The Dream: Its Revelation and Interpretation, Part 1

Let's bow for a word of prayer, and then we'll begin. Father, thank you, Lord, for tonight. Thank you for the chance that we have to spend time in your word. We are grateful for the opportunity to study the truth of the gospel. To realize, Lord, that there is so much that is said in the Old Testament that is all about you, and we are grateful for that. We're grateful, Lord, that as we study it, we can see Christ, and we can see how it is you operate in the lives of your people. Our prayer is that as we learn tonight, that you would show us exactly how you wanna function in our lives.

As you did for Daniel, you want to do for us, and we are grateful for the opportunity you give us to learn from your word. So tonight, as we understand more about his life and what you did with him and King Nebuchadnezzar, we just pray, Lord, that you'd open our eyes and our hearts to behold beautiful things out of your law, that we might follow you in obedience for the glory of your name. We thank you in Jesus' name, amen. Daniel chapter two is where we're at. Daniel chapter two, verses 19 to 30, we're looking at the dream, its revelation, and its interpretation.

We're not gonna cover all of it this evening, but we wanna at least begin the journey with you. You know, Daniel is in the process of going through another test. He's already passed one test, that was in chapter one. That dealt with his walk with the Lord, and of course, this one in chapter two deals with his witness for the Lord. And he's involved in a crisis, and it helps us understand how we can better handle a crisis when it comes our way. His happens to be a death threat to his life, but yet he was able to handle the crisis in such a calm, cool manner.

He was very confident, he was very courageous. And the reason for that is because of Daniel 11, verse number 32, which simply states that the people who know their God will display strength and display great exploits. That was Daniel. Daniel knew the Lord. Now remember, he's 18 years of age in Daniel chapter two. He was 15 in Daniel chapter one. And so through three years of pagan cultural study, he is now 18 years of age. But the remarkable thing about Daniel is that he knew his God, and because he knew his God, he was able to be confident, courageous, strong.

He didn't panic when Ariok came to his home and said, hey, you know what, I'm supposed to kill all the wise men, all the sages, I'm supposed to kill all the magicians, all the conjurers, that's what my job is. And so Daniel, you're on my list. And Daniel says, well, wait a second.

Why is the king in such a hurry? Instead of panicking, instead of worrying about what was gonna happen next, Daniel was very calm because he wanted to gain perspective on what was happening. Have you ever noticed that when a crisis comes, we tend to view it a lot bigger than it actually is in the moment? Every crisis that comes our way, we think it's just absolutely the most horrific thing that's ever happened to anybody in the entire world, but yet we need to gain perspective. Daniel wasn't that way.

He just wanted to understand the situation. He wanted to know how to better handle the situation. He wanted to gain perspective on why the king so quickly wanted to kill his court, the men that gave him wisdom, the men that would take him through difficult times. Why does he wanna kill them all? And so he just says to Ariok, I need an audience with the king, and the Lord grants him an audience. Now remember, in verse eight of chapter two, everybody else who came to the king wanted to buy more time, but the king said no.

Daniel comes and says, I need some time. Will you give it to me? And he does. Nebuchadnezzar does that. Now think about this. Daniel's 18. He is not intimidated. Have you ever been intimidated by a certain individual? That's a you problem, not the person that you believe intimidates you. It's not their problem. Because you're intimidated, that's a you problem. You don't see yourself as God sees you. You're not willing to stand strong on the things that God wants you to stand strong on. There's no need for you to be intimidated, because Daniel wasn't.

King Nebuchadnezzar was a wild man. He was the first world emperor. He was a powerful man. But Daniel's like, you know what? Just give me an audience with the king. Just need to address the king. Give me a moment with him, and things will be fine. He's 18, but he was not intimidated by King Nebuchadnezzar. As we go on, you're gonna see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they're not intimidated either. Everybody else was, but they weren't. Wouldn't you like to go through life not being intimidated by people?

You can. It's very easy to say, well, it's easy for you to say. No, it is easy. It all depends on your perspective. It all depends on how you view yourself in light of everybody else around you because of what God has already accomplished in your life. Walk in the spirit, and you will fulfill the lust of the flesh. Walk dependent upon the Lord. Know your God, Daniel 11, 32. You'll display strength, and you'll do great exploits for God. You see, it all comes down to how well you know God. The more you know Him, the less you fear man.

