Daniel Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12

 

 

Introduction to Chapter 2

 

 

         The second chapter of Daniel takes place at the close of Daniel’s three-year training program.  The vision in Daniel chapter 2 sets a foundation for Daniel and Revelation, showing God’s plan for the kingdoms of this world

  The second chapter launches the careers of Daniel and his friends as God’s training under hardship reaps fruit.  Through events, God elevates Daniel to a position of authority over the land of Babylon.  Daniel, despite his age and status, demonstrated his faithfulness, and God used him because he was willing.  Like Joseph taken into Egypt as a slave, and raised to the office of prime minister, Daniel is also elevated to a similar position in the kingdom of Babylon around the age of eighteen. 

                                                                                                         Through this revelation given to the king of Babylon and interpreted by Daniel, God reveals through Daniel the succession of earthly kingdoms. Finally ending with the kingdom of Messiah pictured a stone smashing the image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

 

Nebuchadnezzar has a dream

 

DA 2:1  Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him.

 

Second year… The reference to the second year is another area critic’s attack the book of Daniel. Here is the problem, critic’s charge Nebuchadnezzar is king of Babylon in Daniel 1:1, and Daniel and his friends complete the three-year training program in the first chapter. They are then questioned before the King.  In Chapter 2, verse one, Nebuchadnezzar is only in his second-year and Daniel is called on the scene before the three-year training program is over.

There are a couple of solutions to this problem, but the most obvious is noted by John F. Walvoord.[1] The year 605 B.C., in Daniel 1 is the “Year of Ascension” and therefore separate from the years of reign. 

Date	Events
May-June 605 B.C.	Babylonian victory over the Egyptians at Carchemish
June-August 605 B.C.	Fall ofJerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel and his companions taken captive.
September 7, 605 B.C.	Nebuchadnezzar, the general of the army, made king over Babylon after the death of his father, Nabopolassar
Septermber 7th 605 B.C.	Nisan (March-April) 604 B.C. Year of accession of Nebuchadnezzar as king, and first year of Daniel’s training
Nisan (March/April0 604 B.C.	604 B.C. to Nisan (March-April) 603 B.C.; First year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, second year of training of Daniel.
Nisan (March/April) 603 B.C.	603 B.C. to Nisan (March-April) 602 B.C.: Second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, third year of training of Daniel, also the year of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream

The third year of Daniel’s training would therefore correspond with the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign.

Nebuchadnezzar ..dreams.   God has used dreams to warn and alert people in authority to seek out the people God. Pharaoh dreamed and was troubled (Gen. 41:8), causing him to find an answer, leading to Joseph.  Abimelech (Gen. 20:3)  took Sarah from Abraham, he was troubled by his dream causing him to seek Abraham.  Ahasuerus, king of Persia, was also sleepless or troubled, he awoke causing him to read the journals, leading Mordecai to be elevated and the Jews saved from Haman (Ester 6). Here the most powerful man in the world is troubled, and God has allowed his man, Daniel to be in the right position at the right time to point Babylon toward heaven. 

 

The wise men gathered

 

DA 2:2  Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.DA 2:3  And the king said to them, "I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know

 

The command.. Nebuchadnezzar summoned these men immediately.  There is no indication he waited until morning.  The king needed to know what was happening, he gathered together everybody who should know the answers to his dilemma, the four classes of wise men who would know the events in the spiritual realms or at least claimed to were the following. They are mentioned throughout the book of Daniel as they come into conflict with the Daniel and his God.   

 

Name	Translation	Service
Magicians	~trx Chartom	diviner, magician, astrologer engraver, writer (only in derivative sense of one possessed of occult knowledge)
Astrologers	@XXa'ashshaph	1. necromancer, conjurer, 2. (TWOT) astrologer, enchanter, exorcist
Sorcerers	@Xk Kashaph	1.(Piel) to practice witchcraft or sorcery, use witchcraft sorcerer, sorceress (participle)
Chaldeans	ydXkKasdiy	1.a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf n pr m 2. the inhabitants of Chaldea, living on the lower Euphrates and Tigris 3. those persons considered the wisest in the land (by extension)
Soothsayers	rzgGezar (Aramaic)	1.to cut, determine a.        (P'al) determiner (participle) (Ithp'al) to be cut out

 

   These same groups today claimed what they did in Daniel’s day.  In many ways 2600 years ago in Babylon is not much different then our own day.  People still look to stars, psychics, mediums and gurus for understanding their future.  

