Lesson 185

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Daniel 2:1-49

MEMORY VERSEDANIEL 2:47“Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and arevealer of secrets.”

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:Two plastic spoons and two hard-boiled eggs.

A cardboard tube for each child, two 4” squares of clear plasticwrap for each child, tape, metallic confetti, yellow paper, andmarkers.

A copy of the “Drawing the King’s Dream” template for each child.

ATTENTION GETTER!

Keep Your FocusYou will need two plastic spoons and two hard-boiled eggs. Ask thechildren to form two lines facing each other and about 2’ apart.Choose a child from each line to hold a plastic spoon with a hardboiled egg balanced on it. The “egg walkers” will start fromopposite ends of the lines and try to walk between the groups aschildren try to distract them. Make sure to explain that theycannot get out of line or touch the “egg walkers.” When everyonehas had a chance to go down the line, talk about the things thatmay distract our focus from Jesus and how we can direct our focusback to Jesus.

In today’s lesson, Daniel was in a difficult situation. An edict wentout that all of the king’s advisors were to be killed. But, Daniel kepthis focus on God, and God delivered him. God was able to useDaniel in a great way because his focus was in the right place.

LESSON TIME!Have you ever had a dream that you did not fully remember, yetyou could not forget that you had the dream? KingNebuchadnezzar of Babylon had such a dream one night. Thoughhe could not remember what the dream was about, the dream wasreally troubling to him. He asked his magicians, astrologers, andsorcerers to tell him what his dream meant.

D AN IEL 2:1-13N ow in the s ec ond year o f N ebu c hadnez z ar 's re i gn ,N ebu c hadnez z ar had d ream s ; and h i s sp i r i t w as sot rou bled that h i s s l eep l e f t h im .

Then the k ing gav e the c om m and to c al l t hem agi c i ans , the as t ro logers , the sorc erer s , and theChaldeans t o t e l l t he k ing h i s d ream s . S o they c am eand s tood bef ore the k ing.

And the k ing said t o them , " I hav e had a d ream , andm y sp i r i t i s anx iou s t o know the d ream ."

Then the Chaldeans sp oke t o the k ing in Aram ai c , "Ok ing, l i v e f orev er ! Te l l you r s erv an t s the d ream , andw e w i l l gi v e the in t erp ret at i on ."

The k ing answ ered and said t o the Chaldeans , "M ydec i s i on i s f i rm : i f you do not m ake know n thedream to m e, and i t s in t erp ret at i on , you shal l be c u tin p i ec es , and you r hou ses shal l be m ade an ashheap .

"How ev er , i f you t e l l t he d ream and i t sin t erp ret at i on , you shal l r ec e i v e f rom m e gi f t s ,rew ards , and great honor . Theref ore t e l l m e thedream and i t s in t erp ret at i on ."

They answ ered again and said , "Let the k ing t e l l h i ss erv an t s the d ream , and w e w i l l gi v e i t sin t erp ret at i on ."

The k ing answ ered and said , " I know f or c er t ain thatyou w ou ld gain t im e , bec au se you see that m ydec i s i on i s f i rm :

" i f you do not m ake know n the d ream to m e, there i son ly one dec ree f or you ! For you hav e agreed t osp eak l y ing and c orru p t w ords bef ore m e t i l l t het im e has c hanged . Theref ore t e l l m e the d ream , and Ishal l know that you c an gi v e m e i t s in t erp ret at i on ."

The Chaldeans answ ered the k ing, and said , "There i snot a m an on ear th w ho c an t e l l t he k ing's m at t er ;theref ore no k ing, l o rd , or ru l er has ev er asked su c hth ings o f any m agi c i an , as t ro loger , o r Chaldean .

" I t i s a d i f f i c u l t th ing that the k ing requ es t s , andthere i s no o ther w ho c an t e l l i t t o the k ing exc ep tthe gods , w hose dw el l ing i s no t w i th f l esh ."

