Daniel. - A Revealer of Secrets

Revealer of Secrets. Daniel chapter two. Daniel chapter two. I'm going to read several verses out of it, so if you can find it. Follow along.

Daniel chapter two. Daniel, of course, taken as a captive with Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego by Nebuchadnezzar brought in the palace, trained over course of several years to stand before the king along with his cohorts as counselors to the king. And right away, the king saw something special in them and God in particular put him in good graces with the king and others and they rose quickly to be advisors to the king. We're only about two or three years into that training period when we get to Daniel chapter two. Okay?

So Daniel chapter two, and in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams where with his spirit was troubled and his sleep break from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians and the astrologers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream. My spirit was troubled to know the dream.

Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac, oh king, live forever. Tell thy servants the dream and we will show the interpretation. 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 to dunghill. 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. They answered again and said, let the king tell his service the dream and we will show the he will show the interpretation of it. The king said and the king answered and said, I know of certainty that you would gain the time because you see the thing is gone for me. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you. For ye 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. The Chaldeans answered before the king and said, there is not a man upon the earth that can show the king show the king's matter. Therefore, there is no king, Lord, nor ruler that asks such things at any magician or astrologer or Chaldean. 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. For this cause, the king was angry and very furious and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon and the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer and then we'll continue from there. Lord, thank you for this day and for this time we could look into your word. Lord, thank you for recording this for us, preserving this for us, that we might see the power and majesty and glory of our God as he deals with this corrupt human king and this faithful prophet. And Lord, of your sovereign hand at work in our world, your plan of redemption coming to be as you will in your time and in your way. Lord, that we might learn to trust you more and give you all the glory, we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen. If you look on your if you look in the scriptures there, in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams wherewith his spirit was troubled and his sleep break from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, Chaldeans for to show the king his dreams, so they came and stood before the king. So few things I just wanted to kind of were impressed on me as I read through this book. I read through this chapter.

Number one was this, Nebuchadnezzar, a murderous tyrant seemingly without conscience is set into fits over drink. K? Now, say murderous tyrant because, well, that's obviously what Nebuchadnezzar was. When they conquered Jerusalem, he had all of the king's children killed before his eyes and then his eyes put out. Here in chapter two, with great ease, he declares that all of his counselors should be executed because they can't tell him this dream.

And he sends his general Arioch to carry out that decree. No concern for human life, having his own subjects killed on a whim, so to speak. This is this is Nebuchadnezzar. He is not a good guy. He is a wicked man.

He is without conscience and he is extremely powerful. His orders are carried out without question generally by those under him. This man, powerful, without conscience, has a dream, just a dream. We dream dreams all the time. I'm sure Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams all the time, but there was something special about this dream.

This dream was so intense. This dream came to him in such a way that it, first of all, woke him up out of his sleep and then would not allow him to go back to sleep and he was absolutely convinced that there was something about this dream that he needed to find out. He was shaken by it and determined to know immediately its meaning. This great king, all this power, all this might without conscience, why be why be so concerned? Why be so shaken as he was?

I'm sure very little shook Nebuchadnezzar, but this dream did. Because it was the work of who? It was the work of God. It was the work of God. We have dreams all the time.

The vast majority of those cases, it's just simply a gobbledygook of things that go through our mind while we're sleeping that happened throughout the day. There were times, particularly in Old Testament, that God spoke to prophets through dreams and visions. I don't think he generally does that thing today because we have the why. We have the completed word of God. He speaks to us through this and through his spirit, not usually through dreams or visions.

Okay? But particularly in the Old Testament, he did. In this case, he literally shook Nebuchadnezzar in the middle of the night. This great king couldn't go to sleep, had to know, just had to know what this vision was. It was indeed the work of God to draw Daniel back into Nebuchadnezzar's court and to relay information to both Nebuchadnezzar and also to Daniel and indirectly to who?

To us, particularly in that day to the nation of Israel. Of the sovereign might and plan of Almighty God for this world. The things in this world do not happen by chance. There there is no coincident on the world scene. God's hand is at work behind things, even things that we might not imagine.

For instance, as Nebuchadnezzar being used by the hand of God to bring judgment upon his own people, Israel. But God knows what he is doing. We can see as the story unfolds in Daniel why God is doing this. Sometimes in our lives from the vantage from our vantage point, God's reasons are difficult to see, But nonetheless, we can trust him. He knows what he is is doing.

