Nebuchadnezzar Troubled by the Great Image Dreamby chrishcollins
2:3Daniel 2:3
And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
Nebuchadnezzar was deeply troubled in spirit by a dream and eager to learn its meaning to relieve his mind, with a fearful impression remaining upon him after waking though its details had departed from him. He summoned the magicians and astrologers and sorcerers and Chaldeans whom he had exalted and depended upon, and demanded that they tell him the dream itself as well as its interpretation, accepting the telling as proof of their claims. Unable to recover the forgotten dream, the wise men were terrified and declared in fear and trembling that the demand for both was unreasonable and beyond what had ever been required of any man. In fury like a man of great power controlled by unholy passion he decreed that every wise man of Babylon should be put to death if they could not reveal both, so that Daniel and his fellows being numbered with the wise men were to share their fate. God caused the details to be forgotten and withheld the dream from the king so the wise men could not impose a false interpretation, thereby exposing their pretensions and showing the limits of human wisdom and scientific power. God enabled Daniel through an angel to know both the dream and its interpretation in answer to united prayer with his companions, and the dream thus made known concerned the course and declining value of the kingdoms toward the end, a prophecy fulfilled with striking exactness as testimony to Scripture's inspiration and an anchor of faith.
Troubled King Demands Dream
The king was deeply troubled in spirit by a dream and eager to learn its meaning so that his mind could be relieved, for a fearful impression remained upon him. After waking he could not bring the dream to remembrance, for its details had departed from him while the impression stayed.
He therefore summoned the magicians and astrologers and sorcerers and Chaldeans whom he had exalted and depended upon, related the circumstances to them, and demanded that they tell him the dream itself as well as its interpretation. He accepted the telling of the dream as proof of their claims. Unable to recover the forgotten dream, the wise men were terrified. They asked him to first tell them the dream and then they would give its interpretation, declaring in fear and trembling that the demand for both was unreasonable and a test beyond what had ever been required of any man.
In fury like men of great power and uncontrollable passions controlled by unholy passion, he decreed that every wise man of Babylon should be put to death and threatened to kill them if they could not reveal both. Daniel and his fellows, being numbered with the wise men, were to share their fate. Daniel came before the king and pleaded for time to bring the matter before the supreme court of the universe.
Divine Purpose and Fulfillment
God deliberately caused the details of the dream to be forgotten and withheld them from the king, so that the wise men of Babylon could not pretend to understand its mysteries and put a false interpretation upon it. By that withholding their pretensions were exposed, and the limits of human wisdom and scientific power were laid bare. Their failure was not mere ignorance of one forgotten night-vision, but stands as the failure of all learned men who lack discernment and knowledge from God to understand prophecy. Against that failure stands the superior wisdom given to those who worship Him.
In the interpretation that followed, heavenly glory was revealed not to those captivated by Babylon's splendor but to the Hebrew captives who felt their exile and depended upon God. When Daniel was granted time he laid the whole matter before his companions who were united with him in worshiping the true God. On bended knees and with contrition of heart they pleaded before the great Judge of all the earth for the power and wisdom that alone could avail in their great necessity, and that He would so order matters that they need not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. In answer to that prayer God enabled Daniel through an angel to know both the dream and its interpretation. Daniel then made them known to the king and to the people, and by God's providence in bringing to the king those connected with God, the dream came back to the king's mind.
The dream so recovered concerned events of great consequence. It revealed the course and declining value of the kingdoms that would lead toward the end. Its lessons are for those living in the present day. The chapter to which the verse belongs presents a prophecy whose fulfillment is shown by the historical record with striking and remarkable exactness. That fulfillment serves as testimony to the inspiration of Scripture and as an anchor of faith amid later difficulties.
Nebuchadnezzar was deeply troubled in spirit by a dream and eager to learn its meaning to relieve his mind, with a fearful impression remaining upon him after waking though its details had departed from him. He summoned the magicians and astrologers and sorcerers and Chaldeans whom he had exalted and depended upon, and demanded that they tell him the dream itself as well as its interpretation, accepting the telling as proof of their claims. Unable to recover the forgotten dream, the wise men were terrified and declared in fear and trembling that the demand for both was unreasonable and beyond what had ever been required of any man. In fury like a man of great power controlled by unholy passion he decreed that every wise man of Babylon should be put to death if they could not reveal both, so that Daniel and his fellows being numbered with the wise men were to share their fate. God caused the details to be forgotten and withheld the dream from the king so the wise men could not impose a false interpretation, thereby exposing their pretensions and showing the limits of human wisdom and scientific power. God enabled Daniel through an angel to know both the dream and its interpretation in answer to united prayer with his companions, and the dream thus made known concerned the course and declining value of the kingdoms toward the end, a prophecy fulfilled with striking exactness as testimony to Scripture's inspiration and an anchor of faith.
Troubled King Demands Dream
The king was deeply troubled in spirit by a dream and eager to learn its meaning so that his mind could be relieved, for a fearful impression remained upon him. After waking he could not bring the dream to remembrance, for its details had departed from him while the impression stayed.
He therefore summoned the magicians and astrologers and sorcerers and Chaldeans whom he had exalted and depended upon, related the circumstances to them, and demanded that they tell him the dream itself as well as its interpretation. He accepted the telling of the dream as proof of their claims. Unable to recover the forgotten dream, the wise men were terrified. They asked him to first tell them the dream and then they would give its interpretation, declaring in fear and trembling that the demand for both was unreasonable and a test beyond what had ever been required of any man.
In fury like men of great power and uncontrollable passions controlled by unholy passion, he decreed that every wise man of Babylon should be put to death and threatened to kill them if they could not reveal both. Daniel and his fellows, being numbered with the wise men, were to share their fate. Daniel came before the king and pleaded for time to bring the matter before the supreme court of the universe.
Divine Purpose and Fulfillment
God deliberately caused the details of the dream to be forgotten and withheld them from the king, so that the wise men of Babylon could not pretend to understand its mysteries and put a false interpretation upon it. By that withholding their pretensions were exposed, and the limits of human wisdom and scientific power were laid bare. Their failure was not mere ignorance of one forgotten night-vision, but stands as the failure of all learned men who lack discernment and knowledge from God to understand prophecy. Against that failure stands the superior wisdom given to those who worship Him.
In the interpretation that followed, heavenly glory was revealed not to those captivated by Babylon's splendor but to the Hebrew captives who felt their exile and depended upon God. When Daniel was granted time he laid the whole matter before his companions who were united with him in worshiping the true God. On bended knees and with contrition of heart they pleaded before the great Judge of all the earth for the power and wisdom that alone could avail in their great necessity, and that He would so order matters that they need not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. In answer to that prayer God enabled Daniel through an angel to know both the dream and its interpretation. Daniel then made them known to the king and to the people, and by God's providence in bringing to the king those connected with God, the dream came back to the king's mind.
The dream so recovered concerned events of great consequence. It revealed the course and declining value of the kingdoms that would lead toward the end. Its lessons are for those living in the present day. The chapter to which the verse belongs presents a prophecy whose fulfillment is shown by the historical record with striking and remarkable exactness. That fulfillment serves as testimony to the inspiration of Scripture and as an anchor of faith amid later difficulties.