The Book of Daniel

by Jack Van Impe

Beginning this week we want to do a study on the book of Daniel. We will divide the study into two

major parts; Part I: A History of the Times...And the Set-up for Coming Attractions; and Part II: Events

Prophesied...Prophecies Fulfilled. These two parts will be broken down and delved into in detail.

Wanted: Healthy, Good-Looking Lads

Daniel 1:1, 2

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of

Babylon unto Jerusalem , and besieged it.

And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the

house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he

brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

Swords flashed wildly between the nations of Egypt and Babylon , the two great military giants of the

Middle East , as the latter part of the 7th Century B.C. was fast coming to a close. The fierce battles

between the two superpowers were visible proof that each was determined to seize full control of

their part of the world. Any observer then, or historian today, knew that a decisive battle could not be

far off, a conflict in which the ultimate victor would once and for all put his opponent to flight. And

that’s exactly what happened.

The time was early summer in the year 605 B.C. The great army of Babylon , under the leadership of

Nebuchadnezzar, then crown prince, attacked the Egyptian forces in a place called Carchemish , a

Babylonian city on the Euphrates River (see Jeremiah 46 for details). It was a thorough defeat for the

Egyptians, who were forced to return to their country to lick their wounds and ponder the weakness of

a failed battle strategy that had brought them to their knees. With unparalleled world dominance, the

Babylonians now had free reign to step into the unguarded territory of Palestine . By the summer of

605 B.C. they had wrestled control of the city of Jerusalem . And this is where our story begins.

Upon the death of Nebuchadnezzar’s father, Nabopolassar, a short time after the massive Babylonian

victory, Nebuchadnezzar rushed home to be crowned king of Babylon . But he did not return to

Babylon empty-handed. His saddlebags were filled with rich treasure and precious vessels, much of it

taken from the holy temple in Jerusalem . His ungodly hands had pillaged from the house of God, a

sort of in-your-face mockery to the Holy One, a Babylonian slap in the face of the Jewish people, their

traditions, and their most high God.

An Opportunity for Compromise

But the man who would be king did not return with merely gold, silver, and temple utensils. Among his

inventory of rich booty were also human treasures, young, fit sons of Israel who were taken from their

beloved homeland and brought to Babylon , exposed to a foreign religion and traditions that bore no

resemblance to their beliefs. But those were the rules of war; Lose the battle, do what your captor

says. Among the choicest of Jewish young men in this group now being transported to Babylon was a

teenager whose name was Daniel.

Daniel 1:3-7

And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring

certain of the children of Israel , and of the king’s seed, and of the princes;

Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and

cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to

stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of

the Chaldeans.

And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which

he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand

before the king.

Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and

Azariah:

Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of

Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to

Azariah, of Abed-nego.

Wise Beyond His Years

Daniel now found himself a captive in a strange land, learning the language of the Chaldeans, the

elite, privileged class of Babylon . Young Daniel had to accept the reality that he was now a member

of a conquered people, forced to think no longer like a Jew, but like a Babylonian, with the clear

demand that he give his full allegiance to Babylonian gods. This was Daniel’s greatest challenge.

But in ways that even Daniel could not have understood, he was more than adequately prepared for

his new life. Of royal descent, Daniel had already been trained for palace service, even at his young

age. He was not overwhelmed by the pomp and circumstance, nor by the tough courses he and his

friends had to take in astronomy, natural history, mythology, or astrology. Gilded thrones didn’t overly

impress him either, he’d seen it all before.

Nebuchadnezzar simply did not know what he had on his hands: Daniel might have looked like just

another strong, able Jewish boy on the outside, but the king couldn’t discern who Daniel really was on

the inside, a man of God, loyal and faithful to his Creator. So unswerving was Daniel’s righteousness

that even in the polluted atmosphere of heathen Babylon he would find a way to make himself useful

to God, something we’ll observe again and again as our story unfolds.

The Times of the Gentiles

Now here’s a point that I want to make early on because it will be critical to remember it as together

we travel on this amazing, prophetic road of Final Mysteries Unsealed, Daniel is distinctly the prophet

of the “times of the Gentiles.” This is significant because the “times of the Gentiles” continues on

through the termination of Gentile world rule.

Daniel is not only the prophet of the Gentiles, but he’s also a prophet to his own people, the Jews.

When Nebuchadnezzar brought the vessels unto the treasure house of his god, this was the beginning

of “the times of the Gentiles,” which continues until the time when Messiah returns. You may

remember that Jesus said in Luke 21:24,

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be lead away captive into all

nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the

Gentiles be fulfilled” (emphasis mine).

