but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:
English Standard Version (ESV)
Daniel gently redirects Nebuchadnezzar's focus away from human wisdom toward the true source of all knowledge: God in heaven. He’s not just interpreting a dream; he’s introducing the King to the ultimate power behind the events he’s about to hear about, subtly shifting the king’s allegiance from earthly rulers to the divine King.
but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:
English Standard Version (ESV)
Nebuchadnezzar has just demanded that his wise men, including Daniel, not only interpret his forgotten dream but also tell him what the dream was in the first place. Daniel, along with his companions, is facing death because no human can fulfill such a demand. In response, Daniel emphasizes that true wisdom and the ability to reveal mysteries come from the God of heaven, not from Babylonian sorcerers or astrologers, and then prepares to reveal the dream and its meaning for future ages.
Nebuchadnezzar was stumped. His wisest minds couldn't help him. But Daniel steps in, not with his own wisdom, but with a bold declaration about Someone else.
Daniel doesn't just give the king an answer; he introduces him to the source of the answer.
A God Apart
Daniel emphasizes that there's a God in heaven, distinct from the idols and astrologers Nebuchadnezzar trusted. This isn't just any god; this is the true God, the Creator who presides over everything. This God is the ultimate 'revealer of secrets.'
God's Purpose in the Revelation
This revelation wasn't random. It was specifically given to Nebuchadnezzar to show him 'what will be in the latter days.' This highlights God's sovereign plan unfolding throughout history, reaching from Nebuchadnezzar's time all the way to the future. It’s a preview of His ongoing work in the world, not just a one-off event.
That terrifying dream wasn't just a bad night's sleep. Daniel clarifies that it was a direct communication from the divine realm.
Daniel is careful to frame the dream and its visions as originating from God, not from Nebuchadnezzar's own mind or any earthly source.
Divine Origin
Daniel states, 'Your dream, and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these.' This emphasizes that the content of the dream, the very images and thoughts that troubled the king, came from God. It wasn't a random occurrence but a divinely orchestrated event.
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Preparing the King
Daniel uses this moment to not only interpret the dream but also to 'prepare' the king's heart. By showing that God controls the future and reveals His plans, Daniel gently guides Nebuchadnezzar toward acknowledging the true God. This is a strategic move, using a supernatural revelation to point to the supernatural source.
Understand the original words
achariyth yowm · Aramaic (Biblical) Noun phrase
A Hebrew/Aramaic phrase referring to the period at the end of the current age, often pointing toward the culmination of God's redemptive plan and the establishment of His kingdom.
chezvah · Aramaic (Biblical) Noun
Mental images or divine messages received by a prophet or individual, often while sleeping or in a trance, used by God to communicate His sovereign purposes.
This event highlights how God can use even world rulers and vast empires to reveal His sovereign plan, demonstrating His ultimate power over human history and kingdoms.
c. 605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's First Deportation of Jews
Nebuchadnezzar's forces capture Jerusalem, taking tribute and a group of Jewish captives, including Daniel and his friends, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
King Nebuchadnezzar has a significant dream involving a giant statue made of different metals, which he cannot recall upon waking. The dream troubles him deeply.
c. 605 BC
The King's Decree and the Sages' Failure
Nebuchadnezzar demands that his wise men recall and interpret his dream. When they fail, he orders their execution, setting the stage for Daniel's intervention.
c. 605 BC— this verse
Daniel Intervenes
Daniel and his friends pray for God's help. Daniel is then granted a vision revealing the dream and its interpretation, enabling him to approach the king.
c. 605 BC
Daniel Interprets the Dream
Daniel reveals the dream to Nebuchadnezzar and explains that it foretells the rise and fall of successive world empires, culminating in God's eternal kingdom.
c. 562 BC
Death of Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar dies after a long and powerful reign, leaving behind a vast empire established through conquest and ambition, reflecting the very empires Daniel described.
This passage shows another instance where a ruler (Pharaoh) has a significant dream, and it's a divine servant (Joseph) who reveals that the ability to interpret it comes from God alone.
Isaiah 46:9-10These verses highlight God's sovereignty and his unique ability to declare the end from the beginning, mirroring Daniel's assertion that the God of heaven reveals future events.
Jeremiah 23:20This verse speaks of God's fierce judgment against false prophets, contrasting them with His own true word that accomplishes His purpose, much like Daniel emphasizes the true God's revelation over human wisdom.
Matthew 1:1While Daniel points to future kingdoms, this verse (and others like it) shows how God's plan unfolds through human lineages, culminating in the 'latter days' with the arrival of Jesus.
Acts 2:17Quoting Joel, Peter explains that 'in the last days' God will pour out His Spirit, directly connecting the prophetic 'latter days' mentioned by Daniel to the unfolding of God's redemptive plan.
barnesDaniel 2:28: "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;"
But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets - One of the principal objects contemplated in all that occurred respecting this dream and its interpretation was, to direct the mind of the monarch to the true God, and to secure the acknowledgment of his supremacy. Hence, it was so ord…
clarkeDaniel 2:28: "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;"
There is a God in heaven - To distinguish him from those idols, the works of men's hands; and from the false gods in which the Chaldeans trusted. In the latter days - A phrase which, in the prophets, generally means the times of the Messiah. God is about to show what shall take place from…
Daniel gently redirects Nebuchadnezzar's focus away from human wisdom toward the true source of all knowledge: God in heaven. He’s not just interpreting a dream; he’s introducing the King to the ultimate power behind the events he’s about to hear about, subtly shifting the king’s allegiance from earthly rulers to the divine King.
Nebuchadnezzar has just demanded that his wise men, including Daniel, not only interpret his forgotten dream but also tell him what the dream was in the first place. Daniel, along with his companions, is facing death because no human can fulfill such a demand. In response, Daniel emphasizes that true wisdom and the ability to reveal mysteries come from the God of heaven, not from Babylonian sorcerers or astrologers, and then prepares to reveal the dream and its meaning for future ages.
Nebuchadnezzar has just demanded that his wise men, including Daniel, not only interpret his forgotten dream but also tell him what the dream was in the first place. Daniel, along with his companions, is facing death because no human can fulfill such a demand. In response, Daniel emphasizes that true wisdom and the ability to reveal mysteries come from the God of heaven, not from Babylonian sorcerers or astrologers, and then prepares to reveal the dream and its meaning for future ages.
"but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:" — Daniel gently redirects Nebuchadnezzar's focus away from human wisdom toward the true source of all knowledge: God in heaven. He’s not just interpreting a dream; he’s introducing the King to the ul…
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Last reviewed October 2026