I. DANIEL THE INTERPRETER--Chapters 1-6
B. The Dream of the Great Image--2:1-49
l. Nebuchadnezzar's dream and demand--vv.
l-l3
a. His dreaming--v.
1
(I)
The date
(A) Second year of his reign
(B) But chapter 1 states that Daniel and his friends were being
trained for three years.
(C) Critics like to seize upon such things to show inaccuracies.
(D) The sequence of events
(1) Nebuchadnezzar victorious over Egypt at
Carchemiah--May-June, 605 B. C.
(2) Daniel and companions carried off--June-August,
605 B. C.
(3) Nebuchadnezzar made king--September, 605
B. C.
(E) "In view of the sequence of events, Leupold
concludes that 'the phrase "in the second year" is both
harmless and unassailable.' It was actually
the third year in modern reckoning. Leupold continues,
'The Babylonian manner of reckoning a king's
reign did not regard the unexpired portion of the last
year of the deceased monarch as the first
year of the new king, but reserved that designation for the
first full year of the new monarch's rule.'"
(Leupold, Herbert Carl, Exposition of Daniel. Minneapolis:
Augsburg, 1959, pages 81 and 82; quoted in Walvoord,
45)
(F) "In other words, the first year of Nebuchadnezzar's
reign was not counted, and this gives a plausible
explanation of why the dream could occur
in the second year and yet conceivably follow the three
school years of Daniel's training."
(op. cit., 46)
(II)
The dream proper
(A) Troubled in spirit--"'The Hebrew for troubled indicates
a deep disturbance inducing apprehension.
Nebuchadnezzar seems to have sensed that this
was more than an ordinary dream and was a response
to his questioning concerning the future, mentioned
later by Daniel in 2:29." (op. cit., 47; italics are his.)
(B) Sleep brake from him
(1) Literally, "was done for"
(2) "Geoffrey R.. King, in an extended comment
on this, observes, 'As is so often the case, the cares of
the day became also the cares
of the night. Now Nebuchadnezzar did a thing which no believer
in
God should ever dream of
doing: Nebuchadnezzar took the problems to bed with him.'
However,
Nebuchadnezzar was no Christian
and after all, the circumstances and the dream, were
providentially induced by
God Himself." (King, Georffrey, R., Daniel. Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans,
1966, 49; quoted in Walvoord,
47)
(C) Dreams
(1) Plural
(2) Suggests that there were several dreams
(3) Could have been different ones
(4) Could have been the same or variations thereof
b. Wise men summoned--vv.
2, 3
(I)
The result of his agitation--"In the disquietude of his spirit
the king commanded all his astrologers and
wise men to come to him, four classes of whom are mentioned
in this verse." (Keil, C[arl] F[rederic],
Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel. Grand
Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 1978, 87)
(II)
Four classes
(A) Magicians
(1) Based on Hebrew word meaning stylus
or pen
(2) Probably, therefore, refers to scholars
(B) Astrologers
(1) Also rendered enchanters
(2) Ones who supposedly consulted the dead
(C) Sorcerers--ones who practiced incantations
(D) Chaldeans
(1) Some equate them with astrologers; hardly
the case since they are mentioned separately.
(2) Some say they are priests.
(3) Daniel and companions were trained in their
learning and tongue.
(4) It may be that Daniel and company were considered
in this class, but nowhere are they so classed.
(III)
Called to tell the dream
(A) They stood before the king.
(B) He explains about the dream and his troubled spirit.
c. An impossible
demand--vv. 4-6
(I)
The request of the Chaldeans
(A) They apparently acted as spokesmen for all.