The less you know God, the more you're gonna fear man. Daniel had no fear of the king. In fact, he goes through seven years of captivity without fearing anybody except the Lord God of Israel. And that's the kind of people we need to be. So the crisis comes. Daniel doesn't crumble. Doesn't wring his hands in sweat and wonder what's he gonna do next. I'm gonna die. My life is gonna be over. He says, just want an audience with the king. That's it. Once he gets an audience with the king, it says, listen, I just need you to give me some time, and I'll get back with you.

I'll interpret your dream for you. The king grants him that time. I think the king Nebuchadnezzar had a lot of respect for Daniel. A lot of respect for a man who would come into his presence and address him face to face and not be afraid of him. And that's the way Daniel was. And the king granted him the opportunity. So what did he do? He immediately went to prayer. He immediately dropped to his knees and prayed to the God of heaven. That's what he did. And you will notice that the request he speaks in Daniel chapter two is nothing compared to the length of the praise he offers.

Which tells us a lot about our prayer life, doesn't it? We spend a lot of our prayer life, petitioning God for this and for that, and for this and for that, because we want things to go our way. But Daniel, he petitioned his God, but there was a great length of praise that he offers to God once he receives the answer. I mean, how many times do you have to ask God for something, right? He already knows what you need before you even ask him. So you don't have to keep asking him over and over and over again, because he knows exactly what's happening.

But Daniel would offer praise. And he prayed to who? He prayed to the God of heaven. Now, I know I talked about this last week, but I need you to understand this. I need you to grasp this. I need you to come to grips with El HaShameim, the God of heaven. I told you last week, I told you Sunday, it's an exilic term. That is, term used during the exile by those from Judah who were in Babylonian captivity. It was first used in Genesis 24 by Abraham.

When he searched for a bride for Isaac, he would send his servant out, and he would tell him to trust in the God of heaven and of earth to guide him and direct him in the way that he should go. But it's important to realize that of the 20 times it's used in the Old Testament, one time in Psalms, one time in Genesis, four times in Daniel, four times in Nehemiah, nine times in Ezra, there's one time in 2 Chronicles. And it's used by Cyrus, the king, after the captivity was over. Listen to what he says in the book of 2 Chronicles 36.

Remember, 2 Chronicles is the last book of the Hebrew Bible, all right? Not Malachi like it is in our book. It's 2 Chronicles. Because the Hebrew Bible ends with the destruction of the temple, on the temple mount, and God's people going into captivity. That's why there is a wailing wall in Israel. It's really more like a waiting wall because they're waiting for the Messiah to come. But that's why they go to that wall and pray because that's how the Hebrew Old Testament ends, with the destruction of the temple, on the temple mount, because of the sins of God's people Israel.

And Cyrus would say, now, it does say this very clearly that Zedekiah, who was 21 years of age in verse 11, when he became king, he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem, he did evil in the sight of the Lord, his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke for the Lord. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God. But he stiffened his neck, hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel. Furthermore, all the officials of the priests, the people, and the people were very unfaithful.

All, following all the abominations of the nations, and they defiled the house of the Lord which he had sanctified in Jerusalem. The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by his messengers because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people until there was no remedy. Well, they go off into Babylonian captivity.

When it's all said and done, it says in verse 22, now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, said he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom and also put it in writing saying, thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, the Lord, the God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build him a house in Jerusalem which is in Judah.

So 2 Chronicles then becomes the last time the term is used in the Hebrew Old Testament. But remember the God of heaven was used by Israel because the glory of the Lord had departed from Israel. That's in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel chapter 10, chapter 11, when the glory of the Lord would depart from Israel. But remember, Ezekiel gets another vision in chapter 43 where the glory of the Lord comes back to the temple. So you have to understand this. Ezekiel who prophesied during the captivity is telling them about how the glory of the Lord is going to come back.

They saw God as the God of heaven so transcended above them, so far from them because their sins had separated them from their God. So they called him and addressed him as the God of heaven. It spoke of his dominion, it spoke of his power, it spoke of his sovereignty, but it also spoke of the fact that they were far away from God because the glory of the Lord had departed from Israel. But the hope was the glory was going to return. And it did. It did with the Messiah. Remember? Word became flesh, dwelt among us, we beheld his glory.

