Daniel Chapter 2 Verse 29

• Daniel says here that what Nebuchadnezzar saw would “come to pass after this.” What we’ll see is that the dream is a prophecy with a two-fold application. An immediate application, or better said, a near-term application as well as a future application. We see this quite often in scripture. Where the prophecy given has an immediate application as well as a future application. And we’ll see that here because when Daniel says, “after this,” he literally means his “this.” Everything around him, everything around Nebuchadnezzar but he also speaks of another “after this…”
• One we find spoken of in the Greek as “meta touta” which also literally means “after this” or “after these things.” And where did we run across that recently? Revelation Chapter 1, verse 19! Jesus said to John, “write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.” And what is that meta touta? The purification of the world man…when God pours out His righteousness and His passion on a Christ rejecting world and ultimately brings this world to an end…Well guess what…that is also a direct fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy, and therefore a future application of Daniel’s “after this,”…and we’ll see that as we get into it.

Daniel Chapter 2 Verse 30

• Pretty cool statement. Daniel speaks directly to us here. He says I haven’t been given this prophecy for me or for my own purposes but for our sakes. Who is “our?” Daniel answers, “Those who make known the interpretation.” Well who’s that? Those filled with the Spirit of the Holy God! Those that conduct themselves in wisdom and counsel! You see this “our” is ours! Yours and mine tonight Christian. Daniel looks at the camera and says, this ain’t for me folks, it’s for you…get ready!!! Pretty cool to me.
• So Nebuchadnezzar has demanded the dream and the interpretation. So the dream first…

Daniel Chapter 2 Verses 31 – 35

• Ok real quick before we move forward. I just want to point out a few things for your consideration especially as we get into the interpretation. First, Nebuchadnezzar is watching. Not participating, not building, not setting this statue up, not sitting on top of the head…he is watching. Daniel says it twice. Why is that important? Because Nebuchadnezzar, and we’ll see this in later chapters, takes the credit for his empire…big mistake. And it’s a mistake for you and for I to take the credit for this ministry, your job, your house, your kids’ success…bad juju man because just like Nebuchadnezzar, we watch. What do we have that we haven’t been given? If your answer is nothing, then wisdom is not absent…
• Second, notice a few more details here, did you notice the stone was cut out without hands? Know what that is right? Or should I say who…right! That’s speaking of Jesus! The rock, the cornerstone. And notice the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed and became like chaff or dust and not a trace was left…what are all those you might say, we’ll look at this in a minute but these are the nations man…and the cornerstone comes “after this” and does away with them just like we read in Revelation 19 and look, next the stone fills the whole earth…a clear picture of the millennial reign of Jesus! Ok keep those details in your back pocket…

Daniel Chapter 2 Verse 36

• Now, check this out, at this point Daniel could have told him anything…he’s got him! He told him the hard part already right? Now he could say whatever he wants…but notice, he doesn’t set himself up…he doesn’t run…even when he can totally hook it up for Daniel…he sticks to truth!

Daniel Chapter 2 Verses 37 – 38

• So the head of gold represents Nebuchadnezzar’s empire.

Daniel Chapter 2 Verses 39 – 40

• So each section of the statue represents another empire rising after Nebuchadnezzar’s however each time more and more inferior to his. What do we mean inferior? Like smaller? Like poorer? Well history would tell us the answer is weaker.
• Nebuchadnezzar’s empire was unified in that he was the authority. Cruel and evil yes…but unified none the less and in that unity, there is strength. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” And in the Babylonian empire, under Nebuchadnezzar there were very clear lines of authority. So as empire after empire would rise after his, there would be confusion of power, in-fighting and as a result, general weakness as a people.