This will be a recurring theme for us throughout the book. In modern English, this is what Jesus was

saying: Jerusalem will always be controlled by Gentiles, except for a brief interlude, until I return. So

in 586 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem , and Gentile domination began.

From that time onward, Jerusalem would be controlled by Gentiles, with one exception, the time

preceding Christ’s return to set up His glorious thousand-year kingdom upon earth. The exception

occurred during the miraculous victory the Jewish army experienced as they captured Jerusalem

during the Six-Day War, fought June 5-10, 1967. After this military conquest, the Holy City of Jerusalem

was in Jewish hands for the first time in 2,553 years.

The victory in 1967 began the countdown to Messiah’s coming to rule and reign at Jerusalem (see

Psalm 2:6 and Matthew 5:35). Here’s why. Just before Christ appears upon the Mount of Olives to

establish His glorious kingdom, all Gentile nations will gather together at the valley of Megiddo and

then march to the valley of Jehoshaphat for history’s final attack against Jerusalem . At this time the

Gentiles temporarily retake the city.

But their victory is short-lived, because then Christ appears and destroys the Gentile armies, bringing

the “times of the Gentiles” to its horrendous conclusion. Christ will then reign from Jerusalem , the

capital of the world, for a thousand years (see Revelation 16:16; Joel 3:2; and Zechariah 14:2-16).

Now here’s the clincher. The Gentiles cannot march against Jerusalem and take it during earth’s final

battle if the Jews do not control the city. The Jews must be in possession of the Holy City for such an

attack. This is why the Six-Day War of 1967 was so prophetically significant, it prepared the way for

the battle of Armageddon and Christ’s return. In a sense, I’m giving you the end of the story first, but I

think it’s important for you to understand this as we see the enormous impact that the Book of Daniel

has on the outcome of history.

A Young Man of Influence

Whether the heathen king Nebuchadnezzar knew it or not, young Daniel, probably no more than

seventeen years old at the time of his capture, was a teenager beyond reproach. No evil motives are

ever attributed to Daniel in Scripture. Daniel had great influence on his three friends Hananiah,

Mishael, and Azariah. His moral rectitude rubbed off on them, and they, too, began to demonstrate

the purity that God desires for everyone, young or old. With wisdom well beyond his years, Daniel

had become a mentor to his three friends.

The Scripture tells us in Daniel 1:4 that Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were already intelligent

fellows, but mere knowledge is a far cry from a mature understanding of how to apply that learning

where it truly counts. But because of Daniel’s daily influence, the Hebrew boys demonstrated much

more than the accumulation of facts; they knew how to rely on God and to use those facts because

the Spirit of almighty God was upon them. They were also fulfilling a prophecy written in Isaiah 39:7,

which revealed that the offspring of the royal family of Judah would be taken as prisoners to Babylon ,

where they would hold high offices in the palace of the king. And this is exactly what was happening.

Can’t Have Those Jewish Names, Boys

But Nebuchadnezzar had a problem. He had Jewish boys, with Jewish names, in a Babylonian palace,

and he figured he’d better do something about it, especially since their very names shouted out

their allegiance to their God. The name Daniel means “God is judge.” When someone would call for

Hananiah, that person would be shouting “Jehovah is gracious.” Mishael’s name asked the provocative

question, “Who is what God is?” And Azariah’s name was a constant reminder of God’s mercy,

meaning “Jehovah has helped.”

Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t allow these names to be echoed in his great hall, so he changed their

names to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Nebuchadnezzar was the master of the

quick fix. His kingly logic was, if he changed the name, he would change the person. What the king

did not realize, however, was that you can change a person’s name as many times as you want, but

you will not necessarily change that person’s heart. So the name changes were purely cosmetic, and

I’ve got a feeling that when the boys were in their quarters, in the privacy of their conversation, they

still called each other Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

These brilliant young Jews loved their God and, as we’ll look at in more detail later, boldly proclaimed

His presence in their lives three times a day in prayer with the windows wide open. They didn’t care

who heard them pray. They didn’t care who saw them with their heads lifted to heaven. They loved

their God, and they would honor Him at all costs. They remained respectful to the king, but they had a

greater God to serve. In one of the great “passive resistance” protests in history, they agreed to

remain unwavering in their beliefs, even if it meant taking certain life-threatening risks.

