Daniel 5:24-31 Video Devotional

Posted on Dec 8, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , , , , ,

“Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. – Daniel 5:24-31
 
In this story, the writing was on the wall. Whatever the hand wrote wasn’t going to be good. We could see that from how the phrase is now used as well as Daniel’s prologue to the interpretation. In today’s passage, that warning is confirmed. Belshazzar will lose the kingdom. Later that evening, he was killed. His story did not end like his father’s.
 
What I do find interesting about this passage is that in the midst of a horribly foreboding warning from Daniel, Belshazzar’s fate was sealed, but his attitude was grateful. At least, that’s how it seems. Belshazzar’s response to the interpretation was to have Daniel robed in royalty and made the third ruler of the kingdom. So here is the interpretation challenge to you – was Belshazzar being sarcastic in his honoring of Daniel, or did he simply keep to his word?
 
Earlier, Daniel politely requests to receive nothing for this interpretation, but there is no follow up after the robes are put on Daniel. I am sure he was under social obligation to accept when offered, but we have no more information on the exchange. While we can guess whether Belshazzar did that out of anger/sarcasm as opposed to honor, all that can be done is debate the idea.
 
What we do know is that Daniel was faithful to deliver God’s message regardless of the rewards or consequences he would face. We know that Belshazzar, though refusing to humble himself to God, still put Daniel as the number 3 guy in his kingdom. Granted, that would only last a few hours.
 
We have no idea how one person may respond to hearing the gospel or what they might do or say as a result. All we can do is to be faithful with the message God has entrusted us with and leave the rest to Him. As Daniel’s life has shown, that can go well on earth and it can also go bad. Thankfully, God promises to be with us through it all.

Daniel 5:17-23 Video Devotional

Posted on Dec 3, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , ,

Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored. – Daniel 5:17-23

Once King Belshazzar turned white with fear, the queen was brought in and tried to calm him down by reminding him of Daniel’s gifts and insight that was such a help to his father, Nebuchadnezzar. Belshazzar jumped at the chance to have Daniel come in and help; so much so that he offered fine gifts of a royal nature to Daniel.

Daniel, of course, refused those gifts (he was not about to be paid for a favorable answer) and stood firm on his trust in God. Before getting to the interpretation, Daniel seemed to know the answer, or at least knew what was going on in the room. He started setting up the interpretation by reminding Belshazzar of his father’s arrogance and repentance. Belshazzar clearly followed in his father’s footsteps, but took the arrogance to a new level and was showing no repentance.

Not a good message for Daniel to present to the king. Here is yet another example of Daniel being put in a difficult situation simply because he was faithful to God. He was willing to do the hard tasks and seek only God’s approval. And this is what it got him – in front of the king, delivering a difficult message. The risks on Daniel were immense! What if that made Belshazzar angry? One snap of his fingers and Daniel could have lost his head.

Faithfulness to God can easily put is in difficult situations; maybe not ones that have us risking our lives (or at least not as often as Daniel), but still difficult. You might be called on to risk your job or reputation standing for Jesus. Maybe your family or friends. There is no getting around this fact that Jesus is a polarizing figure in history and that leads to two main camps of people: those who are for Him and those against Him. Those lines are becoming more stark everyday.

As Paul said, “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:15-16) In Scripture, the rewards of standing for Jesus are clear and amazing, but the risk of harm is real. Would you be willing to stand in Daniel’s place and deliver the message to Belshazzar? Are you willing to stand in front of your friends and tell them about Jesus? It may be scary, but it’s our calling and the example Daniel provided. Pray to God to give you strength to stand.

 

Daniel 5:1-6 Video Devotional

Posted on Dec 1, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: ,

King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.

Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. – Daniel 5:1-6

King Belshazzar was the son of Nebuchadnezzar. We see clearly that he picked up his father’s personality traits, specifically arrogance. Belshazzar, probably wanting to show off to his friends the gold from Jerusalem’s destruction, had them brought out and cheerfully drank from them.

