Daniel 2.31-45 “The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
Today’s passage contains one of the most prophetic descriptions of the bible.
In our passage we find out who is really in control over the affairs of mankind namely our Lord God.
King Nebuchadnezzar was given a dream that troubled his spirit Dan 2.1 and sought understanding from the learned men of the court and could not find any solace from them. Friends whenever we are troubled we must turn to a living God if we want understanding. Daniel and his companions pray and seek understanding from the Lord. A great reminder for us if we seek answers let us like Daniel and his companions turn to our Father.
Here is where we pick up our study - Daniel after giving glory to the Lord for His answered prayer brings the interpretation to the king. In verses 31-34 Daniel relays the Lord's dream and gives us understanding of the four major empires that this world has and will be privileged to until the Messianic Kingdom of our God. He starts with the kingdom of Babylon which he was to be a part of will the children of Israel be held until the captivity is completed according to the word of God. Daniel gives the description of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom and lays out the next three kingdoms that will follow his.
Daniel also makes mention of “a stone was cut out by no human hand” v34 which is the second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 21.44 Jesus tells us “ And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” When Christ returns to this planet He will abolish all forms of earthly government and set up His Father’s kingdom and what a beautiful time that will be.
We can look back on history and see that Daniel’s description of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is true - every part and every kingdom just as the Lord made known. Nebuchadnezzar saw an idol because he was an idol worshipper and God spoke to him in a way he would understand. Friends God desires to speak to us today the same way he spoke to Nebuchadnezzar and He will speak to you in ways that will get your attention, so listen when He speaks to you.
In Daniel 2.35 we read that, “the stone…became a great mountain and filled the whole earth” again this is the establishment of the millennial kingdom that we be set up at the return of Christ. We know this is a prophetic description yet to come since the church has yet to fill the whole earth. Pastor David Guzik wrote in his commentary of Daniel 2 “In those days - the last days, This described the fulfillment of this prophecy in the future. The stone cut without hands shatters a confederation of kings, represented by the feet of the image, and then God’s Kingdom will dominate the earth.”<https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Dan/Dan-2.cfm?a=852044>
In verses 36-43 Daniel breaks down the dream and gives insight to the image Nebuchadnezzar saw.
Vs37&38 is the head of gold and the Babylonian Empire which lasted 66 years.
Vs39 Another kingdom inferior to you (silver/Medo-Persian 208 years) shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze (Graeco-Macedonia 185 years), which shall rule over all the earth. So we have two empires in one verse here.
Vs40-43 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. This was the Roman Empire and it stood for more than 500 years. Four verses are dedicated to the “kingdom of iron” and it had two legs and ten toes which will be the last kingdom to exist before Christ sets up the kingdom of our Lord at His return.
In verses 44And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.
All these kingdoms will come and they will pass away but the kingdom of our God is without end a kingdom that we are apart of now and we will be a part of the future eternal kingdom. Friends there is so much more in this passage of scripture that we could spend weeks on. One thing that stood out to me as I made preparations to share it with our Tuesday morning group was this - there is a “rock cut not with human hands” this Rock cut not be human hands is our Lord Jesus and it is He that should keep our attention on. It is He that we should look for in any bible study. He is the Living Word and He can be found on every page of the bible if you look for Him. Let me close with this point again from Matthew 21 we will either fall upon the rock and be broken or He will fall upon us and grind us to dust. Choose wisely brothers and sisters and like Daniel proclaims here in verse 45 “the dream is certain and its interpretation is sure”.
Lord let us fall on you and be broken because You love us enough to take us as we are and put us back together for your glorious work here on earth. Amen