God’s Kingdom: The Only Kingdom That Will Never Be Destroyed

Daniel 2:1-49

Main Idea: God sovereignly works to reveal his greatness and his coming kingdom in Christ so that all peoples will praise and worship him.

1. God Creates Impossible Situations to Reveal His Greatness (2:1-16).
   1. Unbelievers may respond with threats and anger (2:1-13).
   2. Believers should respond with wisdom and faith (2:14-16).
2. God Delights in the Prayers and Praise of His Children (2:17-23).
   1. Go to God in prayer (2:17-19).
   2. Respond to God’s goodness with praise (2:19-23).
3. God Reveals the Mystery of His Kingdom to Demonstrate His Power (2:24-45).
   1. Only the God of heaven knows all things (2:24-30).
   2. Only the God of heaven can do all things (2:31-45).
      1. God revealed the content of the dreams (2:31-35).
      2. God provided the interpretation of the dreams (2:36-45).
         1. Babylon is the head of gold.
         2. Medo-Persia is the chest and arms of silver.
         3. Greece is the stomach and thighs of bronze.
         4. Rome is the legs of iron with feet of iron and clay.
         5. The stone that smashes and becomes a great mountain is Christ and the kingdom of God.
4. God Honors His Servants Who Faithfully Serve Him (2:46-49).
   1. God may choose to have people praise them (2:46-47).
   2. God may choose to have people promote them (2:48-49).

Man, with his ambitions, ego, and idolatries, is often impressed by what he can build. God, on the other hand, is not dazzled by man’s accomplishments. If you would like God’s opinion on the great kingdoms men build in this world, then look at Daniel 2:35, where he says they all “were shattered and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found.” In our modern vernacular we might say they are dust in the wind. They are here today and gone tomorrow. Only one kingdom “will never be destroyed.” It is the kingdom “the God of the heavens will set up” (v. 44), the kingdom God revealed in dreams to a pagan king named Nebuchadnezzar, dreams that only his servant Daniel could interpret.

In Daniel 1:17 we are told that God gave Daniel understanding in “visions and dreams of every kind.” Now in chapter 2 we see how valuable this gift from God is. It is a gift that will save not only Daniel’s life but also the lives of his friends (see v. 17) and the lives of all the wise men, magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and sorcerers in Babylon. How did all of this come to pass?

God Creates Impossible Situations to Reveal His Greatness

DANIEL 2:1-16

Daniel 2–7 has a number of interesting characteristics that enhance our understanding of what God is trying to teach us. First, there is an obvious parallelism or chiastic structure, which looks something like this:

A—Dream about four earthly kingdoms and God’s kingdom (ch. 2)

B—Story about Jews being faithful in the face of death (ch. 3)

C—Story about royal hubris that is humbled (ch. 4)

C´—Story about royal hubris that is humbled (ch. 5)

B´—Story about a Jew who is faithful in the face of death (ch. 6)

A´—Vision about four earthly kingdoms and God’s kingdom (ch. 7)

(Lucas, Daniel, 68; Hill, “Daniel,” 57)

Second, 2:4–7:28 is written not in Hebrew but in Aramaic. The shift to Aramaic has long puzzled scholars with no consensus being reached. Andrew Hill provides a reasonable possibility when he writes,

It would be only logical for the wise men to communicate with a language common to all, since the wise men are a racially and ethnically diverse group. (“Daniel,” 60)

If Hill is correct, there is a missional impulse that must not go unnoticed in chapters 2–7. God’s impossible situation is intended to reveal his greatness to the Gentile nations.

Unbelievers May Respond with Threats and Anger (2:1-13)

Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon’s greatest and longest reigning king, had a series of bad dreams in the second year of his reign (604–603 BC). In fact, the dreams “troubled him, and sleep deserted him” (v. 1). In the ancient world dreams were regarded as significant. They were often viewed as predictions of future events. When it was the dream of a king, his kingdom’s future could be in view; and if he understood its meaning, he could take action and make preparation for what was on the horizon. So like any monarch Nebuchadnezzar sought the counsel of his wise men to help him interpret and understand his dreams (vv. 2-3). Eager to serve their king, they say, “Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation” (v. 4).

