167 – Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
Daniel 2:1-49
Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him. He called his counselors and told them they were to interpret his dream. They said, “Tell us the dream and we’ll tell you what it means.”
The king said, “Listen carefully to what I’m about to say. You’re to tell me my dream as well as its interpretation. If you can do this, I’ll give you great rewards and honor you before everyone. But if you can’t do this, you’ll die a slow death, and all of your property will be destroyed. Now, tell me my dream!”
His counselors were shocked. They asked a second time, “Please, tell us your dream and we’ll give you the meaning.”
Nebuchadnezzar grew impatient. “You’re stalling for time. You heard what I said. If I tell you my dream, you’ll simply make up something just to humor me. The only way I’ll know your interpretation is correct, is if you can tell me the dream.
At this point, the counselors begged him. “No king has ever asked their counselors to do this. Only the gods know what people dream when they’re asleep.”
Nebuchadnezzar became angry. He made a declaration that all the counselors were to be killed. So the guards started gathering them up. Daniel heard of this and immediately sent a message to the king, “Give me some time and I’ll tell you your dream, as well as the interpretation.”
God showed Daniel the king’s dream and gave him the interpretation. Then Daniel went to meet with the king. Nebuchadnezzar looked at him and said, “Is it true you can tell me my dream and its interpretation?”
Daniel was careful with his answer. “No man is able to do what you’re asking, but there’s a God in heaven who has shown me what you dreamed when you were asleep.
“He gave you a vision of what’s going to happen in the future of the world. You saw a massive statue in your dream. It had a head of gold. Its arms and chest were silver, and its belly and hips were bronze. It had legs of iron, and its feet were a mixture of iron and clay. Suddenly a stone was cut out of a mountain, but you couldn’t see the hands that did it. This stone hit the feet and the entire statue was destroyed.
“The pieces crashed to the ground and the wind blew it away as if it had no weight at all. As you watched, the stone got larger until it filled the entire earth.
“That was your dream. Now here is the interpretation. God has made you the head of gold. After you, will arise another kingdom that’s not as good as yours.
“Then a third kingdom of bronze will rule the world. The fourth kingdom will be as strong as iron and will crush everything in its way. This kingdom will divide into two parts like the legs of the statue. The last kingdom will also be divided into two feet with ten toes. It’ll have the strength of iron, but be as brittle as common clay.
“The stone carved out of the mountain is God’s kingdom, which will be formed without human hands. God will destroy all the kingdoms of this world, but His kingdom will never end.
“Oh king, God has shown you the future with a dream, and it’ll happen just as the dream has said.”
Nebuchadnezzar fell down with his face to the ground. He said, “Your God, he is God! He’s the Lord!” Nebuchadnezzar then made Daniel a great ruler in his kingdom.
