ever made such a requirement may doubtless have been true, but would mean little to Nebuchadnezzar who was quite used to making such de mands. On hearing the Chaldeans acknowl edge their inability tp reconstruct the dream, the king fell into a terrible rage. In his anger he ordered the early execution of all the wise men in his realm. At this point Daniel and his three friends came into the story, since they were now numbered among Babylon’s wise men. D aniel I nterprets (2:14-30) Daniel and his companions had clearly not been present when the wise men were interviewed by Ne buchadnezzar. Immediately on learn ing the complete story, Daniel asked of the king additional time in order to discover the interpretation. A later verse (v. 25) makes it clear that Daniel at this time did not see the king in person, but evidently through the mediation of some courtier ob tained a brief respite. It seems that God was at work again, since Daniel secured what the magicians could not. His next act was not to go to the library to consult books on the inter pretation of dreams. He did not even go to his friends for advice. Instead he called them to a prayer meeting. Good it is to have praying friends! In his opening words to the king, Daniel made it clear that the dream was a prophetic one. God was reveal ing to Nebuchadnezzar what was to be “in the latter days.” In the van tage point of the day in which we now live, we can see that much of the dream has already been fulfilled, but that a part still remains to be accom plished in the yet future. T he V ision ’ s I nterpretation (2:31-45) In brief words Daniel sketched first the king’s dream and then its meaning. In his vision Nebuchadnez zar saw a great majestic image of a man standing upright. This image represented the va r i ous Gentile world powers. In chapter 7 when God 30
Chapters Two and Three / I abelein , “This chapter contains ” one of the great key prophecies of the entire Bible — Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the great image. It is of such significance that it has some times been called “The A B C of Prophecy.” There came a night when this great king did not rest well. He “dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him” (v. 1). He did not then realize it, but God was dealing with him. Later in the chapter (v. 29) the ex perience of Nebuchadnezzar leading up to his wonderful dream is related. His magicians were summoned. These men made great pretense of in terpreting dreams, preparing horo scopes, and in various ways attempt ing to reveal secret things and fore cast the future. The king explained to his wise men that he had forgotten the dream but would recognize it if it were described to him. lie ordered the magicians to describe the dream and supply the interpretation. The answer the Chaldeans gave to the king was rather pathetic. Their complaint that no other monarch had
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