THERE ARE SEVERAL passages in the Book of Daniel in which chronological data appears, and concerning which a ceaseless controversy has raged. Most of the questionings are caused by rationalistic unbelief. Archeological data, however, has disproved the theses of most modem scholarship, and the endless discussions have interest no longer, other than an academic one. All the historical questions and rationalistic criticisms have been well answered in the two volumes of R. D. Wilson entitled Studies in the Book of Daniel. In my volume, Messiah: His First Coming Scheduled, I discuss the main points of the chronology in the Book of Daniel.

The Book of Daniel is written in the Aramaic and Hebrew languages. The section Daniel 2:4-7:28 is in Aramaic, a cognate language of the Hebrew. A number of theories attempting to explain this phenomenon have been advocated by scholars. That theory which does not do violence to the text, but rather illuminates it, is that in the Aramaic section the times of the Gentiles and world sovereignty are graphically set forth. The other two sections, Daniel 1:1-2:3 and Daniel 8:1-12:13, are in Hebrew and deal largely with matters pertaining to the Hebrew race. When one studies the Book of Daniel from this point of view the thought flows from beginning to end like a peaceful stream.

"And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him. 2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream." (Dan 2:1-3)

God at times and to certain ones made His revelation in the form of a dream. The Lord revealed to Joseph the future lying before him; to Pharaoh, King of Egypt he made known the interpretation of his dream concerning the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine; also, to the baker and the butler of Potiphar, He told what was ahead of them. In Joel 2:28-30 appears a prediction that in the closing days of this age God will pour out His Spirit upon certain ones of the Hebrew people, and at the same time will perform miracles in the heavens above and the earth beneath.

Does God at the present time make revelations through dreams? I cannot believe that God makes any revelations today in dreams or in any other way except through the written Word. "Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints" (Jude v. 3). Often, Satan, doubtless by his deception, uses dreams to mislead the people and to thwart the purposes of God.

According to the text Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, but there was one that stood out from all the rest--the one which God caused him to dream.

For some reason, not given in the text, the dream which God gave him gripped his attention. He realized that there was some significance to it but was unable to understand it. He was, therefore, greatly troubled and called in the Chaldeans and those versed in the occult arts.

"Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation. 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye make not known unto me the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. 6 But if ye show the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore show me the dream and the interpretation thereof" (Dan 2:4-6).

The Chaldeans were the priestly caste. When they came into the presence of the king, they used the usual ancient, oriental salutation, "O king, live for ever." They rightfully took the position of servants to Nebuchadnezzar, an absolute monarch. Then, they requested that he tell the dream and they would interpret it, but he could not recall any of the dream.

Nebuchadnezzar threatened to tear them limb from limb if they did not reproduce his dream, and he would also destroy completely their houses. On the other hand, he promised them gifts and great honor if they were successful. This reminds one of Balak's offer to Balaam if he would only curse Israel (Deut. 23:5).

They answered the second time and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation. 8 The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. 9 But if ye make not known unto me the dream, there is but one law for you; for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof. (Dan 2:7-9)

Again the Chaldeans pleaded with Nebuchadnezzar to show them the dream, assuring him that they could and would give the proper interpretation. Though Nebuchadnezzar was in heathen darkness, he had common sense. If they could not reproduce the dream, thought the disappointed ruler, they could not give a correct interpretation of it. "… ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me …"

"The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter, forasmuch as no king, lord, or ruler, hath asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean. 11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is no other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh" (Dan 2:10-11).

The Chaldeans remonstrated with Nebuchadnezzar saying that there was no man anywhere who could show the king's matter. According to them, no king or ruler had ever made such a demand of any Chaldean, asserting that the only one who could meet the demand of the king was a god, "whose dwelling is not with flesh."

"For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went forth, and the wise men were to be slain; and they sought Daniel and his companions to be slain. 14 Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, who was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon; 15 he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Wherefore is the decree so urgent from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation (Dan 2:12-16).

At this time the king became furious and issued an order to destroy all the wise men of Babylon--Chaldeans and those versed in the occult arts. Daniel and his companions were likewise to be slain.

When Daniel was informed that he came within the range of the decree, he Answered "with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king's guard" whose duty it was to carry out indiscriminately the decree. Daniel asked why the decree was so very urgent. Arioch gave Daniel the desired information. Then Daniel went in and asked of the king that he be given the opportunity to reproduce the vision and to give its interpretation. Never did a person take a bolder stand of faith than did Daniel on this occasion. Evidently Daniel had been walking with God daily by faith and he knew that God would take care of His faithful servants. God told Noah that there would be a flood and that he should build an ark in which he and his family would be protected. The fact that God said that there would be a flood was sufficient for Noah. He, like Daniel, acted upon the plain unvarnished Word of God.

"Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: 18 that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven" (Dan 2:17-19).

There is no substitute for one's communion and fellowship with God in private prayer. The prayer of Moses saved the entire Hebrew race (Psalm 106:23). At the same time, there is nothing that will take the place of those who come with like mind before the throne of grace and plead for some special need. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). Daniel therefore called Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to join with him in prayer to God that He would make known to him this dream and its interpretation.

Prayer is a mighty weapon in the hands of a believer. Such is the testimony of God's noblemen and noblewomen.

"Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are his. 21 And he changeth the times and the seasons; he removeth kings, and setteth up kings; he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that have understanding; 22 he revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. 23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast now made known unto me what we desired of thee; for thou hast made known unto us the king's matter" (Dan 2:20-23).

This hymn of praise welling up from the depths of the souls of Daniel and his companions is an expression of thankfulness and devotion to God. It is an acknowledgment that it is in God that we live and move and have our being. This prayer of praise reminds one of King David's prayer found in I Chronicles 29:10-19.

"Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had appointed 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. 25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. 26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 27 Daniel answered before the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded can neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, show unto the king; 28 but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days." (Dan 2:24-28a).

After the prayer meeting Daniel went to interview Arioch the king's captain who was to carry out the decree of slaughter. Daniel confidently and boldly yet meekly, told that he was able to make known to the king the dream and its interpretation. Then Arioch brought Daniel into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar who asked him if he were able to make known the dream and its interpretation. Answering Daniel told the king that the secret which he desired of the wise men could not be known by them but that the God of heaven had revealed the secret to him. "But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days."

"Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these: 29 as for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter; and he that revealeth secrets hath made known to thee what shall come to pass. 30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that thou mayest know the thoughts of thy 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. 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. 36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king" (2:28b-36).

As reproduced by Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar saw a great image, the head of which was of gold, the chest and arms of silver, the belly of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet and toes of iron and miry clay. This image was standing at the foot of a mountain, out of which a small stone was cut without hands. Rolling down the side, it gained velocity and smote the image with a terrific impact. The result was that the image was broken into fragments, which in turn were like the chaff of the summer threshing-floor blown by the wind. Then the little stone became a mountain which filled the entire earth.

Such a reproduction and vivid description were conclusive evidence to the king that Daniel was a servant of the true and living God.