Daniel 1:8-16

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s

meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs

that he might not defile himself

Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed

your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children

which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah,

Mishael, and Azariah,

Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to

drink.

Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children

that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the

children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.

Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave

them pulse.

An Unlikely Training Food

The first challenge was what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Imagine the incredible feasts

available to Daniel and his friends. Delicacies galore. Meat, fowl, wine, and fruit served in gold and

silver vessels. The king’s best. Who would have refused that kind of life-style? Well, for starters, four

young men with the names Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They determined in

their hearts they would not eat the rich, fatty, high-cholesterol foods from the king’s table.

But there was another reason they refused to defile their bodies: The king’s food had already been

offered to the Babylonian god Marduk, and to eat the king’s food would be to break the second commandment.

They knew what Exodus 20:4-5 said:

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in

heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou

shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God,

visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them

that hate me.

But this conviction created a problem. These four boys were in training, and Nebuchadnezzar and his

trainers were in charge. They were under strict orders to follow Babylonian rules, not Jewish rules.

Nothing kosher here. But-and this is why I hope young people are reading this book, because this in

so many ways is a young person’s book Daniel still found favor with the prince of the eunuchs. Character

is what counts. Sticking to your guns when everyone else says to do something that dishonors

God is what wins the day.

Now it was Melzar, the eunuch in charge, who had the problem. His job and his life were on the line.

He had a specific assignment-to make his charges obey the rules, follow the instructions, color between

the lines, do what they were told, and eat the king’s food like the other Jewish boys. What

could be so bad about that! “Come on, guys, please,” I can almost hear him say. “I like this job, and I

really don’t need to get into any trouble with the head eunuch.” I’m sure that Daniel and his buddies

listened to their eunuch friend with hearts of compassion for the predicament he was in, but they still

remained faithful to God’s agenda for their lives.

Acting Like Gentlemen

Now here’s a part I love. Rather than giving Melzar a tongue-lashing, Old Testament lecture on the

evils of giving good food to bad gods like Marduk, Daniel did something much more effective: He

provided an alternative. He presented the eunuch an option by suggesting, “Let’s just check this other

idea out, and see what happens.” Daniel came up with a “ten day plan.” And what was the essence of

this plan?

To eat only pulse, another word for beans. Beans. Not meat, fish, exotic game from the forest, rich

desserts, wine flowing by the flagons-but beans . . . and water. I can just see Melzar’s face turn

ghostly white as he gently touches the side of his neck, wondering how long it will remain attached to

the rest of his head. “Beans! Surely you jest. We have beef, and you want beans?”

Daniel and his friends confirmed their resolve, and the diet plan was approved. While the rest of

Jewish captives were being wined and dined in the palace dining hall, Daniel and his three friends ate

beans, and amazingly were growing stronger and healthier in mind and body day by day. They trusted

their God to make them healthy and strong. They remained obedient to God when all the odds were

stacked against them. And when the ten day experiment came to an end, we read that

“their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the

portion of the king’s meat. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that

they should drink; and gave them pulse” (vv. 15-16).

And the palace scoreboard read:

Daniel-1

King-O

Daniel 1:17 - 21

As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and

Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the

eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah,

Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten

times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

There must be something about the power of beans. But for ten days? I think that’s about the only

diet I haven’t heard about in all the hype and hoopla of today’s weight management programs. Of

course, the beans and water didn’t make the difference, the food was simply the vehicle of faithfulness

that God used to prove that He was God, and that there was no other.

Now that the experiment was over, Daniel and his friends began to focus on more serious businesssuch

as praying to God to help them develop their gifts of wisdom, ability to discern truth from error,

and the skill to differentiate between true dreams and false dreams. This was a lot for young shoulders

to bear, but God was faithful to his four righteous servants, and He gave them more wisdom and

knowledge than they ever could have imagined.

The Best of the Lot

We can safely assume that Daniel and his compatriots did not dine at the king’s table for the entire

three years of their training. Yet, when the king took one look at Daniel and his friends, he realized

there were no others in his realm who were as healthy or insightful as these four Hebrew boys. They

had proved by their faithfulness to God-while maintaining an attitude of courtesy and respect for their

foreign ruler that God had sent them to the king’s palace, and that they were committed to serving

their God. The king quickly picked up on this, and we read that:

in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten

times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm” (1:20).

