astrologers — Blog — KEN D. MILLER

17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
    to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 He changes times and seasons;
    he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to those who have understanding;
22 he reveals deep and hidden things;
    he knows what is in the darkness,
    and the light dwells with him.
23 To you, O God of my fathers,
    I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me wisdom and might,
    and have now made known to me what we asked of you,
    for you have made known to us the king's matter.”

24 Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation.”

25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” 26 The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” 27 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: 29 To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 30 But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. – Daniel 2:17-30 ESV

Upon hearing that he and his companions were facing death because of the king’s recent edict, Daniel responded with deep concern but never panicked. Instead, he appealed for a brief reprieve to seek out the meaning of the king’s dream. Desperate to have his disturbing dream explained, Nebuchadnezzar granted Daniel’s request. No longer under the immediate threat of death, Daniel gathered his three Hebrew friends and encouraged them to take the matter before Yahweh.

Faced with death at the hands of a psychologically disturbed pagan king, Daniel took the matter to the God of heaven. He did what Nebuchadezzar’s magicians, astrologers, and Chaldeans failed to do; he appealed to a higher power. Those men had assured the king that his demand that they interpret his dream was impossible because “no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh” (Daniel 1:11 ESV).

These celebrated soothsayers and fortune-tellers could read the stars and predict the future but were powerless to decipher the king’s dream, let alone its meaning. But faced with an impossible task, they never sought the aid of Marduk, the chief Babylonian god. Even with a death sentence hanging over their heads, the magicians failed to take their dire situation to Enki, the Babylonian god of magic. Either they believed their gods were distant and disinterested in the affairs of mortal men or they had no faith in their existence at all.

But Daniel and his friends believed in Yahweh and took their predicament to the only one who could do anything about it. And though Yahweh’s “dwelling is not with flesh,” He answered their prayers. Sometime during the night, Daniel received a divinely inspired vision that disclosed the content of the king’s dreams. But Yahweh didn’t stop there; He also provided Daniel with the interpretation. This entire sequence of events reveals God’s sovereignty over the affairs of men. He is the one who ordained that Nebuchadnezzar would invade Judah and take its people captive.

“Raise a signal flag as a warning for Jerusalem:
‘Flee now! Do not delay!’
For I am bringing terrible destruction upon you
from the north.” – Jeremiah 4:6 ESV

His chariots are like whirlwinds.
His horses are swifter than eagles. – Jeremiah 4:13 ESV

He had sovereignly orchestrated the capture and deportation of Daniel and his three friends. He had planned their meteoric rise to prominence within Nebuchadnezzar’s administration. He is the one who exposed the king’s wise men as frauds but also gave Daniel and his friends wisdom and discernment. sleep with disturbing dreams. He is also the one who endowed Daniel with the ability to interpret dreams and visions. It had all been His doing from start to finish.

And Yahweh could reveal Nebuchadnezzar’s dream because He was its author. He could discern its meaning because He had determined its content. None of this had been a matter of chance or blind fate; it had been part of the sovereign plan of God Almighty. And Daniel recognized it as such and offered Yahweh the praise He justly deserved.

“Praise the name of God forever and ever,
    for he has all wisdom and power.
He controls the course of world events;
    he removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to the scholars.
He reveals deep and mysterious things
    and knows what lies hidden in darkness,
    though he is surrounded by light.” – Daniel 2:20-22 NLT

Daniel responds in praise and thanksgiving for the wisdom, power, and omniscience of God. While the gods of the Babylonians did "not live here among people," the God of Daniel did, and He heard Daniel's prayer and did the seemingly impossible. Daniel knew what Jesus Himself would later express, "What is impossible for people is possible with God" (Luke 18:27 NLT).

