The statue had a head of gold which corresponds to the first beast Daniel saw and described as a lion with the wings of an eagle. They acknowledging their inability are judged to die. This fourth beast seems to regenerate in the form of subsequent kings and kingdoms. In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. At-A-Glance 1. Daniel 2:1). In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's rule, he had a dream. 13 I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.77 14 And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language Might serve Him. 11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. Remember Daniel was in his 60s when he received this revelation. The fulfillment of the prophecy of Belshazzars demise underscores the certainty of the fulfillment of Daniels vision in the last days. Daniel was exiled to Babylon when he was still a teenager. International Standard Version so Daniel went to ask Nebuchadnezzar for an appointment to see him , and it was granted him so that he could reveal the meaning to the king. This kings boasting turns to blasphemy. The expression, son of man, is not new to Daniel nor to the Jews of his day. While conservative, evangelical scholars believe the prophecies in Daniel are true, their interpretations differ greatly. The second is Daniel's dream. All distinctions of race and colour and nationality are stripped away and one apparently human figure represents the whole human race. Joyce C. Baldwin, Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1978), p. 150. Chapter 2 - The original dream describing the future kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greek, Roman, kingdom of God. to revoke its approval of the two main drugs used for medication abortion in the United States. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Prophets: Daniel 2:16 Daniel went in and desired (Dan. The vision recorded in chapter 8 took place in the third year of Belshazzar. Having gained an appreciation for Daniel and his three Hebrew friends, over a period he came to faith in their God. History has shown this to be true in the past, and prophecy assures us that it will be true in the future. We have talked about several times since starting this series about how studying Bible prophecy should influence you. Note these general observations about our passage before we turn to a more detailed study. This beast is also unique among the four in that he grows 11 horns. From the context, it would seem that Daniels distress is the result of the wickedness and oppression of the world kingdoms which are represented by the beasts, and by the knowledge that the saints will be oppressed and even overcome for a period of time. Old Testament Jews would likely regard the reference to the Son of Man in Daniel 7 as a reference to the Messiah, although they would probably not understand Him to be both divine and human. 2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers [1]to tell him what he had dreamed. In chapter 5, King Belshazzars dream should have greatly alarmed him, but apparantly it did not. Through the vision of a magnificent, awe-inspiring statue, God reveals the future for Gentile kings and their kingdoms. This is represented by the four heads on Daniels leopard beast. Lion - Babylon. The saints should also expect the wicked to prosper, for a season. God would strike him down suddenly too and bring his kingdom to a swift end. 78 Walvoord thinks this is the year 553 B.C., some 14 years before the fall of Babylon. It's build upon the passage in Daniel 7 where he has a disturbing dream. 16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. The use of the word time in Daniel is understood to be years. 75 Everything in chapter 7 is on a world-wide scale, the empires of the beasts, the judgment, and the nations that worship and serve the one like mortal man. A night vision is given to king Nebuchadnezzar, apparently early in his reign as king of Babylon. These were represented by the image of a statue. The righteous will suffer. These saints are the believing Jews of the tribulation, not the believers of the Church Age. Daniel made it very clear that the dream and the interpretation had come for the one true God. As Daniel continues to watch, someone descends with the clouds of heaven, one like a Son of Man. He is presented to the Ancient of Days, and to Him is given dominion, glory, and the eternal kingdom. We need to be waiting and prepared for His return. Hosted by Michael Barbaro and Sabrina . Specifically, the account of The Bad News at Belshazzars Banquet (not a bad title for that lesson) in chapter 5 was given to us so that we could better understand the prophecies of chapters 7 and 8. