But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteriesThis phrase emphasizes the sovereignty and omniscience of God, contrasting the limitations of human wisdom and the impotence of Babylonian magicians and astrologers. The concept of God revealing mysteries is a recurring theme in Scripture, seen in Joseph's interpretation of dreams in
Genesis 41 and the revelation of divine mysteries in the New Testament (
Ephesians 3:3-5). It underscores the belief that true wisdom and understanding come from God alone.
and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar
This highlights God's control over earthly kingdoms and His ability to communicate with pagan rulers. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was a powerful monarch, yet God chose to reveal His plans to him, demonstrating that God's purposes transcend national and religious boundaries. This act of revelation also serves as a testament to God's desire to make Himself known to all people, not just the Israelites.
what will happen in the latter days
The phrase "latter days" often refers to future events, particularly those concerning the end times or the Messianic age. In the context of Daniel, it points to the unfolding of God's plan for history, including the rise and fall of empires and the eventual establishment of God's eternal kingdom. This prophetic element is echoed in other biblical passages, such asIsaiah 2:2 andRevelation 1:1, which speak of God's ultimate plan for humanity.
Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:
This introduces the specific content of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, which Daniel is about to interpret. The mention of dreams and visions is significant in biblical literature, often serving as a medium for divine communication. Dreams were a common means by which God conveyed His will in the ancient Near East, as seen in the stories of Joseph and Pharaoh (Genesis 41) and the visions of the prophets. This sets the stage for the revelation of God's message to Nebuchadnezzar, which Daniel will articulate, demonstrating the fulfillment of God's promise to reveal mysteries.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
DanielA Hebrew prophet and wise man in the Babylonian court, known for his faithfulness to God and his ability to interpret dreams and visions.
2.
God in HeavenThe sovereign and omniscient God who reveals mysteries and has authority over all kingdoms and times.
3.
King NebuchadnezzarThe powerful king of Babylon who had a troubling dream that none of his wise men could interpret, leading to Daniel's involvement.
4.
BabylonThe empire where Daniel was held captive and served in the king's court, representing a place of exile and testing for the Israelites.
5.
The DreamA divine revelation given to Nebuchadnezzar, which Daniel interprets, revealing future events and God's sovereign plan.
Teaching Points
God's SovereigntyGod is in control of history and reveals His plans according to His will. Trust in His sovereignty even when circumstances seem uncertain.
Divine RevelationGod communicates with His people and reveals mysteries through His chosen servants. Seek wisdom and understanding through prayer and study of His Word.
Faithfulness in ExileLike Daniel, remain faithful to God even in challenging environments. Your faithfulness can be a testimony to others and a means through which God works.
God's TimingGod's revelations often pertain to future events ("latter days"). Be patient and trust in His perfect timing for the fulfillment of His promises.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Daniel 2:28?
2.How does Daniel 2:28 emphasize God's sovereignty in revealing mysteries to believers?
3.What role does prayer play in understanding God's revelations, as seen in Daniel 2:28?
4.How can Daniel 2:28 inspire trust in God's plans for our lives?
5.Connect Daniel 2:28 with another scripture about God's wisdom and revelation.
6.How can we apply the message of Daniel 2:28 in daily decision-making?
7.How does Daniel 2:28 demonstrate God's sovereignty over human history and kingdoms?
8.What does Daniel 2:28 reveal about God's ability to reveal mysteries?
9.How does Daniel 2:28 challenge the belief in human autonomy and control?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Daniel 2?
11.How does Daniel interpret dreams and visions in Babylon?
12.How can modern scientific understanding explain Daniel’s alleged ability to know and interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2:31–35) without natural means?
13.What does the Bible say about premonitions?
14.What does the Bible say about interpreting dreams?What Does Daniel 2:28 Mean
But there is a God in heaven• Scripture begins by redirecting attention from human inability (vv. 10–11) to divine sovereignty.
•Isaiah 46:9-10 reminds us, “I am God, and there is no other… declaring the end from the beginning.”
•Psalm 115:3 affirms, “Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him.”
• Jesus teaches us to pray with the same upward focus inMatthew 6:9, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.”
who reveals mysteries,• God delights to uncover what is hidden, granting light to His servants (Deuteronomy 29:29;Amos 3:7).
•1 Corinthians 2:10 echoes Daniel, “God has revealed it to us by the Spirit.”
• Across redemptive history—from Joseph interpreting dreams (Genesis 41:16) to John receiving Revelation—God initiates disclosure so His people can act in faith.
and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar• Even a pagan monarch receives truth when it serves God’s larger plan; compare Cyrus inIsaiah 45:1 and Pharaoh inRomans 9:17.
•Jeremiah 27:5-7 shows the Lord freely handing kingdoms to whomever He chooses, demonstrating that no throne lies outside His rule.
• Daniel’s confidence stands on this conviction: if God chooses to speak, He will also supply the interpretation (Daniel 2:19-23).
what will happen in the latter days.• The phrase looks beyond Nebuchadnezzar’s lifetime to successive empires and, ultimately, Christ’s eternal kingdom (Daniel 2:44-45; 7:13-14).
•Daniel 10:14 uses the same wording to frame visions about Israel’s future.
• Peter cites Joel inActs 2:17 to mark the last days inaugurated at Pentecost, whileRevelation 1:1 declares “things that must soon take place,” continuing the prophetic trajectory.
• These passages together affirm that history moves toward a divinely appointed climax rather than random cycles.
Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:• God often speaks through nighttime visions:Job 33:14-16 says He opens men’s ears “in a dream, in a vision of the night.”
