Daniel 2:1–23. King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream and commands his advisers to describe and interpret it (2:1–13). Daniel prays with his friends, and God reveals to him the dream and its interpretation (2:14–23).
Daniel 2:24–49. Daniel reveals that King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream foretells the rise and fall of the great kingdoms of the earth and the latter-day triumph of the kingdom of God over all other kingdoms.
How did Daniel describe the great image that the king had seen in his dream? (See Daniel 2:31–33.) What did the different parts of the image represent? (See Daniel 2:36–43.)
What did the “stone … cut out without hands” represent? (See Daniel 2:44–45; D&C 65:2.) What did Daniel prophesy concerning the Church in the latter days? (See Daniel 2:34–35, 44.) How is Daniel’s prophecy that the Church will “fill the whole earth” and “never be destroyed” being fulfilled today?
Additional reading: Doctrine and Covenants 65.
Start Lesson
Old Testament Gospel Doctrine lesson #46
History Review
934-612 B.C. Neo-Assyrians: Carried 10 tribes away.
(776 B.C. first recorded Olympic games…)
612 B.C. Babylon overthrows Assyrians. Takes away 10,000 of Judah, frees Jeremiah (Lehi flees)
559-530 B.C. Persians under Cyrus the Great overthrow Babylon. Their leaders are
549 Cyrus the Great
531 Cambyses
522 Darius the Great
486 Ahaseurus or Xerxes (486-465 B.C) (book of Esther)
499 B.C. Athens attacked Persian and Greco-Persian wars ensued. Persian razed Athens in 480 B.C. Several Greek victories occurred and peace was worked out.
331 B.C. Persians fall to Alexander the Great, defeated Darius III of Persia. Alexander dies in 323 B.C.
323-31 B.C. Hellenistic Period. It ends in 31 B.C. with the conquest of the last part of the Greek Empire by the Romans.
161 B.C. to 395 A.D. Roman Empire
285 A.D. Roman empire split to Eastern (Byzantine) and Western halves
380 is the traditional date for founding of Catholic Church
393 A.D. Olympic games banned by Theodosius…all pagan celebrations banned, in fact all forms of religion other than catholic Christianity are outlawed.
431 Council of Ephesus confirms the Nicene Creed
600 last great Roman-Persian war ends, they are weakened and cannot cope with newly united Arab armies under Islam. Muhammad appears on the scene.
500-1400 Byzantine empire (eastern Roman Empire) continues, capital in Constantinople (Istanbul).
Keep in mind, the Byzantines, the eastern Roman Empire do not call themselves the Byzantines. We do that. They call themselves the Roman Empire. They are a continuation of Rome. We think of Rome as disappearing in 400AD, but the eastern half continues for a thousand years. This is important in Daniel’s prophecy. It survives to the 1400s.
638 Jerusalem is captured by Arab army
800 Charlemagne is crowned as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire which consists largely of Germany. This is the First Reich. 800-1806.
1095 First Crusade to recapture Jerusalem by Pope Urban
Crusades in 1147 (2d), 1187 (3rd), 1202 (4th), 1217 (5th), 1228 (6th), 1248 (7th), 1270 (8th and 9th), and that’s only the numbered crusades. There were many un-numbered ones. They continues into the 15th century.
1871 Otto von Bismarck finally unified Germany. Second Reich. 1871-1918.
Back to Daniel 2
Background:
Nebuchadnezzar (meaning “may Nebo protect the crown”) was one of the greatest kings of Babylon. He and his forebears expanded the Babylonian kingdom into Egypt. In marrying a princess of Mesopotamia, he realized she missed the fruitful hills in the flat desert lands of Babylon. He built her what is now known as one of the ten ancient wonders of the world, the Hanging Gardens. He literally built a mountain in the city of Babel, with waterfalls and gardens hanging everywhere, as a reminder of her home.
He also destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.
