Living Lives Of Purpose: Lessons From The Book Of Daniel. Day 13, The King Dreams Another Dream

Living Lives Of Purpose:
Lessons From The Book Of Daniel
Day 13

The King Dreams Another Dream

King Nebuchadnezzar writes a speech which he probably proclaimed aloud from his palace in Babylon; it's possible he also sent copies of it as a letter to the officials in charge of his various territories. He wants everyone, far and wide, to hear the tale of how prideful he once was and how Daniel's God humbled him. This speech was delivered at least eight years after he had this new and troubling dream, for one full year would pass before it came true, then he would spend seven years in a condition which rendered it impossible for him to give speeches. Chapter 4 is quite long and we will need to divide it into sections over the next several days.

It begins with this, "King Nebuchadnezzar, To the nations and peoples of every language, who live in all the earth: May you prosper greatly! It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God performed for me. How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation." (Daniel 4:1-3) Previously, after witnessing God's deliverance of the three Jewish men from the fiery furnace and seeing a fourth man in the fire with them, Nebuchadnezzar threatened the populace that anyone who spoke against the God of Israel would be cut into pieces and his house turned into a pile of rubble. But he called the Lord the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego; he did not call the Lord his own God. In that moment he believed God was real, but he did not convert. Today we see something new and different. Nebuchadnezzar wants to tell the people about all the things that "the Most High God performed for me". He has had a personal encounter with the Lord and, like anyone who has been changed to the core by a relationship with the living God, he wants to share the news of this transformation. 

Now he relates to us how this miraculous change began. "I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous." (Daniel 4:4) He had conquered many lands and was enjoying his power and prosperity. He was still a young man when he became a major world player, young enough to enjoy all the pleasures of the world, and he was strong and confident and proud of his accomplishments. Sitting enthroned in the palace, with every imaginable luxury at his fingertips, he must have believed he lacked nothing. But his soul was bankrupt. He was like the wealthy but apostate church of Revelation 3:17, "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." Nebuchadnezzar had gained the whole world but was in danger of losing his soul. (Mark 8:36)

While he went about his days, the king was not aware he lacked anything. But in the night as he slept his most inward fears came to the forefront. His waking mind may not have recognized his spiritual deadness, but his soul was aware of it. "I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me." (Daniel 4:5-6) This, to me, is one of the most important parts of the story. The wise men made a very poor showing the last time the king called for them, so much so that he ordered their execution. This was an order he evidently later withdrew, but he was so displeased with them that he promoted Daniel (a captive and a foreigner) over them all. We would expect him to call for Daniel straightaway but he does not. I think the king is running from God. He suspects the dream isn't good news and that it has something to do with him personally. He also knows Daniel will tell him the truth, no matter how bad it is. And he doesn't want the truth. He's already concluded the Babylonian wise men are frauds, prepared to tell him anything they think he wants to hear, and right now he's so frightened he would rather hear their lies. He would love to be comforted with promises of peace and prosperity even if they are not true.

In order to help them tell him what he wants to hear, this time the king reveals the dream itself to the wise men. When he had the dream about the statue earlier in our study of Daniel, he refused to relate the details of the dream, insisting that the wise men relate the dream back to him (possibly through some method of occult divination). But if the king thought he would get satisfaction from the wise men on this new occasion, he was wrong. "When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me." (Daniel 4:7) The wise men no doubt fear the king enormously, but for some reason they don't dare to manufacture a meaning for the dream. Their minds appear to have gone blank. Their imaginations refuse to come up with anything to tell the king. I have to wonder if this wasn't divine intervention. The Lord, in His mercy, wants the king to understand the message of the dream. He wants to give Nebuchadnezzar an opportunity to repent of his ways so that He does not have to bring upon the king the circumstances contained in the dream. We will learn later in Chapter 4 that the Lord allows Nebuchadnezzar an entire year, following the dream, in which to repent. 

Not a single wise man of Babylon is able to help him and Nebuchadnezzar now does something he doesn't want to do. As a last resort, because no one else can help, he calls for Daniel. "Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him my dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)" (Daniel 4:8) When the king calls Daniel he still does not really understand who Daniel's God is. He is still thinking of the God of Israel as one of many gods of many cultures. He does not say that Daniel receives his power from the one true God, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He uses a very pagan expression by ascribing Daniel's power to "the holy gods", and he seems to think that part of the reason Daniel is graced with such talents is because he renamed him after his own god Bel. Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar thinks he pleased the gods by naming this young man after a chief deity of Babylon. 

