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LEARNING

FROM

HISTORY

Someone has said that the lessons from history are that we don't learn from history. Inevitably, every experiment in human government has ultimately failed. Whether dictatorship or democracy, each system is ultimately short-lived.” Steve Taylor

The wicked will return to Sheol, Even all the nations who forget God. Psalms 9:17 (NASB)

“This is nowhere better illustrated than in the vivid image ancient king Nebuchadnezzar saw in a nighttime dream (Daniel 2). The metallic and mud image of a man, as Daniel revealed to him through inspiration of God's Spirit, represented the major governmental powers of human history.” Steve Taylor
  • Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him.2 Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians , the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.3 The king said to them, "I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream." Dan 2:1-3 (NASB)
King Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, had a troubling dream. He commissioned his counselors to interpret the dream. They agreed to do so if he would tell them what the dream was. The King knew that if he shared what the dream was with them, they would make up something, anything, and tell the King that’s what it meant.

“Tell me the dream and its interpretation”, the King said. This put the magicians, the astrologers, and the sorcerers into a very difficult situation. If they didn’t tell the King accurately what his dream was, he would know they were fake, so their interpretation would be revealed for what it really was, and more than that, it would cast a good light on what they had been advising the King on in the past. They could no longer be trusted if they got it wrong.

A decree went forth that all the wise men of the kingdom should be slain. Daniel and his three friends, who had been taken captive by the Babylonians, realized they should do something, for they too would be killed with the magicians, the astrologers, and the sorcerers if something was not done. Daniel asked his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to help him pray about their dire situation.

As it turned out the Lord heard their prayers and revealed “the secret” to Daniel. Arioch had been ordained by the King to destroy the wise men of Babylon. Daniel spoke to him, asking him not to kill the “wise men of Babylon” for he would show the interpretation of the dream to the King. Daniel’s Babylonian name had been changed to Belteshazzar. He was given an audience with the King.
  • Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into the king's presence and spoke to him as follows: "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!"26 The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?"27 Daniel answered before the king and said, "As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king.28 "However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. Dan 2:25-28 (NASB)
One of the most important things people of all nations need to be reminded of is that “there is a God in heaven”. We get so involved with the everyday occurrences in our life that we forget God. People have a tendency to forget Him. I think we often forget Him as well. Forget what you will but never, no never, forget God. Don’t just remember him when it is convenient or during troubling times, but think of him often. Remember what David said:
  • The wicked will return to Sheol , Even all the nations who forget God. Psalms 9:17 (NASB)

THE DREAM

  • “You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome.32 “The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze,33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.34 “You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.35 “Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Dan 2:31-35 (NASB)

DREAM INTERPRETATION

Babylon: the Head of Gold
  • "This was the dream; now we will tell its interpretation before the king.37 "You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom , the power, the strength and the glory;38 and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold.
Medo-Persia and Greece
  • 39 "After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth.
Rome
  • 40 "Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces.
Iron Mixed with Miry Clay (End-time nations)
  • 41 "In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay.42 "As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle.43 "And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery.

The Divine Kingdom
44 "In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.45 "Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy." Dan 2:36-45 (NASB)

“People usually get the leadership they deserve - good or bad. Judah and Israel's history is punctuated with such descriptive phrases as, "He did evil in the sight of the LORD ... Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD ... he did what was right in the sight of the LORD" ... etc. Leaders rose to power who was were consistent with the spiritual climate of the day. Like people, like leadership. Like leadership, like people.” Steve Taylor

“Investing in lost causes is unwise. Why would anyone continue to pour money into company stock that continues to devalue? And yet, if we pledge undue allegiance to any human government we have done just that. An ambitious experiment in political reform by evangelical Christians - the Religious Right - is now a footnote in history. ST

EVERLASTING KINGDOM

Investment in government that will last is of utmost priority to the follower of Christ. For this reason, Jesus appeals to His followers to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). That kingdom and work is all-encompassing, and provides abundant opportunity for our best efforts.

We need to invest ourselves in the kingdom which was revealed to Nebuchadezzar and to Belteshazzar by the God of heaven who sees the efforts of the nations of men and their leaders. This kingdom, which Jesus urged us to seek first, will break in pieces all other efforts of men, both Democracy and Dictatorship and will fill the whole earth. This is the kingdom in which we need to invest. The nations of iron, clay, brass, silver and gold will become like the chaff of the summer threshing floor and the wind will carry them all away. The kingdom which Jesus taught us to pray “thy kingdom come” will consume all these kingdoms and will stand forever. The king of that kingdom is none other than he that was born in Bethlehem, who Gabriel told Mary his mother would:
  • Be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." Luke 1:32-33 (NASB)
This future king of the Kingdom of God offers the best counsel possible when he encourages us to:
  • "But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:31-32 (NASB)
Many thanks go to Steve Taylor for his contributions to this article. Your time will be well spent on his website and his blog.