(B) The language
(1) Aramaic
(2) "The obvious reason for this reference is
that, from this point on, Daniel uses Aramaic, which
although similar to the Hebrew
also differs from it. Although some critics, such as Driver, question
whether Aramaic was spoken
at the time of the sixth century B. C. in Babylon, it seems
reasonable
to assume that it was a language
familiar to Daniel and was the language commonly used by the
Jews in Babylon instead of
Hebrew. It is not necessary to deduce from this that it was the
formal
court language, but there
is no real evidence that the Chaldeans did not use Aramaic in addressing
the king. The Aramaic
section of Daniel deals with.prophecy of primary interest to
the Gentiles
and to Daniel's day." (Walvoord,
48)
(C) After the standard address; they request that the king repeat
the dream in order for them to interpret.
This request was reasonable enough, but note
the next statement.
(II)
The reply of the king
(A) His dream has gone from him.
(1) Some say this means he really forgot it.
(2) "The verb could, however, also mean 'gone
forth' in the sense of 'I have decreed.' Such expositors
as Keil, Leupold, and Young
agree that the king actually had not forgotten the dream. Young
translates the word as meaning,
'sure' or 'certain,' a definition supported by the Syriac and based on
the assumption that the word
is of Persian origin. Hence the translation would be, 'The thing
is
certain with me, or fully
'determined.'" (Young, Edward J., The Prophecy of Daniel.
Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1949,
60; quoted in Walvoord, 49)
(3) "In favor of the idea that the king
had forgotten the dream would be the argument that he, anxious
to know its interpretation,
would certainly have divulged it to the wise men to see what they had to
offer by way of
interpretation. This would be in keeping with the translation
'The thing is gone from
me,' which is still a
possibility." (Walvoord, 49)
(4) It seems to this writer that, although not
probable, he really had forgotten the details of the dream;
it may have gone from him
by being so scared.
(B) He demanded they tell him his dream and interpret it.
(1) "There are, however, a number of reasons
why the king might have been induced to make this
extreme demand of his
counselors in order to test their ability to have real contact with the
gods
and divulge secrets. The
king was a young man who had been extraordinarily successful.in his
military conquests. He
undoubtedly had developed a great deal of confidence in himself. It
is
entirely possible that the
wise men were much older than the king, having served Nebuchadnezzar's
father. It would be
understandable that the king might have previously been somewhat frustrated
by
these older counselors and
may have had a real desire to be rid of them in favor of younger
men
whom he had chosen himself.
Nebuchadnezzar might well have doubted their honesty, sincerity,
and capability, and may have
wondered whether they were loyal to him. He may also have
questioned some of their
superstitious practices." (Walvoord, 50)
(2) Demand included the threat of
punishment
(a) No idle threat
(b) Dismemberment
(c) Houses ruined if not
actually a dunghill
(C) The promise of reward
(1) If they told the dream and its
interpretation
(2) Riches and honor promised
(3) "Obviously, the wise men were confronted
with a supreme test of their superhuman claims. If they
had genuine supernatural
ability to interpret a dream, they should also have the power to reveal its
content." (Walvoord, 50-51)
d. The demand
repeated--vv. 7-9
(I)
The request by the Chaldeans--"Confronted with the king's ultimatum, the
wise men repeated their request
to be told the dream,and again affirmed their ability to interpret
it. It would seem that if the king had
actually forgotten the dream, the wise men would have attempted
some sort of an answer. The fact that
they did not tends to support the idea that the king was willfully
withholding information about the dream.
Even if the king was hazy as, to the details of the
dream and could not recall it enough to provide a basis
of interpretation, he probably would have been able to
recognize complete fabrication on the part of the
wise men. In any cass, they did not attempt such a
subterfuge." (Walvoord, 51)
(II)
Though the reason given may be logical, the king could have really forgotten
the dream and yet be able to
recognize complete fabrication on the part of the wise
men; the reason is because we really do not forget
anything, but just can not always recall it.
(III)
The king repeats his threat!
(A) Says they would gain time--literally to buy time
(B) The last phrase duplicates verse 5.
(C) "Nebuchadnezzar's accusation implies that he did remember
the main facts of the dream sufficiently to
detect any invented interpretation which the
wise men might offer." (Ibid.)
(D) Again, from past experience, he may have accused them in
spite of not really remembering any of the
dream.
