Welcome to EBible Fellowship’s Sunday afternoon Bible study in the Book of Daniel. Today will be study #1 of Daniel, chapter 2, and we are going to read Daniel 2:1-13:

And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it. The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof. The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.

I will stop reading there. In this true historical account in the life of King Nebuchadnezzar when God had given up the nation of Judah into the hand of the evil kingdom of Babylon, there was a night in which this evil king dreamed dreams.

Like many of us, when we dream we have no control over the dream, so when we awake the dream is sometimes gone from us. That is what it means when it says he dreamed and he awoke and could not remember his dream. The dream had departed from him. This has happened to me and I am sure it has happened to you when you have a dream that was troubling in some way and you try to remember, “What was there about this dream that disturbed me?” You try to think of it and maybe you are “around the edges of it,” but you cannot pinpoint what the dream was about. Then you forget about it because it was just a dream.

But, in this case, King Nebuchadnezzar was very troubled in mind. His mind would not relax and settle because this dream was disturbing to him and we know why he was so troubled. It was because this dream came from God because it is found in the Bible in the Book of Daniel and all the facts given regarding it. First of all, the night that he experienced it is recorded and when the dream “went from him,” God recorded that and all the events that took place and, finally, God had Daniel tell the king his dream and interpret it and all of this information is recorded in the Bible. The dream came from God and it is part of divine revelation. It is more than a typical dream that people might have that is not from God. There was something special about this dream and even though the king did not remember what the dream was about, he knew that he must know it. He had to know what it was he had dreamed because there was a special significance to it, so that is the reason for his reaction.

Again, it says in Daniel 2:1:

And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.

The Hebrew word translated as “troubled” is Strong’s #6470 and it is the same word that we find in regard to Pharaoh, who also had a dream that was from God. The difference is that Pharaoh could remember his dream, but it disturbed him. It says in Genesis 41:7-8:

And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

Just like the situation with King Nebuchadnezzar, the wise men of Egypt are called and they are unable to interpret the dream. Joseph was then brought forth out of prison because he was able to interpret dreams – it was a gift God had given him. He was able to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. In Babylon, it was another true believer, Daniel, who was finally able to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

This word translated as “troubled” is also used in Judges 13:24-25:

And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and JEHOVAH blessed him. And the Spirit of JEHOVAH began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

The word translated as “move” is the same word translated as “troubled.” We know that Samson was a man of God. He had some problems in his life, but he was a true child of God and God began to “move” him or to “trouble” him. This is interesting that this word translated as “troubled” in our verse is also translated as “move” because it says in the New Testament regarding Jesus when He found a man at the pool of Bethesda. It says in John 5:1-4:

After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

Here, we see that the “moving” of the waters is also called a “troubling” of the water and it was done by an angel of God. There was activity in the water. It is really a spiritual picture because whoever went into the water first was healed. It is a picture of salvation and it resulted after the “troubling” of the water.

In our verse, King Nebuchadnezzar is “troubled” because He had received divine revelation. Now I know that the Bible is clear that Nebuchadnezzar was an unsaved man. He was a very wicked man, as we can see in our passage. What was his reaction to his servants not being able to interpret his dream? He threatened to cut them in pieces and make their houses dung hills. There is no question as we read about King Nebuchadnezzar that he was an unsaved and evil man. Surprisingly, it is the case that God is giving him divine revelation. God gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream that came forth from Him. Now it does not mean that he was saved, but God used unsaved people to communicate His Word at various times. It is His right to do so. All men are His creatures and if wanted to use an unsaved individual to deliver a certain part of the Word of God, whether small or great, it is His prerogative and according to His will.

We know that King Nebuchadnezzar received divine revelation because it says, “Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams,” and that language relates to what we read in Joel 2:28:

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

There is a spiritual application to this Scripture which has to do with declaring the Word of God and prophesying in that way, but God uses that language of “dream dreams” and it was also the language in the account of Pharaoh’s dream. It says of Pharaoh’s butler, in Genesis 41:11:

And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

The butler was restored to his office and the baker was hanged after three days. Pharaoh had been told that there was a man in prison that could interpret the dream, it says in Genesis 41:14-15:

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.

Pharaoh had “dreamed a dream.” Again, it was divine revelation. It is in the Bible. It is recorded and we know exactly what dreams Pharaoh dreamed. He dreamed of seven fat kine swallowed by seven skinny kine. He dreamed of seven full ears of corn swallowed by seven thin ears of corn. God recorded the dreams and they were divine revelation.