But they crucified the Lord of glory. But they should have known. How would they have known that the Lord of glory was going to return and that Christ was their Messiah? Very important. Remember the book of Malachi? We referenced this on Sunday morning. The book of Malachi, third chapter, which says, behold, I'm going to send my messenger and he will clear the way before me.

That's John the Baptist. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, that's the Messiah, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. So whoever the Messiah is, there's gonna be a messenger that comes before him. Well, the messenger that comes before him is John the Baptist. We know that because we understand the New Testament. But the Messiah would then come to his temple suddenly. And the Messiah came to the temple suddenly at three different times.

At 40 days after his birth, at his dedication, when Mary and Joseph would come and present him. Number two was at his declaration when he was 12, when he would come at Passover and Mary and Joseph left him behind and they had to come back and find him three days later.

And he made the declaration, don't you know, I had to be about my father's business. The third time was his denunciation.

When he denounced everything that religious leaders were doing in John chapter two, when he cleansed the temple. There were three occasions in which the Lord of glory would come to the temple suddenly. Those are the three times. Malachi 3.1 prophesies about the coming of the Messiah. So he does show up, but they would not recognize him as the Messiah. The glory of the Lord had come back. Yes, it was encased in flesh, but he is the Lord of glory. He is the Lord of hosts. He did come back, but they rejected him.

They crucified the Lord of glory. Why is this important? It's because when Christ was here, Christ taught us to pray to our father who is in heaven. Now you need to understand that because what happens is that in the old Testament, God is referred to as a father 16 times, only 16, but only in a national sense, never in a personal sense, because no Jew would ever look at God as their personal father.

That would be blasphemous in their mind. But when Jesus shows up, the Lord of glory, he appeals to his father no less than 60 times in the gospels. He calls him my father. Well, that incensed the Jewish nation. Why? Remember John chapter five? In John chapter five, when Christ had healed the man who had been paralyzed for 38 years at the pool of Bethesda, and when they found out that it was Christ, it says this in verse number 17, he says, my father is working until now, and I myself am working. My father.

So here's a Jew calling the God of heaven my father. Well, see, to the Jews, that was blasphemous. How do we know that? Read on. For this reason, therefore, the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, verse 18 of chapter five, because he not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God his own father, making himself equal with God. See that? No good respecting Jew would ever refer to God as my father because that would mean that I am equal in nature to my father. I am equal in nature to God, so no Jew would ever do that.

So in the Old Testament, God is only referred to as a father in the national sense. It's not to the New Testament he's referred to as father in a personal sense. So our Lord says, when you pray, pray this way. Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. It expresses his paternity and it extols his sovereignty because he is transcendent. He was way beyond us. He is the God of heaven. So this becomes very important for us to understand because we need to understand the Jewish mindset. We need to understand what the Jews themselves are thinking when he comes and prays to the God of heaven.

God was separated from his people, but he would not be close to his people until the glory of the Lord came back to the temple. Well, Malachi says the Lord's going to come quickly to his temple. He did, he was the Lord of glory, but they crucified the Lord of glory. But yet the Messiah is going to return. He's going to come back. And that's why in the book of Revelation, twice he's referred to the God of heaven. They blasphemed him in Revelation 16, but they glorified his name in Revelation, I believe it is chapter 11 because of what he did.

And so he is the God of heaven. The good news for us is he is not transcendent so much above us, but that he actually wants to dwell within us. If I'm a Jew, I wear a yarmulke, right? Because the yarmulke is a reminder that God is above me and all around me. But for us, God is where? He's within us. See, the Jews don't understand that. That's way beyond that. That's why we say when we talk to Jewish people, they serve another God. They don't serve the same God we serve because Jesus is God in the flesh.

And they refuse to recognize Jesus as their Messiah. They refuse to recognize Jesus as divine, that he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yes, we both worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We just happen to know the name and the identity of that God. They don't. So in all reality, we do worship a different God because we know who Christ is. We honor the Lord. We praise his name for he is the Lord of hosts. He is the Lord of glory. And so you have Daniel going to pray to the God of heaven.

El Hashimaim, the one who is transcended above us, who is sovereign over us, who has dominion over heaven and of earth. And Daniel would go to him and begin to pray. You need to catch what it means to pray. Daniel caught that. He was a man of prayer. And then Daniel, later on, when he's thrown into the lion's den, it's the only thing they can find against him. It was his prayer life. There was nothing in him, nothing about him that caused there any kind of problem, but his prayer life did. Now, why is this so important?

