This is an absolutely beautiful Bible. The cardboard book sleeve does an excellent job of protecting the Bible itself from shelfware, as evidence by the fact that in shipping, the front of the book sleeve did get slightly dented, but the Bible itself was entirely undamaged.
This Bible contains 53,000 (!!!!!!!!) center-column references! 53,000!? What a valuable resource for any Christian!
Thomas Nelson Publishing company never disappoints. The Bibles that they print are always high in quality and eye-catching.
This Bible is large print, meaning that the font size is a readable 10.5-point. This Bible includes Bible book introductions, a concordance, a 365-day reading plan, and a matching satin ribbon bookmarker. It is a Red Letter Edition, which is also a definite bonus because the reader can quickly identify the words of our Savior Jesus.
I absolutely LOVE the pink color on this Bible. I’ve always been pretty traditional in my book collecting; most of my copies of the Bible are black, a few brown, and a maroon one here and there. The soft pink offered as an option for this Bible makes this a beautiful and thoughtful gift for any female pastors in your life, mothers, grandmothers, and young women.
Thomas Nelson Bibles are renowned for their beautiful color maps included in so many editions of the Bibles they print. The KJV Large Print Center-Column Reference Bible is no exception:
With all that is currently going on in the Middle East, being able to quickly turn to maps that express God’s story in His dealings with humanity is truly a blessing. I find that Bible history comes so much more alive with the use of colorful maps such as those included in this KJV Large Print Center-Column Reference Bible.
Readability
This lovely Bible is readable, not only because of the 10.5-point Comfort Print (TM), but also because the layout is so well-crafted. The introduction does not draw attention to itself and likewise the center-column references do not cause confusion to the following of the actual Biblical text.
The King James Version Large Print Center-Column Reference Bible lays flat, which also aids in its readability because it won’t fold in on itself when the reader is trying to read it. Here is an example of this Bible laying flat, open to the book of Ecclesiastes:
Rev. Jennifer Mieliulis Fuentes, M.Div., Duke University
Book details
Title: KJV Large Print Center-Column Reference Bible Author: Publisher: Thomas Nelson Bibles Release Date: March 2024 Genre: BIBLES/King James Version/Reference
Daniel 5: King Belshazzar and a new King in charge
A New King in charge: King Belshazzar
In our study of Daniel, we have talked at length about King Nebuchadnezzar: from his rule over magnificent and wealthy Babylon to his humiliation when he lived in the manner of beasts. King Nebuchadnezzar’s wits had been restored to him, but meanwhile, kings rise up and fall . . . and at this point in the historical record, there was a new king in charge.
A historian named Berosus had chronicled what was happening in Babylon. He actually served as a Babylonian priest of Bel Marduk, but he was Hellenistic and actually wrote in Koiné Greek, a departure from Chaldean (an Aramaic dialect). We see a transitioning from the Babylon of King Nebuchadnezzar into a weakening empire that would be overtaken first by the Medo-Persians and then by the Greeks.
Berosus gives a timeline for some of these kings which helps us understand where King Belshazzar fits in.
King Nebuchadnezzar had a son. His name was Evil-Merodach. His Babylonian name would be transliterated more like Awil-Marduk, but I think as generations have passed, scribes left it as “Evil” because he was evil, licentious (lawless, crude, unrestrained), and served Marduk so the name fits and has stuck.
If you remember from Daniel 1, King Jehoiachin of Judah was the son of King Jehoiakim of Judah.
ExtraBiblical sources such as Berosus and even Ptolemy record that Evil-Merodach ruled for only 2 years and then was assassinated by his brother-in-law. His brother-in-law was named Nergal-Sharezar.
Well, the Bible does at least mention Nergal-Sharezar in Jeremiah 39:3 –
It is said he ruled for 4 years and then he died of natural causes. The ancient historians say that he had a son, Laborosoarchod, who ruled as a child, but he had a mental disorder. He only ruled for 9 months when a gang of conspirators beat him to death.
The gang appointed one of their guys, Nabonidus, to be the new king.
Nabonidus had a son named Belshazzar, who became king. These were the final Babylonian kings.
Don’t confuse Daniel’s Babylonian name, “Belteshazzar” with this King Belshazzar. Very similar and even in meaning, their gods will “protect,” but Daniel is not the king, so don’t get confused by all these names.
It has been years since the holy items had been taken from the Jerusalem temple.
But Belshazzar wanted to make a point of how mighty his empire was and commanded that the gold and silver cups and utensils be brought to be used at his pagan feast and all those people drank from them with no shame.
Remember King Nebuchadnezzar’s statue dream? It was constructed of each of those items. Their worship was severely misguided and would result in the fulfillment of that dream.
If you’ve ever heard that phrase, “the handwriting’s on the wall,” everything’s going down from here . . . it comes from this.
King Belshazzar watched as he experienced a vision. He saw a man’s hand writing on the wall. Like King Nebuchadnezzar’s before him, King Belshazzar’s countenance changed . . . and his knees buckled!
According to commentaries, the queen mentioned in Daniel 5:10 is not King Belshazzar’s wife, but rather the queen mother. The Queen was either versed in their national history, had a good memory, or feared God. She knew about Daniel and counseled Belshazzar to call for Daniel. She was certain Daniel could give Belshazzar the interpretation of the writing on the wall.
Daniel had been governor, but with all the different kings rising to power, he had essentially been demoted and forgotten about. Now King Belshazzar offers to make him third in command.
Daniel is very confident in who he is as a prophet. He knew he would be able to interpret the writing.
When you serve God and you know who you are in Christ, you can have that same conviction. Learn to operate in the gifts of the Spirit and allow God to use you to bless others. Daniel had a prophetic gifting and He cultivated that as He sought God.
Daniel reminds King Belshazzar about all that happened to his predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar.
Verse 22 is very convicting because Daniel tells Belshazzar, “you knew all [of] this.”
This isn’t news to you, king.
Daniel describes 5 sins of Belshazzar:
Belshazzar hasn’t humbled his heart
Belshazzar has lifted himself up against the Lord of heaven. Daniel uses the term, “Lord.” In those earlier chapters, the term “God” was often used. But it has been established which God we are talking about, and not only is the God of Israel Supreme, but He is LORD of heaven. Lord over all of Belshazzar’s gods.
Belshazzar used the LORD’s holy vessels to drink wine at his pagan feast.
Belshazzar has given praise to idols who cannot see, hear, or know.
