Daniel 4

 On this page we will study Daniel 4:1-37

READ Daniel 4:1-3 -- 'Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 2. I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. 3. How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an (1) ____________ kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.'

King Nebuchadnezzar is now ready to speak to all the people, nations, and languages, of God. The wonders and signs of God. He praises God to all of them claiming how great are God's signs, how mighty are God's wonders. He even goes so far as to proclaim that God's kingdom is everlasting. That isn't a minor point there. The King, the ruler of his own amazing, earthly kingdom is announcing to all that there is one God and amazing God, an everlasting God with his everlasting kingdom. Yes, very astounding. Not only has Nebuchadnezzar proclaimed God as everlasting, he's going to go on to tell all about God chastising him and his humiliations. He'll confess of his pride and vanity and how God dealt with him. Nebuchadnezzar truly has a repentant spirit and he wants God's majesty to be known. Surprising too, or not, the king is no longer claiming that his own kingdom won't change. He's surrendering fully to God. Amazing.

READ Daniel 4:4-18 -- 'I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house and flourishing in my palace: 5. I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. 6. Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. 7. Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers; and I told the dream before them, but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof. 8 But at the last (2)_____ came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, 9. 0 Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof. 10. Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. 11. The (3) ___  grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth; 12 The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. 13. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; 14. He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: 15. Nevertheless, leave the (4) _____ of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth; 16. Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given onto him; and let seven times pass over him. 17. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. 18. This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, 0 Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

Oh! Another troubling dream! Let's look at a few points about the verses above.

First, the king was resting in his house. He'd subdued many small nations around him such as Phoneicia, Egypt, Syria, Judea, and Arabia. He had to be a little uhm, shall we say, full of himself for all that he'd managed to do, to conquer. He was resting from all the conquering and all he'd done and just when he was resting, God sends him another troubling dream. No rest for the king now.

Secondly, we have to realize that Nebuchadnezzar wasn't scared by much, right? He was a fighting man, used to the horrors of battling. He'd probably looked death in the face more than once and managed to overcome his adversaries. Sending any outward sign probably wouldn't have had the impact of a dream. We know that from the previous dream he didn't take too kindly to not understanding dreams that troubled him. Maybe the horrors of war didn't trouble him, but his own dreams seemed to be able to get the better of him. We could probably say they terrified him, hmn? So God choosing this means to get to Nechadnezzar was perfect really.

Thirdly, once again the king calls in his magicians and his soothsayers and the like and this time he ~tells~ them the dream. The last time he couldn't even remember the dream and his soothsayers told him- what? They told him it was impossible to give him what he wanted. This time, the king tells him his dream and they ~still~ can't interpret it for him! What a blow to their egos, yes? Only the prophet of God could give the king what he wanted.

Fourth, how appropriate was the dream vision of Nebuchadnezzar's rule. A tree in the midst of the earth. This tree reached to heaven, and the leaves were pretty. There was external beauty for the tree just as Babylon was a gorgeous kingdom. Gorgeous and glorious, the kingdom had outward and inward beauty. The picture depicted in this dream talks of the beasts, and the fowl, and all flesh being fed by the tree, such magnificent in representing how the kingdom of Babylon was run. King Nebuchadnezzar knew how to take care of his people, his kingdom.

Fifth, that grand tree was ordered to be cut down. Not a good thing, right? But even in that order there is care for what's left of the tree. The stump and roots are left and protected so they don't rot. Protected to flourish again? Cut down not to destroy it, but for a purpose. One day not too distant the wicked aren't going to have that kind of protection are they? Root and branch will be destroyed. READ Malachi 4:1 'For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall (5) ____ them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.' Not so here with this tree.

Sixth, 'Let seven times pass over him' As a plain and literal narration, it's a literal time. Seven years. A time in the literal translation is one year, however as a symbol prophetically a 'time' is a prophetic year.

Seventh, only by God allowing it did Nebuchadnezzar attain the status he did. Humans like to take pride in themselves and their own actions and forget that it is only because God allows that they are given such positions.

Eighth, it's wonderful to note that Nebhuchadnezzar admits that God is the true God over all other supposed gods. He wants Daniel to figure out this dream for him, telling Daniel that he knows that the 'spirit of the holy gods is in thee'.  Let's read on.