Because this is how I learned to pray. This size chair, 45 minutes, every Wednesday night, through junior high school, through high school. I was the only high school student that went to prayer meeting. Why? Because my parents made me go. No other parents made their kids go. My parents made me go to prayer meeting every Wednesday night. And so every Wednesday night, we gathered for prayer. People would offer prayer requests. And then the men and the women would break up. And the men went to the kids' Sunday school rooms.

These were the chairs in the kids' Sunday school room. They were this size. And I was raised that when you pray, you pray on your knees. So we did. Now, have you ever prayed on your knees with one of these little ones for 45 minutes? It's quite the chore, especially if you're not used to doing it, because it hurts your elbows. After a while, it hurts your elbows. This is very uncomfortable, but it keeps you awake. That's a good thing, right? It keeps you awake. But so I sat there every Wednesday, praying on my knees before one of these little chairs with all the old men in my church.

But you know what I learned? I learned how to pray. By listening to old guys pray. Guys who could really beseech heaven's gates. Who could go before the throne of God and begin to pray fervently for the needs of people. And I would sit there and listen to these men pray. And I learned how to pray. I thank God for my parents who made me do what I didn't want to do. Parents, I got an idea for you. Whatever your kids don't wanna do, make them do. Just make them do it. You're in charge, you're the parents, right?

Make it happen. They live in your house, make it happen. My parents made me go to prayer meeting. They made me sit there and listen and pray with those old guys. And I am so thankful that they did. I learned so much. I learned specifically how to commune with the living God. Here was Daniel in the midst of a crisis. What did he do? He's courageous. He's confident. He asks to confront the king. He does. And then he communes with his God. And he gets his three friends with him. And they begin to beseech the God of heaven.

Which leads us to our study tonight. Daniel chapter two. Let's look together at this wonderful portion of scripture beginning with verse number 17. I'm sorry, verse number 19. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel said, let the name of God be blessed forever and ever for wisdom and power belong to him. It is he who changes the times and the epics. He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding.

It is he who reveals the profound and hidden things. He knows what is in the darkness and the light dwells with him. To you, oh God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise for you have given me wisdom and power. Even now you have made known to me what we requested of you for you have made known to us the king's matter. Therefore, Daniel went in to Ariok whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and spoke to him as follows. Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon. Take me into the king's presence and I will declare the interpretation to the king.

Then Ariok hurriedly brought Daniel into the king's presence and spoke to him as follows. I have found a man whom the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king. The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar. Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen in his interpretation? Daniel answered before the king and said, as for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king.

However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. As for you, O king, while on your bed, your thoughts turn to what would take place in the future and he reveals mysteries, has made known to you what will take place. But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom resided in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.

This is such a beautiful passage of scripture. It's hard to go into the interpretation of the dream tonight because there's so much to cover here. I want you to see, number one, Daniel's response, okay?

And then I want you to see Daniel's report and then Daniel's reaffirmation, just three points. First of all, Daniel's response.

God answers his prayer. What doesn't he do? He doesn't make a phone call to his friends when God answers his prayer. He doesn't go to Arioch first because God answered his prayer.

What's he do? He drops to his knees and begins to give praise to God. Very important. Ever notice how often we get an answer to prayer?

We have to tell somebody. We got to call somebody. We got to let somebody else know. Now, instead of praising God first, I do think you need to let other people know that God's answering prayer.

That's a great thing. But make sure your priorities are right. Daniel praises God first before he goes to Arioch and tells him that God has given the answer to the king's dream.

But notice his praise. Daniel's praise is so particular, is so important. It is absolutely essential that you and I come to grips with how it is Daniel begins to praise God because his praise was done promptly. It was done immediately. He didn't wait to praise God. He didn't wait to tell other people first then praise God.

He praised God immediately after he received the answer to his prayer. Very important. But not only was that praise done promptly, his praise was done theologically. In other words, there is great theology behind his praise. We like to praise God for what he does for me. Daniel praises God for who he is. Now there's a big difference there. I'm not saying that you shouldn't praise God for what he does for you because God did reveal the dream to Daniel and his interpretation. So Daniel did receive that.

