Daniel 2:24–49

Introduction

Daniel 2:24–49: In today’s reading, Daniel visits King Nebuchadnezzar to tell him his dream and explain its meaning. He describes a giant statue with parts made of different materials, which is then struck by a stone and collapses. The parts represent a succession of kingdoms (beginning with Nebuchadnezzar’s) that will rise and fall. They will be supplanted by God’s kingdom, which will destroy all others and will never end. (Some later Christian interpreters, considering the prophecy fulfilled in Jesus, identified the kingdoms as Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece, with the stone signifying the church.)

Today’s Key Verse: Daniel 2:47 GNT

The king said, “Your God is the greatest of all gods, the Lord over kings, and the one who reveals mysteries. I know this because you have been able to explain this mystery.”

Read

²⁴ So Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had commanded to execute the royal advisers. He said to him, “Don’t put them to death. Take me to the king, and I will tell him what his dream means.”²⁵ At once Arioch took Daniel into King Nebuchadnezzar’s presence and told the king, “I have found one of the Jewish exiles who can tell Your Majesty the meaning of your dream.”²⁶ The king said to Daniel (who was also called Belteshazzar), “Can you tell me what I dreamed and what it means?”²⁷ Daniel replied, “Your Majesty, there is no wizard, magician, fortuneteller, or astrologer who can tell you that. ²⁸ But there is a God in heaven, who reveals mysteries. He has informed Your Majesty what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you the dream, the vision you had while you were asleep.²⁹ “While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about the future; and God, who reveals mysteries, showed you what is going to happen. ³⁰ Now, this mystery was revealed to me, not because I am wiser than anyone else, but so that Your Majesty may learn the meaning of your dream and understand the thoughts that have come to you.³¹ “Your Majesty, in your vision you saw standing before you a giant statue, bright and shining, and terrifying to look at. ³² Its head was made of the finest gold; its chest and arms were made of silver; its waist and hips of bronze, ³³ its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. ³⁴ While you were looking at it, a great stone broke loose from a cliff without anyone touching it, struck the iron and clay feet of the statue, and shattered them. ³⁵ At once the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold crumbled and became like the dust on a threshing place in summer. The wind carried it all away, leaving not a trace. But the stone grew to be a mountain that covered the whole earth.³⁶ “This was the dream. Now I will tell Your Majesty what it means. ³⁷ Your Majesty, you are the greatest of all kings. The God of heaven has made you emperor and given you power, might, and honor. ³⁸ He has made you ruler of all the inhabited earth and ruler over all the animals and birds. You are the head of gold. ³⁹ After you there will be another empire, not as great as yours, and after that a third, an empire of bronze, which will rule the whole earth. ⁴⁰ And then there will be a fourth empire, as strong as iron, which shatters and breaks everything. And just as iron shatters everything, it will shatter and crush all the earlier empires. ⁴¹ You also saw that the feet and the toes were partly clay and partly iron. This means that it will be a divided empire. It will have something of the strength of iron, because there was iron mixed with the clay. ⁴² The toes—partly iron and partly clay—mean that part of the empire will be strong and part of it weak. ⁴³ You also saw that the iron was mixed with the clay. This means that the rulers of that empire will try to unite their families by intermarriage, but they will not be able to, any more than iron can mix with clay. ⁴⁴ At the time of those rulers the God of heaven will establish a kingdom that will never end. It will never be conquered, but will completely destroy all those empires and then last forever. ⁴⁵ You saw how a stone broke loose from a cliff without anyone touching it and how it struck the statue made of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God is telling Your Majesty what will happen in the future. I have told you exactly what you dreamed, and have given you its true meaning.”⁴⁶ Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed to the ground and gave orders for sacrifices and offerings to be made to Daniel. ⁴⁷ The king said, “Your God is the greatest of all gods, the Lord over kings, and the one who reveals mysteries. I know this because you have been able to explain this mystery.” ⁴⁸ Then he gave Daniel a high position, presented him with many splendid gifts, put him in charge of the province of Babylon, and made him the head of all the royal advisers. ⁴⁹ At Daniel’s request the king put Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in charge of the affairs of the province of Babylon; Daniel, however, remained at the royal court.

Reflect

Reread verses 27–30. Does Daniel disagree with the other advisers’ assessment from yesterday’s reading (Daniel 2:22)? How does he account for his ability to interpret the king’s dream (verses 29–30)? How does Nebuchadnezzar respond to Daniel? What can the dream teach us about God’s providence in the world and in our lives?

Pray

Lord God, all kingdoms and powers are in your hands. You reign supreme, now and forever. Grant us courage to proclaim your truth to earthly authorities, weighing not their power but yours, knowing that you care for us and for the whole world. May your wisdom bear fruit in us as we faithfully carry out your will. Amen.

Tomorrow’s Reading

Daniel 3:1–18: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue.