SERMON TITLE: Kingdoms Rise, Kingdoms Fall
TEXT: Daniel 2:24-49 (NLT)
SPEAKER: Josh Hanson
DATE: 4-21-24
Watch the sermon hereTake notes here
As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time, are joining us at our North Main Campus, or are with our friends in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.
We’re continuing our series in the book of Daniel today and what it means to live in exile. Honestly — what better time to examine this idea than in an election year — when we all — Christian or not — Republican, Democrat, or Independent — when we all feel like we’re living in a foreign land whose primary language is political ads.
It’s also during political seasons when we see the futility of putting all of our hope in earthly activities and organizations. For — it’s guaranteed that — once the votes are all counted and a winner is declared — a large group of people in our country will all say it’s time to move to another country because they can’t believe that our nation would elect such an individual to be president. While — at the exact same time — others in our country will be rejoicing because they won another four years of earthly hope.
But — for those of us who follow Jesus — our text in Daniel will remind us that our hope is in another Kingdom — one whose leader isn’t voted on every four years.
And now — if you have your Bible — let's turn to our text for today. We’ll be in Daniel chapter two. For context — last week we saw King Nebuchadnezzar’s unreasonable demand of wanting someone to — not only interpret his dream — but to tell him what he had dreamed. And — if no one met the king’s demand — the consequence would be the death of a number of people — including Daniel and his friends.
And we saw how Daniel and his friends responded to the situation — they prayed to God — asking him to be merciful to them by revealing the dream and its interpretation. That’s where we left off last week — and now that you’ve had time to find Daniel chapter two — let’s begin in verse twenty-four.
Daniel 2:24–49 (NLT)
24 Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream.” 25 Arioch quickly took Daniel to the king and said, “I have found one of the captives from Judah who will tell the king the meaning of his dream!” 26 The king said to Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar), “Is this true? Can you tell me what my dream was and what it means?” 27 Daniel replied, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed. 29 “While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen. 30 And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart. 31 “In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. It was a frightening sight. 32 The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, 33 its legs were iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and baked clay. 34 As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. 35 The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth. 36 “That was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means. 37 Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. 38 He has made you the ruler over all the inhabited world and has put even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold. 39 “But after your kingdom comes to an end, another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise to take your place. After that kingdom has fallen, yet a third kingdom, represented by bronze, will rise to rule the world. 40 Following that kingdom, there will be a fourth one, as strong as iron. That kingdom will smash and crush all previous empires, just as iron smashes and crushes everything it strikes. 41 The feet and toes you saw were a combination of iron and baked clay, showing that this kingdom will be divided. Like iron mixed with clay, it will have some of the strength of iron. 42 But while some parts of it will be as strong as iron, other parts will be as weak as clay. 43 This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix. 44 “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. 45 That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.” 46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar threw himself down before Daniel and worshiped him, and he commanded his people to offer sacrifices and burn sweet incense before him. 47 The king said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret.” 48 Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men. 49 At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.
I’m going to try and summarize all that we just read in a single sentence: The proud will fall and the humble will rise. This is based on what I believe is the pivotal verse in this conversation between Daniel and the king — verse thirty. Speaking to the king, Daniel says…
Daniel 2:30 (NLT)
30 And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart.
Daniel wants to make it clear to Nebuchadnezzar that — the reason he’s been given an interpretation of the king’s dream isn’t because he’s special — but for another reason: God wants to reveal to Nebuchadnezzar what’s going on in his heart.
The heart of man — our inner self — what — according to our land of exile — we’re told to be true to, to follow — because it will never lead us astray — our heart — according to one prophet of God is…
Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT)
9 “…the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
To which — our land of exile replies, “Who are you — prophet of God — to tell me what my heart is like? And who is this God of yours who’d say such a thing about me?” For all of us — Christian or not — have been taught to trust ourselves above all others — that we know what’s best for us — that there’s such a thing as “my truth” — as if truth is relative.
Which leads us back to my summary sentence: The proud will fall and the humble will rise. For it is pride which compels us to respond to God’s prophets and Word as if we’re the final judge of what is true for ourselves — as if we’re the only ones worthy of sitting in the judge’s chair — and are not the ones on trial.
So — before we reject this assessment of our heart — let’s first explore this idea of pride and humility in Daniel’s story. We’re back in verse twenty-four.
