Stephen
Terry, Director
From
Mystery to Revelation
Commentary
for the January 18, 2020 Sabbath School Lesson
"I have had a dream
that troubles me and I want to know what it means." Daniel 2:3, NIV
The events of Daniel, chapter 2, occur about one-and-a-half
years after those of chapter 1. Daniel has had many months to learn and grow in
the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar. He still has the status of hostage as
Jehoiakim's rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar is still well over a year in the
future, but that status is about to change.
As human beings we often fail to realize the potential we
possess for good or bad. Because we cannot see around the corner and into our
future, we assume that things will continue as they are. Sadly, for some this
means that they look at their lives and see their days as an unbroken string of
monotony, and they despair of ever rising above their present circumstance.
However, the Bible tells us a different story about our lives. King David said
of our lives, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my
mother's womb." Psalm 139:13, NIV
If we are so "fearfully and wonderfully made" (vs. 14) then
life should be more than a boring day-after-day endless cycle of bare
existence. Instead life should be filled with promise and hope. The Bible tells
us of this hope. It says, "Hope in the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you
to inherit the land" Psalm 37:34, NIV Daniel understood this and grounded his
faith in that hope. For this reason, he was about to see great things.
The prophet Jeremiah told the captives in Babylon, "For I
know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11, NIV
Daniel was determined to claim that hope and future and took advantage of every
opportunity that came his way. Far from his own home and country, he could have
become morose and despondent, but instead he saw opportunity where others might
give up.
God is not the God of losers. In fact the person who feels he
or she is a loser is proof that they are not in a relationship with God. God
never leaves us in the mud. His first priority is to clean us up, then He takes
us higher than we ever thought possible if we will only cling to the promise of
a "hope and a future" like Daniel.
This does not mean there will not be those who will try to
thwart that purpose. Over a thousand years before Daniel, Joseph was told in
dreams of the glorious future God had planned for him. In an attempt to thwart
those dreams, his brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt. Eventually ending up
in prison for years, Joseph could have given up on any bright future. However,
God's promises are sure, and when the time was right, God lifted Joseph out of
that prison by sending dreams to Pharaoh and giving Joseph the understanding to
interpret those dreams. Joseph was elevated from the prison to second to the
throne. Wearing Pharaoh's ring, he saw not only his brothers but all Egypt bow before
him.
Joseph's words remind us that God overrules all events. He
told his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to
accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20,
NIV God had taken the "ashes" of Joseph's life in an Egyptian prison and
replaced them with a "crown" of dominion. (See Isaiah 61:3) Though attempts
were made to interfere with this destiny, the Bible assures God's servants,
"no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue
that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is
their vindication from me," declares the LORD. Isaiah 54:17, NIV
Just as Joseph's deliverance and exaltation came through
dreams sent to Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt, Daniel's was to come through a dream
sent to King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylon. The king went to bed one night,
probably without a thought about the Hebrew hostages. Certainly, he had no idea
of the role they were soon to play in his kingdom. Kings routinely exchanged
hostages to ensure the honoring of treaties between nations. Why would he have
reason to believe that hostages he had taken from King Jehoiakim in Jerusalem
were in any way different? Soon, he would discover how special they were.
Wakened from sleep by his dream, Nebuchadnezzar could not get
back to sleep. His mind was spinning, trying to grapple with what the future
would be and his place in it. The dream did nothing to ease his mind about that
future. Sure that what he had dreamt was significant; he summoned to him those
who professed to be able to interpret dreams and placed the problem before
them. However, he was shrewd in his request. He knew that if he simply told
them the dream, and they gave him its meaning as was the custom, they would
then have power over the kingdom without accountability. For who would be able
to dispute their interpretation? They could not be challenged until it was
already self-evident that their interpretation was either right or wrong. By
then, it would be too late to correct any action taken on the basis of that
interpretation.
Nebuchadnezzar had a better idea. In order to be sure that he
was not being manipulated, he made an unusual request. He demanded that they
not only interpret the dream but that they tell him first what the dream was.