Spirit is anxious… The dream pushed him, caused him to be disturbed. The Hebrew word is ~[pPa`ammeans to be push, to beat persistently. The dream was pounding him so he could not sleep, causing to seek the help of Babylon’s wise men.

 

The dream and its interpretation demanded

 

DA 2:4  Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation."

DA 2:5  The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap.

DA 2:6  "However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation."

 

In Aramaic:  Chapter 2 verse 4 begins the Aramaic portion of the book of Daniel, at the word Aramaic till the end of the 7^th chapter Aramaic is the language of the book of Daniel.  Aramaic, is the language of the day the spoken by Assyrians and Babylonians.  Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians are all recorded using Aramaic to communicate with their subjects and foreign powers in the Bible. (Isaiah 36:11, Ezra 4:7, Daniel 2:4). Today, English is much like Aramaic in the time of Daniel, English is used as common language between diverse people groups.

 

Tell your servants.. The common way these interpreters worked was to take the information and process it into a logical meaning for the listener.  Since it was an interpretation, there was no way to prove if the interpreter was wrong or right.  Anybody could use a person dream and create a supposed meaning.

Decision is firm… Nebuchadnezzar decided he was going to change the system.  Either Nebuchadnezzar forgot what he dreamed or he intentionally withheld the information from them.  This being the case, Nebuchadnezzar made clear test for evidence. If they failed the test, they would face his wrath.

Dream…and….interpretation:  The king was requiring those assembled to give proof of their supernatural ability.  Since he was not going to supply the dream they would have to tell him the dream, this is super natural evidence. Logically, if you are able to know another person dream, which is impossible, in our physical world, Nebuchadnezzar understood he was asking for the super natural.

If you do not… Nebuchadnezzar was not known to be a nice guy. Here his most trusted advisors would not only be killed, but literally cut into pieces and their houses burned.  In Jeremiah 39:7, Zedekiah is blinded after witnessing the death of his own children to satisfy Nebuchadnezzar. In Daniel 3, Daniel’s three friends are thrown into a burning oven for spectacle, when they refuse to obey the king.

If you tell… Contrasted to the punishment of failure, was the reward of success, Nebuchadnezzar knew if someone was able to tell him what he dreamed then he must be super natural. 

Therefore… the line was clear, you must first tell the dream then the interpretation.

The demand repeated

 

DA 2:7  They answered again and said, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation."

DA 2:8  The king answered and said, "I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm:

DA 2:9  "if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation."

 

They answered… The wise men of Babylon are exposed.  They hope to buy time, with the king eventually telling them the dream, so the system can return. Similar to today’s psychic shows, psychic always need a starting point, rather then proclaiming specific information at the start.   Here the king demands evidence of their super natural abilities.

Therefore…I shall know…. The king knew if they really knew his dream then the interpretation would be valid.

 

Plea of the Wise men is denied

 

DA 2:10  The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, "There is not a man on earth who can tell the king's matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean.

DA 2:11  "It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."

DA 2:12  For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

DA 2:13  So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.

There is not a man… At this point in the dialogue, the Chaldeans come clean, admitting they don’t have the ability they have claimed in the past. They can’t do what the king wants. 

Except the gods….  The Chaldeans declare this request is beyond the physical realm of men.  They have been defeated before the king. Their declaration, “There is no other who can tell” demonstrates their nakedness and deception in the past.

The king was angry…  Nebuchadnezzar at this point discovers he has been duped by the Chaldeans and wise men. He demanded all the collection of wise men for destruction.  This destruction included Daniel and his friends, recent graduates of the Babylon’s school of wisdom.

  They began killing… There is a debate whether the killing started or the wise men were gathered for killing at a future time.  In either case, God exposed the Chaldeans for their deceptions, making way for the truth championed by Daniel.

  Daniel and his companions…. Daniel was considered one of the wie men along with his three friends.  They spent three years training in the university of Babylon for wise men and they completed the training.  Here the wisdom of God is contrasted to the wisdom of man, with Daniel the slave boy as God’s champion, like David verses Goliath. 

 

Daniel requests time

 

DA 2:14  Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon;

DA 2:15  he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, "Why is the decree from the king so urgent?" Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel.

DA 2:16  So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation.

Counsel and wisdom…  One of the characteristics the Daniel exemplifies is calm in the storm.  Daniel with complete calm approached the man ordered to kill him.  Daniel knew his God was in control, and so he was at peace.   