Belshazzar refuses to glorify the God who has given him life, and who owns everything
The area in southern Babylon near the Persian Gulf was known as the “Land of the sea.” I imagine it would have been seen as a tourist destination, a beautiful place.
Well, God mocks their view of beauty. He calls it the Wilderness – in other words, the Wasteland desert of the sea. Babylon would be made desolate.
Daniel actually lived in Elam according to Daniel 8:2.
We know that ultimately Elam (Persia) will ally with Magog, which is believed to be Russia. (Ez.38:5)
There are differing views as to when the Gog/Magog war will begin, so you would have to really study this out to come up with what you think best aligns with the Scriptures.
Some believe the Gog/Magog War will occur pre-Tribulation while others believe it would occur during the first half of the tribulation. In any case, we know that Iran will fall on the mountains of Israel (Ez.39:4-5). While Iran and Russia plot and plan for a total victory, Ezekiel 39:7 assures us that God will make His Holy Name known.
Hope for Iranians?
It is so very difficult to live in a nation that does its best to work against God.
Even the United States is becoming more and more secularized and anti-God.
The people of Iran have faced so much oppression, yet God has been working and there have been many conversions to Christianity despite the very real risks.
God can still bless you, even if you find yourself alone.
Place your trust in Him today! The fulfillment of so many Biblical prophecies in Isaiah, Daniel and Ezekiel prove that He will soon return! Are you ready for His return? Are you ready to meet Him in the air? If you would like to know more about Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ), please send us a message. We would love to hear from you!
Review: Amplified Journal the Word Bible from Zondervan
As part of the Zondervan bloggerprogram, I have received a copy of the Zondervan Amplified “Journal the Word” Biblepublished by Zondervan Bibles/Harper Collins Publishers at no cost to mein exchange for an honest reviewhere on the Adonai Shalom USA blog.#zondervanpartner
The Zondervan Amplified Journal the Word Bible uses the popular Amplified translation of the Biblical text. This particular edition allows ample space so that those who enjoy taking notes in the margins or even drawing and doodling can have room to truly personalize their copy of the Holy Scriptures.
The Amplified version is nice because this translation inserts notes to help define key words and phrases in Scripture that are otherwise misunderstood or overlooked due to difficulties in transition from the original Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew. The brackets and parentheses help to ensure that none of these notes are mistaken as actual Scripture, which is critical because Revelation 22:18 sternly warns us to never add to the actual Scriptures. The purpose of the Amplified Bible is to add understanding, not to add erroneous text, and I believe it fulfills its mission in a helpful way for those wanting to delve deeper into the original meaning of the text.
From the back cover book jacket: “The Amplified Bible translation delivers enhanced understanding of the rich nuances and shades of meaning of the original Greek and Hebrew words in Scripture. Using a unique system of brackets, parentheses, and italics, the Amplified Bible defines and expands key words and phrases within the text of Scripture. In this way, the fuller meaning of God’s Word unfolds, verse by verse, as you read.”
I immediately noticed the beautiful Leathersoft (TM) cover. The size of this Bible is perfect for personal devotionals.
It features two satin ribbon bookmarks and it lays flat when open, which is ideal for serious notetakers!
The Zondervan Amplified Journal the Word Bible is excellent for personal study. It is not; however, a “study Bible” in that this Bible does not contain notes, commentary, concordances, nor maps. The Amplified translation intends for the reader to gather insights from the amplified text which does contain elements that could be considered commentary. Immediately following the ending of the New Testament in Revelation, there are additional pages for personal notes.
The Zondervan Amplified Journal the Word Bible does contain an “Explanation of General Format” to help those unfamiliar with the Amplified version to understand how the features work within the text:
I personally enjoy anything that helps to further explain the original meanings, so I like the Amplified Version. The only thing I could suggest to make this particular Journal the Word Bible even better would be if there were further textual commentary included on each page.
This high-quality Amplified version of the Bible is suitable for anyone who enjoys writing notes or drawing in the margins of their personal devotional Bible. It would make a wonderful gift for the artists and creative people in your life who love God’s Word!
Rev. Jennifer Mieliulis Fuentes, M.Div., Duke University
Book details
Title: Amplified Journal the Word Bible Publisher: Zondervan Release Date: February 2024 Genre: BIBLES/The Amplified Bible/Journaling
ISBN-13: 978-0-310-46362-7
Daniel 4: Nebuchadnezzar is humbled before the True King
In the previous chapter, King Nebuchadnezzar witnessed the miracle of the 3 Judean youth unharmed despite being thrown into Babylon’s fiery furnace.
King Nebuchadnezzar now addresses everyone and decides to acknowledge God’s wondrous works:
Daniel 4:4 describes how Nebuchadnezzar was flourishing. This dream appears to be describing King Nebuchadnezzar’s current situation at the height of his reign – he is like a tall, strong tree that provides for the kingdom in abundance.
The watchers from the heavenly court have made a very strong decree so that “the living may know that the Most High rules . . . “: King Nebuchadnezzar’s heart will be transformed from that of a man to an animal.
And 7 times will pass.
Most interpret these 7 to be a literal 7 years. 7, again, symbolizes “completion.” In the completion of time, the fullness of time.
The purpose of the coming trial for King Nebuchadnezzar is for him to “come to know that Heaven rules.” King Nebuchadnezzar had a court, but the court of heaven is far superior to that of Babylon.
In Daniel 4:20, the tree is described similarly to the Tower of Babel: having height reaching to the heavens:
King Nebuchadnezzar had the same ambitious spirit.
The tree is to be chopped down, but the stump left in tact and bound up with iron and bronze.
In Daniel 2, iron and bronze represented Rome and Greece, respectively. The Babylonian Empire would remain intertwined – rooted – and even so much as bound up – together with the empires that would follow. Rather than displaying its power and might freely, Babylon would be confined.
Daniel gives King Nebuchadnezzar some valuable advice: seek righteousness and mercy to break the power of sin in his life. Looking ahead to Daniel 4:29, we see that God gave King Nebuchadnezzar a full year to repent!
King Nebuchadnezzar was afflicted with what modern psychologists call “boanthropy.” This is a mental disorder that causes its victim to believe he is an ox or a cow. But I think King Nebuchadnezzar had it even worse. I haven’t seen anybody have hair like eagle’s feathers and nails like claws. God allowed him to experience a pit of shame. Sometimes that’s what it takes to get us to not think so highly of ourselves. His pride as Babylon’s leader had to be stripped away.
