Daniel 2:21, commentary and pictures

God changes the times and the seasons, removes kings and sets up kings, and gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who understand, for wisdom and might belong to Him forever as the Most High above all earthly rule. Daniel spoke this as praise to the God of heaven after the secret of Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dream was revealed to him in a night vision, proving God's power and faithfulness where Babylon's magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans had no light and could not reveal the mystery. He gives heavenly wisdom and reveals deep and secret things to those who worship Him, humble themselves, and seek Him with united prayer and a contrite heart, while the ambitious and proud who refuse His counsel lose wisdom and discernment. Each kingdom is tested by whether it will fulfill His purpose and exalt Him, and when proved by disobedience its glory fades and another takes its appointed place, as foretold hundreds of years beforehand in the succession of Babylon and the kingdoms to follow with wonderful exactness. To declare this before kings is faithful stewardship that gives glory to God rather than to men, showing that history is His providence and not mere happenstance, and that the same God who ruled in Babylon rules now to the close of time.

Dream and Revelation Setting

The words are Daniel's thanksgiving to God after the secret of Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dream was revealed to him in a night vision. That revealing made known God's power and faithfulness to an idolatrous nation. In that setting the verse credits God as the source of the wisdom and knowledge needed to understand the dream and its meaning.

Nebuchadnezzar demanded that his trusted wise men — magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans — recover and explain his dream. They had no light and could not tell the dream or its interpretation. Their failure proved that claimed human wisdom cannot reveal mysteries. It exposed worldly learning without God's Word as lacking discernment to understand prophecy.

Daniel asked the king for time, then joined Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah in united prayer and fasting to desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning the secret, that they should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. The Spirit of the Lord rested upon them, and God heard and revealed to Daniel in a night vision both the dream and its meaning. Daniel then blessed and praised the God of his fathers for giving wisdom and might and making known the king's matter. By that gift their own lives and the lives of the astrologers and soothsayers were saved.

That God-given understanding enabled Daniel to answer the king's officers with counsel. It enabled him to make known before the king and before the great men of Babylon both the dream and its interpretation. What was thus made known showed remarkable events to transpire in prophetic history.

God Rules Times and Kings

He changes the times and the seasons, removing kings and setting up kings, and in this He governs all historical change to fulfill His own purpose in the affairs of the world. He is the Most High above all things, King above every earthly king, the Ancient of Days and Monarch of an everlasting kingdom, who wills and accomplishes His purposes. Divine agency is above all and human agency is limited and merely human, so the distinction must be kept, with monarchs and statesmen, even the highest and most learned, as dust in the balance to be treated respectfully but kept in their own place. By His might and power He exalts whom He will to carry out His purposes, casting down one and setting up another in his place. In wicked and idolatrous Babylon He gave light to Daniel and the other Hebrew captives to reveal His power and communicate truth, awakening responsibility to God and showing the contrast between divine wisdom and the learning of Babylon's wise men.

A nation's strength is measured not by its apparent advantages or greatness but by how faithfully it fulfills God's purpose, and understanding this work is part of understanding history. Each kingdom is tested whether it will exalt the one Ruler, the only true God, and the succession of universal kingdoms is governed by that obedience. Babylon would be succeeded by a second kingdom, then a third, then a fourth strong as iron and ruling over nations, each having its period of testing. When proved by disobedience its glory fades and another kingdom takes its place, passing away to fill the predicted time and appointed place.

No position is too high for God to bring its holder low, and He can raise humble people to rich blessing. He honors those who sincerely seek Him, humble themselves and exalt Him, while those who refuse His counsel and oppose His purposes lose their wisdom and become unable to know God. The same rule over kings is seen in Nebuchadnezzar's sin and fall, when wisdom given from God made known the forgotten dream and its interpretation, and later in reading and explaining the writing on the wall. It is seen in Belshazzar's end, when his kingdom was numbered and finished and divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

The events of history are God's providence and not mere happen-so's, nor only human achievements, victories in battle, and success in gaining power and greatness which commonly studied history centers on to the loss of sight of God's agency. God places men and women in positions and then removes them, putting others in their places, and those placed reveal their true character before others come in to act their part, a work continuing till the close of time though today men and women fail to appreciate it. The same God who ruled in Babylon rules now, working out His own purpose in the rise and fall of nations. All men and doctrines and nature itself are fulfilling His sure word of prophecy and accomplishing His grand closing work in this world's history.

God Himself maps out all history and gives each nation its predicted time and place. His voice, heard in past ages, sounds down along the line from century to century through generations that come on the stage of action and pass away. One nation after another rises and falls in its appointed order, unconsciously witnessing to the truth of His word even when they do not know its meaning. Because He speaks history in advance, His voice is to be respected.

God Gives Wisdom and Knowledge

Wisdom and might belong to God forever, and He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who know understanding. He reveals the deep and secret things, He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him. Israel was to represent that great light to the world as a light never to burn dim or go out, and Christ in His humiliation was its true possessor with no darkness at all, the light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel, in contrast to Satan and the false christ who claimed a right to all things and to establish a different order.

