Daniel 2.20-God Has Been Praised From Eternity Past And Will Continue To Be Praised Throughout Eternity Future Because He Is Wisdom And Power
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday March 6, 2012
Daniel: Daniel 2:20-God Has Been Praised From Eternity Past And Will Continue To Be Praised Throughout Eternity Future Because He Is Wisdom And Power
Lesson # 44
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 2:1.
Daniel 2:1 Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 The king said to them, “I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.” 4 Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 5 The king replied to the Chaldeans, “The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. 6 But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 8 The king replied, “I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that the command from me is firm 9 that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may know that you can declare to me its interpretation.” 10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean. 11 Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.” 12 Because of this the king became indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king’s bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon. 15 he said to Arioch, the king’s commander, “For what reason is the decree from the king so urgent?” Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. 16 So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king. 17 Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter. 18 so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. 21 It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding. 22 It is He who reveals the profound 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 power; Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You, for You have made known to us the king’s matter.” (NASB95)
“Daniel said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever” is composed of the masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active participle form of the verb ʿǎnā(h) (עֲנָה) (an-aw´), “said” and this is followed by the masculine singular proper noun dā∙niy∙yē(ʾ)l (דָּנִיֵּאל) (daw-nee-yale), “Daniel” and then we have the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), which is not translated and followed by the masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew equivalent is the qal) active participle form of the verb ʾǎmǎr (אֲמַר) (am-ar´), “said” and then we have the third person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew equivalent is the qal) active jussive form of the verb hǎwā(h) (הֲוָה) (hav-aw´), “let be” which is followed by the masculine singular construct form of the noun šǔm (שֻׁם) (shoom), “the name” and then we have the third person masculine singular pronomial suffix –hû (־הוּ) (who), “his” which is followed by the relative particle dî (דִּי) (dee), “of” and then we have the masculine singular noun ʾělāh (אֱלָהּ) (el-aw´), “God” which is followed by the masculine singular puʿʿal (Hebrew: puel) passive participle form of the verb berǎḵ (בְּרַךְ) (ber-ak), “blessed” and then we have the preposition min (מִן) (min) and its object is the masculine singular noun ʿā∙lǎm (עָלַם) (aw-lam´), which is followed by the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw) and the preposition ʿǎḏ (עַד) (ad) and its object is the masculine singular noun ʿā∙lǎm (עָלַם) (aw-lam´).
The noun šǔm means “the name” and has a four-fold sense: (1) It signifies the “personality” of God distinguishing Him from the heathen gods. (2) It signifies the “character” of God representing who He is. (3) It signifies God’s “work” in creation and for the salvation of men. (4) It signifies the “reputation” of God before men.
The particle dî should not be translated since it is simply a marker to show the genitive relationship between God and His name.
It denotes that God possesses a name in the sense of a personality and possesses a certain unique character and reputation as well as being the Creator and Redeemer of sinful mankind.
The noun ʾělāh means “the God” and refers to the Father since both references to God in Daniel 2:18-19 are of the Father since the Lord Jesus Christ taught that all prayer must be addressed to the Father (Luke 11:1-2).
Even though Daniel and his friends lived centuries before Christ when the Lord taught this, the Father would have been the recipient of their prayer.
This is indicated by the fact that the Lord’s teaching was not only instruction as to which member of the Trinity they were to pray to but also it was a revelation as to which member of the Trinity receives prayer.
Also, indicating that “God” in Daniel 2:18, 19 and 20 is referring to the Father and not the Son is that in the New Testament, doxologies tend to be directed toward the Father rather than the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lastly, further supporting that “God” in these verses is a reference to the Father is that the Scriptures teach that both the Son and the Spirit through their work on behalf of sinners bring praise to the Father and glorify Him in the sense of revealing His character and nature.
The verb hǎwā(h) means, “to take place, occur” and indicates that “it will take place” that God the Father will receive adoring praise, honor, recognition and worshipful thanksgiving for all of eternity.
Some regard this verb here in Daniel 2:20 as in the jussive mood, which is expressed in the English by the word “let” (NET, NASB95).