In Judges, chapter 7 it clearly shows how God is able to use any man – or even Balaam’s donkey – to bring divine revelation. God put words in the donkey’s mouth. God also used Balaam to bring divine revelation, as we find in the Book of Numbers where there are a couple of chapters that deal with the false prophet Balaam. He attempted to curse Israel, but instead blessing came forth from his mouth and God recorded his words. It demonstrates the Lord is sovereign as He compiled His Word. Yes, for the most part God used individuals He had saved that were true prophets to be the scribes or instruments by which He wrote the Bible, but not always. In some instances, like Judges, chapter 7, God very clearly moved an (unsaved) individual to declare something and what he received from God is recorded. It says in Judges 7:9:

And it came to pass the same night, that JEHOVAH said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.

Now Gideon was concerned. Even though God had already given him some signs regarding what he was to do, yet Gideon only had 300 men and there was a huge enemy host in the thousands and God had commanded Gideon to go to battle against and anyone would wonder, “How is it possible that 300 men can defeat tens of thousands of enemy soldiers?” God is going to encourage Gideon and let him know, “Yes, you are only 300 men, but I am with you,” so He told Gideon in Judges 7:10-15:

But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host. And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: *for* into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for JEHOVAH hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.

Note the similar language that the man “dreamed a dream.” Gideon was now excited and encouraged because God had confirmed (victory) to him. Just imagine it. There was an entire camp of enemy soldiers and they were a huge army. God told him to go into the camp and he went down to the camp and, as far as we know, he was not told what tent to go, but when he approached this particular tent it so happened a man in the tent was telling another man, “I dreamed a dream.” His fellow answers and interprets the dream and he actually used Gideon’s name. Not only did he know Gideon’s name, but he knew he was the son of Joash, a man of Israel and he said that God would deliver Midian and all the host into Gideon’s hand. Is that not amazing?

It is almost as amazing as the time Jesus instructed one of His disciples to cast a line into the sea and the first fish that would be taken would have a coin in sufficient amount to pay the tax. Of all the fishes in the sea that are swimming around, God is in such minute control of all circumstances that He can arrange for that one fish with the coin to be right in the spot where the line was cast and to be taken up at that precise moment. It is really an incredible testimony to the awesome power of God to control the entire world and all the things that have been set in motion with animals and with mankind in this world.

It was that way of old when Gideon and his servant went to the enemy camp and approached that tent at just the precise moment when a man was revealing his dream and another was interpreting the dream for the audience that God sent to overhear it. God is an incredible God in His infinite brilliance and the power and might He possesses. It really stands out in the littlest of incidents. Yes, we know that God can part the Red Sea and cause the walls of Jericho to fall down and He can bring plagues upon Egypt and bring the mightiest nation in the world to its knees. We hear all these great things God has done and we are amazed at them, but we expect it. Then we see these “little details” that God is also in control of, it is really something.

Going back to Daniel, chapter 2 we see Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a dream, “wherewith his spirit was troubled,” and this is further confirmation the dream was from God, just like the “troubling” or “moving” of the water. This dream came from God and then it says that his “sleep brake from him,” and that simply means that his sleep went from him. Then it says in Daniel 2:2-3:

Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

His spirit was troubled to know the dream. Again, we wonder why. Historically, we know why and we understand. It could happen to any person. You have a dream and you want to know the dream, especially since it came from God. But, spiritually, we wonder why he was troubled and why he wants to understand the dream because it is coming from God. The reason we have that question, spiritually, is because of who Nebuchadnezzar represents. We know from Isaiah, chapter 14 that there is a spiritual connection that ties him to Satan. It says in Isaiah 14:4:

That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

It is a proverb or parable against the king of Babylon and in this context we read in Isaiah 14:12-14:

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

This passage relates to 2Thesalonians, chapter 2 and the language regarding the “man of sin,” who is Satan, so we can see that not only is Nebuchadnezzar an evil king ruling over an evil empire, but God clearly makes the identification in Isaiah 14 that he is a “parable” or “proverb.” King Nebuchadnezzar is a proverb and he is a type and figure of Satan and not only Satan, but especially Satan at the time of the end when he would take his seat in the temple showing himself that he is God. Babylon was the nation God used to overcome Judah and to take the people of God captive back to Babylon. That prefigures the time of the Great Tribulation when Satan would be loosed and overcome the camp of the saints and, eventually, God would open the Scriptures to reveal the end of the church age and command His people to flee out of the churches and go into the world (Babylon). When we look at it in several different ways, we can see that Nebuchadnezzar is a type of Satan, especially when he ruled at the end of time.