Number two, not only was Nebuchadnezzar shaken by the stream and just had to know it, the work of God, Daniel's God given Daniel's God given ability to appease both the executioner and the king by God's grace and Daniel's unique God given wisdom are clearly seen here. If you look back in verse 18 again, and they that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven let's see. Let me move back another verse verse 14. Okay. Verse 14.

We let off the 13. 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. 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. Mean, I Daniel was kind of surprised why is he gonna kill us all.

Okay? Why why so quickly? Then Daniel went in and desired to the king that he would give him time and that he should show the king the interpretation. It's interesting, the wise man said, give us time and he said, no, I'm not giving you time. Show me the dream now and the interpretation or else.

Daniel went in and said, give me time and the king said what? Okay. Okay. I think the king, even the heathen king sensed that there was something different about who? There was something different about Daniel.

He wasn't just biding his time, he really was sincere and genuine. Verse 17, then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Meshach, and Azariah or as we more commonly known them by their Babylonian name Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. That they would desire the mercies of God of heaven concerning the secret that Daniel and his fellow should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylons. So back to my point number two here, Daniel's God given ability to appease both the executioner and the king by God's grace. Again, when Arioch came to Daniel, Daniel was able to quickly convince Arioch to let him go see who?

To let him go see the king. And when he got before the king, the king was willing and eager to give Daniel, it would seem the time. God granted Daniel, I believe, such a standing in the heart of the king. For this was all part of God's what? All part of God's plan.

It tells us back in Daniel chapter one and verse nine, it says, now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. God brought Joseph into similar place of honor and respect with Potiphar, And then with the jailkeeper in the last few chapters of Genesis. Why? Because it was all part of God's plan in Joseph's case to bring Joseph's family, Jacob and his family to live in Egypt so they could be cared for during the famine. Here, God is doing this for Daniel.

He is opening up the heart of the king for him. Besides that, Daniel, not only did God work in the king's heart, but I think God was also working in Daniel's heart. Daniel, remember, he was taken from Jerusalem as probably a teenager. This is only two to three years later, Daniel is still probably a teenager. K.

This is a young man who is by all means still growing and maturing. But in such a way as to earn the respect of even the prince of the eunuchs and Arioch the commander of the the guard of of Nebuchadnezzar, and even Nebuchadnezzar himself. What made Daniel stand out? Well, what made Daniel stand out was his relationship with his God, his sincerity, his faithfulness, his diligence, all things that came at least in part from his relationship with the Lord caused him to stand out, and caused him to be able to get the ear of Arioch before Arioch just came and killed him and his friends, and that of the king. One of the things that that that rings true all the way through this story, despite the exalted position that Daniel gained in Babylon and in Persia to follow, Daniel remained humble and humility goes a long way, particularly before our God.

But it is also recognized often by others. And this I believe Nebuchadnezzar saw and gave him time. Third thing I want to bring out this evening is Daniel and his friends after having spent two to three years already under the tutelage of pagan teachers, by God's grace, had not succumbed to their false teachings. Well, many others probably did. Two to three years now, Daniel and his friends have been under the constant supervision and instruction of pagan heathen teachers in Babylon who are trying to erase their faith.

Trying to erase their their trust and their knowledge of the true God of heaven and replace it with the pagan knowledge, the pagan teaching of that day. Two to three years of that and Daniel and his friends haven't caved. No. Instead of caving to that, they've only grown what? Stronger.

Only grown stronger. Sadly, some probably did not. Some probably quickly caved, compromised, and were brainwashed, deceived by the teaching they were getting. Sadly, many young people in The United States today are suffering the same fate. Many of them sent off to secular colleges from Christian homes who by time they spend two to three to four to six, however many years under secular education, under the instruction of teachers who in many cases, in most cases in secular schools, are seeking to lead them away from God and into the pagan ideas of our day.

And sadly, many of them cave. Some of them don't. What made the difference with Daniel? Well, I think what made the difference with Daniel and his friends was their genuine and growing faith and love for God. Sad to say, not everyone who raises their hand and says I'm a Christian is actually a born again believer in Jesus Christ.

Sadly, often young people claim to have made that decision but it isn't genuine. And they get out in the world and they get under pressure from the world and immediately their heart changes. Indeed, some are genuinely saved, but it's important that you stay under what? Here. And yet your faith grow and grow stronger each day.