Daniel Chapter 2 Verses 41 – 43

• And so the near term application of the prophecy is clear to us as we look back at history. From the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign and the Babylonia Empire to the coming of Jesus Christ, so from about 600 BC to 1 AD, there were four consecutive dominating empires, just like Daniel see’s in the statue and explains in his interpretation. So beginning with the Babylonian Empire which ruled for 66 years. Next came the Medo-Persian Empire which lasted about 208 years. Then the Grecian Empire which made it for about 185 years, and then finally the Roman Empire which stood for more than 500 years (which was in place when Jesus was born in Bethlehem). And what’s interesting is that the nature of these empires is accurately reflected by the nature of the image Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream.
• The Babylonian Empire was comprised of gold which signifies absolute autocracy in the Bible. All authority centralized into one place just as it is in heaven. Then next the Medo-Persian empire was depicted as silver and silver is still a precious metal yet certainly inferior, more common, than gold. And the Medo-Persian Empire was the first to introduce a monarchial oligarchy with ruling nobles equal to the king in all but office. Then the Greeks, represented by brass or bronze which is the metal of judgment in the Bible as the Greeks instituted judges and court systems and then finally the Romans…iron, strength, mixed with clay, fragility and the two never balanced as Rome instituted a democratic imperialism with military dominion dependent upon the choice of army and citizenry. (Which really continues today, but we’ll get to that in the long-term application, we’re still talking near-term here).
• And so these empires would arise after Nebuchadnezzar until the One who would turn everything on its head. Until Jesus came on the scene and the Bible says that the government shall be upon His shoulders in Isaiah 9:6 meaning that He will give rise to an entirely new world system. A world of people governed by heaven, fueled by love and filled with eternal purpose and power. And love never fails…so no matter what worldly government system is in place, they bow the knee to none other than Jesus Christ…we’ll see that with Shadrach, Meshak and Abed-Nego as we get into Chapter 3…
• Oh, but we’re ahead of ourselves…

Daniel Chapter 2 Verses 44 – 45

• So we understand the near-term application, here is the long term application. The Roman way is still in power. Military might. Democratic imperialism…the leader of the free world is who? The United States and if you dig a little bit, you’ll find the majority of our laws, and the way we enforce our laws is heavily based on the practices of the Roman Empire. How many of our national and state legislation actions, houses, seals, emblems, slogans…how many are written in Latin? ALL of them! And so how is the world involved? What currency does the world trade in? US Dollars! Where does the world get its military might? US defense contractors and espionage! Like Rome, the US leads by political influence and military might and oh by the way, same laws, same structure, same spirit man…and so we have a second application…fulfilled in the second coming of Jesus.
• The near-term application, fulfilled in the first coming of Jesus, the long-term application will be fulfilled in the second coming of Jesus, which we saw in Revelation 19 when Jesus returns to set up His government upon the earth for 1,000 years and then all things are made new!
• Now, now that we understand the dream and its interpretation check out the result of Daniel’s character, integrity and service unto the Lord…

Daniel Chapter 2 Verses 46 – 49

• Galatians 6:7. Do not be fooled, don’t be deceived, don’t get this wrong, God will never be mocked. He will never be proven incorrect. Whatever a man sows, is what he will reap. Whatever a man plants, he will harvest, spoken in more modern terms. Daniel had a choice here. Save his neck or stand in integrity. Notice what happened. He chose righteousness and what happened to his neck? He got a junkyard dog gold chain on it! If he had chosen the easy path, to look out for self, to manipulate and serve himself…he probably would have gotten all of them killed.
• And let me tell you, this is the case in terms of all of scripture. You will add trouble to trouble by bending what is true…I didn’t say bending the truth…I said bending what is true…the best thing for you and for me and for us and for them is for you and I to walk this Word out man…and maybe tonight you’re in a mess, could it be that they aren’t the problem? Could it be you? The correct answer to that question…is yes…time to repent, choose integrity, choose righteousness and heed the Word of God…without compromise…
• But here’s the kicker, without being filled with the Spirit, you don’t have a chance. All you can do is make an excuse just like the Chaldeans, soothsayers, magicians and astrologers…your capacity and potential and ultimately your performance and circumstance will always be proportionately equal to your submission and humility to your Creator…because that is the measure of how you will allow Him to lead and work in your life. Won’t you repent today and draw near to Jesus?