First, God reveals how futile pagan religion is (1–30). The dream comes in year two of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign (1),8 and he summons the whole range of his religious professionals—the magicians, conjurers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans (2).9 More than just dream interpretation was needed; if the dream indicated adverse conditions to come, one then needed the aid of those who could cast the right spells and engage in the proper hocus-pocus to reverse or negate the threatened ills.