Introduction: The prophecy of Daniel 2 offers a panoramic view of history from the time of the Babylonian empire up to the end of the ages. But this most important prophetic dream was not given to Daniel or some other prophet; rather, it was given to a pagan king. God acts in strange ways sometimes! God not only interacts with, and rules over, the epic scenes of world history, but He also cares about the personal challenges and experiences of His children.
Lesson Themes:
The Occasion of the Dream. God gave the dream to Nebuchadnezzar not long after he ascended to the throne of Babylon. During that time the king was fighting to consolidate his power.
The Significance of the Dream. Through the dream’s imagery, God revealed to the king that all kingdoms of the world eventually would disappear and give way to God’s eternal kingdom.
The Scope of the Dream. The dream discloses the broad sweep of history from the Babylonian Empire to the end of the ages. It shows God as the sovereign ruler over all world powers.
Life Application: A significant aspect of the dream is the assurance that we can entrust our lives to God. God is the true source of wisdom and power. He answered the prayer of Daniel and revealed the content and the interpretation of the dream to the prophet. Let us worship and serve this God with confidence.
Part II: Commentary
The Occasion of the Dream. Nebuchadnezzar had the dream during the second year of his reign (603 B.C.). This occurrence creates a chronological difficulty that we must address here. From Daniel 1, we learned that Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah during the first year of his reign. At that time, he brought Daniel and his companions to Babylon. We also learn that the four Judean captives undertook a training program that lasted three years. Daniel 2 says that Nebuchadnezzar established Daniel as “ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon” (Dan. 2:48, NKJV). At first glance, it appears that in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel had already finished his three-year training that began in the first year of that king. The best solution is to take the “first year” mentioned in Daniel 1 as the “accession year” of Nebuchadnezzar as shown in the table below:
Daniel’s Training
Nebuchadnezzar’s Reign
First year of captivity in Babylon
Accession year (invasion of Judah)
Second year
First regnal year
Third year
Second regnal year (the dream)
This chart helps us to see that Nebuchadnezzar’s first year as king was counted as his accession year, which corresponds to Daniel’s first year of captivity. At this time, Nebuchadnezzar had just ascended to the throne of Babylon. It was a critical time for the new king. As usually was the case, the new ruler had to consolidate his power, making sure no rival stood in his way and vassal kings remained under control. After all, it was during such transitions of power that rebellions and uprisings were more likely to occur. So during his second year, Nebuchadnezzar was involved in several military campaigns to consolidate his power.
Under such circumstances, no wonder he was disturbed by the dream. Dreams could portend disasters, conspiracy, and ultimately the death of the king. Moreover, the Babylonians devoted sustained attention to dreams. They compiled a large collection of books that laid out the precise methods for the interpretation of dreams. The Babylonians also assembled a body of experts in dream interpretation. As one commentator notes, “in the ancient Near East, the diviners were the academic and religious leaders of the day. As Berossus’s History of Babylonia relates, Mesopotamians believed that the gods had gifted people with knowledge, but they did not give them all knowledge. Divine knowledge remained inaccessible, except through encoded messages that required the expertise of diviners. If the account of Enmeduranki can be taken seriously, Mesopotamians believed that diviners were only able to decode messages because the gods gave them the interpretations.”—Wendy Widder, Daniel, Story of God Commentary 20 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), p. 47.
However, in the present circumstances no expert could decode the dream, because the king could not remember it. But if the Babylonian experts could relate to the king what the dream was, he would know that he could trust their interpretation. So, frustrated with the Babylonian experts’ inability to tell him what his dream was, the king ordered all of them to be killed.
The Significance of the Dream. The dream of the statue made of different metals indicated the sequence of world empires, beginning with Babylon and culminating with the establishment of God’s eternal kingdom. The metals decrease in value and increase in strength from top to bottom (except for the feet), which may indicate the degradation of each successive empire. As Ellen G. White explained:
“Babylon, shattered and broken at last, passed away because in its prosperity its rulers had regarded themselves as independent of God, and had ascribed the glory of their kingdom to human achievement. The Medo-Persian realm was visited by the wrath of Heaven because in it God’s law had been trampled underfoot. The fear of the Lord had found no place in the hearts of the vast majority of the people. Wickedness, blasphemy, and corruption prevailed. The kingdoms that followed were even more base and corrupt; and these sank lower and still lower in the scale of moral worth.”—Prophets and Kings, pp. 501, 502.
