Introduction: These transcripts are from Kay Arthur's lectures on the old course on Daniel and not the new lecture series circa 2006. They are provided as a service to the body of Christ with the written permission of Precept Ministries International. This material is the property of Precept Ministries International and all rights are reserved.

The transcripts are for the most part verbatim with deletions identified by the characters (...). The utilization of italics, bolding, hyperlinks and pop up notes represent editorial additions. Any written additions are identified by the designation "Ed note".  All references are the NASB unless otherwise indicated.

Please note that these lectures by Kay Arthur supplement the excellent Precept Upon Precept inductive Bible study on the Daniel. Click on the link below and note that you can download lesson 1 free of charge.

Daniel 1-6 - Part 1 - Living Out a Biblical Worldview
Daniel 7-12 - Part 2 - Gaining Understanding of the Time of the End

Below are links to the excellent Precept study of the Revelation. If you are planning on doing this four part study, I would strongly encourage you to first complete the Daniel study, as knowledge of the prophecies in Daniel is critical to a full understanding of the prophecies in the Revelation.  Note that for each part, you may download a PDF of lesson one at no charge.

Revelation 1-3 - Part 1 - Jesus' Message to the Church
Revelation 4-22 - Part 2 - The Unveiling of the Book of Revelation
Revelation 5-22 - Part 3 - What is the Sign of His Coming and the End of the Age?
Revelation 5-22 Part 4 - Interpreting Revelation in the Light of Biblical Prophecy4

If you can find a local Precept class studying Revelation, I would strongly encourage you to join the class, as I know of no other study available anywhere in the world that will equip you so thoroughly to discern the signs of the times and cause you to live expectantly as you look for Christ's Return!

Daniel Verse by Verse Commentary onsite...

Daniel 2:1 "Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him."

To interpret the "second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar" remember that the calendar dating refers to the second official year as reckoned by the Babylonian system (this would be the 3rd year of Daniel in the Babylonian educational system).

In Nebuchadnezzar's Dream, he remembers every detail and so he calls all the so-called ''wise'' men ("the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans" Da 2:2)

The King's challenge

I had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream...if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be made a rubbish heap, "But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation. (Da 2:3,5, 6)

The "Wise" men's excuse

"There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean. Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh." (Da 2:10, 11)

Aren't you glad that we have a God that wants to communicate with us?

For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him? (Dt 4:7)

Surely the Lord God does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)

HOW DO GODLY MEN RESPOND TO ADVERSE, SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS?

1). WITH TACT AND DIGNITY:

So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them. Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king's bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon, he answered and said to Arioch, the king's commander, "For what reason is the decree from the king so urgent?" Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king." (Da 2:13, 14, 15, 16)

Daniel was not harsh or brash. He and his three friends had "spoken" to these pagans as much with their life as they had with their lips. Daniel gets an audience with the King, because the King had seen something in Daniel

Daniel does not panic because he knows that his God is bigger than any problem. (Ed note: How "big" is your God?)

2). HE TURNED TO GOD, TRUSTING HIM--

Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, in order that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon." (Da 2:17, 18)

Trust is verbalized in prayer

How much we trust God is reflected by how much time we spend in prayer (Ed note: Are you convicted?) You show how much you depend on God by your prayer life. Don't turn to men for answers as King Nebuchadnezzar did. Instead turn to your all knowing God like Daniel and his three friends did.

3). HE IMMEDIATELY PRAISED THE LORD

Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven; Daniel answered and said, "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to men of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him. (Da 2:19, 20, 21, 22)

When God answered him Daniel's first reaction was not to run into the king but to go to "The King of kings" and bless the LORD. To "bless" means to speak well of and so Daniel spoke good things about God. In fact Daniel spoke of at least seven qualities (or attributes) of God...
 

4). ACCEPTS NO CREDIT

To Thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for Thou hast given me wisdom and power; even now Thou hast made known to me what we requested of Thee, for Thou hast made known to us the king's matter...there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries...As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place. But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind. (Da 2:23, 28, 29, 30)

Daniel gives all the credit to the Lord.

The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?" (Da 2:26)

When asked by the king ''Are YOU able?'' Daniel refused to take the credit

 THE
''LAST CHAPTER"

Nebuchadnezzar's dream interpreted...
 

1). HEAD -gold symbolizes Babylon known as golden kingdom which dominated as a world power from 612 to 538/539BC. Babylon is said to have used more gold in their temples than any other nation. Their chief god Marduk was a god of gold. Nebuchadnezzar is the head of gold as the king of Babylon.

2). BREAST & ARMS - silver symbolizes the Medes & Persians who dominated the world from 538/539 to 331/332BC. Silver may reflect their well developed financial system. Silver however is inferior to gold. There are two kingdoms and this usually results in a weaker organization.

3). BELLY & THIGHS - bronze symbolizes Greece who dominated from 331/332 to 146BC. The Greeks were the first  to make bronze weapons. Alexander the Great died suddenly and 4 kings took over but only two became dominant powers (which may explain the two thighs).

4). LEGS - iron symbolizes Rome who dominated from 146BC until about 500AD.  The Romans made their weapons out of iron which was able to crush bronze. The two legs of iron could signify the division of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western parts under Constantine.

5). FEET  - partly iron, partly clay (baked clay was brittle) and composed of 10 kings (note that kings is synonymous with kingdoms) which were loosely federated. History has no record of ten kingdoms that fits this description and thus this description has not yet fulfilled.

And 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. 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. (Da 2:44, 25)

So whenever this "10 Kingdom loose confederacy" comes about, God will set us His kingdom which will endure forever.  Some have proposed that the European Common Market (European Union - EU) might eventually fulfill the prophecy of 10 kingdoms loosely federated together.

The Stone Struck
the Statute

This refers to a future time ("in the latter days")

a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. 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." (Da 2:34, 35)

Now we've read the "last chapter"...

We know that a sovereign God has ordered the events of history...

What does this truth mean to us?

We need to be alert for the return of Christ and live in light of His imminent return.