What Kings Dream About
                                                                 Daniel 2:1-49
 

INTRODUCTION

We study the prophets of the Old Testament to learn of the kingdom or church Christ established.  The prophets reveal the spiritual condition of the people of God.  The prophets spoke and revealed things about the Christ to come. The Old Testament is filled with examples to admonish and instruct us spiritually.

I Cor. 10:11 Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were
                     written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.

The book of Daniel has much to say about the time and the characteristics of the church as is seen in Daniel chapter 2.  We will look at a lesson called What Kings Dream About.

 
                                    A DISTURBING DREAM

In the second year of King Nebuchadnezzar's reign the king had a disturbing dream.

The time of this vision wouyld be about 604 B.C.

It seems to me that the King is lying in his bed thinking about what a great man he is.  The future was unfolded in this dream before him.  God revealed his will to the king in a great vision or dream

The King awakened very impressed with the dream, but unable to remember what he had dreamed.

Dan.  2:3  And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled
                 to know the dream. 2:4Then 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.

Nebuchadnezzar called for the wise men of Babylon to come interpret his dream.  The Chaldeans were a priestly group of pagans. These men used mathmathetics, science and superstition, to make themselves appear able to discern the future.

The Babylonian King asked them not only to interpret the dream, but before they interpreted his vision, they would have to also tell him what he had dreamed.

Dan.  2:3-4  And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is
                     troubled to know the dream.   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.

The difficulty and dilemma this posed made them ask the King to first tell them the dream.

After being told the dream then they would give the King his answer.

Dan.  2:7 They answered the second time and said, Let the king tell his servants the
                dream, and we will show the interpretation.
 
The King evidently was all business and very full of himself.  He insisted they first must tell him the dream, then interpret it.

The offer he made was one they could not refuse.   He would kill them, cut them in pieces and make their houses a dunghill.

Dan. 2:5  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.

Dan. 2:8  The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because
                ye see the thing is gone from me.

Dan. 2:12   For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all
                   the wise men of Babylon.

The wise men began to be killed, they could not interpret a dream they knew nothing about. Poor Daniel and his Hebrew companions were numbered among the wise men.

Daniel and his companions were not Chaldeans, soothsayers or sorcerers but they likewise were under a death sentence.

Dan. 2:12-14  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;
                        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.

Sometimes Gospel preachers are numbered with reverends, pastors, and other unscriptural persons by mistake.

Daniel and his three Hebrew friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was in serious peril for their life  not to mention their house being renovated into a manure pile or dunghill.  To the relief of every wise man in Babylon, Daniel agreed to tell the King all about his dream

Daniel Asked Arioch for a little time and he would interpret the dream.

Dan.  2:16  And Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and
                    he would show the king the interpretation.

The righteous Daniel went home and met with his three companions.  They sought the will of God, and had a prayer
meeting that very night.  The king's decree of death was getting very close.  Daniel and the three Hebrew boys turned to God.

Dan. 2:18  that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that
                  Daniel and his companions should nor perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

The great God in heaven gave the same dream to Daniel that the King had dreamed, and also gave him the interpretation,
 

Dan.  2:19  Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a vision of the night.  Then Daniel
                    blessed the God of heaven.
 

After properly thanking and praising God for his blessing and the interpretation, Daniel prepared himself to meet the King.
 

Dan. 2:20-24  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 have 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 now made known unto me what we desired of thee; for thou hast
                       made known unto us the king's matter.  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.
 

                                     THE ROYAL MEETING AND INTERPRETATION
 
Daniel now stands before the King who has defeated his people and brought them into captivity.

Daniel tells the King that he has arrived at the interpretation not of himself but fro God almighty.  The glory is given to Jehovah the God of heaven and the Hebrews.  The dream would be a glimpse and unfolding of the future.

Dan. 2:28-30  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:    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.  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.

The king was instructed that the dream was of a great image that was terrible in bright image and form.  The head of the image was of gold, the breast and arms were of silver, the belly and thighs were brass and the legs were of iron and part clay.  A stone was seen cut without human hands.