Nebuchadnezzar battles King Zedekiah of Judah (who holds a plan of Jerusalem) in the Baroque-era Kloster Zwiefalten in Germany.
Nebuchadnezzar also restored Lake Sippar, opened a port on the Persian Gulf and built the Mede wall between the Tigris and the Euphrates to protect against incursion from the north.
He also built the Ishtar Gate, the eighth gate to the inner city of Babylon in 575 to go along with their triple walls.
A reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
Nebuchadnezzar also had a 7-year bout with insanity where he lived in the wild after which he was restored to his position. There are many theories as to what he suffered and what led to his insanity, and they range from various physical ailments to monomania.
Nebuchadnezzar sought to be as great a king as the legendary Nimrod. In previous lessons discussing Nimrod, we see that he reigned from Babylon to Egypt, and was one of Abraham’s key enemies in the ancient stories. According to ancient tradition, Nimrod obtained the garment of Adam through his fathers, when Ham stole the garment from Noah. He used the garment to become rich and powerful. Animals would recognize the garment of Adam and innocently approach him, making him one of the mightiest hunters in the world. Joel foresaw the future armies of Gog and Magog in terms that also describe Nimrod:
“A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth. The land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness. Yea, and nothing shall escape them” (Joel 2:3).
Another project he (Nebuchadnezzar) initiated, but never completed was to rebuild the Tower of Babel upon its original foundation that Nimrod set in place about one millennium before.
Nebuchadnezzar wanted to be not only the greatest king, but a god. While it does not specify, many scholars believe that the golden image Nebuchadnezzar set up and required all to worship (see Daniel 3), was his own image. He sought to make himself a god, but ended up finding out that Jehovah, the God of the exiled Jews, was more powerful than he and his furnace ever could be. Later in Daniel, we’ll see how this intense desire to make himself a god led to Nebuchadnezzar’s downfall.
It is felt by Jewish exegesis (a critical explanation or interpretation of a religious text) that the vision Isaiah has in Isaiah 14:12-15 identifies as King Nebuchadnezzar.
Isaiah 14 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
(The Hebrew text says “Helel ben Sharhar” which means “the shining one, son of the dawn”. other versions don’t say “son of morning”, but CJB & NIV say “morning star”)
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Then in 19
19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.
In this passage the king is being mocked, he is struck through with a sword, killed and thrown into a common grave. Mainstream Christianity attributes this to the fall of Lucifer because verse 20 says:
20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.
21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.
22 For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the Lord.
While Helel ben Sharhar may refer to a “star” or “morning star”, Isaiah doesn’t’ indicate that it is a star. Thus Jewish thought is that this refers to Nebuchadnezzar while Christianity sees this as “morning star” and attributes it to Lucifer.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
Latter-day Saints have long been aware of a prophecy in the second chapter of Daniel, and somewhat reiterated in the seventh chapter, about the kingdoms of this world that would break down and be replaced ultimately by the kingdom of God. Reference to this great event is found in many scriptures. See, for example, Doctrine and Covenants 65:1–3 and Revelation 11:15. This is the introduction to the famous dream of Nebuchadnezzar.
If Nebuchadnezzar came to the throne about 605 b.c., Daniel would not have been serving in the court long before the king had this dream.
Daniel 2 1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
He called for all of the counselors in the kingdom. These included the magicians (diviners), the astrologers (conjurer or necromancer), the sorcerers (those who practice witchcraft), and the Chaldeans (the wise men). The king demanded to know the interpretation of the dream, but insisted that he could not even remember the dream, so they would not only have to interpret the dream, but also tell him what the dream was.
3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.
Note that when the term Syriack is used, the Hebrew language changes to Aramaic. It will return to Hebrew again in chapter 8. No one knows the reason for this bilingual composition other than the fact that Aramaic was the primary language of the Babylonian world.
