Shalom, my dear brothers and sisters. We praise God for the privilege that we have to study together this wonderful, amazing, prophetic book of Daniel. We are blessed to be able to read the scripture and trust that the Lord will help us to understand this wonderful book of Daniel. If you have your Bible with you, I would like you to turn with me to Daniel chapter 2. And in this ministry meeting, we will be reading Daniel chapter 2 verses 17 to 35. And so I am reading Daniel chapter 2 verse 17. Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever. For wisdom and might are his. And he changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings and setteth up kings. He gives wisdom unto the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding. He reveals the deep and secret things. He knows what is in the darkness and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, which has given me wisdom and might, and has made known unto me now what we desired of thee.

For thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter. Therefore Daniel went in unto Ariokh, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus unto him, Destroy not the wise men of Babylon. Bring me in before the king and I will show unto the king the interpretation. Then Ariokh brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captivity of Judah that will make known unto the king the interpretation. The king answered and said to Daniel, Whose name was Belteshazzar, Are thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen and the interpretation thereof?

Daniel answered in the presence of the king and said, The secret which the king has dreamed can not the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers show unto the king. But there is a God in heaven that reveals secrets and makes known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in their latter days. Thy dream and the visions of thy head upon thy bed are these. As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed. What should come to pass hereafter? And he that revealeth secret maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for them's sake that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou might know the thoughts of thine heart.

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. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arm of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hand, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and break them in pieces. Then was the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floor. And a 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.

With this, dear brothers and sisters, up to verse 35, verses 17 to 35, is where we read for this ministry meeting. And really, and the topic for these verses, is really the prayer of Daniel, and God's revelation of the dream. To remind you, beloved brothers and sisters, that Daniel chapter 2, is divided itself into three sections. Verses 1 to 16, we have the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar. Verses 17 to 35, we have the prayer of Daniel, and God's revelation of the dream. And then, at the end of the chapter, the third section of Daniel chapter 2, from verses 36 to 49, we have the interpretation of the dream, of the image, which Nebuchadnezzar have dreamt. Well, we have covered, beloved brothers and sisters, already the first 16 verses of chapter 2.

Two, and we have learned that Nebuchadnezzar have dreamt a dream. He actually have dreamed much more than one dream, according to verse 1, that he dreamed dreams in plural. But there was one dream that really troubled him, and he wanted so badly to know what is the meaning of that dream. So he called, if you remember, all the wise men of Babylon. He gathered them together, the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, the chaladins, and he demanded from these wise men of Babylon to tell him the dream and its interpretation. Well, of course, they do not know dreams. And when they hear of a dream, they make up an interpretation, because they were engravers, enchanters, using witchcraft.

They were simply men who were wise, really, in their own sight. The wisdom from above is coming from heaven, from God. And so, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends, they wanted from the king Nebuchadnezzar to tell them the dream, and so they will make up an interpretation for the dream. But the king said to them, the command is gone out from me, and I want you to tell me not now only the interpretation, I want you to tell me the dream. And so, if you remember, beloved brothers and sisters, the chaladins said to him at the end, in verse 18 and on, they said to him, there is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter.

They even said, except the gods whose dwelling is not with flesh, the only one who knows is that gods. And the word, they used the word in the Aramaic, the word Allahin in Hebrew is Elohim, which is gods in plural. And so, they believed in all sorts of gods. And they said to Nebuchadnezzar, there is no man that can tell the dream. We need to know the dream first, in order to give it an interpretation. And the only one who would know it is these gods. And of course, they didn't make a reference to the true and living God, but they believed in all sorts of gods.

And so, if you remember, the king was so offended, and he said to them, if you will not tell me the dream, ye shall be cut off in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. And so, they sought all the wise men, in order to kill them. And if you remember, they even sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain, because by that time, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Nazariah became part of these wise men of Babylon, because they now became eunuchs in the king's palace, and they were also sought after to be killed. And if you remember, beloved brothers and sisters, Daniel went to Ariokh, the captain of the king's guard, in verse 14.

He told him, he asked the question, why the matter is so hasty to kill everyone? And Ariokh told him the issue. And then Daniel went and desired the king to give him time, in order that he will come back to the king, and give him the dream and the interpretation. And that is where we are in this ministry meeting, beloved brothers and sisters. We are right now in chapter 2, verses 17 to 35. And here we see what Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, what they have done, they have turned to the Lord in prayer. And beloved brothers and sisters, a dear friend, from verses 17 to verse 23, we have the prayer of Daniel and his Hebrew fellow servants.

