Dreams & Mysteries (Daniel 2)

We are in week 2 of our series in the book of Daniel. As we said last week, the book of Daniel wants to teach us how to be faithful as we live sent into Babylon. And it also reminds us that God wants us to be bold in mission, even when we’re in situations or around people that challenge our faith. When the pressure rises, he wants us to stand firm. And for Daniel, that was a common experience. 

See, Daniel was far from home. His name was changed, his social status was altered (royal family), and yet he was forced to learn the Babylonian language and culture. In fact, if you were reading Daniel in the original languages, you’d notice this shift into the world of Babylon: Most of the OT is written in the Hebrew language of Israel, but starting in chapter 2, the language switches to the Babylonian language of Aramaic. 

Everything around Daniel said, “You are not home. You’re not our people. We don’t care about your traditions, your religion, or your God. Forget who you used to be, you need to accept who you are now; where you are now.” 

In times like these, it might feel easier to settle in—to fit into the culture around you. Settle into your job, your daily routine. Maybe you think, “I’ll be a Christian on Sundays, but the rest of the week I have other priorities.” But that’s just not the life God calls us to. 

Like Daniel, Christians are called to live different. And what’s the point of living different on Sunday and blending in the rest of the week? I understand life is tough, and the world can be challenging. But that doesn’t excuse the fact that we know there’s a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he’s made his plans known to his Church. He wants us to live wisely as we shine the light of Christ in the dark places of this world. 

That’s the context we bring into chapter 2 this morning. So, as we open to chapter 2 (Bibles/screen), we meet King Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful king in Babylon’s history. And as we find him, he’s shaken by a nightmare and desperate to know what it means. 2 

Pick up with me [v. 1] – In the second year of the reign of 

Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” 4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” 

Here’s the sequence: Nebuchanezzar has a dream, his spirit is troubled, and he becomes restless. So, he calls on his best and wisest servants for help. 

Now, quick question, (show of hands) how many of you remember your dreams—at least once a week? Once a month? Never? 

Some people have vivid dreams. I do not. I remember my dreams so rarely that when I do it feels significant. The last dream I remember having was in 2019. I survived an explosion, and then the next thing I remember was having a mechanical leg and needing to learn how to walk again. The weird thing is I think I know exactly what that dream was about. 

When we have dreams, we might try to make sense of them based on our experiences or based on what’s going on in our lives at that moment (e.g., stress, something you ate). 

But in the ancient world, when kings had bad dreams, that meant the gods were trying to tell them something important about the future. That’s why Nebuchadnezzar reacts the way he does. 

See, the Babylonians had an extensive library and a whole system for dream interpretation. It functioned similar to a legal system. They would keep a record of dreams, and then they would chart what happened to people after they had those dreams. And that would help them set 3 

precedents for future interpretation. So, over time, they could make educated judgments about the nature and direction of your life based on the dream you had. 

Now, let me just pause here and speak into this for a moment because I have a degree in psychology, so I feel somewhat qualified to comment here. BTW, do you know what you can do with a psychology degree? Nothing. 

That’s why I’m giving you my free advice: These guys are recording dreams, reading horoscopes, watching the stars, they may offer some wisdom, but they won’t be able to answer the deepest longings of your heart any more than relationship gurus on Instagram or TikTok can. They’ll be right some of the time, but I wouldn’t depend on it. (free advice) 

But here is a question worth asking: If there is a God in heaven and he was trying to communicate with you today, how would you know? Would you just believe whatever you’re told, would you follow the flow of everyone else around you, or would you genuinely search for the truth? And how would you test to know what’s true? 

That’s Nebuchadnezzar’s dilemma here and surprisingly, he’s not so quick to go with the flow of pagan religion: 

[v. 5] – The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” 

Now, if you’re tracking with the story, Nebuchadnezzar has set up a humanly impossible litmus test. He summons these guys; he tells them, “I had this haunting dream, and I want you to tell my what it means.” And 4 

they’re like “Great! Tell us your dream. We’ll consult our records.” And Nebuchadnezzar’s like, “Well, that’s the other thing. The only way I’ll know that I can trust you is if you also tell me what I dreamed. Tell me the dream and then I’ll know you can interpret it.” 

Which sounds absolutely impossible. It would be similar to a wife sending her husband to the grocery store with a list of things to buy, but as he goes looking for one of the items he remembers there’s a specific brand that his wife wants but she didn’t write it down and he can’t remember what it is and there’s no chance she’ll respond to his call for help. 

