Daniel 2:29, commentary and pictures

As he lay on his bed Nebuchadnezzar was filled with anxious thoughts about what would come to pass hereafter, and the One who reveals secrets answered him by making the future known in a dream. The dream of the great image foretold the succession of earthly kingdoms, with Babylon to pass away and give place to a second and a third empire and then to a fourth more fierce and powerful, reaching to the close of time. In this God showed that He rules over Babylon and all kingdoms that follow, enthroning and dethroning kings and revealing what human wisdom cannot discover. That prophecy has been fulfilled in history with wonderful exactness, giving proof of the inspiration of Scripture that anchors faith against skepticism. It was opened not to the wise men who trusted in human wisdom but to God's servants who depended on Him, and Daniel gave all honor to God for it, showing that prophecy is a plain guide that even children can understand when studied with a prayerful heart.

Dream's Setting and Recovery

On his bed the king's thoughts turned anxiously to what should come to pass hereafter, wanting to know the future.
He that revealeth secrets answered those thoughts by making known to him what shall come to pass.
God did not rebuke that desire to know, but used it as an occasion to reveal the future to the king and through him to the world.

He had been given a remarkable dream about the future that troubled him.
He recounted it before the wise men in his palace, yet he could not bring it to remembrance after waking.
Daniel made that forgotten dream with its interpretation known to Nebuchadnezzar many years before the feast of Belshazzar.

The magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans failed to tell the dream with its interpretation.
This was despite threats to be cut in pieces with houses made a dunghill and promises of gifts, rewards and great honor.
They confessed that no man upon earth could show the king's matter and that only gods whose dwelling is not with flesh could.
So the king was angry and very furious and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

Daniel asked the king for time and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
They desired mercies of the God of heaven concerning the secret, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon them, and the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision.
As Daniel related the facts the dream came fresh to the king's mind with its interpretation showing the remarkable events to transpire in prophetic history, and the threatened lives were spared.

Future Kingdoms Revealed

As for the king, his thoughts upon his bed were about what should come to pass hereafter, and He that revealeth secrets answered those thoughts by making known to him what shall come to pass. The answer came through the dream of the great image with its interpretation, which includes the mingling of iron and clay. The dream opened before him remarkable events to transpire in prophetic history, reaching to the end of time. The vision was revealed for the sake of God's servants and so the king could know the thoughts of his heart.

It foretold the rise and fall of human kingdoms in sequence, showing that earthly kingdoms are temporary and that Babylon would pass away and not last forever. After Babylon would come a second empire and then a third, and then a fourth more fierce and powerful than those before it. Its prophetic symbols covered the history of the world through the close of time to the end of time, in sequence toward the close of earth's history.

Through Daniel's interpretation God showed that He rules over Babylon and the kingdoms that would follow, that He has power over the kingdoms of the world to enthrone and dethrone kings, and that He is more powerful than earthly rulers. By the dream and its interpretation Jehovah was exalted as more powerful than earthly kings, and it was demonstrated that God reveals what human wisdom cannot discover. That prophecy has been fulfilled in history with remarkable and wonderful exactness, as history records, confirming its fulfillment in sequence. This exact fulfillment provides testimony and proof of the inspiration of the Scriptures, which anchors faith against rationalism and skepticism and helps lead a skeptic to positive faith.

Receiving and Sharing Revelation

The revealer of secrets answered the king's bedtime thoughts about what should come to pass hereafter for the sake of His servants, opening the heavenly meaning of the dream to the Hebrew captives who depended on Him rather than to those captivated by Babylon's splendor. In this way the king was made to know the thoughts of his own heart about the future, while Daniel acknowledged that the wisdom did not come from himself but from the God of heaven. By compelling Babylon's wise men to admit they could not recover the forgotten dream, God exposed the limits of human wisdom and displayed the superiority of the wisdom He gives, turning minds from unreliable sources to divine truth. That dream with its interpretation proved that He rules over earthly kingdoms and reveals what human wisdom cannot discover.

Daniel made his dependence on God plain, refused to take credit for what was revealed, gave all honor to God, and let others know he depended on the Lord. He used opportunities to increase his abilities and put his God-given talents to work according to the principles of Scripture rather than claiming honor for himself. God had light for Nebuchadnezzar and for a purpose comes into close contact even with idolatrous minds, making known through Daniel things foretold concerning Babylon and other kingdoms by which Jehovah was exalted as more powerful than earthly kings. Babylonian leaders could have benefited from that instruction to help the king, but because the rulers had turned from God they could not understand the warning and had to seek its explanation from Daniel whom God had inspired, while Daniel and his companions refused to mix their faith with Babylonian religion and God upheld and honored them.

Dreams must be read in the light of the living oracles, not the Scriptures and God's providences read in the light of dreams and fancies. Nebuchadnezzar perverted the light given by reading the interpretation according to his own idolatrous mind, understanding, and ambitions, setting up a golden image representing the glory of himself and his kingdom and the excellency of Babylon in hope of converting all nations to its worship. God gave the sure word of prophecy to guide all who wish to know His will, and angels and even Christ came to make known to Daniel what should come to pass hereafter as to John the things that must shortly come to pass. Important matters concerning salvation were not left in mystery to perplex and mislead the honest seeker, the Word is plain to all who study with a prayerful heart, every truly honest soul will come to the light of truth, and no church can advance in holiness unless its members earnestly seek truth as hidden treasure. The prophecies of Daniel are therefore not unintelligible mysteries but can be understood even by children who can grasp and explain them, and because they show the coming of the Lord is at hand they carry solemn importance and should be brought before the people. Daniel's use of God-given powers to reveal God calls those in responsible positions, including physicians, to work beyond health matters and make known the truths for the last days which decide the destiny of souls.