And together they went before the Lord to take the time to pray. How wonderful it is to be able to come together with those of like-minded, those that believe in the true and living God. To be able to come together to pray as one. To gather together and to cry before the Lord in a time of prayer. That reminds us, doesn't it? As we read here in Daniel, chapter 2, verse 17, Daniel went into his house. He made a thing known unto Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions. And notice that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret. That Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

This is verses 17 and 18. Let's remind us in later on in the history, in the early history of the church. When the early Hebrew believers in the city of Yerushalayim, they came before the Lord collectively in prayer. In Acts chapter 4, we read in verse 23. The being let go, they went to their own company. And they reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said unto them. And when they heard, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. How beautiful it is when God's people have the same mind. When God's people have liberty to pray together. How wonderful it is. Remember what the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, he said, how many times he said.

Where two or three are gathered together unto my name. There am I in the midst of them in Matthew chapter 18 and verse 20. And a gathering together in the context of Matthew chapter 18 and verse 20. 20 is in relationship to any challenges that happen among God's people. He specifically is instructing the early believers to gather together to spend some time in prayer. When they have issues and problems that may rise up. So beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends. This is so important to understand how the Lord desired to see his people turning to him in prayer. So here we are in Daniel chapter 2. And we see that this is a practice that was practiced in the history of Israel.

And also in the history of the church, the assembly, beginning in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. Ultimately to the uttermost part of the earth where the believers in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, gathered together to pray. What a wonderful privilege it is to have this practice done among God's people. And you notice this. These four Hebrew boys, even though they were away from home, away from Jerusalem, away from the temple, away from the people, away from the place, you might say, of safety and protection. They were out there in Babylon. They still believe in the true and living God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of heaven.

They believed. And they turned to him in prayer. You see, beloved brothers and sisters, it is so easy for us to neglect to turn to the Lord in prayer when we are away from a place of protection. When we are away from a place where we have parents and friends and people to strengthen us and encourage us. Even when we are in captivity, even when we are in captivity, in the diaspora, we can still turn to God. We can still turn to our Lord Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, who desires to hear the prayers of his people. And beloved brothers and sisters, this is what we see here among these four Hebrew boys.

And so we read that he went to his companions, verse 17, and he desired with them that they together will ask for mercies from the God of heaven. Notice this expression. Once again, here we have here that God of heaven. Now, why we have the mention here of the God of heaven? It is not that it is that God is no longer the God of Israel. In fact, later on, Daniel will pray to the God, he said, the God of my fathers. He will mention this here in this chapter, but the expression, the God of heaven has to do, beloved friend, with the fact that the reason that our people, the Jewish people were now in Babylon in 6 or 5 BC.

Later on, of course, 597 BC and 586 BC, when the temple will be destroyed. Why? It is simply because Israel turned away from the Lord. The book of Ezekiel remind us how the glory of God left the Beit HaMikdash, the temple in the city of Jerusalem. Step by step, God could no longer stay in the temple because Israel departed from him. And the Shekinah, the Shekinah glory, left the temple in Jerusalem. We do read in Ezekiel chapter 8. I want to read for you this verse. In Ezekiel chapter 8 and verse 4, that the Lord called Ezekiel, Yechezkel, Ben Adam, son of man. He called him and said to him in verse 4, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there.

God was there in the temple in the city of Jerusalem. But as Ezekiel sees these visions, we read how slowly but surely God showed to Ezekiel how the glory of the Lord departed, the Shekinah departed from the temple. Just to read you some verses in the book of Ezekiel. In chapter 9 and verse 3 we read, and the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was to the threshold of the house. The next step in verse 4 of chapter 10. Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub and stood over the threshold of the house. And the house was filled with the cloud.

And the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory. Then in chapter 10 and verse 18 we read, then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold. And a house and stood over the cherubims. Notice, step by step, the glory of the Lord departing from the house of the Lord, the house of God in Jerusalem. In chapter 11 of the book of Ezekiel, verse 22 and 23 we read, Then did the cherubim lift up their wings and the wheels beside them. And the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city.

This is Yerushalayim. And stood upon the mountain, which is on the east side of the city. This is Mount of Olives, Harazetim. In other words, slowly but surely the Shekinah, the Shekinah, departed from the temple in Jerusalem. And why? All the eight chapters of the book of Ezekiel gives us the reason why the Shekinah glory, the glory of the Lord, departed from the temple and from the city of Jerusalem. We read in Ezekiel chapter 8 and verse 6. We read, Son of man, in the middle of the verse, Seest thou what they do? Even a great abomination that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary?

But turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abomination. Notice what we read in verse 7, 8, 9, and 10. And he brought me to the door of the court. And when I looked, behold, a hole in a wall. Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in a wall. And when I have digged in a wall, behold, a door. And he said unto me, go in. And behold, the wicked abomination that they do here. So I went in and I saw. And behold, every form of creeping things and abominable beasts and all the idols of the house of Israel portrayed upon the wall round about.

Beloved brothers and sisters, God was grieved because Israel turned from him. He is grieved whenever you and I individually turn away from him. He is grieved whenever his assembly, his church, his congregation turn away from him. The Lord Jesus, the Messiah, wanted to be the center of his gathered people. The God of Israel wanted to be the center of his people, the nation of Israel. And so that grieved the heart of God. Notice what we read in verse 12 of Ezekiel chapter 8. Then said he unto me, Son of man, in Hebrew, Ben Adam. Has thou seen what the ancient of the house of Israel do in the dark?

The ancient is the Ziknei, the elders of the house of Israel. Ziknei Beit Yisrael. Look what the elders of the household of Israel do. Every man in his chambers of his imagery. For they say, The Lord seeth us not. The Lord has forsaken the earth. He said unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abomination than they do. And he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's house, which was towards the north. And behold, there sat a woman weeping for Tammuz. Imagine. The women of Israel were weeping to this idol Tammuz. It is amazing. The greater and greater and greater abomination.

Well, God, the glory of God of Israel gone up and left the temple in Yerushalayim. And no wonder now we read in the book of Daniel in chapter 2 that Daniel, Hananiah, and Mishael and Azariah turned to the God of heaven. It's not that he is no longer the God of Israel. We will see it very clearly in this book of Daniel. But he left the temple and he went back to heaven. And so they turned to the God who is now in heaven. And they prayed. And they asked him for mercy. In verse 18 of Daniel chapter 2. Notice that concerning this secret. You see, that dream that Nebuchadnezzar have dreamt is called more than once here a secret.

A secret here in this text. That a secret that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the men of Babylon. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, listen to how beautiful it is that God is answering their prayer. Now, that expression, the God of heaven, is mentioned in many passages in the scripture, including Psalm 136. There in Psalm 136 and verse 26, we do read, Oh, give thanks unto the God of heaven, for his mercy endureth forever. This is when the children of Israel were crying unto the God of Israel, the God of heaven, because his mercy endureth forever. And so, as we continue here in Daniel chapter 2 in verses 20, 21 and 22.

Daniel, notice what he attribute. That the fact that to God, he is mentioning the fact that God is sovereign. And that God is omnipotence. He is not only all powerful, but he is also knowing all things. And that's why, notice what we read in verse 20. Daniel answered and he said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are his. Daniel now, in verses 20 on, Ascribe and attribute to the Lord all that which God truly is. Notice how beautiful in verses 21 and verses 22 we read, And he changes the time and the seasons. He removes kings and he sets up kings. He gives wisdom unto the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding.

He reveals the deep and secret things. He knows what is in the darkness and the light dwelleth with him. Notice how beautiful. Daniel is attributing to God all that which God is. God is everywhere. God is all powerful. And God is all knowing. He is omniscient. He is omnipresent. And he is omnipotent. He is all. God is all knowing. God is all knowing. God is everywhere. God is all powerful. He changed the time. He changed the seasons. He removes kings. He is setting up kings. He gives wisdom. He gives knowledge. He gives understanding. He reveals deep secrets. He knows what is in the darkness. He dwelleth in the light.

This is the God of heaven. This is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is a God that the Bible, the scripture calls him. God is light. And in him there is no darkness at all. You remember the verse that we read. Apostle John. Yohanan wrote to the early believers. And he said to them. In 1 John 1 verse 5. This then is the message which we have heard of him. And declared unto you that God is light. And in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1 verse 5. So beloved brothers and sisters. How wonderful to see these young men. Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael. Gathered together in a home, in a house where Daniel was.

And they prayed together. Lifting up the name of God. Praising God and giving him the glory that he deserved. And Daniel said blessed be the name of God forever and ever. For wisdom and might are his. Wisdom and might are his. And so we read verse 21 and verse 22. That the Lord is changing the times and the season. That he removes king and he's setting kings up. And that he gives wisdom unto all the wise. And knowledge unto them that know understanding. Everything that you and I receive. Everything came from the Lord. Beloved brothers and sisters. To remind you what Yaakov James said. In his writing when he wrote.