We must pray for God’s mercy, that we will always remain humble no matter what position we find ourselves in whether it is in ministry or a secular job or any type of leadership.
Daniel 4:36 tells us that for the glory of King Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, God allowed his honor and splendor to return to him. King Nebuchadnezzar extolled and honored God as the true King.
A lesson for us today
Pride sets itself up so very quickly, and when a person has access to privilege and material possessions, it can be a challenge to remain humble.
Our King Jesus demonstrated humility, as we talked about on Palm Sunday. May the Lord help each of us to always remain humble and give God all the glory in our lives!
We’ve been talking a bit about Lazarus. Lazarus needed someone to pray for him and he ended up being resurrected, but Jesus – He could resurrect Himself!
Now today, we see that the Bible says (John 20:9) that the disciples “as yet did not know the Scripture that He must rise again…” The lesson in that for us is, let’s make sure we know the Scriptures so we are never caught off guard and we can attest to the reality that Jesus did in fact rise from the dead!
Conquering Fear
The resurrection is as much about new life as it is about conquering fear.
It is because of the resurrection that Paul could say:
When I served as a chaplain, I saw death every day.
Some people were ready to confront that reality while others were definitely not.
Those who had lived for Jesus and had professed a consistent faith in Christ were ready. Even when pain would come, believers have a peace and a preparedness, knowing that death is no longer final and that
One night at the hospital, there was a man there who essentially refused to repent. From what I could tell, he didn’t believe in Jesus, heaven, or hell and he was experiencing genuine agony. Excruciating pain coupled with absolute fear.
When a person has never experienced a life-changing encounter with Jesus, they will fear death in an often terrifying way.
The disciples would have been terrified, too.
They were targets after the crucifixion. Peter denied Jesus for a reason. These people were scared out of their minds!
Their hopes that somehow Jesus would miraculously escape being put to death had been crushed.
They didn’t know that death could be defeated with finality. Yes, Lazarus had been raised up, but a lasting, victorious eternal resurrection . . . they didn’t know that was possible.
The disciples were in hiding. It was probably actually safer for the women to go to the tomb!
But Mary went to the tomb while it was still dark. She was eager and probably couldn’t sleep, but she, like Nicodemus going to visit Jesus under cover of darkness, took advantage of the darkness to go out.
Mary was with Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women. They had brought prepared spices for the body of Jesus.
They’ve taken the body?
Who?
The angels?
Mary and her friends were “greatly perplexed” (verse 4) about where the body could be.
And then the 2 angels appear and ask the perfect question:
“Why do you seek the living among the dead? And they reminded the women of Jesus’ words.
But the women still don’t grasp this fully because John says they came back saying that they didn’t know where the body was lain.
Between the shock of it all and having just received an angelic visitation, the women’s story when they came back sounded like gibberish to the men. They have all been traumatized.
Jesus was killed in the most excruciating way possible, crucified on that cross, then He was buried, and now nobody knows where He is.
He’s wanted dead or alive.
Where is Jesus?
Where is the body?
Peter
But Peter, he had been through enough in the past few hours, he knew he should go to that tomb. See what is going on.
John 20:9 Peter and the women and the other disciples did not yet know the meaning of the Scriptures.
Luke 24:12 Peter marveled to himself about what happened.
Jesus appears to Mary
Overtaken by the emotion of the moment, Mary was weeping. She is just so worried about where this body is at.
Do you ever get so focused on something and people around you or the Holy Spirit is telling you – the answer is before you, but you are so distracted that you don’t see it?
God sent angels to Mary and even Jesus Himself and she was still struggling!
When Mary thought she was talking to a gardener, she still asked Him, “where did you lay the body?” She is willing to take Jesus’ body anywhere else if they would just tell her where it is.
So Jesus meets her where she is at and calls her by name.
When you find yourself facing a fear or very anxious, turn to Jesus.
The Resurrected Risen Jesus appeared and said, Shalom. “Peace be with you.”
He showed them his wounds because He knew they were incapable of having peace until they had seen some physical evidence.
Jesus repeats His blessing – trying to reassure these panicked, fearful disciples.
And then He immediately commissions them.
He didn’t give them a day to reflect on what had happened. He immediately sends them out to make more disciples. There is no time to waste. Souls need to be saved.
You need the Holy Spirit. The same power that raised up Jesus from the grave.
John 20:23 has been taken out of context at times because it seems a little confusing. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them, if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. This has to do with the responsibility that Jesus’ disciples have to preach the Gospel to the world. A person who has never heard the Gospel cannot receive life-saving forgiveness. Only God has the power to forgive.
When Jesus was in the room, and showed them His hands and His side, Thomas wasn’t there.
Don’t miss God.
Why wasn’t Thomas around?
Sometimes people stop going to church, they are no longer accountable, or for various reasons whether it’s past hurts or fears or judgmentalism, they just stop attending. They don’t gather with believers, even though Hebrews 10:25 tells us to never neglect the assembling together because we are encouraged when we are together.
Was Thomas too afraid to be there?
Did Thomas already lose his faith, just completely devastated that Jesus was dead?
That was fast. Some people don’t have unshakable faith. You gotta get to a place where you have unshakable faith.
Doubting Thomas wants to see a sign – and ironically he requests to see the print of the nails and feel the wounds of his hand and side. But Jesus already showed that. Thomas missed the mark.
Thomas wasn’t there to receive the Holy Spirit. His missed out.
Don’t be the one who misses out.
The Resurrection changed everything
Had Jesus never risen from the dead, we would be without hope.
The resurrection changed everything!
Let the reality of the resurrection breathe new life into you today. Meditate on the awesomeness that Jesus has power over the grave, and you, too, will one day rise to be with the Lord!
We know something that not everyone knows.
Like the disciples who encounter the Risen Jesus, we have a testimony that people need to hear.
It’s that age-old question. Where is Jesus? Who is Jesus?
Maybe you are someone who has heard the Gospel many times, but you need to regroup and regain the sense of awe and power that the Gospel should have over your life.
1 Corinthians 1:18: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
Before Lazarus was raised from the dead, Martha was unsure that Jesus could do anything.
But
John 11:25-26: “Jesus said to [Martha], ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’
Martha believed in a resurrection, on the last day. But Jesus said, we don’t need to wait for the last day. If you know me and if you believe my Words, lives can be resurrected right here right now.
So today, let it be our prayer: Lord, increase our faith!
Lord, make your Gospel real to me!
Lord, let me know the power of the Good News! That I would be motivated by the Gospel to share with others this glorious news!