5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
The phrase “is gone from me” should probably be translated as “is certain with me”. LDS commentators indicate that in verse 9 the king makes clear that he knows the dream, but if they can’t figure out the dream they can’t be trusted. (Ogden/Skinner)
6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
They came ready to interpret the dream according to whatever their imaginations could create. Yet, they knew that if they pretended to know the actual dream, he would tell them they were wrong, and they would be punished by death for their trickery and falsehoods.
7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.
8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time (CJB trying to gain time), because ye see the thing is gone from me.
9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
As far as they were concerned no previous ruler or king had ever asked such an impossible task of his counselors in the past. Nebuchadnezzar was being unreasonable to them. Yet Nebuchadnezzar knew the dream was important enough to demand the correct answer.
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
The first time Daniel hears about the problem is when they come to pick him up, lump him in with the “wise men” and have him put to death. Daniel spoke up and asked to see the king. The Hebrew God could reveal both the dream and its interpretation through the prophet.
14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:
15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
Other version use the word “harsh” instead of “hasty”.
16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
What would Daniel do to prepare? He went to his friends. He must have fasted and prayed and then he was given the king’s dream.
17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19 Then was the secret (CJB “mystery) revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
This usage of the word “secret” brings to mind Amos 3:7. The Lord will always reveal his secret unto his servants, the prophets.
Then Daniel thanks God for the revelation before he goes to see the king.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
This is early in Daniel’s career. He will see numerous kings come and go…
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.
Daniel comes to stay the execution of the “wise men”
24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;
28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
Daniel wants the king to know the source of his dream; Daniel’s understanding came not from within himself but from God, and he so declared it to the king. Daniel also wanted the king to know the time of his dream’s fulfillment.
According to President Spencer W. Kimball, Daniel told the king that his dream was “a portrayal of the history of the world” (Ensign, May 1976, 8).
The king saw in vision a great warrior statue.
31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
The legs and feet represented the Roman Empire (161 b.c. to a.d. 395), which divided into the east, with its capital at Constantinople (ending in 1453 with the conquests of Ottoman Turks)
And the west, with its capital at Rome (ending in 1806 with Francis II of Austria, the last ruler of the Holy Roman Empire). The slow dissolution seems to be that which the part of iron part of clary are referring.
Think of when the “legs of iron” part of clay, occurs…Is it when the Roman Empire dissolves in 400 A.D. ? The Roman Empire continues on until much, much later.
34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
What year would we suppose the stone was cut? 1830
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
What does much of Christianity say of this stone? They say it is Christ and the advent of Christianity…but Daniel is pretty clear about the kingdoms. It has to happen after the dissolution of the Roman Empire…
Then Daniel says an interesting thing to the King who thought himself a god…
36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
Lets summarize:
Head of Gold:
Breast/arms Silver:
Belly/thighs Brass:
Legs Iron:
Feet part Iron, part Clay
Stone cut without hands…smote the image upon the feet and broke them.
Stone becomes a great mountain and fills the earth.
But we don’t have to guess at the interpretation. Daniel tells Neb and he tells us…
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
Daniel explained that the statue was of successive world powers. Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon was the portion of gold, the best one could hope for.
According to historic tradition, the following nations followed:
Gold = Babylon (obviously)
Silver = Persia
Brass = Greece
Iron = Rome,
The feet of iron and clay represent the nations of the last days.
These final nations, some strong as iron, others weak as clay, combined to form a conglomeration of allies and powers that occasionally held together, but often fell apart.
We see such occurring in the ever changing powers and alliances of England, France, Spain, Germany, Russia, the United States, and others. At times each has been strong as iron, while they also have been weak as clay.
It is in such an environment that the stone is cut out without men’s hands. It is a supernatural stone, representing a hardness that is greater than gold, silver, brass or iron. While it will begin small, the stone grows, becoming more powerful until it becomes a mountain that completely overshadows the image or nations of the world. They cannot fight against it, as they break in attacking the stone.