As the interpretation makes clear, each kingdom would come to an end and be replaced by a successive power until the stone would smash the statue and fill the earth. But despite its impressive majesty and strength, that statue could not stand for long. After all, it stood or rested on feet made of an unreliable and inconsistent mixture of clay and iron.
In the dream, God showed a picture familiar to the king. Huge images were well-known in the ancient world, but they usually represented gods. In addition, the use of metals to represent different historical epochs was also known for at least a century or so prior to Nebuchadnezzar, such as with Hesiod (c. 700 B.C.). So, it appears that the Lord used some imagery with which the king already was familiar in order to convey a message totally unknown to him. In this regard, we should note that one aspect of the dream must have been completely new to Nebuchadnezzar because it is not attested to anywhere else outside the Bible. It is the rock that smashes the statue and becomes a mountain that fills the earth.
Rock and mountain evoke passages elsewhere in the Bible that depict the temple mount raised above the hills (Isa. 2:2, 3). Isaiah 11:9 refers to God’s holy mountain, the earth, as filled with the knowledge of the Lord. In Isaiah 6:3 the whole earth is filled with His glory. And throughout the Psalms, a favorite name for God is “the rock” or “my rock” (Ps. 18:2, 31, 46; Ps. 19:14; Ps. 28:1; Ps. 31:2, 3; Ps. 42:9; Ps. 62:2, 6, 7; Ps. 71:3; Ps. 78:35; Ps. 89:26; Ps. 92:15; Ps. 94:22; Ps. 95:1; Ps. 144:1). Nebuchadnezzar may not have understood all the implications of the rock imagery in his dream, but anyone versed in the Scriptures would have associated the rock with God's eternal rule.
The Scope of the Dream. First, the dream discloses the broad sweep of history from the Babylonian empire to the end of the ages. It was given to a pagan king to indicate that the King of kings is the ultimate ruler of every human kingdom. Indeed, by means of the dream and the subsequent interpretation of it by Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar received a crash course on the philosophy of history.
Second, the interpretation of the dream was revealed by God to Daniel. The Babylonians, despite all their training and “scholarly publications” on dream interpretation, proved themselves unable to access the only source of knowledge capable of solving that mystery.
Third, as we contemplate the statue as a representation of the world empires and systems of power, we have the impression that much of what the statue represents still stands. However, as we look at the statue as a representation of the sequence of world empires, we realize we are living at the time of the end. But regardless of the chronology of the final events, we can live with the assurance that the stone is coming!
Fourth, the dream must be understood in connection with the prayer of Daniel. Daniel’s prayer is the focal point of this chapter and gives the most important theological statement about God’s wisdom and power (Dan. 2:20–22).
Part III: Life Application
Has God ever communicated something to you in dreams? When you have a night dream, how do you tend to explain it? Do you see it as a result of anxiety, psychological disturbance, normal brain processes, or as a message from God? How can you know when a dream comes from God?
God revealed the dream to Nebuchadnezzar with imagery that was familiar to him in order to reveal the unknown. What can you learn from this method of teaching, as you explain the gospel to others?
This week’s lesson opens the possibility for some self-examination. Ask your class members to reflect on the following questions:
How could I enter into the same kind of calm confidence that I see in Daniel as he presented his case to God? Do I share the sense of mission that I see in Daniel and his companions as they fulfilled their responsibilities in the political life of Babylon?
Could I trust God in any circumstances of my personal life? Do I recognize that I need His power and wisdom to solve my problems big and small? Give reasons for your answers.
What kind of challenges am I currently facing that require the God-given wisdom that helped Daniel to interpret the king’s dream? Do I trust that God can grant me the same kind of wisdom? Why, or why not?
In what ways does the message conveyed by the dream help me live my Christian life with hope?
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Key Text: Dan. 2:20
Study Focus: Daniel 2, Isa. 41:26, Isa. 46:8–10.
Introduction: The prophecy of Daniel 2 offers a panoramic view of history from the time of the Babylonian empire up to the end of the ages. But this most important prophetic dream was not given to Daniel or some other prophet; rather, it was given to a pagan king. God acts in strange ways sometimes! God not only interacts with, and rules over, the epic scenes of world history, but He also cares about the personal challenges and experiences of His children.
Lesson Themes:
Life Application: A significant aspect of the dream is the assurance that we can entrust our lives to God. God is the true source of wisdom and power. He answered the prayer of Daniel and revealed the content and the interpretation of the dream to the prophet. Let us worship and serve this God with confidence.
