2:6Daniel 2:6

Nebuchadnezzar promised his exalted magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans gifts and rewards and great honor and even great wealth if they would tell him both the dream he had forgotten on waking and its interpretation, repeating the demand with a threat of death if they failed as proof that they could truly interpret.FE 410.1–411.1+3 The demand was an unreasonable test beyond what had ever been required of any man, and the wise men stood before him in terror with no light on his dream and could only ask him to tell it first, exposing that the men he trusted to reveal mysteries failed him in his great perplexity.FE 410.1–411.1+2 God had taken the dream from the king so that men with boasted understanding of mysteries could not place a false interpretation upon it, and when they admitted they could not recover it the limits of human wisdom and scientific power were shown and a decree went forth to put all the wise men to death, with Daniel and his fellows numbered among them to share their fate.FE 412.1+3 After Daniel and his companions prayed, God revealed both the forgotten dream and its meaning through these Hebrew captives who depended on Him, and the king acknowledged God as the revealer of secrets.RH Nov 10, 1904+2 The prophecy was later recognized as fulfilled with striking exactness as evidence of Scripture's inspiration and a sign that the Lord's coming was near, and its lessons were given for the present day, since worldly learning alone cannot understand prophecy without discernment and knowledge from the Most High received by watching to hear what God says in His word and opening the heart to receive and share it.GC88 364.2+3

Nebuchadnezzar made the conditional promise to the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans whom he had exalted and depended on.FE 410.1–411.1 If they would show him both the dream he could not remember on waking and its interpretation, they would receive gifts and rewards and great honor, even great wealth.FE 410.1–411.1+4 The offer required them to recount his lost, forgotten dream and then explain it, to reveal both together.STE 13.2+3

The offer was made and then repeated as a demand for both the dream and its interpretation, after stating the punishment for failure.STE 13.2 It accompanied his threat of death if they failed, and it was demanded as proof that they could truly interpret.Ms 85, 1910, par. 41–44+2 The king threatened to kill them if they could not do both, accepting this as proof of their claim to be magicians and astrologers.Lt 90, 1894, par. 2–4+1

The demand was an unreasonable test beyond what had ever been required of any man.Lt 90, 1894, par. 2–4 The wise men stood before the king in terror with no light on his dream, and even with this offer they could only ask him to tell them the dream first.FE 410.1–411.1 This exposed that the men he trusted to reveal mysteries through their boasted wisdom failed him in his great perplexity, for they could not meet it through their claimed wisdom.FE 410.1–411.1+1

God took the dream from the king so that the wise men, with their claimed understanding of mysteries, could not place a false interpretation upon it.FE 412.1+1 The dream was withheld for this purpose, leaving its historic events of consequence to him hidden from those who professed to reveal secrets.FE 412.1+1

The Babylonian wise men had to admit they could not recover the forgotten dream, showing the limits of human wisdom and scientific power.Lt 90, 1894, par. 2–4+1 The demand to tell both the dream that had gone from his mind and its interpretation was accepted as proof of their claim to be magicians and astrologers.Lt 90, 1894, par. 2–4 Because they could not relate or interpret it, a decree went forth to put to death all the wise men of the kingdom.Lt 90, 1894, par. 2–4 Daniel and his fellows, being numbered with the wise men, were also to share their fate.Lt 90, 1894, par. 2–4

God revealed the dream and its meaning through the Hebrew captives, exiles who depended on Him rather than people captivated by Babylon's splendor.Lt 151, 1904, par. 3–5 After Daniel and his companions prayed, God enabled Daniel to make known both the forgotten dream and its interpretation.RH Nov 10, 1904+2 When the wise men could not help him, the king turned to Daniel, and upon receiving the revelation the king acknowledged God as the revealer of secrets.RH Nov 10, 1904

The dream and its promised reward belong to a prophecy afterward seen fulfilled in the historical record with striking exactness.GC88 364.2+1 That exact fulfillment stands as evidence of the inspiration of Scripture.GC88 364.2+1 It strengthens faith.GC 364.2–3 Study of that prophecy also led to belief that the coming of the Lord was near.GC 364.2–3

The lessons taught in the dream were given by God for those who live in the present day.FE 412.1 The inability of the wise men to tell the forgotten dream represents the wise men of the present day who have no discernment and learning and knowledge from the Most High and therefore are unable to understand the prophecies.FE 412.1+1 Worldly learning alone is not enough without watching to hear what God says in His word.FE 412.1+1 The heart must be opened to receive that word and to give it to others.FE 412.1+1

The most learned in the world's lore who are not thus watching and receiving and sharing are not His representatives.FE 412.1 The great and learned men of the earth, kings and nobles, will not receive the truth unto eternal life, though it will be brought to them.FE 412.1