If you go off to a place where you're constantly hearing the ways of the world and the knowledge of the world and the wisdom of the world and you never spend time where? In the wisdom of God, then it is going to affect you. Christians can be deceived, young impressionable Christians. But Daniel was not one of them. Daniel stood strong, his faith genuine, his faith growing, his relationship with God growing stronger even through the adversity.

Do take note that Daniel and his friends had no choice. It wasn't their choice to go to Babylon University. They were enslaved and forced to do so. It seems more prudent when given the choice to choose to place young people under the tutelage of those who share our faith and worldview than the opposite. But if it must be, God's grace is what?

Is sufficient. If we will meditate on his word, what? Day and night. Then we shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. Hide God's word in your heart.

I think Daniel did. And so, even under the incredible pressure cooker of the palace in Babylon and the teachers and the instructors, Daniel's faith did not waver. When this issue came, when the problem arose, what was Daniel's solution? What what was Daniel's solution? He went to the Lord in prayer.

That was his immediate solution. Does that sound like the solution of someone whose faith is weak or wavering or who has walked away from the Lord? The answer to that is no. That sounds like somebody who has grown closer and not been pushed further. And by God's grace, that is possible if we will stay in the word of God and close to our savior.

Number four, notice the calmness with which Daniel and his friends literally under the gun go to the Lord for help. They don't panic. Do they need to panic? No. Are are they quick about it?

Yes. But they're calm. How can they be calm? The guy was sent to kill them. Well, they can be calm because who is with them?

The Lord is with them. We can be calm. If we must face persecution in this country, if that one day should come, and I believe it may be closer than we imagine, we you can be calm. Just trust in who? Trust in the Lord.

He said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Notice the confidence with which he approached the the king with the dream and its interpretation. Look if you would in verse 16. Let's see. Verse 18 again.

That they would desire mercies the God of heaven concerning the secret that Daniel and his friends should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision, then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, blessed be the name of God forever and for wisdom and might are his. And he changed at the times of the seasons, he removed with kings and he set us up kings, he giveth wisdom under the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding. He revealeth the deep and secret things, he knoweth what is in the darkness and the light dwelleth with him.

I thank thee and praise thee, oh 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 for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter. Therefore, Daniel went in unto Arioch whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus unto him destroy not the wise men of Babylon bring me in before the king and I will show unto the king the interpretation. Then Arioch brought Daniel before the king in haste and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah that will make known unto the king the interpretation. Notice Arioch is taking the credit.

I don't think that was his credit to take, but anyway, the king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen and the interpretation thereof? Daniel answered in the presence of the king and said, the secret which the king has demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers show unto the king? But there is a God in heaven that reveal his secrets and make it known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream and the visions of thy head upon thy bed are these. As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came unto thy into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter and he that reveal his secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

Let me let me read one more verse. But as for me, the secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart. And then he's going to tell the interpretation. Notice his confidence. He comes before the king and he says, here it is.

I know it. How could he be that confident? The magicians and the other counselors, occultists, if you would, told the king there is no one that can tell you that dream and the interpretation. Give us the dream and we'll give you the what? The interpretation.

But why did they have to have Nebuchadnezzar give them the dream? Because they were just gonna make up the what? They're just gonna make up the interpretation and Nebuchadnezzar caught on to that. So he said, give tell me the dream. But Daniel, with all confidence, walks into Nebuchadnezzar and says, have it.

I can tell you the dream and I can tell you the interpretation. Now, if Daniel was wrong, what would have happened to him? Oh, he'd have probably been killed right there on the spot. But he doesn't seem to be afraid. Why?

Because God is with him and because who gave him the dream and the interpretation? God did. Does God make mistakes? No. He doesn't make mistakes.

We can trust him. When we are in the will of God, when we are following his word, We do not need to be afraid. We can be confident. Like David when he walked up before Goliath. Goliath had been saying, I'm gonna take the the Israelites and I'm gonna tear them apart, I'm gonna feed them the birds.

And he told David basically the same thing and David said, no, you got it wrong. It's gonna be the other way around. But I want you to notice the final thing here from this part of the passage. Notice the clear message of Daniel giving the glory to who? He gave all the glory to God.

He gave the glory to God when God gave him the dream and the interpretation. I read several verses here of praise that God that Daniel gave to God. And when he goes before the king, he makes it clear that this is not the wisdom of Daniel but the wisdom of who? The wisdom of God. Verse 28, but there is a what?