Lord, make known to me – in a tangible way – who You are.
So that when the question is asked, Who is Jesus and where is He? He is here and His Spirit dwells within you and me and
Jesus is very much alive! He is risen, He is risen indeed!
Hallelujah!
Palm Sunday: the Hour has Come
Zechariah’s Shabbat HaGadol/Palm Sunday Prophecy
Every year, I enjoy reading Zechariah’s prophecy in Zechariah 9:9-10 that was fulfilled on Shabbat haGadol, Palm Sunday:
“From the River to the Sea . . . to the ends of the earth”
You may have heard the Palestinian chant back when Hamas’ Gaza still stood strong, “From the River to the sea, Palestine shall be free.”
The problem with the chant is that it (either inadvertently or purposefully) calls for the annihilation of Israel. Palestine wanted to claim the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
So when I read this portion of Zechariah’s prophecy in preparation for today’s message, I was struck by the ending of verse 10:
Last week we talked about Philip. He was the eager one. We’ve found Him! We have identified who the Messiah is and He is alive in our time today! On that first Palm Sunday, Philip would have been among those who were crying out “Hoshia-na!” Lord, save us!
That same excitement and enthusiasm is what we need. We know who the Savior is. He is alive in our time and He is coming back. We need to share with others that He is indeed the only One who can save us!
Philip and Andrew were long-time friends. People were coming far and wide to celebrate the Passover feast. It is very interesting that the Scriptures tell us that some Greek travelers were in town and wanted to see Jesus. The message of Jesus was reaching beyond the Jewish enclave. The message was for Jew and Greek, Jew and Gentile.
Philip, Andrew, Mary, Martha, the Risen Lazarus, and a whole multitude were waving palm branches and doing their best to get as close to Jesus as they could.
Enough had transpired that they loved Him. They waved the Palm Sunday branches just like they would have done with the lulav during the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles was like a divine dress rehearsal for the receiving of the Word who dwelt among us:
Notice, the people were commanded to rejoice. Now, the crowds in Jerusalem freely rejoiced and they heard testimony of witnessing Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead!
His fame was spreading and eyewitnesses to Lazarus’ resurrection were now willing to speak up and testify.
The Bible tells us the disciples didn’t understand at first (John 12:16). It took many of them until after the ascension to reflect back and see that Jesus had fulfilled the prophetic Scriptures.
The Greek word, δὲ, should be translated “and” in John 12:23. The “but” used in the NKJV should be “and.” KJV, ESV, and NIV got this right here.
Victory Proven
Jesus is fully triumphant. He is the One the Scriptures have foretold, He is revealing Himself to His disciples on that Palm Sunday and even the crowds around Him, and has announced that the hour has come for Him to be glorified.
He didn’t say, the hour of terror has come. It will be an excruciating hour, but Jesus is focused on the victory.
Meanwhile the Pharisees are wallowing in their ineffectual campaign against the Lord.
They are pointing fingers at each other. You’ve done nothing to stop this! The whole world is following this donkey-riding “king.” Their strategy to bring Him down is imploding because of their own disunity.
Unity is so very important. If we want to see a genuine move of God in this city, we need to be of united purpose. Division and finger-pointing are the enemy’s tactics to destroy such a movement.
“We wish to see Jesus”
On the first Palm Sunday, the Greek men expressed that they wanted to see Jesus. They didn’t care about the Pharisee’s religious constructs. Judaism was fairly foreign to them. They wanted to meet the miracle-working, salvation-bringing Son of God.
Similarly, there’s a hunger in hearts today.
Our culture here in North Central Wisconsin is also longing to see Jesus. They see a glimpse,
The human part of Jesus would really feel strongly about verse 5, don’t you think?
The divine part of Him knows He can’t ask the Father to detain this. He came to earth for this very moment.
And the Father’s voice was heard audibly. This gets glossed over a lot. A voice thundered. It’s unclear whether or not the people heard what was said to Jesus, but they knew a voice from above had spoken.
If any around had doubts, there could be no doubt now.
Who is the Son of Man?
The Palm Sunday crowd asked the essential question: who is this Son of Man? The Messiah we know about will live forever, but you talk of your death. Where do you fit into the story, Jesus? We don’t understand who is a “Son of Man.”
He spoke cryptically: be sons of light.
And then He left from that place and was hidden to them (v.36).
“Behold, our King is coming to you”
“Behold, our King is coming. He is just and having salvation.” Zechariah’s words that were fulfilled on Palm Sunday are still true to this day and they have a two-part meaning. The LORD rode in on a colt, but His dominion will extend to the ends of the earth. Maranatha!
Review: The NKJV Breathe Life Bible
As part of the Thomas Nelson Bibles bloggerprogram, I have received a copy of theNKJV Breath Life Bible published by Thomas Nelson Bibles/Harper Collins Publishers at no cost to mein exchange for an honest reviewhere on the Adonai Shalom USA blog.
The NKJV Breathe Life Bible is a Christian response to the social unrest in Minneapolis and around the country following the tragic death of George Floyd in 2020.
This edition of the Bible contains the full text of the reliable NKJV translation with articles throughout that relate to racial reconciliation and social justice.
The contributors have come up with an acronym: BREATHE: Believe, Reconcile, Exalt, Act, Trust, Hope, and Elevate to help the reader find peace in God’s Word in a broken world.
I received a paperback edition of this Bible. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the softcover edition contains the same high-quality, colorful maps that are found in so many Thomas Nelson Bibles such as the NKJV Ultra Thinline Bible.
The maps included feature the “World of the Patriarchs,” “Exodus and Conquest of Canaan,” “Land of the Twelve Tribes,” “Kingdom of David and Solomon,” “Jesus’ Ministry,” “Paul’s Missionary Journeys,” and “Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus.”
The binding showed a bit of wear from shipping, but all in all it is a high quality, economical edition of the Bible.
Here is an excerpt from the overview page on the Gospel According to Mark:
This Bible features articles focusing on “faith in action:”
This NKJV Bible uses a very readable “Comfort Print” font exclusive to Thomas Nelson Bibles.
Daniel was given the interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream because He relied on God’s promises. He prayed together with his friends and sought God, and the interpretation of the dream was given.
Daniel, like Joseph
This week I was reminded that Pharaoh, King of Egypt, also had mysterious and troubling dreams. God used Joseph to give him the interpretation. Like Daniel in Babylon, Joseph in Egypt was given favor by the pagan king and promoted to rule alongside the Pharaoh.