He gives heavenly wisdom and knowledge to those who have a living connection with Him and who worship and depend on Him. He gives them to those who sincerely seek Him, humble themselves and exalt Him, and seek His grace and strength and divine light with a contrite heart, and they rather than human oracles are chosen to represent His kingdom even in wicked idolatrous Babylon. Human ability to reason about God and His works and ways comes from Him, and knowledge of heavenly things is given not to the ambitious and proud but to the poor in spirit. Those who refuse His counsel lose their wisdom and become unable to know God and Jesus Christ.

The gift comes to those who make diligent effort to learn and to secure knowledge under His training. Daniel and his companions made such diligent effort, and God gave them heavenly wisdom and revealed the king's secret to Daniel in a vision, enabling him to answer the king's officers with counsel and to explain the dream. Their understanding was a gift from God strengthened through faithful choices and study, for Daniel looked to God for wisdom and then put into exercise every power God had given him, faithfully using every entrusted mental and physical power and becoming a trusted man in Babylon. The same wisdom is given to all who are faithful and humble, know they depend on Him, must give account to Him, and will use the abilities He has entrusted to them. Their learning in secular and religious matters did not corrupt them because they yielded themselves to the Holy Spirit and gave God the glory for their abilities. God will not supply deficiencies that result from mental and spiritual indolence, and knowledge thus gained is of great service when brought into straight places.

Daniel and his companions placed themselves where God could bless them by eating only food that would not becloud their minds, following rules of life that gave strength of intellect, and studying God's Word. They joined in desiring mercies of the God of heaven concerning the secret, praying and fasting that they might understand the dream God gave the king, when the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans trusted by Nebuchadnezzar had no light and could not tell the dream or its interpretation. God heard their cries, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon them, and the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision, so that he could make known both the dream and its interpretation showing remarkable events to transpire in prophetic history. By that gift their own lives and the lives of the astrologers and soothsayers were saved, and every faculty possessed comes from God and is owed to Him. Holy angels ministered to convey divine wisdom to Daniel while he was seeking it in the court of a heathen king, as they have in all ages ministered to God's people on missions of mercy. Those who follow Daniel place themselves in the channel of light to commune with God in prayer and consult Him as a son consults a wise father, committing the keeping of their souls to Him as a faithful Creator with perfect assurance that He may always be trusted and depended on.

The revelation came to the Hebrew captives, not to those dazzled by Babylon's splendor, showing the contrast between the wisdom of God and the wisdom and claimed wisdom of the most learned men of the kingdom. God made the Babylonian wise men acknowledge that they could not recover the king's forgotten dream, so that human skill would not receive glory and God's superior wisdom could be shown, while exposing human wisdom and power as inadequate. He placed Daniel and his fellows in connection with the great men of Babylon and communicated light and lessons from heaven through faithful representatives who put their entire trust in Him and sought grace and strength and divine enlightenment, that He might represent His work before the people through them. He did this to awaken in Nebuchadnezzar a sense of his responsibility to God and to give glory to God rather than to men who stood as oracles, opening before him future events reaching to the end of time. He showed the Babylonians that the God the Hebrew youth worshiped is a living God, King above every earthly king reigning over all kingdoms with power to enthrone and dethrone, cooperating with those who carry out principles of truth and giving knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom, with clear minds, strength of thought and memory, and understanding in all visions and dreams. People who rely on worldly learning but do not receive and heed God's Word lack the discernment to understand prophecy.

Prophecy Fulfilled in History

Hundreds of years beforehand the rise and fall of the universal kingdoms was predicted through Daniel, for God as ruling power in world affairs changes appointed times and seasons and removes and sets up kings to fulfill His own purpose. In the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's image Babylon would be succeeded by a second kingdom, then by a third, and then by a fourth strong as iron and ruling over nations. History proves the prediction, as nations arose one after another at the predicted time to fill their appointed place. Each kingdom had its period of testing whether it would exalt the one Ruler, the only true God, and when proved by disobedience its glory faded and another kingdom took its place.

The succession of kingdoms foretold in Daniel 2 has been fulfilled with wonderful exactness as seen in the historian's record. This exact fulfillment testifies to the inspiration of the Scriptures, anchors faith amid rationalism and skepticism, and leads to positive faith. Continued study of the prophecies leads to belief that the coming of the Lord is at hand, a solemn and important truth to be brought before the people. The prophecies of Daniel are not incomprehensible mysteries but can be understood and explained, even by children, and through them parents and learned and influential hearers can be interested.

The rise and fall of kingdoms displays divine greatness and humbles human pride, for human glory is frail and short-lived while God remains supreme ruler of the present and revealer of the future. He brings rulers down and raises others, He is the source of wisdom, and He is preparing to establish His everlasting kingdom. If His people will not follow His way He may use heathen rulers to accomplish His will, since knowledge of heavenly things is given not to the ambitious and proud but to the poor in spirit.