The Message for Today

What is the special word from God for us here? I believe God would have us understand that our

heavenly Father wants us to be faithful, regardless of our circumstances. What if Daniel and his

friends had chosen to compromise their ideals in that foreign environment? What if they had decided

it made no difference to put on rolls of fat from the king’s bounty, to play around with foreign gods, to

engage themselves with sensuous women, and to allow their active minds to accept the ungodly

mind-set of Babylonian life? If they’d taken the easy way out, they would have been ineffective servants.

Just four more captives doing their time.

And the king would never have honored them by saying, “I would trade ten of my best magicians and

astrologers for one of these men because they have some supernatural power.” Ten times better!

What a recommendation. What enviable job security. And what a God-given opportunity for Daniel

and his friends to begin to influence a king and the affairs of an entire kingdom at the highest level. All

this was taking place because four young, God-fearing men were filled with the Spirit of God and

were determined to follow His commands.

As we move from one exciting page of the Book of Daniel to the next, we’ll notice that the expression,

“The spirit of the gods” will appear often. As believers, we know there is only one Spirit, the blessed

Holy Spirit. And when our Savior returns, a theme we’ll investigate as we go along-there will be only

one power. The Nebuchadnezzar’s of the world will have had their day. The once powerful, high, and

mighty will take a backseat to the Divine Redeemer who will come for His own. At that day there will

be only one power, one driving force, and one Spirit. That’s why we are reminded in Ephesians 5:18

to “be filled with the Spirit.” The literal Greek reads, “Be being filled with the spirit.” It’s a continuous

process.

The kind of filling that will energize you and me, just as it provided the power for Daniel to remain

faithful to God during his time of trials in a foreign land. And just as Daniel stood boldly and confidently

before King Nebuchadnezzar so we have received the mandate to demonstrate the boldness

of Acts 1:8: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be

witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem , and in all Judea, and in Samaria , and unto the uttermost part

of the earth.”

In Daniel’s day, the wisdom of the world, which was Nebuchadnezzar’s world was put to shame by

the wisdom of God manifested in the lives of four committed young men. That same wisdom must be

exhibited in our day, a time in history when a movement against the one true God is picking up speed

and will march us to the end of the age. Daniel is not just a prophet from history, and his book is not

just another book. It is our must-read guide to show us where we are heading, and the Book of Daniel

will take us to a fuller understanding of the latter days and the great mysteries unsealed, beginning

with Nebuchadnezzar’s amazing dream of a statue and Daniel’s fearless interpretation.

A King Dreams... A King Is Confused

DANIEL 2:1-13

And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams,

wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.

Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the

Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the

dream.

Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac, 0 king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream,

and we will show the interpretation.

The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make

known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your

houses shall be made a dunghill.

But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards

and great honour: therefore show me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the

interpretation of it.

The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the

thing is gone from me.

But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have

prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell

me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof

The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can

show the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any

magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.

And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the

king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men

of Babylon .

And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his

fellows to be slain.

Perhaps at some time in your life you’ve had a dream that was so unnerving and perplexing that it

kept you from sleeping through the rest of the night. You tried to figure out what it might mean and

may have even asked others to help you with an interpretation that made sense. If this has happened

to you and me, we know it’s happened to people throughout history.

In the year 603 B.C., King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream so bizarre that he marshaled his wisest

men to his chambers to give him a reasonable interpretation. Not only did the crafty king want an

interpretation of the dream he could understand, but he went one step further: He demanded a recital

of the dream itself. Unreasonable? Of course. But Nebuchadnezzar was the king, and just as the

gorilla sleeps anywhere it likes in the jungle, so the king could make up his own rules which he did

with an impish look in his eye, I’m sure.

Nervous Coughs and Furtive Looks

Did the king really forget the content of his dream? I doubt it. I think this was Nebuchadnezzar’s way

to test the wisdom and alleged supernatural powers of his magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers.

Heavy has been the head that has worn the crown throughout history, and Nebuchadnezzar’s crown

must have weighed a ton. Kings come and go; their enemies are forever nipping at their heels. What

if Nebuchadnezzar’s dream were to portend evil for his realm? Superstitious as he was, he demanded

an interpretation.

But there was a risk that one of the palace sorcerers might give the king information he didn’t want to

hear. So what does a wizard do? Equivocate? Beat around the bush? Try to buy some time? After all,

the wrong information would produce disastrous results for the wizards, like being cut to pieces and

having their houses made into a dunghill. But if they could state the dream and give Nebuchadnezzar

an interpretation he could live with, then all manner of blessings would fall on the necromancers. So

the stage was set.