Nebuchadnezzar tells us what he said when Daniel came into the room. "I said, 'Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you." (Daniel 4:9a) This is even more evidence that the king wanted to avoid speaking to Daniel about the dream. If he truly knew (and I believe he did) that no mystery was too difficult for Daniel, why did he not immediately call for him? Why waste time with men who, if they came up with anything at all, would lie to him? You've probably heard the expression of "killing the messenger", the practice of ancient kings killing anyone who brought bad news, and it's understandable that the wise men of Babylon would desire to tell the king things that would please him. We can easily see why they would be compelled to tell lies. This is a king who often threatens to cut people into pieces or throw them into blazing furnaces. Yet he called for men whom he knew were dishonest to interpret the dream, and it's only by the grace of God that they remained puzzled and mute. God intends to get His message through and He intends to use His servant Daniel to deliver it. The Lord wants there to be no mistake that this message comes from the one true God, the only God Nebuchadnezzar should be serving, and He puts His hand over the mouths of the wise men so that Daniel must be called in. Daniel will give all the credit for the interpretation to God and will advise the king to turn to Him and repent. No wise man of Babylon would have said such things. But the Lord's servant, the godly young man Daniel who intends to live a life of purpose in difficult circumstances, will have the courage and the faith to tell a powerful and cruel king he needs to get his heart right with God. 

Living Lives Of Purpose: Lessons From The Book Of Daniel. Day 12, The Fiery Furnace

Living Lives Of Purpose:
Lessons From The Book Of Daniel

Day 12

The Fiery Furnace

When we concluded yesterday, some of the Babylonian astrologers had informed King Nebuchadnezzar that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow to the image he had set up on the plain of Dura. He cannot believe they would flaunt his authority this way. He thought they were his friends. They, along with Daniel, helped him in a time of need and in return he gave them lofty positions in his kingdom. And now they repay him with this disobedience.

"Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, 'Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?'" (Daniel 3:13-15) 

Even in his rage, Nebuchadnezzar recognizes the possibility that the Babylonian astrologers may have falsely accused these men out of jealousy. He doesn't simply take their word for it but gives the Jewish men an opportunity to confirm or deny what he has heard. In addition, I have an inkling he really liked and respected these three young men and their good friend Daniel. The king was probably not too many years older than they were, for he reigned over Babylon for forty-three years, and it is believed he was quite a young man when he ascended to the throne. He appears tired of the old establishment and the wise men and advisers that were his father's. The proof of that is the fact he promoted four young foreign men from Judah over men of his own nation. He wants change. He wants something fresh and new. He wants advisers who are young and energetic like himself. So he carefully repeats his instructions regarding how these men are to behave when they hear the music. Perhaps they did not understand the first time. He seems to suspect their disobedience somehow involves their God, since he says, "Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?", but the other citizens of the nation had no problem in abandoning their gods and bowing before the image. He doesn't understand why this should be a problem for these men either. He does not believe any god, not even the God of Israel, is powerful enough to rescue anyone from a king as mighty as himself.

The men reply to him in a respectful tone, but their words leave no doubt that they will not and cannot bow before the image. "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.'" (Daniel 3:16-18) The king intends to use the image to unify the nation, which is made up of many peoples and languages, and these men will not conform. I don't know of any more profound statement of faith in the word of God than that which we find in their reply to the king. They are saying something like, "You have asked what god can deliver us from your hand. The God we serve is able to deliver us. But even if He does not, we will still serve Him. As our forefather Job once said, 'Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him; I will surely defend my ways to His face.' You are not our judge, O King, and we need not put on a defense in your presence. Our Judge is Almighty God, and when we stand before Him our faith will speak for us. Whether He delivers us or whether He allows us to go to our deaths, we will still serve Him."

Nebuchadnezzar isn't accustomed to not getting what he wants and he isn't used to being disobeyed. "Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in the army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace." (Daniel 3:19-23) Daniel wants us to understand how quickly his friends would have caught fire. They were wearing quite a bit of flammable clothing, plus the soldiers weren't given time to wait for the flames to stop leaping out the top of the freshly heated furnace, so that they immediately caught fire while throwing the Jewish men in. 

To give us an idea of what an ancient brick kiln might have looked like, and just how large it was, below are some examples of brick kilns still in use today. 

Some brick kilns have a shorter and more rounded shape, known as beehives.

We can easily see that there was plenty of room for the men to stand in. The smoke would have exited from the top and this is most likely where the Jewish men were thrown in, using stone steps or ladders, and the holes close to the bottom were used for adding fuel and oxygen to the fire. Workers had added so much fuel so quickly that flames must have been leaping out the top when the soldiers threw the men in. Nebuchadnezzar either crouches down (or more likely was seated on a chair brought for him, since he was the king) and peers through one of the openings at the bottom. What he sees stuns him. "Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, 'Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?' They replied, 'Certainly, Your Majesty.' He said, 'Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.'" (Daniel 3:24-25) No matter how many times I've read or heard this story, verse 25 always gives me a thrill. In our own lives, sometimes the Lord keeps us out of the fire altogether, at other times He takes us right through it. But either way He's right there with us, just as He was with these three men. 

