Daniel 2:1-49
A Dream of the Future
Lincolns Dream
"About ten days ago, I retired very late. I had been up waiting for important dispatches from the front. I could not have been long in bed when I fell into a slumber, for I was weary. I soon began to dream. There seemed to be a death-like stillness about me. Then I heard subdued sobs, as if a number of people were weeping. I thought I left my bed and wandered downstairs. There the silence was broken by the same pitiful sobbing, but the mourners were invisible. I went from room to room; no living person was in sight, but the same mournful sounds of distress met me as I passed along. It was light in all the rooms; every object was familiar to me; but where were all the people who were grieving as if their hearts would break? I was puzzled and alarmed. What could be the meaning of all this? Determined to find the cause of a state of things so mysterious and so shocking, I kept on until I arrived at the East Room, which I entered. There I met with a sickening surprise. Before me was a catafalque, on which rested a corpse wrapped in funeral vestments. Around it were stationed soldiers who were acting as guards; and there was a throng of people, some gazing mournfully upon the corpse, whose face was covered, others weeping pitifully. ’Who is dead in the White House?’ I demanded of one of the soldiers. ’The President,’ was his answer; ’he was killed by an assassin!’ Then came a loud burst of grief from the crowd, which awoke me from my dream. I slept no more that night; and though it was only a dream, I have been strangely annoyed by it ever since."
The night before his death he had this dream, “he is on a phantom ship, a "single, indescribable vessel" that moves with "great rapidity" through the water, racing toward a "vast" and "indefinite shore".” Lincoln talked about it the next morning with some of his staff. He believed he would be killed sometime during his second term in office.
Abraham Lincoln talked often regarding his premonitions of death. He believed he would be assassinated during his second term in office.
Man knows not his day or hour of departure. Only God can reveal what only God knows. Daniel reveals to Nebuchadnezzar what his dreams were and what they meant.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Troubled Sleep 2:1-13
Perhaps it was some of the food that Nebuchadnezzar had eaten that contributed to his restless night of sleep. Nebuchadnezzar was having some difficulties. His dreams disturbed him deeply and he simply could not recall these recurring dreams. He called for his court “advisors” to tell him what his dream was and to interpret it for him. These “advisors” included the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans. To us, his demands were unreasonable. He wanted to hear from them what his dream was and what it meant. To fail the king was a death sentence for them and their families. Their response was an incredulous one. How could they interpret the dream if he would not tell them what it was? The advisors were in a dilemma. In their desperation, they resorted to a delaying tactic. Nebuchadnezzar saw through their charade and called their bluff. Tell me my dream or else, he cried!
Daniel’s Thoughtful Solution 2:14-23
Upon learning of the imminent fate of Nebuchadnezzar’s advisors, Daniel asked Arioch what was taking place. It is here we see the wisdom of Daniel in verses 14-16. He took the time to discover the events of Nebuchadnezzar’s decision. Daniel did not demand his rights. He was a young man with godly wisdom who requested opportunities to serve. Daniel then appealed to Nebuchadnezzar to allow him time to discern the dream and its interpretation. As Daniel seeks God’s face, he enlists his fellow believers to pray with him regarding this crisis. In verses 17-18, we observe the work of Daniel. He did not try to do it all himself. He requested his friends help. They had to rely upon God’s answer regarding this situation. We then witness the worship of Daniel and his friends of the Living God in verses 19-23. God had answered their prayers. He had revealed to them the dream and its interpretation.
God’s Triumphant Secret 2:24-45
Daniel and his friends were graced by God. They understood that God controls all things. They give God the glory in verse 28 when they call Him “the God in heaven.” He is not relegated only to the temple in Jerusalem. He was using Nebuchadnezzar to teach His people the lessons they wouldn’t learn in Israel. It is here we discover the meaning of the statue of gold, silver, bronze, iron and iron/clay mixed.
God’s Triumphant Secret 2:24-45
Daniel and his friends were graced by God. They interceded before God to know and understand the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had envisioned. They give God the glory in verse 28 when they call Him “the God in heaven.” He is not relegated only to the temple in Jerusalem. He was using Nebuchadnezzar to teach His people the lessons they wouldn’t learn in Israel. This dream was a dream of the future. Daniel wanted Nebuchadnezzar to know that God held mankind’s entire destiny in His hand. The young Hebrew men understood that God controls all things. Much like Nebuchadnezzar, we are both spectators and participants in God’s plan for mankind. God controls history.
Daniel describes the dream and visions of Nebuchadnezzar. It is here we ascertain the description of the statue of gold, silver, bronze, iron and iron/clay mixed. In verses 31-35, Daniel describes in detail what his vision was. The image was overwhelming and fearful! It was beyond the realm of the imagination of the mind.
In verses 36-45, Daniel discusses the dream. He tells Nebuchadnezzar that he has a prominent part of God’s plan. He is the head of gold. He has a dazzling “golden” kingdom. (636-539 B.C.) Everything after his kingdom deteriorates. The other kingdoms are inferior to his. The second realm is a silver kingdom. This is the Medo-Persian Empire. (539-330 B.C.) This kingdom is a divided kingdom. It has two arms of silver. It lacks the central authority that Nebuchadnezzar enjoys. The third empire is the Greek Empire. It is an empire of brass. (330-63 B.C.) The soldiers had brass helmets, shields and swords. The Greek kingdom dominated everything in its path. It is said that when Alexander had conquered the entire known world, he wept because there was no one else to conquer. The fourth kingdom was the iron and clay kingdom of Rome. (63 B.C.-A.D. 475) It was both a demanding and decaying kingdom. The last kingdom will be God’s Kingdom. Note that it begins as a small stone and grows into a great mountain. It destroys all the other kingdoms and is an eternal empire.
Daniel’s Tremendous Security 2:46-49
Daniel was exalted and promoted by Nebuchadnezzar. He had done what others could not do. He detailed and deciphered the dream. At Daniels request, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were also promoted and served in the province. Daniel served the King and was given great authority. God delights in those who faithfully serve Him. Our security is found in trusting God alone.
