King Nebuchadnezzar's Prophetic Dream of the Rock

Welcome everyone to our gathering and Ubly Christian's sermon series over the book of Daniel, entitled His Kingdom Come.

In last week's message, we read how God responded when the exiled Judean boys named Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—transported from their home in Judah to Babylon under the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar. The boys were then enrolled in the local Babylonian University to learn all the customs and traits to become professional wise men who could serve in the Babylon courts. However, at the beginning of their studies, the boys had to make a difficult decision. "Do we defile ourselves with the king's food, or do we allow God to work a miracle in our lives?" They chose the latter, in which the boys only ate vegetables and drank water, and then God supernaturally made the boys fatter—making them the shape of the wise men in the kingdom of Babylon. In this act of faithfulness, the boys knew in their heart that Yahweh was there. He was beside them through their endeavors, and ultimately the Lord was in control of the circumstances.

Now, we move forward into the second chapter of Daniel's narrative. Up until this time, everything in the nation of Babylon has been peaceful. No hardships, no setbacks, no trials. All until King Nebuchadnezzar has a petrifying dream.

Daniel 2:1–3 ESV

1 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”

Perhaps just like Nechucadnezzar, you remember a time when you woke up from a horrible nightmare and could recall everything vividly. Weirdly, we always tell our friends about our messed up dreams, especially when we are running away for our lives. Have you ever dreamed something so terrifying than rather than going back to bed you stayed awake for the rest of the night? At least in this case, so did the king, and he called all his servants to help him out.

Daniel 2:4–11 ESV

4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” 8 The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— 9 if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” 10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. 11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

Wishing to be helpful the servants, they requested of the king the contents of the dream because this normal process of wise men to interpret dreams. But the king didn't follow protocol. Typically, if you wanted your dream interpreted, you would first tell your servants the dream contents, and then the men would consult their dream commentaries. We see earlier in the Old Testament when Pharaoh has a dream that he doesn't understand, so he explains it to his wise men.

Genesis 41:8 ESV

8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

But the king didn't care. His answer is firm. To those who can provide the interpretation of the dream would receive gifts, rewards, and great honor. However, the men failed; they tore limb from limb, and houses shall be laid to ruins. So the men asked the king again, but he wouldn't give. You see, what the king was asking was unheard of, and only God could give the king both the contents and interpretation of his dream. With their failed attempts, the king exploded to anger, just like we do when driving through city traffic, and he ordered the execution of wise men in the kingdom.

Daniel 2:12–16 ESV

12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 15 He declared to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.

With this command, the king's guard, Arioch, swiftly searches through the Babylon palace and comes across Daniel - the first wise man. Sometimes we read so quickly over the text that we miss a significant part of the story. If you remember from earlier, the Lord blessed Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah with excellent knowledge, the ability to interpret dreams, and wisdom. But at this moment, Daniel applies wisdom in action; by acting with prudence and discretion. Do you know how normal people respond when someone comes up to them with a weapon and tells them that someone else wants them killed? The typical response would be screaming, accompanied by flight or fight, but Daniel doesn't. He calmly takes control of the circumstance and requests an appointment with the king. He knows what's at stake. Everyone else in the kingdom failed to provide the contents and interpretation of the dream; not even Daniel could give the king and satisfactory answer without the king's help.

Daniel 2:17–18 ESV

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.

Not trusting in his Babylonian wisdom, Daniel confronts his three friends and tells them to seek God's mercy because without out it, every wise man will be dead, including them. Thinking of Daniel's actions, how often do we consult God when we have a significant problem in our lives? Daniel was blessed, talented, smart, handsome; maybe he would have figured something out to get him out of this problem. But he instead humbled himself and trusted the Lord to provide the content of the dream. Real wisdom comes when we ask God when we're in challenging circumstances. Trust God over yourself, and you'll never fail, and after the friends and Daniel prayed, the Lord gave them everything they needed. Seek the wisdom of God over the wisdom of this world.

Feeling overwhelmed with thankfulness for his life, Daniel praises the Lord his this prayer.

Daniel 2:19–23 ESV

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.”

Daniel 2:24 ESV

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.”

Yet, the application of wisdom doesn't end there. Before, Daniel approached the king to give him both the contents and interpretation of his dream. Daniel tells Arioch, King Nebuchadnezzar's guard, to not kill any of the kingdom's wise men. This event of mercy speaks volumes of Daniel's love for others and wisdom to spare all people's lives. He could have gone ahead and met with the king; instead, he pleaded with him to save all his companions' lives. With that in mind, it reminds me of what Christ said concerning his enemies that we are to love and pray for them, and doing this, we become perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. Wisdom from above means we love all people, including those who are outside God's church.

Daniel 2:25–30 ESV

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.

Then Daniel comes in front of the king, and Arioch reminds him of who he is. He is a prisoner of King Nebuchadnezzar because he's an exile from Judah. That this King Nebuchadnezzar is in control of his destiny and no one else.

Then the king asks Belteshazzar, who is Daniel, can you provide both the contents and interpretation of my dream? Then says in humility that only God can give such a thing that you request, and he reveals these mysteries so may know the though of your mind.

Daniel 2:31–35 ESV

31 “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

The dream is made up of a statue made up of different elements. But what was disturbing about the dream is how this statue becomes to rumble—this particular rock, not any ordinary rock. A stone craved by no man, then after smashing the large monument, is then formed into a great mountain and fills the whole earth. Everything else is disintegrated, and the only thing left is this magnificent mountain.

Daniel 2:36–45 ESV

36 “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. 39 Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. 41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

As Daniel interprets the dream, he explains how the statue represents nations that will eventually rule over the world. Every empire after Babylon will be weaker and fragile than the country before it; that's why it is arranged in its specific order. But the climax of the dream is this reality.

"And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure."

Daniel revealed the mystery to the king. There is a kingdom that is coming, and to literally going to rock your world! No empire can compare in its glory. No nation can conquer it, and most importantly, it will last forever! What you need to do is attach yourself to the rock over the statue. This world's kingdoms are prophesied to be crushed, obliterated, and rather than concerning our time and energy on our world's problems. Let figure out how to get more people to be standing on the rock that endures forever. For this rock isn't just an analogy, it's Jesus Christ himself. He is the cornerstone of the kingdom.

Matthew 21:43–44 ESV

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

Anyone not found on the rock is like someone who places their foundation on sinking sand. That's why we focus our lives on the great mountain rather than the crumbling statue. When nations fall, Christ's kingdom will rise.

Daniel 2:46–49 ESV

46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. 47 The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” 48 Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court.

Even King Nebuchadnezzar realized this fact after Daniel interpreted his dream. He gave God glory and exalted his name and even promoted Daniel to the whole province's ruler. We, as God's people need to rejoice because we certainly know which out a shadow of a doubt, know that the kingdom is here, and yet it breaks into our world through Christ's church. As we live, we search for God's wisdom by asking him in faith. We attach ourselves to the rock rather than the statue, and we rejoice for Christ's second coming is soon.

When nations fall, Christ's kingdom will rise!