prophecy

odyssey 2
of

An Amazing Fact:

Ancient Babylon had a massive impact on

world history. It was a center of early mathematics,
astronomy, and technological innovation. The
Babylonians invented the wheel for work carts and
chariots, the sailboat to trade on the Euphrates River,
and cuneiform writing for records. Babylon also
developed a unique numerical system based on a
lunar calendar with 360 days in a year, 30 days
in a month, and units for measuring time based
on the number 60. This is why we divide hours
into 60 minutes and minutes into 60 seconds.
Babylonians also divided the starry heavens
into 36 constellations, which is why we say
there are 360 degrees in a circle. Interestingly,
the Babylonian’s sacred square is composed of 6
by 6 boxes, containing 36 segments. If added up
sequentially, 1 + 2 + 3—on to 36—it totals 666.

B abylon was at its zenith of power during the

rule of its last great king, Nebuchadnezzar II,
who built the legendary Hanging Gardens for
his wife. Historians tell us the 40-foot-high
walls of the capital enclosed 200 square
miles and were wide enough for chariot
races on the top!
 The vast kingdom of Babylon was opulent and prosperous, yet the king
stirred in his royal bed wondering how long his golden era would last. With
these questions troubling his mind, the mighty monarch drifted off to sleep.
That night, a vivid dream flashed into his mind—something of a towering
multi-mineral idol unlike anything he had ever seen.
Knowing this was no ordinary dream, the king threw aside his
embroidered covers and told his servants to order all his magicians and
astrologers to come at once. He was desperate to understand this dream!
Little did he know, it had prophetic significance down to our day. Let’s find
out more …

When you see a blank, use your Bible to

look up the missing word and fill it in.

1 Why did God give the Babylonian king this dream?

Daniel 2:28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals
_______________, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what
will be in the _______________ days.

NOTE: In the king’s dream of the multi-mineral image, God outlined the rise and
fall of the empires that would have a direct influence on His people through the
following millenniums.

2 When the king’s counselors failed to reveal and interpret the

dream, what was Nebuchadnezzar’s command?
Daniel 2:12 The king ... gave the command to _______________ all
the wise men of Babylon.

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NOTE: Some of the astrologers and magicians of Babylon claimed to have supernatural
power, but when they could not reveal the dream to the king, they were shown to be
powerless imposters. If the king had told them the dream, they would have simply
manufactured a bogus interpretation. In his frustration, Nebuchadnezzar commanded
all the wise men to be slain—even those who were not present.
Among those absent from the first meeting with the king was a God-fearing
captive named Daniel, who had just been trained for the king’s service.

3 When Daniel learned about the death decree, what did he ask
of the king, and what did he tell his friends?
A. Daniel 2:16 Daniel went in and asked the king to give him
__________, that he might tell the king the _______________.

B. Daniel 2:17, 18 Then Daniel went to his house, and made

the decision _______________ to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his
companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning
this _______________.

NOTE: Daniel requested a little time from Nebuchadnezzar and promised that he
would reveal the dream and its meaning. The king, who was still eager to know the
significance of his vision, granted Daniel’s request.
Then Daniel and his friends appealed to the only source who could reveal the
king’s dream—they prayed to the God of heaven.

4 What happened in response to the prayer of Daniel and his

friends, and to whom did they give credit?
Daniel 2:19 Then the secret was _______________ to Daniel in a
night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

Lesson 2 3
 Daniel 2:28 There is a God in heaven who _______________ secrets.

NOTE: That night, in response to the heartfelt prayer of the young Hebrews, Daniel
was given the very same dream Nebuchadnezzar had seen. Additionally, Daniel was
given the meaning of the dream.
The rise and fall of empires may appear as if happening by the will of men, but
Daniel’s prayer of praise reveals the essence of divine intervention. Nothing happens
that God is not already aware of and has not allowed. Sometimes we may not
understand what is happening in our world today, but it is comforting to know that
God is still sovereign. Only Daniel could reveal the dream to the king, yet he clearly
gives the credit to the One who revealed the dream to him—the God of heaven.

5 What two principal objects did Daniel say the king saw
in his dream?
A. Daniel 2:31 You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great
_______________.

B. Daniel 2:34 You watched while a _______________ was cut out

without hands.

NOTE: The first thing the king saw was a great image made of the following
mineral elements:
1. The head was made of gold.
2. The chest and arms were made of silver.
3. The belly and thighs were made of brass.
4. The legs were made of iron.
5. The feet were made of iron and clay.
Next, the king saw a stone that had been cut out without hands.
At this point, King Nebuchadnezzar was no doubt sitting spellbound on the
edge of his throne. Daniel had related the dream precisely as God had given it to him.
Now the king eagerly waited, wondering what the dream meant. Daniel proceeded
to explain the interpretation as the Lord had revealed it to him, and we would do
well to accept it just as He gave it. The only safe way to interpret the Bible and its
prophecies is to allow the Bible to explain itself.

4 Lesson 2
 6 What does the head of gold represent?
Daniel 2:38 You are this __________ of gold.

NOTE: The king was regarded as the head of the state. This is why Nebuchadnezzar
represented Babylon, the empire that began the prophecy. Babylon, also called the
Chaldean Empire, ruled the world from approximately 612 to 539 BC as one of the
mightiest empires of antiquity—one that could aptly be described as the head of
gold. Notice that the prophecy begins in Daniel’s time.

7 Would the Babylonian kingdom last forever?

Daniel 2:39 But after you shall arise _______________ kingdom
inferior to yours.