But remember, he says, this is not about me. King, this is all about you and what God's gonna do through your dream. It has nothing to do with me. But his praise was so theologically sound because it's all about God. And I think we can learn a lot about praise by looking at Daniel's praise. His response was incredible. Look what he says. He says, then Daniel blessed who? The God of heaven. He prayed to the God of heaven. Now he's gonna bless the God of heaven. Daniel said, let the name of God be blessed forever and ever.

The name of God. That's the character of God. It encompasses all of his attributes. I wanna praise my God. I wanna give glory to my God in his wonderful name because his name encompasses the fact that he is the God of heaven. That he is the God who provides. That he's the God who heals. That he's the God who hears. That he's the God who shepherds. He's the God of victory. His name includes everything about who he is. So he begins by saying, blessed be the name of my God. And then he says this, so rich.

For wisdom and power belong to him. Wow. He is praising God for his wisdom. Praising God for his power. You see, he recognized the power in the revelation of the dream. He recognized the power of almighty God because he went to him first as the God of heaven who has dominion over everything and compels him to answer prayer.

And when he does, he gives praise to him because of his marvelous power. Look what it says. For wisdom and power belong to him. Remember Psalm 62, 11? Power belongs to God. Power doesn't belong to you and me. We think we have power. We don't have power. God has power. His power is so great, his power is absolutely unique because it's his power. Power belongs to God. And God with unique power has a power that truly is an unparalleled power. In other words, you can't compare God's power to any other kind of power.

We can't do that. Because it's a supernatural power. Isaiah 44, 24 says that the maker of all life is the one in whom power belongs. The one who makes life. In other words, our God created everything in the world with just a word. He speaks the word and it comes into existence. That's a power that's unparalleled. That's a power that is unlimited. Remember Isaiah 40, verse number 28? He never grows weary or tired. We're not that way, we get tired. Some of you are tired right now.

Some of you in the back are sleeping. So I know you're tired. You've had a long work day, right? You're worn out. God never wears out. God never gets tired. We gotta go to sleep just to replenish our strength so we can wake up tomorrow refreshed and ready to go. Not our Lord. He can exercise all of his power whenever he wants to but never have to replenish his power because his power is infinite. It's unlimited. It never quits. He never gets tired. He never grows weary. That's why he infuses strength to you and me.

That's why Daniel says wisdom and power belong to God. Daniel knows this. Now remember, Daniel's praise tells us what he knows about God. Again, he's 18. And what this 18-year-old boy knows about God is a lot more than most 18-year-olds we know. So he praises the God of heaven. He blesses the name of God. At the same time, he recognizes that God has all wisdom and all power. A power that according to scripture is an unending power. Why? Because he's an infinite God. He's an infinite God. He is the everlasting father, Isaiah 9, verse number six.

In other words, he's the father of eternity. He's the one who possesses eternal life, everlasting life. That means his power is unending. It never stops. Daniel knows all that. And he praises him because of his power. He says, it is he, verse 21, who changes the times and the epics. He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding. Wow. This God, he removes kings and establishes kings. How does he know that? Because he understands Psalm 75.

For not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert comes exaltation. But God is a judge. He puts down one and exalts another. Daniel would know that. The dream revealed to him would tell him that kingdoms come and kingdoms go. Kings are exalted and kings are dethroned. So he knows this, but he knows who does it. That's the important thing, right? It's not that there's a king. And then there's, it's not that the king now is gone. It's that God exalts some and takes down others because God establishes who rules.

Daniel knows that. He praises God because of it. The dream has been revealed to him. He has the interpretation of the dream. He gets it. You're saying, well, what's the dream? Don't worry, we're gonna get there next week. But see, he understood those things. And then it says this. It is he who reveals the profound and hidden things. He knows what is in the darkness and the light dwells with him. Wow, the light dwells with him. It's my God who sheds light on mysteries. It's my God who reveals what is true in the darkness.

It's God who does all those things. We know that God is light, right? We know that in him is no darkness at all. We understand that. We grasp that. And we are to walk as children of the light because we are his children. Well, here's Daniel who grasps the fact that my God is a God of light, a God who sheds all knowledge on that which needs to be known. And then he goes, listen, this tells you he knows something about the Abrahamic covenant and the Davidic covenant. For he says, to you, O God of my faith, of my fathers, of my fathers, I give thanks and praise for you have given me wisdom and power.