Daniel 2:24–30 (NLT)
24 Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream.” 25 Arioch quickly took Daniel to the king and said, “I have found one of the captives from Judah who will tell the king the meaning of his dream!” 26 The king said to Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar), “Is this true? Can you tell me what my dream was and what it means?” 27 Daniel replied, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed. 29 “While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen. 30 And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart.
Did you notice the pride of Arioch? Who’s Arioch? He’s the guy in charge of executing the king’s plan of killing the people who couldn’t tell the king his dream. But did you catch Arioch’s pride — how he represents values and behaviors found in this land of exile that we live in?
You missed it? That’s OK — let me show you. Arioch takes credit for “finding” Daniel. Here’s the verse.
Daniel 2:25 (NLT)
25 Arioch quickly took Daniel to the king and said, “I have found one of the captives from Judah who will tell the king the meaning of his dream!”
Arioch takes credit for finding Daniel — and that’s a flat out lie. We know this because the prior verse — verse twenty-four — tells us that Daniel went to Arioch. Daniel found Arioch — Arioch didn’t find Daniel — but he’s sure quick to take credit for finding him when he brings Daniel to the king.
Now I’m sure you’ve experienced this — this is how things work in our land of exile. Take as much credit as you can — even if the credit should go to others — and always blame others for your failures.
You do the majority of the work — and your boss takes all the credit.
This is that one student — assigned to your group project — who contributed absolutely nothing — and yet gets credit as if he helped the group earn the grade.
It’s the person who’s never wrong — accept that they are wrong — and you and everyone else knows it. But they won’t ever admit to being wrong — it’s always someone else’s fault.
This is how we’re taught to behave in this land of exile: Take credit when you don’t deserve it and pass the blame when it’s your fault. We see this in Arioch — “King, you won’t believe what I’ve done…I’ve found a guy who can interpret your dream” — when what’s actually true is — “King, Daniel approached me asking if he could talk to you about your dream.”
It’s easy to spot the Arioch in others, isn’t it? But can you spot him in you? None of us are immune to this exilic behavior. Now we all convince ourselves that we’re not like Arioch — “my heart would never lead me to do such a thing” — but I bet Arioch didn’t think he was very Arioch-ish either. I bet he didn’t think he was doing anything wrong — he was just following his heart. Funny how that works. We can see when others are deceived by their heart — yet are blind when we’re deceived by ours.
Now — the way to fight this deception is by knowing our place. Daniel understood his place. We saw this last week in his recognition that he was completely dependent upon God. A decree had been ordered and Daniel wouldn’t be spared unless God revealed to him the king’s dream. There’s no pretending in a situation like that — you can’t help but know your place and how dependent you are upon God.
Yet — despite there being no decree that’s put our lives on the line — we’re no less dependent upon God. And — “following our heart” — is one way this land of exile tempts us to believe that we’re independent — not dependent upon God. It’s our culture's way of puffing up our pride — and the antidote to pride is humility. To see our talents, positions, education, wisdom, relationships — to see everything for what it is — a gift from God.
Gifts — not earnings. Gifts — not deservings. Gifts — reasons to praise God — not something to take credit for. For all that we have is a gift from our Heavenly Father. And this truth will keep us humble and dependent upon God.
Now we come to the prophetically juicy part of our passage.
Daniel 2:31–45 (NLT)
31 “In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. It was a frightening sight. 32 The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, 33 its legs were iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and baked clay. 34 As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. 35 The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth. 36 “That was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means. 37 Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. 38 He has made you the ruler over all the inhabited world and has put even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold. 39 “But after your kingdom comes to an end, another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise to take your place. After that kingdom has fallen, yet a third kingdom, represented by bronze, will rise to rule the world. 40 Following that kingdom, there will be a fourth one, as strong as iron. That kingdom will smash and crush all previous empires, just as iron smashes and crushes everything it strikes. 41 The feet and toes you saw were a combination of iron and baked clay, showing that this kingdom will be divided. Like iron mixed with clay, it will have some of the strength of iron. 42 But while some parts of it will be as strong as iron, other parts will be as weak as clay. 43 This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix. 44 “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. 45 That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.”
To understand what’s going on in these verses — we need to understand something about the book of Daniel. And that is how the book of Daniel helps us interpret the book of Daniel. Huh? The book of Daniel helps us interpret the book of Daniel.