And even if she did…VG wouldn’t even have that brand in stock and so what he was being asked to do was humanly impossible. Just as an example. 

The point is that it’s an impossible ask. And oh, BTW—Nebuchadnezzar tells them: If you can’t interpret the dream, I’m going have your bodies torn apart limb by limb and your homes razed to the ground. 

So next time you think you’re having a hard week at work, just remember these Babylonian sages probably would have appreciated a 3-month probationary period and some paid sick leave. 

Ps. Peter and I were joking earlier this week about things we weren’t taught in seminary, and doing ministry here, that list is growing. One thing I didn’t learn was Malaysian HR laws. I’m not sure what the HR laws were like in ancient Babylon, but in hindsight, not including the threat of death seems like an egregious oversight. 

Back to the story: The point is, at some point, we all need God’s help—and Nebuchadnezzar is no different (even though he has all the riches of the world). He is desperate for God. 5 

Sometimes, God places mysteries and desires in our hearts to draw us to himself. The only way to understand these mysteries is by seeking him. The Scriptures say that those who ask will receive, and those who seek will find. And what we’re seeing here is that God stirred the king’s heart to look for him, but Nebuchadnezzar goes looking for answers in the wrong places, which is why his heart remains restless. That’s also why the sages say: 

[v. 10] – “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. 11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” 12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 

Ironically, the wise men tell the king that only God can answer his questions, but God doesn’t come in the flesh, so they don’t have direct access to him. So clearly, they have no idea what this dream’s about (even if they were told it). 

But the other thing I want you to notice here is: When you put yourself in a position to minister Christ to the people around you, your life will get enmeshed with theirs and what happens to them will affect you. Which means you might be called to action even when you didn’t do anything to provoke it. That happens in ministry all the time. 

As you immerse yourself in the lives of the people around you, are you ready for that? Do you have that kind of margin? 

In v.12 Nebuchadnezzar orders the death of the wise men, which includes Daniel and his three friends–BTW. But notice how Daniel stays calm under pressure. With his executioner in his face, he’s described (v. 14) as wise and discerning, which is totally different from what’s described about the wise men earlier. 6 

Daniel was educated in the Babylonian way just like the rest of the wise men, but he wasn’t controlled by their culture. I think there’s something to be said here for us. 

It’s important to recognize and learn from culture, and to understand how culture shapes us. We should also respect other cultures and learn from other cultures. But ultimately culture isn’t king—Jesus is. Every culture has its strengths and weaknesses, but we must do the Lord’s work his way. Sometimes, that means rejecting aspects of our culture to obey Christ. 

Daniel’s greater priority is the ways of God, which is why he acts out of a different worldview. And watch what he does. 

After requesting an appointment with the King [v. 17] – Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, (that’s Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego’s Hebrew names) 18 and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 

Simply put: Daniel encourages his friends to pray. If we really want to know the Lord, and we really want to see a movement of God in this place, we need to spend time connecting with him in prayer. 

We need a deep commitment to a life of prayer. 

Daniel doesn’t view prayer as his last resort after all else fails. Prayer is his first effort and one of the best ways he can exercise his faith amid crisis. Daniel’s call to prayer is the instinct of someone who’s already made prayer a vital part of his life. 

If you find yourself desperate to know God, have you considered praying to him and asking him to reveal himself to you? Have you ever interceded on 7 

behalf of your friends to make Christ known in their lives? Perserve in that work. 

Martin Luther once said, “As a shoe maker makes a shoe, or a tailor makes a coat, so ought a Christian to pray. Prayer is the daily business of a Christian.” We ought to be committed to that work. There’s never a time that would make sense for us to stop praying. 

Prayer is also one of the best ways to practice trusting that God is in control. If we want to see God move powerfully in our city, our first response should be prayer, not planning. For example, as a pastor, one of my greatest desires is to see Christ formed in his people. People often ask me how to do that, but the truth is, I can’t make anyone more like Jesus. It’s a supernatural work that requires God’s power. And the way he calls us to depend on him in that is through prayer. 

One of the ways we know that God is doing that work is by the fruit being born in your life. It’s seen in a greater desire to know God through his Word, a deeper love for his church, and a growing hatred for sin. Even in your prayers, it shifts from asking God for things to asking him to work in and through you for his glory. 

That’s why I keep praying for you, asking God to do in you and through you what no one else can. Prayer is one way we recognize that God is in control. He controls the birds of the sky and the flowers of the field. Kingdoms rise and fall according to his will. As we see here, he can even control the dream patterns of pagan kings. That means when we bring our requests to God, we’re bringing them to the highest authority and asking him to get involved. 

