Da 2:1-23

Back to Daniel~

Back to Contents

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Dan 2:1-23)

Soon after completing their early training, Daniel and his friends were faced with a severe test. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and wanted his wise men to tell him its meaning. However, he would not, or could not, tell them the dream. He insisted that they first describe the dream to him accurately, and then he could be sure that their interpretation also was accurate (Dan 2:1-6).

The wise men replied that the king’s demand was unreasonable. No person anywhere had such knowledge (Dan 2:7-11).

Furious at their reply, the king ordered that all Babylon’s wise men be executed (Dan 2:12).

Perhaps Daniel and his friends had kept themselves separate from the Babylonian magicians and sorcerers, for they did not appear with them before the king. When the king’s guards came to arrest them to be executed, Daniel bravely went to the king and successfully asked for extra time to consider the matter (Dan 2:13-16).

He immediately returned home and gathered his three friends with him to pray to their God (Dan 2:17-18).

That night God revealed the dream and its interpretation to Daniel in a vision. Without waiting to check with the king whether his vision of the dream was the same as the king’s, Daniel confidently thanked God for answering his prayer (Dan 2:19).

He praised God as the all-wise and all-powerful ruler of the world, who controls history, determines the destinies of kings, gives wisdom to the faithful and reveals mysteries to his servants (Dan 2:20-23).