Nebuchadnezzar, pagan despot though he was, is graced by God to witness a "Christophany", an Old Testament pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. He knows this is no ordinary man. He has no real understanding of the character of the God of Israel, of the Holy Trinity, or of the relationship between God the Father and God the Son. All he knows is that a fourth man has appeared in the fire where only three men should be and that He possesses power and authority and glory like that of a deity.

I would love to know what took place inside that furnace between Christ and these three Jewish men, but Daniel either didn't know or chose to keep it private. We each must have our own personal encounter with Christ and what people need to know about that is not so much what took place between us and the Lord, but how our lives and behavior have changed since we met Him. They want to see and hear what He has done for us as a result of that meeting. 

The king realizes in that moment that there is a God able to deliver these men out of his hand and he makes haste to release them from the furnace. A God like this is not one to be trifled with. "Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, 'Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!'" (Daniel 3:26a) I assume the three men walked out one of the lower openings in the kiln, as they appear to exit on their own.

"So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them." (Daniel 3:26b-27) Naturally these officials want to gather close and see this miracle for themselves. Not only are the men not burned, but there isn't even a whiff of smoke on them. Many years ago I was in a women's Wednesday night Bible study on the book of Daniel and this was back when my husband didn't go to church. When I got home he was burning some brush in a fire pit at the back of the property. I didn't pass any closer than twenty feet to the fire while going from my car the house, but the smell of smoke was on me. It just so happened this was the same night we'd studied the fiery furnace and I couldn't help marveling that the three Jewish men stood in the midst of the fire and had not even a whiff of smoke on them. Our God is mighty to save and He doesn't do anything halfway. He didn't just hold the flames back from these faithful servants, He brought them out of the fire looking and smelling as if they'd never even been in it. I think they were vastly changed on the inside because they'd been with Jesus and their faith was strengthened by His mighty deliverance, but on the outside they looked just as they had before they were thrown into the fire.

Nebuchadnezzar is changed too, though not converted, but he knows now for a fact that the God these men serve is real. He probably kept a brave face on the outside but I'd be willing to bet he was quaking with fear on the inside at the realization that he may have offended God by treating His servants so harshly. He resolves to do nothing more to offend this God and wants to make certain none of the citizens do anything to offend Him either. "Then Nebuchadnezzar said, 'Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent His angel and rescued His servants! They trusted in Him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.' Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon." (Daniel 3:28-30) The men who received a death sentence on the plain of Dura leave the location with higher rank than before. Nebuchadnezzar is anxious to please the God of Israel and to make up for his behavior, so he bestows even more honor upon the men in an effort to gain the favor of a God who can save from fire. If God is able to do this, what else might He be able to do? And how might He react if angered? The king doesn't want to find out.

Daniel's friends were willing to serve God no matter what it cost them. They knew God was able to rescue them from the fire, but they also knew it might be His will for them to perish for their faith. Either way they had no intention of bowing to anyone else. They were living lives of purpose, lives of principles, and they knew that even if God should choose them for martyrdom, there is another life beyond this one. The God who is mighty to save offers eternal life and eternal rewards. He may or may not rescue us from all the trials of this life but He is able to rescue our souls from sin. He is able to redeem us from the power of the grave. Before we came to Christ our sins had separated us from God, but now we are at peace with Him. We need not fear eternal separation from His light and His love. No other god can save like this. Are we willing to take a stand for the One who took a stand for us?

Living Lives Of Purpose: Lessons From The Book Of Daniel. Day 11, Obeying God Rather Than Man

Living Lives Of Purpose:
Lessons From The Book Of Daniel

Day 11

Obeying God Rather Than Man

In yesterday's study we found King Nebuchadnezzar setting up a golden statue, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, on the plain of Dura. Today he reveals the purpose of this statue's creation and there will be three men who will refuse his orders. "He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it." (Daniel 3:2-3) 

The newly-promoted friends of Daniel are among those invited to the dedication, and we could easily substitute the word "ordered" or "commanded" in place of "invited". There was no refusing the king. Daniel is apparently not there, or else he would have found himself in the same predicament as his friends, but he does not explain to us why he isn't there. His position in the kingdom (ruler over the entire province of Babylon and in charge of all the wise men) may have excused him from being included with these officials of lesser rank. He may have been at another location, handling matters for the king. The king may have trusted him so much, because of his fine character, that he did not feel it necessary to command Daniel's allegiance in the way he is going to command it of these other men. I like to think the reason was this: Nebuchadnezzar knew Daniel would bow to no god but the God of Israel and, valuing his service and respecting him as a person, he did not want to risk losing him. 