That’s why Daniel tells his friends to pray for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery. By praying, they’re acknowledging that what they want to see happen is only possible with God’s help, and they must rely on his mercy to do what only he can do. 8 

And the only natural response to God answering prayer is praise. 

[v. 19] – When the mystery’s revealed…Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 

20 Daniel answered and said: 

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, 

to whom belong wisdom and might. [22] he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. 

As we continue to ponder these things, notice: 

FIRST, God desires to bring people to a knowledge of the truth. God wants to make himself known. That’s why he reveals mysteries. 

SECOND, God validates his message through his people. He actually lets us participate in his supernatural work to make the hidden things known to others. 

That’s why Daniel gets an appointment with the king. [Pick up with me again – v. 26] – The king declared to Daniel…“Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” 27 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days…[30] this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. 

Nobody can answer the King’s request (humanly impossible), but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. And isn’t that the whole point? That’s the hidden message that couldn’t be found in all of Babylon. There is a God in heaven who controls the fate of man, and he doesn’t leave us to 9 

perish, but sends his only Son to perish in our place so that we might enjoy eternal life with him. That’s what Babylon needs. That’s what KL needs. That’s the news that’s coming. 

And look at Daniel’s response. He doesn’t take credit for any of it. If you look back through the story, you can see God’s handiwork all over the page. God has done everything to orchestrate and appoint this moment. 

Daniel just has to show up and proclaim the mysteries that God had showed him. 

And then in V. 30 Daniel says the reason why the mystery was revealed is because God wanted Nebuchadnezzar to know it. And God could be saying that to you right now. He’s put a desire in your heart to know him, and he wants you to be bold enough to seek him. 

You know, it’s no secret that God still speaks through dreams and mysteries today. As Ramadan is going on right now, there are many stories of people coming to question the Christian faith because of dreams about Jesus. 

One man, who converted to Christianity from a Muslim background, wrote years ago: “It’s simply a fact that dreams are an important element in the testimonies of many Muslims who have come to faith in Christ. I believe dreams are an important part of many of the cultures around the world, and God is using dreams as a bridge to draw people to Christ.” 

And you don’t need the spiritual gift of dream interpretation to make the gospel known to people who come looking for him. That’s a revelation he stores up in the heart of every Christian that you can share with anyone. 

This guy goes on to say that the purpose of the dreams is to encourage people “to become more open to hear about Jesus from Christians, visit a church, or read the Bible for the first time. Usually dreams in themselves do not have a full-fledged gospel presentation, and they don’t replace the need for a human witness or the Scriptures.” 10 

God wants to reveal himself to those who don’t yet know him, and he wants his people to be involved in that work. So some of the ways we can prepare ourselves for it is by: 

1. Spend time with God in your private life – And as you do that, ask God to give you opportunities to minister to specific people. Ask him to reveal specific stumbling blocks they might have to faith. 
2. Store up God’s revelation in your heart by reading his Word. And then, out of the overflow of that work, take the mysteries he’s revealed to you and share them with those around you. 

I read recently that in a context like ours, objections to the Christian faith will come back to claims about Jesus’s divinity—because it elicits a similar response to Jesus that the Jews had; they thought the claim that Jesus was God was blasphemous. 

People will have objections about the Christian teaching on the Trinity – One God, eternally existing in three Persons sounds like nonsense (stumbling block). 

And they’ll have questions about the historical reliability of the gospels. And so if you’re going to be a revealer of mysteries, consider asking God to grow your understanding of those mysteries because it’s contextual to the people around you. If you don’t know where to start, start there. 

If you already know what people are going to ask about, ask God to be merciful in revealing these mysteries to you. Ask other friends to pray for it. ((EX: You know this interaction is happening…watch God answer those prayers.)) 

Alright, we’ve spent all this time building up to the dream. So let’s use what little time we have left to talk about what happened in the dream because 11 

it’s an important piece of prophecy that’s still relevant today. You see this starting in v. 31 (summarize): 

In the dream, Daniel describes a huge statue made of different materials: gold for the head, silver for the chest and arms, bronze for the belly and thighs, iron for the legs, and a mixture of iron and clay for the feet. But the most important part of the dream wasn’t the statue itself, but what happens to the statue: 

[v. 34] – Nebuchadnezzar sees a stone, not made by human hands, strike the statue, crushing it into pieces that get blown away by the wind. But the stone remains. The stone becomes a mountain that fills the whole earth. 

Now, we don’t have time to dive into all the historical details about what’s being revealed through this dream, but the main point isn’t identifying each kingdom. The main point is what God says to every kingdom that rises and falls. 