Remember the statue-like image of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream? (Daniel 2:32, 38)
He was the head of gold (Daniel 2:38). Babylon was extremely wealthy and prosperous.
So it is very fitting that King Nebuchadnezzar decides to buildhimself an image of gold.
A huge statue.
He clearly missed the point of the dream. The dream wasn’t so that he would go out and build himself a golden image, it was to alert him about the future of his kingdom and the kingdoms after him, but he fixates on the gold.
See Babylon was like Texas. Everything had to be bigger there.
An Israeli cubit was about 18″ while in Babylon a cubit was measured as about 20.”
This would make King Nebuchadnezzar’s statue the size of a 10 story building, which for ancient Babylon lacking modern construction machines, was a good size.
It was 60 by 6 cubits. Not 70 by 7. It was a mere imitation of greatness. Symbolically, the number 6 means incompletion in the Bible, sinfulness of mankind, human weakness, and the evil devil.
What was the image?
The Bible doesn’t tell us what the image actually was.
Was it a statue of one of the Babylonian deities? Or more likely: was it an image of King Nebuchadnezzar himself? Babylonian kings were worshipped as divine. Receiving a divinely-inspired dream, then, King Nebuchadnezzar may have felt very entitled to being worshipped, considering himself one amidst a pantheon of gods.
Dedication of the image
King Nebuchadnezzar decrees that all of his government officials have to come to the dedication of the idolatrous statue. What’s more, all of these people would be required to bow down and worship the gold idol when his pagan worship band starts playing.
Worship: or else . . .
The spirit of Babylon always forces a pluralistic and polytheistic agenda. Pluralism is the accepting of all religions as equally valid. Polytheism is the belief in multiple gods. Babylon claims to promote religious tolerance. We see evidence of that in their worship because the names of the instruments are actually written in Greek. The rest of this chapter is written in Aramaic, but the uniting of pagan practices and musical influences was occurring in Babylon. The empire wanted to put on a show of inclusivity and universalist worship!
Some of the Chaldeans (remember, this is just another name for Babylonians) decide to accuse the Jews. (Daniel 3:12). The Aramaic term there in Daniel 3:8קְרַץ “qerets” translated as simply “charges” has a deeper connotation of “maliciously accused” and more literally, “to eat the pieces of, to devour piece by piece” (NKJV Study Bible).
So the Chaldeans came forward to maliciously accuse Daniel’s friends “to devour them a bit at a time, piece by piece.” It’s interesting that Daniel is not accused at this point, only his friends.
In Daniel 3:12, Daniel’s friends are listed by name. Their accusers are trying to really make a point. An “us” vs. “them” point.
They want to remind King Nebuchadnezzar that these Jews, who serve in the government refuse to assimilate into the pagan culture.
And King Nebuchadnezzar follows the antiSemitic lead of his advisors, but to his credit, (Daniel 3:14) he does ask the Hebrews directly if the accusations are true.
Refusal to Worship Pagan Deities
Daniel 3:13 describes King Nebuchadnezzar as being in a “rage and fury!”
He addresses Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah by their Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego and asks them directly: is this true? Do you not worship my golden image?
He gives them a second chance. “Next time you hear my worship team leading idol worship, make sure you fall down and worship.” He even says that would be “good!”
And then he threatens them. Worship or else you’re being thrown into an oven.
Back in Daniel 2:47, King Nebuchadnezzar had acknowledged that Daniel’s God is Lord of kings and able to reveal secrets. Did he forget already? Or did he not realize that Daniel’s friends also shared strong faith in the God of Israel? King Nebuchadnezzar viewed himself as a god and because our God cannot be seen with human eyes, he didn’t think there would be any intervention.
In Daniel 3:16, the three Judean young men don’t challenge Nebuchadnezzar. It kind of reads that way, like “we don’t need to answer you!” But it’s not that so much as they were admitting they had nothing to say, no answer for the king because their refusal to worship was so obvious.
A lot of people in our culture today, especially those who have grown up with a religious spirit are uncomfortable with expression in worship. They don’t want to raise their hands or they don’t want to physically bow before the Lord in prayer. But one of the very main definitions of worship used throughout the Bible is the Hebrew word “שָׁחָה”shachah, which means to “bow down, very low.” It is a physical action shown the heart’s devotion.
In the time of Babylon, it was no different. Worship, whether it was the worship of the One True God of Israel, or worship of a pagan deity, was understood as being physically prostrate before the object of worship.
So it was obvious that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were not physically bowing before anything. There was no need to defend themselves, they knew they were guilty of disobeying the king’s order.
The testimonies of believers who have gone before can really be encouraging. Daniel and his friends can really inspire us to trust in God no matter what happens and no matter the cost. Paul suffered and maintained an unwavering faith. He and Timothy wrote to the church in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11:
He has not forgotten about you. He knows the labor of love you do in service to Him. He sees you and He smiles. He died for you so you could live and when you face the world’s fiery furnaces and you feel under attack or afraid for your future, just remember, place your hope and trust in Him. He is your confidence and your rescuer, your mighty Savior.
The Bible says that Nebuchadnezzar’s countenance – the expression on his face – changed. Some translate this as “his face was distorted with his fury.” He took on a spirit of rage and his whole attitude worsened (NIV).
He orders the furnace turned up to 7x hotter than normal and then has his valiant army man bind up Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah and throw them into the fire.
The fiery furnace was so hot that it killed anyone near it. King Nebuchadnezzar’s men died instantly. To Nebuchadnezzar they were disposable. He makes no mention of their death. He is satisfied to oversee the three Judeans falling over in a fire, but then . . . he is completely taken aback.
3 tied up Hebrew men were cast into the fire, but now they were freely walking in the fire unharmed, and now not 3, but 4! The only thing that had burned were the ropes that had tied them up! The Septuagint translation (the Greek translation of the original Aramaic/Hebrew) actually says that King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished because he heard the men singing praises! It reminds me of Paul and Silas singing praises in the jail (Acts 16:25).
The New King James and the King James translates this as the Son of God. If you have commentary notes in your Bible, you might notice that Son of God could be translated as “son of the gods.” So which is it?
In Aramaic, the generic word for “God” is singular “Elah.” The plural for “Elah” is “elahin”, which although etymologically related to the Hebrew (a related Semitic language) for God, “Elohim,” the difference is that “elahin” is used only to refer to idols.