In verse 5, however, the king throws a horrifying curveball to the wise men. He wanted his college of counselors to tell him both the dream and its interpretation. If they don’t, or if they can’t, they will be dismembered, and their houses will be turned into a garbage dump (v. 5). Body parts, outhouses, and dunghills are in their immediate future unless they obey his command because, “My word is final.” On the other hand, if they do their job, they will receive gifts, a reward, and great honor (v. 6).

Not knowing what to do, the wise men ignore what Nebuchadnezzar said and repeat their request for the king to tell them the dream (v. 7). This turns out to be a bad move, as it ticks the king off, and he accuses them of stall tactics and conspiracy (vv. 8-9). The wise men (repeatedly called “the Chaldeans”) respond and accuse the king of making an utterly unreasonable request (vv. 10-11). In fact, only “the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals” could pull off this feat (cf. Isa 46:9-10). Ironically, they got this one just about right, but it did not help them one bit with the king.

Verse 12 informs us the king became violently angry (ESV, “angry and very furious”) and gave orders to execute all the wise men of Babylon. Things have gone from bad to worse for this group that we now learn, in verse 13, includes Daniel and his friends. Apparently they had not been among the others who failed at Nebuchadnezzar’s request. Still, guilt by association condemns them. All are to be executed by the decree of this volatile and unreasonable pagan king. What a contrast he is to Daniel, as we are about to see!

Believers Should Respond with Wisdom and Faith (2:14-16)

Arioch, the head of Nebuchadnezzar’s execution squad, comes looking for Daniel and his friends to have them ripped to pieces. However, unlike the tempestuous king, Daniel is skillful “in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king’s palace” (1:4). God gave him favor and compassion before Ashpenaz in 1:9, and he does the same before Arioch in 2:14. Daniel responds “with tact and discretion” to “the captain of the king’s guard” who was there to lead them to their execution. He wisely and respectfully raises a question: Why is the king so urgent in his decree to commit the mass murder of his major advisers (v. 15)? Arioch tells him why, and Daniel responds with an incredible act of courage and faith. He goes into the king’s throne room and asks for time, the very thing Nebuchadnezzar said no to in verse 8. Trusting in his God, Daniel promises to return and “give the king the interpretation” (v. 16). Wow! Daniel is still a teenager, exiled, conquered, a slave, a man marked for death. Still he is calm, poised, and “fully capable of speaking truth to power” (Helm, Daniel for You, 32). The man of faith confronts the head of state. The question is, Will his God come through?

God Delights in the Prayers and Praise of His Children

DANIEL 2:17-23

Dee Duke wisely notes,

Almost everyone believes that prayer is important. But there is a difference between believing that prayer is important and believing it is essential. “Essential” means there are things that will not happen without prayer. (Newell, Expect Great Things, 225)

The lives of Daniel, his friends, and all the wise men of Babylon are at stake. The request of the king is an impossible one to obey without divine intervention. Either God acts or they are finished—game over! What Daniel does when faced with such an impossible situation is exemplary: Pray ? get some rest ? praise!

Go to God in Prayer (2:17-19)

Amos 3:7 says, “Indeed, the Lord God does nothing without revealing his counsel to his servants the prophets.” I think Daniel believed this. He returned home “and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the matter” (2:17). They then decided to do the only thing they could, given the situation: they decided that they should “ask the God of the heavens for mercy concerning this mystery” in prayer that he might reveal the king’s dream and spare their lives as well as the lives of “the rest of Babylon’s wise men” (v. 18; cf. v. 24). Daniel’s concern for the welfare of the lost and pagan wise men of Babylon should not go unnoticed. His heart for others is an example to us all. His obedience to Leviticus 19:18 sets the standard we should all attempt to reach. Daniel then does a remarkable, mind-blowing thing: he goes to sleep! He prayed, put the matter in God’s hand, and did what the king could not do (cf. v. 1). He got a good night’s rest, and as he did, God revealed the mystery “in a vision at night” (v. 19).

