The Beginning:
King Nebuchadnezzar is troubled by a dream and demands that his wise men tell him both the dream and its interpretation. When they cannot, he orders the execution of Babylon’s wise men, a decree that also threatens Daniel and his companions among the exiles. Daniel asks for time and seeks mercy from God concerning the mystery.
The Middle:
God reveals the dream and its meaning to Daniel in a night vision, and Daniel blesses God as the One who gives wisdom and changes times and kings. Brought before the king, Daniel makes clear that no human wisdom can uncover such mysteries, but that God in heaven reveals them. Daniel recounts the dream: a great statue with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet partly of iron and partly of clay. A stone “cut out, but not by human hands” strikes the statue, shatters it, and grows into a mountain that fills the whole earth.
The End:
Daniel interprets the statue as a sequence of kingdoms, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar as the “head of gold,” followed by inferior kingdoms after him, ending in a divided realm symbolized by iron mixed with clay. In the days of those kings, God will establish a kingdom that will never be destroyed and will outlast all others. Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges Daniel’s God as Lord over mysteries, honors Daniel, and promotes him, while also appointing Daniel’s companions to positions of authority.
This account emphasizes God’s sovereignty over history: He reveals hidden things, raises up and brings down rulers, and directs the course of kingdoms toward His purposes. The dream’s climax—God’s enduring kingdom—presents divine rule as ultimate and unshakeable, surpassing human power and political empires. Daniel’s role highlights faithful witness in exile: God remains present with His people under foreign domination and makes His glory known even in pagan courts.
Royal courts in the ancient Near East commonly relied on professional interpreters of dreams and omens, viewing them as significant for state security and the king’s legitimacy. Daniel 2 reflects this courtly setting while distinguishing Israel’s God from Babylonian divination: the revelation is portrayed not as technical omen-reading but as God’s direct disclosure of a “mystery.”
“There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.” — Daniel 2:28
Answer the questions below. When you choose an option, you will see the result and an explanation.
1. What did King Nebuchadnezzar demand from his wise men regarding his troubling dream?
2. According to Daniel’s recounting of the dream, what happened after a stone “cut out, but not by human hands” struck the statue?