Daniel 2:31-45 The King’s Dream

Daniel has been given the answer regarding the king’s dream. He has been shown the dream AND it’s meaning. These are gifts from God for the king and us.

Daniel isn’t in Babylon very long before God starts using him to reach the people. God is going to reach them first through the king. The king’s dream was step one. Nebuchadnezzar was awed by it but he took it in the wrong direction.

This dream also has applications for us. The statue represents both past and future kingdoms of this world. The rock that crushes them is from God’s own hand. His kingdom will replace ALL of mans. It is the first of the end-time prophecies God shares through Daniel with us.

When I think of Babylon, the first thought into my head is NOT of Nebuchadnezzar being “king of kings” (verse 37a). Jesus is King of kings. He will be King over all earthly kings. Nebuchadnezzar was a human king reigning over MANY earthly kings. He was NOT a god! He was, however, the first mega kingdom of history. It was established by God for His purposes.

The first four kingdoms represented by the statue are, Babylon, Persia, Greek and Roman empires. The final kingdom is still to come and is believed to be the kingdom of the Anti-Christ. Revelation talks about a statue too but it is not the same one described in Daniel. The beast, however, does deal with ten kingdoms. That is why the two are linked for us.

In the next portion of our reading, we will see Nebuchadnezzar’s immediate reaction to Daniel interpreting his dream. My question is, what did Nebuchadnezzar think about the dream itself? We don’t hear his thoughts about his kingdom being ‘gold’ or it being replaced by an inferior kingdom. Did he even consider that HE was given such an important dream? Or was he so happy that his mind could rest that he didn’t care? Another question is, was this the inspiration for his building a HUGE statue of himself?

If I were to receive such a prophetic dream, I would be gob-smacked! I would be awed and humbled. I don’t know if I would even know how to go on from there. It would certainly have to be the hand of God that would lead me from then on.

I did have a kind of prophetic dream once. In my dream my parents were arguing. In the dream, my mom told my dad she was leaving him. I went in my room and packed my flute so I could go with her. The next day, I walked past my parent’s bedroom door and I heard the exact words from my dream. My feet froze in mid step and I began to consider what to do.

I don’t remember the exact sequence of events after that but I told my mom I was ready to go with her. She promised me she would not leave my father. YEARS later, my mom called me and asked me for permission to leave my dad. I didn’t remember the promise, just the dream. I told her she was free from that promise. PRAISE GOD that He healed their relationship and they are still together today. I would share about their miracle, but that is their story to tell.

God has also spoken to me about issues in my own heart through dreams. I am in awe of the work He can do in us when we ‘turn off’ for the night. I can certainly understand why Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by his dream. And we ALL get to benefit from God sharing the dream, all the way to His explanation.

Father God, THANK YOU for finding ways to speak to me, even when I’m being stubborn and not listening. I am grateful for ALL the lessons, instructions, introspection, and correction You have brought into my life through dreams. Imagine what would have happened in Jesus’ family if Joseph hadn’t paid attention to his dreams.

THANK YOU too that not ALL dreams have life changing meanings. It’s nice to shut down and enjoy a peaceful dream at night. And THANK YOU that the dreams touched by Satan can be bound and stopped! Thank You for allowing me to ‘change the channel’ on them. I don’t have to be held captive by fear and nightmares. I just realized that I haven’t had my old recurrent one for a LONG time. Thank You for that too Father. Thank You for letting me lie down in peace.