This is a bit like the old saw about the psychic who introduced himself to
someone and asked the person's name. His cynical new acquaintance responded,
"You're the psychic. You tell me."
Just like the psychic who was put on the spot over the man's
name, the wise men of Babylon squirmed in their uneasiness over the king's
request. In vain, they tried to play for time by reminding the king of the
customary way the interpretation of dreams was dealt with. Unflatteringly, they
eventually even reprimanded the king by pointing out that no king would ask
such a thing. This is usually not a good approach to take when dealing with an
absolute monarch. It certainly did not go over well with King Nebuchadnezzar.
He understood the intended slight and reacted violently.
In a reaction against not just the wise men who stood before
him but against the entire system, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the destruction of
all the wise men of the kingdom. In what we consider our "more enlightened" time,
we feel that his response was excessive. However, we often do the same today.
Who hasn't heard someone exclaim that they have a problem with all organized
religion? Although they have probably not had an experience with every
religious organization, they willingly "put to death" any possibility of a
relationship with a religious organization over their experience with the few
they have encountered. God teaches in this chapter, through Daniel, we should
not be so hasty in our judgments.
In fact, when Daniel finds out about the death decree, he
asks, "Why is the decree so hasty from the king?" (Verse 13, KJV) Once the
reason for the decree is explained to him, Daniel rushes to the king and rather
than refuse the request to reveal the king's dream to him, he simply asks for
more time so he can honor the king's request. Once that request was granted,
Daniel went home and enlisted his three friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
to join with him in prayer for the ability to fulfill the king's request.
Some may point to Daniel's great faith that God would tell
him all as being the reason he agreed with Nebuchadnezzar's request. However,
if Daniel had not agreed to provide what the king requested he would have been
executed. Failing to provide the information that the king expects will also
result in execution. Therefore, Daniel had nothing to lose by at least
attempting to comply with the request. It is at this nexus between our
recognition that we have nothing to offer, and God's willingness to step into the
situation that great miracles occur. This is the essence of righteousness by
faith in God alone for our salvation in every situation, including our eternal
salvation. Just as Daniel proclaimed to Nebuchadnezzar, "No wise man,
enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked
about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries" Daniel 2:27-28, NIV
Many centuries later, Paul put it like this, "it is God who
works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
Philippians 2:13, NIV In other words, any power that exists in the Christian's
life comes not from the innate ability of the Christian to overcome the
problem, but only through the dynamic presence and participation of God. Daniel
wanted to leave no doubt in the king's mind that it was God and not him that
answered the king's request.
It is only when we set ourselves aside that God can truly
work in our lives. For Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaoh this would be very hard for
their kingdoms were maintained by the strength of their will. Perhaps this is
why in each case God only revealed His will to them while they were asleep.
Only while the force of their powerful personalities was at rest could that
strong will be breached.
However, Daniel made a point of making himself available to
God. There was no barrier that stood in the way. Although God revealed the same
vision to Daniel, He had shown to the king, Daniel did not have to be asleep to
receive it. The text makes clear that the visions received by Nebuchadnezzar
came only through chalam or dreams, but the visions came without chalam to
Daniel.
Not to make too fine a point but some might feel that the
visions of Daniel were only an Aramaic form of the dreams of the king. This is
because up until Daniel 2:4 the text is in Hebrew then abruptly changes to
Aramaic. However, in spite of the change, the text does not support that. The
consonants of the Hebrew and the Aramaic are identical only the vowels are
different. Those consonants are not associated with Daniel's visions in chapter
two no matter what the vowels might be.
As has been said, when Daniel came before the king with the
answer requested, he made clear that the answer was from God and not from some
wisdom or skill that Daniel possessed. Having made that point, he went on to
share what God had shown him. The dream had been of an astounding and huge
statue of a man.
The statue had a head of gold, chest and arms of silver,
belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron and feet of iron mixed with clay.
While Nebuchadnezzar was examining the statue, a rock was cut out of a
mountain. That rock struck the feet of the statue, destroying it. Then that
rock itself became a huge mountain that filled the earth.