Wisdom and might belong to God forever, for He reveals deep and secret things because He knows what is in the darkness and light dwells with Him. Through Daniel light and truth hidden from other people was revealed in vision, and through him that light shone in Babylon and has continued to shine through the ages lasting to the end of time. Unwavering trust was met by divine instruction giving prophetic insight to understand the mysteries of future ages even while learning the duties of court life. Israel was to be the representation of that great light to the world, a light never to burn dim or go out, and Christ in humiliation was the true possessor of all things with no darkness at all, the light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel, in contrast to Satan and the false christ who claimed right to all things and to establish a different order.

Faithful Witness in Life

To declare before the great men of Babylon that power over kingdoms to set up and throw down kings, to change times and seasons, and to give wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who know understanding belongs to God forever is faithful stewardship of the Lord's goods. To speak this before the king instead of glorifying human power gives glory to God rather than to men who stood as oracles, shows the contrast between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the most learned men of the kingdom, and awakens a sense of responsibility to God. To fail to acknowledge God as the source of wisdom dishonors God and is unfaithful, while those who follow this example place themselves in the channel of light to commune with God in prayer and consult Him as a son consults a wise father, committing the keeping of their souls to Him as a faithful Creator who may always be trusted and depended on. He reveals the deep and secret things, knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him, and this was prayed after He revealed the king's matter in a night vision with thanksgiving and praise to the God of the fathers for giving wisdom and might. Such open acknowledgment before kings, princes, and statesmen does not detract from influence but is firm, bold, clear-cut testimony, sharp as a two-edged sword cutting to the right and to the left, to bring foolish, wandering minds back to God. He communicates light and lessons from heaven to faithful representatives who put entire trust in Him and seek grace and strength and divine enlightenment, that He might represent His work before the people through them in wicked, idolatrous Babylon.

The power to raise up and cast down belongs to God alone and is not given to His servants. A man assigned his position as chief with influence to be listened to as a wise counselor is in no case the man with power to exalt whom he will and tear down as he sees fit in the exercise of his own power, and a person may serve as a counselor but must not claim authority to exalt or tear down others at will. Those with responsibility should seek power from God so they can represent truth in righteousness rather than themselves, and receiving wisdom from God leaves no room for pride or self-importance. Each person is to look to God for wisdom directly as Daniel did rather than relying on human councils, keeping individual judgment and responsibility instead of merging individuality of judgment in any institution or council of men, and exercising that God-given judgment to see need and act in duty. God gives wisdom to devise and plan, as in health foods, and He has not given it to one man alone, or to two, or to twenty men, but when He works through the experimenting of many minds it is for the benefit of His people, as was manifested in the giving of manna from heaven, and He is not to be hindered in His workings by any monopolies.

Daniel's life as prophet and prime minister who received heavenly inspiration shows that a person engaged in public and business affairs may be instructed by God at every step. His close connection with God through prayer enabled him to meet his duties, and students should seek God's wisdom and train their abilities to serve faithfully under His care. Communion with the God of wisdom and power makes a person intellectually strong when divine truth is carried into daily life, so that life bears fruit to God's glory and shows what man may become and what he may do. The same God who gave Daniel wisdom can also give a physician wisdom and skill for difficult cases, and the young physician who relies on the God of Daniel can receive divine wisdom for work with greater excellence and precision than scientific knowledge alone can provide. Genuine divine illumination is received from God before speaking before intelligent minds, as Daniel truly received his light from God, not human opinion confidently expressed as if it were from God.

God gives wisdom and knowledge to those who seek Him, and Daniel and his three companions prayed and fasted that they might understand the dream given to the king, God heard their cries and gave Daniel wisdom to interpret the dream, and by that gift their own lives and the lives of the astrologers and soothsayers were saved. Every faculty possessed comes from God and is owed to Him, and God gives wisdom to people who are faithful and humble and know they depend on Him and must give an account to Him for their mental and physical powers. Daniel looked to God for wisdom and then put into exercise every power God had given him, and by doing this he became a trusted man in the kingdom of Babylon, and the same wisdom from God is given to all who will use the abilities He has entrusted to them. As people strive to obtain a knowledge of God, He communes with them as He communed with Daniel and his companions and gives them power that will prevail, with wisdom, understanding, intelligence and knowledge far above all human knowledge to those who place themselves in right relation with Him. Standing where Daniel stood brings progressive education, and progressive education means progressive sanctification, which prepares to inherit the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world for God's faithful ones. Praying to God as Daniel did and seeking wisdom with a contrite heart leads to an understanding heart, and He gives wisdom and elevates the humblest soul who trusts in Him, uniting His divine power with human effort when a person honors Him as Daniel did, and He will be honored among His people as they become pure, divested of self, steadfast and always abounding in His work.