DANIEL CHAPTER TWO

  I.        INTRODUCTION

A.   Daniel’s prophecies covered what is called “the times of the Gentiles.” (Luke 21:24)

1.    It began in 606 BC when the Babylonian captivity began.

2.    It will continue until Christ returns to establish the Messianic Kingdom.

3.    “The times of the Gentiles” refers to:

a.    The time when Israel and the Jews would be without a king (Hosea 3:4, 5)

b.    A time when Israel and the Jews would be under the dominion of Gentile rule

4.    It corresponds to what Paul calls “man’s day.” (1 Cor. 4:3; margin) Thus, Nebuchadnezzar’s image was seen in the form of a man.

B.   Daniel’s prophecies of the “time of the Gentiles” covers six major kingdoms.

 II.        THE PROBLEM (2:1-30)

A.   The forgotten dream of Nebuchadnezzar (vs. 1-3)

1.    Challenge to the “witch doctors” (v. 5)

2.    The penalty for failure which also included Daniel and his friends (vs. 5, 13)

B.   The powerless false prophets

1.    “No man on earth” could do it. (v. 10)

2.    “Only the gods” could tell such a thing. (v. 11)

3.    These men had no power.

a.    Within themselves - they were frauds.

b.    No power with “the gods”

4.    Neither the natural, uninspired man, nor those possessed of Satan, nor Satan himself can predict the future apart from what is revealed in the Word.

C.   Daniel to the rescue (vs. 12-23)

1.    His plea saved the lives of the soothsayers (v. 24)

2.    His confidence in God (v. 16)

3.    His call for a prayer meeting (vs. 17, 18)

4.    His prayer answered (v. 19)

5.    His praise to God (vs. 20-23)

D.   Credit where credit is due (vs. 24-30)

1.    Daniel does not take the credit for the interpretation. (v. 28)

2.    Daniel’s humility stands out. (v. 30)

III.       THE PROPHECY (2:31-45)

A.   BABYLON (vs. 32, 36-38; 7:4)

1.    Described by the head of gold

a.    Spoke of Nebuchadnezzar and his reign

b.    He was divinely chosen to be king at that time. (Jer. 27:4-8)

2.    It was an absolute monarchy.

a.    The strongest kind of human government (cf. Rev. 19:16)

1)    Compare the decree of death to the soothsayers

2)    Compare the fiery furnace episode

3.    It was a benevolent government

a.    The Jews, though dispossessed, were fairly treated.

b.    Many of the Jews were so at ease in Babylon that they stayed there even when allowed to return to the land (Ezra 2:64, 65)

1)    42,360 Jews

2)    7,337 servants

3)    Total - 49,697

4.    The collapse of the Babylonian Empire came in 538 BC.

B.   MEDIA-PERSIA (vs. 32, 39; 7:5)

1.    Represented by the silver

2.    Specified in later prophecies (5:28, 30-31; 6:8; 8:20; 9:1; 11:1)

3.    An inferior government

a.    As silver is inferior to gold

b.    The government of Medo-Persia:

1)    Partly by the people - a sort of constitutional monarchy

2)    The noble were equal in rank to the king

3)    The king was even bound by its laws (cf. Dan. 6:13-15; Esther 8:1-17)

4.    Under the Medo-Persians the Jews were allowed to return to the land (Ezra & Nehemiah)

5.    The collapse of the Medo-Persian Empire came in 350 BC. 

C.   GREECE (vs. 32, 39; 8:21)

1.    Represented by the brass (bronze)

2.    Specified in later prophecies

a.    8:21 - Speaks of Alexander the Great

b.    8:22 - The four horns speak of the division of the Empire after the death of Alexander.

c.    8:23-25 - Speaks of Antiochus Epiphanes, who became head of the Seleucid Empire, one of the four divisions that controlled Israel, and is a prophetic picture of the antichrist.

d.    Other references - 10:20; 11:2

3.    More inferior in quality still, depicting further deterioration in type and quality of government

a.    While the quality decreases, the strength increases.

b.    A military form of government

4.    A very difficult time for the Jews (8:9-14; 9:24-27)

5.    The collapse of Greece came in 30 BC

D.   ROME (vs. 33, 40)

1.    Represented by iron

2.    Specified in later prophecies, though not named (9:26; Revelation 13:1-7; Daniel 7:23-25)

3.    A divided kingdom - represented by east and west, i.e., the Roman and Byzantine Empires that occurred in 364 AD

4.    The quality of government is further diminished - democracy.

5.    It was a harsh rule - as also seen in the iron.

a.    Described as a nondescript empire (7:7)

b.    There was no animal powerful or ferocious enough to describe it.

c.    It was diverse, yet it incorporated all the bestial qualities of the other empires that had preceded it.

6.    The Roman Empire’s final collapse took place around 500 AD.       

E.   REVIVED ROME (vs. 33, 41-44)

1.    Represented by iron mixed with clay

2.    The 10 toes are identified with the 10 horns (7:7-8), and the 10 crowns (Rev. 13:1)

3.    Out of the territory of the old Roman Empire a ten-nation confederation will arise over which antichrist will rule.

4.    It is the government of the Tribulation.

5.    The Jews will be the special object of persecution during this time. (Rev. 12)

6.    A present day perspective - we are probably now in the “foot” stage of history with the “toe” stage to take place after the Rapture.

F.    CHRIST’S KINGDOM (vs. 34, 35, 44, 45)

1.    The stone is Christ (Compare 1 Cor. 10:4; Matt. 21:42; 1 Peter 2:6)

2.    Christ will return at the end of Gentile world supremacy. (Luke 21:20-28)

3.    He will break in pieces all the attempts of man to rule the world without Him.

4.    He will establish a righteous kingdom that will never end. (v. 44)

IV.       CONCLUSION

A.   Most of Daniel’s prophecy has been fulfilled.

B.   There is a definite movement toward the coming fulfillment of the fifth empire of the antichrist.

C.   World history and present events make the return of Christ seem even more imminent.

                                                                                   End of Chapter 2