 

Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.

Psalm 119:165

 

The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.

Isaiah 32:17

Arioch…  The name $wyra'Aryowk means “Lion Like”.  He was in charge of the killing of the wise men. Arioch would have been familiar with the cruel practices of Nebuchadnezzar and participated in them. 

Daniel went in… Daniel had complete confidence in God’s ability. Therefore, he could approach the king without fear.  Daniel, unlike the wise men, knew God could reveal the super natural, God could tell Daniel the kings dream if God choose to do so. 

    This aspect of Bible prophecy, knowing God’s plan for the future, allows the Christian to approach live without fear.  We know what is going to happen.  The world views the future like the wise men ofBabylon, not knowing the future, only guessing at what might happen.  Daniel knew the future because God’s word through his prophets proclaimed it.  Daniel would have been familiar with David’s Psalms, Isaiah and Jeremiah’s words before he was taken captive.               

Daniel Prays

 

DA 2:17  Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,

DA 2:18  that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

 

Daniel went to his house…  When Daniel met Arioch, Daniel was a dead man, Daniel’s only hope was for God to deliver him and his friends.  He knew God could deliver them, but the choice was God’s.  We see this in Daniel chapter 3, when Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego stand before the king they acknowledge the power of God to deliver them, but the possibility he may choose not too.

   Therefore, Daniel immediately went home to pray and consult with fellow prayer warriors.

Seek mercies from God…  Daniel is now about eighteen years old, from the time he was taken to Babylon until now he has relied on God.  Like the training in the university of Babylon, Daniel has been trained by life to rely on God’s mercy.  Here we see what distinguishes Daniel, his source of power and strength, is his reliance on prayer. 

   Daniel when confronted with an impossible task turns to God, in prayer.  Daniel, like David four-hundred years earlier learned from experience God could be trusted no matter how ominous the situation looked.

  Young David approached Saul, Israel was confronted by the nine foot Philistine and afraid of battle, David explained to Saul, if God could deliver him from lion and a bear, why should he fear a giant man. David because he was jealous for God challenged and killed the Philistine.

37 Moreover David said, "The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you!"

I Samuel 17:37

 

Daniel’s prayer answered

 

DA 2:19  Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

DA 2:20  Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.

DA 2:21  And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.

DA 2:22  He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.

DA 2:23  "I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king's demand."

 

Night vision…  In Daniel God communicates through dreams, visions and angels.  God speaks through the angels, in chapters 8 to 12,  the angel Gabriel relays God’s message from the throne. In Daniel, chapters 10 through 12 we see a glorious angel, whose name is not mentioned reveal the future to come.   Here, God also speaks to Daniel in visions. The Aramaic word for vision is wzx Chezev, meaning appearance or vision, as opposed to dream.  In a vision, the person is up and aware, in a dream the person is sleeping.  The revelation here is from a vision at night, who or what Daniel saw we do not know but at the end of the vision, Daniel was assured.

   When Christians understand the hope and assurance we have in God’s word, we can approach the trials and tribulation in the same way Daniel did.                                                                                           

Daniel blessed… Daniel’s first reaction was praise. He praised God for his mercy and proclaimed his nature, contrasting him from the Babylonian gods.

Ø         Wisdom and might are his

Ø         He changes the times and seasons

Ø         He removes kings

Ø         Raises up kings

Ø         Gives wisdom to the wise

Ø         Gives knowledge to the understand

Ø         He reveals deep and secret things

Ø         He knows what is in darkness

Ø         Light dwells with him 

 

Each of these qualifications of God runs counter to man’s view of his world. God alone is the source of understanding and wisdom, God alone is the cause of kingdoms and He gives knowledge and wisdom to whom he chooses.

 

Daniel reports revelation of secret

 

DA 2:24  Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation."

DA 2:25  Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, "I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation."

DA 2:26  The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?"

DA 2:27  Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, "The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king.

DA 2:28  "But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:

Daniel went… Daniel approaches the Arioch with spiritual power, knowing his God is in control, not the king of Babylon.  From this verse, it seems as the wise men of Babylon who had not yet been killed were awaiting execution.   Daniel takes spiritual authority much in the same way Paul took authority on the boat headed to Rome.  ( Acts 27-28)  Daniel orders Arioch, by saying “Do not destroy”.