We don’t get as much detail about Belshazzar as we do his father, but it is clear that he enjoyed his pride and worshipped other gods. Not a good mix. God didn’t seem impressed either, as He made a hand appear and write on the wall. This act turned Belshazzar’s face white and brought to a point of great fear.

It is interesting to know that the common phrase “the writings on the wall” comes from this story. In the connotation we use that phrase, it is rarely (if ever) used to convey a positive message. Usually, it is a dire warning or the obvious factors that show a decision has already been made. Have you ever felt like you’ve crossed a line? It seems like that is what Belshazzar has done here. He took things one step too far and, well… the writing was on the wall.

One of the many things we can be thankful for is that we know we haven’t crossed a line yet. As long as we are still living and breathing, we can still choose God (Hebrews 9:27). Let’s not waste our time on ourselves or our sin and choose Christ now, so that we can begin the eternity living in the fullness of God – now! Eternity starts at the moment we open ourselves to Jesus – in this life – don’t wait until the end, and don’t miss out!


Daniel 4:34-37 Video Devotional

Posted on Nov 24, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , ,

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
or say to him, “What have you done?”

At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. – Daniel 4:34-37

Nebuchadnezzar’s story ends with him praising God after his ordeal in the wilderness. His was a journey with lots to overcome, but as far as we can read, through Daniel’s account, Nebuchadnezzar finished his life praising and extolling the God of Heaven. We don’t know for sure if this was a full-on salvation experience for him, but I think it is safe to assume that.

The Babylonian king’s salvation means a few things for us today. First, if the guy who destroyed Jerusalem and the temple can be saved, then anyone can! Think of all the death and destruction he brought to the Jews when he sacked the city. Not only that, but with his own people, he was an arrogant tyrant of a king who wanted people to only bow down to him!

But God is in the business of saving people just like that. People who are ruled by their sin; completely helpless without God, are some of God’s favorite salvation circumstances. Whether it is the thief on the cross next to Jesus, Peter (a bumbler in his own right) or Paul (murderer of Christians), the Bible gives many accounts of people being saved who would not pass a par role hearing. God saves the lost.

Next, in the process of saving, He chooses to use people who are willing to invest and even sacrifice for those that may never appreciate it. Daniel suffered greatly in his efforts to be a good influence on Nebuchadnezzar. It took a long time to get these results, but Daniel never gave up. Has anyone ever told you to give up sharing your faith? That it’ll never work on them? Never give up praying for them and loving them! No one ever knows what God will do – and He likes to surprise. Stay tuned to God’s marvelous work and allow yourself to be amazed at His creativity in saving His creation!


Daniel 4:19-27 Video Devotional

Posted on Nov 19, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , , , ,

Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.” – Daniel 4:19-27

I can imagine the sweat on Daniel’s brow as he listened to Nebuchadnezzar recount his dream. Realizing that it is a warning, Daniel hopes that it is for his enemies, but knows the truth. It is time for the king to be brought down a peg or two. I wonder how discouraged Daniel may have felt at that time, listening to this bad news and preparing himself how to explain it to the king. This is another in a line of negative encounters he’s had with the Babylon royalty thus far, and he has got to see the emerging pattern.  Thankfully, Daniel trusted fully in God, so no matter how discouraging that may have been, he held fast to God’s command and faithfully shared with the king the dream’s interpretation.

To Nebuchadnezzar’s credit, he encouraged Daniel by allowing him to speak freely no matter what the interpretation was. Granted, he didn’t know what it would be, but you can see a difference this time compared to the first. He was much more open to share and trusting to listen to what Daniel had to say. This book very clearly shows a nice progression for Nebuchadnezzar towards God, and though it takes time (and a situation like what he will experience with this dream’s outcome), it seems that Nebuchadnezzar’s journey to God has potential for a very happy ending.

If Nebuchadnezzar is in Heaven enjoying the fullness of God’s favor and grace, I bet he spends every second with a thankful and grateful attitude towards Daniel, who no matter the consequence, stayed faithful to keep sharing his faith with the king and being honest and open about God. As Romans 10:15 says, “How blessed are the feet of those that bring good news!”