This stone is the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ, brought forth AFTER the rein of the Romans – so it is not the mortal ministry of Christ and his apostles that the stone references. It comes later, much later, when the world is not united under one national rule, and when the clay in its feet makes it dangerous, unpredictable and chaotic. Listen how he describes some of these non-empire countries…
43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
Finally, standing in front of the king, Daniel finished his interpretation of the dream, which contained “the real revelation,” as President Kimball called it (Ensign, May 1976, 8).
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
The Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I calculate to be one of the instruments of setting up the kingdom of Daniel by the word of the Lord, and I intend to lay a foundation that will revolutionize the whole world” (Joseph Smith [manual], 512).
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
In our own time, another prophetic interpreter of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, President Spencer W. Kimball, further refined this portion of Daniel’s interpretation with some specific designations of the kingdoms portrayed in the dream: “Cyrus the great, with his Medes and Persians, would be replaced by the Greek or Macedonian kingdom under Philip and Alexander; and that world power would be replaced by the Roman Empire; and Rome would be replaced by a group of nations of Europe represented by the toes of the image” (Ensign, May 1976, 8).
President Kimball’s interpretation is more valuable to us today than even the words recorded in the book of Daniel, for President Kimball’s words are a continuation of prophetic interpretation in these latter days—the more complete and detailed meaning of Daniel’s prophecy reserved for the people actually affected by the ancient prophecy.
President Kimball “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored in 1830 after numerous revelations from the divine source; and this is the kingdom, set up by the God of heaven, that would never be destroyed nor superseded, and the stone cut out of the mountain without hands that would become a great mountain and would fill the whole earth.
“History unfolded and the world powers came and went after ruling the world for a little season, but in the early nineteenth century the day had come . . . [that] the Church was organized. Small it was, with only six members, compared to the stone cut out of the mountain without hands which would break in pieces other nations and which would roll forth and fill the whole earth. . . . [T]oday the stone rolls forth to fill the earth” (Ensign, May 1976, 8–9).
This is the preparation for the Second Coming of Christ, when the gospel in its fullness is restored through God’s power, and not by the political or philosophical ways of man. Kingdoms rise and fall, but only the kingdom of God will go forever; replacing all the world’s kingdoms when Christ comes again in power and glory.
In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord indicated that the final kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream would be established in preparation for the Second Coming and Christ’s millennial reign.
“The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth.
The message of this latter-day revelation begins with the same proclamation found in Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (D&C 65:1)
“Yea, a voice crying—Prepare ye the way of the Lord, prepare ye the supper of the Lamb, make ready for the Bridegroom” (D&C 65:2–3).
In ancient times, heralds ran before the coming processional of a king or dignitary, clearing stones and other obstacles from the pathway and preparing and warning the people of the dignitary’s coming. In our day, the latter days, living prophets fill this role. They are saying, in effect, Jesus Christ is coming, and “the gospel of Jesus Christ is destined to fill the Earth, as the stone in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. . . . The Church will fill the Earth before the end of the Millennium” (Smith and Sjodhl, Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, 398).
The Church will fill the earth before the end of the Millennium. It will not fill the earth before the Millennium begins. The beginning of the Millennium will not be the end of the unfolding of the great kingdom described by Daniel.
Practically speaking, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not fill every corner of the whole earth in the early years of the Millennium. Other religious beliefs persist on the earth.
President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: “When the reign of Jesus Christ comes during the millennium, only those who have lived the telestial law will be removed. It is recorded in the Bible and other standard works of the Church that the earth will be cleansed of all its corruption and wickedness. Those who have lived virtuous lives, who have been honest in their dealings with their fellow man and have endeavored to do good to the best of their understanding, shall remain” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 1:108).
“The Lord has never taken any course that would deprive any person of his free agency. Even during the millennium that privilege will be granted them. . . .
“It will make a great difference when Satan will have his power taken away during that period, but the inhabitants of the earth will still have their agency. We are taught that during that thousand years, men will not be compelled to believe. . . . The Lord will not take away from them their right to believe as they will. However, if they persist in their unbelief under the conditions which will prevail, they will be condemned. Before that period is over all will have received the truth” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 5:141–43).