Even now you have made known to me what we requested of you. For you have made known to us the king's matter. We know this now.

I am grateful, Lord, for what you've done. I give thanks to you for you are the God of my fathers. You are the God of Abraham. You are the God of Isaac. You are the God of Jacob. Their God is my God. And I thank you for what you've done. Here's a man whose praise was theological in nature. His praise was centered on the identity of the God of heaven. Praised in him for his attributes. Praised in him for his work. Praised in him for how he sheds light in dark areas. Thanking him for who he is. That's what his praise was.

That was his response. He goes to prayer. God answers. And now he praises God. Which leads to the next point, and that is Daniel's report, verse number 24. Therefore Daniel went in to Ariok. Once praise has been given, there then can be a presentation to others about what God has done. But give praise to God first.

Therefore Daniel went into Ariok, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and spoke to him as follows. Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon. Take me into the king's presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king. First things first.

I now know what the king's dream was, and I know what the interpretation of that dream is. So, verse 25, Ariok hurriedly brought Daniel into the king's presence and spoke to him as follows. I have found a man among the exiles. No, you didn't. No, Daniel found you. You didn't find Daniel. But he wants to get the praise, because after all, if Daniel's wrong, guess who dies? Ariok, right? So he's a little excited, mainly because he doesn't have to kill anybody, okay? But on top of that, he wants to get credit for finding the right kind of guy that will help the king out with his dream.

So he says, I have found a man among the exiles of Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king. His confidence was in Daniel. Daniel's confidence was in his God. Now remember, in Daniel chapter one, there was a test for Daniel. He never blinked. In Daniel chapter two, there's a test for Daniel. Again, he never blinks. He's not afraid. He handles a crisis in a God-like manner at 18 years of age. His parents taught him well. He walked with the Lord. Those who know their God will display strength and take action.

Not only did he display strength, he took action. Put me before the king. Let me address Nebuchadnezzar.

He does, he's granted more time. Now he says to Ariok, time to go to the king. Got the answer, I'm ready. Ariok's like, right, let's do it, let's go. I found the guy, King Nebuchadnezzar. He's among the exiles from Judah. And so he goes in, and now this is Daniel's reaffirmation. He's gonna reaffirm the fact, not only does he know the dream, he knows the God who interprets dreams. And Nebuchadnezzar is gonna get his first taste of God's sovereignty.

He's gonna get his first taste of the God of heaven. He's gonna get a firsthand account of how God works in his people. Because God brought Daniel to exile at 15 so that at 18, when the king has this dream that needs to be interpreted, there's only one man who has the answer. And that answer will unfold everything to the end of the age. Think about that. Now Nebuchadnezzar doesn't know that. He was terrified. He didn't know what the dream meant. He had no idea. Little does he know that once the interpretation comes, it takes him all the way to the end of the age when the ultimate king arrives.

And so it says, the king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen in its interpretation? Daniel answered before the king and said, as for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians, or diviners are able to declare it to the king. However, there is somebody who can. It's not me, but it is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days.

Remember, the times of the Gentiles begin in Daniel one, verse number one. In the times of the Gentiles do not end until the Messiah returns again in Revelation chapter 19. And when he returns, remember, the world is completely dark. Matthew 24, the world is completely dark. And when Messiah returns, he returns with the sign in heaven. The question is, what's the sign in heaven? The sign in heaven, listen, is the glory of the Lord, the presence of God manifested in light. Because Israel will mourn for the one they crucified.

Book of Zechariah, they will look on him whom they pierced, right? He's the Lord of glory. That's why the earth and the sky is completely black. Because the tribulation is for the Jewish people. That's why the church is gone. It's not for the church age. The tribulation is designed for the Jewish people. So they will recognize their Messiah. How are they gonna recognize him? When the glory of the Lord comes back to the temple in Ezekiel's prophecy in Ezekiel chapter 43. Because the glory of the Lord is not present among them.

So when the Lord returns, when Christ comes again, the glory of the Lord, the presence of God manifested in brilliant light is gonna light up the entire world, the entire universe. Because he dwells in unapproachable light. That's why when he came, he was encased in flesh. That's why when he comes, right, everybody is slaughtered. Why? Because they can't stand in his presence because he is so brilliantly bright. But every Jew will know that the glory of the Lord has now returned. The God of heaven has literally come down to them.

