A Walk Through History - (Past, Present, Future)

A Walk Through History

(Past, Present, Future)

Daniel 2:29 & 31 – 36

By: JB Hall

Introduction: Today, I’d like us to take a walk through history, from the ancient Babylonian Empire to eternity future.

Here, in the Book of Daniel, God foretells the kingdoms of the world, beginning with the then current reigning empire, the Babylonian Empire with Nebuchadnezzar as its king; and ending with the reign of King Jesus over the entire earth.

You and I stand at a unique vantage point in history. We can look back through history and see that the prophecies made by God in the Bible that relate to events up to our day, came to pass just as predicted.

This then, should give us great confidence that what has been prophesied that is yet future for us, will come to pass just as surely as the prophecies of our past have.

Let’s begin our trek through history by examining King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

The image he dreamed of was an overview of the kingdoms of the world that God showed him – from his (Nebuchadnezzar’s) reign until Jesus reigns supremely over all the earth.

The interpretation of the dream is found in Daniel 2:37 – 44.

The image consisted of:

Head of Gold

Breast and Arms of Silver

Belly and Thighs of Brass

Legs of Iron

Feet, part of Iron and part of Clay

History Past

1. Head of Gold

A. Verses 37 & 38 reveal that the head of gold represented King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian Empire.

B. World History books reveal the existence of the Babylonian Empire, with King Nebuchadnezzar as its king.

2. Breast and Arms of Silver

A. Verse 39a says, “And after this shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee…”

B. This of course, would be the Medes and Persians, or the Medo-Persian Empire.

C. Daniel 8:20, likening this kingdom to a ram with 2 horns, says this, “The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.”

D. Daniel, Chapter 5 records an event where King Belshazzar, the then reigning king of the Babylonian Empire, held a drunken party, and desecrated the captured vessels of the Jewish temple by using them to serve alcoholic beverages to his guests, and to toast his gods.

E. While this perverted party was in progress, Daniel 5:5 says, “In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.”

F. Terrified, King Belshazzar had Daniel come in to interpret the words the fingers wrote.

G. Daniel gave the interpretation in Verses 26 – 28: “This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.” “TEKEL: Thou are weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.” “PERES: Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and the Persians.”

H. Verses 30 & 31 of that chapter record the fulfillment of the prediction, which happened that very same night: “In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.” “And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.”

I. Thus, the second kingdom that was prophesied, the kingdom of the Medes and Persians, came to power just as predicted.

3. Belly and Thighs of Brass

A. This kingdom would be the Grecian Kingdom under the reign of Alexander the Great.

B. Its coming was prophesied again in Daniel 7:6, and is likened to a leopard.

C. Alexander the Great was known for his speed in conquering opposing peoples and kingdoms.

D. Again this kingdom is prophesied in Daniel 8:5 – 8 & 21 – 22; and here Alexander the Great is likened unto a rough goat.

E. Daniel 8:21 says plainly, “And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.”

F. His kingdom is again prophesied in Daniel 11:3 & 4, even giving detail of how Alexander would die in his prime; and that his kingdom would be divided between 4 individuals who were not his family members.

G. Here’s what Daniel 11:3 & 4 say, “And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.” “And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for other besides those.”

H. We know of course, from studying world history, that Alexander the Great was not succeeded in power by his sons or other family members; but his kingdom was divided between his four generals: “Ptolemy reigned in Egypt to the south; Antigonus in Asia to the north; Seleucus in Babylon and Syria to the east; and Cassander in Macedonia to the west…” (Gill)