who explained daniel's dreams to him
30.12.2020, , 0
According to verse 1, the written record of the revelation Daniel received in his first night vision is but a summary of the prophecy he received. Some of his alarm arose from his not yet having been given the interpretation of his vision. The fourth portion of the statue in Daniel 2 is the iron legs and feet and toes of partly iron and partly baked clay which represented the Roman empire. In the verses following our lesson text, the vision is explained (Daniel 7:21-27). His vision in chapter 4 should have produced more distress than it did. Yet, his emotional response was valid and changed little after the vision was explained more fully. Suffering and glory are a part of one work. - As for these four children, God gave them knewledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.Or, as the words might be more accurately rendered, "these lads, the four of them" (Ezekiel 1:8-10).This indicates that somehow they were separated off into a quaternion. But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come. (Daniel 7:1718, NASB95)[2] The four beasts that Daniel saw in his dream were four kings and represented the four kingdoms of these kings. The three and a half years referred to here in Daniel is the last half of the tribulation, also called the Great Tribulation and the Time of Jacobs Trouble. Unfortunately, the king did not heed the dreams warning, and his kingdom was taken away for a time. 18 But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come. 19 Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet, 20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts, and which was larger in appearance than its associates. Nebuchadnezzar may have started badly, but by the time we read of him in Daniel 4 he seems to be a true believer in God, urging the citizens of his kingdom to worship and serve Him. I also told you it corresponded to the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 2, but with more detail. I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these: What God says, He will do. Each of the four beasts represent a king and thus a resulting kingdom. This fourth beast seems to regenerate in the form of subsequent kings and kingdoms. When the Lord Jesus came to the earth, He often referred to Himself as the Son of Man, gradually making it clear that He was the Messiah who was God incarnate. That dream was read as our Scripture reading this morning. This beast is also unique among the four in that he grows 11 horns. The precise meaning of the symbols of the raised side and the three ribs is illusive. The boastful beast becomes even more aggressive, waging war with the saints and even overpowering them. Abraham had to believe and behave on the basis of Gods promises, rather than on the basis of his perception. The process of having a baby involves the pains of childbirth. This kings boasting turns to blasphemy. Chapter 9, on the other hand, has a historical account of Daniels study of Jeremiah and of his prayers of repentance and petition for Israels restoration and return to the land of promise. His final offspring, so to speak, is the little horn which becomes the great blasphemer, whose life and kingdom is suddenly cut off by the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. Did Daniel interpret dreams? And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. We will deal with the meaning and application of Daniels vision later on in our questions and answers. Never in the history of the Roman empire has this happened so it is yet future. Because of this we can have a greater understanding of this dream than Daniel did. Part of the dream seemed good, and part of it seemed bad. Consider the birth of a child, remembering that Gods deliverance and salvation is likened to birth. Neither peer opposition nor the king's new law (chapter 6) greatly disturbed Daniel. Daniel still dreaming said he approached one of those standing there. When God granted Daniel the wisdom to interpret the king's dream, it launched Daniel's long career as a political leader, trusted adviser, and well-known prophet. In the second year: It is difficult to understand the exact time this speaks of. Daniel approached one of theses angels and began to ask him to explain to him the meaning or the truth concerning all that he had seen in his visions. If Daniel had been shaken by the dark side of his vision, he is reminded in the interpretation of the outcome of these eventsthe establish- ment of Gods eternal kingdom. Episode 5 of "How I Met Your Father" Season 2 tested the friendships of everyone in the group. The words of verse 1 point to the relationship between the prophecy Daniel received and its historical setting and context. That night his life and his kingdom came to an end. For the time, it was these Jewish leaders who were beastly, arrogant, and blasphemous, and because of this they would suffer divine judgment. Rome did conquer much of the known world, but it never conquered the whole world as this is describing. If taken seriously, we will find the future sobering as well. As Daniel continues to watch, someone descends with the clouds of heaven, one like a Son of Man. He is presented to the Ancient of Days, and to Him is given dominion, glory, and the eternal kingdom. Children need to know that as believers, we are on the winning team and God wins in the end. We are not to base our thinking and actions on circumstances, but