He did before, he did to die for them. This time he comes to reign and to rule over them. That's what makes the prophecies so unique and so special, which we will see here in just a moment. So he tells them, this is gonna unfold for you for the latter days. And then he says, this was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. As for you, O king, while on your bed, your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future. He was thinking about the future. Nebuchadnezzar was worried about the future.

What's gonna happen to my kingdom? What's gonna happen when I die? What's gonna happen next? That caused him to dream. Really, God caused him to have the dream because God was gonna reveal something to him. And he says, and he who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place. In other words, Daniel's now gonna interpret this dream for him. But let me show you something so you can begin to understand a little bit of what Daniel might have known as an 18 year old boy.

Because as he interprets a dream in verse 31, we're skipping ahead to next week, but don't worry, I'll save my wad for next week. You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue. That statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor was standing in front of you and its appearance was awesome. The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You continue looking until a stone was cut out without hands and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.

Then the iron and the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Now listen carefully. Daniel says, you're gonna find out what's gonna happen in the latter days and I got news for you, you're not gonna last. But there is coming a king who will last forever and that king is referred to in your dream as a stone because the Messiah is that stone.

How do we know that? Well, Psalm 118 says this in verse 22, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing. It's marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. What day is that? It's the day the stone was rejected. It's the day they crucified the Lord of glory. This is the day which the Lord has made. What day is that? The day of the crucifixion. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. It says, oh Lord, do save, we beseech you.

Oh Lord, we beseech you, do send prosperity. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. The Lord is called the coming one. This was a phrase used at his entrance to Jerusalem on that last Passover. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Where'd they get that from? Psalm 118.22. Psalm 40, he is the coming one. That's how John the Baptist referred to him. Are you the expected one? Are you the coming one? Are you the fulfillment of Psalm 118.22? Are you the fulfillment of Psalm 40?

Because I thought you were. I was the fulfillment of Malachi 3.1. I'm the messenger that comes before you. Are you the coming one? Well, the coming one is the stone. Now, what did Daniel know? Did Daniel know Psalm 118? It's a prophetic psalm. We don't know that. Does he know Isaiah's prophecy? Because Isaiah would prophesy 100 years before the captivity. Listen to this. Verse 13, it is the Lord of hosts whom you shall regard as holy. He shall be your fear. He shall be your dread. Then he shall become a sanctuary, but to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over.

In other words, if you believe in the Lord of hosts, you will embrace the stone. But if you don't embrace the Lord of hosts, he then will become a stumbling block to you. He will crush you. You'll be crushed under that stone. Now, listen to this. It goes further in Isaiah 28. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed. In Hebrew, will not be in a hurry. Paul quotes this in Romans 9.

Christ quotes this. And Peter quotes this. He who believes in this stone shall never be in a hurry to leave. Peter says it this way. He who believes in this stone will never be disappointed. Did Daniel know that the stone was the Messiah before the dream? That's a good question. Because you see, he'd have to know what the Old Testament said about the arrival of the Messiah. If you've been with us for a number of years, you know how beautiful it is to go through the Old Testament and see how you connect the dots throughout the Old Testament to see what the Jewish mind should have known.

Did Daniel know that the Messiah was the seed of Genesis 3, verse number 15? Don't know. Did he know the Pentateuch? Probably so. He knew the God of Israel. Did he know that the Messiah was the promised seed of Genesis 3, verse number 15? Did he know that he was the promised safe house of Genesis chapter six, seven, and eight? Did he know that he was that type of ark, the place of safety, the safe house for those who believe in him and judgment upon all those who do not believe in him? Did Daniel know that?

Maybe so. Did he know he was the promised seed? Did he know he was the promised safe house? Did he know he was the promised substitute in Genesis chapter 22 with Abraham and Isaac? We know he knows the God of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Did he know that the Messiah would be the promised substitute of Genesis 22 when God said, I will provide myself as lamb? Where? On the place foreseen by God, which is Mount Moriah. Did Daniel know that? Did Daniel know that in Genesis 49, I'm sorry, Genesis 28, that the Messiah would be the staircase that came down out of heaven to earth in Jacob's dream, where Jacob said, I had a dream, and now I know the way to heaven?