Here — in chapter two — Nebuchadnezzar has a dream and Daniel interprets it. Later in the book — Daniel has a dream and the angel Gabriel will interpret it. And most conservative biblical scholars agree that these two dreams — and their interpretations — are connected — they’re related. And the dream and interpretation are repeated to show the original readers — and us — the certainty of what’s going to take place.
Now here’s what’s really helpful about Gabriel’s interpretation of Daniel’s dream. Gabriel tells us who the kingdoms are in the dreams. So there’s no need for us to try and figure out who the kingdoms are that will rise and fall — “is this referring to the USA or China or Russia” — there’s no reason for any of that — and here’s why.
Here at Gateway we take God at his Word. And we allow Scripture to help us interpret Scripture. Thus when — a few chapters later — Gabriel tells Daniel who these kingdoms are — we take Gabriel’s word for it. And there’s no need to second guess what the angel tells us.
So here’s Gabriel’s interpretation of Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. And — yes — that was an overuse of the word interpretation for dramatic effect.
Babylon is the first kingdom mentioned — it’s the statue’s head of gold. Nebuchadnezzar is its king and his reign and rule is a gift from God — bringing us back to the whole pride versus humility theme. In case you’re wondering where this is found in Daniel — in verse thirty-seven of chapter two — we read...
Daniel 2:37–38 (NLT)
37 Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. 38 He has made you the ruler over all the inhabited world and has put even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold.
Nebuchadnezzar is the statue’s head of gold — making Babylon the first kingdom of the dream. Later — in Daniel — this first kingdom is represented by a lion — but it’s still referring to Babylon. According to Gabriel — the second kingdom — the chest and arms of silver in our chapter — a bear later in the book — as well as a two-horned ram — is the kingdom of Media-Persia. The third kingdom — the bronze belly and thighs — and a leopard later in the book — as well as a shaggy goat — is Greece. And — finally — the fourth kingdom — the legs of iron — later in Daniel described as a fourth beast — isn’t explicitly named by Gabriel — but is Rome — I’ll explain why in a moment. But — first — the words of Gabriel so you hear this all directly from the angel.
Daniel 8:19–22 (NLT)
19 Then he (Gabriel) said, “I am here to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath. What you have seen pertains to the very end of time. 20 The two-horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy male goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king of the Greek Empire. 22 The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four kingdoms, but none as great as the first.
You may be wondering why all of the different imagery — a statue, different animals, why not just make it easy for us to understand? Unfortunately, that’s not how dreams, visions, and apocalyptic prophecies work. So be thankful for Gabriel helping us out!
But now we know who the kingdoms are: Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome. And we have historical record of this understanding of the four kingdoms dating all the way back to the second century AD in the writings of Hippolytus. Why does that matter? Well his teacher — according to church history — was Irenaeus. “OK?” And his teacher was Polycarp. “I’m still not following.” And his teacher was the apostle John.
So the guy who was taught by the guy who was taught by the guy who was taught by the apostle John — tells us this is how the early Christians interpreted the kingdoms of the prophetic visions and dreams in the book of Daniel. So — though we can’t say with one hundred percent certainty — we can say that it is very likely that this interpretation of the four kingdoms goes back to John — the guy who wrote the book of Revelation — a book full of dreams, visions, and apocalyptic prophecies similar to the book of Daniel — including Rome being the fourth kingdom in John’s visions.
Later in this series — when we get to Daniel’s dream and Gabriel’s interpretation — I’ll show you how all of this played out in history exactly as it’s written in Daniel — which — I gotta say — it’s really cool to see when biblical prophecies are fulfilled in world history.
But let’s ask a practical question for all of us: What are we supposed to learn from this section of Daniel? Let’s return to our text — we’re in verse forty-six.
Daniel 2:46–49 (NLT)
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar threw himself down before Daniel and worshiped him, and he commanded his people to offer sacrifices and burn sweet incense before him. 47 The king said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret.” 48 Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men. 49 At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.
Why should any of this matter to you — Christian or not? These dreams and interpretations eventually unfold in history — everything happens just as had been warned in the dream. And this tells us something about God and us — something that takes us back to the theme of pride and humility.
