10-Europe's Future Revealed - NIV

1. Nebuchadnezzar Dreamed a Troubling Dream.
Daniel 2:1 In the second year of his reign, _Nebuchadnezzar_ had dreams; his mind was _troubled_ and he could not sleep.

2. The King's Wise Men Cannot Recall Or Explain the Dream.
Daniel 2:2-11 So the king _summoned_ the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, [3] he said to them, "I have had a dream that _troubles_ me and I want to know what it means. " [4] Then the astrologers answered the king in _Aramaic_, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it." [5] The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. [6] But if you tell me the dream and _explain_ it, you will _receive_ from me gifts and _rewards_ and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me." [7] Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it." [8] Then the king answered, "I am _certain_ that you are trying to gain time, _because_ you _realize_ that this is what I have firmly decided: [9] If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one _penalty_ for you. You have _conspired_ to tell me _misleading_ and wicked things, hoping the _situation_ will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me." [10] The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, _however_ great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. [11] What the king asks is too _difficult_. No one can _reveal_ it to the king _except_ the gods, and they do not live among men."

3. Daniel Asks for Time.
Daniel 2:16 At this, _Daniel_ went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might _interpret_ the dream for him.

4. God Reveals the Dream to Daniel.
Daniel 2:19-23 During the night the mystery was _revealed_ to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven [20] and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. [21] He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and _deposes_ them. He gives wisdom to the wise and _knowledge_ to the _discerning_. [22] He _reveals_ deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in _darkness_, and light dwells with him. [23] I thank and praise you, O God of my _fathers_: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king."

5. There Is a God in Heaven Who Reveals Secrets.
Daniel 2:28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals _mysteries_. He has shown King _Nebuchadnezzar_ what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:

6. The Dream Reveals What Shall Come to Pass.
Daniel 2:29-30 "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of _mysteries_ showed you what is going to happen. [30] As for me, this mystery has been _revealed_ to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the _interpretation_ and that you may _understand_ what went through your mind.

7. The Dream Revealed.
Daniel 2:31 "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue--an enormous, _dazzling_ statue, awesome in _appearance_.

Daniel 2:32-35 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, [33] its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. [34] While you were _watching_, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and _smashed_ them. [35] Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a _threshing_ floor in the _summer_. The wind swept them away without _leaving_ a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge _mountain_ and _filled_ the whole earth.

8. The Dream Interpreted.
Daniel 2:36 "This was the _dream_, and now we will _interpret_ it to the king.

9. Nebuchadnezzar Is the Head of Gold.
Daniel 2:38 In your hands he has placed _mankind_ and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. _Wherever_ they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.

Babylon lasted from 605 BC To 539 BC.

 10. The Medes and Persians Overthrew the Babylonians.
Daniel 5:28 Peres": Your _kingdom_ is divided and given to the Medes and _Persians_."

Daniel 5:30-31 That very night _Belshazzar_, king of the Babylonians, was slain, [31] and Darius the Mede took over the _kingdom_, at the age of sixty-two.

11. The Amazing Prediction Of Cyrus.
Isaiah 44:27-28 Who says to the watery deep, 'Be dry, and I will dry up your streams,' [28] who says of Cyrus, 'He is my _shepherd_ and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of _Jerusalem_, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its _foundations_ be laid." '

Isaiah 45:1 "This is what the LORD says to his _anointed_, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue _nations_ before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

Amos 3:7 Surely the _Sovereign_ LORD does nothing without _revealing_ his plan to his servants the prophets.

This prophecy was made over 100 years in advance.

 12. A Third Kingdom Predicted.
Daniel 2:39 "After you, another kingdom will rise, _inferior_ to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of _bronze_, will rule over the whole earth.

13. Greece Conquered Medo-Persia.
Daniel 8:20-21 The two-horned ram that you saw _represents_ the kings of Media and Persia. [21] The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn _between_ his eyes is the first king.

Medo-Persia lasted from 539 BC To 331 BC.
The Greeks ruled from 331 BC To 168 BC.

 14. A Fourth Kingdom Strong As Iron.
Daniel 2:40 Finally, there will be a fourth _kingdom_, strong as iron--for iron breaks and _smashes_ everything--and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others.

Rome ruled from 168 BC To 351 AD.

 16. Kings and Queens Attempt to Unite Europe Inter-Marriage.
Daniel 2:43 And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a _mixture_ and will not remain _united_, any more than iron mixes with clay.

17. Eventually God Will Establish His Kingdom.
Daniel 2:44 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be _destroyed_, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those _kingdoms_ and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure _forever_.

18. The Rock Cut Out without Hands Is Jesus' Kingdom.
Daniel 2:44 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be _destroyed_, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those _kingdoms_ and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure _forever_.

19. The Heathen Are Broken to Pieces (Like the Image).
Psalms 2:8-9 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your _inheritance_, the ends of the earth your _possession_. [9] You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery."

20. Blessed Hope and Glorious Appearing.
Titus 2:11-13 For the grace of God that brings _salvation_ has appeared to all men. [12] It teaches us to say "No" to _ungodliness_ and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, [13] while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious _appearing_ of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

Next Bible Study: 11-Manner Of Christ's Second Coming

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