Daniel 2:24-49  Daniel received an answer to his prayer.. God revealed to him the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had.. and the interpretation of it.  The first thing he did was to praise the Lord and the second thing he did was make a plea for the all the other wise men of Babylon!  They may have been rivals.. and later on enemies.. but Daniel still did what no one else could do.. and it saved all of their lives. 

Daniel came before the king.. and in complete humility answered him.. "As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. However there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days.. " 

Daniel makes it clear to Nebuchadnezzar that it is God who revealed the mystery and God who revealed the answers to Daniel. "But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind." (v30)

Daniel describes the vision.. Nebuchadnezzar saw an awesome statue of "extraordinary splendor" with a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, a torso of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of iron mixed with clay.  While he was looking a "stone was cut out without hands and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them." (v34) 

Then, Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar the meaning of the vision.. he was the head of gold.. a superior kingdom, but his kingdom would end and would be followed by another "inferior" kingdom, which also would end and be followed by a third, even less powerful kingdom.  We know that these are the kingdoms of the Medes and Persians, followed by the Greeks.  After that, a fourth kingdom would rise up.. iron.. representing the Romans.. and finally a mixed kingdom.. iron and clay would replace the Romans. 

The iron and clay mixture made up the toes of the statue. " And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle."  Daniel goes on to say that they substances will be mixed.. but "they will not adhere to one another.. "  Sure sounds like the nations of the world today, doesn't it?

Then.. "in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever." (v44) 

God made this vision known to Nebuchadnezzar.. and revealed it to Daniel.  It was recorded for our benefit. As Nebuchadnezzar tells Daniel, "Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries.. " (v47).  We are assured that God will fulfill His plan.. His Kingdom is coming and Christ will rule this eternal kingdom.  He is the Rock.. He is the King.. He is the Lord our God!

Father in heaven, we look up.. waiting for that day when the final Kingdom will come and Christ will reign! May our hearts be ready.. may we be determined, like Daniel, to live faithfully for You every day until all Your mysteries are revealed and we see Your Glory! Accomplish all that You desire in us and through us until that day, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.