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“TheInterpretationOfKingNebuchadnezzar’sDream”

Daniel2:30-49MessagebyMichaelJ.Barnard January24,2016Teaching Aim: To examine Daniel’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. To see thehistoricalimplicationsofthedreamandrealizethatfourofthefivekingdomspredictedinDaniel2havealreadybeenfulfilledhistorically.TounderstandwecantrustourBibles;Bibleprophecycontinuestobefulfilledrightdowntotheminutestdetail.Tounderstandthefifthandgreatestkingdom(theKingdomofGod)isyettocome.

DIGGINGDEEPERINTOGOD’SWORD(BIBLESTUDY)PartI:DanielrevealsthedetailsofKingNebuchadnezzar’sdream(Dan.2:30-36)1. Aswe joinourstorytoday,Daniel isbutateenmost likelybetween16-18yearsold. Whatcanwe

learnaboutthespiritualmaturityofDanielfromverse30?LikeDaniel,doyougivetheglorytoGodwhen you are praised for something you’ve done? According to verse 30b, why did God giveNebuchadnezzarthisdream?WhatdoyouthinkNebuchadnezzarhadbeenthinkingofthatledtothisdream?

2. What is the meaning of the word “colossus”? (See Dictionary) According to Daniel, what did

Nebuchadnezzarseeinhisdream(vs.31)?3. According toverses32&33,whatmade this statueevenmoreunusual? Whatcluedowe find inverse 34 that indicates the stone in the vision was of supernatural origin? What happened to themassivestatueoncethestonecrashedintoitsfeet(vs.35a)?Whatunusualsupernaturalactoccurredafterthestonedestroyedthehugestatue(vs.35b)?4. KingNebuchadnezzarassignedthewisementwotasks,whatwerethey(vs.5)?HowdidDanielfulfill

thefirsttask(Seeverses30-36)?

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PartII:FourEmpiresleadinguptothebirthofChrist(Dan.2:37-43)1. WhydoyouthinkDanielcalledKingNebuchadnezzar“kingofkings”(vs.37)?KingNebuchadnezzar

was the most powerful king in theworld. Was he powerful because of his own worthiness orbecauseGodhadgiftedhimwithhisabilities?AreyouusingyourgiftednesstodaytothegloryofGod?Whatareyourgifts?

2. According toverse38, howextensivewasNebuchadnezzar’s earthly reign? Doesourowncountry

havecontrolovertheanimalslivingwithinourborderstoday?Ifso,how?3. Inverse32Danielsaidtheheadofthecolossuswasmadeofgold.Accordingtoverse38b,whodid

thisheadofgoldrepresent? If this is thecase,whichkingdomisrepresentedhere? Duringwhatyearsdidthiskingdomreign?Whydoyouthinktheimageryofthiskingdomwasgold?HowdoesKingNebuchadnezzarrelatetotheperiodknownas“thetimesoftheGentiles”?(SeeLuke21:24)

4. What preciousmetal represented the second kingdom (vv. 32,39)? What canwe learn about this

kingdomfromverse39? Whodidthe imageof thiskingdomrepresenthistorically? Duringwhatyearsdidthiskingdomreign?

5. Whatpreciousmetalwasusedtorepresentthethirdkingdom(vs.39)?Accordingtoverses32&33,

whatpartof thestatue’sbodywascovered inbronze? Whichkingdomdidbronzerepresentandwho was its powerful leader? What makes this leader so unusual? During what years did thiskingdomreign?

6. Inverse40,thefourthoffivekingdomsismentioned,whatcanwelearnaboutthispowerfulkingdom

fromtheverse? Whichkingdomdoesverse40refertohistorically? WhichkingdomoversawthebrutalcrucifixionofourLordJesus?

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7. Manybelieveverse41referstoarevisedRomanEmpire,oneinwhichthetentoesrepresentaten

nationconfederacy.WhatcanwelearnaboutthisrevisedRomanEmpirefromverse42?Whowillbeitsleader?(See2Thess.2:1-12)WhenwilltherevisedRomanEmpirerisetopower?Whatcanwelearnfromverses42&43aboutthepoliticalleadersofthisconfederacy?

Part III: The Kingdom of God prophesied and Nebuchadnezzar’s response to Daniel’sinterpretationofhisdream(Dan.2:44-49)1. Accordingtoverse44,whatwillbethefifthgreatkingdomofNebuchadnezzar’sdream?Howlong

willthiskingdomendure?Whowillsetthiskingdomupandreignoverit?Whatwillthiskingdomdototheothers(vs.44b)?

