**The Dream of Kings and the Wisdom of Heaven**
In the second year of his reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was troubled. Restless nights stole his peace, and his spirit writhed within him like a storm-tossed sea. Visions haunted his sleep—images vast and terrifying, yet when he awoke, their meaning slipped through his fingers like sand. His brow furrowed, his heart pounded, and no comfort could be found in the opulence of his palace or the counsel of his advisors.
Summoning his wise men—the enchanters, sorcerers, magicians, and astrologers—he demanded answers. They stood before him, their robes rich with embroidery, their faces expectant. But the king’s voice thundered with unease.
*”I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream!”*
The wise men exchanged glances. One stepped forward, bowing deeply. *”O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will reveal its interpretation.”*
But Nebuchadnezzar’s eyes burned with suspicion. *”The word is gone from me! If you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive gifts, rewards, and great honor.”*
A ripple of fear passed through the assembly. The magicians stammered, *”There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand! No great and powerful king has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter!”*
Fury darkened Nebuchadnezzar’s face. *”You are buying time, because you see that the word is gone from me! If you do not tell me the dream, there is but one sentence for you!”*
The decree went forth: all the wise men of Babylon were to be executed.
### **Daniel’s Wisdom and Prayer**
When the king’s executioners came for Daniel and his companions—Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—the young Hebrew inquired with wisdom and discretion. *”Why is the decree so urgent?”*
Arioch, the captain of the guard, explained the king’s impossible demand. Immediately, Daniel sought an audience with Nebuchadnezzar, pleading for time. Then, returning to his house, he gathered his three friends, and together they knelt in fervent prayer.
*”O God of heaven, reveal to us the mystery of the king’s dream, that we may not perish with the wise men of Babylon!”*
That night, in a vision, the secret was unveiled to Daniel. Lifting his hands in praise, he declared:
*”Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His! He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him!”*
### **The Revelation Before the King**
Hastening to Arioch, Daniel said, *”Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will show him the interpretation.”*
Brought into the royal presence, Daniel stood with quiet confidence. *”No wise man, enchanter, or magician can reveal this mystery,”* he said. *”But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.”*
Then Daniel recounted the dream:
*”You saw, O king, a great image—mighty and dazzling. Its head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out, not by human hands, and it struck the image on its feet, breaking them to pieces. Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were crushed together, becoming like chaff on a summer threshing floor, blown away by the wind until no trace remained. But the stone became a great mountain, filling the whole earth.”*
Nebuchadnezzar’s breath caught. His face paled—this was indeed his dream, spoken with perfect clarity.
### **The Interpretation: Kingdoms of the Earth and the Kingdom of God**
Daniel continued: *”You, O king, are the head of gold. After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours, then a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, shall break and crush all others. But as the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so it shall be a divided kingdom, partly strong and partly brittle. And in the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed—one that shall break all others to pieces and stand forever. Just as you saw the stone cut without hands, so the great God has shown the king what shall come to pass.”*
Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face before Daniel. *”Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, a revealer of mysteries!”*
Honoring Daniel with gifts and high office, the king set him over all the wise men of Babylon. And for a time, the king’s heart was humbled before the Most High.
Thus, through Daniel, the wisdom of heaven was made manifest—declaring that though earthly kingdoms rise and fall, the kingdom of God shall endure forever.