upon the Scriptures. With the death of Nebuchadnezzar comes a change in the peoples attitudes, especially their leaders toward Judaism. As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. Having gained an appreciation for Daniel and his three Hebrew friends, over a period he came to faith in their God. The prophecy of Daniel 7 nevertheless had great relevance and application to those in Daniels day. Daniel's prophecy was one of hope. The revelation of the writing on the banquet hall wall, already described in chapter 5, actually happened later, on the last day of Belshazzars life. He will persecute and oppress the saints of the Highest One, the angel says that he will wear them down; the idea comes from the concept of wearing out a garment until it is threadbare. God grants this king success and his saints suffering, but only for an appointed time. The second is Daniel's dream. Specifically, the account of The Bad News at Belshazzars Banquet (not a bad title for that lesson) in chapter 5 was given to us so that we could better understand the prophecies of chapters 7 and 8. Different from the first three, this beast seems uglier, more powerful, and much more hostile toward God and His saints. (10) What effect did the vision have on Daniel, and why? In fact, Daniel has trouble interpreting some of his own dreams. This horn is called by different names in the New Testament: In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 the little horn is called the man of lawlessness. Revelation 13:1-2 calls the little horn the beast. The name he is best known by in found in 1 John 2:18-24 where John calls the little horn the Antichrist.. While most of those in this kingdom may not have had a true conversion, at least they tolerated the Jewish faith as the religion of the state. The vision comes to Daniel in Belshazzars first year.78 A subsequent and related vision comes to him in this kings third year (see 8:1). Dwight Pentecost writes, The existence of the church in the present Age was nowhere revealed in the Old Testament. The other seven will then likely submit out of fear or a sense of the unavoidable consequences of resisting represented by this little horn growing larger than the seven. Daniel writes that at this point the revelation was ended. How was the fourth beast different from the first three? It is virtually the opposite of the term beast. The expression, Son of man, is not new to Daniel. 13 I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.77 14 And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language Might serve Him. Daniel 7 indicates in the clearest way that prior to the coming of the kingdom of God the saints will suffer at the hand of the final horn and even be overpowered by him. Daniel uses the expression Son of man twice. Jesus quoted the words of Daniel 7:13. Neither is prophecy written to make us happy or to feel good. Both sets of kingdoms are brought to a sudden end and are replaced by an eternal kingdom. (6) How important is it for us to identity the kings and the kingdoms mentioned in our text? We need to be waiting and prepared for His return. When they came in and stood before the king, 3 He intends to make changes in time and in law. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, Embedded video for Daniel's Dream Interpreted - Daniel 7:15-28. We dare not ignore that which is revealed nor do we dare go too far afield in speculating about what is concealed (see Deuteronomy 29:29; 1 Timothy 1:4; 2 Timothy 2:23). Daniel made it very clear that the dream and the interpretation had come for the one true God. Through this dream, King Nebuchadnezzar learned that only God's Kingdom will last forever. The implication here is that this is a repeated dream, one that is . Je. 7 After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. God has revealed in this interpretation what He wants us to know and has kept back that which we need not know. It is at this time that all human kingdoms will become subject to God and to the saints in the eternal kingdom, which the Son of Man will establish when He comes to the earth to judge and to rule. I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Prophets: Daniel 2:16 Daniel went in and desired (Dan. Would this horn Daniels vision revealed oppose the people of God and even blaspheme God Himself? Editing allows an author to set aside details which are not significant and focus on the essence of the message he is trying to communicate. As the wicked prosper in their sin, it seems as though they can continue in sin without any fear of divine judgment (see Psalm 73:1-11; 2 Peter 2:3-4). (8) The four beasts are all different, with the last standing apart from the first three. The chapter falls into two major parts. All distinctions of race and colour and nationality are stripped away and one apparently human figure represents the whole human race. Joyce C. Baldwin, Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1978), p. 150. Nothing has caused him to panic or depart from his faith and practice as a godly Jew. Their perception is wrong, for suddenly and without warning their day of destruction will come upon them. According to our text, the prophecies of Daniel 7 will not be fulfilled for a considerable period of time. God will establish His kingdom, and that kingdom, unlike the kingdoms of men, is eternal. However, the Son of Man must first suffer at the hands of men (17:22; 20:18). That was bad enough, from the