For th i s reason the k ing w as angry and v ery f u r iou s ,and gav e a c om m and to des t roy al l t he w i se m en o fBaby lon .

S o the dec ree w en t ou t , and they began k i l l i ng thew i se m en ; and they sou gh t D an ie l and h i sc om p an ions , t o k i l l t hem .

The King’s dream was so disturbing to him that he called all thewise men of Babylon to not only tell him what the dream meant,but also what it was he had dreamed.

King Nebuchadnezzar’s wise men were, indeed, in a pickle. Ofcourse, they could not tell him the dream or give theinterpretation of it. They tried to reason with the king, explainingthat such a request had never been asked before and simply wasnot possible. King Nebuchadnezzar’s temper flared and hecommanded that they should all be destroyed.

Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,had finished their training and entered into the service of KingNebuchadnezzar. Thus, when the order went out that the wisemen should be killed, it included Daniel and his friends.

DANIEL 2:14-18Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, thecaptain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill thewise men of Babylon;

he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, "Why isthe decree from the king so urgent?" Then Arioch made thedecision known to Daniel.

So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, thathe might tell the king the interpretation.

Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decisionknown to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,

that they might seek mercies from the God of heavenconcerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companionsmight not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Daniel spoke to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard who hadreceived the order to kill all the wise men. Verse 14 states: “ThenDaniel answered with counsel and wisdom..." Who was Daniel’scounselor that would enable him to give a wise answer to Arioch?

True counsel and wisdom come from God. This gives us a glimpseinto Daniel’s character—he walked closely with God; and when theright answer was of great importance, he was prepared. He did notrespond defensively, seek to shift the blame, or hurl accusationstoward the king, he answered with counsel and wisdom. Proverbs15:1 tells us, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh wordstirs up anger." How important that we live in close relationshipwith God so that if we find ourselves “on the spot” as did Daniel,counsel and wisdom from the Lord will help us.

Daniel asked for more time so that he may satisfy the king'srequests. Then, he went into his house and asked his friends--Shadrach, Meschach and Abendego--to pray and ask God for Hismercy to reveal this secret so that they might not perish with therest of the wise men of Babylon. Daniel was a man of prayer. Whenfaced with difficulty, he knew where to turn. And, He knew whereto turn others, also, encouraging his friends to seek God’s mercy.

Daniel, though only a young man of 19 or 20, could handle a crisiswell. Why? He knew he could trust the One who made him; andthus he sought God’s counsel, wisdom, and help. Do you know youcan trust God in difficulty? The more you know God, the moreyou’ll trust Him. Get to know Him! Read your Bible; spend time inprayer. God knows and controls the future.

D AN IEL 2:19-23Then the s ec ret w as rev eal ed t o D an ie l in a n i gh tv i s i on . S o D an ie l bl es sed the God o f heav en .

D an ie l answ ered and said : "B l es sed be the nam e o fGod f orev er and ev er , For w i sdom and m igh t are Hi s .

And He c hanges the t im es and the s easons ; Herem ov es k ings and rai s es u p k ings ; He gi v es w i sdomto the w i se And know ledge t o those w ho hav eu nders t and ing.

He rev eal s deep and sec ret th ings ; He know s w hat i sin the darknes s , And l i gh t dw el l s w i th Him .

" I thank You and p rai s e You , O God o f m y f athers ;You hav e gi v en m e w i sdom and m igh t , And hav e nowm ade know n to m e w hat w e asked o f You , For Youhav e m ade know n to u s the k ing's dem and ."

God is faithful to His children. Daniel and his friends prayed andGod answered their prayers and revealed the secret to Daniel in anight-vision.

How did Daniel respond as he received this great revelation ofNebuchadnezzar's dream, which no one else—not even the greatestof the king’s wise men--could interpret? Daniel declared "the nameof God" will be praised forever and ever. He understood that it isGod who possesses wisdom and might.

