Daniel Chapter 2

Recurrent Thought

God cares for the destiny of Persons, Nations and Kingdoms. For this reason, He can change Times and Seasons Persons, Nations and Kingdoms so that they Fulfill His Purpose.

God is the eternal supreme king over all, and therefore he has a sovereign demand on all kingdoms and nations of the earth . Just as He is interested in our personal individual lives, He is also concerned over the destiny of Nations, Kingdoms and regions of the earth. Just as individual persons serve the Purposes of God, so do Nations, Kingdoms and Kings serve His Purposes. Therefore, He has his eye on the Destiny of kingdoms too. God communicates His Purposes through various ways. In today’s text, we notice that God communicates His Purpose and destiny of Nations through a Prophetic Dream given to a wicked King.

Remember where Daniel and his Friends are at this time (Background)

This is a long chapter that is broken in Four Sections.

1. A  King Who is Disturbed by a Dream  (2: 1-16)
   There are natural dreams and supernatural dreams. Of Supernatural dreams, you can have those from God and those from the Devil
   • The King had a dream that disturbed him, yet he forgot its details and he did not know form whence it came from
   • He brought his occultic consultants to interpret: These are Babylonian wise people who relied on demonic powers to give them direction. Many still do. 
   • Seeking knowledge, wisdom about my future through means other than God’s way is dangerous and leads into association with demonic entities. Some of these methods may include: Horoscope, organs such as liver, cards, Ouija boards, etc. Astrology is using movements of planets and stars to interpret their impact on human affairs.
   • Nebuchadnezzar gave an impossible task: Tell me the dream and its interpretation
   • Because no one could tell him his dream he went ballistic with a claim of killing everyone. He said that “you shall be torn 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 honor (2:5-6)
2. Believers of Yahweh tend to Manage Pressure through Prayer (2: 17-30)
   Daniel and friends who are lumped together with the Occultic Consultants and equally threatened with death. 
   • This section shows the difference from the first. The First reveals a disturbed king, stressed and threatening everyone. The second section shows, believers in Yahweh who knows where to go when under pressure. 
   • Now You have to remember that this is early in their walk with God, possibly while they were at Babylon School of Government (BSOG)
   • It transpires that this Dreams is used by God to speak to the king Nebuchadnezzar
   • Over 100 times God uses Dreams in the scriptures to speak to his people. God does use dreams even during this dispensation.
   • God shows Daniel both the Dream and its interpretation
   • Notice the profound Praise Daniel offers to the Lord as a result: 2: 20-23 
   • They recognize God’s power in intervening in the situation
   • Prophetic declarations are Gods means of changing Times and Seasons (2:21) Remember that Genesis 8:22 states that “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” It shows that through the Laws of Nature, God’s Providence determines permanence and predictability of Times and Seasons. However, we are told through His prophetic declaration and determination he is able to change times and seasons. Daniel 2: 21 He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings;
   • By Prophetic Declarations God can reverse, accelerate, surmount or suspend specific Natural Laws. See how Joshua prophetically declared in Joshua 10:12-13
     At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
     “Sun, stand still at Gibeon,     and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” 13
     And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,     until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel.
3. The Dream & Its Interpretation (2:31-45)
   • Daniel reveals that the Dream was Gods doing and no one wise man would have had an answer (2:27-28); 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.
   • The Dream is of a Giant Statue with the following description: 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 
   • The main essence of the dream is about the rise and fall of Kings and their Kingdoms. 
   • Daniel intimates that the changes that happen in the rise and falling of these Kingdoms is the making of God. 
   • Daniel frames a theology of Government establishments. God is interested in the rise and fall of governments, because these are vessels to fulfill his purpose. Read 2:37, 21 which shows that God set Nebuchadnezzar as King. God is sovereign over the nations (Proverbs 21:1; 1 Chronicles 6:15; Jeremiah 25:9 Neb is called “God’s Servant. 
   • We have advantage of interpretation. We can look at History and check the Nations that came after Babylon. Part of the dream is history for us. We look back with advantage
   • For us there is part history and part prophetic. But in all these things we must know that God is sovereign and is in charge of times and seasons 
   • The Dream: The Image and the interpretation 
     
   • Future Kingdoms
     The Ten Nation Confederation 
     The Ten Toes signify of a Fifth Kingdom composed of Ten Nations or kingdoms that has not yet occurred. This is a kingdom that shall rise before the coming of Christ
     • In Revelation 17: 13-14 these ten kingdoms are shown as 10 Horns and from one of these shall rise the Beast, who is known also as the Anti-Christ.
     • Who are these ten horns: Some say these are ten Geographical powers that shall work with the AntiChrist; or ten conglomerations of nations like the EU; some powerful nations like the five powerful nations of the security council. Whoever, they are shall yield themselves to the Antichrist and together they will fight Israel.
   • The Kingdom of Christ
     This is a Kingdom that begins without human intervention, without being thrown by hands. 
     • A small stone that strikes the Image. Not very impressive to human eyes. But the Kingdoms fall to the Kingdom of Christ.
     • Notice the stone grows until it fills the Earth. This is the reign of Christ after Raptrure and he returns with his belo
4. When Ministry is Powerfully offered, it leads people to recognize God
   • Notice how God is recognized, praised and worshipped
   •  Notice how His servants are honored and given more areas of influence

Altar Time 

Let us Praise the Lord the King of Glory, One who is able to Change our Times and Seasons