UPDATE - DANIEL 2

This next series of blogs will focus on updated portions of the book of Daniel that have relevance to future events.

Dan. 2:24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. 

Dan. 2:25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. 

Dan. 2:26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 

Dan. 2:27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; 

Dan. 2:28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; 

Dan. 2:29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. 

Dan. 2:30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

Daniel goes to the officer given the command to destroy the wise men and asks for an audience with the king so that he may tell him his dream and give the interpretation.  The audience is granted, and the king asks Daniel if he can reveal his dream and what it means.  Daniel is very quick to tell the king that there is no man that can do what he requests; however, there is a God in heaven who is communicating to the king through his dream.  

Daniel goes on to tell the king that this dream is about future things; the Hebrew word even implies end times.  Again, Daniel emphasizes that this knowledge is not coming from him.  He is no wiser than any other man.  

I actually think the NASB translation is better for verse 29 based on the Hebrew:  “…but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.”  God is revealing this information for Nebuchadnezzar to “know the thoughts of thy heart.”  God is always concerned about and reaching out to the individual.  We also know that God included this incident in scripture as part of prophecy, as a means of validating Himself as God and affirming the faith of those who place their trust in Him.  

Isaiah 46:9-10 “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done….”

Daniel now proceeds to reveal Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a “great image.”

Dan. 2:31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. 

Dan. 2:32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 

Dan. 2:33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 

Dan. 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 

Dan. 2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. 

Dan. 2:36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 

I think the “we” is a reference to Daniel speaking as representative of all the wise men.  Then again, as I think about it some more, it could be a reference to God speaking through Daniel through the inspiration of the Spirit.

Dan. 2:37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 

Even as Daniel recognizes Nebuchadnezzar as the most powerful king on earth, he is careful to credit that position as a gift from the God of heaven.  The prophet Jeremiah also emphasized this truth.

Jeremiah 27:4–5 “And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.”

Dan. 2:38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. 

Dan. 2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 

Daniel identifies Nebuchadnezzar as the head of gold on the image.  I think this is more a reference to him as representative of his kingdom (Babylon) because of the wording in verse 39.  Point is made that the succeeding world kingdoms will be inferior to Babylon.  Inferior how?  The Hebrew for the word inferior indicates “low.”  Is this because the “kings” of the succeeding kingdoms will not possess the individual power that Nebuchadnezzar exerted over his kingdom?  He seemed to be a dictator with no limitations by the law.  We know that Darius (of the Medes and Persians) was bound by the law (cf 6:8). 

Dan. 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. 

Dan. 2:41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 

Dan. 2:42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 

Dan. 2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 

Though the metals decrease in value, they seem to increase in strength.  Maybe this is because they are increasing in size and encompassing more land and people.  Brief mention is made of the second and third kingdoms, but more is revealed about the fourth.  Its influence will be very dominating on the earth, but it will eventually be divided.  The resulting divisions of this kingdom will still be quite strong; they just won’t be as stable as the original kingdom.

“they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men” – This is a very puzzling phrase to me.  I immediately thought of the sons of God mating with the women on earth as in Genesis 6.  The wording seems to reference “they” as different from men.  Who are “they?” 

The CJB translates verse 43 with another possibility and the ESV supports it:  “You saw the iron mixed with clay; that means that they will cement their alliances by intermarriages; but they won’t stick together any more than iron blends with clay.”  

The interpretation of Daniel’s dream in chapter 8 aligns with world history in identifying the kingdoms being referenced as:

• the breast and arms of silver = the combined kingdom of the Medes and the Persians
• the belly and thighs of brass = the kingdom of Greece
• the legs of iron = the Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was eventually divided into Eastern and Western seats of power before losing world influence altogether.  The question arises as to why no reference is made to other great empires such as the Ottoman Turks.  I think the key is that the scripture is a revelation of God’s purposes for man and planet earth through His dealings with the nation of Israel.  When the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, Israel ceased to be a nation; and its people were dispersed throughout the empire.  Biblical reference to events on planet earth basically resumes at a time when Israel is once again established as a nation.  Much is revealed regarding God’s dealing with the “church,” “the body of Christ,” spiritual Israel (as explained in Romans 9-11).  But the rest of human history is basically ignored until the time that God again resumes His dealings with the nation of Israel and the nations/kingdoms that have direct impact upon her. 

It is clear that each kingdom represented in this dream includes much of the territory of the preceding kingdom.  Since the Spirit only referenced four kingdoms in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, we can assume that the Kingdom represented by the ten toes is considered part of the fourth kingdom—the Roman Empire.  Just as Israel was reborn, the Roman Empire in some form will be reborn to fulfill her destiny as the kingdom of Antichrist.  If that were not the case, the Spirit would have referenced a fifth kingdom.  The two legs of iron representing the Roman Empire were strong and powerful.  History shows that the influence of the Roman Empire remained powerful for about 500 years.  The fact that the toes were part iron and part clay indicates a change in the makeup of the kingdom and its ability to endure as an influential world power.  It would seem to indicate that its influence on the world will eventually be exercised through ten entities (nations, kingdoms, etc.) whose origins are rooted in that fractured empire.  The Antichrist will emerge from one of those entities and his kingdom will enjoy its greatest influence for only 3.5 years, as we will learn in later chapters of this book as well as through the study of the book of Revelation.

Dan. 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 

Dan. 2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

“these kings” – I believe this is referencing the kings ruling the ten parts of the kingdom represented by the ten toes.  Just as each of these four kingdoms continued to envelope the previous one, these ten kings are representative of the whole.

At the time of “these kings” God will set up a kingdom on earth that will never be destroyed.  It will be a kingdom that consumes the land and peoples of all the kingdoms that have existed before it.  It is an eternal kingdom.

In the dream, Nebuchadnezzar saw a “stone cut out of the mountain without hands.”  That stone was thrown or dropped on the feet (the ten toes) of the image; this resulted in the destruction of the whole image.  I think this image is representative of the whole God-rejecting world.  The stone then grew into a great mountain and filled the whole earth (v35); in other words, it becomes the final world kingdom, God’s kingdom, which lasts forever.

“stone cut out…without hands” – I think this is a direct reference to the fact that God is the one who destroys these kingdoms through His Son Jesus.  He will have no help from man.

Isaiah 63:3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.

Jesus is the one who will destroy the kingdom of antichrist.  He is referenced as a stone in other scriptures as well.

Acts 4:10-11 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

1Peter 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Daniel clearly declares to the king that God is revealing the future to him.  He further emphasizes that God’s words are true and His prophecy certain.  Daniel also emphasizes that his interpretation of the dream is also true and certain.

Dan. 2:46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. 

Dan. 2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. 

When King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face to worship Daniel, verse 47 makes it clear that he was recognizing Daniel’s God.  He also commanded that a sacrifice be made and incense burned in honor of Daniel’s God.  He still only recognized Daniel’s God as one of many gods; but he did acknowledge that Daniel’s God was the most powerful of gods to be able to reveal such secrets/mysteries.

Garland makes another interesting observation on these verses:  “Nebuchadnezzar falling prostrate before Daniel prefigures Gentiles bowing the knee before Jesus and the eventual submission of Gentile governments below Israel in the millennial kingdom.  Here we find the head of gold—the beginning of the Gentile dominion—prostrate before a descendant of Judah.”