Hello
Friends!
Welcome
back
to our Encouraging Concepts Bible
study series focused on the powerfully PROPHETIC picture portrayed in the Old Testament book
of Daniel painted as a panoramic
landscape of World History in FIVE successions “written” in
ardent ADVANCE some 2,600 years ago…
“The Book of Daniel: Prophecy PAST, PRESENT
& FUTURE!”
The Book of Daniel: Prophecy PAST,
PRESENT & FUTURE (Chapter 2: Verses 1-13)
1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar
dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from
him. 2 Then the
king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers,
and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood
before the king. 3 And the king said unto
them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
4 Then
spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live forever: tell thy
servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. 5 The
king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will
not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be
cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. 6 But
if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me
gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the
interpretation thereof. 7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his
servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it. 8 The
king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time,
because ye see the thing is gone from me. 9 But if ye will not make
known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared
lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore
tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation
thereof. 10 The
Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth
that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler,
that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 And
it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can
shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
12 For
this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all
the wise men of Babylon. 13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should
be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain – Daniel 2:1-13
OPENING POINTS TO PONDER: In our previous “study” sessions through Chapter 1 we “diligently”
discovered the practical PREPARATION of the specific circumstances that set “Daniel” in the RIGHT place at the RIGHT time according to God’s perfect PROPHETIC plan.
We have become well acquainted with the quantitative quality and choice
character
of this “youthful” young lad of whom
was excellently EQUIPED to become “God’s” sound SPECIAL
select “servant” in an amazing ASSIGNMENT greatly
granted
unto him. We have also “learned”
that this dutiful “Daniel” has indeed set an UNCOMPROMISING solid standard for his personal
life of “good works” through a proper
“pure heart” in kind…
Nevertheless the foundation of
God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And,
let ever one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a
great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood
and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore
purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and
meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also
youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that
call on the Lord out of a pure heart – 2 Timothy 2:19-22
And
due to his complete COMMITMENT to lavishly “living” out a very virtuous and ready
righteous
lifestyle, “Daniel” boldly becomes – God’s CHOSEN Man!
However,
“God’s” own chosen people the
“Jews” had decidedly DEGENERATED into gross “idolatry”
and therefore His just JUDGMENT was falling upon them through the
brutal “Babylonian” captivity. What
a righteous REBUKE and raw REBUTTAL this was for “Israel”
to finally realize that their grand “God”
had gladly “given” the single
greatest REVELATION in the entire
history
of human REDEMPTION to a pagan “king”
of sorts. However…
I say then, Hath God cast away
his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of
the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot
ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God
against Israel saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down
thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the
answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have
not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also
there is a remnant according to the election of grace – Romans
11:1-5
And
in so doing this GREAT work through a caustic “King Nebuchadnezzar” as such, our great “God” had NEVER at all – Fully FORSAKEN
Israel!
The
mindful
young lad “Daniel” was greatly “given” by our grand “God” Himself the incredibly UNIQUE capacity
to REVEAL vivid
“visions” & detailed “dreams” alike. Thus, “Daniel”
would be the active AGENCY of his great “Lord’s”
real “righteous” revealed REVELATION and
His INSIGHTFUL instrument
to whom He would Sovereignly
speak through as such. And although “God” did indeed “speak”
unto the ENTIRE nation of
“Israel” through many appointed “prophets” from among
His people, there was NONE as far reaching as “Daniel”
in its far-reaching scope! This humble teenager
went way BEYOND any other Old Testament serious “saint”
and was indeed “given” the
most complete,
comprehensive
and extensive
powerfully PROPHETIC picture of human history ever PROCLAIMED during the “Dispensation” of the “Law”
in kind. And this amazing PROPHESY begins to uniquely unfold in
this CHALLENGING chapter,
not only because “Daniel” was greatly GIFTED as
such. He also possessed great choice CHARACTER and as a RESULT had “rightly”
received – God’s HIGHEST Service!