Indeed, God has wisdom and power like no other! He changestimes and seasons. He sets up and casts down kings. He giveswisdom to the wise and knowledge to those that possess insight.He reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is indarkness; and light dwells with Him. As we observe the wonderfulqualities of our King, we along with Daniel realize that praise andthanksgiving belong to God, and to God alone.

Through the revelation of this secret, hidden to the king’s wisemen, God proved Himself to Daniel and to others as the true God inopposition to the gods of the heathen. God knows and controlsthe future.

D AN IEL 2:24-30Theref ore D an ie l w en t t o Ar ioc h , w hom the k ing hadap p o in t ed t o des t roy the w i se m en o f Baby lon . Hew ent and said thu s t o h im : "D o not des t roy the w i sem en o f Baby lon ; t ake m e bef ore the k ing, and I w i l lt e l l t he k ing the in t erp ret at i on ."

Then Ar ioc h qu i c k ly brou gh t D an ie l bef ore the k ing,and said thu s t o h im , " I hav e f ou nd a m an o f thec ap t i v es o f J u dah , w ho w i l l m ake know n to the k ingthe in t erp ret at i on ."

The k ing answ ered and said t o D an ie l , w hose nam ew as Be l t eshaz z ar , "Are you abl e t o m ake know n to m ethe d ream w h i c h I hav e s een , and i t s in t erp ret at i on ?"

D an ie l answ ered in the p resenc e o f the k ing, andsaid , "The s ec ret w h i c h the k ing has dem anded , thew i se m en , the as t ro logers , the m agi c i ans , and thesoothsayers c annot dec l are t o the k ing.

"Bu t there i s a God in heav en w ho rev eal s s ec ret s ,and He has m ade know n to King N ebu c hadnez z arw hat w i l l be in the l at t er days . You r d ream , and thev i s i ons o f you r head u p on you r bed , w ere these :

"As f or you , O k ing, thou ght s c am e to you r m indw h i l e on you r bed , abou t w hat w ou ld c om e to p as saf t er th i s ; and He w ho rev eal s s ec ret s has m adeknow n to you w hat w i l l be .

"Bu t as f or m e , th i s s ec ret has not been rev eal ed t om e bec au se I hav e m ore w i sdom than anyone l i v ing,bu t f or ou r sakes w ho m ake know n the in t erp ret at i onto the k ing, and that you m ay know the thou ght s o fyou r hear t .

Daniel announced that he was prepared to make known to the kingthe dream and its interpretation. When the king asked aboutDaniel’s ability to make known the dream and interpretation,Daniel was careful to direct the king correctly--he was not about totake credit for what God had done. It is “God in heaven” who isable to reveal secrets; God could do all the pagan gods, magicians,astrologers, and sorcerers could not. God knows and controlsthe future.

The king was no doubt thinking about the future of his kingdom ashe lay on his bed. Daniel explained that the dream God gave to theking that revealed the future.

Daniel states: "But as for me, this secret has not been revealed tome because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for oursakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that youmay know the thoughts of your heart.” Daniel seems to site tworeasons for God’s revelation: 1) to keep Daniel, his friends, and allthose threatened with death alive and 2) God who authored thedream desired to reveal the future to King Nebuchadnezzar.

Take note of Daniel’s humility: “…this secret has not been revealedto me because I have more wisdom than anyone living…” What animportant characteristic humility is! Proverbs 15:33 states“…before honor is humility.”

D AN IEL 2:31-35"You , O k ing, w ere w at c h ing; and beho ld , a greatim age ! Th i s great im age , w hose sp l endor w asexc e l l en t , s t ood bef ore you ; and i t s f orm w asaw esom e.

"Th i s im age 's head w as o f f ine go ld , i t s c hes t andarm s o f s i l v er , i t s be l l y and th i ghs o f bronz e ,

" i t s l egs o f i ron , i t s f ee t p ar t l y o f i ron and p ar t l y o fc l ay .

"You w at c hed w h i l e a s t one w as c u t ou t w i thou thands , w h i c h s t ru c k the im age on i t s f ee t o f i ron andc lay , and broke them in p i ec es .