A God in heaven that reveals secrets. The occultists, the magicians, and the wise men, they didn't have an open line to God. Not at all. They may have had an open line to Satan, but they didn't have one to God. They couldn't they couldn't reveal the dream that God sent.

They didn't have that power. Daniel said, they can't do it. Matter of fact, they told the king, only the gods can tell you that. Well, guess who knew God, the God? Daniel did.

And notice when Daniel came before Nebuchadnezzar, he made sure that Nebuchadnezzar knew this wasn't simply the words of Daniel, but these were the words of God. This came from God and not from Daniel. I told you earlier as I started this series that I was reading this book, The Handwriting on the Wall by David Jeremiah and C. C. Carlson, and I was using it not exclusively but considerably for my study.

I want you to read you just this little part here concerning Daniel. It says, perhaps that sounds a bit cocky, but when you are armed with the power of the Holy Spirit and you walk in the presence of pagans knowing that you are in the will of God, you can be supremely confident. That was Daniel's way. He knew where his power was and he gave God the glory. If he had taken the honor that belonged to God, the story would have been over at this point, but he didn't.

As we see the actions of a boy growing into a man, a composite picture of Daniel begins to emerge. He is composed before crisis, he is courageous before the captain who is to take his life, confident before God in prayer, careful before his success careful before his success to give praise to the Lord. And when God answers his prayer, he is contrite in his spirit. I think God is just waiting to find some other folks who will fall into that pattern so he can bless them as he blessed Daniel. God may not give us the ability to interpret dreams, but God has a ministry for us.

God has a purpose for us, particularly in a dark world that needs Christ. But he needs people like who? He needs people like Daniel. What was so special about Daniel? He believed and trusted in the Lord.

That's what was special about Daniel. It wasn't a game. It wasn't something he hypocritically said. It was something that was genuinely in his heart and he simply trusted God and obeyed. Trust and obey.

And God used him. Why did God give this dream to Nebuchadnezzar at this time? As we're going to read the dream here in just a second, it concerns the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo Persia, Greece, Rome, and and a loose put together revived quote Roman Empire at the end of time when Christ returns and destroys the kingdoms of men and puts builds his own kingdom for a thousand years and on into eternity. Why Nebuchadnezzar? Why at this time?

Well, Daniel is an Israelite and he represents the Israelites. And what had happened to Israel? What had just happened? What did what did Nebuchadnezzar done? He had destroyed their cities.

He had taken their youth. He had killed multitudes of people and replanted others all throughout his kingdom. And things looked very bad for Israel. A matter of fact, likely many of the Israelites thought, well, God has abandoned us and this is the what? And this is the end of us.

This dream, this prophecy not only gives us a good deal of what to us is history in great detail as we go through the book of Daniel, but reminds Daniel's people that the Gentiles may be in charge now. The forces of Satan may be in charge now, but one day, one day Christ is coming back. One day God will do away with the kingdoms of men and the power of Satan and he will return us to his kingdom. He will rule the world with a rod of iron and he will rule it from where? He'll rule it from Jerusalem, the holy city.

God is not done. Jeremiah had just prophesied that seventy years later after Israel was conquered, they would come back to rebuild the city, the temple, and the walls once again. Seventy years later, that will happen. Daniel prophesies here and throughout the book things that bring to light that God isn't done with Israel yet. In Romans chapters nine through 11, and I don't have time to go into that this evening.

We'll get to that in our Bible study on Thursdays. In Romans nine through 11, Paul is dealing with the very same issue. The Jews as a people, Israel had rejected their Messiah. God had brought judgment and would bring judgment particularly in AD 70 upon Israel when the temple is destroyed by Rome. But as God washed his hands of Israel, is he done with them?

Paul makes it clear he is not done with them. In 1948, Israel became a nation once again. And the forces of Satan do not want them there. Because despite the fact that so many of his chosen people have rejected their Messiah and don't believe in him, One day, they will change their mind. One day, a remnant will welcome their savior and their king when they see him returning in the clouds to protect them.

They are a testimony and a testament to the power of God that they are there and I believe will remain. Obviously, they're being tried concerning that very thing at this moment. In Matthew 24, Jesus said, when you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place. Whoso readeth, let him understand, then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains. What Daniel is about to say in this chapter and in the following ones is important for the students of scripture to know and understand.