Chapter 2: Prophetic Dream of Nebuchadnezzar
To begin the NEXT saga of our HISTORICAL narrative, it was during the “second year” of his initial ruling “reign” when the man “King
Nebuchadnezzar” had deeply “dreamed
dreams” and as a resident RESULT his
somber “spirit” was totally “troubled” to the point of losing a LOT of
his solemn “sleep” spent
in the night:
And in
the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams,
wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him – Daniel 2:1
CONTEXTUAL COMMENTS: Since when does “God”
reverently reveal such highly HISTORICAL and poignantly PROPHETIC truth through a pagan “king” as such? This was definitely
a brand NEW approach to “God’s” grand “given” insight! WHY?
Because the nigh “nation” of
insolent “Israel” at this “time” in their HISTORY was no doubt morally and spiritually
just as CORRUPT as the “Chaldean”
people of “Babylon” in kind. And from a
Biblical perspective “Israel”
was actually much WORSE off than the caustic “Chaldeans”
themselves. WHY? Because they became
adamantly APOSTATE in full and had absolutely NO excuse.
WHY? Because it is one
thing to NOT legitimately “know” the tangible “truth”
of our great “God” as such. However,
it is quite something else to actually “know” His loving “truth”
and to FORSAKE it completely! Therefore, “Israel”
had come to a place where “God”
was finally FINISHED dealing with
them for a very specific – Sovereign
SEASON!
The “king” had
actually “dreamed” a series of “dreams” to which was occasioned by his
“troubled” thinking and “spirit” concerning the future. And “God”
Himself answered the king’s DESIRE to keenly “know”
more by way of these demanding “dreams” of which no doubt made an immense – Impression ON Him!
Then the
king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers,
and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood
before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my
spirit was troubled to know the dream – Daniel 2:2-3
Next
“King Nebuchadnezzar”
assembles the boisterous brain trust of the “Babylonian” brigade in an APPEAL to the insolent intellectuals
and ostentatious occultists of his day. And he “commanded”
that the manipulating “magicians”
and the star-gazing “astrologers”
along with the spiritualist “sorcerers”
and sooth-saying “Chaldeans”
of the fortune telling ilk attempt to EXPAIN the details of his “troubled” sleep deprivation. WHY? Because he could NOT figure out the meaning of his “dream” and as a result was sore AFRAID as
such. Perhaps the specifics of this daunting “dream”
somehow evaded his memory, thus “gone” from his “mind” and now only the FEAR of
it remained. And no doubt the sleepless hours had avidly added
to his increasing ANXIETY making him an emotional WRECK due to this “dream”
he could – NOT
Rightly Remember!
The Forgotten Dream!
In an attempt to appease “Nebuchadnezzar” with the typical
“O king, live forever” piously polite personal address, these chided “Chaldeans” were
indeed going to soon FEEL
the full weight of WRATH from this emotionally UNSTABLE mighty “ruler”
of whom they rankly regarded as “king”
in kind:
Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live
forever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.
The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone
from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation
thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye
shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the
dream, and the interpretation thereof – Daniel
2:4-6
THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: The book of “Daniel” was originally “written” in distinctly TWO different literal
languages: Hebrew and Aramaic in kind. Chapter 1 is fully “written” in the Hebrew style closely allied
to the ancient sixth-century
B.C. text utilized in the book of Ezekiel. And chapters
8 through chapter 12 are likewise “written” in the same Hebrew language. However, here in chapter 2 verse 4 through chapter 7 are actually “written” in the Aramaic language. This powerful point gives
an additional argument for the authenticity
of this great book. WHY? Because the
author “Daniel” was conversant
with BOTH languages, an attainment exactly
suited to a Hebrew living in the “Babylonian” brazen “time” of excessive – EXILE Abroad!
Incidentally, the “Chaldeans” addressed the “king” in the “Syriack” language unto “all nations” in the Aramaic vernacular common
in that part of Asia during this time in history. And as we’ve discussed
earlier in this “study” series, it was “written” as such to adamantly address the
pragmatic POLITICALLY tumultuous “times of the Gentiles” throughout their – PROPHETIC History!
