CHAPTER 4 THE PROCLAMATION OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR. This extraordinary proclamation by Nebuchadnezzar, probably written many years after the preceding incidents, under the influence of and with the assistance of Daniel himself, could only have resulted from a strange event, and that event was a period of... [ Continue Reading ]
THE INTRODUCTION. ‘Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all peoples, nations and languages who dwell in all the earth. Peace be multiplied to you.' The proclamation is addressed to the whole empire, but would go to their rulers. ‘Peoples, nations and languages' was the official way of addressing members of... [ Continue Reading ]
‘It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has wrought towards me. How great are his signs and how mighty are his wonders. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.' A frank admission that he had been at variance wi... [ Continue Reading ]
CONCERNS ABOUT HIS DREAM. ‘I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in my house and flourishing in my palace. I saw a dream which made me afraid. And the imaginings on my bed, and the visions of my head, troubled me.' Everything was going well for Nebuchadnezzar, and his life was flourishing (literally ‘growi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of my dream.' Those who see it as strange that he should call on these men after what we know from chapter 2 should remember a number of things. Firstly that the wise me... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then came in the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans and the soothsayers and I told the dream before them, but they did not make known to me its interpretation.' This is confirmation of what we have said above. He knew from experience that it was no use asking these men to tell him his dream,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But at last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy God, and I told the dream before him.' At length Daniel arrived, possibly having been recalled from some distant city. And Nebuchadnezzar draws attention to the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Saying, “O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy God is in you, and no secret is a problem to you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.” ' Daniel had by now been master (Rab) over the ‘magicians' (wise men) for many y... [ Continue Reading ]
‘I saw in the visions of my head on my bed, and behold a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven. He cried aloud and said thus, “Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake of his leaves and scatter his fruit. Let the beasts escape from under it and the birds from its branches. Neverthel... [ Continue Reading ]
‘This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen, and you, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation. But you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.' Nebuchadnezzar now appeals to Daniel to h... [ Continue Reading ]
THE INTERPRETATION OF THE DREAM. ‘Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was upset for a while and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or the interpretation trouble you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, the dream be to those who ha... [ Continue Reading ]
“The tree that you saw, which grew and was strong, whose height reached to heaven, and was in sight of all the earth, whose leaves were lush, and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and on whose branches the birds of heaven had their nests. I... [ Continue Reading ]
“And whereas the king saw watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Hew down the tree and destroy it. Nevertheless leave the stump of its 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... [ Continue Reading ]
DANIEL'S ADVICE CONSEQUENT ON THE DREAM. “Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by practising righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your tranquillity.” Daniel then gives his advice. Let... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FULFILMENT OF THE DREAM. ‘All this came on the king Nebuchadnezzar.' It had to do for it was the decree of the Most High, and he had failed to take warning. That is the divine side. But humanly speaking Nebuchadnezzar had become a manic depressive (suffering from bipolar illness, moving betwee... [ Continue Reading ]
‘At the end of twelve months he was walking in the royal palace of Babylon. The king spoke and said, “Is not this Babylon the great which I have built for the royal dwelling place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?” At the end of twelve months Nebuchadnezzar exalted himself... [ Continue Reading ]
‘While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, “O king Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken. The kingdom is departed from you. And you will be driven from men, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will be made to eat grass like oxen, and seven... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The same hour was the thing fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar, and he was driven from men, and ate grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until his hair was grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds claws.' The allowing of nails and hair to grow excessively, the latter... [ Continue Reading ]
RECOVERY AND RESTORATION. ‘And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honoured him who lives for ever and ever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from gener... [ Continue Reading ]
‘At the same time my understanding returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and brightness returned to me, and my counsellors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent greatness was added to me.' Nebuchadnezzar here describes his restoration to po... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the king of heaven, for all his works are truth and his ways judgment, and those who walk in pride he is able to abase.' Nebuchadnezzar's final testimony is to the ‘king of heaven' whose works are truth and whose ways are wise, revealing excellent j... [ Continue Reading ]