(presented by: Naomi Blankenship)

         
     In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim, king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, into the land of Judah.  The Lord God gave King Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and part of the vessels from the house of God into the hand of the king of Babylon for their sins. The people weren't following His Holy Word and instruction from the prophets.  King Nebuchadnezzar took the king and the holy vessels back to Babylon.

     King Nebuchadnezzar spoke to his master of eunuchs and instructed him to bring in certain of the children of Israel in whom was found no blemish, and that were skillful in wisdom and knowledge.  The king wanted men that could understand science and could stand with the king in the palace.  He wanted them to be taught the language of the Chaldeans' and to assist him when he needed them.   One of those chosen to come before the king was Daniel, who was renamed Belteshazzar by the master of the eunuchs. 

     The king offered meat and wine, from his own storage, for food and drink for those chosen for the three years of training to assist him.  Daniel, renamed Belteshazzar, requested of the master of the eunuchs to have only pulse (vegetables and grains) and water to eat and drink instead of the king's meat and wine.  Daniel had decided in his heart not to defile himself with the wine and meat offered him from the king.  So, he told the master of the eunuchs that they would be fairer and fatter from eating just the pulse and water in ten days than those that ate the meat and drank the wine.  Daniel was favored by the master of the eunuchs and he allowed him his request.  God blessed Daniel and he was given understanding of all visions and dreams.

     In the second year of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar he dreamed dreams that troubled his spirit and he could not sleep.  Then, the king commanded to call the magicians, astrologers,  sorcerers, and Chaldeans' to show him his dreams.   

     The king told them that he had dreamed a dream and his spirit was troubled to know the dream.  Then, the Chaldeans' said to the king, “O king live forever, tell thy servants the dream and we will show the interpretation.” The king answered, “The thing is gone from me: If ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.  But, if ye show me the dream, and will show the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts, and rewards, and great honour: therefore show me the dream and the interpretation thereof.”

     They answered again and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it.”  The king answered and said that he knew that if they had the time they would lie and make corrupt words before him.  He said again, tell me the dream, and therefore, I know you can show me the interpretation of it.

     The Chaldeans' told the king there was no man on earth that could do this for the king.  They told  him that this is a rare thing that he had asked and that only the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh, could give the answer.

     The king was very angry and furious.  He commanded his army to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.  Then, Daniel questioned with counsel and wisdom to the captain of the king’s guard, Arioch.  He wanted to know why he was going to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and why the decree was made so hastily.

     Daniel went in and requested the king give him time, and he would show the king the interpretation.  He returned to his house and asked the three other Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, to pray with him for mercy from the God of heaven concerning the secret and that he and his Hebrew friends  not perish with the other wise men of Babylon.   

     The secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision.  He blessed and praised the Lord God of heaven.  Daniel said, “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are His: And He changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge unto them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness and the light dwelleth with Him. I thank Thee and praise Thee, O God of my fathers, who hath given me wisdom and might, and hath made known unto me now what we desired of Thee: for thou hast made known unto us now the king’s matter.”

      Daniel went to the captain of the guard, Arioch, who was to destroy all the wise men and asked him not to destroy the all wise men of Babylon.  He asked Arioch to take him to the king and he would show him the interpretation of the dream. 

      Arioch went before the king and told him that he had found a man of Judah that could interpret his dream.  So, the king asked that he be sent in to him. 

     Daniel told the king that the astrologers, sorcerers, and magicians could not tell him his dream.  Daniel said, “But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh 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:  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 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 their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest 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.  This image’s 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.  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.  Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like chaff of the summer threshing floors; 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.  This is the dream: and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.” 

     “Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.  And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath He given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all.  Thou art this head of gold.  And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.  And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron:  forasmuch as iron breaketh into pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh in pieces and bruise.”

     “And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.  And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.  And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.”

     “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.  Forasmuch as thou sawest the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the  interpretation thereof sure.”

     Then, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer sweet odors unto him.  The king answered Daniel and said, “Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.”  Then, the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts.  He made him ruler over all the province of Babylon and placed him over all governors and all wise men.   

     Trust in the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings.  He can answer your prayers and give you answers to questions in your everyday life.  Believe on Jesus and call on His name.  He can save your soul.

     If Jesus (Yeshua) has touched your heart and you would like to accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior, please just