Are you willing to face the risk and discouragement you might receive when sharing the gospel? Daniel was willing…and his rewards are eternal. Consider that.


Daniel 4:9-18 Video Devotional

Posted on Nov 17, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , , ,

“O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

“I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. He proclaimed aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him. The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’ This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.” – Daniel 4:9-18

We come to another dream of Nebuchadnezzar’s – this one a warning. Despite his movements towards humility and honor of God, Nebuchadnezzar still holds on to a lot of arrogance, thinking very highly of himself. Though it is interesting that we have seen multiple instances of him praising God, this story shows us clearly that one’ coming to God is a process, not a one-time thing. This dream is the big change-maker in his life.

Of course no one but Daniel can interpret the dream, thus leading the king to go to one of his most trusted advisors for the answer (however, he still hasn’t learned to go to Daniel first). He recognizes the power in Daniel and trusts him with the interpretation.

The king had a lot to learn, but it is cool that we are shown his progression towards God. We don’t know har far he goes in his spiritual journey, but we definitely see a journey, and that is something we need to understand with all people. In our zeal to tell others about Jesus, we need to realize that everyone is on a journey and us jumping in at some random point is a small blip on the totality of their journey. It is an important blip, but they might be better served if we make sure our presence is more than one blip.

In other words, let’s make sure to enter in to other people’s lives and journeys before presenting Jesus. We need to build relationships with them, love them, and truly know them. Then we can be most aware to when the right time and the movement of the Spirit is leading us to present Jesus. Proper witnessing is a long-term relationship, sprinkling the gospel over many conversations. Take the time to invest in those relationships (like Daniel did) and watch the spiritual fruit grow!


Daniel 3:26-30 Video Devotional

Posted on Nov 12, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , ,

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. – Daniel 3:26-30

I’m curious how warm it was walking in the fire. Obviously no one got burned, but was it hot? How hot was it? Or was it a completely painless experience? Would it have been like taking a walk on a perfect afternoon with good friends?

Seeing that these initial chapters in Daniel focus on the idea of suffering, I am guessing that though I doubt there were lasting internal scars, being in the furnace was most likely physically an uncomfortable experience. However, being that they were joined by Jesus, I doubt they cared too much exactly how hot it was in there. God promises that we will go through trials like that, but He also promises to be there with us, and that is exactly what happened to these three guys.

On top of that, their suffering in the furnace was incredibly fruitful. Nebuchadnezzar was shown again the power of God, their influence gained more steam with their promotion, and God was given importance in the kingdom. Though only a step (Nebuchadnezzar has a long way to go), it is a significant step towards God and lasting influence given to God’s messengers.

This is the effect of righteous suffering. Notice not all suffering has this effect, but righteous suffering does. When we suffer for Christ, our efforts aren’t painless, but they will be rewarded and God will be glorified in them. It may not feel great, but going through those trials with Jesus beside you, the Holy Spirit in you and the rewards awaiting you make a strong argument. Trust Him, and He will make great use of you.


Daniel 3:8-19 Video Devotional

Posted on Nov 10, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. – Daniel 3:8-19

Either Nebuchadnezzar’s repentance was very short-lived, or it wasn’t really repentance, but more of an acknowledgment. Yet, even then, it is obvious that the king’s arrogance knows no bounds. He sets up a statue of himself to be worshipped by all the people! This is a situation that I almost wish was something he was duped into by an evil henchman, but no. All we know about this story is that Nebuchadnezzar built the statue and was key on everyone bowing down to it.

With that, we can see in verse 8 that the three friends were set up to get caught. People had been looking for a way to take those guys down as the leadership of the Babylonian province, which they gained through Daniel’s suffering over the dream and its interpretation. They were earning influence in their own right, but up until now, they had mostly followed Daniel. In this story, however, they were on their own. The king was mad at those 3 individuals (though I would love to know where Daniel was during this trial) and they were going to have to stand up to this on their own.