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations:
and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled – Luke 21:24
These so-called
waning “wise men” were kept on strategic stand-by “before” their commanding “king” for the intended “interpretation” of such demanding “dreams” as this. And IF they would FIRST verify
the daunting “dream, and the interpretation thereof” they would be likely lavished with grandiose
“gifts and rewards and great honour” bestowed upon them personally by
their “king” accordingly. However, IF they were UNABLE to provide the “dream”
itself along with the exact “interpretation” as demanded, they would be quickly “cut in pieces” and their “houses made a dunghill” as a result. WOW! These chided “Chaldeans” were utterly UNABLE to rightly “reveal” this fierce FORGOTTEN dictate of the “dream”
directed unto “Nebuchadnezzar” and they KNEW it. Thus, they were held
HOSTAGE in their HELPLESSNESS of heart – LOSS of Life or GAIN of
Gifts!
The Dooming Dilemma!
These
spiritual CHARLATANS aptly “answered”
in a slothful
attempt to STALL for more “time”
as such. WHY? Because they sought
to collaborate through “corrupt words” amongst themselves
to greatly “know”
this torrid “thing” in angst.
However, this cynical conquering “King Nebuchadnezzar” was definitely NOT about
to operate
according to their CORRUPT concoctions…
They
answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will
shew the interpretation of it. The king answered and said, I know of certainty
that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. But if
ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for
ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be
changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the
interpretation thereof – Daniel
2:7-9
In
other words, these maniacal men “answered
again” in a “lying”
jest: “Just tell US your dream and we will tell
YOU exactly what you WANT to hear! Then we will consult OUR
occultic “dream manuals” to intently “interpret” what YOUR dream REALLY
means to US. And THEN we will SHOW you the
“interpretation” that WE see fit for the occasion!” These
brandish BABBLINGS are nothing at all but
conniving “corrupt words”
born of a fanatical FRAUD fest in full flair! According to this hocus
pocus nonsense, absolutely “all”
of these “soothsaying” savages NEEDED to keenly “know”
the distinct DETAILS of the “dream”
itself. After all, their very “lives”
deeply DEPENDED upon it. However, their so-called
grandiose goofy “gods” could NOT really “give”
them the intended input they so – DESPERATELY Desired!
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND: The foolish FAKERY of these supposed waning “wise men” and their pagan “idols” was deeply DEVASTATING to the battered “Babylonian”
worldly “wisdom” found wanting. In
fact, this INDECENT incident in “Babylon”
was quite similar to the DEMOMIC
brandish “burnt offerings” made many
years LATER unto the beguiled
“Baal” wicked WORSHIP
of which “Jehu” had directly “destroyed” as he intensely INTERCEDED due
to the rank result of insane “images”
intently ensued by “Israel” that were eagerly EMBRACED through
her occultic
obscure OFFERINGS according to the FALSE pious “prophets”
of such forsaken foolishness:
And it came to pass, when Ahab
saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? And he
answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that
ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord,
and thou hast followed Baalim. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel
unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the
prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. So Ahab sent
unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount
Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between
two opinions? if the Lord be
God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not
a word. Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of
the Lord; but Baal's prophets
are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and
let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on
wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on
wood, and put no fire under: And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will
call on the name of the Lord:
and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered
and said, It is well spoken… And it came to pass at the time of the offering of
the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of
Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy
servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know
that thou art the Lord God,
and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt
sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water
that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their
faces: and they said, The Lord,
he is the God; the Lord, he
is the God. And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one
of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook
Kishon, and slew them there – 1 Kings 18:17-24 & 36-40
And it came to pass, as soon as
he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard
and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote
them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out,
and went to the city of the house of Baal. And they brought forth the images
out of the house of Baal, and burned them. And they brake down the image of
Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this
day. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel – 2
Kings 10:25-28
It
is quite POSSIBLE that the “King Nebuchadnezzar “ may
have been an atheist at this point in his life, holding to NO personal
belief
in absolutely ANY sort of “god” at all. And apparently he wanted to EXPOSE these pragmatic PHONIES for what they WERE indeed!