(E) "That the king, had not forgotten his dream, and that there
remained only some oppressive recollection
that he had dreamed, is made clear from ver.
9, where the king says to the Chaldeans, 'If ye cannot
declare to me the dream; ye have taken in hand
to utter deceitful words before me; therefore tell me the
dream that I may know that ye will give to me
also the interpretation.' According to this,
Nebuchadnezzar wished to hear the dream from the
wise men that he might thus have a guarantee for
the correctness of the interpretation which
they might give. He could not thus have spoken to them if
he had wholly forgotten the dream, and had only
a dark apprehension remaining in his mind that he
had dreamed." (Keil, 89)
(F) Again, this writer disagrees that "He could not thus have
spoken to them if he had wholly forgotten the
dream"; if he had previous bad experiences
with these wise men, he might have been ready to do them
in. This is, of course, speculation,
but so is the explanation by the commentators quoted above.
(IV)
"It seems clear from the entire context that Nebuchadnezzar was not
willing to accept any easy
interpretation of his dream but wanted proof that
his wise men had divine sources of information beyond
the ordinary. He also sensed that they were attempting
to gain time, hoping that his ugly mood would
change. He wanted them to know that he had made up his
mind." (Walvoord, 52) Comment: This could
be true even if he had really forgotten the details of
the dream.
e. The final plea
denied--vv. 10-13
(I)
The Chaldeans courteous attempt
(A) "With as much courtesy as they could summon, they attempted
to communicate to Nebuchadnezzar
that his demand was unreasonable and that 'no
king, lord, nor ruler' would expect such a revelation
from his wise men. The phrase 'before the
king' delicately expresses their consciousness that they were
standing in the presence of an absolute
ruler. They confess that the king's demand is beyond any
human knowledge, even such as they might possess."
(Ibid.)
(B) "It is fascinating to observe the hand of God in all
this. The wise men are unconsciously made to
testify publicly to two facts: (1) They
are themselves (together with all other men upon earth--v. 10)
unable to comply with the king's demand. (2)
There is none who could possibly do so except 'the gods
whose dwelling is not with flesh' (v. 11)." (Philip
R. Newell, Daniel, The Man Greatly Beloved and
His Prophecies. Chicago: Moody
Press, c1951; 30)
(II)
This made the king mad.
(III)
Commanded their destruction
(A) "It is not entirely clear from verse 13 whether the executioners
killed the wise men right where they
were when found or whether they were being collected
for a public execution. The latter is probably
the case as subsequent scripture reveals that
Daniel has the time to ask questions." (Walvoord, 53)
(B) This writer does not find any uncertainty in verse 13; from
the context it is certainly clear that the latter
is true.
(C) Daniel and his companions were sought.
(l) Implies that they were not present
(2) Shows they were included as wise men, since
they would have requested time.
(3) "The fact that Daniel and his companions
were included among the wise men has given rise to the
false accusation that he
had become a part of the heathen religious system of Babylon.
There is no
support whatever for this
in Scripture. His training in chapter 1 did not make him a priest, but
merely a counselor of the
king. But as such, he was included in the broad category of wise
men."
(Ibid.)
2. Daniel's prayer and presentation--vv.
14-30
a. His request for
time--vv. 14-16
(I)
He approaches Arioch.--v. 14
(A) The captain of the king's guard--:Arioch, as the captain
of the king's guard, had the duty also of
serving as chief executioner, although he personally
may not.have had the responsibility of killing the
wise men. Accustomed as he was to the cruelty
of his day, Arioch apparently did not question the
king's decree." (Walvoord, 54)
(B) "Although the wise men previously could hardly be accused
of discourtesy, there seems to be an
additional dignity and calmness in Daniel's approach
to the problem." (Walvoord, 53-54)
(C) "Through Daniel's judicious interview with Arioch, the further
execution of the royal edict was
interrupted." (Keil, 96)
(II)
He asks a question--v. 15.