Part II: Commentary
This chart helps us to see that Nebuchadnezzar’s first year as king was counted as his accession year, which corresponds to Daniel’s first year of captivity. At this time, Nebuchadnezzar had just ascended to the throne of Babylon. It was a critical time for the new king. As usually was the case, the new ruler had to consolidate his power, making sure no rival stood in his way and vassal kings remained under control. After all, it was during such transitions of power that rebellions and uprisings were more likely to occur. So during his second year, Nebuchadnezzar was involved in several military campaigns to consolidate his power.
Under such circumstances, no wonder he was disturbed by the dream. Dreams could portend disasters, conspiracy, and ultimately the death of the king. Moreover, the Babylonians devoted sustained attention to dreams. They compiled a large collection of books that laid out the precise methods for the interpretation of dreams. The Babylonians also assembled a body of experts in dream interpretation. As one commentator notes, “in the ancient Near East, the diviners were the academic and religious leaders of the day. As Berossus’s History of Babylonia relates, Mesopotamians believed that the gods had gifted people with knowledge, but they did not give them all knowledge. Divine knowledge remained inaccessible, except through encoded messages that required the expertise of diviners. If the account of Enmeduranki can be taken seriously, Mesopotamians believed that diviners were only able to decode messages because the gods gave them the interpretations.”—Wendy Widder, Daniel, Story of God Commentary 20 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), p. 47.
However, in the present circumstances no expert could decode the dream, because the king could not remember it. But if the Babylonian experts could relate to the king what the dream was, he would know that he could trust their interpretation. So, frustrated with the Babylonian experts’ inability to tell him what his dream was, the king ordered all of them to be killed.
“Babylon, shattered and broken at last, passed away because in its prosperity its rulers had regarded themselves as independent of God, and had ascribed the glory of their kingdom to human achievement. The Medo-Persian realm was visited by the wrath of Heaven because in it God’s law had been trampled underfoot. The fear of the Lord had found no place in the hearts of the vast majority of the people. Wickedness, blasphemy, and corruption prevailed. The kingdoms that followed were even more base and corrupt; and these sank lower and still lower in the scale of moral worth.”—Prophets and Kings, pp. 501, 502.
As the interpretation makes clear, each kingdom would come to an end and be replaced by a successive power until the stone would smash the statue and fill the earth. But despite its impressive majesty and strength, that statue could not stand for long. After all, it stood or rested on feet made of an unreliable and inconsistent mixture of clay and iron.
In the dream, God showed a picture familiar to the king. Huge images were well-known in the ancient world, but they usually represented gods. In addition, the use of metals to represent different historical epochs was also known for at least a century or so prior to Nebuchadnezzar, such as with Hesiod (c. 700 B.C.). So, it appears that the Lord used some imagery with which the king already was familiar in order to convey a message totally unknown to him. In this regard, we should note that one aspect of the dream must have been completely new to Nebuchadnezzar because it is not attested to anywhere else outside the Bible. It is the rock that smashes the statue and becomes a mountain that fills the earth.
Rock and mountain evoke passages elsewhere in the Bible that depict the temple mount raised above the hills (Isa. 2:2, 3). Isaiah 11:9 refers to God’s holy mountain, the earth, as filled with the knowledge of the Lord. In Isaiah 6:3 the whole earth is filled with His glory. And throughout the Psalms, a favorite name for God is “the rock” or “my rock” (Ps. 18:2, 31, 46; Ps. 19:14; Ps. 28:1; Ps. 31:2, 3; Ps. 42:9; Ps. 62:2, 6, 7; Ps. 71:3; Ps. 78:35; Ps. 89:26; Ps. 92:15; Ps. 94:22; Ps. 95:1; Ps. 144:1). Nebuchadnezzar may not have understood all the implications of the rock imagery in his dream, but anyone versed in the Scriptures would have associated the rock with God's eternal rule.
Second, the interpretation of the dream was revealed by God to Daniel. The Babylonians, despite all their training and “scholarly publications” on dream interpretation, proved themselves unable to access the only source of knowledge capable of solving that mystery.
Third, as we contemplate the statue as a representation of the world empires and systems of power, we have the impression that much of what the statue represents still stands. However, as we look at the statue as a representation of the sequence of world empires, we realize we are living at the time of the end. But regardless of the chronology of the final events, we can live with the assurance that the stone is coming!
Fourth, the dream must be understood in connection with the prayer of Daniel. Daniel’s prayer is the focal point of this chapter and gives the most important theological statement about God’s wisdom and power (Dan. 2:20–22).
Part III: Life Application