The stone smote the image of the standing man and broke it into pieces that were blown away like chaff in the wind.  The stone continued to increase in size until it became as a large mountain that filled the whole earth.

This was the troubling dream of the King.

The interpretation was as follows.

Nebuchadnezzar you are the King of Babylon and the head made of gold.  The Babylon kingdom was first represented to the king, as a head of gold.

The king and his Babylonian empire were the rulers represented as a head of gold.

Dan. 2:38  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:  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.
 

The arms and chest or breast of silver  represented the kingdom that would succeed the Babylonian empire, this image of silver arms and chest was the Medes-Persians who conquered the babylonians in chapter five.

Silver is inferior to gold and represented a decline from the previous kingdom in splendor and opulence.  Remember the hanging gardens of Nebuchadnezzar and other treasures that Babylon boasted.

The belly and thighs were of brass.  This description was of the next ruling kingdom that would conquer the Persians

The brass belly and thighs represented the Grecian kingdom under Alexander the Great. This Grecian kingdom would bear rule over the earth.

Dan.  2:39  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.

The iron legs standing on feet made of clay and iron represented the Romans that would take their place over the Grecian kingdom.

The Roman empire represented by legs of iron and clay-iron feet represented weakness and strength.

Iron is much stronger than gold, brass and silver.  The iron kingdom of Rome was the strongest.

The stone uncarved by hands would destroy the great image, and would grow and break in pieces the other kingdoms.

This rock would become like a great mountain filling the earth.

This rock would stand forever.  This stone certainly represented the church of Christ.  Jesus was the chief cornerstone and his church would be unconquered.
 

Jesus had said that his kingdom, the church. would be unconquered by hell or the grave, Matthew 16:18-19.

The church of Christ, the Lord's kingdom, would start out small, and grow into a giant body or kingdom.  Like a mustard seed grows into a large plant so would the church grow.

Matt.  13:31-32 Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is
                           like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
                           which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the
                           herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come and lodge
                           in the branches thereof.

The Lord's church began in Zion and fulfilled this prophecy as well as Isaiah 28:16 without question.

Isa.  28:26    Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold I lay in zion for a foundation a stone,
                      a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation, he that believeth shall
                      not make haste."

The prophesied qualities of the stone in Daniel two and Isaiah twenty-eight are picture perfect and crystal clear.

The Lord and his church are tried, precious, and a sure stone.  The Apostle Peter wrote about this very thing.

I Pet. 2:6  behold I lay in sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
 
The church is called, lively stones built on the sure foundation and cornerstone of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the tried, elect, precious, stone on which the church is based.

The church was established just as the prophecy said, in the last or fourth kingdom.

Dan.  2:44   And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which
                    shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another
                    people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall
                    stand for ever.
 

                            THE KING'S REACTION TO THE INTERPRETION

The King after the dream was given and the meaning declared the God of heaven, as the true God of all gods.  He recognized God as omnipotent and able to reveal all things.

Dan.  2:47  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.

Daniel had described God as the one who changes times and rulers.

Dan. 2:21  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;

Daniel said, God is the giver of wisdom and knows the deep things.

Dan. 2:21-22  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;  he revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is
                        in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

Dan. 2:37  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;

Dan. 2:45  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 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.

Dan. 2:47  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.

When we see the Bible in her accuracy, her message, and truth, we should tremble and obey her commands.

The stone that broke all other kingdoms and stands forever is the church and you should desire to be part of this creation and marvel of God.  Many have stumbled over Christ and the church to their destruction.  Will you not obey the Lord and allow yourself to be added to this kingdom.

Acts 2:47   praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to
                  them day by day those that were saved.

Heb. 12:28  We have received a kingdom that cannot be moved or shaken.

Conclusion
   To become a child of God:  Believe Jesus Christ is God's son.  John 8:24
                                              Repent and turn from sins.  Luke 13:3,5
                                              Confess Christ before men, Matthew 10:32
                                              Be baptized, immersed in water for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38
                                              Remain faith to the lord unto death, Rev. 2:10