The One who Reveals the Secrets of the Heart - Part 1

Today we will look back into the pages of history that prophecy of the future time. It was centuries before Jesus came down from heaven to earth. It was when the empires of humanity started to dominate the world at the time. The Babylonian Empire had risen to its peak of powers. Their king had invaded and raided the surrounding nations. He had taken captive those of Jewish lineage who were useful to him. This king’s name was Nebuchadnezzar. As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.

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Transcript

00:00 Intro music and voice over.

Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

00:21 Speaker

Today we will look back into the pages of history that prophecy of the future time. It was centuries before Jesus came down from heaven to earth. It was when the empires of humanity started to dominate the world. The Babylonian Empire had risen to its peak of powers. Their king had invaded and raided the surrounding nations. He had taken captive those of Jewish lineage who were useful to him. 

This king’s name was Nebuchadnezzar. 

In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, he had disturbing dreams. Dreams that troubled him so greatly that his sleep had deserted him. So Nebuchadnezzar called all his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans to tell him the dream and its interpretation. Yet not one of them could do so. 

In his furious rage, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the death of all the wise men of Babylon. This included those who were taken captive from Jerusalem. One such individual was Daniel.

The creator God of heaven and earth had given Daniel knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom. Even skill in the literature of the country that held him captive. In addition the creator God had also had given Daniel an understanding of visions and dreams.

Daniel knew that any gift given to him by the God of heaven and earth is for the benefit of others. Any gift given by God is a reflection of His character, His selfless love and amazing grace.  

So Daniel asked Nebuchadnezzar to give him time to seek the mercies of the God of heaven and earth, concerning the secret of the dream. 

Nebuchadnezzar granted Daniel that time.

Throughout history the God of heaven and earth reveals Himself to individuals and people groups in ways that each one can understand. In the world of many gods and beliefs, God reveals Himself to Nebuchadnezzar through dreams. To an empire of humanity that prides itself on knowledge and wisdom, the God of heaven and earth reveals Himself as the one who knows all things. 

Of all the wise people of the world, only God is all-knowing and eternal. Only God knows the deep secret things of what is the darkness of the heart and mind. God knows the hidden things of the past, the present and the future. He reveals what we need to know, so that we can be truly free. 

So God revealed to Daniel in a night vision the secret of the king’s heart. God through Daniel shone His glorious light into the darkness.

Having received from God the dream and its interpretation, Daniel went into the presence of king Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel testified that there is a God in heaven who reveals the secrets of the king’s heart and what will come to pass after his death. 

God in heaven reveals the secrets of things hidden because He so loves. It is God’s desire that none should perish. His desire is that we are set free from being trapped in the lies and deceptions of self or the evil one. The Eternal One is just and true and deems that each one has the right to hear. Having heard the truth, everyone has the right to choose. 

So let us go to that moment in time and enter into the court of Nebuchadnezzar and listen to Daniel recount Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. 

Daniel 2:30-35 But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart. “You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. 

This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Before we go to Daniel’s interpretation let us imagine what Nebuchadnezzar saw in the dream. 

Through Nebuchadnezzar’s eyes, this statue was awesome in appearance. For it’s splendour was excellent. Daniel describes the four very distinctive segments, based upon the material they are made of. 

First listed is the head of fine gold. Then there is the chest and arms of silver. Next is the belly and torso of bronze. Then the legs of iron. It is interesting to note that the feet are partly of iron and partly of clay. 

Let us read on for the interpretation given by God to Daniel. 

Daniel 2:36-38 “This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—you are this head of gold.”

So the head of the statue symbolically represents the splendour of the Babylonian empire under the kingship of Nebuchadnezzar. Remembering that this dream is the dark secrets of Nebuchadnezzar’s heart and mind. It is clear that Nebuchadnezzar sees himself and his empire as the most glorious of all. Yet God brings His glorious light and truth into the deceptions and darkness of the prideful heart.

Let us read on to discover the meaning of the rest of the statue. Daniel 2:39-43 “But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. 

It becomes apparent that each different material of the statue represents a different empire of humanity. The fourth empire of humanity symbolised as one of iron in the statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, is the most destructive and abusive of all. That empire of humanity will break in pieces and crush all others. 

From that empire of humanity, will come many empires of humanity. These empires will not be as dominant when viewed on a global scale as the one represented by iron. 

Daniel 2:43-45 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”

Though they may seem mighty at the time, all the empires of humanity will come to an end. In the time of the fourth empire of humanity represented in the dream, the God of heaven and earth will set up His eternal kingdom. God and His kingdom are forever. The kingdom of God is where God’s right to rule and reign is not only recognised, but is honoured with allegiance of heart and mind. Worshipping only Him. God’s eternal kingdom will not be left to other people. For the eternal one, who created heaven and earth and all things good, will rule and reign personally and intimately. The king of God’s kingdom is represented in the dream as the stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands. The creator of heaven and earth, the eternal one will come in human form. The Son of God, will become the Son of Man, at the time of this most violent and brutal empire of humanity. 

In response to God giving Daniel not only the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, but also the interpretation, Nebuchadnezzar spared the lives of all the wise men of Babylon. Not only that but Nebuchadnezzar testified that the God of Daniel is the God of gods.

Let us read what Nebuchadnezzar declared. Daniel 2:47 The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.”

At this time Nebuchadnezzar had recognised the God of Daniel has the right to rule and reign. As only the God who created heaven and earth knows all things including the secrets of the heart and mind. Only the God who created heaven and earth is eternal and knows the past, present and future. 

Yet Nebuchadnezzar still chose to worship his gods. 

In chapter 4 of Daniel it is recorded that Nebuchadnezzar pridefully proclaimed his own glory and that he had gained everything because of his own ability. Full of his own greatness Nebuchadnezzar  even claimed claimed to be majestic! 

Again God spoke to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream. This time what will personally happen to Nebuchadnezzar. He would be humbled and come to the end of his reason. Everything that God revealed to Nebuchadnezzar came to pass. Nebuchadnezzar then testified again of God and His character. After this when Nebuchadnezzar regained his reason he testified.

Daniel 4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

Time passed. Nebuchadnezzar’s days came to an end. His son Belshazzar took over the rule of the Babylonian empire. 

During the first year of Belshazzar’s reign, God revealed to Daniel in a night vision and dream of what will take place. A dream about the empires of humanity. This time from God’s perspective and truth. Again God reveals the dark secrets of the heart and mind.

Daniel 7:2-8 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

“And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’

“After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

When compared with the dream of Nebuchadnezzar of the 4 empires of humanity, seeing through God’s perspective is both confronting and revealing.  

God reveals that the empires of humanity in this vision given to Daniel are in-fact ravenous beasts. They are neither glorious, nor for the betterment of others. The empire's of humanity reflect the character of humanity. In complete contrast the kingdom of God reflects His character. For His kingdom is an eternal kingdom that gives instead takes, empowers instead of devours and is freedom instead of captivity. 

Tune in next week as we go deeper into the book of Daniel and discover more about God and the revealer of the hearts and minds of humanity. 

19:40 Outro music and voice over. 

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!