religious leaders perspective, but the way in which He answered them was the last straw. (3) The finest commentary on the prophecy of Daniel 7 comes from our Lord Himself. The fourth beast is a fourth king, different than the others. At-A-Glance 1. (19-26) Daniel explains the rise and coming fall of Nebuchadnezzar. Here is a man that has faithfully walked with his God his whole life. While God tells neither Daniel nor us that this beast represents Nebuchadnezzar, He does reveal that the head of gold in the vision of the great statue was Nebuchadnezzar (2:36-38). Both series of four kingdoms begin well and end badly. (2) Chapters 7 and 8, while written in different languages, are written during the reign of Belshazzar and somehow linked by the author in Daniel 8:1. The fulfillment of the prophecy of Belshazzars demise underscores the certainty of the fulfillment of Daniels vision in the last days. The kingdom of God would not be established in Daniels lifetime, nor in the life of those who returned to the land of Israel from their captivity. JPS Tanakh 1917 In order to save Rose, Unity asks her to give up whatever makes her the dream vortex. Chapter 7 moves from the historical accounts of Daniel and his three friends to the prophetic revelations received by Daniel in the last half of the Book.76 The following chart may help us visualize the relationship of Daniels prophecies to the historical setting in which they were revealed: The first prophetic revelation is found in Daniel 2. The angels went on to add that the saints of the Highest One will be given into Antichrists hand for a time, times, and half a time. Before long, Daniel was explaining the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar. Those who populate the earth after the tribulation will give their allegiance to Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time. The beasts emerge out of chaos and confusion; the heavenly court is calm and dignified. 9 I kept looking until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, And the hair of His head like pure wool. Desiring a more detailed explanation, he apparently asked for one and received it. Daniel 5 is an illustration and a prototype of what will happen in the end times, as described in the prophecy of Daniel 7. 8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, every one whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. It is significant for us to note Daniels reaction to this revelation from God. This is consistent with God's propensity to use miracles to identify His messengers. When that happens, Daniel goes for option #2 of those listed above: he asks one of the people in his dream to interpret what is happening for him ( Da 7:15-16 ). The beasts are a horrifying and frightening sight; the heavenly court scene is one of regal splendor and beauty. It seems safe to assume the interpreter was an angelic being; at least this is the case in chapter 8 (8:15-26). He had lived through the overthrow of his people, his nation, and his hometown by a foreign power, he had been torn from his family and carried off into captivity. The inter-relationship between the prophecies of chapters 2 and 7 is demonstrated on the following page: Deterioration: Gold to iron mixed with clay, Deterioration: Nearly human to blaspheming beast. Alexandra, the daughter of a rich British aristocrat, caught his attention. A revelation from God in his sleep discloses future events which Daniel finds most troubling. Our text challenges such a conclusion, and later prophecies in Daniel further document that the coming of the King and of the kingdom will be some time further in the future. These kings will rise to power and dominate the earth. The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer (1 Peter 4:7). Hosted by Michael Barbaro and Sabrina . requires it of the Chaldeans, by promises and threats. At the outset of the account of his vision, Daniel wants his reader to know the historical context in which this prophecy was given and to consider its interpretation and application in the light of that context. We could never predict the goals God has determined, nor the means He has ordained for history to reach them. In Daniel's dream the Medo-Persian empire and it king Cyrus was represented by the bear. Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation. Daniels response is testimony to this reality. His followers too must be alert and ready for His return (24:44). Centuries must therefore pass before the prophecies of Daniel are fulfilled. It should be remembered that many narratives of scripture are related in a very condensed form, fuller details being added afterwards. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:13, NASB95)[5] The more we know about the future the more are hearts should be moved to practical preparation. The woman endures in the view of the final outcome of the process. We are told the Old Testament prophet could not see the distance between the first and the second coming of our Lord, just as one cannot see the distance between two mountains, when viewed from afar. It may seem to them that their defeat is certain and that their hopes of entering into the eternal kingdom are lost. (2) While the timing of the fulfillment of divine prophecy may seem remote to the recipient, it still has relevance for him. 15 As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. Old Testament Jews would likely regard the reference to the Son of Man in Daniel 7 as a reference to the Messiah, although they would probably not understand Him to be both divine and human. As I read through the statements men have made about the God of Israel in the first six chapters of Daniel, I find that what men came to know and to acknowledge through history, God declares through prophecy. The toasting of the gods of the Babylonians with the sacred temple vessels, recorded in chapter 5, may have been Belshazzars final act of blasphemy. 