(A) The question itself
(1) "Daniel shows understanding and counsel in
the question he put as to the cause of so severe a
command, inasmuch as he thereby
gave Arioch to understand that there was a possibility of
obtaining a fulfillment of
the royal wish." (Ibid.)
(2) "That Daniel refers to the decree as 'hasty'
or 'severe' has been held by some to contradict his
prudence. Obviously,
however, a decree to execute wise men who had not an opportunity to
speak to the king was indeed
harsh and severe, and occasioned Arioch's explanation." (Walvoord,
54)
(B) The captain's reply
(1) "When Daniel, however, asked the question,
'Why is the decree so hasty from the king?' a
discussion followed in which
Daniel is apprised of the total situation. That, Arioch would
take time
to explain this to one already
condemned to death speaks well both of Daniel's approach and of
Arioch's regard for him."
(Ibid.)
(2) He explained the whole matter to Daniel--this
shows that Daniel and his companions were not
present when the wise men
were questioned.
(III)
Daniel goes to the king--v. 16
(A) His appearance
(1) "When Arioch informed him of the state
of the matter, Daniel went in to the king-- i. e., as
is
expressly mentioned in ver.
24, was introduced or brought in by Arioch." (Keil, 96-7; italics are
his.)
(2) "Undoubtedly, Daniel expressed to Arioch
the possibility that he could interpret the dream and
secured Arioch's cooperation
in going before the king. It would hardly have been suitable,
especially with the king
in the mood he was in, for Daniel to go in to the king unannounced without
proper procedure." (Walvoord,
54)
(3) "Be sure to notice Daniel's unquestioning
faith in God, as evidenced by his calm assurance that God
will, indeed, unlock this
secret in answer to prayer. After prudently inquiring about the urgency
of
the decree condemning all
the wise men (and so also himself and his friends), and learning from the
captain of the king's
guard all the details, 'Daniel went in, and desired of the king that
he would
give him time, and that he
would show the king the interpretation.'" (Newell, 31)
(B) His appeal
(1) "How different the language and attitude
of faith from that of the Babylonian diviners! They had
said. 'There is not a man
upon the earth that can show the king's matter,' after Nebuchadnezzar
had himself declared that
he recognized them to be 'stalling,' as we say, to gain time. And no
time
was granted them. But
Daniel calmly asks for--and receives--a grant of time solely because
of his
positive statement 'that
he would shew the king the interpretation.'" (Ibid.)
(2) Possibly the king may have calmed down and
realized that Daniel was not with the rest of the wise
men and also respected Daniel's
calm assurance.
(3) Though it does not say that the king granted
the request, verses 17 and 18 implies he did.
b. His prayer for
wisdom--vv. 17, 18
(I)
Seeks friends
(A) When you have a need, share it with your Christian
friends.
(B) "Daniel lost no time in going to his own house and informing
his three companions. His purpose was
an obvious one, that they might join him in prayer
that God would reveal the secret." (Walvoord, 54)
(II)
Requests mercies
(A) All mercies are from God.
(B) They needed this mercy for the secret to be revealed so
that they would not perish.
(C) "As they shared the danger, so they could share also in
the intercession. They were to seek 'mercies
of the God of heaven,' or 'compassion'
sometimes used of the mercy or compassion of men (. . .), or
more commonly of the mercies of God
(. . .). The mercies or compassions of God are in contrast to
the decree of Nebuchadnezzar of death for
the wise men without mercy." (Walvoord, 54-55)
(D) Note:
(1) The God of heaven not in heaven
(a) Literally, of the
heavens
(b) In contrast to the
superstitions of the Babylonians
(2) "Although.these four godly young men were
in great extremity, one can almost visualize them on
their knees before God ,
fully believing that their God was able to meet their need. Instead
of being
in a panic [which we all
too often do], they prayed. For this supreme hour of crisis they
were well
prepared, as their faith
had been tested previously (see chap. 1). The result could be expected.