In the early part of the first century. Remember what James said. Every good gift. And every perfect gift is from above. And cometh down from the Father of light. With whom is no variableness. Neither shadow of turning. Wonderful to know. That everything came from God. And this is the right attitude for us to have. We always have to bear in mind. That everything is from the Lord. He gave everything for his own people. And for mankind. And that's why Daniel blessed the name of God forever and ever. Because wisdom and might belongs unto him. And so when they pray. Daniel continue. And in verse 23. Daniel give thanks.

And notice in this verse 23. That even though they pray to the God of heaven. But that God of heaven. Is the God of my fathers. Daniel said. And so. Wonderful to read in verse 23. I thank thee. And pray thee all. Thou God of my fathers. In Hebrew it is. Elohei avotai. Avotai. This expression. This expression. Is mentioned many. Many times. In scripture. In Deuteronomy 26. Verse 7. Moses used this expression. The God of our fathers. In 1st Chronicles. Chapter 12. And verse 17. David used the expression. The God of our fathers. And then Ezra. In chapter 7. In verse 27. He used the expression. The God of my fathers. The God of our fathers.

The God of my fathers. Even the apostle Paul. Shaul. He used this. In the book of Acts. Notice this. As a believer. In the Lord Yeshua. Jesus the Messiah. The apostle Shaul. Paul. Used this expression. In Acts chapter 24. And verse 14. You remember what he said. He said in verse 14. But this I confess unto thee. That after the way. Which they call heresy. So worship I. The God of my fathers. Elohei avotai. This is the God of our fathers. The fathers. Abraham. Yitzchak. Yaakov. The fathers of the nation of Israel. And Daniel. Who came from. The fathers. Abraham. Yitzchak. And Yaakov. He lifted up his voice.

To heaven. And he used this expression. I praise thee. The God of my fathers. Elohei avotai. You see. It is so precious. To think. Of the fathers of all. When we read. In the Hebrew scriptures. Of the history. Of the fathers. Avraham. Yitzchak. Yaakov. God have. Chosen Abram. He is the father. Of the nation of Israel. And God intended. Israel. To be a blessing. To the world. We read. In Genesis. Chapter 12. In thee. And in thy seed. Shall all the nations. Of the earth. Be blessed. But when Israel. Have turned away. From the Lord. They could not. Be a blessing. To the nations. Of the world.

When Israel. Turn away. From the Lord. The Lord. Had to discipline. His own people. That's why. Daniel. Went along. To Babylon. Along. With those. Who disobeyed. The Lord. But he. Is still. The one. That was. Faithful. To the Lord. And he called him. The God. Of my. Fathers. You see. It is very interesting. Because even. Peter. Himself. When he was speaking. In the early days. Of the church. Of the assembly. He was speaking. There. In the city. Of Jerusalem. To his own brethren. And you notice. What Peter. Said to them. In Acts chapter. Three. In verse. Thirteen. Peter said. These words. He said. The God.

Of Abraham. Isaac. And Jacob. The God. Of our fathers. Has glorified. His son. Yeshua. Jesus. Whom. Ye delivered up. And denied him. In the presence. Of Pilate. When he was. Determined. To let him. Go. Notice. Notice. How Peter. As well. Mentioned. The God. Of his fathers. In chapter. Five. And verse. Thirty. He repeating. This. And he said. The God. Of our fathers. Raised up. Yeshua. Jesus. Whom. Ye slew. And hang. On a tree. Him. God. Exalted. With his right hand. To be a prince. And a savior. For to give. Repentance. To Israel. And forgiveness. Of sins. It is. Wonderful. To see. This. Expression. The God.

Of our fathers. Mentioned. By Moshe. Moses. David. David. Ezra. Shaul. Paul. Shimon. Petros. And even. mentioned. The God. Of. Our fathers. Wonderful. To see. And Daniel. In verse. Twenty. Three. Give thanks. To the God. Of his fathers. And he said. Who has given me. Wisdom. And might. And has made known. Unto me. Now. What we desire. Of thee. For thou. Has now made known. Unto us. The king's. Matter. And so beloved. Brothers. And sisters. By now. After the prayer. That Daniel. Prayed. From verse. Seventeen. To verse. Twenty. Three. There was a response. From God. And he. According to verse. Twenty. Three. He has made known.

