Before us is another amazing bible study into the book of Daniel. I have titled it, Daniel Chapter 4 Commentary: Nebuchadnezzar Goes Mad,
Click here for the previous study – Prophecies of Daniel 3 Commentary: Fiery Furnace.
Daniel Chapter 4 Commentary: Nebuchadnezzar Goes Mad
1Nebuchadnezzar 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 shew 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 everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation. Daniel 4:-1-3 KJV
How wonderful that a heathen king should make known to the whole world of his day the wonderful knowledge of the mighty acts of God of Heaven! That was a work which Israel should have done, but failed to do. Doubtless many were led to the worship of God by this straightforward, honest account of Nebuchadnezzar’s experience. ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ Psalm 107:8.
There can be no doubt that what this chapter tells us really took place. The ancient people believed that each nation or tribe had its own god and it was not uncommon for a person to be converted to the worship of another god. Nebuchadnezzar recognises that the God of the Hebrews is above all the gods. He is the ‘most high God’.
‘4 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.’ Daniel 4:4-7. KJV
Daniel 4 Commentary: Daniel Interprets The Dream
In chapter two we notice how the wise men and astrologers had said that if only the king would reveal his dream to them, they would make known the interpretation. Now the king makes the dream known, and still the wise men are at a loss to reveal the marvellous secrets of Heaven!
The fact that they are called before Daniel indicates that the king had by this time allowed himself to forget what he had been taught about the true God in chapters two and three of Daniel. Although Nebuchadnezzar had an honest heart, the powerful pull of riches, power, and honor drew him back into apostasy. How merciful and patient God was in seeking, again and again, to bring Nebuchadnezzar back to an understanding of the truth! So He works with men and women today.
‘8 But at the 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 gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,
9 O 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 tree 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.’ Daniel 4:8-12. KJV
The symbolic meaning of such a tree must have been known to Nebuchadnezzar. In fact, he probably had an inkling of the real meaning of the dream, as is indicated by his attitude in verse 19. The story of ‘the tree of life’ had been handed down by legend in old Babylon, as had the story of the ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’.
Ezekiel had foretold the great fall of the king of Egypt, and how Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, would be the instrument used by the Lord for cutting him down, ‘To the end that none of all the trees [including Nebuchadnezzar] … exalt themselves for their height’. Ezekiel 31:14. Nebuchadnezzar should have learned a lesson from this humbling experience of another ‘tree’ before him, the king of Egypt.
Nebuchadnezzar should have remembered that fact that his kingdom was not to stand forever. In spite of the revelation found in chapter two, he had marvellously beautified Babylon, building for himself an enormous palace in order to satisfy his vain pride. His wars were finished, and now the entire world lay at his feet. Every pleasure he desired was his. But ‘Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.’ Proverbs 16:18.
The ‘watchers’ or ‘holy ones’ mentioned here are angels (Hebrews 1:13,14). They take a strong interest in the affairs of this earth. They are continually ministering to the spiritual needs of those who choose to follow the Lord. The angels had noted Nebuchadnezzar’s growing pride and hardness of heart. Unless something was done, he would be lost entirely. They knew that only trouble and humiliation would help him (see Psalm 119:71). Therefore, God permitted this sad experience to come to him.
When the king told his dream, Daniel understood the meaning immediately. For years, the prophet had been praying for the king had many good traits of character, and that within his heart he was honest and wanted to serve God. Daniel and the king were very likely good friends. He now saw that God was answering his prayers. But to tell the king the news of this terrible judgement was very difficult for Daniel! The king seemed to feel that something was wrong, and sympathised with Daniel’s hesitant attitude. He urged him to tell everything, fearing nothing.
Daniel therefore made a personal appeal to the king. He assured him of God’s willingness to forgive, if he would repent of his sins of pride.