I can almost hear the nervous coughs and see the furtive looks as one magician after the other would

say something like, “0 King, that’s a marvelous idea, our telling you your dream not that it will be easy.

Say, would you mind running that dream by your servants just one more time, and then I’m sure we’ll

be able to come up with just the right interpretation.”

Paranoia Abounds

The king didn’t bite. He knew he had his magicians and wise men trapped, and he accused them of

stalling. Finally, probably with perspiration pouring from their brows, the wizards and astrologers came

flat out with the truth, saying that such an assignment was impossible certainly too great a job for the

wisest person in the realm, and one that could only be accomplished in cooperation with the godswhose

dwelling is not with flesh”. An interesting comment from savants who were supposed to be

able to predict the future and come up with detailed and accurate answers to life’s most perplexing

problems. Yet, when push came to shove, they figured hearkening to the gods might not be such a

bad idea after all.

But the king didn’t buy their delay and became furious. In a fit of rage he demanded that all the wise

men of Babylon be rounded up and destroyed something we’ve seen again and again throughout

secular and religious history. When frustration mounts in the palace, scapegoats are found, and these

innocents are often summarily done away with. It happened when a paranoid King Herod, intent on

finding an alleged usurper to his throne, put out a decree to kill all Jewish baby boys in the land.

We saw it with Hitler who, in his cruel attempt to create his Third Reich, killed six million Jews, burned

all books that threatened his reign, and more than decimated all non Aryans under his control. We

saw it again just a few years ago, in the mid to late 1960s, when an equally paranoid Chairman Mao

threw all of China into convulsions with his demented “Cultural Revolution” a nationwide witch hunt

that was only an official excuse to kill and maim millions of dissidents, destroy any semblance of

ancient tradition that flew in the face of his hybrid communism, and put China on a crash course with

history. Will tyrants ever learn?

Now, the net was thrown wide throughout the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar to bring all the men of

wisdom to their knees and ultimately to their collective death. Although it appears that Daniel and his

friends were not in this shouting session with the king, they were, in fact, to be included in the king’s

order. The great irony of the king’s manifesto as it related to Daniel was that once again God was

setting the stage for a display of His sovereignty over the affairs of men. Meanwhile, the hunt was on.

Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which

was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon :

He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king?

Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show

the king the interpretation.

Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his

companions:

That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his

fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon .

Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of

heaven.

Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might

are his:

And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth

wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light

dwelleth with him.

I thank thee, and praise thee, 0 thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might,

and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known

unto us the king’s matter.

Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of

Babylon : he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon : bring me in

before the king, and I will show unto the king the interpretation.

Daniel’s Strategy

We’ve now begun to see the sterling character of Daniel. Though still young, he was wise beyond his

years; though relatively inexperienced in the affairs of life, he demonstrated how God can use a

servant who gives his absolute loyalty to the Father. Now, it was again Daniel’s turn to settle uncontrollable

waters. Here’s where we as believers need to take careful note of Daniel’s spiritual strategy.

· First, he asked for time, always a good idea when we are trying to come up with a solution to

one of life’s challenges.

· Second, he was bold enough to say that he would fulfill the king’s demand, that is, he promised

to do what the other wise men could not. Daniel knew that with God on his side he was

not stepping out on a partially sawed off limb. He knew his heavenly Father would give him the

insight required at the time he would need it.

· Third and how often we fail to do this, Daniel went back to his quarters and held an impromptu

prayer meeting/counseling session with his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

Proverbs 15:22 reminds us, “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude

of counsellors they are established.” Daniel knew the importance of feedback from his companions-

an awareness that runs throughout the entire book.

Daniel’s “Model Prayer”

Now I want you to pay special attention to Daniel’s prayer, just one of the many prayers of this great

man of God we will discover in the pages of this amazing prophecy. Remember, Daniel already believed

that God would give him the answer he’d need when he would soon stand before the king.

He’d already conferred with his friends and received their counsel. But Daniel knew that unless he

prayed earnestly to his God for divine insight and wisdom, he would never be prepared for his daunting

assignment with a paranoid king.

For years, I’ve felt this prayer of Daniel should be a model for our own time with God, a prayer that

moves me anew as I read it again, perhaps for the thousandth time. Daniel blesses God for His

wisdom. He acknowledges that earthly kings are just that, as common as dirt, and that God alone

sets up rulers and brings them crashing down from their man-made thrones. He recognizes that only

His God, not Marduk, or any other Babylonian idol gives wisdom to the wise and has the necessary

resources to bring light to that which is shrouded in darkness.