"Then the i ron , the c l ay , the bronz e , the s i l v er , andthe go ld w ere c ru shed together , and bec am e l i kec haf f f rom the su m m er th resh ing f l oors ; the w indc arr i ed them aw ay so that no t rac e o f them w asf ou nd . And the s t one that s t ru c k the im age bec am e agreat m ou ntain and f i l l ed the w ho le ear th .

Daniel revealed King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The king wasgazing upon a huge statue that was awesome in its size andextraordinary in its splendor.

Daniel describes the statue to Nebuchadnezzar. The head was offine gold. The chest and the arms were of silver. The belly and thethighs, the upper half of the legs, were bronze, or brass. The legsfrom the thighs to the feet were iron, and the feet were a mixture oftwo materials--iron and clay.

It must have been quite an image to look at! It would definitely getsomeone's attention. Note, the material of this image becomesinferior from the head downward: gold, silver, brass, iron, clay;the whole image of metal becomes inferior, finally ending up inclay, losing itself in common earthly matter. The material becomesharder, until it is iron; yet, it then suddenly becomes weak andbrittle clay.

While the king gazed in amazement at this huge magnificentstructure, a stone was "cut loose" or merely "detached" from amountainside. It crushed the feet of iron and clay, the mostvulnerable part of the whole image. The whole image broke intopieces, from the head to the feet. All the material was ground intopowder and scattered like the chaff of the summer thrashing floor.The stone that brought this destruction became a great mountainthat filled the whole earth.

Drawing the King’s DreamSupply each child with a copy of the template provided with thislesson. Simply follow the instructions on the template. Use thecraft to discuss the meaning of the dream with your children andto reinforce today’s theme.

D AN IEL 2:36-45"Th i s i s the d ream . N ow w e w i l l t e l l t hein t erp ret at i on o f i t be f ore the k ing.

"You , O k ing, are a k ing o f k ings . For the God o fheav en has gi v en you a k ingdom , p ow er , s t rength ,and glory ;

"and w herev er the c h i ld ren o f m en dw el l , o r thebeas t s o f the f i e ld and the bi rd s o f the heav en , Hehas gi v en them in to you r hand , and has m ade youru l er ov er them al l ; you are th i s head o f go ld .

"Bu t af t er you shal l ar i s e another k ingdom in f er iorto you rs ; then another , a th i rd k ingdom of bronz e ,w h i c h shal l ru l e ov er al l t he ear th .

"And the f ou r th k ingdom shal l be as s t rong as i ron ,inasm u c h as i ron breaks in p i ec es and shat t er sev ery th ing; and l i ke i ron that c ru shes , that k ingdomw i l l break in p i ec es and c ru sh al l t he o thers .

"Whereas you saw the f ee t and toes , p ar t l y o fp ot t er 's c l ay and p ar t l y o f i ron , the k ingdom shal l bed iv ided ; yet the s t rength o f the i ron shal l be in i t ,j u s t as you saw the i ron m ixed w i th c eram ic c l ay .

"And as the t oes o f the f ee t w ere p ar t l y o f i ron andp ar t l y o f c l ay , so the k ingdom shal l be p ar t l y s t rongand p ar t l y f ragi l e .

"As you saw i ron m ixed w i th c eram ic c l ay , they w i l lm ingl e w i th the s eed o f m en ; bu t they w i l l no tadhere t o one another , j u s t as i ron does not m ix w i thc l ay .

"And in the days o f these k ings the God o f heav enw i l l s e t u p a k ingdom w h ic h shal l nev er bedes t royed ; and the k ingdom shal l no t be l e f t t o o therp eop le ; i t shal l break in p i ec es and c onsu m e al lthese k ingdom s , and i t shal l s t and f orev er .

" Inasm u c h as you saw that the s t one w as c u t ou t o fthe m ou ntain w i thou t hands , and that i t broke inp i ec es the i ron , the bronz e , the c l ay , the s i l v er , andthe go ld—the great God has m ade know n to the k ingw hat w i l l c om e to p as s af t er th i s . The d ream i sc er t ain , and i t s in t erp ret at i on i s su re ."