23 Thus he said: The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. Daniel 2:26-49 We should not spend a disproportionate amount of time and energy trying to fill in the blanks God has left. When Jesus came, He embraced this expression as a designation for Himself, giving the term meaning vastly beyond that previously held by any Jew. Verse 17. It is explained in a way that children can understand, describing his feeling as butterfly's in his tummy.Daniel's Dream takes you on an uplifting adventure with wonderfully expressivedescriptions of the characters, perfectly capturing bodylanguage and . Suddenly, the boasting beast is silenced by death, and his body is cast into the burning fire. The prophecies of Daniel 7 speak of a future day of reckoning, foreshadowed by the actions of Belshazzar and the judgment of God on him and his kingdom. Before the coming of Christ, who would? May the Spirit of God reveal the meaning of this prophecy to us and produce in us that which God desires to His glory and our good. Daniel 2:9-11 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 1:18,19 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar, We are not told in so many words that this extension of time was granted, or that Daniel undertook to show more than the interpretation of the dream. The kingdom of God will be established and the saints will possess it forever. Chapter 2. Whether liberal or conservative, our conclusions grow out of the premises and presuppositions governing the process and the product of our interpretation. 9 If any one has an ear, let him hear. in 1971. He will also send forth His angels to gather those who do not belong in His kingdom (12:41). For the remainder of Nebuchadnezzars life, it seems that religion in the kingdom of Babylon was at least favorable to the worship of the God of the Jews. So, this phrase refers to 3 years. Alexander the Great's empire and its divisions after his death were predicted long in advance in Daniel 11. Then the saints will receive the kingdom which will never end. What God determined to reveal to Daniel should be enough for us. 77 According to Baldwin, This verse [13] has been the subject of more scholarly papers than any other in the book, so indicating its centrality, not only for Daniel but for the New Testament also. Baldwin, p. 142. Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? While conservative, evangelical scholars believe the prophecies in Daniel are true, their interpretations differ greatly. As the boasting horn of Daniel 7 seems to be getting away with his blasphemies and his oppression of the saints, it seems to him he can do whatever he wishes, including the changing of times and law. But in the end, God will judge the wicked and establish His kingdom for His saints. The identity of the kingdoms represented by the other body parts and metals was not revealed. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. They are far from pleasant but an unavoidable part of the process. (See Daniel 2:24, Note. (5) While the process involves wicked kings and nations and the suffering of the saints, the culmination is the establishment of Gods eternal kingdom. ET. 21 I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom. Daniel (Daniel 2; 4): As He had done for Joseph, God placed Daniel in a position of power and influence by allowing him to interpret a foreign ruler's dream. This angel responded and gave Daniel understanding into his dream as he interpreted it for him. Chapter 7 - In the first vision Daniel sees the same kingdoms, but this time he sees them as beasts. Daniel said that his thoughts were greatly alarming him and his face grew pale. Valentina's bond with Sophie, Sid's reaching out to Jesse, and Charlie trying hard to bring Sid and Jesse back together so that the group can go back to being their normal selves and not be an awkward bunch of people not wanting to discuss actual problems. 80 During my school teaching days, I tried to make my students think I had eyes in the back of my head so that no matter what they did--even if my back was turned--they could not escape my all-seeing eyes or my discipline. He only called on him in a moment of sheer panic when no one else could help, and only then because of the recommendation of the queen mother. The day of judgment is still future and has not yet been fulfilled. In my opinion, the most dramatic reference of our Lord to His identity as the Son of Man comes as the Lord Jesus stands on trial before the Sanhedrin and the high priest: 59 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death; 60 and they did not find it, even though many false witnesses came forward. In chapter 5, King Belshazzars dream should have greatly alarmed him, but apparantly it did not. But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come. Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet, and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates. Prophecy is necessary then so that men are reassured of divine deliverance and blessing, as well as divine judgment (see 2 Peter 2:4-9). (5) Above all, the prophecy in this chapter means precisely what God says it means in this text, nothing more and nothing less. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.. He questioned His disciples so that they could confess that He, the Son of Man, was the Messiah (16:13f.). Prophecy is revealed to men to change their perspective, to urge them to see things as God sees them rather than as they appear to the human eye. Chapter 2 contains a very significant prophecy, revealed by God to king Nebuchadnezzar. 81 See Ezekiel 29:21 for a similar use of the imagery of making a horn grow to describe a kings promotion to power. The interpretation of the events Daniel witnessed in his vision is given in its most concise form in verses 17 and 18: The four beasts were four kings, who will arise from the earth. Remembering this avoids confusion. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. March 1, 2023, 6:00 a.m. Because of his wisdom, and the favour of God, Daniel rose to a position within the Babylonian government. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. Would Belshazzar toast the gods of gold, silver, wood and stone with the sacred temple vessels? The other three are removed from power but allowed to live for some time after their removal (verse 12). It was said ( ch. [1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. As we shall show later, the content of the prophecy of Daniel 7 is very closely related to the reign of Belshazzar. Then, in Daniel 2, the Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream that only Daniel could interpret. The ten horns, Daniel is told, represent ten kings who will emerge out of the fourth kingdom. From Daniel 2:4b to the end of chapter 7, the original text was written in Aramaic (the language of Babylon in that day). When He came with His kingdom, they would be sure to recognize Him (24:27). We should note Daniels distress in chapter 7 before turning to the other prophecies in Daniel, where we will find that prophecy very often produces distress. Daniel finds nothing to compare to it. No wonder this vision causes Daniel such distress. Our attention should be given to what is clearly and emphatically said. A person should not take credit for what God does through him. He had endured the training of the Chaldeans and he had lived his life in the service of a foreign king, at first the foreign king who had overthrown his country. The first beast was lion-like, with wings like that of an eagle.79 Its wings were plucked from it; if this happened in mid-air, he must have plummeted to the ground. He could not figure out what the dream meant, so he wanted his advisors to explain it to him. Jesus applied this text to them, not as those who would enter into His kingdom, but as those who would be judged at His return. The Son of Man was also Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). If you remember from two weeks ago the bear was raised up on one side, this was to indicate that one part of this united kingdom overshadowed the other portion. Liberals reject all prophecies, because they require a sovereign God and a miraculous revelation of future events. Verse 2. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself. (Daniel 7:1528, NASB95)[1], THE FOUR BEASTS REVEALED (Daniel 7:15-18). This fourth beast has the distinction of ten horns. 5 And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. Gods plan and program are carried out on His schedule, not ours (see 2 Peter 2:8-10). Daniel 1:1-2:4a was written in Hebrew. The Old Testament prophet did not see the gap because he viewed the coming of Christ as God does. There seems to be a close connection between the vision of Nebuchadnezzar, which is revealed and interpreted in chapter 2, and the vision of Daniel in chapter 7. Upon hearing the details of the dream, Daniel too was troubled (4:19). In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. What is its message to Daniel, to the Jews, and to us? This also underscores that these four kingdoms go from reasonably good to unbelievably bad. Suffering is an inseparable part of the process which leads to glory. After this chapter, the book returns to the Hebrew language. The head of the statue was made of gold, the chest and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of bronze, and the legs and feet of iron and clay. The next portion of the statue in Daniel 2 was the chest and arms of silver which represented the Medo-Persian Empire which was even larger than the Babylonian empire. God is able to raise up kings and put them down. Now, in verse 23, the angelic interpreter explains the relationship of the boastful beast and the coming of the eternal kingdom of God. The fourth beast in Daniels dream relates to the fourth kingdom in Nebuchadnezzars dream, the Roman empire. International Standard Version so Daniel went to ask Nebuchadnezzar for an appointment to see him , and it was granted him so that he could reveal the meaning to the king. Then the kingdoms of the earth, the sovereignty, the dominion, the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heavens, in other words, the whole world will be given to the saints of the Highest One and the Highest One, Jesus Christ, will rule and it will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.
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who explained daniel's dreams to him