For a time the impression of the warning was strong upon Nebuchadnezzar, but the heart that is not transformed by the grace of God soon loses the impressions of the Holy Spirit. Self indulgence and ambition were still in his heart. In spite of instruction so graciously given him, and the warnings of past experience, Nebuchadnezzar again let himself be filled with jealousy against the kingdoms that were to follow. Hardening his heart, he used his God given talents for self glorification, exalting himself above the God who had given him life and power.
Daniel Chapter 4 Commentary: Nebuchadnezzar Goes Mad
For months the judgement of God waited. But instead of being led to repentance by this kindness of God, the king became more proud, until he lost confidence in the interpretation of the dream, and laughed at his former fears.
David said, ‘I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him and he could not be found.’ Psalm 37:35,36. God is merciful to send adversity when we need it, just as much as when He send us prosperity.
It is often adversity that turns our hearts away from earthly things that will soon pass away, to the appreciation of the enduring heavenly things.
For seven years (‘seven times’) Nebuchadnezzar lived in the fields with only the mind of a beast. A similar disease is known to modern doctors as lycanthropy.
All reasoning power, honour, and strength we have are given us by God. When God removed those gifts, the king was left entirely to his own wisdom and honour. That proved to be nothing! (see Galatians 6:3.) ‘Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish’, said King David of Israel in Psalm 49:20. The psalmist freely and humbly confessed that without the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, he was indeed ‘foolish….and ignorant’. ‘I was as a beast before thee.’ Psalm 73:22. What a contrast between his humble attitude and the pride and self sufficiency of Nebuchadnezzar!
During these seven years, Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Evil-Merodach, ruled in his stead. Daniel’s interpretation of the dream must have been known throughout the palace, for it was expected that Nebuchadnezzar would recover his reason, and would return to the throne. His kingdom was left sure unto him, as the stump of the tree is left in the earth that it might shoot forth again.
‘I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven’. Had the king done so before he lost his reason, his severe ordeal would not have been necessary! Only when he learned to humble himself and pray, did he receive true understanding. So with us. We are ‘of the earth, earthy’, as Paul says (1 Corinthians 15:47).
Our eyes are turned downward, absorbed in the things of this world, its honor, wealth, power, and pleasures. Only when we lift our spiritual eyes upward, toward heaven, do we really being to live. Then we pass ‘from death unto life’ (John 5:24): ‘….we look not at things which are seen: for the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.’ 2 Corinthians 4:18.
Daniel 4 Bible Study: Meaning/Interpretation of Roots of Great Allowed To Remain
The great tree which Nebuchadnezzar saw represented not only the king himself, but also the Babylonian kingdom. When it fell, as we shall see in the next posts, the root was allowed to remain in the earth. What does this mean?
Today, the great political kingdom of Babylon is no more; not a brick remains. Yet great spiritual Babylon, prominently displayed in the prophecies of Revelation, remains an offshoot of that root left in the earth, and all nations of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her false doctrines (Revelation 14:8). The mysteries of ancient Babylon’s heathen worship are perpetuated in many modern Christian churches today.
Thousands of worshippers, in every land, are ignorantly doing honor to ancient Babylonian gods when they observe religious rites and ceremonies which are not founded upon a ‘ Thus saith the LORD’ in the Holy Scriptures, the Bible. ‘But in vain they do worship me,’ says Jesus, ‘teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’ Matthew 15:9. These evil and deceptive doctrines are an outgrowth of that stump left in the earth so long ago. We need to search carefully to make sure that our faith is rooted only in the Bible, and not in the mere commandments of men.
Click here for the next study – Daniel 5 Commentary : Handwriting on the Wall.
Related Posts:
Prophecy of Daniel 2 Commentary (Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream) Part 2
Prophecy of Daniel Chapter 2 Commentary (Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream) Part 1
Daniel Chap. 1 Commentary: Daniel’s Diet and Training in Babylon
Prophecies of Daniel: An Introduction To The Book of Daniel.
Daniel Chapter 4 Bible Study Video
In the videos below Ty Gibson and James Rafferty discuss Daniel 4.
Please share this Daniel 4 commentary with friends and family.