Respond to God’s Goodness with Praise (2:19-23)

Songs that blend theology and worship permeate the Bible and not just in the book of Psalms. The Old Testament includes the Song of the Sea (Exod 15), Deborah’s Song (Judg 5), Hannah’s Song (1 Sam 2:1-10), and the prayers of Jonah (Jonah 2) and Habakkuk (Hab 3). In the New Testament there are Mary’s Song, called the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), Paul’s hymns (e.g., Phil 2:5-11; 1 Tim 3:16), and the many songs in the book of Revelation (e.g., 4:11; 5:9-10, 12,13; 15:3-4; 19:1-2, 5, 7-8) (Fyall, Daniel, 35). Daniel responds to God’s answer to prayer with his own theologically rich song of praise. Two ideas stand out. First, God is absolutely sovereign. Second, God alone gives revelation. This is the center of chapter 2 and the place where Daniel wants us to focus. Interpreting the dream is important, but knowing and worshiping God is ultimate.

“Daniel praised the God of the heavens,” verse 19 tells us. “God of the heavens” is an important title in chapter 2, appearing five times (2:18,19, 28, 37, 44). Its use is an important polemic against the pantheon of Babylonian gods. Bob Fyall points out the significance of it in Daniel’s context:

Not by horoscopes, séances and divination would enlightenment come, but from the God of heaven, a title also used in the post-Exilic books of Ezra and Nehemiah. This is not simply the tribal God of Israel but the God who rules the heavenly bodies, of which the study and attempt to manipulate lay at the heart of Babylonian religion. (Daniel, 34)

What are the specifics of this theologically rich song? Daniel acknowledges seven aspects of God’s character and activity. Specifically, he praises God for his eternality (v. 20); his omniscience and omnipotence (v. 20); his sovereignty over the nations (v. 21); his gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding (v. 21); his revelation and knowledge (v. 22); his faithfulness to his people (v. 23); and for answering Daniel’s prayer (v. 23). In light of this magnificent picture of God’s goodness and greatness, we can exclaim with Daniel and all our brothers and sisters, “For the Lord is great and is highly praised; he is feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens” (Ps 96:4-5).

God Reveals the Mystery of His Kingdom to Demonstrate His Power

DANIEL 2:24-45

Daniel had used no astrology or board games to discover the content and meaning of the king’s dream. He had consulted no dream manuals or read any livers, as other ancient diviners did to communicate with their useless and lifeless gods (Pierce, Daniel, 37). He went to the only God who truly exists, sought his mercy (v. 18), and got his answer. Like Joseph before Pharaoh in Genesis 40–41, a Hebrew slave by divine enablement will reveal God’s plan and purposes to the man of power—power he possesses only by virtue of God’s sovereign plan. Drama has been building. The narrator drew out the action to build suspense (Davis, Message of Daniel, 45). Now it’s showtime!

Only the God of Heaven Knows All Things (2:24-30)

Daniel goes to Arioch, the executioner, and tells him not to kill anyone. Instead, he should take Daniel to the king, “and I will give him the interpretation” (v. 24). His class in biblical dream hermeneutics had paid off.

Arioch quickly (ESV, “in haste”) brought Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar, appearing to take some credit (“I have found”) for locating this Jewish slave who can solve the king’s problem. The king asked Daniel, also called Belteshazzar, if he could indeed tell and interpret the dream. Daniel’s answer is striking both in its honesty and in its humility, something from which we can all learn. He says, “No wise man, medium, magician, or diviner” can help you out (v. 27). To be blunt, they are impotent. On the other hand, “There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen in the last days” (v. 28; NIV, “days to come”). Daniel even details how and where God gave Nebuchadnezzar his dream (vv. 28-29)!