These officials assemble in front of the statue and an announcer tells them what is expected next. "Then the herald loudly proclaimed, 'Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace." (Daniel 3:4-6) In researching this furnace, the main opinion I found regarding its nature is that it was likely a brick kiln. The Babylonians made extensive use of bricks, and glazed bricks in particular, which required a temperature of 2372 degrees Fahrenheit. The base for Nebuchadnezzar's statue was probably composed of bricks and the kiln used for making them would have been nearby for the sake of convenience. No remains of brick kilns have been found in Babylon but due to the massive amount of bricks used there, they had to have been there. The bricks still existing in the ruins of ancient Babylon are of materials found in the land; they were not imported. There was no need to import what could be made there and the cost of doing so would have been prohibitive. It's likely that the landscape was at one time dotted with brick kilns and that one of them was quite close to Nebuchadnezzar's statue. 

One commentary I consulted suggested a purpose for the statue, and for the assembled men of all ranks and all nationalities, that was somewhat unique from other opinions I found in my studies. Bible scholar, pastor, and author Bob Deffinbaugh, with a master's degree in theology, states that Nebuchadnezzar is attempting to alter the outcome of his prophetic dream. In the dream the statue was unstable because its feet were made up of a mixture of iron and baked clay, representing a mixture of people who would not remain united. Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom was made up of a mixture of people, for he was a conqueror, and after hearing the interpretation of the dream he begins to fear this will be the downfall of the kingdom. So he comes up with a means of uniting the people. He commands nations and peoples of every language, at the sound of various musical instruments native to each of their lands, to fall down before the same image. Anyone who refuses will perish. The threat of death generally puts an end to any dispute and he sees no reason why this won't be effective.

Just as he suspected, as the people stand there with the fiery furnace within their sight with smoke rising from it, they do as they are told. "Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up." (Daniel 3:7)

But not everyone does as they are told and the jealous wise men of Babylon see an opportunity to rid themselves of the three Jews who have been promoted over them. "At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, 'May the king live forever! Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon---Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego---who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.'" (Daniel 3:8-12) In my head I hear their accusation like this, "There are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon." We hear racial discrimination in their voices and also an accusation against the king, something along the lines of, "You set these men, these foreigners, these Jews over us, even though they have other customs and a different religion, and now look how they repay you! What did you expect from men such as these? You should have known better than to trust them." They don't dare say such things out loud, of course, but they are thinking them and the king knows they are thinking them.

The wise men of Babylon should have been grateful to these three Jews and to Daniel. If not for Daniel's quick action in asking for time to interpret the king's dream, all the wise men of Babylon would have been executed. But gratitude is a funny thing. There are some who despise feeling under obligation to anyone, especially to someone they consider inferior as these Babylonian wise men consider the Jews. They are greedy and ambitious, believing themselves to be above all others, and to acknowledge they owe their lives to these young men from Judah makes them feel weak. It goes against the grain for them to enjoy having these men in charge over them. And now an opportunity to be rid of them has fallen into their laps because of Nebuchadnezzar's statue. It must have been all they could do to keep themselves from grinning with glee as they spoke with the king.

Nebuchadnezzar's authority is being questioned. These Jews have disrespected him in front of all the gathered officials. How dare they? Is this how they repay him for the lavish gifts and the promotions he bestowed on them? Hasn't Daniel already told him he is the head of gold, the king of all kings on the earth at that time, having power and dominion over many lands? Do these Jews not understand who he is and that he holds the power of life and death in his hands? If he allows these three men to get away with their disobedience, he will not be able to maintain control over the other foreign officers he has promoted in his kingdom. His own people will laugh at him behind his back. He has commanded everyone to bow to the statue or else be thrown into the furnace, and if he does not follow through he will never be able to hold his head up again. Nebuchadnezzar, for all his power, has less of a problem feeling grateful toward those who have helped him than some of his Babylonian wise men do, and I suspect he does not want to execute Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, but he will if he must. His only hope is that they have somehow misunderstood his instructions. In tomorrow's study we find him calling the three men before him to repeat his instructions and to offer them a second chance. He will ask them why they have not obeyed. In their answer we find one of the most simple, yet stunning, statements of faith in the word of God.

Living Lives Of Purpose: Lessons From The Book Of Daniel. Day 10, Promotions And Idolatry

Living Lives Of Purpose:
Lessons From The Book Of Daniel
Day 10

Promotions And Idolatry

Daniel has concluded his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream and the king is awestruck at witnessing such power given to Daniel by his God. "Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering of incense be made to him.The king said to Daniel, 'Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.'" (Daniel 2:46-47) All throughout his interpretation, Daniel has been careful to keep reminding the king that he is able to do it not in his own power, but in the power of God. Now the king makes a declaration that honors the God of Israel, although as we will soon see, he has not converted to the God of Israel or forsaken his idolatrous ways.