However, some regard this as in the imperfect form (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, volume 9: Ezekiel and Daniel; page 98; Hendrickson Publishers; Peabody, Massachusetts; 1989).
Now, in most cases the form of the jussive is identical to that of the imperfect with the exception of the jussive of the third person masculine plural which is indicated in weak verbs by the omission of the final nun.
Here in Daniel 2:20, the jussive of the verb hǎwā(h) would indicate that Daniel is making a request that God’s name be praised.
However, it would appear more likely that Daniel is being both prophetic here as well as expressing a fact in the past which continues into the future.
Daniel is not hoping or desiring for God’s name to be praised but rather is telling the reader that it has taken place from eternity past and will continue to take place throughout eternity future.
Therefore, the imperfect mood of the verb hǎwā(h) is expressing an actions and events in the past which continue for all of eternity indicating that God’s name has been praised from eternity past and this will continue throughout eternity future, thus, Daniel is not only stating a fact of history but also is prophesying.
This interpretation is indicated by the two prepositional phrases which follow and modify the verb since the first min ʿāl·mā(ʾ) (מִן־עָלְמָ֖א) means “from eternity” and speaks of eternity past whereas the second ʿǎḏ ʿāl·mā(ʾ) (וְעַ֣ד־עָלְמָ֑א) means “throughout eternity” and speaks of eternity future.
The verb berǎḵ means “blessed” and refers to adoring praise, honor, recognition and worshipful thanksgiving that will be directed towards the Father for all of eternity.
Therefore, this word denotes that God the Father will have His name praised for all of eternity in the sense that both regenerate human beings and elect angels will shower Him with adoring praise, honor, recognition and worshipful thanksgiving.
The puʿʿal (Hebrew: piel) stem of the verb is iterative and denotes God’s name being praised an infinite number of times for all of eternity by regenerate human beings and elect angels.
The noun ʿā∙lǎm means “forever” referring to eternity and is the object of the preposition min, which is used in a temporal sense marking the starting time when God was praised.
Thus, this prepositional phrase coupled with the imperfect form of the verb hǎwā(h) indicates that God’s name has been praised from eternity past.
The second time the noun ʿā∙lǎm appears it retains the same meaning but this time it is the object of the preposition ʿǎḏ, which is used as a marker of duration without reference to points of time indicating that God will have his name praised “throughout” eternity or in other words this praise will never end.
“For wisdom and power belong to Him” is composed of the conjunction dî (דִּי) (dee), “for” which is followed by the feminine singular noun ḥā∙ḵemā(h) (חָכְמָה) (khok-maw´), “wisdom” and then we have the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and” which is followed by the feminine singular noun geḇû∙rā(h) (גְּבוּרָה) (gheb-oo-raw´), “power” and then we have the conjunction dî (דִּי) (dee), “belong” which is followed by the preposition lĕ (לְ) (lamed), “to” and then we have the third person masculine singular pronomial suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “Him” and this is followed by the third person feminine singular personal pronoun hî(ʾ) (הִיא) (hi).
This time the conjunction dî is a marker of cause indicating that God has had His name praised from eternity past and will continue to do so throughout eternity future “because” God is wisdom and power.
The second time the particle dî appears it should not be translated since it is simply a marker to show the genitive relationship between the attributes of wisdom and power and God and denotes that these attributes belong to God or they are inherently His.
The third person masculine singular pronomial suffix hû(ʾ) means “He” and refers to God the Father and is the object of the preposition lĕ, which is a marker of possession indicating that God possesses wisdom and power or in other words, He is wisdom and power or He inherently is wisdom and power.
The pronomial suffix hî(ʾ) means “is” and is used as a marker joining clauses functioning as a copula meaning that it is joining the previous clause dî hî(ʾ) l ēh (דִּ֥י לֵֽהּ־הִֽיא), “He inherently” with the one to follow, ḥāḵ·meṯā(ʾ) û ḡeḇû·reṯā(ʾ) (חָכְמְתָ֛א וּגְבוּרְתָ֖א), “wisdom and power.”