So let me quickly point out a couple of things going on in the dream: 

First – in v. 37, Daniel prefaces his interpretation by telling 

Nebuchadnezzar the only reason he has any power at all is because God gave it to him. That’s something every human authority needs to hear and it’s absolutely vital to what God is trying to communicate. God is in control. History is bending his way. 

Second – the different materials in the statue are meant to represent the rise and fall of successive kingdoms. In [v. 38] Daniel says 

Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon are represented by the head of gold. You only need to flip over to chapter 3 to see just how proud that made him. 

In [v. 39] the silver chest and arms is understood to be the Medo-Persian empire that joined together from the north and the east to overthrow Babylon in 539 B.C. We see connections to this in Daniel 5. The bronze belly and thighs are believed by many to represent Greece, led by 12 

Alexander the Great, and the iron legs likely symbolize the Roman Empire, which conquered Greece in 63 B.C. 

In [v. 42], the feet of iron and clay is meant to show both the strength and brittleness of the Roman Empire, which eventually breaks into different kingdoms. And that part of the prophecy hasn’t fully happened yet. 

But like I said before, the most important part of the dream isn’t the statue itself, but what happens to it. We’re told a stone, not made by human hands, crushes it. This is God’s message to every person and every human kingdom that has come or will come into the world: 

[v. 44] – And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.” 

What Daniel is saying its that there is a Name and a Kingdom that will last forever, and it’s not Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. It’s not Trump and the USA. It’s not Ibrahim and Malaysia. It’s Jesus and the coming kingdom of God. 

The Rock that’s spoken of here, the stone not cut from human hands, represents the kingdom of God, and it will break into pieces anyone who opposes it. Every other kingdom will fail. But Jesus and his kingdom will be forever. 

That’s exactly what we find in the gospels. When Jesus arrived on the scene under Roman rule, he came proclaiming the gospel of God. In Mark 1:15 Jesus says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” The stone has come. This is what time it is. 13 

In Matthew 13, Jesus explains that the kingdom of God would start small. It’d be like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, but it would eventually multiply and cover the whole earth. Right before Jesus ascended to heaven, he probably only had a few hundred followers, ready to do whatever it took to serve him. But now, the Church Jesus started has grown to be one of the largest movements in the world today and it’s still growing. 

In Matthew 21, Jesus says he is the rock. He’s the stone that gets rejected by the world. But then he becomes the cornerstone the rest of the kingdom is built on. See, the statue in the dream is top-heavy and becomes less stable as you get to the bottom. But the kingdom of God finds its strength in its foundation because it’s built on the person of Jesus, who is the foundation that holds everything else together. 

We know that God is trustworthy, which means he will be faithful to fulfill every word he’s spoken. The question he has for us is will we surrender? Will we live for the kingdom come or will we live for kingdoms slowly fading? 

See, after all that God had done to make his message known, 

Nebuchadnezzar misses the point. And I would be disappointed if you left this morning with the same response. 

[v. 46] – Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. 47 The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” 

Which sounds great! But don’t misunderstand. See, this response shows that it’s possible to respect God and still refuse to receive him as Lord. Nebuchadnezzar bows to Daniel and offers him a gift. He even acknowledges God’s existence, but he doesn’t surrender his life to him. 14 

Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar about a king and a kingdom that will last forever that’s established in God’s name. At this point, hasn’t God already proven Himself? Didn’t he just do the impossible? Everything God’s said is true, and everything he’s promised will come to pass. He controls the world and everything within it. 

And today, he’s still speaking to us. He’s giving us one of two choices: We can either surrender to the promised King or be crushed and carried away by the wind. Now, I realize that sounds like a heavy decision, and it is, but what that means is that we can choose to follow the things that are passing away or we can surrender ourselves to what’s eternal as God has made it known. But let me also remind you what kind of King Jesus is. 

Jesus didn’t come to rule with fear and power like earthly kingdoms. He came to be crushed for us because of our sin. Unlike other kingdoms that rise and fall, Jesus fell and rose. He died and rose again to conquer sin and death for us, and he now leads us, filling us with his Spirit, to spread his kingdom by making more disciples. 

Jesus’s kingdom isn’t built by force. It grows through the power of the Spirit and by sharing the gospel. Like Daniel, we’re called to boldly pray for God’s Spirit to guide us and to give us opportunities to share Christ with those who are seeking him. And when he answers those prayers, we can say with joy, “To God be the glory, I couldn’t have done any of it apart from him.”