Amazingly, the ONE true great “God”
and Sovereign sole “Creator
of heaven and earth” directs this PAGAN proconsular to utterly DISMANTLE this dastardly diatribe. Interestingly enough, it
seems that “Nebuchadnezzar”
was simply way too SMART for his OWN
hypocritical occultic system of “Chaldean” calamitous carousers. WHY? Because he essentially cynically
comments as such: “Let’s see HOW you silly “servants” of your so-called “gods” will pull off this “prepared” preponderant pottage!” And as long
as these sordid “sorcerers”
were going to pathetically PRETEND to actually “know”
all the sacred “secrets” of the unknown
realm themselves, “Nebuchadnezzar”
wanted to FINALLY find out if they
really
knew THIS particular
point of “prepared”
preponderance – Nice TRY!
But
NOW we find that what the “Chaldeans” really claimed
here was that the “king” was really REQUIRING of them a magnificent “matter” that is
absolutely IMPOSSIBLE for any “king, lord, nor ruler”
or manic “magician, or
astrologer, or Chaldean” found alive “upon the earth” to conjure:
The
Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth
that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler,
that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a
rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it
before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh – Daniel 2:10-11
Indeed
there was NOT a mere “man”
found absolutely ANYWHERE in the entire waning “world” that could rightly “reveal” this daunting “dream” to him. And that exacting EXPERIENCE had
eagerly EXPOSED them to this firm
fact. There were indeed LIMITS to what they could “know”
and their foolish FAKERY could absolutely NOT allow them to rigorously read someone else’s
“mind” as such. Thus, these FALLEN foes
were actually serving their fearless leader “Nebuchadnezzar” as sordid sold-out SATANIC human
agents
at large – Astrologers, Sorcerers, Magicians & Mediums!
However,
as a real result
of the very “rare thing” to which only
their supposed “gods” could
ultimately “shew” them, this
maniacal “king” was anxiously “angry” and “very furious” so much so that
he had ridiculously REQUIRED of these menacing men in “flesh” faculties an IMPOSSIBLE trying task to aptly accomplish.
None the less, he coarsely CONDEMNED them ALL and had “commanded to
destroy” these mundane “men” and their “families” via a deranged “decree” of dutiful DEATH defined:
For this
cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the
wise men of Babylon. And the decree went forth that the wise men
should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain
– Daniel 2:12-13
Beloved,
the ONLY place
to aptly ATTAIN this kind of information is from a Holy SUPERNATURAL source.
It is NOT available ANYWHERE on planet “earth”
itself. Therefore, thy are ALL about to “lose”
absolutely everything they possess, including their very LIVES to
boot! These coy “Chaldeans”
have already LOST all their credibility
as they were “given” a quite IMPOSSIBLE task
to which they can NOT do absolutely anything about. And sadly, “Daniel” and his faithful “companions” named “Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah”
were also counted among these so-called “wise men” to be “sought” after and “slain” in kind. WHY?
Because they too were an indirect painful PART of the core “court”
of the “king’s” adjunct advisors.
And as a result, we find our “four” hero’s trapped within a
deeply dire – DOOMING Dilemma!
More to
follow… STAY tuned!
America’s
FIRST President
George Washington once said:
“Few men have the virtue to withstand the
highest bidder”
And
he was absolutely – CORRECT!
In
fact, MOST profusely pragmatic people DO indeed have a personal PRICE point.
Conversely, a truly UNCOMPROMISING man or woman of “God”
is a very RARE commodity to find indeed. However, that is exactly
the kind of a person He LOOKS for throughout human history
in order to diligently DO
His wonderful “work” as He rightly – WILLS to Accomplish!
In
closing:
REAL REFLECTIONS: The twelve chapters of “Daniel” are powerfully PROMISED prophecies depicting the unfolding
of the HISTORIC events of which will take place leading up to
the literal “time” of the SECOND awaited
physical “coming” of our loving “Lord Jesus Christ” back to the earth:
And in the days
of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be
destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall
break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever – Daniel 2:44
And
our SERIOUS study of these PROPHECIES will
rightly REVEAL to each student of God's wonderful “Word” that the events FORETOLD
some 2,600 years ago could
possibly be FULFILLED in the seemingly near future…
We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!
Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.