Showing their own personal dedication to God, the 3 friends do just that. And although you cannot read into their language any tone of anger for frustration, it is clear their response really ticked Nebuchadnezzar off. So filled with rage was he that he had the furnace turned up seven times its normal heat!

This was their moment – they got the chance (again, notice this is completely disconnected from anything resembling a fault of their own) to stand up on their own against the king, holding fast to God and expecting to die. They stood. They suffered. All for the righteous call of God.

For all of us, there comes a time when the spotlight finally falls directly on us. We will have to stand up and face something ourselves – no more hiding behind your dad’s overcoat. These three friends, who for the most part had been content to follow Daniel, were now called to the carpet by the king himself. They willingly walked into the furnace. I don’t think anyone is being asked that exact question today, but maybe something smaller?

Notice they do not argue with the king, telling him he is wrong. They willingly go to the slaughter, knowing the outcome would most likely be grim. They turned the other cheek. What will you do with the spotlight is on you? The only thing you can do is what you’ve practiced. If you are faithful in the small things, you will be faithful in the big things. Practice well!


Daniel 2:46-49 Video Devotional

Posted on Nov 5, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , , , , ,

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court. – Daniel 2:46-49

Here we have the payoff to Daniel’s suffering over the dream and its interpretation. Daniel’s direct and respectful response to Arioch, prayer and trust in God, and boldness in front of Nebuchadnezzar was met with nothing else than spiritual fruit!

I am sure Daniel was much happier about it than Jonah, but just as surprised. Nebuchadnezzar repented! Though it initially seems like the king was giving glory to Daniel, he recognized Daniel’s God as the One with the power and Daniel as the recipient. This led to Daniel being given real influence and leadership over the kingdom, which would be huge, but lead to more opportunities to suffer. Daniel’s trust in God and obedience saved the day and put a target on his back.

This ending to the story tells us a few things: 1) Daniel’s way of interacting with non-believers is correct, and 2) influence leads to opportunity and suffering. We can learn today from how Daniel treated those who could be considered enemies. This matches with 1 Corinthians 13 – without love, our truth is useless. We have got to put that back at the forefront of our actions; everything we do must be filtered through loving actions and a respectful attitude! If we do that, our opportunities will only increase.

What Daniel did accomplished a lot for the kingdom of God. People were saved and influence was gained. But we need to be prepared as we work (or rush) for our chances to gain that kind of leadership; it will lead to suffering. I have had a few experiences lately of opportunities to have influence and lead, but they both quickly lead to me suffering emotional pain over the outcome of those circumstances. It was great to experience God using me, but in the end it hurt. That’s ok – even good, but we need to be ready for it. Again, obey God and trust Him to take care of the consequences – that’s our only chance for real success.


Daniel 2:36-45 Video Devotional

Posted on Nov 3, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , , ,

“This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.” – Daniel 2:36-45

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the kingdoms enters us into the beginning of the prophetic illustrations of the book. In it, we see a frightening statue with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, middle and thighs of bronze and legs of iron and feet of partly iron and partly clay. Then the statue was struck by a giant boulder and crushed it all to where the wind then blew the dust into the air.

These kingdoms that represented the statue were worldly kingdoms (Babylon was the head of gold), which would follow one after another, whose focus was self and sin. They will fill God’s world with violence. These kingdoms were then destroyed by the final kingdom, God’s permanent kingdom, confronting the evil of the worldly kingdoms, bringing righteousness and justice that the previous kingdoms ignored.

Simply put, it was a warning to Nebuchadnezzar that his kingdom would receive its retribution and be destroyed. Those who rely on the kingdoms of the world should take this to heart and be afraid. Worldly kingdoms will end. God’s kingdom will rule forever (this is a spiritual kingdom – please do not in any way think I am referring to the U.S. as God’s kingdom). Us Christians, who have chosen to live in the Kingdom of God on earth will reap the benefits of God’s restoration, but the entrance fee must be required: salvation through Jesus that leads to repentance and obedience. We should be comforted by this passage with the knowledge that God will restore everything to the way it was meant to be. Justice will be served!


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