The noun ḥā∙ḵemā(h) means “wisdom” and refers to God’s wisdom, which is based upon His omniscience and is His unique ability to devise a perfect plan to accomplish His goal to glorify Himself.
The word denotes God’s ability to perfectly execute His plan of salvation and as a result glorify Himself.
The noun geḇû∙rā(h) means “power” and refers to God’s “omnipotence,” which is one of the characteristics of the divine essence (Father: Mark 14:36 and Luke 1:37; Son: Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:3; Spirit: Rom. 15:13).
God has limitless and infinite ability to do something (Gen. 18:14a; Ps. 147:5a; Isa. 40:26; Lk. 1:37) and there is power in the Word of God (Ps. 33:6a; Heb. 1:3a; 4:12a; 11:3a; 2 Co. 6:7; Heb. 4:12; 2 Pet. 3:5).
Daniel 2:20 is a “doxology” which is a term from the Greek doxologia and is derived from the Greek noun doxa, “praise, glory, honor” and denotes a brief ascription of praise to members of the Trinity and was used in both song and prayer.
It is fitting for Daniel to burst into a doxology of praise to the Father since He received revelation from the Father concerning the future of planet earth.
The Father revealed to him the content of Nebuchadnezzar’s recurring dream as well as its interpretation which was a revelation from God concerning the rise and fall of Gentile kingdoms culminating in the Second Advent of Christ and His subsequent millennial kingdom.
Daniel 2:20 echoes other passages of Old Testament Scripture (Psalm 113:1-2; 115:18; 145:1-2; Job 1:21; 12:13, 16).
Daniel 2:20 is both a declarative statement and a prophetic one as well since Daniel says that God’s name in eternity past has been showered with adoring praise, honor, recognition and worshipful thanksgiving from eternity past and in addition this will continue throughout eternity future.
In eternity past, only the angels praised God but in eternity future, both elect angels and regenerate human beings will do so.
God’s wisdom is based upon His omniscience and is His unique ability to devise a perfect plan to accomplish His goal to glorify Himself.
His power denotes His ability to perfectly execute His plan of salvation and as a result glorify Himself.
The revelation that God gave Daniel concerning the future of planet and the rise and fall of five world empires and the Second Advent of Christ and His subsequent millennial kingdom as recorded in Daniel 2:31-45 testifies to God’s power and wisdom.
This revelation teaches that God has the ability to accomplish His will for planet earth and its inhabitants, both Jew and Gentile.
The accomplishment of God’s plan as revealed in Daniel 2:31-45 would glorify God in the sense that it would manifest the fact that He is omnipotence and wisdom.
In other words, it will manifest the fact that He can accomplish all that He plans.
Daniel 2:20 teaches that God the Father has had His name praised from eternity past and this will continue throughout eternity future because He inherently is wisdom and power.
Thus, Daniel is telling the reader that God has from eternity past been praised because of His wisdom and power and this praise will continue throughout eternity future because of His wisdom and power.
He is praised from eternity past up to the present time because He has the power to control events and the destiny of nations and to reveal the future to those who are wise by listening and obeying Him.
He will be praised throughout eternity future for the same reasons.
Therefore, in this verse Daniel is stating that God has been praised from eternity past and will continue to be praised throughout eternity future because He has the power to control events and the destinies of nations and because He reveals the future to those who obey Him and are thus wise.
It teaches that God has been praised from eternity past and will continue to be praised throughout eternity future because His infinite wisdom devises a perfect plan and His power enables Him to accomplish this plan perfectly.
God’s wisdom and power express His sovereignty, which connotes a situation in which a person, from his innate dignity, exercises supreme power, with no areas of his province outside his jurisdiction.
As applied to God, the term “sovereignty” indicates His complete power over all of creation, so that He exercises His will absolutely, without any necessary conditioning by a finite will or wills.
Therefore, Daniel 2:20-23 teaches that God is sovereign because He inherently is wisdom and power.
He is sovereign because He will accomplish His plan to establish His kingdom on earth because He has complete power over all of creation and every creature so that He exercises His will absolutely.
So because of this, He has been praised from eternity past and will continue to be praised throughout eternity future.