Unto me. Now. What we. All of us. Daniel. Hananiah. Mishael. And Azariah. What we. All of us. To us. The king's. Matters. So. God. Revealed. Unto Daniel. And also. Hananiah. Mishael. And Azariah. The. Dream. And its. Interpretation. After they. Cried. Unto him. For mercy. And God. Had responded. Unto them. For. To verse. Now. Daniel. Is. Going. To be. Before. King. Nebuchadnezzar. And he. Will. Testify. Before. The king. What. The lord. Have revealed. Unto him. And you know. That's what he says. Now. First of all. In verse. Twenty. Four. Daniel. Now. Is speaking. To Arioch. Arioch. To remind you. Was the one. That was. Set over.

He was the captain. Of the king's guard. He was the one. Who is responsible. Now. To slay. All the wise men. Of Babylon. And so. Daniel. Come to him. In verse. Twenty. Whom. That the king. Nebuchadnezzar. Ordained. To destroy. The wise men. Of Babylon. And he said. Destroy. Not the wise men. Of Babylon. Bring me. Before the king. And I will show. And to the king. The interpretation. Notice. He is. Asking for. Three things. Number one. Don't destroy. The wise men. Of Babylon. Number two. Bring me. Before the king. Nebuchadnezzar. And number three. I will show. To the king. The interpretation. And obviously. He meant.

The dream. And the. Interpretation. Of the dream. Lo and behold. Beloved. Brothers and sisters. In verse. Twenty. Five on. Five on. We read. That Ariok. Brought in. Daniel. Before the king. In haste. He was rushing. Why? Because. The beginning. Of the slaying. Of the wise men. Of Babylon. It began. And. He wanted to stop it. So quickly. He is running. And he bringing. Daniel. Before the king. In haste. And notice. What he said. I have found. A man. I have found. A man. Of the captive. Of Judah. That will make known. Unto. The king. The interpretation. He found a man. And of course. That man.

Was Daniel. And Daniel. Was the one. That we read already. That God. Had gifted him. Had gifted him. Had gifted him. With the ability. To. Know. Dreams. And visions. To. Remind you. That we have already read. How God. Had gifted. These young men. With. Many. Many gifts. To be able. To. Even. Understand. All visions. And dreams. You remember. In chapter 1. And verse 17. We read. For us. For these four children. God. Gave them. Knowledge. And skill. In all. Learning. And wisdom. And Daniel. Had. Understanding. In all. Visions. And dreams. God. Had. Gifted. These. Young. Men. And. He gave them. The ability. To know. To have. Skill.

In learning. Wisdom. And. Even more. To Daniel. Even. The ability. To understand. All. Visions. And. All. Dreams. That's a gift. From God. So. Daniel. In humility. Coming. Before. The king. In desiring. That he will stop. The killing. And the slaying. Of the wise men. Of Babylon. So he will show him. The dream. And the interpretation. This is interesting. Because it reminds us. Of another. Hebrew boy. That was away. From the land. And. His name is. Joseph. In chapter 41. Of the book. Of Genesis. We read. In verse. Nine. Then spake. The chief. Butler. Unto Pharaoh. This time. The king. Of Egypt. He says. Do. I do remember.

My faults. This day. Pharaoh. Was rough. With his servants. And he put me. Inward. In the captain. Of the guards. House. Both. Me. And the chief. Baker. And we dream. Dream. In one night. I and he. We dreamed. Each man. According to. The interpretation. Of his dream. And there. Was there. With us. A young. Man. A Hebrew. Servant. To the captain. Of the guard. And we told him. And he interpreted. To us. Our dreams. To which. Men. According. To his dream. He did. Interpret. And it came to pass. As he interpreted. To us. So. It was. Me. He restored. Unto mine office. And him. This is the chief.

Baker. He hanged.

then pharaoh sent and called joseph and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon and he shaved himself and changed his raiment and came in unto pharaoh and you remember pharaoh said unto joseph i have dreamed a dream and so beloved brothers and sisters you can see it's amazing it is amazing how god used these young boys when they were younger he used them because they were faithful to him they loved the god of israel they loved the god of their fathers and he used them for his glory and so in verses 25 on of daniel chapter 2 we continue beloved brothers and sisters and we read in verse 25 that arioch said i found

a man then verse 26 tells us that the king answered and said to daniel so in other words arioch brought daniel into the presence of the king nebuchadnezzar and arioch presented him before the king he said he will make known unto the king the interpretation so now in verse 26 the king nebuchadnezzar asked daniel are you able notice that verse 26 the king answered and said to daniel whose name was belteshazzar are thou able to make known unto me the dream which i have seen and the interpretation thereof notice beloved brothers and sisters that the king is interested not only with the interpretation but he first also want to know the dream itself and that

