Daniel 2:1

This chapter might well be entitled "The King's Dream," that being the principal feature of it. An outline of the chapter is as follows: (1) the occasion for the dream (Daniel 2:1); (2) the king's demand (Daniel 2:2-9), (3) the failure of all the wise men (Daniel 2:10,11); (4) the king's decree that they should all be put to death (Daniel 2:12,13); (5) Daniel's request for a delay (Daniel 2:14-16); (6) the dream and its interpretation revealed to Daniel (Daniel 2:19-23); (7) Daniel refers all glory to God for the revelation (Daniel 2:24-30); (8) Daniel relates the dream and its interpretation to the king (Daniel 2:31-45); (9) Nebuchadnezzar's response to the revelation (Daniel 2:46-49).

Daniel 2:1

"And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him."

THE KING'S DREAM

This great chapter of God's Word with its magnificent predictive prophecy of the establishment of the kingdom of God has been the object of the most unreasonable and vicious attacks by Biblical enemies. Under their "a priori" rules which disallow any such thing as a genuine prophecy, they are forced to deny a chapter like this, no matter what preposterous and false arguments they must seize upon in their vain efforts to destroy the chapter.

The attack begins on the word "and," the very first word. According to the critics, this signals an interpolation, or arouses suspicion. However, as Leupold said, "The word is very much in place here, because it connects the events of Daniel 1 with those recorded here."[1] Furthermore this use of "and" is a genuine indication of Biblical style. The word "and" begins all four of the four final books of the Pentateuch; and this extensive use of that connective extends all the way into the New Testament where in Mark it is found to be one of the salient features. Note that Daniel 1:17 relates that Daniel had "understanding in all visions and dreams." The "and" of this passage, connects the events of Daniel 2 with that special skill of Daniel recorded in Daniel 1:17.

Another ground of assault is the statement that this troublesome dream came "in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar." It is alleged that this is a contradiction, because the four Hebrew companions have just concluded a three-year term of education provided by Nebuchadnezzar. No problem! It was while Nebuchadnezzar was commanding the first western expedition that Daniel and his companions were deported and enrolled in the special school; and it was, "While Nebuchadnezzar was on that first expedition that his father Nabopolassar died; and Nebuchadnezzar suddenly left the front and went back to assume the throne."[2] Thus, in all probability, the training of the Hebrew youths actually began a year before Nebuchadnezzar actually ascended the throne. In any case this is a picayune objection having no substance whatever.

"There are too many uncertainties about the chronology of the last twenty years of Israel's history (which include the time in focus here) to permit this to be labeled erroneous.[3] In addition, there is the near-certainty that, "The phrase three years (Daniel 1:5) refers only to portions of years, so that the first year of training would comprise part of the year of Nebuchadnezzar's succession; and thus the third year would have been part of the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign (Babylonian style of reckoning)."[4]

The only objection that critics have been able to raise against the fact just cited was stated by Owens: "With this reckoning, one system of of time is found in Daniel 1 but a different method in Daniel 2![5] Certainly! There was the Judaic system in chapter 1 and the Babylonian system here. Nothing could be wrong with this. The apostle John followed exactly the same pattern in the Gospel where he followed the Jewish system of counting the hours of the day in some instances; while, in others, where the Roman government or its representatives were under consideration, he followed the Roman system.