Daniel now gives the king the interpretation of the dream. Thedream is a prophetic, telling Nebuchadnezzar what will occur inthe future. The four metals making up the image are explained assymbolizing four empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece (underAlexander), and Rome.

Daniel tells the king that it is the only true God, “the God of theheavens” that gave him his position and success. Nebuchadnezzar,having dominion over men, beasts, and birds, was the "head ofgold" referring to the world-kingdom, Babylon, which he hadfounded.

In verse 39, the second and third parts of the image are interpretedas the second and third world kingdoms. The second, the silverpart of the image, being the chest and arms, would arise after thefall of the Babylonian kingdom. It represented the Medo-PersianEmpire with Cyrus as king. Note: We see some deterioration of themetals, from gold to silver. Cyrus' kingdom may have beensomewhat inferior to the Babylonian because the Medo-PersianEmpire was not one and united as the Babylonian kingdom was.

Next, we go to the third world kingdom, the belly and thighs ofbronze. This represented the Greek kingdom of Alexander as wellas the four kingdoms that resulted after the death of Alexander. Asthe belly and the thighs are of bronze, we can see that the unitdivides itself into two separate parts, which do not reunite. AfterAlexander’s death, the four parts of his realm were really more liketwo: Syria and Egypt. These are the two thighs of the statue. Theyare still separate when the last empire appears on the scene.

The fourth part of the image, the legs and feet, represent a fourthworld-kingdom, Rome. That kingdom, with the legs of iron, will behard and firm like iron. Iron breaks all things in pieces; so thiskingdom, which is like iron, will break in pieces and destroy allthese prior kingdoms.

The iron does speak of strength, for we have the phrase, "strong asiron." It does not mean that this kingdom is strong in unity, butthat it is destructive in its strength. It will crush and demolish asiron crushes and smashes all things. A study of history shows thatthe Romans were noted for their ability to crush all resistance totheir power with an iron heel.

Note: Only the legs of the image are made out of solid iron; the feetand toes are partly of clay and partly of iron. This shows that thekingdom will divide into ten smaller, weaker kingdoms, for clayindicates weakness. Truly prophetic in nature, the ten toes are thefuture ten nations, ruled by ten kings, which shall come togetherunder the rule of one man. The indication that the iron would bemixed with the miry clay (verse 41) speaks of a possible resurgenceof the Roman government.

“In the days of these kings" (the time of the ten kings representedby the ten toes of the statue), God will set up a kingdom whichshall never be destroyed—the millennial kingdom. One day, asmiting stone will crush the entire image representing the worldpowers with one blow; and Jesus will set up His kingdom and reignover all—King of Kings and Lord or Lords. The smiting stone willbecome a mountain (symbolic biblically of a kingdom) that fills"the whole earth."

How wonderful to know that this rock is no other than our LordJesus Christ at His second coming. Jesus did not destroy the worldsystem when He was on the earth before. He came, in His firstcoming, as our Redeemer; His purpose was to seek and save thelost. But, in His second coming, He will come to reign. Followingthe time of Christ, the western part of the Roman Empire collapsed(476 A.D.); the eastern part of the Roman empire collapsed almost1000 years later (1453 A.D.). Since that time, no other empire orworld power has been as great or mighty (reigned over as much ofthe known world) as the Roman Empire.

Weaker world powers continue to this day, but when the church israptured, the ten kings will emerge setting up an alliance orconfederation. It is during the time of these kings that the smitingstone will strike the image and the government of man will forevercome to an end. The millennial Kingdom will begin, and the ruleand reign of Jesus Christ will stand forever.

The dream that God gave to Nebuchadnezzar was a vision of thecourse of the history of the world. God assured the king of thetruth of the dream. This will surely happen! God knows andcontrols the future.

