Daniel 3

Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream to the point that he couldn’t sleep. None of his counselors could provide the interpretation so he ordered their execution but before that happened the Lord provided Daniel with the meaning. Daniel came before the king and gave the Lord credit for unveiling the mystery. He proceeded to recount the dream then provide the interpretation.
The Dream

• The Babylonian Kingdom

The head of gold represented the kingdom of Babylon but it didn’t last long.

• The Medo-Persian Kingdom

Daniel said an inferior kingdom would rise up and replace Babylon. This took place after Nebuchadnezzar’s death in 562 BC.

• The Greek Kingdom

This kingdom would rule the whole Earth. Beginning in 334 BC Alexander the Great conquered Medo-Persia and everything east as far as India. Though they conquered much, they lacked administrative ability making them inferior to their predecessors.

• The Roman Kingdom

The last kingdom was as strong as iron. It never successfully united all the people under its rule making it brittle.
A final kingdom will emerge and crush all previous kingdoms. This will take place when Jesus returns to establish his millennial kingdom in which he will break nations with a rod of iron. After Daniel’s interpretation King Nebuchadnezzar worshipped Daniel’s God, Yahweh.

This story demonstrates 3 truths about our future.

• We are rapidly approaching the end of human rule as we know it

No one knows when Christ will gather his church but we can be sure that we have been in the last days since Christ’s ascension. We are 2000 years closer to His return.

• All investments in earthly kingdoms are temporary at best

We should invest in seeking and spreading the gospel.
         
Matthew 5:13
          “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”

• Stay the course, don’t give in

What did Daniel and his friends do when crisis hit? They prayed. They stayed the course they’d been taught and didn’t back down. We don’t give in to the enticements of this culture.
Daniel stayed the course as a man of conviction and purpose just as we also need to.
Many people know abut Jesus but don’t really know him. Today, we can invest in the divine kingdom by:

• Living for His glory
• Spending our time wisely
• Doing all we can to win people to His kingdom

Pastor Chris Williams
To learn more about Pastor Chris and his teaching, visit us on the web at fcfamily.org  and make sure you subscribe to receive these biweekly encouragements in your inbox.