Daniel 2

CHAPTER 2

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (2:1–23)

1–9 Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him, and he asked his astrologers (“ wise men”) to interpret it. After giving a common greeting of respect, the astrologers asked the king to tell them his dream so that they could give their interpretation⁶ (verse 4).

However, Nebuchadnezzar mistrusted the astrologers; he concluded that the only way he could be sure they were giving the correct interpretation was to have them first tell him what the dream was! (verses 5–6,9). Then he would really know how “wise” they were. If they couldn’t do it, he would have them put to death.

10–13 The astrologers told the king that his demand was impossible to fulfill; only the gods could tell what another person had dreamed. Angered by this response, the king ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon (verses 12–13)—including Daniel and his three friends, who hadn’t even been present at the meeting with the king.

14–23 When Daniel learned that he and his friends were going to be put to death along with the others, he asked the king for time, so that he could interpret his dream (verse 16). The “time” Daniel needed was time to pray (James 1:5). He asked his three friends to pray also (see Matthew 18:19–20).

During the night, God revealed the mystery of the dream to Daniel. Daniel was so confident that God had communicated with him that he burst forth in a poem of praise to God (verses 20–23).

Daniel Interprets the Dream (2:24–49)

24–30 Daniel then went to the king to tell him what he had seen in his dream and also to interpret its meaning. Notice that Daniel gave all the glory to God for revealing to him the “mystery” of the dream (verse 28).

31–35 Here Daniel describes the dream. The king had seen a large statue of a man made from four kinds of metal—gold, silver, bronze and iron; the statue’s feet were a mixture of iron and clay (verses 31–33). Then a rock was cut out, but not by human hands, and this “rock” struck the feet of iron and clay, and the whole statue fell down and was reduced to powder, which was then blown away by the wind (verses 34–35). After the statue was destroyed, the rock became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.

36–43 In these verses, Daniel gives the interpretation of the king’s dream. First he says that it was God who gave the king dominion and power and made him ruler over all (verses 37–38); then he tells Nebuchadnezzar that he is the statue’s head of gold.

The four kinds of material in the statue, therefore, represent four different kingdoms. After Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, another kingdom will rise that is inferior—made only of silver (verse 39). That kingdom is the Persian Empire under Cyrus, who conquered Babylon in 539 B.C.

The third kingdom will be inferior still—bronze (verse 40); this is the kingdom of Alexander the Great, who defeated the Persians in about 330 B.C.

The fourth kingdom is the Roman Empire, which conquered the Greek empire of Alexander shortly before the time of Christ. This is the “iron” empire, so strong that it will crush all other kingdoms. But even it has a weakness: its feet are made partly of clay. It will be a divided kingdom, divided between rich and poor, master and slave—and eventually between east and west; finally, it too will be destroyed (verses 4143). All of this accurately describes what happened to the Roman Empire during the centuries following the death of Christ.⁷

44–45 Here Daniel interprets the meaning of the rock; it is the kingdom of God, cut out by God Himself and not by human hands (verse 45), a kingdom that will never be destroyed (verse 44). This is the kingdom that has been established by Christ, and is even now filling the whole earth⁸ (verse 35).

46–49 King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel (verse 46). The mightiest ruler on earth fell prostrate before a young captive from a small conquered nation!

How did it happen? Nebuchadnezzar saw the power of the one true God at work in Daniel. This doesn’t mean the king was converted or that he gave up his other gods. It meant only that the king had come up against a power that was greater than his own—and he knew it. Even demons know there is one true God—and shudder (James 2:19).