Nebuchadnezzar cannot see the God of Israel with his own eyes, but he can see God's ambassador, so he presents offerings to Daniel. It is the best this pagan king knows to do and Daniel does not rebuke him for it. Some critics have had harsh words to say about Daniel for allowing this behavior. In their criticism they offer the following two examples. When the centurion Cornelius bowed at the feet of the Apostle Peter and worshiped him, Peter said, "Stand up. I am only a man myself." (Acts 10:20) And when the Apostle John fell at the feet of an angel in Revelation 19 and Revelation 22, the angel replied, 'Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!" But I disagree with those who find fault with Daniel, as do many who are far more educated than I in the Scriptures. Had Nebuchadnezzar actually been worshiping Daniel, then no doubt Daniel would have once again reminded him that it was the God of heaven alone who reveals mysteries. But the king clearly shows us what is in his heart by the words he says when he bows before Daniel. He gives credit only to Daniel's God and I believe Daniel accepts the king's behavior in the spirit in which it is given. This king was born and raised in a nation of idolatry and is doing the best he can to honor Daniel's God in the only way he knows how.

Now Nebuchadnezzar moves on to honoring Daniel for his service. "Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court." (Daniel 2:48-49) Daniel is eager to secure the safety of the three friends who prayed through the previous night with him, so he asks the king if these men (called here by their Babylonian names) can have a share in his reward, since they had a share in his long night of prayer and supplication. The king, in very high spirits and relieved to have the problem of the dream solved, grants his request. Daniel's promotion is similar to that which Pharaoh gave Joseph in the book of Genesis. But not everyone in the kingdom is as happy with these young Hebrew men as the king. Daniel is now in charge of all the wise men, those of the king's own nation with whom Nebuchadnezzar is currently displeased. And Daniel's friends now hold high positions in the government and are in authority over native Babylonians. This does not sit well at all with some of Nebuchadnezzar's own people, as we will find out in tomorrow's study.

But first, if we needed any proof that Nebuchadnezzar has not been changed by his experience with Daniel's God, we find him setting up an image which, in tomorrow's study, he will command the people to bow down and worship. "King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon." (Daniel 3:1) In our own system of measurement, this statue stands ninety feet tall and is nine feet across at its widest point. There are other examples in ancient history of massive statues like this, such as the Colossus at Rhodes, which was even taller than Nebuchadnezzar's statue, standing seventy cubits (one hundred and five feet). The exact location of the plain of Dura is not known in our times but about six miles southeast of Babylon there stands a man-made rectilinear mound about twenty feet tall, upon which is a square base measuring about forty-six feet. Way back in Babylon's heyday, something stood on this base, something quite large, but it is long gone now. This is a possible site for the plain of Dura and the location of Nebuchadnezzar's golden image. 

The image is not described to us in the Scriptures but many scholars through the centuries have stated that it was most likely an image of Nebuchadnezzar himself, or at least an image that represented his power and authority. The creation of the golden statue follows immediately after him receiving the interpretation of the dream in which he was the head of gold on the statue in he saw in his sleep. And the creation of the statue comes right after being told that at this point in history he is the king of all kings, the most powerful king on earth. Daniel addressed him in the lofty and flattering words used by those in the court of the king, declaring him to have dominion over many lands and many peoples and animals. With his head swelled all out of proportion at the realization he is the greatest king in ancient history, and that all the kingdoms to follow will be inferior to his except some far-in-the-future eternal kingdom he has no real concept of, it seems a logical conclusion that this image somehow represents Nebuchadnezzar and his power and authority and greatness. The statue may not have looked like Nebuchadnezzar, being of such odd proportions. It may have been nothing but a golden obelisk. But I think it's a safe bet that, when he requires the people to bow before it, they will be declaring their allegiance to him. 

We discussed a few days ago the possibility that Nebuchadnezzar had little faith in the gods of his people. He certainly had little faith in those who claimed to be receiving messages from the gods, because his Babylonian wise men had been unable to help him in the matter of the dream. What he possessed in place of faith may have been more like superstition. He does recognize the God of Daniel but does not recognize Him as the only God, declaring Him simply to be "the God of gods". He may have felt Daniel's God was more powerful than others, but he added him to the pantheon of gods known to him: the gods of the Babylonians and the gods of the nations he has conquered and taken captive. Somehow this statue which he will command the people to worship embodies his own authority and that of all the gods he recognizes, all rolled into one. I tend to think he would like to command worship for himself alone, but is afraid with a superstitious anxiety of offending a god or gods, so tomorrow when Daniel's three friends refuse to bow to the image, he will ask them, "Is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?" To refuse to bow to the image is to refuse to bow to the king and to whatever gods he thinks may actually exist. An insecure man, who was formerly so worried about losing his grip on the kingdom that he had a strange and repetitive dream about it, he desires to control the people by combining government and religion so that they are one and the same, with him at the head of all. They will swear their allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar and to all he stands for and believes in or they will lose their lives. 

But three men will not bow to any image or to any god but the one true God. They will stick out like three sore thumbs in a culture willing to bow to anything set before it. But, as the saying goes, "He who kneels before God can stand before anyone". These three men have done all their kneeling before God and they are about to make a stand for Him, no matter what the cost.