If for no other reason than to warn warn the world as in the days of Noah of God's impending judgment. In Matthew 24, Jesus says, in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the son of man. They'll be giving in marriage and and eating and drinking and just going about their business without any concern, without any any awareness of what is about to come upon them. In Daniel chapter nine when we get there, this abomination of desolation that Jesus is talking about is the final straw halfway through the tribulation. For after the Antichrist defiles the temple and sets up his image there, breaks his treaty with Israel, and garners the support of the of the armies of the world to cast them out once and for all, we are on the doorstep of Christ's what?

Of Christ's return to establish his kingdom and to do away with the kingdoms of men. But it's also a reminder that God isn't done with this world nor is he finished with us. Israel needed to know that Nebuchadnezzar needed to be humbled and that God was not through with them yet. So let's look back in Daniel chapter two at the interpretation of the dream. So Daniel said, verse 31, thou, O king, saw us and behold a great image.

The great image whose brightness was excellent stood before thee and the form thereof was terrible. The image's head was a fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay and break them in pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, the gold broken to pieces together and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors. And the wind carried them away that no place was found for them and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

This is the dream and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field, the fowls of heaven hath he given into thine hand and hath made the ruler over them, thou art the head of gold. So Daniel begins with the interpretation here. The image which Nebuchadnezzar saw foretold the rise and fall of four Gentile kingdoms which would fall before the coming of the kingdom of who?

The kingdom of Jesus Christ. These four kingdoms would rise one after another, but the image, the stone that's cut out of the mountain that hits the foot of the statue, that stone is who? That stone is Jesus Christ. That stone is the Messiah. When it hits the image which represents the kingdoms of the Gentiles, what happens to that image?

It turns to dust and it blows away. And it's like it never ever existed. That's that's what he's seeing here. Astonishingly, this dream given to a heathen king in striking detail depicts the next thousand years plus of human history. The rise of these kingdoms one right after another are amazingly amazingly parallel to the vision that God gave to Nebuchadnezzar and the interpretation thereof.

So amazing in fact that the critics of scripture just can't explain how Daniel would have known. So what do they do? Well, they try to post date the writing of Daniel so that he's writing after the events a thousand years later. But that's just not the case. Daniel wrote this in service to Nebuchadnezzar beforehand.

There's ample proof that that indeed is the case. But if you write off the fact that there is a God, a God in heaven that reveals secrets to men, a God in heaven that's given us his what? His word, then you've got to try to find some other way to explain it though it may not be rational or make sense. What makes the most sense is just to accept. There was a man named Daniel.

He lived in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. Everything we dig up attest to that. These facts just as Daniel gave them, He wrote beforehand because God has a what? Has a plan and Satan's not gonna alter it. It's gonna happen just as he said.

All the way to the point at which the rock strikes the feet of the statue and the kingdoms of this world vanish before the power of Jesus Christ, the king of kings and the Lord of lords when he returns. The head of gold is Nebuchadnezzar, the first of his kind. Nebuchadnezzar ruled over a city of gold. In the book here on page 49, I want to read you something right here. It says, Babylon, the golden kingdom, was literally saturated with gold.

When Herodotus the historian visited Babylon one hundred years or so after Nebuchadnezzar, he wrote that in all his life he had never seen more gold nor imagined there could be so much. It was pure glitter from the palace to the Ishtar Gate, a city practically covered in gold. Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold. A nearly all powerful dictator who ruled over his kingdom, the size and scope of which had never been seen before on the earth. Also a kingdom and reign which was destined, however, to fall before one that was inferior to it.

No matter how great Nebuchadnezzar was, God could take it away just like that. Daniel said, God has given you a what? Kingdom. Now Daniel's gonna have to learn that lesson the hard way as we'll see when we get into the book further. Nebuchadnezzar's gonna have to learn that the hard way as we get into the book.

But but this should have while seeing Nebuchadnezzar as the head of gold, which would have at first made him feel quite proud, also reminded him that he was simply mortal. He would die, his kingdom would die, and another would take its what? Another would take its place. That's what happens with the kingdoms of men. Solomon Solomon moaned about that near the end of his reign.

After he built his kingdom and his city of gold and said, vanity, vanity, all is what? All is vanity. What I have built will be given to another and eventually will crumble and come to dust. Nebuchadnezzar's great and beautiful city is nothing but just ruins covered in the sands of Iraq. It is no city to speak of at all today.