is interesting because he was so burdened with this one single dream that really troubled him and that's why his beloved beloved brothers and sisters he was so eager to know the dream and he was ready to slay all his wise men just in order that he will find out what their dream and also of course the interpretation and so he's asking daniel are you able to show me the dream but also the interpretation are you able to do that and notice daniel's response daniel's response is amazing because he is not taking glory to himself you see one might say well i'm able now to interpret a dream and therefore i will direct the attention to

myself and get glory for myself how easy it is because of our pride because of our self-will but daniel teaching us a lesson beloved brothers and sisters that all of us need to learn from him we all need to learn with the humility of daniel humble yourself under the mighty hand of god and he will exalt you in due time god resist the proud but he gives grace unto the humble and the problem that man has we all have by nature is the human pride and lack of humility may the lord help us with this and so beloved brothers and sisters listen how beautiful the response of daniel we read in verse 27 daniel answered

in the presence of the king and said the secret which the king has demanded cannot the wise men and astrologers and magicians and soothsayers shown to the king but verse 28 there is a god in heaven there is a god in heaven that reveal a secret and make us known to the king nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days so in verses 27 and 28 dear brothers and sisters daniel directing the attention of king nebuchadnezzar to the god of heaven and you notice once again the word secret is mentioned we've already pointed out to this in verse 18 they would desire the mercies of the god of heaven concerning this secret what does that

mean this secret you see the aramaic word is raz in hebrew the word is sod secret what does that mean you know throughout this chapter we have this expression the secret in verse 18 this secret in verse 19 then was the secret revealed unto daniel then in the verse 27 which we read daniel answered in the presence of the king and said the secret which the king has dreamed notice in verse 28 there is a god in heaven that reveals secrets in verse 29 we read once again at the end he that reveals secrets in verse 30 once again but as for me this secret is not revealed to me for my wisdom once and

again even at the end of the chapter verse 47 we read at the middle of the verse god is a god of god and lord of king and revealer of secrets seeing thou could reveal these secrets again the word here is raz in the armate in hebrew it is sod but the secret it is amazing the secret this expression and the word secret has to do with the wisdom and plan of god you remember what the psalmist said years ago in psalm 25 and verse 14 and we read there the secret of the lord is with them that fear him and he will show them his covenant the secret of the lord is with them

that seek him and them that fear him you see beloved brothers and sisters these secrets these we might say are special revelation from the lord that he desire to show his own people that they will know his mind that they will know his plan that they will know his program we read in deuteronomy chapter 29 and verse 29 the secret things belongeth unto the lord our god but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever that we may do all the words of this law moshe said to the people of israel you see the secrets of the lord is really his plan and his program today you and i who

are believers in the lord yeshua jesus the messiah we can know the secrets of the lord as we accept the lord jesus the messiah into our hearts as we become a believers on him we realize that we need god in our life we open the word of god and we read the scriptures pastor paul studied to show yourself that i prove unto god a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth paul said to timothy and as we study the word of god and as we pray and ask the lord for wisdom he will reveal to us these secrets as psalm 25 and verse 14 says and so here daniel

he is telling to king nebuchadnezzar in verse 27 and 28 there is a god in heaven there is a god in heaven that he reveals secrets and he makes known to the king nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter day thy dream and the visions of thy head upon thy bed are these and he is just about to tell him the dream itself now you notice as we mentioned at the beginning of the study of the book of daniel that nebuchadnezzar was chosen by god to be the one that will become the one that the lord will use him to be the one that will begin you might say the first monarch that babylon will

be the nation that will be the first the beginning of the times of the gentiles and therefore beloved brothers and sisters this monarch this nebuchadnezzar was chosen by god that god will reveal to him his program for the times of the gentiles and he will be the first of the four empires who will rule during the times of the gentiles over all the world but also over the chosen people of israel and so here it's the lesson for us to learn here from this passage that god is now notice that in verse 28 he made known to king nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days this expression the latter days it's a hebrew expression

that is called acharit hayamim acharit hayamim it means what will happen in the latter days you see in order to have a latter days the last days and the reference here beloved brothers and sisters is not in in relationship to the church so much because the church was not in existence when daniel and hananiah mishael and azariah were in babylon the church was born some years later some 600 years later even more 630 or 40 years later when after the messiah yeshua came and israel as a nation did not accept the lord yeshua the messiah at his first coming and the church was born and to remind you beloved brothers and sisters that the church