. . .
They obviously were motivated
by the desire to save their lives. That they would be willing to die
if
necessary is revealed in
Chapter 3. Their petition was to the effect that they would not be
included
in the decree of death
which extended to all the wise men of Babylon." (Walvoord, 55)
(E) We should not assume that the other wise men had already
perished.
c. His answer from
God --vv. 19-23
(I)
The answer--v. 19a
(A) Secret revealed
(1) "Deliverance came to Daniel and his companions
in the form of a night vision." (Ibid.)
(2) "To God! That is your marching order.
When you are troubled, affrighted, overwhelmed,
imperilled--to God! Do
not consult equals or measurable superiors, but flee! Haste thee!
Beat
urgently upon heaven's door!
Knock and it shall be opened unto thee. If any man lack
wisdom, let
him ask of God . .
. . Let not.your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You
may be in
captivity of poverty,
perplexity, difficulty. There will be a message for you some day; for
though
you have so little outwardly,
what treasures you have spiritually! Though everything has been taken
from you that can be taken
except yourself, you live, you pray, you own Christ's dear, sweet name,
you have understanding of
human nature; there are you rich; when you are sent for, speak
roundly,
with authority, directly,
and make no obeisance that has not in it the stoop of royalty."
(Joseph
Parker: The People's
Bible; quoted in Newell, 32)
(B) Via a night vision--"This apparently was not a dream but
a supernatural revelation given to Daniel in his
waking hours, possibly both he and companions
prayed on into the night and the vision came when
Daniel was awake. The nature of the
revelation required both a vision and its interpretation as the
image was a visual concept. Hence a vision
was more proper than a dream, although frequently God
revealed secrets to prophets in dreams as well
as visions." (Walvoord, 55)
(II)
The adoration--vv. 19b-23
(A) The response of the believing heart--v. 19b
(1) Praise to God
(2) "Most significant is Daniel's immediate response
in a hymn of praise as he blessed the God of
heaven who had answered his
prayers. The hymn not only reveals the devout thankfulness of
Daniel but also the depth
and comprehension of his faith." (Walvoord, 56)
(3) "Be sure to notice Daniel conduct immediately
subsequent to the miraculous answer to prayer in the
revelation to him 'in a night
vision' of the king's forgotten dream. His instant impulse is
to give
personal, private praise
and glory to God, before carrying the news to the king, where, in the most
public place in all Babylon
he will be permitted to glorify the God of heaven." (Newell, 32)
(B) The hymn of praise--vv. 20-23
(1) The name of God
(a) "The first phrase of
his psalm, 'Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever' reflects,
as does
the entire
psalm Daniel's acquaintance with hymns of praise found in the psalms
and other
Scriptures
of the Old Testament. In praising 'the name of God' Daniel
is speaking of God in
His revealed
character. W. H. Griffith Thomas writes, 'The name stands in
Holy Scripture for
the nature
or revealed character of God, and not a mere label or title. It
is found very frequently
in the Old
Testament as synonymous with God Himself in relation to man . . . . In
the New
Testament
the same usage is perfectly clear.'" (Thomas, W. H. Griffith, "The Purpose
of the
Fourth Gospel,"
Bibliotheca Sacra; italics are his. Quoted in Walvoord, 56)
(b) Some Old Testament passages
((I)) Proverbs
18:10
((II)) Psalm
74:10
((III)) Psalm
l18:10
(c) .Some New Testament passages
((I)) Matthew
28:29
((II)) John
1:l2
((III))
Philippians 2:10
(d) "'The name of God'
will be praised , i. e. the manifestations of the existence
of God in the
world; thus,
God so far as' He has anew given manifestation of His glorious existence,
and
continually
bears witness that He it is who possesses wisdom and strength." (Keil, 98-9;
italics
are his.)
(2) Wisdom and might
(a) Are God's
((I)) Job
12:12, 13, 16-22
((II)) 1
Chronicles 29:11, 12
((III)) Mathew
6:13
(b) Evidenced in His changing
times and seasons
((I)) Cf.