So that is why we ask the question. First of all, why is Satan concerned with these dreams if they are coming from God? It would be the Word of God. It reminds us of a verse in the New Testament in 1Peter 1:12:

Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Satan and the fallen angels are evil angels, but they are still angels and they desire to look into the things of the Word of God. We know that Satan has some understanding even of parables in the Bible. He has some understanding of the things of the Word of God. In their case they might want to look into the possibility that the Gospel was for them, but there is no possibility for them. The Lord Jesus took upon Him the seed of Abraham and not any angels – God did not make provision for salvation for any of the fallen angels.

But, again, the angels do have interest in the things of God and in the Word of God and Satan has special interest in this case because Nebuchadnezzar, a figure of Satan, is the one that was given the dream. Who was the dream about? We are later told in Daniel 2 when Daniel would be given the interpretation of the dream as well as the dream itself. This makes sense because God is the one who gave Nebuchadnezzar the dream, so, of course, God knows it. It says in Daniel 2:31:

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.

Then it goes on to explain in Daniel 2:32:

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

Daniel explains the dream and then he interprets the dream in Daniel 2:38:

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.

The dream was about Nebuchadnezzar himself. The great image in the dream was King Nebuchadnezzar. You know, men are always interested in things about themselves: “Tell me more. If you have something concerning me, I want to know.” So, Nebuchadnezzar wanted to know the dream and the one whom he typifies (Satan as the beast at the time of the end of the world) also has an interest in knowing things about himself. This particular dream and interpretation relates to Satan. We are told of Satan as the beast that rose out of the sea in Revelation, chapter 13. His deadly wound was healed because he had received a death blow at the cross in 33 AD and then after 1,955 years in the year 1988 he was loosed and it was as though the death blow had gone away and his deadly wound was healed. In this chapter that describes his loosing, he came against the camp of the saints (just like Nebuchadnezzar came against Judah) and he overcame them and then he goes about to establish an “image to the beast.” It says in Revelation 13:13-15:

And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Here, we have the spiritual connection to what we will be reading about in Daniel, chapters 2 and 3. In the next chapter, it is no surprise that King Nebuchadnezzar commissions a statue to be built, an image of gold, which was certainly a result of the interpretation of his dream. He commissioned this image to be built to glorify himself because he was the subject of the dream. That image was made, historically, and all the inhabitants of Babylon were commanded to bow down and worship the image or they would be thrown into the midst of a burning, fiery furnace, which happened to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they refused to bow down to the image. But all this relates to the spiritual image of Satan that was established at the time of the end after the end of the church age during the Great Tribulation period. It is interesting that this latter image was said to be able to speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. We have talked about this before, but the image of the beast described in Revelation, chapter 13 is the corporate church itself. The corporate church had been made over into the image of Satan because the Holy Spirit had departed out of the midst of the churches and Satan entered in, making the corporate church in his image. And the corporate churches have an ability to speak, do they not? They have pastors and elders and deacons, emissaries of Satan, that stand in the pulpit and proclaim their lies, so they “speak” the language not of the kingdom of heaven, but they speak the language of the one in whose image they are made after, the father of lies. That is the tragic and horrible spiritual condition of the churches of the world today because they were made into the image of the beast and they remain in that condition even though the Great Tribulation has ended.

So, Satan, would desire to look into these things because it regards an image to himself, spiritually, and he wants to know all about it. Again, it says in Daniel 2:2:

Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

He called these people within his kingdom together. These were, supposedly, the wise of Babylon or “the cream of the crop,” as the expression goes. If he wanted to know anything in a spiritual or religious area of matters that were uncommon or out of the ordinary, these are the ones he would call. It seems to have been a typical thing with kings that they would have these types of men around, as we saw with Pharaoh. Let me just go back and show that, again, in Genesis 41:8:

And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

There were the magicians and the wise men and in Daniel there are also astrologers and sorcerers, men who claimed to be able to read the stars or to read tea leaves or whatever it was that they claimed as their source of knowledge. Apparently, kings held them in high esteem or the societies of Egypt and Babylon held these men in high esteem as the knowledgeable ones. Remember, in the first chapter of Daniel when Daniel and his friends came before the king, it said in Daniel 1:19-20:

And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

So, Nebuchadnezzar had already had experience with the magicians and astrologers and these others that stood before him. He was not impressed by them and he knew that they had limitations and, frankly, it appears that he knew they did not know much at all about things they claimed to know. That is interesting because the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans are part of his own kingdom and he is king over them. We know that Satan is ruler over magicians, sorcerers and those that read horoscopes in the world today, plus all the false religions and false prophets, and so forth. So when these four groups come before King Nebuchadnezzar the number “four” is in view because they represent the furthest extent of what is in view and, in this case, it represents all the wisdom of the world. Nebuchadnezzar is a type of Satan who rules over these type of individuals and, yet, he is not impressed with them because he knows their foolishness and he knows they are not truly knowledgeable of God and of spiritual things. He knows they are just men that are bound in spiritual chains of darkness and they lack real wisdom and understanding because they are servants to him. These are men that specialize in deceit and in things that are not true and faithful.