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:89, NASB95)[7] You have a responsibility because you know what the end will bring. The scene of the four beasts arising from the sea, which Daniel saw in his night vision, is strikingly similar to the account found in the 13th chapter of Revelation: 1 And he stood on the sand of the seashore, and I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. Centuries must therefore pass before the prophecies of Daniel are fulfilled. The Ancient of Days is a designation for God, not found elsewhere in the Bible. This angel, beginning in the second half of verse 23 is describing the revived Roman empire which is yet future. When He came with His kingdom, they would be sure to recognize Him (24:27). We have already seen time frame in Revelation referring to half of the seven-year tribulation. While most of those in this kingdom may not have had a true conversion, at least they tolerated the Jewish faith as the religion of the state. The transfiguration of our Lord was but a foretaste of His coming glorious kingdom (16:28). She makes it clear in a rather public fashion that she finds him desirable. - Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. This was when his life took a sharp turn. Would Belshazzar toast the gods of gold, silver, wood and stone with the sacred temple vessels? He wants to know more about this dreadful beast, different from the rest, especially in the destruction he wrought. How interesting! Two weeks ago, after studying Revelation 13 and seeing how much it relates to Daniel 7 I decided we needed to go back and review Daniel 7 which we have not looked at since 2011. The words of verse 1 point to the relationship between the prophecy Daniel received and its historical setting and context. The saints should neither believe nor behave on the basis of how things appear to be (the wicked prospering and prevailing over the righteous). The beast was lifted up and made to stand like a man. Nebuchadnezzar became distressed when he received his first night vision (2:1) because he did understand some of his dream. Neither peer opposition nor the king's new law (chapter 6) greatly disturbed Daniel. (8) Is there any relationship between Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter 2 and Daniels dream in chapter 7? Daniel 2:24-49 New International Version Daniel Interprets the Dream 24 Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. We should not spend a disproportionate amount of time and energy trying to fill in the blanks God has left. Prophecy is not a pep rally, which generates a great burst of short-term enthusiasm but does little to inspire faith and endurance in the midst of suffering. In the Psalms and also in Daniel 7, the expression Son of Man begins to take on a more technical meaning, referring to the Messiah, who will sit on the throne of His father, David, to rule over men forever. The coming of the Son of Man is represented as one coming, and not two. 81 See Ezekiel 29:21 for a similar use of the imagery of making a horn grow to describe a kings promotion to power. The three ribs may also represent the kingdoms of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon which preceded the Medo-Persian empire and then fell to them. Where it has not caused distress, it should have. Up to this time, it was simply a synonym for being human, a son of man. He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. From Daniel 2:4b to the end of chapter 7, the original text was written in Aramaic (the language of Babylon in that day). The day of judgment is still future and has not yet been fulfilled. He intends to make changes in time and in law. Daniel was terrified or alarmed by the scenes he had seen in his mind and desired to understand what they meant. (8) The four beasts are all different, with the last standing apart from the first three. Each beast has its own unique characteristics. The toasting of the gods of the Babylonians with the sacred temple vessels, recorded in chapter 5, may have been Belshazzars final act of blasphemy. We do not walk by sight, but by faith. Just so, Christs suffering and glory is but a part of one coming. Alexandra, the daughter of a rich British aristocrat, caught his attention. Lets pray and ask God to teach us and guide us as we look at His prophetic word. This description certainly fits the account of Nebuchadnezzars plunge from power and sanity in chapter 4. As I stated two weeks ago the leopard was noted for its swiftness and the two pairs of wings suggests added swiftness beyond the animals own ability. (13) In some sense, the last kingdom is still on-going. The only human things mentioned of the fourth beast are his eyes and his mouth. The emphasis of this brief interpretation falls not on the enemies of God, their power, their brutality, nor their boasting, but on the kingdom of God, its certainty and its permanence for all the saints forever. Did Daniel interpret dreams? The timeline reads as follows: When the iniquity of the blasphemous horn reaches full bloom and his appointed time to rule is fulfilled, God will destroy him, casting his body into the fire. The fact that wicked men will prosper and prevail and that the righteous will suffer is hardly pleasant news. The subject of the vision in chapter 2 seems to be taken up again in chapter 7. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. Both sets of kingdoms are brought to a sudden end and are replaced by an eternal kingdom. Daniel 2: Nebuchadnezzar's Dream by Larry Murray King Nebuchadnezzar had a puzzling dream that no one could explainuntil God gave the interpretation to Daniel. No wonder interpreters differ about the details. (1) The troubling dream. The prophecies of Daniel 7 speak of a future day of reckoning, foreshadowed by the actions of Belshazzar and the judgment of God on him and his kingdom. Daniel approached one of theses angels and began to ask him to explain to him the meaning or the truth concerning all that he had seen in his visions. Nebuchadnezzar's Dream ( Daniel 2:1-16) Say: Some time later, the King had a dream. He was at ease when he received the vision, and then he became fearful, and his mind alarmed him (4:4-5). According to our text, the prophecies of Daniel 7 will not be fulfilled for a considerable period of time. Dwight Pentecost writes, The existence of the church in the present Age was nowhere revealed in the Old Testament. Because of this we can have a greater understanding of this dream than Daniel did. Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 states, For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:910, NASB95)[6] Finally, the more we know about the future, the more our hearts should be moved to prayerful petition for those who will face the judgment of God if they do not turn in faith to Jesus Christ. (1) Why does Daniel indicate the historical setting of the vision he receives in chapter 7? Generally, it is agreed that this beast represents the Babylonian empire and king Nebuchadnezzar in particular. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. We see a gapan almost insurmountable gapbetween suffering and glory; God does not. In a similar way, Belshazzar becomes blasphemous and is suddenly removed by God for his wickedness. It may seem to them that their defeat is certain and that their hopes of entering into the eternal kingdom are lost. We know from history that though Persia rose later than Media it soon overshadowed Media in its power. The woman endures in the view of the final outcome of the process. The expression is used in the Psalms in a more pregnant way, in reference to the coming Messiah. Child-bearing is a process which involves suffering and glory. Daniel 5 is an illustration and a prototype of what will happen in the end times, as described in the prophecy of Daniel 7. This morning we want to look at verses 15-28 and the interpretation of Daniels dream. He will persecute and oppress the saints of the Highest One, the angel says that he will wear them down; the idea comes from the concept of wearing out a garment until it is threadbare. It seems that three of the kings try to resist him and he overthrows them by force. That was bad enough, from the religious leaders perspective, but the way in which He answered them was the last straw. God will establish His kingdom, and that kingdom, unlike the kingdoms of men, is eternal. 74 The personal cost of receiving divine revelation is never underestimated in the Old Testament (cf. During those days the revived Roman empire will be ruled by a confederation of ten kings as described by the ten toes of the statue of Daniel 2 and the ten horns of Daniels dream. When the Lord Jesus came to the earth, He often referred to Himself as the Son of Man, gradually making it clear that He was the Messiah who was God incarnate. 25 And he will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. In chapter 2 we read that Nebuchadnezzar was troubled and terrified by his dream, we read here in verse 15 that Daniel was distressed in his spirit because he knew that God had just shown him a panorama of tremendous events yet future and Daniels distress was his lack of understanding his dream. As the wicked prosper in their sin, it seems as though they can continue in sin without any fear of divine judgment (see Psalm 73:1-11; 2 Peter 2:3-4). So the king spoke, and said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you." Valentina's bond with Sophie, Sid's reaching out to Jesse, and Charlie trying hard to bring Sid and Jesse back together so that the group can go back to being their normal selves and not be an awkward bunch of people not wanting to discuss actual problems. In Revelation it is also referred to as 42 months and 1260 days which all work out to 3 years. Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 B.C., some 9 years before Belshazzars reign began. The beast also was given a mans mind. It is explained in a way that children can understand, describing his feeling as butterfly's in his tummy.Daniel's Dream takes you on an uplifting adventure with wonderfully expressivedescriptions of the characters, perfectly capturing bodylanguage and . Many others may have reluctantly professed or actually adopted the Jewish religion. As we move into the second half of Daniel 7 and begin to dissect Daniels dream with the help of Gods Word and the help of history past because some of this dream which was yet future for Daniel is past history for us. When the sin and oppression of evil men reaches a predetermined point, God will remove them and establish His promised eternal kingdom. Remember he had seen the innumerable host of angels attending the Ancient of Days. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. Prophecy is necessary because Gods thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways. Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel tells him, was about a statue with a golden head, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, and legs of iron, which is crushed by a giant stone, which itself becomes a mountain (vv. Daniel explains that each of these metals represents a kingdom that would rule the world, and the stone is God . 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