Back to the dream…
King Nebuchadnezzar seems thrilled to have the dream interpreted…though he doesn’t seem to take it to heart or at least seem very worried that his kingdom will fall…it also doesn’t stop him from the Fiery Furnace episode from last week (but the next chapter).
46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
Two heathen kings, Nebuchadnezzar and Darius, saw the power of God (4:37; 6:26–27). They recognized it but did not accept it and live by it (“These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men”; D&C 76:75).
48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
Second Temple
The second temple lasts from 516 B.C. to 70 C.E. when it is destroyed by Rome. It replaced the First Temple that was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar
The rise of Cyrus the Great of Persia in 538 was the catalyst that allowed the rebuilding to occur.
Ezra 1 1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
And in Chronicles…
2 Chronicles 36 22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.
What prophecy of Jeremiah Is Ezra referring to…
Jeremiah 25 9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.
11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Verse 12 indicates he will then punish Babylon…
Remember that Jeremiah is prophesying prior to the captivity, and it is prophesying like this that gets him imprisoned…and later released by Nebuchadnezzar.
12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.
13 And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.
14 For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.
15 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
In Daniel 9 he talks of Jeremiah’s prophesy…
Daniel 9 2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
4 And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
Daniel starts fasting and praying for their return realizing that their 70 years in captivity is nearing an end.
Daniel 9 7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
Praying for Judah but also the lost 10 tribes “through all the countries”…
And then down to vs 15 he refers to their release from Egypt…
Daniel 9 15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.
17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.
And for the temple…
Daniel 9 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.
20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God;
And he is then visited by the mighty angel Gabriel…
Daniel 9 21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
And Gabriel talks about their return and restoration.
And in vs 24 he segues into discussion of 2d coming prophecy
In the chapters we didn’t cover…there are many other prophecies and visions…
Daniel sees four beasts representing the kingdoms of men—He sees the ancient of days (Adam) to whom the Son of Man (Christ) will come—The kingdom will be given to the Saints forever.
Daniel sees in vision a ram (Media and Persia), a goat (Greece), four other kings, and then, in the last days, a fierce king who will destroy the holy people—This king will be broken when he stands up against the Prince of Princes.
Daniel fasts, confesses, and prays for all Israel—Gabriel reveals the time of the coming of the Messiah, who will make reconciliation for iniquity—The Messiah will be cut off.
Daniel sees the Lord and others in a glorious vision—He is shown what is to be in the latter days.
Daniel sees the successive kings and their wars, leagues, and conflicts that lead up to the Second Coming of Christ.
In the last days, Michael will deliver Israel from their troubles—Daniel tells of the two resurrections—The wise will know the times and meanings of his visions.
Daniel 12 1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
But then he is ordered to seal the book, like John and others
Daniel 12 3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
(If time…in chapter 10 compare Daniels’ reaction to his vision to those vision experiences of others…
Description of the Lord (vv. 5–6): Ezekiel 1:26–28; Luke 9:29; Revelation 1:13–15; D&C 110:2–3; Joseph Smith–History 1:17 and compare verse 32
• Only Daniel saw the vision (v. 7): Acts 9:7.
• Daniel was left with no strength (v. 8): 1 Nephi 1:7; JS–H 1:20.
• Daniel was laid out on the ground (v. 9): JS–H 1:20.
• “Fear not” (v. 12): Matthew 17:6–7; Luke 1:12–13; 2:9–10; JS–H 1:32.
• The Lord came in answer to prayers: Mosiah 27:14; D&C 98:1–2.
• Adam appeared (v. 13): D&C 27:11.
• Daniel could not speak (v. 15): Luke 1:20–22; Mosiah 27:19.
Bibiolography
Verse by Verse the Old Testament Volume 2, Ogden/Skinner
Other references or links in the text
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