Daniel was living in the most powerful nation in the world and serving in the court of its king. Yet he recognized that Nebuchadnezzar ruled at the behest of God. Yahweh even referred to the Babylonian king as “my servant Nebuchadnezzar” (Jeremiah 43:10 NLT). Daniel was not impressed by Nebuchadnezzar’s power or threatened by his edict because Yahweh “controls the course of human events” (Daniel 2:21 NLT). Daniel’s God was superior and sovereign over all things.

Daniel and his friends had sought God’s help and He had graciously responded. Their prayers had not informed God about the day's events because He was already intimately knowledgeable and completely responsible for all that had happened. But in taking their need to God, they became aware of His plan and His intention to use them in it. There is no indication in the text that Daniel had ever utilized his gift of interpreting visions. It isn’t even clear that he was aware he had the gift. This was all new territory for Daniel, but not for God. Daniel was likely familiar with the story of how God gave Joseph the ability to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh. If Daniel had been aware of his God-given gift, he would have availed himself of it. But instead, he encouraged his friends to join him in praying for God’s intervention and interpretation. And they got what they asked for. In response to God’s gracious answer, Daniel offered praise and thanksgiving.

“I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors,
for you have given me wisdom and strength.
You have told me what we asked of you
and revealed to us what the king demanded.” – Daniel 2:23 NLT

Now, with the dream’s interpretation in hand, Daniel’s next assignment was to share it with the king. Arioch, the king’s captain, rushed Daniel to the palace and informed Nebuchadnezzar of the good news.

“I have found one of the captives from Judah who will tell the king the meaning of his dream!” – Daniel 2:25 NLT

Arioch’s announcement comes across as a blatant attempt to score brownie points with the king. He claimed credit for solving the king’s dilemma, but Nebuchadnezzar was reticent to believe the good news, asking Daniel, “Is this true? Can you tell me what my dream was and what it means?” (Daniel 2:26 NLT). In a display of humility and reverence for Yahweh, Daniel announced, ““There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future” (Daniel 2:27-28 NLT).

This entire exchange likely took place in front of all the other astrologers, magicians, and Chaldeans who had failed to discern the king’s dream and its meaning. Daniel’s statement must have infuriated them, but it only validated the conclusion they had already reached.

“No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer! The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.” – Daniel 2:10-11 NLT

In a real sense, their lives were in Daniel’s hands. If his God had revealed the dream and its interpretation, the king’s wrath might be assuaged and his death sentence lifted. But their professional reputations were also at risk. If Daniel succeeded, their value to the king would be greatly diminished. So, they listened with rapt attention as Daniel made his announcement to the king.

“While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen. And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart.” – Daniel 2:29-30 NLT

Daniel could have used this moment to his own advantage but, instead, he gave full credit to God. He humbly acknowledged that the message he was about to reveal was not the result of his own wisdom; he was just an instrument. The dream was a divinely ordained message from Yahweh and Daniel was simply the messenger. What he was about to share was a word from his God that would reveal the future of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. And with that announcement, he had his audience in the palm of his hand.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. 21 And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus. – Daniel 1:17-21 ESV

These last few verses provide a summary statement explaining the real motivation behind Daniel and his friends' success. These four young had been equipped by God to serve on His behalf in Babylon. Their selection to undergo training in the king’s indoctrination program had not been the result of blind luck or chance; it had been the sovereign will of God. They were there for a reason that none of them yet understood. But they were not alone because Yahweh was with them, and He had prepared for the ordeal they were about to face.

God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. – Daniel 1:17 NLT

For three years, they consumed their vegetarian diet as well as the academic curriculum fed to them by their Babylonian masters. When their training was complete, they were brought before the king for the final phase of their training. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would have been accompanied by all the other Hebrew young men who had been exiled with them and handpicked for the king’s training program. But as might be expected, Daniel and his three friends stood out. Their interviews with Nebuchadnezzar made an impression on him.

Their countenance and comprehension excelled that of all the other candidates. These young men were physically and intellectually superior to their peers, and they passed their oral exams with flying colors.

Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. – Daniel 1:20 NLT

Once again, the author provides the reader with insight into the success of the four friends. Their intellectual capacity was God-ordained; not the result of a high IQ. They received the same training as their peers, yet their assimilation of the material was unequaled. As verse 17 makes clear, their aptitude was a gift from God. He had provided them with a special capacity for retention and practical application. Their wisdom exceeded that of the king’s most trusted sages and sorcerers, a fact that did not escape Nebuchadnezzar. Like any other king, he was always in need of wise and reliable counselors to whom he could turn concerning important matters of state. Up to this point, he had relied upon his “magicians and enchanters” (Daniel 1:21 ESV).

The Hebrew word for “magician” is ḥarṭōm and it refers to someone who consults the stars to discern the future or seek guidance on important matters. They were astrologers who claimed to have the ability to “read” the stars and provide hidden wisdom. The other group mentioned is the “enchanters.” The Hebrew word is 'aššāp̄ and refers to necromancers, those who claimed to communicate with the dead. They claimed to use their dark magic to speak to spirits living in the underworld who would provide them with hidden knowledge and supernatural insights.

Necromancy was a common practice in ancient Babylon, where people believed in communicating with the dead to gain insight into the future or accomplish tasks. In the pagan and polytheistic world of Babylon, priests, magicians, conjurers, and astrologers played a major role in daily life. They even had a god of magic named Marduk, who presided over justice, healing, compassion, regeneration, and fairness.

But Marduk was no match for Yahweh, the God of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In fact, he was no god at all, and the king’s magicians, necromancers, astrologers, and enchanters were either posers or the unwitting pawns of demonic spirits. Any knowledge they gained from dabbling in the dark arts was incomplete at best. Satan and his demons don’t know the mind of God and have no way of discerning or determining the future. Only Yahweh is omniscient and sovereign over the affairs of men. He alone controls the fate of kings and kingdoms.

Little did Nebuchadnezzar know that he had four secret agents of the Almighty who had infiltrated his kingdom. In his pride, he saw these four young men as the byproduct of his elite training school. They had been properly prepared for service in his royal administration. But, in fact, they had been secretly anointed by Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, and would be used as His instruments in the land of the enemy.

Nebuchadnezzar hired them on the spot and elevated them to places of prominence in his court. It isn’t clear whether Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew that Yahweh was the source of their wisdom and subsequent promotions. Yet, as the book progresses, their faith in Yahweh will be on full display as they navigate the dangerous waters of Nebuchadnezzar’s godless kingdom. Their faith in Yahweh will be put to the test. The temptation to compromise their convictions will be unrelenting. They will soon discover that, while their promotions secure them with prominent roles in the king’s court, they will never really fit in. Their relationship with Yahweh will make it impossible to blend in. Maintaining their faithfulness to Yahweh will set them apart and put them at odds with their Babylonian peers. They will have to learn the difficult lesson of living in the world without becoming part of it.

The last line of this opening chapter reveals that “Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus” (Daniel 1:21 ESV). This lets the reader know that Daniel would serve in the royal court for 66 years, all the way to the Persian takeover of the Babylonian empire. He and his friends would experience the ups and downs of living in a land where they would never be truly welcome. Despite their prominent positions, they would always be viewed as outsiders. Their faith in Yahweh would always put them at odds with their coworkers and create a constant tension that, at times, escalated into abject hatred and a desire for their deaths. But they served the king and stayed faithful to their God and, through it all, Yahweh would provide for and protect them.

The faith of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego will provide the reader with inspiration. But Daniel’s God-given ability to interpret dreams and visions will provide much more. He will reveal aspects of God’s divine redemptive plan that involve future events still yet to happen. God was not done with Israel and He is far from done with the world He created. The Israelite’s detour to Babylon was going to come to an end. But, more importantly, the world’s long-awaited deliverance from the curse of the fall will one day be removed.

There Is a God In Heaven

Divinely Appointed and Anointed