Living Lives Of Purpose: Lessons From The Book Of Daniel. Day 9, Ten End-Times Kingdoms

Living Lives Of Purpose:
Lessons From The Book Of Daniel

Day 9

Ten End-Times Kingdoms

Yesterday we took a look at the statue of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, the statue made of several types of materials. The kingdom of Babylon was the head of gold, the Medo-Persian Empire was the chest and arms of silver, the Grecian Empire was the belly and thighs of brass, and the Roman Empire was the legs of iron. The statue possessed an unexpected mixture for the feet: a combination of pieces of iron and baked clay. These feet represent both a fulfilled prophecy and one yet to come. In a historical sense, they symbolize the division and eventual downfall of the Roman Empire. But in a prophetic sense, we find evidence in Nebuchadnezzar's dream that the complete fulfillment regarding the feet of iron and clay has not yet come.

We know Nebuchadnezzar's dream has not been fulfilled in its entirety because Daniel says, "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands---a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy." (Daniel 2:44-45) The rock in Nebuchadnezzar's dream is the eternal kingdom of Christ. When His kingdom comes, all others will be no more, and He will reign forever. He will begin by crushing the kingdom which is in place at His return (a ten-nation alliance) and will continue crushing the statue from foot to head, ending with the most ancient kingdom of Babylon, the place where man first led an organized rebellion against God by building the tower of Babel.

Daniel says this will happen "in the time of those kings" as he concludes his description of the feet of iron and clay. If the ten toes represent ten kings then these must be literal kingdoms which will exist on the earth in the end times, right before the return of Christ. Daniel naturally refers to the heads of these nations as kings, for he knew of no other type of ruler, but it's safe for us to simply think of them as world leaders. These leaders could be dictators, monarchs, presidents, fascists, despots, prime ministers, chieftains, emperors, czars, or any other title that exists for a head of state. Daniel himself will have a dream in Chapter 7 regarding these ten kingdoms of the end times and we will see that these kingdoms have sworn their allegiance to the evil one, who is the world dictator during the Great Tribulation. The evil one and his ten-nation coalition will wage war against the principles of God and against His faithful people, but will not prevail in the end, for the One to whom all things belong will come and crush the evil one and destroy his power and his hold over mankind. 

We find similar imagery in the Apostle John's vision in Revelation 13, when a beast comes out of the sea having ten horns and a crown on each of the tens horns, representing ten nations that ally themselves with the beast. An angel speaking with the Apostle John interprets the vision for him, "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings---and with Him will be His called, chosen and faithful followers." (Revelation 17:12-14) In the time of Antichrist, ten nations will voluntarily hand their authority over to him in order to share in what they believe will be his victory and glory. This coalition will have a very short lifespan, for "one hour", which could represent a literal hour of battle against the Lamb or may simply indicate a short period of time. 

The ten toes representing ten kingdoms in Nebuchadnezzar's dream had not yet come into existence in Daniel's day. They still had not come into existence in John's day. We can't know for certain whether these nations are yet in existence in our own day, although I think it's extremely likely, but we don't know which ones they are. At one time many students of Bible prophecy thought the United Nations would turn out to be the ten toes of Daniel 2. Some thought the European Union would fulfill this prophecy. It's quite possible that the ten nations involved will not be made known until the time of the Great Tribulation, after Christ has taken the church from the world. It can be interesting to speculate of these matters, but as the church we should be most focused on Christ our Bridegroom, not on the Antichrist and his wicked kingdom and whether it is already taking shape. We are to be about our Father's business, being a light to the world and getting the gospel out to every corner of the earth. No matter how you look at it, time is short. It's getting shorter by the day. We don't know how much longer we have to get the gospel message out to the world. We don't know when the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation will suddenly begin to be fulfilled. Christ could come for His church any day to take us home to be with Him, so we must work while we can.

The main thing we can take away from the conclusion of the prophecy in Daniel 2 is that a kingdom is coming that will have no end, a righteous and holy kingdom, led by the Lamb of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. Evil will exist no more. The earth will be restored to its former Eden glory and we will live in peace under the rule of the Prince of Peace. Before then, wickedness will have its day, but its day is short. In comparison with the long years of eternity ahead of us, we will look back on the trials of life and feel as if they lasted only one hour. Even under the curse of sin, this world is a beautiful place and many godly acts of kindness are carried out by those faithful to God. Just imagine what this world will be like when Christ is King over it and sin is destroyed forever.

Living Lives Of Purpose: Lessons From The Book Of Daniel. Day 8, Daniel Interprets The Dream

Living Lives Of Purpose:
Lessons From The Book Of Daniel

Day 8

Daniel Interprets The Dream

Daniel described Nebuchadnezzar's dream to him in yesterday's study. The dream involved a huge statue with a head of gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, and its feet partly iron and partly baked clay. A large rock was cut out that smashed the statue from its feet to its head, with the rock becoming a mountain so big it filled the world. Now Daniel interprets the dream for the king. 