Daniel then went on to explain the symbolism of the vision.
He told Nebuchadnezzar that the head of gold was him. He would be followed by
an inferior kingdom of silver. Then a third kingdom of bronze would rule the
world. That would be followed by a fourth kingdom of iron that also would rule
the world. The feet of the statue represented a fifth kingdom with the strength
of iron and the weakness of clay. The rock cut out of the mountain represented
God's kingdom that would be set up during the time of the fifth kingdom of iron
and clay.
Some have attempted to equate the metals of the different
kingdoms to different archeological periods. But attempts to identify a kingdom
of bronze with Bronze Age technology or the iron legs with a kingdom based on
Iron Age technology do not make sense as the Iron Age had arrived at least six
centuries before King Nebuchadnezzar so undoubtedly any kingdom after his would
also be based on iron age technology at the very least.
It is possible that the kingdoms might be those of
Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-Merodach, Neriglissar, Labashi-Marduk, and Nabonidus, who
were all Babylonian kings. Some might note the absence of Balshazzar in this
list. However, he only sat on the throne in Nabonidus's absence. This could be
why he promised to make Daniel third in the kingdom and not second in Daniel
5:16,29, as he himself was second. The image of a Babylonian Empire still
powerful but in decline could fit this interpretation.
However, the interpretation still has to deal with the stone
cut out without hands that destroys the statue. Daniel clearly indicates that
this is God destroying the other kingdoms and setting up a kingdom. This could
refer to Cyrus, the conqueror of Babylon. Texts from Isaiah could be supporting
this interpretation. In Isaiah 44:28, Cyrus is called God's shepherd. In Isaiah
45:1, he is called the Lord's anointed.
Isaiah certainly seems to see Cyrus as doing God's will in
toppling the mighty Babylonians. Even in Daniel, God seems to have a direct
hand in the empire's fall, no pun intended. During Belshazzar's feast in Daniel
5, a disembodied hand writes out judgment against the kingdom. Soon thereafter,
Cyrus enters the city and takes the empire.
The problem with this interpretation is that the kingdom is
not only set up by God, which could fit based on Isaiah's texts, it is also
said to last forever. The Medo-Persian kingdom did not, though. It met its end
on the spear tips of Alexander's phalanxes. This would not seem to qualify as a
kingdom that "will never be destroyed." (Verse 44)
Some have interpreted the head of the statue as representing
the kingdom of Babylon, followed by the joint kingdom of Medo-Persia
represented by the two arms, followed by the kingdom of Alexander the Great,
followed by the kingdom of Rome in the two legs which then splits into ten
kingdoms (the ten toes of the feet). However we should be careful how much
symbolism we read into the vision beyond what the text actually says. We should
not let a desire to create parallels with other visions that occur later in
Daniel cause us to read more into the image than is actually there. Assuming
that every vision dealing with kingdoms in Daniel is parallel could be a mistake.
While it might seem obvious to some to equate the two arms of
the statue with the separate Median and Persian cultures, there is no
equivalent symbolism for the breakup of the Greek empire into four parts under
the four generals that succeeded Alexander in the belly and thighs of bronze.
Such detail in regards to the Medes and the Persians but not with the Greeks
seems inexplicable. This is especially so when, unlike the Greek defeat of the
Persians, there was no direct transition from Alexander to Roman rule.
Another aspect of this interpretation of the statue's meaning
tries to identify the two legs of iron with the Western and Eastern Roman
Empires based in Rome (eventually moved to Ravenna) and Constantinople. The ten
toes are said to be ten kingdoms that arose out of the Roman Empire. The legs
of the statue would have to be rather deformed to accurately portray the
eastern and western empires. Once Constantine moved the capitol of the empire
to Constantinople, Rome began to decline.
Constantinople outlasted the Western Empire by almost a thousand years.
This would not seem to fit the image of two equally strong iron legs standing
together. There may be a case for the legs representing the Senate and People
of Rome (S.P.Q.R.) as the two legs supporting the Roman Empire, however.
