Bible Dreams.
Zion's Advocate, Vol. 41, No. 8, August 1902.Of all the dreams mentioned in the Old Testament none are more important or more remarkable than the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. In the second year of his reign, B. C. 603, this king dreamed a dream which troubled his spirit and broke his sleep, though the particulars had left him so that he was not able to recall the dream. He called the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans before him to tell him his dream and give its interpretation. A magician was one who pretended to have supernatural power to produce surprising and extraordinary effects by means of enchantments. Astrologers were those who pretended to foretell events by the movements of the stars, believing that the heavenly bodies have an influence upon human destiny. Sorcerers
were those who pretended to tell fortunes by the casting of lots and the use of charms, in which evil spirits were supposed to be employed. The Chaldeans were so much addicted to the study of the planets and to make predictions from such observations that the word Chaldean came to be used as a general term in referring to astrologers and magicians. The Chaldeans are therefore said to have spoken to the King in Syriac, which some suppose to have been a more elegant dialect of the Chaldee language, chiefly used by the learned. The flattering words used by them, "O King, live forever," was the customary salutation, expressing a desire for the continuation of his life, health, and felicity. This address was used by Daniel in the lion's den when Darius came to enquire if his God had been able to deliver him from the lions. See Daniel 6:21. It is reasonable to suppose, however, that these words meant more when used by Daniel than when used by heathen magicians.
On being required to relate the dream as well as to give its interpretation, the Chaldeans protested that the king's demand was
unreasonable; that no king, lord, nor ruler had ever asked such a thing of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. They declared that there was not a man upon the earth that could tell the king his dream; that none but the gods could do so, whose dwelling was not with flesh. They referred to their heathen gods, being entirely ignorant of the only living and true God, who alone could reveal the secrets of this dream and who does condescend to dwell among men. The king having decreed that all the wise men should be put to death if they failed to tell him his dream, at once ordered his tyrannical decree to be carried out. This shows the evil effect, on the mind of fallen man, of arbitrary power, continual homage and flattery, and uninterrupted prosperity. Daniel and his friends had not been favored with a hearing from the king, so when they were sought for to be put to death Daniel asked for time, promising to give the king his desired information. In a night vision the Lord revealed the secret to Daniel, who broke forth in the following beautiful strain: "Blessed be the name of God forever 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 to the wise, and knowledge to them that understand: 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 thou God of my father, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter." Daniel 2:20-23. Daniel then requested Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, to take him into the king's presence which was at once done. On being asked if he was able to make the dream known and give its interpretation, he informed the king that the secret he had demanded could not be shown by the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the sooth-sayers, but that there was a God in heaven that revealed secrets and made known what should be in the latter days. He then related the dream and gave its interpretation, which is recorded in Daniel 2:31-45.
The head of the great image seen by the king was of fine gold and represented the Babylonian Empire, known as the Chaldean Monarchy. The gold represented the wealth and splendor of this great kingdom, and particularly the haughtiness and pride of Nebuchadnezzar its renowned ruler. In describing this kingdom Daniel informed its haughty ruler that the God of heaven had given it all to him, with the power and strength and glory he possessed. The emptiness and vanity of all earthly glory is fitly represented by the transient dream that so soon vanished and the lifeless image seen in the dream. How true this is of earthly renown and riches! They are all like a dream sure enough, and are as void of vital and lasting comfort as an image composed of inanimate matter is destitute of life.
In the year 538 B. C. Cyrus, leader of the combined forces of the Medes and Persians, succeeded in capturing Babylon. This was 65 years after the king had his dream. The Medo-Persian empire was thus formed, which was represented by the breast and two arms of silver. This was a wealthy and splendid monarchy, though inferior to the Babylonian. In 331 B. C., or 207 years after the founding of the Medo-Persian Empire, Darius Codomanus was overthrown at Arbela by Alexander the Great, who founded the Macedonian or Grecian Empire, which was represented by the belly and thighs of brass. The legs and feet of iron mixed with clay represented the Roman Empire, which succeeded the Macedonian and conquered nearly the entire world. The two legs and two feet represented the eastern and western empires into which this monarchy was subsequently divided, and the ten kingdoms into which it became finally broken were denoted by the ten toes.
Daniel was favored with a visionary representation of these four great kingdoms in the form of four beasts. To Nebuchadnezzar's carnal mind these earthly kingdoms appeared as a glorious, splendid and immense image, while to Daniel's spiritual mind the same kingdoms appeared as terrible, odious and destructive, which was more fitly represented by beasts. See 7th chapter of Daniel. In this dream or vision Daniel saw the four winds of heaven striving upon the great sea. The sea represented the people of the earth, and the agitation of the sea by the four winds was emblematical of the perpetual confusion into which the people were thrown by ambitious princes and mighty conquerors who were continually striving for victory and dominion. The lion was a representation of the Chaldean or Babylonian Monarchy. The eagle's wings denoted the unabated vigor and rapidity of Nebuchadnezzar's conquests, but they were plucked, which indicated that the spread of this mighty empire would be checked. This beast stood upon its feet as a man and had a man's heart given to it, which indicated that the kingdom would become so weak and timid that it would not dare to face a "bear."
The second kingdom the Medo-Persian was represented by a bear. This beast raised itself up on one side, representing the conquests of the Medes and Persians which were almost entirely west of their original dominions. The three ribs between its teeth represented the three kingdoms of Babylon, Lydia and Egypt, which the Persians conquered and greatly oppressed.
The prophet next saw an extraordinary leopard, which symbolized the Macedonian Empire founded by Alexander the Great. The four wings of the leopard was an emblem of the rapidity of Alexander's conquests, and the four heads of the four parts into which this great kingdom was divided after the death of Alexander Egypt, Syria, Macedonia and Thrace.
The fourth beast was "dreadful, and terrible, and strong exceedingly." It accords with the legs and feet of iron and clay of Nebuchadnezzar's image, thus representing the Roman Empire. The ten horns are figures of the ten divisions represented by the ten toes of the image.
J. R. D.
