Is this the final millennium?
Daniel 2.
On the morning of April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was gathered with his cabinet awaiting news from General Sherman about the battle. Lincoln shared with his cabinet members an unusual dream that he had been having on a recurring basis. In his dream he would see an indescribable vessel moving toward an indefinite shore. On that very night Abraham Lincoln was shot to death by John Wilkes Booth. Abraham Lincoln’s life vessel landed on the shore of eternity.
There was a dream many, many years ago to a man named Nebuchadnezzar. He was at that time the most powerful man in the world. God gave to this man a dream that is one of the most remarkable prophecies in all of the Bible.
Now back in chapter 1 of Daniel, we are given a statement that prepares us for chapter 2. Look at verse 17. God is going to use Daniel to reveal the meaning of that dream to king Nebuchadnezzar.
I want to call your attention first of all to the king’s consternation. The king is filled with fear. Now, I believe verse 29 tells us the setting of the particular time in the king’s life. He was concerned about the things that were ahead. He was concerned about the future. All of us ought to be concerned about the future, because we are going to spend the rest of our lives there with no end. The dream was troubling to the king. It says that his spirit was troubled.
We are living in a society where problems are many. There doesn’t seem to be a solution to some of them. I was reading about a parent who was in a store looking at an unusual toy. The clerk said this is an educational toy. It is a toy that cannot be put together any way you try. It’s a toy to prepare your child for the world in which they live.
The king, after having this dream got on the phone and called all his advisers. These men are the think tank of the king. They were suppose to provide expert advice. He did what leaders do even today. He got his liberal pagan advisers together. I can almost see them as they come strutting in as they had done so many times before. This won’t take long then back on the golf course. But the king throws them a curve. He says gentleman, I have had a dream but can’t remember it. I want you boys to tell me the dream and the meaning of it. That is fairly reasonable when you think about it. If these men are the experts they claim to be it shouldn’t be much of a problem. I am tempted to call some of the fortune tellers and say I will cross your palm with some silver if you tell me what I did yesterday. If they can tell the future, they ought to be able to tell the past.
Look at verse 7. In verse 8, the king is not impressed. If you can’t do what I ask I have no need of any of you. I will have you and your families killed. Look at what they said in verse 10. Isn’t that an arrogant statement? They think because they don’t have the answers no one else would have it either. If they can’t solve the problems no one else can. Let me tell you something. The janitor that knows Jesus may be sweeping the hall ways of the college but he knows the answers to life. There may be some who walk by and look down on him but dumb as a well bucket on the answers to life because they don’t know Jesus.
We have a crisis year. Daniel and his friends are in danger of losing their lives. Even though they were not brought to the king, they were part of the committee of advisers.
That brings us to our next consideration the Lord’s revelation. The Lord is going to reveal through Daniel this dream. Daniel goes to the house and makes the thing known to his friends. Daniel says boys let’s pray that God will give us the answer. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing for the leaders of America to ask all Christians to pray for God’s answer to the problems we have? James says, “if any lack wisdom, let him ask of God.” Oh, what pain we often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Here they are talking to God in prayer. Verse 19 says the thing was revealed to Daniel. God answered prayer. Don’t you believe that? He does! Oh, the prayer God has answered in my life.
Notice what Daniel does in verse 19. For several versus Daniel just praises God for answering their prayers. Folks we ought to praise God for answered prayers. This must have been an exciting time for those boys.
Now we are going to see what Daniel is made of. Verse 26, the king ask Daniel if he is able to make known the dream. Is Daniel going to say I am a pretty smart guy? I have been to the college of Babylon for three years. I graduated with honors.
Daniel says can’t the wise men, the advisers tell you the dream king? No they can’t but there is a God in heaven that reveals secrets. He gave God the credit. He gave God the glory. Daniel pointed the king to the one who is real in the universe.
Daniel’s interpretation. God unfolded to Daniel the things that would take place in the future of the kingdoms of the world. Daniel tells of the collapse of world rulers. The head of the image stands for Babylon. The second kingdom, silver, is the Medo-Persia. The third kingdom bronze, was the kingdom of Greece. The fourth kingdom verse 40, iron, was Rome. I won’t go into detail about all this.
Look into verse 45. We very well could be living in the final millennium. One of these days Jesus will step on to the stair way of glory and give a shout. Only those of us who know him will hear his voice. We will leave the earth to be with him in heaven. Are you ready if he should come today?