READ Daniel 4:19-27 --'Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies. 20. The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; 21 Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation: 22. It is (6) ____, 0 king, that art grown and become strong; for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. 23. And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him; 24. This is the interpretation, 0 king, and this is the deecree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord the king; 25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 26 And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the (7)_______  do rule. 27. Wherefore, 0 king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility.'

What did Daniel do upon receiving Nebuchadnezzar's request? Did he rush to interpret it? No. He took a full hour with troubled thoughts plaguing him. No wonder he was troubled. Having to give someone the interpretation of a dream that isn't something you know they'll want to hear can be cause for contemplation, and troubling contemplation at that. Finally the king having let Daniel dwell on the dream spoke up. He came right out and told Daniel not to let the dream or the interpretation trouble him. That was nice of him wasn't it? He obviously suspected that Daniel was troubled by something and he was trying to reassure him that no matter what he could tell him.

Daniel answered the king after that and said what? The dream is for them that hate the king, and the interpretation to his enemies. Meaning those who hate the king are going to be happy to hear what Daniel had to say, and obviously Daniel wasn't among those hating the king and it troubled him. The tree Daniel told him represented him, the king himself. The king had dreamed of himself. The judgements given in the dream to that tree, to the king were conditional though, to teach the king that heavens do rule, that God ruled, not the king. In kindness, Daniel tells the king to let his counsel be acceptable, to stop sinning, to show mercy to the poor. Daniel obviously hoped by counseling the king would listen and maybe this whole matter wouldn't happen, things would be tranquil instead.

We're not told how the king felt at that point by Daniel's interpretation of his dream, but let's read on to a year later.

READ Daniel 4:28-33-- All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. 29. At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. 30. The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my (8)_______? 31. While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, 0 king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: The kingdom is departed from thee. 32. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it unto whomsoever be will. 33. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar; and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagle's feathers and his nails like bird's claws.

Well, as we can see, Nebuchadnezzar didn't heed the warning of Daniel. His pride only grew. '~I~ have built.' 'by the might or ~my~ power' 'for the honor of ~my~ majesty' Yes, the king certainly was filled to over brimming with pride and self-love. He claimed all that was done was by his own power, for his own honor. So a full year later the dream the king had come true. God forewarned, God then acted. For seven years the king was mad, and treated as such. For seven years he was left to eat grass, sleep outside and his comely countenance was gone, instead his hair was long and wild, his nail like claws. Picture it if you will. The king reduced to a mad man.

READ Daniel 4:34-37-- 'And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up, eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, I (9) ________ the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting, dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: 35. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? 36. At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honor and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me 37. Now Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment; and those that walk in pride he is able to abase'

What a change of heart! The whole reason Nebuchadnezzar suffered so was to teach him that God is first and foremost, that to God be the glory and majesty and that he can boast all he wants, but in the end he needs to know who truly reigns. To his credit, as soon as his reason was given back to him, the king was quick to praise God. He blessed the Most High, praised and honored God, announced that God's dominion was everlasting and his kingdom would go from generation to generation. He didn't stop there, he went on the say that all the people of the earth are nothing. That God will do according to His own will, in heaven and earth, that none could stop God. With such praise on his lips he was quickly given back all that was taken from him, and then some. He also continued to praise God, knowing that the prideful are abased, they're brought low and he had seven long years that proved that to be true.

This is the last Scripture record of Nebuchadnezzar. This decree is dated in the authorized version, says Dr. Clarke, 563 B.C., one year before Nebuchadnezzar's death; though some place the date of this decree seventeen years before his death. It's safe to say that he didn't relapse into idolatry, or let his pride overcome him.

Nebuchadnezzar was an amazing man, God chose him, touched his life in many ways and used him in His glory. The golden head of the great prophetic image was the Kingdom Nebuchadnezzar had ruled in and now the king was no more, but the lessons learned from him and how God worked in his life are lessons for us still today.

May God Bless Us All!

(1) everlasting  - Daniel 4:3

(2) Daniel - Daniel 4:8

(3) tree - Daniel 4:11

(4) stump - Daniel 4:15

(5) burn - Malachi 4:1

(6) thou - Daniel 4:22

(7) heavens - Daniel 4:26

(8) majesty - Daniel 4:30

(9) blessed - Daniel 4:34