NOTE: Babylon’s supremacy would not last forever. Succeeding kingdoms, inferior
to Babylon, would rule in their turn. Just as silver is inferior to gold, so the kingdom
that followed Babylon enjoyed diminished glory. Led by Cyrus in 539 BC, the Medo-
Persian empire conquered Babylon and reduced it to ruins. The Medo-Persians were
the ruling world power from 539 to 331 BC. During their reign, all taxes had to be
paid in silver.

8 What metal would represent the kingdom that followed

Medo-Persia?
Daniel 2:39 Then another, a third kingdom of _______________ ...
shall rule over all the earth.

NOTE: The brass kingdom of Greece came into power when Alexander the Great
conquered the Medo-Persians at the Battle of Arbela in 331 BC. Greece remained in
power until about 168 BC. Greek soldiers were called “brazen-coated” because their
armor was all bronze. Notice how each succeeding mineral depicted in the image is
less valuable, yet more enduring than the one before it.

Lesson 2 5
 9 What metal represents the fourth kingdom?
Daniel 2:40 The fourth kingdom shall be as strong as __________.

NOTE: The iron monarchy of Rome conquered the Greeks in 168 BC and enjoyed
world supremacy until Rome was overrun by the Ostrogoths in AD 476. Rome is the
kingdom that dominated the world when Jesus Christ was born. Notice how Daniel
foretold a thousand years of world history with unerring accuracy. The rise and fall
of these four world empires—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome—are clearly
foretold in the Bible and proved by the history books.

10 What would happen after the fall of the Roman Empire?

Daniel 2:41, 42 The kingdom shall be _______________. ... As the
toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be
partly strong and partly fragile.

NOTE: When the Roman Empire began to crumble in AD 476, it was not overtaken
by another world power. Instead, barbarian tribes conquered and divided it—just
as Daniel prophesied. Ten of these tribes evolved into modern Europe. They were
the Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks, Vandals, Alemannians, Sueves, Anglo-Saxons,
Heruls, Lombards, and Burgundians. Seven of them still exist today in Europe. For
example, the Anglo-Saxons became the English, the Franks became the French, the
Alemannians became the Germans, and the Lombards became the Italians.
It should not go unnoticed that the number one building material in the world
today is concrete. A prophet in Daniel’s time could only identify this as iron mixed
with clay.

11 Would these ten kingdoms ever succeed in uniting?

Daniel 2:43 They will mingle with the seed of men; but they will
__________ _______________ to one another, just as iron does not mix
with clay.

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NOTE: Through marriage, alliances, and treaties, men have vainly attempted to
reunite the European continent under one rule. All throughout history, leaders such as
Charlemagne, Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm, Mussolini, and Hitler have fought to build a
new European empire; but these words of Scripture have stopped every single would-
be world ruler.
Revelation 13 does tell us there will be another attempt to establish a universal
religion, but Daniel’s prophecy clearly states that the world will remain politically
divided for the rest of history.

12 Who will set up the final kingdom?

Daniel 2:44 And in the days of these kings the __________ of
_______________ will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed.

NOTE: The next great universal kingdom will be the kingdom of heaven, which is
described in Matthew 25:31–34.

13 What does the stone do to the other world kingdoms?

Daniel 2:34, 35 A stone was cut out without hands, which
______________ the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke
them in pieces. ... And the stone that struck the image became a great
_______________ and filled the whole earth.

NOTE: The stone cut without human hands represents God’s kingdom. It will not be
a conglomeration of earthly kingdoms but a total replacement (Revelation 21:1). The
Scriptures declare that when Jesus Christ returns to Earth, He will completely consume
all the world’s kingdoms and establish an everlasting kingdom (Daniel 2:44). What
exciting news! All history is moving toward this climactic conclusion, when the Son of
God shall return in majesty to bring in the kingdom of everlasting righteousness.
King Nebuchadnezzar may have thought he had defeated the true God when he
besieged Jerusalem and plundered the temple (Daniel 1:1, 2), but he was shown quickly
that God is ruler over all. Human events are under His control, and ultimately, He will
win the conflict. Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the ten divisions of Europe
may have sought to usurp divine authority and destroy the people of God, but all
earthly kingdoms will eventually be demolished by the coming of Christ.
Lesson 2 7
 14 After hearing Daniel’s clear interpretation of the dream,
what did Nebuchadnezzar say about the Lord?
Daniel 2:47 The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is
the __________ of __________, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets,
since you could reveal this secret.”

NOTE: Having seen that God has complete control of world events, even
Nebuchadnezzar readily acknowledged that the God whom Daniel served was
above all the heathen gods of Babylon. How quickly the picture had changed!
Daniel and his friends, because of their faithfulness to God, were elevated from
their initial captivity in Babylon to positions of prominent leadership in the kingdom
(Daniel 2:48, 49). God always honors those who honor Him (1 Samuel 2:30).

YOUR RESPONSE
Recognizing that God is in full control of earthly events, are you willing to let
Him have full control of your life?
ANSWER: _______________

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 FURTHER STUDY
Nebuchadnezzar’s Statue

Gold = Babylon
The head of gold represented
Babylon, which was the ruling
world power from 612 to 539 BC.

Silver = Medo-Persia
The chest of silver represented
Medo-Persia, the ruling world
empire from 539 to 331 BC.

Bronze = Greece
The thighs of bronze represented
Greece, the dominant world ruler
from 331 to 168 BC.

Iron = Rome
The legs of iron represented Rome,
which enjoyed world supremacy
from 168 BC to AD 476.

Iron and Clay =

Divided Empire
The feet that were partly iron and
partly clay represented a divided
empire that would not cleave
together. No single power has ruled
the world since AD 476, and it will
remain divided until Christ’s return.

Stone = Christ’s Eternal

Kingdom, His Word, and His Law
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 ootes:

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