9/19/10

Daniel 2

The Decline and Fall

of the Gentile Empires
Daniel and the End of History

The GBC Inheritance Class

Fall 2010
Dr. Gene Pond

Our Story So Far

Daniel, along with

three fellow noble
youths of Judah, were
proven to be God-
endowed with superior
wisdom and were
elevated to serve the
Babylonian king,
Nebuchadnezzar.
—Daniel 1

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The Book of Daniel

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

1–6 7–12
Court Stories Apocalyptic Visions
Daniel presented in 3rd person Daniel records in 1st person

1:1–
2:4a 2:4b–7:28 8–12
Heb. Aramaic Hebrew

Daniel 2:1-6
A Dream
Demanded
Early in his reign

Nebuchadnezzar had repeated

troublesome dreams and could not
sleep

The court viziers were summoned

They were to describe the dream as

well as provide its interpretation.

If they could not: personal ruin

If they could: riches and honor

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Daniel 2:7-16
Escalating Expectations
The impossible request The unexpected response
8.  “I know for sure that you are 15.  “Why is the decree from the
attempting to gain time, king so urgent?”
because you see that my
decision is firm.” 16.  So Daniel went in and
requested the king to grant
10.  “There is no man on earth him time, that he might
who is able to declare the declare the interpretation to
king’s matter, the king.
for no king, regardless of his
position and power, has ever
requested something like this
from any [wise man].”

Daniel 2:17–23
Daniel Appeals to Heaven
•  Problem made known to friends (17)
▫  Enjoined friends to pray (18)
  Secret was revealed (19)
 God has wisdom and might (20)
▫ He changes times and seasons (21a)
▫ He removes kings and sets up kings (21b)
 God gives wisdom and understanding (21c)
  God reveals secrets (22)
▫  God answered prayer (23a)
•  Solution made known to friends (23b)

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Daniel 2:24-30
The Answer from There is a God in
the Almighty heaven who reveals
mysteries, and He has
made known to
King Nebuchadnezzar
what will take place
in the latter days.

[= the time
encompassed by the
events in the dream]

Pre-revealed history

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Daniel 2:31-35
The Dream Observed
• Awesome statue
• Head of gold
• Breast of silver
• Belly and thighs of bronze
• Legs of iron
• Feet & toes of iron and clay
• Stone cut without hands
strikes the feet, destroys image
• Stone grows into mountain

Daniel 2:36-45
The Dream Interpreted
• Head of gold =
Nebuchadnezzar (37-38)
• Silver and bronze = later,
inferior kingdoms (39)
• Iron = crushing kingdom (40)
• Feet & toes = brittle (41-43)
• Stone is the final eternal
kingdom that ends all others
(44-45)

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Daniel 2:46-49
God and
Daniel Exalted
“Surely your God is a
God of gods and a Lord
of kings and a revealer
of mysteries”

The king promoted

Daniel to rule over
central Babylon and
the other wise men.

Three friends also

elevated.

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