• Joseph’s and Pharaoh’s dreams inGenesis 37; 41 parallel Nebuchadnezzar’s experience—he receives revelation but needs God’s servant for clarity.
•Daniel 2:31-35 details the statue of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay, picturing the rise and fall of kingdoms culminating in the rock “cut without hands.”
summaryDaniel 2:28 shifts the scene from human desperation to divine disclosure. The verse proclaims a sovereign God who rules from heaven, joyfully unveils hidden truths, and even uses unbelieving rulers to advance His redemptive timeline. The prophecy spans from Babylon to the final establishment of Christ’s kingdom, assuring believers that every stage of history unfolds under God’s deliberate and benevolent hand.
(28)
Visions of thy head.--Called "thoughts,"
Daniel 2:29, which were the natural means through which the supernatural revelation was communicated. These "came" into his mind without his forcing them upon himself. He was thinking of other things, further conquests, perhaps, and the like, but these thoughts came from a higher source.
Verse 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. All the versions are at one with the Massoretic text to the beginning of the last clause, which begins a new sentence. This last clause is omitted in the Septuagint. The clause is pleonastic; therefore, seeing it is omitted by the Septuagint, we may consider it not genuine, but due to a case of doublet in the Aramaic copies. Some copies have the present clause here, without the opening clause of the next, and others without this, but having the opening clause of ver. 29. Then came a copyist, who, unable to settle which was the better reading, inserted both.
There is a God in heaven. No nation in ancient times was so addicted to the study of the stars of heaven and to the future as were the Chaldeans. Here Daniel announces that the God of heaven, Jehovah, the God of oppressed Judah and conquered Jerusalem, was the God who ruled all the stars from which the Chaldeans derived the knowledge of the future they thought they had, and arranged for his own purposes all things that were coming upon the earth, and he could tell what no one on earth could do. And the reason of this he also makes plain - God had expressly sent the dream to Nebuchadnezzar in order that he might know what was to "be in the latter days." He, Nebuchadnezzar, was the first of the great imperial powers who ruled after Israel ceased to be so much a nation as a faith. After the Babylonian Captivity Judaism became a Church over against a heathen state. Hence to him with whom this new state of things began was this message given. It has exercised many why this revelation of the future was made to this heathen monarch. Yet we must remember that, though made directly to him, through his obstinacy, it arrived at the Prophet Daniel, for whom it was meant. Yet again, no one can read the inscriptions of Nebuchadnezzar and fail to observe how deep and unfeigned was his piety according to his light. He worshipped Merodach, and if, in his ascriptions of praise, we were to place "Jehovah" instead of "Merodach," these prayers and thanksgivings would appear almost as if borrowed from the Hebrew Psalter. God, who readeth the hearts of men, might well have seen such a heart in this conqueror that he might be honoured with a revelation. The phrase, "latter days," had a special reference in Jewish prophetic language to the times of the Messiah (
Isaiah 2:2); hence we may assume that this vision would stretch in its revelations on to the times of the kingdom which the Lord would set up. It is unscientific to press this as meaning the absolute last time, as does Hitzig. It is not the future generally, as Havernick. We must be led by the usage of prophetic literature.
Thy dream,
and the visions of thy head upon thy bed are these. This clause, as we have indicated, is probably one of two parallel readings. There is probably no distinction intended between "dream" and "visions of the head upon the bed." This is really to be regarded as a case of parallelism, in which one portion of the verse was balanced by the other. What shade of difference there is, is between the dream as a totality and the portions of it as seen.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Butבְּרַ֡ם(bə·ram)Conjunction
Strong's 1297:Highly, surely, howeverthere isאִיתַ֞י(’î·ṯay)Adverb
Strong's 383:Entity, as a, particle of affirmation, there isa Godאֱלָ֤הּ(’ĕ·lāh)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 426:Godin heavenבִּשְׁמַיָּא֙(biš·may·yā)Preposition-b | Noun - mdd
Strong's 8065:The skywho revealsגָּלֵ֣א(gā·lê)Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1541:To denude, to exile, to revealmysteries,רָזִ֔ין(rā·zîn)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7328:To attenuate, hide, a mysteryand He has made knownוְהוֹדַ֗ע(wə·hō·w·ḏa‘)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3046:To knowto Kingלְמַלְכָּא֙(lə·mal·kā)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 4430:A kingNebuchadnezzarנְבֽוּכַדְנֶצַּ֔ר(nə·ḇū·ḵaḏ·neṣ·ṣar)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5020:Nebuchadnezzar -- a Babylonian kingwhatמָ֛ה(māh)Interrogative
Strong's 4101:Interrogative what?, what!, indefinitely whatwill happenלֶהֱוֵ֖א(le·hĕ·wê)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1934:To become, come to pass, bein the latterבְּאַחֲרִ֣ית(bə·’a·ḥă·rîṯ)Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 320:The enddays.יוֹמַיָּ֑א(yō·w·may·yā)Noun - masculine plural determinate
Strong's 3118:A dayYour dreamחֶלְמָ֨ךְ(ḥel·māḵ)Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 2493:A dreamand the visionsוְחֶזְוֵ֥י(wə·ḥez·wê)Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2376:Vision, appearancethat came into your mindרֵאשָׁ֛ךְ(rê·šāḵ)Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7217:The head, the sumas you lay onעַֽל־(‘al-)Preposition
Strong's 5922:Above, over, upon, againstyour bedמִשְׁכְּבָ֖ךְ(miš·kə·ḇāḵ)Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 4903:Couch, bedwere these:דְּנָ֥ה(də·nāh)Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 1836:This
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OT Prophets: Daniel 2:28 But there is a God in heaven (Dan. Da Dn) 
