Sunday Worship 11.00 am and 6.30 pm Minister: Dr William (Bill) J M Parker
8. The Dream That is Still Coming True – Daniel 2:24-49 - 5/11/17 (pm)
Daniel
Sermon Date: 5/11/17 (pm)
The Dream That is Still Coming True – Daniel 2:24-49
Main Teaching Point:
Kingdoms come and kingdoms go but only God’s kingdom will endure forever.
The dream God gave to King Nebuchadnezzar is still coming true.
Daniel Goes to the King (2:24-28b)
After God revealed the dream to Daniel, Daniel praised God then asked Arioch to take him to Nebuchadnezzar. Before the king:
- Arioch exalted himself (2:25). Was he trying to advance his career?
- Daniel exalted God. (2:26-28b, 30). Daniel was a man of spiritual stature and the king noticed.
- Christians must be quick to deflect praise that comes their way, for gifts displayed or successes achieved, to the Lord Who gave them.
- Our spiritual stature and weight of witness are causally related to our intimacy with God.
Daniel Relates the Dream to the King and Interprets it (2:28c-45)
Daniel assured Nebuchadnezzar that God had revealed the dream and explained that the statue represented successive Kingdoms. The God of Heaven would then destroy them and set up His own kingdom forever.
There has been much discussion over the identification of the kingdoms. The Roman View commends itself:
- Head of Gold. Nebuchadnezzar. Explicitly stated.
- Chest/arms of silver. Medo-Persian Empire.
- Belly/thighs of bronze. Greek Empire.
- Iron legs and iron/clay feet. Roman Empire.
- Rock cut out but not by human hands. Kingdom of God.
The destruction of the empires by the rock (2:35, 44) brings to mind Psalms 1:4-5; 2:8-9. The rock is a reference to the coming and work of the Lord Jesus Christ during the fourth empire (Luke 11:20; 20:18; 1 Peter 2:6-8).
Main lessons
1. God gives earthly kingdoms their power/glory. Events in the world are not primarily due to political, social, economic factors. God is working His purposes out.
2. Earthly kingdoms will come and go.
God raises up kings and deposes them (2:21).
3. The kingdom of God comes and demolishes earthly kingdoms. Rome incorporated Greece incorporated Medo-Persia incorporated Babylon. The kingdom of the Messiah was set up during the fourth empire. Since then earthly kingdoms come and go. When Christ returns they will cease and His Kingdom will stand alone.
4. The Kingdom of God comes, demolishes earthly kingdoms, and stays
(Matthew 16:18).
5. The Kingdom of God comes, demolishes earthly kingdoms, stays, and grows
(Luke 13:18-19).
God graciously revealed this panoramic view of world history to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream ... then to Daniel ... and so to us in the Bible! How should we react?
Christians. Be encouraged! God’s People belong to a Kingdom that is indestructible, all conquering, and everlasting (Revelation 11:15).
Non-Christians.
Be warned! All man-made empires will not last, and those who belong to them, and not the Kingdom of God, will perish (Luke 20:18). If you have never bowed to Jesus and asked for His pardon/forgiveness, now is the time to do it!
Conclusion – Part of the Growing Kingdom
Daniel is not relating what was going to be completed in one moment; he just wants to teach that the kingdoms of the world are transient and that there is only one eternal Kingdom.
(John Calvin). To be part of the Kingdom of God is the most wonderful privilege. The Kingdom of God has come and is coming. Make sure you are a part of it. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is still coming true!
© Dr Bill Parker 2018