He we see another trait of Daniel, he had compassion on his fellow man. Daniel probably knew many of the people arrested by Arioch, he could have waited until these astrologers, sorcerers, and soothsayers die, but he does not.  Daniel intercedes on their behalf, this characteristic is seen again in chapter 9 as Daniel intercedes for his people and again God answers Daniel’s prayer.

Arioch… Arioch who was about to kill the wise man, approaches the king and tries to take credit for Daniel, saying, “I have found a man”.

The king answered…The king of Babylon gave Daniel an opportunity to take glory for himself by asking him if he is able.  Here we see why God used Daniel, Daniel gave God the glory and praise and was not afraid of what people thought. He praised his God in the midst of the pagans.

Daniel answered… After saving the wise men of Babylon, he then goes on to expose them and give glory to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Daniel is not afraid to tear down the religion of Babylon  before the priests of Babylon.  Here we see God’s mercy toward Babylonians, by exposing the wise men as spiritual frauds, God through Daniel reveals himself to all Babylon.

But there is a God….  Daniel contrasts the God of Heaven with the gods of the Babylonians.  The God of heaven could give the answer the Babylonian gods could not. The God of the Jews was the true God as opposed to all the others who claimed to be God.

He has made known… Daniel lets the king of Babylon know, the message is personal, directly from God to Nebuchadnezzar, God is letting the king know what is going to happen in the latter days.

The latter days…. This term is used several times in the book of Daniel (Daniel2:28, 8:19,23, 10:14) also the term end of days in the last verse of Daniel refers to the completion of this age when Daniel will be resurrected.

Bible prophecy plays such a significant role in the book of Daniel giving undeniable evidence to skeptical world. In Daniel we have the exact month and year of Jesus Christ death, 539 years before he is born. Daniel does for this world much of what he did for Nebuchadnezzar, providing the evidence of God.

 Daniel provides the evidence, the king of Babylon was looking for, super natural evidence proving God is the author. Daniel reveals the whole succession of kingdoms leading to the final kingdom, where Messiah (Christ) will succeed all the kingdoms of the earth.

 

22 "Let them bring forth and show us what will happen; Let them show the former things, what they were, That we may consider them, And know the latter end of them; Or declare to us things to come.

23 Show the things that are to come hereafter, That we may know that you are gods; Yes, do good or do evil, That we may be dismayed and see it together.

Isaiah 41:22-23

 

Your dream…   Daniel demonstrates his confidence in his vision by proclaiming to the king of Babylon his dream, saying, “Your dream….are these”. He shows no hesitation but takes charge in the spiritual realm.

 

The purpose of the dream

 

DA 2:29  "As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be.

DA 2:30  "But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.

DA 2:31  "You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome.

For you, O king… Daniel’s description takes him right into the king’s room describing the king laying on his bed. The troubling thoughts came to Nebuchadnezzar about what would take place after this, the future. 

What will be… The quick summary about the dream is it talks about the future, “After this…what will be”.

As for me…   Daniel again removes himself from any glory or praise. Daniel does not want to take any of the glory due God. He merely informs the king its so the king can know the thoughts on his heart and for Daniel and his friends sake the vision was made known.  God choose to spare the lives of these four young men, so made the dream known to them.

You king were watching… The king inside his dream is watching a great image, this image is awesome and fearful. The image reflected light giving it splendor and greatness to the king who was watching the image in his dream.  This sheds light on Daniel 3, where  Nebuchadnezzar  tries to construct this very same image in the plain of Dura.

 

 

The dream revealed

 

DA 2:32  "This image's head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze,

DA 2:33  "its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

DA 2:34  "You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.

DA 2:35  "Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

 

The image’s head….The image the king sees is one that of a man standing made of composite materials.  The first part is the head described as fine gold. 

Chest and arms…The second material is silver, which is lower in quality then gold.

Belly and thighs…The third element is bronze, less valuable then silver and a combination of tin, zinc and copper.

Legs… The fourth element is still less valuable then bronze, is Iron.

Feet partly iron..clay….  The fifth element to complete this image is clay combined with Iron at the base, the feet.

A stone cut without hands….  This image comes to its end when a stone, with no human involvement, hence “Cut without hands” strikes the image on its feet.

Struck the image…The location of the strike is important to understanding the dream.  The feet, especially the 10 toes have significance in the rest of scripture.

Crushed together….the elements making this image are crushed by the stone and are carried away in the wind not leaving a trace.

The stone…The stone becomes a great mountain that filled the whole earth.