In addition to being able to reveal and interpret the dream, Daniel does another remarkable thing—the thing God’s man should always do. He gives all the credit to God. Daniel’s success comes not because he has more wisdom than anyone living. (I am not smarter, wiser, or more brilliant than others, Daniel admits.) Rather, this is all God’s doing “in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind” (v. 30). I love what Sinclair Ferguson says at this point:

This is the spirit of Jesus before the high priests and Pilate; it is the spirit of Elijah before Jezebel; it is the spirit of John the Baptist before Herod. Daniel is full of the spirit of truth. Even Nebuchadnezzar can recognize that. (Daniel, 52)

Only the God of Heaven Can Do All Things (2:31-45)

Verses 31-45 finally reveal the content and interpretation of the dream. They reveal a God who is absolutely sovereign in what he knows (omniscience) and what he will do (omnipotence). This God knows the future, has a plan for the future, and will accomplish that future. This is the God of Isaiah 46:9-10, where the Bible says,

Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and no one is like me. I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: my plan will take place, and I will do all my will.

Making this practical and applicable to us today, David Jeremiah says, “You may not know what the future holds, but you know who holds the future. Since the whole world is in God’s hands, your world is in God’s hand” (Agents of Babylon, 52–53).

God revealed the content of the dreams (2:31-35). God showed the king a great image or statue that was powerful and bright (NIV, “dazzling”) and frightening (NIV, “awesome”) in appearance (v. 31). Its appearance was fourfold: (1) a head of gold, (2) chest and arms of silver, (3) stomach and thighs of bronze (v. 32), and (4) legs of iron with feet “partly iron and partly fired clay” (v. 33). However, something happens to the statue: “A stone broke off without a hand touching it [a divine stone!], struck the statue on its feet of iron and fired clay, and crushed them” (v. 34). Then the whole statue or image crumbled “and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors.” Gone. Disappeared. “Not a trace of them could be found.” In stark contrast, “the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth” (v. 35). This is the dream God gave the Babylonian king.

God provided the interpretation of the dreams (2:36-45). Daniel, by God’s enablement, has told the king his dream. Now, by that same divine power, he gives its interpretation (v. 36). The beginning of his explanation is plain (vv. 37-38). The rest is more vague until the end (vv. 39-43, 44-45). Still, most evangelical scholars who believe in predictive prophecy agree on what the various parts of the statue represent.

Babylon is the head of gold (2:37-38; cf.2:32). Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar his exalted status as king of the vast empire at that time was a divine gift. The language, which recalls the authority and dominion that God gave Adam in the garden of Eden (Gen 1:28-30), emphasizes the magnitude and magnificence of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar (2:37-38). He is the head of gold, the representative of this awesome empire. However, he would be followed by a succession of weak and incompetent rulers. The great Babylonian kingdom would only last a mere sixty-five years (605–539 BC). This mighty empire came to an end in a hurry. Daniel 5 records its demise at the hand of Darius the Mede (probably another name for Cyrus).

Medo-Persia is the chest and arms of silver (2:39; cf. 2:32). Medo-Persia would follow Babylon in 539. It was inferior in its totalitarian rule. However, it would also be a vast empire and last for more than two hundred years (539–331 BC).

Greece is the stomach and thighs of bronze (2:39; cf. 2:32). The middle section of the body and the thighs of bronze, “which will rule the whole earth,” represented Greece, built by Alexander the Great. He would conquer the known world and then die at the young age of thirty-three (356–323 BC). This kingdom would last for 185 years (331–146 BC).

Rome is the legs of iron with feet of iron and clay (2:40-43; cf.2:33). The fourth kingdom is mighty Rome, a great and powerful empire that was “strong as iron,” because “iron crushes and shatters everything, and like iron that smashes, it will crush and smash all the others” (v. 40). Rome, of course, is the greatest of history’s empires. It lasted by some accounts and in some form from 146 BC to AD 1476 in the West and AD 1453 in the East. Sixteen hundred years later, its influence is still with us today, especially in Western civilization.

Verses 41-43 are vague and their meaning is uncertain, which calls for great humility by interpreters of this apocalyptic vision. Good, faithful students of the Bible are all over the place in how best to understand them. Following the insights of Stephen Miller, in part, I think we can at least make the following observations (Daniel, 98). First, Rome will be incredibly strong but also vulnerable and unstable, with numerous nations and divisions making up its empire (vv. 41-42). Historically, this was the case. Second, although various people groups and nations constitute the one Roman Empire, their unity was a tenuous and imposed unity. They are mixed in their union—not really one—and eventually they “will not hold together.” This is true whether you date the dissolution of Rome at AD 395, 476, 1054, 1453, or 1476. The Roman Empire is gone. Whether it will be revived in the last days as a part of the empire led by the one the Bible calls the antichrist or the beast is a good and interesting question, but it is best addressed in other texts of Scripture.

