“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!
