10-Europe's Future Revealed - RSV

1. Nebuchadnezzar Dreamed a Troubling Dream.
Daniel 2:1 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnez'zar, Nebuchadnez'zar had dreams; and his _spirit_ was _troubled_, and his sleep left him.

2. The King's Wise Men Cannot Recall Or Explain the Dream.
Daniel 2:2-11 Then the king _commanded_ that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chalde'ans be _summoned_, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. [3] And the king said to them, "I had a dream, and my spirit is _troubled_ to know the dream." [4] Then the Chalde'ans said to the king, "O king, live for ever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation." [5] The king answered the Chalde'ans, "The word from me is sure: 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. [6] But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall _receive_ from me gifts and _rewards_ and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation." [7] They answered a second time, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation." [8] The king answered, "I know with _certainty_ that you are _trying_ to gain time, _because_ you see that the word from me is sure [9] that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one _sentence_ for you. You have agreed to speak lying and _corrupt_ words before me till the times _change_. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation." [10] The Chalde'ans answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can meet the _king's_ _demand_; for no great and _powerful_ king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chalde'an. [11] The thing that the king asks is _difficult_, and none can show it to the king _except_ the gods, whose _dwelling_ is not with flesh."

3. Daniel Asks for Time.
Daniel 2:16 And Daniel went in and _besought_ the king to appoint him a time, that he might show to the king the _interpretation_.

4. God Reveals the Dream to Daniel.
Daniel 2:19-23 Then the mystery was _revealed_ to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. [20] Daniel said: "Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever. to whom belong wisdom and might. [21] 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_; [22] he _reveals_ deep and mysterious things; he knows what is in the _darkness_, and the light dwells with him. [23] To thee, O God of my _fathers_, I give thanks and praise, for thou hast given me wisdom and _strength_, and hast now made known to me what we asked of thee, for thou hast made known to us the king's matter."

5. There Is a God in Heaven Who Reveals Secrets.
Daniel 2:28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals _mysteries_, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnez'zar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:

6. The Dream Reveals What Shall Come to Pass.
Daniel 2:29-30 To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be hereafter, and he who reveals _mysteries_ made known to you what is to be. [30] But as for me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living has this _mystery_ been _revealed_ to me, but in order that the _interpretation_ may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.

7. The Dream Revealed.
Daniel 2:31 "You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its _appearance_ was _frightening_.

Daniel 2:32-35 The head of this image was of fine gold, its breast and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, [33] its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. [34] As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it smote the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces; [35] then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all _together_ were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer _threshing_ _floors_; and the wind _carried_ them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that _struck_ the image became a great _mountain_ and _filled_ the whole earth.

8. The Dream Interpreted.
Daniel 2:36 "This was the _dream_; now we will tell the king its _interpretation_.

9. Nebuchadnezzar Is the Head of Gold.
Daniel 2:38 And into whose hand he has given, _wherever_ they dwell, the sons of men, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the air, _making_ you rule over them all--you are the 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 Belshaz'zar the Chalde'an king was slain. [31] And Darius the Mede _received_ the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

11. The Amazing Prediction Of Cyrus.
Isaiah 44:27-28 Who says to the deep, 'Be dry, I will dry up your rivers'; [28] who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfil all my _purpose_'; saying of _Jerusalem_, 'She shall be built,' and of the temple, 'Your _foundation_ shall be laid.'"

Isaiah 45:1 Thus says the LORD to his _anointed_, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue _nations_ before him and ungird the loins of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, without _revealing_ his secret to his servants the _prophets_.

This prophecy was made over 100 years in advance.

 12. A Third Kingdom Predicted.
Daniel 2:39 After you shall arise another kingdom _inferior_ to you, and yet a third kingdom of _bronze_, which shall rule over all the earth.

13. Greece Conquered Medo-Persia.
Daniel 8:20-21 As for the ram which you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. [21] And the he-goat is the king of _Greece_; and the great 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 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, _because_ iron breaks to pieces and _shatters_ all things; and like iron which crushes, it shall break and crush all these.

Rome ruled from 168 BC To 351 AD.

 16. Kings and Queens Attempt to Unite Europe Inter-Marriage.
Daniel 2:43 As you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, so they will mix with one another in _marriage_, but they will not hold _together_, just as iron does not mix with clay.

17. Eventually God Will Establish His Kingdom.
Daniel 2:44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be _destroyed_, nor shall its _sovereignty_ be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these _kingdoms_ and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever;

18. The Rock Cut Out without Hands Is Jesus' Kingdom.
Daniel 2:44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be _destroyed_, nor shall its _sovereignty_ be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these _kingdoms_ and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever;

19. The Heathen Are Broken to Pieces (Like the Image).
Psalms 2:8-9 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your _possession_. [9] You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a _potter's_ vessel."

20. Blessed Hope and Glorious Appearing.
Titus 2:11-13 For the grace of God has appeared for the _salvation_ of all men, [12] training us to renounce _irreligion_ and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, [13] awaiting our blessed hope, the _appearing_ of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

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

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