Because God came down to man, that staircase was the only way to heaven. And because Daniel prayed to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, his fathers, would he have known the dream that Jacob had? Probably so. Did he know the Messiah was the staircase, the safe house, the substitute, the seed? How about this? Would he know in Genesis 49, verse number 10, that the Messiah would be Shiloh for the scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh comes? Shiloh being translated, the one to whom it belongs.

What belongs? The scepter. Judah, the kingly tribe, or the Messiah will come from the line of Judah, right? And so therefore, the Messiah will have a scepter. So did he know the Messiah was Shiloh of Genesis 49? Did he know that the Messiah was the spotless lamb of Exodus chapter 12? I don't know, maybe he did. Because he knows about the sacrificial lambs, he knows about how it is God required a sacrifice. Did he know that the Messiah would be the spotless lamb of Exodus chapter 12? Did he know that he'd be the star of Numbers 24, 17?

That we do know. That we do know. Because he would explain to the magicians, to the magi, to the sage, exactly what this star meant because they were all astrologers. They could study the stars. So we know he knows who the star is because Numbers 24, 17 tells us that the star will rise out of Jacob with a scepter in his hands. So because he knows the star, did he know the seed? Because he knows the star, did he know the staircase, the only way to heaven? Because he knew the star, did he know the substitute?

Because he knew the star, did he know Shiloh? Because we know he knew the star. That's how the magi knew how to look for the star because someone had to teach him. The only one to teach him would be Daniel. Did they know or did he know in Deuteronomy 18 that the Messiah would be the seer, the prophet that was greater than Moses? Well, my guess is yes because he knows the Pentateuch. He knows the God of his fathers. And there would be a prophet that would arise that would be greater than Moses and that's the one you gotta listen to.

Well, if he knew the star, did he know the seer? And then you read on and you realize that there is in Psalm 89, the son of David, the son of David, that the Messiah would be a son of David. He would know that because he would know Psalm 89, a messianic Psalm, he would know about King David. He would have to know the Messiah would be the son of David. He knew the Messiah was a star, but did he know the Messiah was the stone of Psalm 118, Isaiah chapter 28, did he know that? We don't know. But as you begin to connect the dots throughout the Old Testament, you begin to realize all the things that are said about the Messiah.

And you can read on in the book of Isaiah and realize that he is the shoot in Isaiah chapter 11. He's the son of God in Isaiah nine. He's the swallower of death in Isaiah chapter 25. He's the soulless of Israel, Isaiah 40. He's the savior of Isaiah 41. He's the separate one of Isaiah chapter 48. The servant of God, Isaiah chapter 49. He's the sin bearer of man, Isaiah 52. The sinless sacrifice, Isaiah 53. The scorned one, the silent one, the slain one, the shepherd, the sovereign king of Israel. Did he know that because all that's in Isaiah.

And Isaiah would prophesy 100 years before the captivity. And so he would know the prophecies of Isaiah. He would know the prophecies given in the Old Testament because he knew the God of Israel. So now when the dream comes and God gives him the interpretation, he knows the stone that shatters the kingdoms of the world is the Messiah. And so in his mind, everything is coming to light. He talks about how God reveals mysteries. Could God be revealing the mysteries to him more so than King Nebuchadnezzar?

The mystery of Psalm 118 stone, the Isaiah 28 stone. Whoever believes in him should not be disappointed. Maybe that's the mystery that's being revealed to Daniel. And now he says, God has shed light on his mysteries. And now I can begin to understand who the Messiah is. And so for the next 60 years, 65 years, he teaches the Magi about this coming Messiah because the Magi were the only Gentiles who were expecting the Messiah to come. They rode into Jerusalem and said, what, where is he? Who's born King of the Jews?

Nobody even knew there was a birth of a King, let alone Herod, but these Gentile Persian Kings, they knew because someone told their grandparents who told their parents, who told them about the Messiah who was the stone the builders rejected. But that stone, whoever believes in him will never be disappointed. And those Magi who made that long 700 mile journey there and then back again, I don't think we're ever disappointed in the journey they made or the worship they gave to the King of Israel. Let me pray with you.

Father, thank you for tonight, the opportunity you give us to study your word. There's so much there, so little time to give it, but we are grateful. Thank you, Lord, for those who are here. Thank you for them taking time to be here tonight to study your word, bless them in a special way. As they go home tonight, go to work tomorrow, go to school tomorrow, whatever they may be doing, may they give glory to the God of heaven. In Jesus name, amen.