Then, in a final burst of praise, Daniel thanks God for the wisdom and might He’s given to His servant.

Daniel thanks God, giving no credit to himself, for the answers he now has to King

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Can’t you just hear Daniel’s prayer build with confidence as he moves

toward his final crescendo-his glorious amen to his God?

Ready to Meet the King

Daniel has done his homework. He’s been patient. He’s prayed. Now he’s ready with an exuberance

and confidence that can only come to a believer in the one true God. Only after this serious, preaudience

preparation does Daniel finally say to Arioch, “All right, now’s the time. I’m ready to enter

the presence of the king . . . and by the way, make sure that the king spares the lives of the wise men

of Babylon . There’s now no reason for them to die.” Daniel, a young man with limited life experience,

is now used by God to shape the destiny of an entire kingdom.

The apostle Paul, hundreds of years later, would say to another young man, Timothy, “Let no man

despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in

spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). In God’s eyes, age has little significance when it comes to

being a wise servant. Just as He did then, all God demands from His people is obedience. This spirit

would be the hallmark of the man Daniel to the end of his days.

Daniel 2:25 - 30

Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a

man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.

The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make

known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?

Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded

cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the sooth sayers, show unto the

king;

But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the King

Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon

thy bed, are these;

As for thee, 0 king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what Should come to pass

hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any

living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou

mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

Glory to God Alone

Daniel now had the king’s attention. He also continued to remind the king that the wisdom he was

sharing was from the one true God and not from his own knowledge. What integrity! Daniel could

have made this a public relations spectacular for himself by taking all the credit, comparing himself to

the other wise men (who failed to speak the dream or interpret it), saying, “Hey, King, look at me. I’m

the man. You can always count on me for the answers to your tough questions.”

But that is not the Daniel of this book. He took no glory for himself, but instead insisted that only God

in heaven could do what the king had requested. I can almost see King Nebuchadnezzar’s mouth

begin to drop as Daniel set him up.

Nebuchadnezzar was probably saying something like, “Come on, Daniel, enough of this ‘My God’

stuff. What’s my dream? More importantly, what does it mean? And why are you making me wait?”

But Daniel was not to be rushed. He was in control of this particular discussion and, once again, the

king was compelled to wait for the time when this young Jew would come forth with his secrets, which

he finally shared when he said:

Daniel 2: 31 - 35

Thou, 0 king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was

excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.

This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of

brass,

His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet

that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and

became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no

place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and

filled the whole earth.

I imagine the king was startled, and dumbfounded, probably exclaiming something like, “I can’t believe

this, Daniel. You’re a genius! You’ve done what my most seasoned astrologers and magicians

could not do. You’re amazing. . . and you’re still so young!”

Daniel just stood there and listened politely, continuing to assert that God gave him the dream. He

probably reminded the king of what he’d already told him, “But there is a God in heaven that

revealeth secrets” (2:28). Wouldn’t you like to have seen Nebuchadnezzar’s face as Daniel spoke the

dream one scene at a time? The king’s heart rate must have increased as Daniel talked about an

image so large and brilliant that it was virtually impossible to look at for any length of time. His blood

pressure must have climbed as Daniel described the statue from head to foot, the head of gold;

breast and arms of silver; belly and thighs of brass; legs of iron; and feet and toes of an unstable

mixture of iron and clay.

The Dream Interpreted

Then, thundering from a distance came a stone cut out without hands, that is, not of human origincrashing

into the statue with such meteoric force that it dissolved the image into chaff, blowing away

any semblance of the statue. Where the image had stood, this is what had to give King

Nebuchadnezzar pause the stone, now a large mountain, “filled the whole earth” (2:35).

If you were a superstitious Babylonian king constantly looking over your shoulder at the slightest

movement of your enemies, or wondering if inside the palace intrigue might one day do you in, what

would you think if you had a dream like this? Without waiting for the king’s response, or perhaps

because Nebuchadnezzar was too dumbfounded to respond, Daniel proceeded with the interpretation

of his dream.

Daniel 2: 36 - 45

This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

Thou, 0 king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and

strength, and glory.

And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven

hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of

gold.

And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass,

which shall bear rule over all the earth.

And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in Pieces and

subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom

shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength o the iron, foras much as thou sawest

the iron mixed with miry clay.