So (unusually!) the NIV actually translates this a bit more accurately:
King Nebuchadnezzar wouldn’t understand a singular Son of God. We know it was Jesus. But, we have to be careful reading translations (the original manuscripts of Scripture are 100% right).
So King Nebuchadnezzar expresses in his own language and his own understanding that there is Someone, of divine origin, who has appeared in the fire. He doesn’t know how to express what he is seeing from his pagan context.
I actually think that gives the text more power, not less. King Nebuchadnezzar is astonished because he is not the supreme deity. He has to really grapple with this . . . who are these Judeans and who is with them!?
This is an example of a theophany. A theophany is an appearance of God. The king of Babylon was astonished by this, but the Bible doesn’t mention if the 3 youth even knew the 4th man (Jesus!) was there. Sometimes God will manifest in a very tangible, apparent way in our lives, but other times, He is working and we don’t even realize how close He is to our situation.
In verse 26, King Nebuchadnezzar switches to “Elah,” the singular form! Here he is beginning to understand! He acknowledges that the 3 young men serve the Most High God (Elah). He is recognizing that the God of the Hebrews is greater than his Babylonian gods by singling Him out.
King Nebuchadnezzar only calls the 3 men out of the fire. The 4th man was heavenly enough in appearance, he knew not to even go there. The Chaldean advisors saw with their own eyes that the fire had no power whatsoever on them and they didn’t even smell like a fire.
Nebuchadnezzar celebrates this singular victorious God. Nebuchadnezzar sent his “Angel.” This is an accurate translation for the Aramaic מַלְאֲכֵהּ֙ (mal·’a·cheh) (Hebrew: מֲלְאָךְ malach). “Angel” can also be translated as “Messenger.” Nebuchadnezzar recognizes that a Messenger from God was in the fire.
No Other God can deliver like this
King Nebuchadnezzar realizes that no other God can deliver like this and he says no one is allowed to slander Hananiah, Mishael, nor Azariah. In keeping with his excessively brutal personality, King Nebuchadnezzar decrees that anyone who does speak against them shall be chopped up and their homes burned. This chapter ends with another promotion: the 3 Hebrew youth are once again promoted in the province of Babylon.
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were willing to pay the ultimate price to remain faithful and obedience to the One True God. And the LORD revealed Himself! May the LORD give us the strength to be that faithful!
Review: The Thomas Nelson NKJV VALUE Ultra Thinline Bible (And what is the difference between the Ultra Thinline and the VALUE Ultra Thinline?)
As part of the Thomas Nelson Bibles bloggerprogram, I have received a copy of the Thomas Nelson NKJV Value Ultra Thinline Bible published by Thomas Nelson Bibles/Harper Collins Publishers at no cost to mein exchange for an honest reviewhere on the Adonai Shalom USA blog.
This would be a perfect Bible for an evangelist or missionary: someone who knows the Word and does not want to carry extra weight around when traveling. This Bible does not contain commentary or even cross-references. This Bible would also be a perfect Bible for any new Christian wanting to read the Bible for him or herself without the distractions of footnotes, cross-references, or commentary.
Each of these Bibles have a presentation page that can be used if you are gifting this to someone special in your life.
A difference between the Thomas Nelson NKJV Value Ultra Thinline Bible and the Thomas Nelson NKJV Ultra Thinline Bible is that the value edition does not have the gilded golden edging on the pages. The edges are simple white paper.
I personally love the golden edging that is on most Bibles. It reminds me how special God’s Word is. But, if you are simply looking for an economical Bible or one that does not draw attention to itself, this will work for you.
The Bible does include an integrated red satin bookmark.
The NKJV Value Ultra Thinline Bibles use an 8-point font, called “Comfort Print” by Thomas Nelson Bibles. The text in both the ultra and value ultra looks identical to me.
The greige cover is beautiful and simple. The color is tasteful, too. I found it matches my kitchen table quite well!
Both the ultra and value ultra editions contain the beautiful full color maps that Thomas Nelson is known for. These Bibles are made with quality and longevity in mind.
The NKJV Value Ultra Thinline Bible contains only the simple Biblical text, keeping it lightweight and easy to carry with you anywhere. It does have the words of Christ in red. It would not be considered a “study Bible” because it does not have concordances or commentary.
The NKJV Value Ultra Thinline Bible comes with a lifetime guarantee which proves that Thomas Nelson stands by the quality of their Bibles. In order to get the lifetime guarantee, be sure to register your purchase using this link on the Thomas Nelson website.
This economical edition of God’s Holy Word in the New King James Version will last for years! It is easy to transport, making this a particularly useful Bible for evangelists and missionaries!
Rev. Jennifer Mieliulis Fuentes, M.Div., Duke University
Book details
Title: NKJV Value Ultra Thinline Bible Author: Publisher: Thomas Nelson Bibles Release Date: 2024 Genre: BIBLES/New King James Version/Text
King Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by dreams. Explore Daniel 2 and how the LORD granted great favor to Daniel and his friends.
Recap of Daniel 1: Steadfastness in love and faith
Daniel 1 highlighted the stark contrast between the godly faith of the young captives and the Babylonian culture. King Nebuchadnezzar and his staff tried their hardest to impose their pagan, polytheistic culture upon the Hebrew youth.
While Daniel, Hannah, Mishael, and Azariah did learn the Chaldean language and did learn about the Babylonian ways, they did not internalize it. They remained steadfast in their love for and commitment to God Most High, the only True God, the God of Israel.
King Nebuchadnezzar was troubled
Daniel tells us in Daniel chapter 2 that Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by vivid dreams.
Daniel 2:1 identifies Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams as having happened in the second year of his reign. This would be 603BC. In the Near East, there were different customs for the counting of years. Daniel preferred a whole year system, whereas Jeremiah counted part of a year as a full year. This has led to some people concluding that the Bible has discrepancies, but it does not.
King Nebuchadnezzar was troubled because he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Babylon was an enormous, prosperous empire and Nebuchadnezzar planned to keep it that way.
If we jump ahead to Daniel 2:29, we see that Daniel recognizes that the king was thinking at night when he was laying down in bed – worried about the future:
King Nebuchadnezzar struggled with psychological issues, and here we see signs of anxiety and insomnia that will increase throughout the book of Daniel.
King Nebuchadnezzar brought together his arsenal: those he considered “wise” enough, and really “spiritual” enough to decipher the vivid dreams he was experiencing:
Astrologers – astrologers studied the stars. Did you know that the Babylonians invented the modern horoscope? Capricorn and Sagittarius . . . the Babylonians invented the 12 signs of the zodiac and relied on their interpretation of the planetary alignments and constellations to predict outcomes. Astrologers served as priests in the Babylonian religion so they used the zodiac signs to attempt to determine the will of the gods.
Sorcerers – these are the witches and warlocks of Babylon. They would use satanic spells and incantations, amulets, and rituals of the dead to invoke demonic influences. They genuinely “received power from evil spirits” (NKJV Study Bible).
and Chaldeans – here Chaldeans is probably referring to a select group of Chaldean advisors (who likewise would have been well-educated in the Babylonian customs
The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, insisted that the magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers present themselves before him to tell what the king had dreamed.
Those who were accustomed to creating fear through their sorcery would now be very fearful of whether or not they would be able to correctly guess and describe Nebuchadnezzar’s mystery dreams.
Nebuchadnezzar was known as a brutal king and any misstep could merit execution.
Nebuchadnezzar did not have a relationship with God that could provide peace to his troubled soul. His dreams caused him to be unsettled and anxious.
However, notice that the Bible is talking about dreams, not “terrors of the night” or “nightmares.” The dream impacted Nebuchadnezzar enough that he wanted an interpretation, but this was a God-given dream.
Nightmares come from the evil one. While what God might reveal to us may be unsettling at times, he is not the author of confusion nor of fear.
“O king, live forever” was their way of saying, “Long live the king!” The Chaldean advisors praised their earthly king in an effort to keep him appeased and at least fake some confidence.
King Nebuchadnezzar wanted relief from his distress so badly that he made a firm decision regarding the consequence should those summoned before him fail to correctly identify the dream and its interpretation: he would have them cut into pieces and their homes burned.
There was an ancient practice of dismembering bodies and so this is what the king is referring to when he says anyone who doesn’t know the dream will be chopped up. (See 1 Samuel 15:33,Daniel 3:29)
On the flip side, if the advisors could provide what the king wanted, King Nebuchadnezzar promised to reward them well.
King Nebuchadnezzar’s advisors realized the peril of their situation. They asked the king to at least reveal the dream so they could provide their interpretation.
However, King Nebuchadnezzar would make it very obvious that the sorcerers and magicians were not as powerful as perhaps they wanted him to believe. He replied to them that if they had the ability to identify his dream he would trust that they had the power to give the interpretation.
The Chaldean advisors would have been panicking at this point. They admit that no one could possibly know the dream “except the gods.”
Living up to his harsh reputation, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered all the wise men of Babylon killed. Daniel and his friends have not been mentioned in this chapter until now, but they were considered among the Chaldean wise men and were therefore about to be killed.
In another sign of King Nebuchadnezzar’s questionable mental state, his desperation causes him to fixate on wanting to kill the very people who could potentially give him his answer. He demonstrates very self-destructive behavior.
Young Daniel spoke with the captain of the king’s guard, a man named Arioch. ארי The name Arioch in both Hebrew and Aramaic indicates a meaning like “Lion-like,” an appropriate name for a military leader.
Daniel approached Arioch with “counsel” and “wisdom.” He didn’t know why the decree was so “urgent”/”harsh,” but Arioch filled him in on what was going on.
Daniel had enough favor to proceed to go directly to the king to ask him for some time to fulfill the king’s request. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah sought “mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret” and prayed that they would not be killed along with the others.
Whenever you face a challenge or need God’s direction, seek His mercies! Pray! Your very first line of attack should be as a prayer warrior!
Daniel’s leadership in prayer and consistent faithfulness to pursuing God’s will and way resulted in God granting him supernatural favor. Daniel received a vision in the night that revealed the secret dream.
Dream and Visions
Do you notice in verse 19 that the Bible says Daniel received a night vision?
Normally, visions are understood as occurring during the day, while dreams occur at night.
I believe God wants us to notice that Daniel had been awake. He was seeking God with all his might and the Lord gave him a vision.
Daniel very naturally praised the God of His fathers.
When Daniel says, “Blessed be the Name of God forever and ever.” The construction in Aramaic could also be translated, “Let God’s Name be blessed/praised forever and ever.” It is clear that Daniel is exalting God and inviting others to do the same.
He gives reasons: because wisdom and might belong to God.
And God is the one who changes the times and seasons (times and seasons will become very important as we continue along in Daniel). God has power over the weather and the days and the times; God is ultimately King over all the kings of the earth and He removes them and raises new ones up.
God alone is Wise and All-Knowing. He gives wisdom and knowledge to those who are wise and have understanding. Notice – he “gives wisdom to the wise” and “knowledge to those who have understanding” – already. Daniel is talking about increase. Those who already have some wisdom and knowledge will receive still more, but he is not saying that God is giving wisdom to the unwise or knowledge to those lacking understanding. God has chosen to give increase to those who understand.
In Babylon, this would have been a controversial position. Daniel is making the claim that the wise in the kingdom are not wise due to their own wisdom and knowledge nor did their insights come from the Babylonian deities. God alone holds true wisdom and knowledge.
Likewise, God alone can reveal deep and secret things.
Though we cannot see in the darkness, God knows what is there and He illuminates all because Light dwells within Him. He is the Light of the world!
Daniel is thankful and acknowledges that God has given him wisdom and might (or strength). He is thankful that God answers prayer and has made known to him and his friends the king’s demand.
Arioch the military commander must have had a pretty good relationship with Daniel. Remember, Arioch is the same man who filled in Daniel about what was happening with the killings of the Chaldean wise men.
This time Daniel filled in Arioch on some important news: Daniel told him that he knew the interpretation and asked Arioch to bring him before King Nebuchadnezzar.
Arioch responded quickly. He knew the urgency and gravity of the matter because lives were at stake. Without the interpretation, Arioch himself would have to continue to carry out the king’s orders to kill all of the wise men of Babylon. Daniel 2:25 says Arioch quickly brought Daniel before King Nebuchadnezzar.
I find it interesting that Arioch specifies here that the man who has the interpretation is one of the “captives of Judah.” It seems Arioch supports Daniel because he does not suggest that Daniel “might” know the interpretation, but rather says with certainty: “who will make known to the king the interpretation.”
King Nebuchadnezzar asks Daniel (Belteshazzar) directly if he is able to describe the dream and to give the interpretation.
Daniel boldly affirms that he has this ability because of His relationship with the God of heaven. Daniel begins by reminding the king that his wise men and astrologers and magicians and soothsayers have been unable to reveal the king’s secret dream.