according to the book of ephesians was a mystery that was hid in god and was not known to the children of men in fact the apostle paul said in ephesians chapter 3 he says notice what apostle paul said in verse 3 and 4 of ephesians chapter 3 that by revelation he this is the lord made known unto me the mystery as i wrote afore in few words whereby when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of christ the mystery of the mashiach listen to verse 5 which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the spirit

in other words it was never the church age was never made known unto the sons of men only now Shaul Paul said some 2000 years ago he continued and he continued to say in verse 9 and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ to the intent that now and to the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God in other words Shaul Paul taught the Ephesians concerning the church age which was not revealed to the children of men was hid in God from

the beginning of the creation but was only made known after the Lord Jesus the Messiah came was not accepted by the nation of Israel and introduced the truth of the church of the assembly that he will build Matthew chapter 16 but here beloved brothers and sisters when Daniel is speaking to King Nebuchadnezzar and when he said to him that there is a God in heaven that reveals a secret and makes us known to King Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days he has a reference to the latter days in relationship to Israel and ultimate Israel's restoration he is taking us all the way throughout the ages from the 6 or 5 BC all the

way through the ages including the age in which we live in today including the church age all the way to the tribulation days the church will be raptured before the tribulation and there will be a 7 year tribulation period and at the end of the tribulation the Mashiach will come and he will rule and reign in righteousness and Israel restored and he will rule and reign over Israel and the whole world for a thousand years that's what he's speaking about that expression in the latter days is an expression that is found throughout the Hebrew scriptures in Genesis chapter 49 we read notice that when Jacob gathered his sons he used the same expression in Genesis

49 verse 1 and Jacob called unto his sons and said gather yourself together that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days B'acharit Hayamin this expression is found here in connection with Israel in their latter days in the future day beloved brothers and sisters and ultimately will be gathered and ultimately will be restored the Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 30 and I will read this verse chapter 4 and verse 30 when thou art in tribulation speaking about Israel and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter days again he speak about Israel restoration if thou will turn to the Lord thy God and shall be obedient unto

his voice and he's speaking about the Lord returning restoring Israel back to himself wonderful truth concerning the latter days the latter days so here beloved brothers and sisters we read that Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that there is a God in heaven who showed him the secrets and here is now he presents before him what will happen during the time of the Gentile until the latter days in verse 29 and verse 30 he says as for thee O king thy thoughts came unto thy mind upon thy bed what should come to pass here after and he that reveal a secret make us known to thee what shall come to pass verse 30 but as for me this

secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living but for their sake that shall make known the interpretation to the king and that thou might know the thoughts of thine heart so Daniel is now sharing with king Nebuchadnezzar what the Lord revealed unto him and that God purposely intentionally wanted Nebuchadnezzar to know because he will be the first monarch that will begin this period of time called the times of the Gentiles and the Lord wanted him to know and so he revealed the dream to Daniel and also the interpretation thereof and so now in these verses beloved brothers and sisters verses 31 to verse 35 Daniel relate the

dream that Nebuchadnezzar dream to himself to the king and so notice what he tell king Nebuchadnezzar this is very interesting it's very rich but I just want us to listen to this portion of scripture verse 31 Daniel relates the dream to Nebuchadnezzar and he said thou o king sowest and behold a great image this great image whose brightness was excellent stood before thee and the form thereof was terrible king Nebuchadnezzar you saw a great image Tselem Chad Shagia in the Arameit this great image whose brightness was excellent stood before thee and the form thereof was terrible notice the dream was bright dream was excellent dream and was a terrible dream that Nebuchadnezzar saw Daniel revealed

to him the dream as far as we have already mentioned earlier Nebuchadnezzar knew their dream but he wanted to hear it from someone else and to know the interpretation thereof and here Daniel by the word of the Lord present before Nebuchadnezzar the very dream o king thou sowest and behold a great image Daniel described the makeup of the image what was it made of and you notice how interesting beloved brothers and sisters in verse 32 this image head was of fine gold his breast and his arms of silver his belly and his thighs of brass his legs of iron his feet part of iron and part of clay in other words that great image that