"This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king." (Daniel 2:36) Up til now we had not been told that Daniel's friends went with him to see the king. Later in Chapter 2 when Daniel is rewarded for his service to the king, he also requests promotions for his three friends, whom he evidently took with him. His three friends are heavily invested in the outcome of this meeting: all their lives are at stake. They labored through the night in prayer with Daniel and witnessed him receiving the answer from God. Daniel cannot risk leaving them at the house because he does not yet know if the king will spare any life but his own for revealing the interpretation. By saying "we will it interpret it to the king" he includes his friends in any reprieve or reward that's going to be given. These men, praying in agreement with Daniel, helped him to receive the answer from God. Although the Bible only tells us the interpretation was revealed to Daniel, he could not have remained strong through the night without his friends, and without their help he might not have prevailed.

"Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands He has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold." (Daniel 2:36-38) In his day King Nebuchadnezzar was the head of the most powerful kingdom in the known world. Daniel, having been trained in Babylonian court etiquette, addresses the king with very exalted titles and lofty words, as was the custom. Though Nebuchadnezzar did not truly have dominion over all the beasts of the field or the birds of the sky, he had taken dominion over many territories and everyone and everything contained in them. But we want to take note that Daniel ascribes Nebuchadnezzar's amazing rise to power not to the king's own brilliance or talent in military strategy, but to the will and the power of Almighty God. The God of heaven gave all this to the king. If it had not been the Lord's will for Nebuchadnezzar to rise to such heights of power, he could not have done so.

"After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours." (Daniel 2:39a) This kingdom, the alliance of the Medo-Persian Empire, is represented on the statue by the chest and arms of silver. This kingdom will conquer Babylon during the days of Nebuchadnezzar's successors.

"Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth." (Daniel 2:39b) This kingdom is that of Greece under Alexander the Great, represented on the statue as the belly and thighs of bronze. When Daniel says this kingdom will rule over the whole earth, he means the world as it was known in his time. He did not know of the existence of such continents as Australia, North America, South America, or Antarctica. In his vision from God a ruler would come who would conquer vast swaths of the world as Daniel knew it.

"Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron---for iron breaks and smashes everything---and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others." (Daniel 2:40) The fourth kingdom is the Roman Empire, which ruled for over five hundred years in comparison to the Babylonian Empire which stood for only sixty-six years, the Medo-Persian Empire which stood for two hundred and eight years, and the Grecian Empire which lasted for about one hundred and eighty-five years. The expression "the iron boot of Rome" does not exist for nothing. This empire, represented on the statue by the legs of iron, stomped and crushed everything in its path. But this kingdom, like all the others before it, would eventually crumble, as evidenced by the feet of the statue that are a mixture of iron and baked clay. "Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay." (Daniel 2:41-43)

The Roman Empire fell both from within and without. They were attacked repeatedly by Germanic tribes, sustaining heavy losses and being prevented from further expansion. The years spent expanding their empire, and the years spent defending it, caused a financial crisis. There was a constant need for revenue to fund the war-machine of Rome and the people were taxed so heavily that many wealthy citizens rebelled and set up independent fiefdoms, thereby "seceding" from the Roman Empire. The inability to carry out continual expansion, along with piracy taking place on the Mediterranean which interrupted Rome's trading enterprises, caused both labor and economic crises. 

Rome may have thought she was too big to fail but her size led to her downfall. There was too much territory to defend. The empire became so great that nearly all the resources had to be funneled into the military, causing the infrastructure to crumble. Civil wars broke out within the nation. Rome could not keep an emperor on the throne for long, for what amounted to the "secret service", such as we have for our presidents, began to depose and set up kings according to their own purposes, assassinating a number of them. The Emperor Diocletian later divided the Roman Empire in two in an attempt to save it, with the capital of the Western Empire in Milan and the capital of the Easter Empire in Constantinople. This physical division led to national division, reminding us of the feet of the statue which were partly iron and partly clay. Culturally and economically, the two halves of the empire grew further and further apart. 

Time and again Rome was attacked by the Goths, with whom they attempted to make an alliance, but the Goths were so cruelly treated by Rome that they rose up and overcame a detachment of the army and killed the Eastern Emperor Valens. A temporary truce was made with the Goths, but the Goth King Alaric invaded the western territory. Rome was on the downswing and she hired mercenaries for the army from other cultures. These soldiers were in it for the money and had no allegiance for Rome, with many of their officers actually turning against Roman officials. When Western Rome finally fell, many of the men fighting against her were these hired mercenaries who earned all their military training originally fighting on the side of Rome. 