The Stone that smashes and becomes a great mountain is Christ and the kingdom of God (2:44-45; cf. 2:34-36). These verses show us where the dream is pointing all along. Some understand the verses as pointing to the end of the age, when Christ comes again to establish his universal and visible kingdom (see Rev 19:11–20:6). Others believe they are pointing to his first coming and the inauguration of his kingdom. I believe both are in view (cf. Isa 61:1-2). They are pointing to his first coming and the inauguration of his kingdom, while also looking to and anticipating his eschatological kingdom. Like twin peaks with a hidden valley between, the kingdom is inaugurated at Christ’s first coming and fully realized at his second. Old Testament prophecy often functions in this way.

2). The vessels of God, as trophies of war, were transported to Babylon and placed in the house of a pagan god in Babylon—probably Marduk, the chief god of the Babylonians. This was a way of saying, “Our god is better and stronger than your god.” Daniel, on the other hand, says, “Not so!” The people of God have sinned, and the real God is judging them. In the process he is extending his presence among the nations. God is at work even through the sins of his people. Ps 1:4-5), “the God of the heavens will set up a kingdom [by his Messiah, see Dan 7] that will never be destroyed” nor be given or left to another people or empire (v. 44). In fact, the kingdom of God “will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end.” God’s kingdom will “endure forever” (v. 44). He will do this by the stone that broke “off from the mountain without a hand touching it,” a stone that will break and shatter and scatter like chaff “the iron, bronze, fired clay, silver, and gold.” That this language of breaking and shattering recalls the language of the messianic Psalm 2 is not accidental or coincidental, for as we will see at the end, this stone is Christ! His kingdom is coming, and it will never end.

Daniel brings his interpretation to a close with two resounding affirmations: (1) a great God has revealed this, and (2) “the dream is certain, and its interpretation reliable” (v. 45). You can count on it! You can take it to the bank.

The ESV Study Bible provides a helpful note in summarizing the significance of the vision of this great image God gave King Nebuchadnezzar:

Another point being made in the dream is that each earthly kingdom has its own glory but also its own end: both have been assigned to it by God. The progression of world history is typically not upward to glory and unity but rather downward to dishonor and disunity. Thus the statue progresses from gold, to silver, to bronze, to iron, and from one head, to a chest and arms, to a belly and thighs, to feet and toes of composite iron and clay. (This list of metals shows a progressive decrease in the value and splendor of the materials but an increase in toughness and endurance.) Some commentators understand this to indicate a general decline in the moral quality of the governments and an increase in the amount of time they lasted. In contrast, God’s kingdom grows from humble beginnings to ultimate, united glory as a single kingdom that fills the whole earth forever. The stone that will break in pieces all these other four kingdoms is most likely Christ (see Luke 20:18). He is the mystery of the ages, the one in whom God plans to unite all things in his glorious kingdom (Eph. 1:9-10).^[1]

God Honors His Servants Who Faithfully Serve Him

DANIEL 2:46-49

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5–7), Jesus said,

You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (Matt 5:14-16)

Daniel and his friends were indeed lights brightly shining in a dark place. Nebuchadnezzar could not deny the good works he saw in them. And even as a pagan king, he gave glory to the “God of gods,” the Father of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

God May Choose to Have People Praise Them (2:46-47)

The king acted in an unusual if not unprecedented manner: he fell facedown and “worshiped Daniel” (cf. Isa 49:7, 23). Further, he “gave orders to present an offering and incense to him” (2:46). Nebuchadnezzar treats Daniel, I believe, as a representative of his God (Lucas, Daniel, 77). Tremper Longman is right: “Daniel is honored because of what his God has done, not because of what he has done” (Daniel, 83). This is confirmed by the confession (though not a confession of conversion) of the king in verse 47: “Your God is indeed God of gods, Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.” David Helms’s observation is helpful at this point:

