The King Dreams of World Empires

Verse 1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams,
wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.

The Course Of Empires

With unerring accuracy, the pen of prophecy has traced the course of history down to our day.
Daniel was carried into captivity in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar. For three years he was placed under
instructors, during which time he would not of course be reckoned among the wise men of the kingdom,
nor take part in public affairs. Yet in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar, the transactions recorded in this
chapter took place. How, then, could Daniel be brought in to interpret the king's dream in his second year?
The explanation lies in the fact that Nebuchadnezzar reigned for two years conjointly with his father,
Nabopolassar. From this point the Jews reckoned, while the Chaldeans reckoned from the time he began
to reign alone on the death of his father. Hence, the year here mentioned was the second year of his reign
according to the Chaldean reckoning, but the fourth according to the Jewish. [1] It thus appears that the
next year after Daniel had completed his preparation to participate in the affairs of the Chaldean empire,
the providence of God brought him into sudden and remarkable prominence throughout the kingdom.

Verse 2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the
Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
The King's Wise Men Fail Him. The magicians practiced magic, using the term in its bad sense;
that is, they employed all the superstitious rites and ceremonies of fortunetellers, and casters of nativities,
and the like. Astrologers were men who pretended to foretell events by the study of the stars. The science,
or the superstition, of astrology was extensively cultivated by the Eastern nations of antiquity. Sorcerers
were such as pretended to hold communication with the dead. In this sense, we believe, the word
"sorcerer" is always used in the Scriptures. The Chaldeans here mentioned were a sect of philosophers
similar to the magicians and astrologers, who made natural science and divinations their study. All these
sects or professions abounded in Babylon. The result desired by each was the same the explaining of
mysteries and foretelling of events the principal difference between them being the means by which they
sought to accomplish their object. The king's difficulty lay equally within the province of each to explain;
hence he summoned them all. With the king it was an important matter. He was greatly troubled, and
therefore concentrated upon the solution of his perplexity the wisdom of his realm.

Verse 3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the
dream. 4 Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac, O king, live forever: tell thy servants the dream, and we
will show the interpretation.

In whatever else the ancient magicians and astrologers may have been efficient, they seem to have
been thoroughly schooled in the art of drawing out sufficient information to form a basis for some shrewd
calculation, or of framing their answers in such an ambiguous manner that they would be applicable
whichever way the events turned. In the present case, true to their cunning instincts, they called upon the
king to make known to them his dream. If they could get full information respecting this, they could easily
agree on some interpretation which would not endanger their reputation. They addressed themselves to the
king in Syriac, a dialect of the Chaldean language which was used by the educated and cultured classes.
From this point to the end of Daniel 7, the record continues in Chaldaic, the language spoken by the king.
Verse 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if you will not make
known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be
made a dunghill. 6 But if you show the dream, and the interpretation thereof, you shall receive of me gifts and
rewards and great honor: therefore show me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. 7 They answered again
and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it. 8 The king answered
and said, I know of certainty that you would gain the time, because you see the thing is gone from me. 9 But if
you will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for you have prepared lying and
corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you
can show me the interpretation thereof. 10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man
upon the earth that can show the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things
at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none
other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. 12 For this cause the
king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 And the decree went
forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
These verses contain the record of the desperate struggle between the wise men and the king. The
former sought some avenue of escape, since they were caught on their own ground. The king was
determined that they should make known his dream, which was no more than should be expected from
their profession.

Some have severely censured Nebuchadnezzar in this matter, as acting the part of a heartless,
unreasonable tyrant. But what did these magicians profess to be able to do? To reveal hidden things, to
foretell events, to make known mysteries entirely beyond human foresight and penetration, and to do this
by the aid of supernatural agencies. There was therefore nothing unjust in Nebuchadnezzar's demand that
they should make known his dream. When they declared that none but the gods whose dwelling was not
with flesh could make known the king's matter, it was a tacit acknowledgment that they had no
communication with these gods, and knew nothing beyond what human wisdom and discernment could
reveal. "For this cause the king was angry and very furious."

He saw that he and all his people were being made the victims of deception. While we cannot
justify the extreme measures to which he resorted, dooming them to death, and their houses to destruction,
we cannot but feel a hearty sympathy with him in his condemnation of a class of miserable imposters. The
king would be no party to dishonesty or deception.

Verse 14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard,
which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: 15 he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why
is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. 16 Then Daniel went in, and
desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation. 17 Then
Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: 18 that
they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not
perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Daniel to the Rescue. In this narrative we see the providence of God working in several
remarkable particulars. It was providential that the dream of the king should leave such a powerful
impression upon his mind as to raise him to the greatest height of anxiety, and yet the thing itself be held
from his recollection. This led to the complete exposure of the false system of the magicians and other
pagan teachers. When put to the test to make known the dream, they were unable to do what they
professed was entirely within their power.

It was remarkable that Daniel and his companions, so lately pronounced by the king ten times
better than all his magicians and astrologers, should not have been consulted in this matter. But there was
a providence in this. Just as the dream was held from the king, so he was unaccountably restrained from
appealing to Daniel for a solution of the mystery. Had he called Daniel at the first to make known the
matter, the magicians would not have been brought to the test. But God would give the heathen systems of
the Chaldeans the first chance. He would let them try and ignominiously fail, and then confess their utter
incompetency, ever under the penalty of death, that they might be the better prepared to acknowledge His
intervention when He should finally manifest His power in behalf of His captive servants, and for the
honor of His name.

It appears that the first intimation Daniel had of the matter was the presence of the executioners,
come for his arrest. His own life being thus at stake, he was led to seek the Lord with all his heart until He
should work for the deliverance of His servants. Daniel gained his request of the king for time to consider
the matter a privilege which probably none of the magicians could have obtained, as the king had already
accused them of preparing false and corrupt words, and of seeking to gain time for this very purpose.
Daniel at once went to his three companions, and asked them to unite with him in desiring mercy of the

God of heaven concerning this secret. He could have prayed alone, and doubtless would have been heard.
But then, as now, in the union of God's people there is prevailing power. The promise of the
accomplishment of that which is asked, is to the two or three who shall agree concerning it. (Matthew 18:
19, 20.)

Verse 19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of
heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever: for wisdom and might are
His: 21 And He changes the times and the seasons: He removes kings, and sets up kings: He gives wisdom unto
the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: 22 He reveals the deep and secret things: He knows
what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him. 23 I thank Thee, and praise Thee, O Thou God of my
fathers, who has given me wisdom and might, and has made known unto me now what we desired of Thee: for
Thou has now made known unto us the king's matter.

Whether or not the answer came while Daniel and his companions were yet offering up their
petitions, we are not informed. It was in a night vision that God revealed Himself in their behalf. The
words "night vision" mean anything that is seen, whether through dreams or visions.
Daniel immediately offered up praise to God for His gracious dealing with them, and while his
prayer is not preserved, his responsive thanksgiving is fully recorded. God is honored by our praise to Him
for the things He has done for us, as well as by our petitions to Him for help. Let Daniel's course be our
example in this respect. Let no mercy from the hand of God fail of its due return of thanksgiving and
praise. In the days of Christ's ministry on earth, did He not cleanse ten lepers, and only one returned to
give Him thanks? "But where," asks Christ sorrowfully, "are the nine?" Luke 17: 17.