God sent a troubling dream to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and will use the prophet Daniel to give him its irrefutable interpretation. Through this, God will reveal His future plan for all people on earth – a succession of four great world empires which will rule over them right down to the present day. This dream ends with a glimpse of what is to come in our future – one last amalgamation of world nations in rebellion against the Lord under the leadership of a demonic and charismatic leader known as Antichrist. This leader and his vast government will be swept away by the return of Jesus Christ and His installation as King over the entire world. Unlike the four preceding empires, this divine kingdom will never be replaced.
Does this future sound far-fetched? It may, but that is the reason God laid out the entire plan for us well in advance using Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. As each item becomes fulfilled, we can have more confidence in the items that remain.
When we last saw Daniel, he and his friends were under the shadow of death because of the king’s rage – no one could tell him and interpret his mysterious and worrisome dream. All of the king’s spiritual advisors, including the up-and-coming Daniel and his friends, were to be immediately put to death for their failure to successfully answer the king’s demand.
But God revealed the dream and its interpretation to Daniel after he and his friends sought the Lord with earnest prayer.
24 Thereupon, Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to kill the wise men of Babylon; he went and said this to him: “Do not kill the wise men of Babylon! Take me into the king’s presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king.”
25 Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into the king’s presence and spoke to him as follows: “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!” 26 The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?” 27 Daniel answered before the king and said, “As for the secret about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, sorcerers, soothsayer priests, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. 28 However, there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. 29 As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will take place. 30 But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living person, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind. Daniel 2:24-29 (NASB)
Daniel then revealed the dream to the king:
31 “You, O king, were watching and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary radiance, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. 32 The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its chest and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 You continued watching until a stone was broken off without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed to pieces all at the same time, and they were like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the entire earth. Daniel 2:31-35 (NASB)
God revealed the secret dream to Daniel, and the king knew it was true. Therefore, the interpretation that Daniel would provide had to be true, as well. Surely the king was all ears as Daniel prepared to interpret the dream.
Reflection
When God brings in His kingdom on His terms, peace and security will finally reign over the earth. Hunger, suffering, and tears will be a thing of the past. His great light and love will replace all darkness.
Lord, teach us to number our days so as to use them for Your glory. Help us to get off of paths which are not prescribed for us by You, and to follow You on the ones where we belong. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Daily Meditations from the Genealogy of Jesus 