Everything comes to us from God — for he is the greatest of gods — as Nebuchadnezzar says. This is true for us — individually — but is also true for kingdoms and nations of our world. God gave Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon supreme authority on earth — but it was only for a time. For — as we see in the dream — Babylon’s reign will come to an end. The same will be true for Media-Persia and Greece and Rome — in fact — all earthly authority is temporary. As one author writes, “One of the central features of the dream [is how] it reminds us that every earthly kingdom has an ‘after this.’” (Jacques Doukhan, Daniel: The Vision of the End, 47)
No earthly kingdom is eternal — no earthly nation is promised to last forever. No earthly kingdom is eternal — not even the United States. Daniel’s living in exile because the nations of Judah and Israel have been destroyed but — as Daniel tells us — there is a rock that will stand forever. A rock that God will use to crush the nations that solely trust in their power and strength and might. For the nations that are proud will be conquered by a King who is like a rock — a King who rules the only eternal kingdom.
Of this King it was prophesied…
Psalm 118:22–23 (NLT)
22 The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.
Of him it was also said…
Isaiah 8:14–15 (NLT)
14 He will keep you safe. But to Israel and Judah he will be a stone that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. 15 Many will stumble and fall, never to rise again. They will be snared and captured.”
Who is this King? Peter tells us.
1 Peter 2:4–8 (NLT)
4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. 5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6 As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” 8 And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.
Or take what Jesus said to some who were questioning his authority. He said…
Matthew 21:33–44 (NLT)
33 “Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. 34 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop. 35 But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same. 37 “Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’ 38 “But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ 39 So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him. 40 “When the owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked, “what do you think he will do to those farmers?” 41 The religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.” 42 Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’ 43 I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. 44 Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”
The apostle Paul tells us that Jesus did all that he did in his life and death — as an act of humble service to his Heavenly Father. And Paul warns that not all will receive Jesus’s act of humble service. Many will reject it — following their own heart — they’re “own truth” — when it comes to their salvation. And — in doing so — they will stumble over the Rock and will be crushed if they continue trusting in the kingdoms of this world — including the kingdom of their heart.
Whose kingdom are you living for? A kingdom that will inevitably come to an end — a kingdom whose “after this” is still to come — or are you living for the One whose Kingdom is eternal?
If the upcoming presidential election doesn’t go your party’s way — if you lose your job — if your dreams don’t come true — or when following your heart betrays you — will your hope be crushed because it was in a kingdom of this world?
Or if the upcoming presidential election goes your way — if you get a promotion — if your dreams do come true — if following your heart results in your happiness — will your hope last only as long as this statue of gold, silver, bronze, iron and clay lasts — or will your hope be in the Rock of God whose Kingdom is eternal?
Our chapter ends with Daniel and his friends being promoted to new positions. Though they’re living for an eternal kingdom — they continue to work to make their temporary home in Babylon the best that it can be. They’re not so heavenly minded that they’re of no earthly good — in fact — they’re heavenly mindedness compels them to be good citizens in their land of exile.
But they are aware that earthly kingdoms rise and they fall. This is what we’re to remember as we live in exile. And — in knowing this — God’s people are to live as faithful citizens of his eternal Kingdom while we seek the good of the earthly kingdom in which they live. Let’s pray.
Gracious Father, it is amazing to think that you put kings and presidents and prime ministers into power. Nations are not outside of your control and neither are world leaders. Remind us of this truth when we’re tempted to put our hope in earthly powers. What a fools errand — to trust in princes and kings and presidents instead of trusting in you — the One who reigns over them and us.
Spirit of God, as we continue in this political season — remind us to keep our eyes on the only One who is worthy to be praised — he who — as Nebuchadnezzar said — is the greatest of gods — who is the giver of every good gift — the One who opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Jesus — you are the Rock of God — the cornerstone — the stumbling stone for those who refuse to turn to you for their hope and salvation. You show no favoritism. You care not if a person is a peasant or king, a secretary or a CEO, an influencer or a stay at home parent — what matters is the heart they are following. Yours or theirs.
Help us all to see how and where we’ve been deceived by the values of this land of exile. Give us discernment — revelation even — so not only we — but others know — that you are the King of the Kingdom that has no “after this” — for your Kingdom is eternal. And we pray this in your name. Amen.
As you go — may your hope be in the King of God’s eternal Kingdom — as you live in this land of exile. Amen.
God loves you. I love you. You are sent.
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