2. Accordingtoverse45,whatwasGodrevealingtoKingNebuchadnezzarinhisdream?Howcertainis

thefulfillmentofthisdreamaccordingtoDaniel(vs.45)?HasDaniel’sinterpretationbeenaccuratehistorically?Inlightoftheaccuracywe’veseensofar,canwebeconfidenttherestoftheprophecywillbefulfilledinthefuture?Why?

3. Nebuchadnezzarwasstunnedbytherevelationandinterpretationofhisdream.Inwhatunusualway

did “the king of kings” respond to the interpretation of this prophecy (vs. 46)? Whywas this sounusual? According to Josephus,whatdidAlexander theGreatdo ina similarway to the JewishHighPriest?Whatwashisexplanationwhenquestioned?

4. WasNebuchadnezzar’sconfessionoffaithinverse47a“true”confessionoffaith?Whyorwhynot?

What is the difference between “monotheism” and “polytheism”? (See Dictionary) Who wasmonotheistic in Daniel 2? Who was polytheistic? Why would it have been easier forNebuchadnezzartoconfessfaithinYahwehthanDanielorevenustoday?

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5. Nebuchadnezzar is true to his word. (See vs. 6) What “gifts”, “rewards” and “great honor” didNebuchadnezzar bestowonDaniel after interpreting thedream (vs. 48)? TheBabylonian Empirewas divided up into provinces, which key province was Daniel made satrap (or a provincialGovernor) of? Why would this location be critical in Daniel being able to influence KingNebuchadnezzar?

6. InwhatwaywasDaniel’snewposition similar to thatof JosephandMordecai (vs.48)? (SeeGen.

41:37-44;Esth.8:1-2) Howdoyousee thesovereigntyofGodbeingdemonstrated ineachcase?HowwereallthreemenandtheirpositionsusedtoprotecttheHebrewpeople?

7. AfterbeingappointedGovernorovertheprovinceofBabylon,whodidDanielrequestofthekingto

behisassistants(vs.49)?Why?Whydoyouthinkitisimportantforpeopleinleadershippositionstohavegoodpeopleandatrustedteamworkingwiththem?HowwouldtheappointmentofthesethreefriendshelpDanielprotecttheJewishpeoplelivingintheprovinceofBabylon?(SeeJeremiah29:4-7) Did this protection extend to the Jewish people rebelling against Babylon in Jerusalem?(See2Chron.36:15-21)

8. WhatdidtheprophetJeremiahwarnJudahofjustpriortotheBabylonianCaptivity?(SeeJer.38:17-

23)DidtheylistentothiswordfromGod?WhathappenstouswhenwerefusetolistentoGod’sinstructionsinScripturetoday?Canyouthinkofanexampleinyourownlifewhenyoudidn’tlistentoGod’sWord?Howdiditturnout?

9. Name someways that the sovereigntyofGod is atwork inDaniel chapter 2? What canwe learn

aboutBibleprophecyfromthischapter?

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10. Ifyouweretodietoday,wouldyoubeacitizenintheKingdomofGod?Ifso,onwhatbasis?TheBibletellsusthereisonlyone-waytoheaven:John3:16;14:6;Acts4:12.HaveyoureceivedJesusChristasSaviorandLord?Ifnotwhynotrepentanddosorightnowinprayer?

MINER’SCORNER~Mannatoliveby!• TheteenagerDanielrefusedtotakeanycreditforhimself;insteadhegaveallglorytoGod,soshould

we!• Thepreciousmetalsofthecolossusdecreasedinweightandvalue;intheendthewholethingcame

crashingdown.• Earthlykingdomsmayseeminvincible,butallofthemwillfallbeforetheLord.• ThestonethatbringsthecolossusdownisapictureoftheSecondComingofJesusChristinjudgment!• Thegrowingmountainiseternalandrocksolid;itissymbolicoftheKingdomofGodintheMillennium

andthroughouttheEternalState.• GodsovereignlyarrangedthedetailsbringingDaniel intoapositionwherehecouldhelp the Jewish

people,muchasHedidwithJoseph,Esther,MordecaiandNehemiah.• WecantrusttheBible;God’sWordistruerightdowntotheminutestdetail!