It has fallen to ruin. He is the head of gold, but a head that will eventually lose its power and fall to one inferior to it. Verse 39, after thee shall rise another kingdom inferior to thee and another and a third kingdom of brass which shall bear rule over all the earth. The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron for as much as iron breaketh in pieces and subdue with all things as iron that breaketh all thee shall it break in pieces and bruise. Let's stop there for a moment.

The next three kingdoms, the silver and chest of arms is the Medo Persian Empire which conquered the Babylonian Empire and the city of Babylon under Belshazzar as we'll see as we get to later on in the book of Daniel. Two arms, why? Because two kingdoms jointly working together, the Medes and the Persians. Eventually, the Persians sort of take the predominant role and it's often called the Persian Empire, not just the Medo Persian Empire. And then the belly of brass is the Greek Empire.

The Empire of Alexander the what? Alexander the Great. It is said Alexander's soldiers were armored with brass and bronze. Their shields were a brass and bronze. Their armor was a brass and bronze.

Many of their weapons were made out of brass and bronze. Isn't that interesting in this image that's represented by bronze and brass? Howbeit inferior to silver and what? And gold as we're going down here and not up. Alexander's empire was not long lasting.

It divided into four parts quickly after his death. Those remained for a while until what came on the scene, the empire of Rome. Rome, inferior metal, iron compared to brass or silver or gold, but yet iron is strong. And Rome conquered more than all of the kingdoms before it and ruled them with a rod of iron, so to speak. Nobody dared rebel against Rome for many hundreds of years.

The largest of empires, the most enduring, as Europe still bears in many aspects even today vestiges of the Roman Empire, particularly the Roman Catholic church. Iron being a most fitting description of the way in which Rome conquered and ruled the world. And then we have at the end, at the end of those legs of iron, the feet and the toes of iron and clay mixed together seems to indicate a link between Rome and the kingdom of the Antichrist as we shall see in Daniel and Revelation. The mixture of iron and clay speaks of great power but not as centralized as the previous ones. A coalition of 10 who somehow linked to Rome will eventually submit to the rule of the antichrist.

And then, what will come? The the stone cut out of the what? The stone cut out of the mountain. Look if you would again in verse 41, whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter's clay and part of iron. The kingdom shall be divided but there shall be in it the strength of the iron for as much as thou sawest the iron mixed with the miry clay.

And as the toes of the feet were part of the iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken. We'll get into more details, the aspects of the kingdom of the Antichrist later on in the book. Verse 44, and in those days, these kings in the days of these kings, the 10, shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. The kingdom shall be left to other people shall not be left to other people. It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand forever.

So as much as thou sawest the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, it break in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, the gold. The great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter and the dream is certain and the interpretation thereof sure. What a miracle. Here Nebuchadnezzar sits and hears as he hears the interpretation of the dream, he hears what God is going to do in his days and in the days hereafter till the day that Christ comes and does away with man's kingdoms and replaces it with his kingdom. Who has redeemed us by his death and resurrection that we might be part of that kingdom one day with him.

The author makes a couple more observations. The statue sits on unstable foundations as do the kingdoms of the world today. You have the gold and the silver and the brass and the iron, but what was the foundation? The toes and the foot. It sat upon what?

Iron and clay. Jesus said, if you believe my words, you will be like a house that is built on what? On stone. And the winds will come and the rains have come and it will stand strong. If our faith is built on Jesus Christ and his word, then we can be sure we will stand strong because his kingdom will endure.

But those who put their faith in the things of this world, in the kings of this world, and the rewards of this world, and not listening to the son of God who made this world, their house will come crashing down because it's built on what? It's built on sand just as the kingdoms of men will. There are kings today, there are leaders today who think they are going to build their caliphate, build their kingdom, build whatever, but there will be only one king and one kingdom that will stand forever. All the kingdoms of men will fall, all of them before almighty God and Jesus Christ our savior. We can be sure of this.

We can be sure. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you, Lord. For this time, we could look into your word this evening. Thank you for revealing, recording, and preserving for us this this chapter in this book to show us Lord that you're in charge, that the history of the world in which we live was not beyond your control and is all part of your plan.

And Lord, as we see your plan fulfilled in these empires, in the world in which we live, we can be sure that the final part of it will also come to pass. That Jesus our savior will return, that his kingdom will be built, and that we who are the children of God will be blessed to be part of that kingdom forever and ever. Lord, thank you for your word this evening. Thank you, Lord, that we are privileged like Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel to know this today, to know your plan, and be a part of it. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.