As the Lord Jesus said, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand." (Matthew 12:25) Rome eventually became a divided nation, with feet of iron and clay, partly strong and partly brittle. But the ten toes of this statue also represent another kingdom, a kingdom of the end times. These toes symbolize a coalition of nations that will seek to rule the world and who will fight against the people of God and even against the King of kings. The rock that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream, the one the smashed first the feet and worked its way up, represents an eternal kingdom which will be set up "in the time of those kings" (the kings represented by the ten toes) and this portion of Nebuchadnezzar's dream is yet to be fulfilled. Daniel told the king his vision was for "the latter days" and in tomorrow's session we will take an in-depth look at some end times prophecy.

Living Lives Of Purpose: Lessons From The Book Of Daniel. Day 7, Daniel Describes Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

Living Lives Of Purpose:
Lessons From The Book Of Daniel

Day 7

Daniel Describes Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

We concluded yesterday with Daniel standing before the king and declaring that he has been given the dream and its interpretation by the God of heaven who reveals mysteries. None of the gods of Babylon were able to reveal to the wise men what the king dreamed, but the one true God has chosen to interact personally with Nebuchadnezzar by giving him the dream and by giving Daniel the answer. Daniel says, "He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come." (Daniel 2:28a) In the original text the "days to come" are literally "the latter days". So right away we know we are going to be looking at some end-times prophecy when we learn the interpretation. 

"Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed were these: 'As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. As for me, the mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.'" (Daniel 2:28b-30) King Nebuchadnezzar spent a lot of time thinking about his kingdom. Bible scholar John F. Walvoord, whose books on Daniel and Revelation are highly respected in the Christian world, says, "Nebuchadnezzar had had a meteoric rise to power as one of the great conquerors and monarchs of the ancient world. He had begun his brilliant career even while his father was still alive, but after his father's death, he quickly consolidated his gains and established himself as absolute ruler over the Babylonian empire. All of Southwest Asia was in his power, and there was no rival worthy of consideration at the time. Under these circumstances, it was only natural that Nebuchadnezzar should wonder what was going to come next." (from Daniel: The Key To Prophetic Revelation, pg 62)

Nebuchadnezzar was a young man when he received the crown. He was a brilliant military strategist and a highly educated and intelligent person. Like many people who have attained glory and adulation and an obscene amount of wealth and success, he suffered inwardly from insecurity. He constantly worried whether he could hold onto his enormous power over the region and also about what kind of legacy he would leave behind, whether Babylon would continue to be the world power it was in his day. King Solomon, in whose time the kingdom of Israel was at its most powerful, worried about the same things. In speaking about all his hard work, his accomplishments, his building projects, and the wealth he brought into Israel, Solomon despaired at the thought that things might fall apart after his death. "I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19) Solomon was a troubled man who struggled with depression and the lusts of the flesh, yet Israel in his day was at the height of her glory. Naturally he worried whether those who came after him would be wise stewards of all he had accomplished. (He was correct to worry, for the kingdom split in half when his son Rehoboam became king after him.) Nebuchadnezzar is in the same frame of mind as Solomon was when he wrote Ecclesiastes. He is worried about holding onto power in his lifetime and he fears his successors will somehow manage to lose everything he has gained.

God is so gracious and merciful to this pagan king and I don't want us to miss that fact. Nebuchadnezzar does not know or acknowledge the God of Israel but the God of Israel knows and acknowledges him. He personally interacts with this troubled young king and intends to bring into his life a young Hebrew man who will witness to him about the one true God. What an awesome opportunity this is for Nebuchadnezzar. I think, based on his earlier suspicion of the wise men of Babylon, that Nebuchadnezzar has come to the conclusion that the "gods" of his people are not gods at all. He has renounced all the wise men as frauds and it's possible at this point in his life he's questioning whether any gods exist. Tossing and turning in his bed at night, burdened down with the heavy responsibility of such an enormous kingdom, worried about keeping control over it and all the territories he has annexed, I wonder if maybe his heart cried out for someone to help him. Perhaps in the long watches of the night he whispered, "Is anybody there? Is there a god who created life and who can hear me and help me?"

Daniel now relates the details of the dream that has been troubling the king. "Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue---an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 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. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces 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 that filled the whole earth." (Daniel 2:31-35)

No wonder this repetitive and bizarre dream upset the king! He was falling asleep at night with all the worries of his kingdom on his mind and he knows that the dream involves his kingdom somehow, but he can't understand what it means. He suspects it might be bad news, considering the rock that smashes the statue from foot to head, but he can't be certain. He doesn't know what he should be doing to prevent calamity; he doesn't even know whether he can prevent calamity. But from the very beginning of his speech to the king, Daniel sets his mind at ease a bit by telling him this vision was for "the latter days". Babylon is not in immediate danger and these things will not be fulfilled in Nebuchadnezzar's lifetime. Having this assurance right off the bat, the king is in a frame of mind to take in the explanation of the dream, which we will study tomorrow. It's far too lengthy to look at along with today's session, but you won't want to miss it, for the interpretation of the dream includes the eternal kingdom of Christ.