That Daniel did not see the ten toes as representing ten
kingdoms is seen in his use of the singular "kingdom" (Aramaic - maleku), the
same word used to refer to the other four kingdoms of gold, silver, bronze and
iron. We should be careful not to confuse the dilution of the strength of the
kingdom with a disintegration of the kingdom itself. A parallel might be seen
in the deep fissures that can exist in multi-cultural societies that
nonetheless work together through a unifying government as a single national
presence.
Both interpretations have a problem with time if the kingdom
set up by God represents a still future apocalyptic return of Christ as is
often advanced. If the feet represent the kingdom under Nabonidus, and Cyrus is
not the kingdom that destroys them then there is a long and indeterminate
period of time not yet complete before God actually sets up the kingdom that
destroys the feet. If the feet represent the disintegrated Roman Empire then
there is still a long and indeterminate period of time as well. Why should the
period of the feet be so very long compared with the time periods of the other
parts of the statue?
Another question that arises regarding the empires portrayed
by the statue is if the stone represents an apocalypse still future, why would
the statue portray only the empires of Babylon through Rome? The British Empire
lasted as long as the Neo-Babylonian Empire and had dominion over as many as a
fifth of the world's people. Why does it not matter in the march of kingdoms?
What about the Third Reich which did not last as long but sent over six million
Jews and over twenty-three million Russians to their deaths? Why are these
empires as well as others not included?
Perhaps the problem is the understanding of the stone cut out
without hands. If we interpret this as the apocalyptic return of Jesus, then we
cannot help but wonder why these other kingdoms were left out. However, if we
identify it as the incarnation of Jesus, we can see the pieces fall into place.
We can then see the head as Babylon, the chest as Medo-Persia, the belly and
thighs as Greece and the legs and feet as Rome. However, we have to look for an
event that took place in Rome that weakened the empire before Jesus'
incarnation to make everything fit.
The most significant change that took place in the Roman
Empire near the birth of Jesus was the change from a Republic to an Empire.
This fits. Once Rome moved from being ruled by the people through the Roman
Senate, it became an empire ruled by Caesar's, some of whom were strong and
some of whom were weak. As various individuals with their armies vied for the
throne, the cohesiveness of the Empire suffered. The successors to Caesar
Augustus (Octavian) were at the worst inept individuals like the paranoid Tiberius,
the insane Caligula, and at best uninspiring but capable administrators like
Claudius.
It was during this period that the kingdom of God began to be
proclaimed. (See Mark 9:1) This kingdom was a kingdom cut out without hands as
it is a spiritual kingdom. (See John 3:8) Christ himself, who established the
kingdom, used the imagery of the stone as well.
"Jesus said to them, `Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone
the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and
it is marvelous in our eyes?' Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will
be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone
who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will
be crushed." Matthew 21:42-44, NIV
This kingdom is indeed well on its way to becoming a mountain
that fills the whole earth. Jesus also said that this would happen. He said,
"this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony
to all nations, and then the end will come." Matthew 24:14, NIV The stone of
the kingdom of God was not the apocalyptic return of Jesus. It was His first
advent. It set up a spiritual kingdom that has never been destroyed and is
filling the earth even now.
Both Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar were privileged to see visions
about the Messiah to come. In future chapters, we will see that God reveals
more on this topic to Daniel. However, King Nebuchadnezzar receives no more
information about Jesus. We will learn why in chapter three. In the meantime,
Nebuchadnezzar is so impressed that Daniel was able to tell him his dream that
he promoted Daniel from simply being a hostage to a high position of
responsibility in Babylon. Daniel then used his position and authority to
secure high positions for his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
God worked through Nebuchadnezzar to reveal the future to
Daniel and to lift him and his friends from hostages whose lives were under
threat in the event King Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar to important
citizens and administrators. This may be why when Jehoiakim eventually did
rebel, these hostages were spared. No doubt Daniel could walk by faith in God,
and proclaim "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow
of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, `He is my refuge and my fortress, my
God, in whom I trust.'" Psalm 91:1-2, NIV