Nebuchadnezzar saw no wonder we read that it was bright whose brightness was excellent and it was also terrible it was beyond his comprehension and so Daniel now tell Nebuchadnezzar the makeup what material was this image made out of and you notice we have gold and silver and brass and iron and clay we notice that the image had a head had a breast and arm had belly and thighs had legs and also had feet part iron and part clay so you notice beloved brothers and sisters when Daniel presents the dream and the makeup of the dream to Nebuchadnezzar he gives him the material that it was made out of gold and silver and brass and iron

and clay in Hebrew zahav gold kesef silver nechoshet brass barzel iron keres clay he is going from the head all the way down to the feet the head and the breast and his arms and the belly and the thighs and the legs and the feet he is going from the top to the bottom so you notice it is very interesting because when Daniel presents that dream that Nebuchadnezzar had dreamt already and he revealed this to him now by his words he presents the makeup of the image that was made out of gold silver brass iron and clay that it was made out of this material first the head then the breast then the belly and

the thigh then the legs and then the feet in other words from the top to the bottom from the top to the bottom from the beginning to the end and also notice that the material that is made gold silver brass iron and clay were material that the gold was more valuable than the silver the silver is more valuable than brass the brass is more valuable than iron and the iron is more valuable than clay you see and it is also interesting that we learn from this because Nebuchad Netzer was the first monarch that will be the one that will be the first emperor or you would say the first monarch of the four empires that

will run through the age or the period that is called the times of the Gentiles that the Lord Jesus the Messiah mentioned in Luke chapter 21 and verse 24 I will read you this verse because it is very important verse that the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah mentioned to his disciples he said in Luke chapter 21 verse 23 and 24 but war unto them that are with child he's speaking about throughout the ages the persecution of the people of Israel in the early days before 70 AD and then in the latter days in the tribulation period said but war and to them that give sack in those days for there shall be a great distress

in the land and wrath upon these people and they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive unto all nations notice and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles even though today beloved brothers and sisters there are those who live in Jerusalem I was born in Jerusalem my father was born in Jerusalem our family many are in Jerusalem and many of our forefathers are in Jerusalem yet Jerusalem is still not truly freed from the nations of the world the Gentiles shall troll down Jerusalem until and here's that expression until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled in Hebrew itot hagoyim when the Gentiles will be in control over

the city of Jerusalem and the Jewish people when our people will be scattered and they're only going to be regathered and restored to the Lord at the second coming of the Mashiach at the end of the tribulation period and so we find out that this whole image represent all the time from 605 BC or if you wish from 586 BC when the temple was destroyed in Jerusalem until the second coming of the Messiah and so it's from the top to the bottom from a more valuable material to a less viable and from the superior to the inferior from the one that has authority more than the one that has less authority because King Nebuchadnezzar had

much more authority as the king of Babylon than any other of the kingdoms that followed him Babylon Middle Persia Greece and Rome beloved brothers and sisters it is amazing and so notice just to conclude with these verses how it will end notice what he tells us in that dream that Daniel is now presenting before the king Nebuchadnezzar who dreamt that dream in verse 34 and verse 35 Daniel pointed to a single stone Evin in Hebrew Evin which is a representation of the Mashiach the stone which the builders rejected notice what we read in verse 34 of Daniel chapter 2 thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands which smote the image upon

his feet that were the iron and clay and break them in pieces he continued in verse 35 and Daniel says then was the iron the clay the brass the silver and the gold broken to pieces together and became like a chaff of the summer threshing flow and the wind carried them away that no place was found in them and listen to this beloved brothers and sisters verse 35 be and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth now when you read of such a dream a dream of an image that was as we read here it was terrible it was bright dream bright image that overwhelmed the king

no wonder he wanted to know the dream and its interpretation so Daniel described the dream before Nebuchad Netzer and he showed him that the dream the head is gold the breast is silver his belly and thighs are brass his legs is iron and his feet partly iron and partly clay that image stood and you notice that when the stone was cut out without hands verse 34 namely that it was in a supernatural way that stone was cut out without hand that stone fell not upon the head but upon his feet that was made out of iron and clay and he break them to pieces the feet but when the feet is broken according to verse

35 then was also the iron and the clay and the brass and the silver and the gold all the image broken to pieces together and became like chaff of the summer threshing floor and a wind carried them away that no place was found anymore for this head and breast and arms and belly and thighs and legs why because that stone completely removed that whole image from its toes all the way to its head but notice what happened to the stone according to verse 35 at the end and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain that filled the whole earth and so beloved brothers and sisters it is amazing it is amazing to

learn of that wonderful passage the prayer of Daniel and his friends to know the dream and God's revelation of the dream Daniel 2 verses 17 to 35 wonderful passage lord willing in our next message verses 36 to 49 Daniel gives the interpretation of the dream to king Nebuchad Netzer well my dear friends God bless you until the next time I'm saying to you Shalom Shalom