Daniel 7:25
((II)) Psalm
31:15
((III)) "Here
again Daniel contrasting his God to the deities of Babylon who supposedly
set the
times and seasons by the movements of the sun, moon, and stars.
Daniel's God could
change this." (Walvoord, 56)
(c) Removes and establishes
kings
((I)) "By
his permissive will, in working out all of His purposes with relation
to His nation Israel."
(Newell, 33)
((II)) "Daniel's
faith also contemplated a God greater than the king's, and who could,
therefore,
remove a king or set up a king. This was not Babylonian fatalism
but a sovereign God who
acts as a person with infinite power." (Walvoord, 56-57)
(3) Wisdom and knowledge
(a) "The wise men of
Babylon were not so wise, for they were not the recipients of divine
wisdom.
To those wise
enough to trust in the God of Daniel, however, and who had sufficient
insight to
see through
the superstitions of Babylonian religions; there was the possibility
of divine
understanding."
(Walvoord, 57)
(b) God is the source of
all wisdom--James 1:5.
(c) Illumination is also
from God--Proverbs 8:30.
(d) He is the Revealer of
secrets.
((I)) "'He
revealeth the deep and secret things'--the hidden 'mysteries' of the
idolatrous heathen
worship of all the nations, originating and culminating in
Babylon.” (Newell, 33)
((II)) "God's
capacity to reveal secrets is mentioned specifically in verse 22. This
again is
attested by other Scriptures such as Job 12:22 (. . .). The darkness
does not hid anything
from God , as David wrote in Psalm 139:12. Although knowing what
is in darkness, God
characteristically dwells in light." (Walvoord, 57)
((III))
Innumerable Scriptures say that God is light.
(4) Thanksgiving
(a) 'I'he thanks
((I)) "Having
attributed to God these infinite qualities of wisdom, power, sovereignty,
and
knowledge, Daniel directly expresses his thanks to God for His revelation
to him of the
secret." (Ibid.)
((II)) l
Thessalonians 5;18
(b) The Person--"The expression
God of my fathers is a common one in the Old Testament, here
Elohim
being used for God, rather than Jehovah." (Ibid.; italics are
his.)
d. His report to the
king --vv. 24-30
(I)
He reports to Arioch--v. 24.
(A) Goes to the captain
(1) Arioch was to destroy the wise men.
(2) "Notice how quickly and directly he seeks
audience with the king, assured in his own heart that the
vision he himself had
dreamed [saw in the vision] was indeed that which the King had seen."
(Newell, 34)
(B) Tells him about the interpretation
(1) "Daniel now fully in command of the
situation, reports to Arioch not to destroy the wise men of
Babylon. This is another
confirmation of the fact that the decree had not bee executed and the
wise men were only in process
of being rounded up. In support of his request Daniel declares,
'I
will show unto the king the
interpretation.' The poise of Daniel, in feeling free to tell
Arioch not to
carry out the command of
the king, reveals that Daniel fully understood that God's hand was
upon
him and that he would probably
be richly rewarded by the king for the information he was able to
give." (Walvoord, 58)
(2) "Notice, also, that his first consideration
is for the condemned wise men, whose saviour he now
becomes." (Newell, 34)
(II)
He is brought to the king--v. 25
(A) "Arioch also at once saw the importance of what had
happened and, using his office to introduce
Daniel to the king, attempted to get as much
credit as he could under the circumstances for discovering
a man who could reveal the secret. His
statement is obviously designed to help him participate in the
reward, 'I have found a man of the captives
of Judah, that will make known unto the king the
interpretation.' It is understandable that
Arioch would not give God the credit for the interpretation but
rather 'a man of the captives of Judah.'
The introduction of Daniel also served to disassociate him
from the wise men who had previously incurred
the king's wrath." (Walvoord, 58)
(B) Though Arioch introduces Daniel to the king, it is doubtful
he knew that Daniel had previously spoken
to the king as per verse 16.