Daniel’s God now shares the stage with the Babylonians’ deities. Given what we know of Nebuchadnezzar’s religiosity, this is truly amazing. The one who had been named for Babylon’s deity of wisdom, who prayed to Marduk at his coronation only one year previously, now gave space to a competing deity and even offered public words of praise to him. For the first time in Nebuchadnezzar’s life, Marduk had competition in his interior world—all because one godly man remained poised, prayerful and willing to speak truth to power. (Daniel for You, 42)

God May Choose to Have People Promote Them (2:48-49)

The king kept his word from verse 6 to give gifts and rewards and great honor to anyone who could cure his insomnia and make “the dream and its interpretation known.” In the process life improved dramatically for Daniel and his friends. Daniel received a promotion “and many generous gifts.” He became “ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon” (v. 48). Any way you slice it, this is impressive, and it was all the doing of Daniel’s God!

Daniel did not forget his friends. He asked the king to appoint them to positions of authority and significance, and he did (v. 49). Theirs was a high honor, too, but it would also be a dangerous and risky position. Those at the top are easy targets. The trio will find this out in chapter 3. Daniel will find it out in chapter 6.

Conclusion: How Does Our Text Point to Christ?

That Daniel in this chapter is a foreshadowing of Jesus is easy to see. As David Helm points out,

God took a conquered Hebrew prisoner of war, and stood him confidently before the ruler and his own execution—a foretaste of what Jesus would later do for us, except that he not only faced but endured execution. (Daniel for You, 35)

However, the image of “the stone that struck the statue [and] became a great mountain and filled the whole earth” (v. 35) should captivate our attention. The rock or stone imagery is rich and multifaceted in the Bible. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the rock on which he builds his church and his kingdom (Matt 16:18). Psalm 118:22 speaks of a “stone that the builders rejected,” which “has become the cornerstone.” Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17; and 1 Peter 2:7 all tell us the stone is Christ. Further, Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16 also use the stone imagery; and Romans 9:33 and 1 Peter 2:6 and 8 again cite these texts as pointing to Christ. But as Tremper Longman points out, we get a clear reference to Daniel 2 in Luke 20:18 (Daniel, 92–93). There Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22 and makes a direct connection to Daniel 2! The stone the builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone, is the stone that breaks and crushes everyone who falls on (i.e., rejects) that stone. Placing all of this in an end-time, eschatological context, Chuck Swindoll says it like this:

When Jesus Christ returns to earth to establish His Millennial Kingdom, He will “break [the nations] with a rod of iron. [He will] shatter them like earthenware” (Ps. 2:9). As the smiting stone in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the Lord will not absorb, restructure, or adapt to previous kingdoms; He will totally annihilate them and set up His own monarchy, which will be absolutely perfect politically, morally, economically, and religiously. And He will rule over all the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords (Isa. 2:2-4; cf. Rev. 19:11-16). (Daniel, 27)

Christ is the stone the world rejected. He is the stone God will exalt and use to build his kingdom, one that will never be destroyed.

Reflect and Discuss

1. Think of a time you’ve faced or seen a seemingly impossible situation. How might God have used that situation to reveal his greatness?
2. What are some of the incorrect ways we often respond to difficult situations? Read Luke 6:43-45 and talk about what these responses reveal.
3. What does Daniel’s response reveal about his faith and character? Did Daniel doubt God? Explain your answer.
4. What role does prayer play in your response to difficult situations? Do you tend to rely on God or ignore him and deal with the situation yourself? Explain your reasoning.
5. How do God’s omniscience and omnipotence shape how Christians view the future?
6. Discuss how the stone from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream may be about both Christ’s first and second comings.
7. How should you respond when someone praises you for something God has done?
8. Why does God sometimes put his servants in places of high authority? What privileges come with such positions? What dangers?
9. In what ways does Daniel represent Christ in this passage?
10. What does the rock imagery of Scripture teach us about the character and work of Christ?