We have said before that like the Book of Revelation and some other Old Testament Books, Daniel is apocalyptic in nature. It deals with the future in the sense of what God will be doing with Babylon with the bigger picture revealing what He will be doing with the world in general.
1) God shows what is happening through His Word. Remember God revealed to Daniel what Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is and what the dream means. Although this revelation was through a vision, similar to what was experienced by John in the Revelation … it was and is God speaking.
Da 2:28 He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come.
Remember John is informing the king about what God says the dream and meaning are. The “He” in verse 28 is God … and the dream and meaning is futuristic. It is about what will happening in the future. It is a message from God. It is a message the king must take to heart … this is why he could not sleep. This is the reason for his frustration and desperation to have the dream and meaning revealed to him. There is one more matter before his dream is revealed …. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these … The king cannot even consider Daniel to be fake like the “wise men” because he pin points exactly where the dream came to the king. He was on his bed … lying down, trying to sleep.
2) The dream explained.
Da 2:29 “As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind. 31 “You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer.
The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
(1) The king was lying sleeping when the dream came to him.
(2) The dream was from God … “the revealer of mysteries”.
Only God knows the secret things of eternity past, present and future. He is the revealer, no one else. This is vital and important. Like the ‘wise men’, so many people pray to lifeless or imaginary beings seeking answers, guidance and advice. The reason for this is that deep in man’s heart is a desire to know, understand and experience the future … eternity … because God has put it into man’s heart, yet few actually search in the correct place (God and the Bible).
Ecc 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.
God does it so that men will revere him. Verse 11 says God put eternity in our hearts. The verse continues saying that even though God has put eternity in man’s hearts, man cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Verse 14 tells us that whatever God does endures for eternity and that man cannot add to or take away from what God has done. This is referring to God’s Word and Deeds … yet man does not seek the true God … he seeks idols … dead, lifeless, dumb, blind and deaf pieces of material. Verse 14 reminds me of what God says in
Rev 22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
To the king, Daniel is saying that the dream is from God and it cannot be altered. As some people say … “it is what it is”.
(3) The purpose God reveals the dream and meaning to Daniel. Although Daniel is daring, he is humble
Da 2:30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.
There is more to this verse than meets the eye. Daniel had already put it to the king that there is only one true God who resides in heaven. He is the revealer. He put the dream in the king’s mind and only He is able to provide the meaning … the interpretation. We must understand this … there is one God; He puts the dream in the king’s mind and He alone has the interpretive keys. This is important because later on we will see how he meets up with God. Let’s bring this home to us today. There are any amounts of pastors. They abound in number. Some are theologically educated, meeting the criteria of their Church / Denomination / Grouping and commissioned and ordained into ministry. Others are genuine and start Churches without being associated with a larger grouping with responsible oversight to which they need to be accountable. Still others become pastors and are accountable to no one, doing their own thing. Normally these are not appointed by God. They are self-appointed and responsible to no one. The reason I say this is because, like Daniel needed to speak only the Word of God to the king … so pastors need to speak only the Word of God to their people. Often those without any credible accountability cannot declare God’s Word with confidence because they are the ones Daniel refers to by implication as having … greater wisdom than other living men. This naturally is their opinion. It is here that some put their spin on interpretation, adding to and taking away from the Bible, causing it to mean what they want it to mean. Part of Daring to be a Daniel is slicing the Word of God truthfully and expounding it accurately. Then, it is God’s Word.
Lord, help me to speak Your Word truthfully. Amen.