dreams of Nebuchadnezzar — Blog

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.