t part of this picture at all. It refers to the end time when they too would be joined to the Christ, the Messiah. So we re back to the traditional understand, that this portion is referring to political Rome. The legs of iron and feet of clay. Iron represents strength but clay represents weakness. Rome was strong in law, organization, and military might; but the empire included so many different peoples that this created weakness. The people will be a mixture and will not remain united (Dan. 2:43, NIV) Ibid. 8 Showers, p Wiersbe, p Showers, p Wiersbe, p ) 38 (

7 Continuing on with Showers, he notes: God s portrayal of Rome with two legs was very apt, for the ancient Roman Empire ruled extensive areas of both the western and eastern divisions of the world. In fact, in 364 AD the Roman Empire was divided politically into two division the Western Roman Empire with Rome as its capital and the Eastern Roman Empire with Constantinople as its capital. Iron was an excellent designation of Rome for at least two reasons. First, ancient Rome was noted for its use of iron in its military weaponry. Second, as Daniel indicated in verse forty, just as iron is able to crust gold, silver and bronze because it is stronger, so Rome would crush and shatter the ancient world. Ancient Rome did just that through its great military strength. This aspect of the prophetic dream was fulfilled when Rome conquered Greece by 146 BC. 12 Conclusion: When we get to the feet and the toes we are moving into the realm of prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled. It is at this point we will pick up next week with the second part of this review of Daniel s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar s dream. The most important point that should be made here, and which we will expand on next time, is regardless of what interpretative method when takes when examining the four kingdoms, the stone refers to the coming kingdom of God, the Messianic kingdom, which is yet to come. So if you accept the prophetic aspect of the passage at all, you will end up in the same place, with the kingdom of God overthrowing the kingdoms of men. And in once sense God s kingdom has already overthrown the kingdom of men. This has been accomplished when the Body of Christ, the Church, is functioning as He intends it to. This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ. And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, shouting, These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also (Acts 17:3 6 ESV). But when Jesus gave the disciples their model prayer to expect the coming of His kingdom goes beyond this as Carson points out when he says: To pray your kingdom come is therefore simultaneously to ask that God s saving, royal rule be extended now as people bow in submission to him and already taste the eschatological blessing of salvation and to cry for the consummation of the kingdom (cf. 1Co 16:22; Rev 11:17; 22:20). Godly Jews were waiting for the kingdom (Mk 15:43), the consolation of Israel (Lk 2:25). They recited Kaddish ( Sanctification ), an ancient Aramaic prayer, at the close of each synagogue service. In its oldest extant form, it runs, Exalted and hallowed be his great name in the world which he created according to his will. May he let his kingdom rule in your lifetime and in your days and in the lifetime of the whole house of Israel, speedily and soon. And to this, say, Amen (Jeremias, Prayers of Jesus, 98, emphasis his). 13 So let us live in the reality of the kingdom s presence while praying for the fulfillment of its coming for Israel and the hope of our eternal presence in God s eternal Kingdom. 12 Showers, p Carson, D. A., The Expositor s Bible Commentary Revised Edition Matthew, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 2010, Pg ) 39 (

8 Daniel Nightmares and Dreamscapes ~ Part 2 Chapter 2:24-43 IV Nebuchadnezzar s Dreams A. Dream #1 Chapter Daniel and the King Verses a. The Dream Verses b. The Interpretation Verses i. Babylon Verses ii. Medo-Persia/Greece Verse 39 iii. Rome Verses iv. The Heavenly Kingdom Verses The King and Daniel Verses Introduction: (Zechariah 12:10 14) 3. Daniel and the King: Verses 26-30: (Exodus 7:8 13; Ephesians 4:1 2) a. The Dream: (Luke 21:24) Introduction to the Interpretation:

9 i. Babylon: ii. Medo-Persia/Greece: iii. Rome: Conclusion: (Acts 17:3 6) Personal Application: While praying for the coming kingdom we can also pray that we live out the reality of its presence before the lost today. Prayer for the Week: Lord, may Your kingdom come sooner than later. Meanwhile let me live in a way that brings you glory. In Christ s name, amen.