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The Millennial Man
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The
vast kingdom of Babylon was opulent and prosperous, yet Nebuchadnezzar
the king stirred in his royal bed. How long would this golden era last,
he wondered, and what would become of his powerful empire when he was
gone?
With these disturbing questions in mind, the mighty monarch drifted off
to sleep. That night, a vivid image of a towering multi-mineral man
flashed into his mind with a panorama of color unlike anything he had
ever experienced. Throwing aside his embroidered covers, the king jumped
out of bed and shouted to his bodyguards: "Call all the magicians and
astrologers to come at once. I must know the meaning of this dream!"
The king's wise men were roused and herded into the presence of the
bewildered sovereign. "And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a
dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream." Daniel 2:3. One of
the phony prophets smugly responded, "Tell your servants the dream, and
we will give the interpretation." But as often happens with dreams, the
details had already grown cloudy in Nebuchadnezzar's mind.
These men had claimed divine insight, but the king was beginning to
doubt their abilities. This would be the perfect test. "Tell me the
dream and the interpretation, and you will be rewarded," the king told
his counselors, "otherwise I will cut you in pieces and turn your homes
into dumps!"
The magicians and astrologers had no choice but to admit that they were
powerless to explain the king's dream without first hearing it. Furious
with these imposters, the king commanded that all the wise men of
Babylon be gathered for execution. However, the Lord still had one
person in Babylon who could explain the dream of the colossal Millennial
Man. |
 1. Why
did God give the Babylonian king this dream?
Daniel 2:28
. But there is a God in heaven that revealeth ______ and maketh
known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter
days.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: In
this dream of the multi-mineral image, God outlined for all future
millenniums the rise and fall of the empires that would have a direct
influence on His people.
 2. When
the king's counselors failed to reveal and interpret the dream, what
was Nebuchadnezzar's command?
Daniel 2:12
. The king ... commanded to _____ all the wise men of Babylon.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: 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 impotent imposters. If the king had recalled the dream,
they would have simply manufactured a bogus interpretation. In his
rage, 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?
Daniel 2:16
. Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him
_____ , and that he would shew the king the dream.
Daniel 2:17, 18 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the
thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this
secret.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: Daniel
requested a little time from Nebuchadnezzar and promised that he would
reveal the dream and its meaning. The king, who was still desperate to
know the significance of his vision, granted Daniel's request. Then he
and his friends appealed to the only Source who could reveal the
king's dream. They prayed to the God of heaven.
 4. When
the Lord revealed the dream to Daniel, to whom did he give praise and
credit?
Daniel
2:23, 28 . I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my
fathers... There is a _____ in heaven that revealeth secrets.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: The
rise and fall of empires may appear as if happening by the will of
men, but Daniel's prayer of praise clearly 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 or why, 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 objects did Daniel say the king saw in his dream?
Daniel 2:31
. Thou, O king, sawest, and behold, a great _____ .
Daniel 2:34 Thou sawest ... that a stone was cut out
without hands.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: The
first thing the king saw was a great image made of the following
mineral elements:
1. The head was of gold.
2. The breast and arms were of silver.
3. The belly and thighs were of brass.
4. The legs were of iron.
5. The feet of iron and clay.
Next, the king saw a stone that had been cut 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 take it just as He gave
it. The only safe way to interpret the Bible and prophecy is to allow
the Bible to explain itself.
 6. What
does the head of gold represent?
Daniel 2:38
. Thou art this _____ of gold.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: The
king was regarded as the head of the state. This is why Nebuchadnezzar
represented Babylon, the empire that began the prophecy. Neo-Babylon
ruled the world from 612-539 B.C. as one of the mightiest empires of
antiquity--one that could aptly be described as the head of gold.
Notice that the prophecy begins with Daniel's time.
 7. Would
the Babylonian kingdom last forever?
Daniel 2:39
. After thee shall arise _____ kingdom inferior to thee.
Answer:
___________________________
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 B.C., the Medo-Persian empire conquered Babylon and
reduced it to ruins. The Medes and Persians were the ruling world
power from 539-331 B.C. 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
. Another third kingdom of _____ ... shall bear rule over all the
earth.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: The
brass kingdom of Greece came into power when Alexander the Great
conquered the Medes and Persians at the battle of Arbela in 331 B.C.,
and Greece remained in power until about 168 B.C. 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.
 9. What
metal represents the fourth kingdom?
Daniel 2:40
. The fourth kingdom shall be strong as _____ .
Answer:
___________________________
Note: The
iron monarchy of Rome conquered the Greeks in 168 B.C. and enjoyed
world supremacy until Rome was captured by the Ostrogoths in A.D. 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 part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly
strong, and partly broken.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: When
the Roman Empire began to crumble in A.D. 476, it was not overtaken by
another world power. Instead, barbarian tribes conquered the Roman
Empire 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.
 11. Would
these 10 kingdoms ever succeed in uniting?
Daniel 2:43
. They shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall
not _____ one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: Through
marriage, alliances, and treaties, men have vainly attempted to
reunite the European continent. 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 tells 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 Earth's history.
 12. Who
will set up the final kingdom?
Daniel 2:44
. And in the days of these kings shall the God of _____ set
up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.
Answer:
___________________________
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
upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to
pieces. ... And the stone that smote the image became a great
mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: The
stone that was 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 kingdoms
of earth and establish an everlasting kingdom (Daniel 2:44). What
exciting news! Jesus Christ is coming again! 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 that he had defeated the true God when
he besieged Jerusalem and plundered the temple (Daniel 1:1, 2), but he
was shown very 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 10 divisions of the Roman Empire
may have sought to usurp divine authority and destroy the people of
God, but all earthly kingdoms will eventually be crushed by the coming
of Christ. Thank God, He will win the great controversy!
 14. After
hearing Daniel's clear interpretation of the dream, what did
Nebuchadnezzar say about the Lord?
Daniel 2:47
. The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that
your God is a _____ of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a
revealer of secrets.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: Having
seen that God has complete control of world events, even
Nebuchadnezzar readily acknowledged that the God 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 for the kingdom (Daniel 2:48, 49). God always
honors those who honor Him (1 Samuel 2:30).
 15. Recognizing
that God is in full control of earthly events, are you willing to let
Him have full control of your life?
. Your
Answer�
Answer:
___________________________
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