D AN IEL 2:46-49Then King N ebu c hadnez z ar f e l l on h i s f ac e , p ros t rat ebef ore D an ie l , and c om m anded that they shou ldp resen t an o f f er ing and inc ense t o h im .

The k ing answ ered D an ie l , and said , "Tru ly you r Godi s the God o f gods , the Lord o f k ings , and a rev eal ero f s ec ret s , s inc e you c ou ld rev eal th i s s ec ret ."

Then the k ing p rom oted D an ie l and gav e h im m anygreat gi f t s ; and he m ade h im ru l er ov er the w ho lep rov inc e o f Baby lon , and c h i e f adm in i s t rator ov er al lthe w i se m en o f Baby lon .

Al so D an ie l p et i t i oned the k ing, and he s e t S hadrac h ,M eshac h , and Abed -N ego ov er the af f ai r s o f thep rov inc e o f Baby lon ; bu t D an ie l s at in the gat e o f thek ing.

King Nebuchadnezzar was truly impressed. So much so, that hesought to honor Daniel with an offering. Daniel’s God could dowhat none of the Babylonian gods could do. He rightly proclaimed,“Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and arevealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.” AfterNebuchadnezzar had given honor to God, he rewarded Daniel, theservant of God, with gifts and promotion to a high office. Danieldid not forget his three friends who had co-labored with him inprayer—He petitioned the king on their behalf. May we, likeDaniel, always remember the significance of those who co-laborwith us!

Today, we reflect on Daniel’s dream with great anticipation. As theworld grows darker, morally and spiritually, we can look beyondwhat we see at present, and know that a glorious day will come—the day Jesus will come to rule and reign in righteousness andman’s feeble efforts to govern himself will come to an end. Godknows and controls the future.

2 Peter 3:11-13 states, “Therefore, since all these things will bedissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conductand godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day ofGod, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire,and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we,according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth inwhich righteousness dwells.”

Looking ahead to the glorious second coming of our Lord andSavior, what manner (type) of persons should we be? Let us resolveto become men and women of character, who like Daniel, walkclosely in fellowship with God receiving His wisdom, counsel, andhelp in time of need. May we not only know where to turn in timesof trouble, but may we turn others to Him as well.

Krazy KaleidoscopeFor this craft, you will need a cardboard tube for each child, two 4-inch squares of clear plastic wrap for each child, tape, metallicconfetti, yellow paper and markers.

Give each child a cardboard tube. Have children work in pairs andeach tear two 4-inch squares of clear plastic wrap. Tape one pieceof plastic over one end of each tube, stretching it tightly and tapingthe wrap to the tube.

Next, sprinkle about a tablespoon of metallic confetti on top of theplastic and place a yellow paper cross in the confetti. Loosely tapethe second piece of plastic wrap over the confetti and tape it to thetube. Use markers to decorate the tubes. When finished, invite thechildren to point them at a light and peek through them.

People will look at and to all kinds of things for the truth. KingNebuchadnezzar looked to his astrologers and magicians. Theycouldn’t help him. Remember, when you want to see somethingworthwhile, where you look makes all the difference in the world.Look to God and you will see good things—better days ahead. Wewho believe in Jesus have a future and a hope.

PRAYERLead the children in a prayer of commitment to trust in the Lord,like Daniel, no matter the circumstances, and to thank the Lordthat He has our future in His hands and has a glorious plan for us.If there are any children who have not yet responded to the Gospel,give them opportunity.

Template – Drawing the King’ s Dream

DRAWING THE

KING’S DREAM

King Nebuchadnez z arsaw a s t at ue in hisdream. In t he sp ace t oy our right draw ap ict ure of t he s t at uet hat Nebuchadnez z arsaw. T he s t at ue wasdivided int o 5 p art s .On t he p rovided line lis tt he p art indicat ed andwhet her it was gold,s ilver, bronz e, iron orclay .

Aft er filling in t heblanks ; next color y ours t at ue according t o it s ’p art s :

Gold – YellowSilver – GrayBrass – OrangeIron – BlackClay – Brown

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