Daniel 4:13-18

c. RULER'S REVERIE RELATED, PART II

TEXT: Daniel 4:13-18

13

I saw in the visions of my head upon by bed, and, behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven.

14

He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches.

15

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 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 unto him; and let seven times pass over him.

17

The sentence 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 the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the lowest of men.

18

This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, 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.

QUERIES

a.

Who are the watchers and holy ones?

b.

Why leaven the stump of its roots in the earth?

c.

What are the seven times which are to pass over him?

PARAPHRASE

Then as I lay there dreaming, I saw a divine guardian descending from the heavens. He was shouting, Cut down this great tree; trim off its branches; shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit. Get the animals out from under it and drive the birds from its branches, but leave its stump and roots in the ground, banded with a chain of iron and brass, surrounded by the tender grass. Let the dews of heaven drench him and let him eat grass with the wild animals! For a certain period of time let him have the mind of an animal instead of a man. This sentence upon the tree is decreed by the divine guardians and is no idle fancy but a divine revelation of an impending fact. The purpose of that which is decreed is to show men everywhere that there is one Ruler who is higher than the highest among men, the Most High, and that He rules over all the kingdoms of men. The Most High gives rule of the nations to whomsoever He will. He prefers to use those who are humble to rule over nations and men, and deposes the proud and arrogant. And now, O Belteshazzar, this is what I, king Nebuchadnezzar have dreamed. Declare to me speedily what all this means. No one else can help me; all the wisest men of my kingdom have failed me. You alone can tell me because the spirit of deity is in you.

COMMENT

Daniel 4:13 I SAW. A WATCHER. A HOLY ONE. Some divine vigilante or divine guardian (an angel) manifested himself (perhaps more than one, cf. Daniel 4:17) to the king. Angels are called watchers in the religion of Zoroaster so it may be that a pagan king is using the term familiar to him concerning divine apparitions although it is more likely a simple, straigthforward description of what he saw. Angels are vigilant onesthey keep guard unceasingly (cf. Hebrews 1:14; Matthew 18:10; see also our special study on Angels in connection with chapter 10 of this commentary). This is the only portion of scripture in the whole Bible where angels are called by the name watcher but even this title is descriptive of part of their ministry even as is the word angel. The king earlier described the manifested divine being he saw in the fiery furnace as one like a son of the gods (cf. Daniel 3:25). Some way or another the angel exhibited its supernatural nature to the king and he was impressed.

Daniel 4:14 HE CRIED ALOUD. HEW DOWN THE TREE. The divine vigilante suddenly shouted loudly and confidently, to someone (probably other divine beings), Cut down this towering, proud tree. Drastic, complete demolition of the tree is commandedeven to stripping it of its leaves and fruit and the scattering of all life depending upon it. As great and impressive as this tree is, so also, great was the fall thereof (cf. Matthew 7:24-27). One commentator has remarked on the scattering of animals and birds. a lively image of subjects alarmed by the fall of their sovereign.

Daniel 4:15-16. LEAVE THE STUMP. LET IT BE WET WITH. DEW. LET HIS PORTION BE WITH THE BEASTS IN THE GRASS. LET HIS HEART BE CHANGED FROM MAN'S. Just as unexpected as the complete demolition of the tree earlier, now comes the command to leave the stump indicating the possibility of reviving the tree. Furthermore the stock of its roots is to be left indicating there shall be something left of this particular tree which may again grow. The band of iron probably refers, as Keil says, to the withdrawal of free self-determination through the fetter of madness, (cf. Psalms 107:10; Job 36:8). This is the insanity referred to in our comments on Daniel 4:1.

From now on it seems as if the angel has stopped speaking in symbolic figures and is, for all practical purposes, interpreting some of the particulars of the fulfillment of this dream. Let him be wet, changes the subject from the tree to the man. This man shall find himself in such an insane state, like a dumb animal, that he shall not know enough to keep under cover at night. It will even be his lot to share with cattle the grass they eat. Robert Wilson, in Studies in The Book of Daniel, quotes from a work entitled Dictionary of Psychological Medicine, the complete loss of personal identity, and the conviction of being changed into one of the lower animals, accompanied frequently by a corresponding belief on the part of the beholders, is one of the most remarkable facts which the psychological history of the race reveals. In the same book a well-accredited case is cited of a man who imagined himself to be a wolf, and attempted to act like one. This phenomenon of man imitating animal in a state of mental illness is called lycanthropy. To all intents and purposes he behaves as a beast would behave, thus it is expressed as being changed in heart from a man to a beast. It is obvious that the physical heart is not meant.

This state is to continue until seven times shall pass away over him. This could mean seven years. But in a book like this, where the symbolical use of numbers stands out so prominently, the emphasis obviously rests on the seven as depicting some complete, fully-determined period of time, known to God and purposely begun and terminated by Godnot necessarily seven years. Dispensationalists see in this a period of humiliation of seven years for Nebuchadnezzar which in turn symbolizes the end of the Gentile age (that is, the period between Christ's coming for [the rapture] and His coming with [the judgment], His saints). This period is supposed to be for seven years, and is that which most dispensationalists identify as Daniel's 70th week (see Daniel 9:24 ff). Allis, in Prophecy and The Church, comments that the dispensational interpretation of Daniel 4 shows the extremes they are prepared to carry their interpretations to in order to establish their doctrines. Daniel plainly indicated that this dream applied directly and exclusively to Nebuchadnezzar and was completely fulfilled in the strange and tragic experience through which the king personally and individually passed. The dispensationalists see in the tree the type of Gentile domination, and in the cutting down of the tree the judgment of the apostate professing-church at the end of this age, after the rapture of the true Church. The seven times become the seven year interval between the rapture and the appearing; and Nebuchadnezzar's changed attitude is regarded as foreshadowing the millennium,

Daniel 4:17-18 THE SENTENCE IS BY THE DECREE OF THE WATCHERS. By this statement the king is informed positively that the dream he had had is no idle and meaningless fancy on his part, but it is a divine revelation of an impending fact to be accomplished in his own person. But the most significant part of this entire event is the purpose for which it is designedto the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. etc. And it is a lesson for all men of all ages, inscribed in the archives of history, that there is one Ruler which is higher than the highest among menthe Most High (cf. Isaiah 10:5 ff; Jeremiah 27:5-7). Babylon, and especially as it was in the days of the proud and arrogant Nebuchadnezzar, came to symbolize the pride and the spirit of arrogance and rebellion of world power against God. So this dream and its fulfillment portrays that the pride of the world power will receive its just recompense of reward. We shall have more to say on this in following Chapter s.

After stating the content of the dream, the king, somewhat appealingly, commands Daniel to interpret it. The king appeals again to his confidence in Daniel's superior abilities over the other wise men of Babylon for it is evident to the king that Daniel is in possession of the spirit of deity.

QUIZ

1.

What does the term watcher. a holy one signify about the person who announced to Nebuchadnezzar his dream?

2.

What does the hewing down of the tree signify?

3.

What does the leaving of the stump signify?

4.

What does leaving it to be wet with dew signify?

5.

What does let his portion be with the beasts in the grass signify?

6.

Is it possible for people to be insane enough to act like animals?

7.

What is the purpose of this dream and its fulfillment to the person of Nebuchadnezzar? to all men of all ages?