And then Daniel makes a faith statement. He does not believe in the polytheism of King Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. He declares “there is a God in heaven.”
Daniel proceeds to inform the King of Babylon that the God of Heaven has revealed the mystery dream. Daniel is making quite the claim: that his God – the God of the Judean captives – is indeed the Omniscient, All-Powerful God and that Daniel will serve as His spokesman for a prophetic word that will reveal what will happen in the future.
The Chaldean culture was very focused on their view of “wisdom.”
So Daniel makes very clear that although he is counted among the wise, it was not because of his human wisdom that he was able to ascertain the secret dream.
God alone, All-Merciful and All-Knowing chose to reveal the dream to Daniel to spare the lives of the wise men (particularly those of Judean descent). God loves the Chaldean and the Judean: He wants all to learn of Him and trust in His ways. God also loves King Nebuchadnezzar! In His mercy, God wants King Nebuchadnezzar to understand the dream he was given and have time to repent.
Daniel with his friends had prayed for revelation and the interpretation together. Daniel included them in the presentation of the interpretation. The dream was a revelation about four kingdoms represented by an image comprised of four metals.
Ultimately, this is an end times revelation about world empires and the return of Christ.
I found an illustration that you may find helpful. I believe “bronze” is a bit more accurate than “brass,” but besides this small detail, the rest of this illustration seems accurate:
Notice that while gold would be prized as most valuable, the four materials associated with the different empires go down in value but up in strength.
The First Kingdom
It is revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar that he is the head of a series of kingdoms. King Nebuchadnezzar has achieved great wealth and fame, a “king of kings.” It is generally accepted that the first kingdom depicted by the dream is Babylon.
The Second Kingdom
Medo-Persian Empire
The next kingdom would be inferior, but still strong. This refers to the Medo-Persian empire. Persia today is known as Iran. The Medes were from Media, a city important to the Islamic people of Iran. Today, the descendants of the Medes are likely the Kurds of Iraq. The people of Media joined together with the Persians (like the image describes the two arms and chest).
King Cyrus and the gates of bronze and bars of iron
King Cyrus was the ruler of the Medo-Persian Empire.
This passage reveals to us that Cyrus, a Gentile king, did not know the God of Israel yet God was using him to bless Israel. Notice the references to breaking the gates of bronze and the bars of iron – components of the future kingdoms.
The Medo-Persian Empire was conquered by Alexander the Great, a Macedonian (Greek) in 331BC.
The Third Kingdom
Grecian Empire
The third kingdom is represented by bronze. This refers to the Greek (or “Grecian”) Empire. The military of Greece may have used bronze for their armor and weaponry.
Alexander the Great
In 336BC, Alexander the Great conquered Greece and very rapidly extended the empire to the edges of the known world at that time, including the conquering of the Medo-Persian empire. The Grecian Empire extended as far south as Egypt, east to Syria and Persia, and all the way to the border of Pakistan with India. Alexander’s military might was so ferociously successful that it is said that at one point Alexander wept because he couldn’t think of any more places to conquer in his quest for world domination.
Although Greece was a strong empire, its division into warring city-states weakened it over time and Greece eventually fell to Rome in 146BC following the Macedonian wars.
The Fourth Kingdom
Roman Empire
The fourth kingdom is represented by iron. This represents Rome, the last significant world empire. The Bible describes the image in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as having two iron legs (Daniel 2:33).
The two legs could represent division, in that Rome became divided between the Eastern and Western empire (Constantinople/Byzantium vs. Rome/Mediterranean).
Rome’s influence has lasted even to our time.
Roman architecture still very much influences our own government buildings.
The concepts of having a senate, courts, and military codes of ethics, tactics, and strategies all came from Rome.
Have you ever considered the names we use for rulers and kings?
Caesar has morphed into “kaiser” in German and “czar” in Russian.
I find it to be fascinating!
Feet of iron and clay
Rome stood tall, but began to crumble just as the feet in the image show an unstable mixture of iron and clay. No other world leader has ever been as strong as the earlier kingdoms. There are several different opinions as to what exactly the feet represent. Many would agree it refers to the divided countries of Europe.
I was intrigued by a question raised in the article: “Could it be that the feet of iron and clay might be the Islamic colonialism that has taken so much ground, and its uneasy alliance with the cloying humanism that has overrun the west?” (One for Israel, Feb.12, 2024).
The article is definitely worth your time in reading as your study this passage in Daniel 2. Check it out!
Toes
The feet of the statue image are divided into toes. The NKJV Study Bible considers the perspective that “the Roman Empire will one day be revived (v.41), will be ruled over by 10 rulers (the toes of v.42), will feud over internal problems (v.43), will witness the return of Jesus Christ (v.44) and will be destroyed by Christ at the Second Coming (v.45).”
Daniel concludes his interpretation with God-given confidence: the dream is certain and its interpretation is sure.
Just as Daniel predicted, these empires did indeed rise and fall in the precise order given in the dream and interpretation.
Jesus came to dismantle the world’s empires and to set up the indestructible eternal Kingdom of God! (Daniel 2:44)
The Second Coming of Christ
The dream reveals that there would never be another world empire as great as Rome. Rome was the last great kingdom. There would be four empires that would rule the world (and fall) before the return of our Messiah.
King Nebuchadnezzar recognizes the immensity of Daniel’s interpretation. He fell on his face in wonder and confessed that the God of Daniel, Mishael, Hananiah, and Azariah is the “Lord of kings.” This does not mean; however, that King Nebuchadnezzar converted – he was acknowledging the supremacy of the God of the Judeans “at least in matters of divine knowledge” (NKJV Study Bible) but he did not renounce his own deities.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar promoted Daniel to serve as the ruler (the governor!) of the whole province of Babylon and the chief administrator over all the wise men! No doubt the wise men gladly served under Daniel’s leadership because he had saved them from mass execution!
Daniel requested that King Nebuchadnezzar allow his friends to also serve in the government, which was approved. Daniel sat in the gate of the king which is another way of saying he served on the king’s royal court.
Isn’t it amazing how God had a marvelous plan to rescue and bless Daniel and his friends? No matter what you face in life, always remember: God is willing to help you and raise you up to accomplish things you never imagined. Daniel and his friends persisted in prayer and faith despite the fear and anxiety that the enemy would have been trying to impose upon them. Whenever you feel discouraged or under pressure, seek God with all your heart and He will minister to you! Be open to the power of the Holy Spirit working in your life through dreams and visions, especially in these last days!
