The Skeptics Annotated Bible (665 page)

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:

(2.20-21)
“God … removeth kings, and setteth up kings.”
Monarchy is God’s preferred form of government. God chooses the kings and then removes them when he feels like it.

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.

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.

(2.24) “Daniel … went and said … 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.

(2.25)
“Arioch brought in Daniel before the king … and said … 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?

(2.26)
“The king … said to Daniel … 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;

(2.28-35)
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
He saw a gold headed image with silver chest and arms, brass belly and thighs, and iron legs with feet part iron and part clay. A stone smashed the image, scattering the gold, silver, brass, and iron in the wind. The stone became a great mountain that filled the whole earth.

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;

(2.28)
“God … 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.”

29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

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.

(2.31)
“Thou, O king, sawest … a great image.”

32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

(2.32)
“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
.

(2.33)
“His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.”

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
.

(2.34)
“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.”

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 threshingfloors; 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.

(2.35)
“Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces … and the wind carried them away … and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.”
The stone became “a great mountain” that “filled the whole earth.” This could only be possible on a flat, disc-shaped earth.

(2.36-44)
Daniel’s interpretation
The image’s gold head is Nebuchadnezzar. He will be replaced by another kingdom (silver chest and arms), which will be replaced by a third kingdom (brass belly and thighs), and a fourth kingdom (iron legs). This last kingdom with be both strong and weak (feet of iron and clay). Then God will raise up one final kingdom, which will destroy the other kingdoms and last forever.

36
This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king
.

(2.36)
“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
.

(2.37)
“Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.”
(I didn’t know that Nebuchadnezzar was the “king of kings.” I always thought that was Jesus!)

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
.

(2.38)
“Thou art this head of gold.”

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.

(2.39)
“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.

(2.40)
“The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron.”

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
.

(2.41)
“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.

(2.42)
“As the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.”

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.

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.

(2.44)
“In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed … it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms.”

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.

(2.46-48) King Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed by Daniel’s interpretation that he fell on his face and worships him. He commands everyone else to worship him, too, and makes Daniel the most powerful person in the empire.

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.

(2.46)
“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.