You see, this is Nebuchadnezzar’s problem or Satan’s problem when he really wants to know the truth concerning his dream. He wants to know the actual dream and the faithful interpretation, so when it comes to interpreting the dream that had come by divine revelation, he realized that those in his kingdom are worthless; they have no ability to tell him the dream or to interpret the dream. We read this earlier, but the king said to them in Daniel 2:8-9:

The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.

How does he know that they have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before him? It is obvious. He knows because that is what they do. That is what the kingdom of Babylon (the kingdom of darkness of this world) is all about and, normally, that is what Satan wants them to be doing, but this is a different matter because it involves himself and he wants to know. What about this image of gold? It is something very personal to him. Satan telling the sorcerers, astrologers, magicians and Chaldeans that they are preparing lying and corrupt words sounds familiar, does it not? It says in 1Kings, chapter 22:20-22:

And JEHOVAH said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before JEHOVAH, and said, I will persuade him. And JEHOVAH said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

That is Satan, a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophets, which are false prophets, and that is typical of how Satan works. He comes as an angel of light and his emissaries have transformed themselves into apostles of Christ.

But, at the point when King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream and desires to look into the matter and to know the dream and interpretation, what good are lying apostles? What good are false prophets? Of what value are they? However, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are ten times better than sorcerers, magicians, astrologers and Chaldeans. King Nebuchadnezzar knows that. Later on, it will be proven because when it comes to the things of God, you need the Spirit of God and God’s Spirit works to grant understanding of dreams to His people.

Let us take a little closer look at these four groups. We will find them mentioned a few times in the Book of Daniel. They are the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans. Let us start with the magicians. The Hebrew word for “magician” is Strong’s #2748 and it is related to Strong’s #2747, which is translated as a “graving tool” or a “pen.” For instance, it says in Exodus 32:3-4:

And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

I think it is significant that the word “graving tool” is the tool used to form an idol or false god and it is related to the word “magician.” I think it tells us all we need to know about magicians.

Today all kinds of evil things have a “good name” in this world and “magic” is so special. It is thrilling and people love magic shows and magicians and, yet, there is not a positive word spoken about these things in the Bible. We read in Genesis where the magicians were around in that day, too. In the days of Joseph when Pharaoh had his dream it would have been around the year 1886BC, or so, which was almost two thousand years before Christ and about four thousand years from our time and, yet, they are still active today. Remember when God brought the plagues upon Egypt many of them involved the magicians doing the same work that God did. It says in Exodus 7:10-13:

And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as JEHOVAH had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as JEHOVAH had said.

Here, we see the magicians are using their “magic” to try to match what God has done. The true Gospel, in this case, was the rod given to Aaron and Moses that became a serpent. The false gospel was the serpent that the magicians conjured up with their magic (or however they did it) and this acted as a false gospel to harden Pharaoh’s heart. They were lying and they were saying, “We are like God. We have the power of God and we can match what He does.” But, it was nothing but a cheap magician’s trick.

It says in Exodus 8:5-7:

And JEHOVAH spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

Now I called it “a cheap magician’s trick,” but we know that Satan has a little bit of ability to break the barrier between the natural and the supernatural. For instance, “falling over backwards” can be an actual act of Satan breaking the barrier of the supernatural or someone speaking in tongues. It is not from God. So, it could be a little magician’s trick that God permits in the sense of breaking the barrier of the supernatural. It could be that in times past Satan worked through these magicians and sorcerers to do these little bits of “black magic.” Maybe God permitted that but, of course, we know they have severe limitations.

It says in Exodus 8:16-18:

And JEHOVAH said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.

Here, we see their limitations. God permitted Satan to do minor actions in the spiritual realm in breaking the barrier with the supernatural, but nothing major or of real significance. They could not make lice to appear.

We will continue to look at each of these four groups – the sorcerers, astrologers, magicians and Chaldeans – in our next Bible study, Lord willing.