(III)
He is questioned by the king--v. 26
(A) "Although there is no mention of Daniel's previous
audience with the king which probably at the time
had only the king's briefest attention, now the
eager king immediately addresses Daniel." (Walvoord,
58-59)
(B) Daniel is called "Belteshazzar" here to identify him, for
it is probable that the king only knew him by
that name.
(C) "The form of the sentence makes the knowledge of
the dream the prominent part of the question."
(Walvoord, 59)
(IV)
His answer to the king--vv. 27-28
(A) "When he testifies of a God in heaven as One who is
able to reveal hidden things, he denies this ability
eo ipso to all the so-called gods'
of the heathen. Thereby not only assigns the reason of the
inability
of the heathen wise men, who knew not,
the living God of heaven, to show the divine mysteries, but
he refers also all the revelations which the
heathen at any time receive to the one true God." (Keil, 100)
(B) "Daniel takes full advantage of the opportunity for
testimony concerning the 'God in heaven that
revealeth secrets,' while at the same time refusing
to take any personal credit for the amazing feat he is
about to perform." (Newell, 34)
(C) "Daniel's answer is a masterpiece of setting the matter
in its proper light and giving God the glory.
Although the temptation to imagine supernatural
powers as resident in him was possibly present, Daniel
immediately declares that what has been revealed
to him was a secret which no wise men of Babylonia
could have discovered." (Walvoord, 59)
(D) Daniel in effect comes to the defense of the wise
men.
(1) He enumerates the wise men.
(2) He states that they could not possibly give
the king the interpretation.
(E) The latter days
(1) A phrase which nearly always has Messianic
implications
(2) "The Aramaic phrase which is translated
'in the latter days' or 'in the latter part of the days' is
almost transliteration of
a Hebrew expression which is common in the Old Testament. Daniel
is
unquestionably using this
Aramaic expression in the same sense as its Hebrew counterpart; and,
accordingly, its definition
should be based on Hebrew usage." (Walvoord, 60)
(3) Cf.
(a) Genesis 49:1
(b) Numbers 24:14
(c) Deuteronomy 4:30
(d) Jeremiah 23:20
(e) Ezekiel 38:16
(f) Hosea 3:5
(g) Micah 4:l
(4) "One central fact stands out at once as common
to all of these passages: They have direct
reference to the people of
God, the nation of Israel, whom we see at once therefore to be
preserved as a separate nation
until the end of the age, the 'latter days' of which each
reference
speaks." (Newell, 36)
(5) "This expression, the 'latter days,' also
suggests the fact of a future final stage in human affairs.
Correlated with other applicable
Scripture, we are confronted with the fact that there exists in the
mind of God a specific
time point around which center all of the inclusive events which must
transpire to conclude earth's
affairs and to strike a balance, as it were." (Ibid.)
(V)
He states the purpose of the dream--vv. 29, 30
(A) The purpose was to make known the future.
(B) "Nebuchadnezzar had had a meteoric rise to power as one
of the great conquerors and monarchs of
the ancient world. He had begun his brilliant
career even while his father was still alive, but after his
father's death, he had quickly consolidated his
gains and established himself as absolute ruler over the
Babylonian empire. All of Southwest
Asia was in his power, and there was no rival worthy of
consideration at the time. Under these
circumstances, it was only natural that Nebuchadnezzar should
wonder what was going to come next. His
meditation on this subject should not be confused with the
dream which followed, but rather it was the
preparation for it in the providence of God." (Walvoord,
62)
(C) Again, Daniel acknowledges that God is the source of
wisdom--"Before proceeding to the dream,
however, Daniel once more emphasizes the fact
that the secret had not come to him from any natural or
accrued wisdom, but because God in His providence
select Nebuchadnezzar as the recipient of the
dream and Daniel as its interpreter that
Nebuchadnezzar and others would receive this revelation."
(Ibid.)