Dreams Sermon Nebuchadnezer

 copy the kjv text of Statue of the Four Kingdoms (Daniel 2)

Here is the King James Version (KJV) text of Daniel 2:31–45, which contains the description of the Great Statue and Daniel’s interpretation of the Four Kingdoms.

The Dream: The Description of the Statue

Daniel 2:31–35

31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.

32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.¹²³⁴⁵⁶

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The Interpretation: The Four Kingdoms^789101112

Daniel 2:36–45^131415161718

36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.^192021222324

37 ²⁵²⁶Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the ²⁷God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and gl²⁸ory.²⁹³⁰

38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath h³¹e given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.³²³³³⁴

39 And after thee shall ar³⁵ise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.³⁶³⁷

40 And the fourth king³⁸dom shall be ³⁹strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.⁴⁰

41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry ⁴¹clay.

42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.

43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.⁴²

44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of h⁴³eaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.^44454647

45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake⁴⁸ in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall com⁴⁹e to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.^5051525354

 

In the Bible, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had two famous dreams recorded in the Book of Daniel. However, the most well-known is the Statue of the Four Kingdoms (Daniel 2), which is considered a foundational prophecy in Christian and Jewish theology.

The Challenge

Nebuchadnezzar was deeply troubled by a dream but refused to tell his wise men what it was. He demanded they not only interpret the dream but also describe it to him first to prove they weren't frauds. When they failed, he ordered the execution of all wise men in Babylon, including Daniel and his friends. After praying, Daniel received the dream and its meaning from God and appeared before the king.

This text summarizes the dramatic opening of Daniel 2, highlighting a pivotal moment where political power clashes with spiritual mystery.

Here is an analysis of the key elements and themes present in this passage:

1. The Power Dynamic: Testing the "Wise Men"

Nebuchadnezzar’s demand was a brilliant, albeit cruel, psychological test. In the ancient world, "wise men" (astrologers, magicians, and sorcerers) often used ambiguous language to make their interpretations fit any outcome.

• The Trap: By withholding the content of the dream, the King removed the possibility of guesswork. He wasn't just looking for an interpretation; he was looking for proof of supernatural access.

• The Motive: The text notes he was "deeply troubled." His refusal to share the dream suggests a high level of paranoia and a lack of trust in his royal court.

2. The Stakes: Life and Death

The transition from a failed test to an order of execution illustrates the absolute, often volatile power of an ancient Near Eastern monarch.

• Collateral Damage: Daniel and his friends were "wise men" in training but were not among those initially summoned. Yet, the decree was all-encompassing. This creates the "ticking clock" element of the story, raising the stakes from a theological puzzle to a matter of survival.

3. The Shift in Source: Human Wisdom vs. Divine Revelation

The text emphasizes a clear failure of human capability.

• The Failure: The Babylonian wise men eventually admitted that "there is not a man upon the earth" who could do what the king asked, noting that only "gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh" could reveal such things.

• The Solution: Daniel’s response—prayer—is the turning point. The passage highlights that the information was not "figured out" through logic or study; it was "received from God." This sets Daniel apart as a true prophet rather than a mere academic or courtier.

4. Literary Structure: The "Impossible Task" Trope

This narrative follows a classic "impossible task" structure found in world literature:

1. The Demand: A king makes an impossible request.

2. The Failure: The established experts fail.

3. The Underdog: A young/ignored protagonist steps forward.

4. The Resolution: Success through a unique connection to a higher power.

Summary Table: Key Components

Element	Significance
The Dream	The catalyst; a divine message meant to humble the king.
The Refusal	A filter for fraud; highlights the King's skepticism.
The Execution Order	Shows the vulnerability of even the "elite" under a tyrant.
The Prayer	Demonstrates the biblical theme that wisdom belongs to God.

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Would you like me to analyze how Daniel's specific response to the guards (his "wisdom and tact") prevented the executions from starting immediately?

 

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The Dream: The Great Statue

In the dream, Nebuchadnezzar saw an enormous, dazzling, and terrifying statue made of different materials.

Statue Part	Material	Biblical Interpretation
Head	Fine Gold	Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar’s own empire.
Chest & Arms	Silver	Medo-Persia: An "inferior" kingdom that followed Babylon.
Belly & Thighs	Bronze	Greece: A kingdom that would rule over the whole earth.
Legs	Iron	Rome: A strong kingdom that crushes and breaks things.
Feet	Iron & Clay	Divided Kingdoms: A mixture of strength and weakness.

The Destruction of the Statue

As the king watched, a stone "cut out without human hands" struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, shattering the entire structure into dust. The wind blew the dust away, but the stone grew into a great mountain that filled the whole earth.

The Meaning: Daniel explained that in the time of those final kingdoms, God would set up an everlasting kingdom that would never be destroyed or left to another people. It would consume all earthly kingdoms and stand forever.

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The Second Dream: The Great Tree (Daniel 4)

Nebuchadnezzar also had a later dream about a massive tree that reached the heavens and provided food for all. A "holy messenger" commanded that the tree be cut down, leaving only a stump bound with iron and bronze.

• Interpretation: Daniel told the king that he was the tree. Because of his pride, he would lose his sanity and live like a wild animal for seven years ("seven times").

• Outcome: The prophecy came true. After seven years of living like an ox, Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself, acknowledged God's sovereignty, and was restored to his throne.

Would you like me to explain how modern historians match these four metals to specific historical empires?

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream of the Statue

This video provides a visual breakdown of the statue's layers and how they correspond to the historical timeline of world empires.