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Daniel Interprets the Dream
Bible Story

Daniel Interprets the Dream

Project in classBig-screen mode for Sunday school: large text, full screen and slide clicker support.Lesson kitA 45-minute plan, questions and a printable sheet for Sunday school.Where it happened: BabylonSee it on the Bible map and find other stories from the same place.

Story summary

King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and demanded that his wise men tell him both the dream and its meaning. No one could. Daniel and his friends prayed, and God revealed the dream to Daniel: a statue of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay, destroyed by a rock that became a mountain. It was God’s Kingdom, which lasts forever.

Where it is in the Bible: Daniel 2

Lesson for kids

God reveals mysteries to those who pray; his kingdom is the only one that never ends.

Questions to talk about as a family

After reading, use these questions to help your child remember and apply the story.

  1. What did Daniel do before going to the king?
  2. What materials was the statue made of?
  3. What did the rock that became a mountain stand for?

The full story: Daniel Interprets the Dream

Part 1

The great king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, had a very strange dream one night. The dream made him so worried that he couldn't sleep anymore. He felt in his heart that it was an important message.

The king called all his wise men, magicians, and fortune-tellers. He commanded, "Tell me what I dreamed and what it means!" But they replied that it was impossible to guess a dream that no one had told them.

Nebuchadnezzar became furious. If they couldn't reveal his dream, he would punish them. The news spread throughout the palace and made everyone very afraid.

Part 2

A young man named Daniel, who loved God, heard about the problem. He wasn't afraid. Daniel asked the king's guard for a little more time, promising that God would help him find the answer.

Daniel rushed home and told everything to his three friends: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Together, they prayed to the God of heaven. They asked God to show them the secret and save their lives.

He reveals deep and hidden things. He knows what is hidden in darkness. And light lives with him. — Daniel 2:22

Part 3

That same night, while he was sleeping, God revealed the king's dream to Daniel in a vision. What a relief! God had answered their prayer.

Daniel was so happy and thankful that he began to praise God. He said, "May the name of God be praised forever and ever! He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who understand."

Daniel: I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors. You have given me wisdom and power.

Part 4

Daniel was brought before King Nebuchadnezzar. The king asked, "Are you able to tell me my dream and what it means?" Daniel answered with humility and courage.

"No wise man or magician can reveal this secret," Daniel said. "But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has shown you what will happen in the future."

Then Daniel began to describe the vision. "In your dream, you saw a huge, shining statue. Its head was made of gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly of bronze, and its feet were a mix of iron and clay."

Part 5

Daniel continued to explain. "Each part of the statue represents a great kingdom that would come to Earth. But suddenly, a rock that was not cut by human hands struck the feet of the statue and completely destroyed it."

"That rock became a huge mountain that filled the whole Earth," Daniel said. "This means that the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. It will last forever."

King Nebuchadnezzar was amazed. He knelt before Daniel and said that Daniel's God was the God of gods and the Lord of kings. The king promoted Daniel to a very important position in the kingdom.