Daniel 4

In Daniel 4 we don’t hear anything about the faithful remnant. This chapter is about the ruler of the world empire. It connects to Daniel 3, where, in those things that happened to Daniel’s three friends, we see the fates of the remnant. A ‘faithful remnant’ is that in which God finds true faith. The characteristics of the whole people are found there. Together with Daniel 3, this chapter describes the fates of the two main actors in the end time, the faithful remnants and the world ruler.

As already mentioned, with the inauguration of Nebuchadnezzar there has come a turning point in God’s actions with His people and the nations. God has placed the dominion of the world, which He initially ascribed to Israel, in the hands of a gentile King and a gentile empire. This is the start of “the times of the Gentiles” (Lk 21:24). These times of the Gentiles come to an end with the liberation of Jerusalem. That liberation comes because of the reconciliation through and the coming of the Messiah. We will see that in Daniel 9.

The fact that God has placed the dominion in the hands of a gentile ruler and withdrawn His hands from His people does not mean that He leaves the world to itself. In a certain sense, He does, because the world is following its own course and with it, its own downfall. At the same time, God keeps the supreme government. We can see that in what happens to Nebuchadnezzar.

The subject of Daniel 4 is the pride of the ruler and how God acts upon it. Pride is the primeval sin (1Tim 3:6). Any other sin results from that. Warnings against this sin are often given, and we too must have an eye in our lives upon the danger of pride (Jam 4:6; 1Pet 5:5; Pro 3:34; 16:18; 18:12).

It is remarkable that the testimony of Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation does not come from Daniel’s mouth, but from Nebuchadnezzar’s own mouth. Just as remarkable is the fact that he doesn’t confide his experiences to a few confidants somewhere in an inner room, but that he communicates what happened to him to all the peoples.

We have here an example of a pagan man who, under the action of God’s Spirit, communicates things he would never naturally tell. But if God wants this mighty king to testify to the whole world that He is the Supreme One and that Nebuchadnezzar, as a mighty king, cannot argue with Him, it happens exactly as He wants it.

This will also happen in the end time. All nations, and especially their kings, will bow before the Lord Jesus. He, the Messiah, is the Most High God (verse 2). This will be recognized by all “who live on all the earth”. Those who “live in all the earth” are those who have connected their souls and their whole life to the earth. They look no further than the earth and live only for it (Rev 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8,12,14; 14:6; 17:2,8). By “all the earth” is meant the part of the earth that is known and ruled by Nebuchadnezzar (cf. Dan 2:39; Lk 2:1).

It is not clear when Nebuchadnezzar made this proclamation. It seems that he is at the height of his power, and peace reigns in his empire (verse 4). As a good ruler and governor he wishes for all his subjects an increase in peace. Even people who do not take God into account often see the great blessing of peace and wish others will have that peace.

By starting with saying “it has seemed good to me”, he makes it clear that as head of his kingdom he does not act on the orders of anyone else. He does not say that he gives his testimony because God has commanded him to do so. He thinks it’s good to do that and that’s why he does it. He is not aware that God is urging him to do so.

But he does speak of God as the One Who dealt with him through “His signs” and “His wonders”. Signs and wonders are often mentioned together in Scripture (Exo 7:3; Deu 4:34; 13:1; 34:11; Isa 8:18; Jer 32:20). Not every sign is a wonder, but every wonder is a sign. Signs are events or things with a certain meaning.

A sign does not have to be something extraordinary or supernatural. When the Lord Jesus was born, the shepherds were told that this will be “the sign” for them: “You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger” (Lk 2:12). A baby in a manger and wrapped in clothes is no wonder, it is nothing extraordinary. But this Baby and the way He came into the world is a sign. His coming to earth has a deep meaning.

In a sign God shows His presence and power. A wonder is something that causes great amazement, because it is incomprehensible and inimitable for man. A wonder shows God’s presence and power in a supernatural action with the intention that man recognizes that God is acting.

Nebuchadnezzar calls God here “the Most High God”. In so doing, he acknowledges that God is above all things and also above His own gods. This is the conclusion he comes to, after being humbled by God in the deepest sense. A person only recognizes God’s exaltation above all things, when he has experienced how small he is himself. This experience is to be given by God to man because he exalts himself and boasts of his own person and works.

Nebuchadnezzar is deeply impressed by the signs and wonders the Most High has done to him. He expresses his amazement by talking about “how great” and “how mighty” they are. This means that he sees these signs and wonders as incomprehensible or indescribable or unexplainable. They are unique and incomparable. In the life of Nebuchadnezzar, this has become visible both in his humiliation to the state of a beast and in his restoration, in which he receives even more greatness and glory than he had before his humiliation (verse 36).

His confession is remarkable in that the kingdom of God is “an everlasting kingdom” (Dan 2:44; 7:14,27; Psa 145:13). It means that he sees his own kingdom as passing by. His high mind is gone and he gives God all honor, both in His Person and in His kingdom. With that kingdom Nebuchadnezzar connects a dominion that is “from generation to generation”. This means that he recognizes the supreme authority of God through the ages, from the beginning of creation thus far and also further.

It is also important for us to stick to this. The dominion of the Lord Jesus throughout the history of mankind may encourage us by remembering that He also has complete dominion in our personal lives. Nothing gets out of hand for Him. Nebuchadnezzar is forced to acknowledge this. Sometimes that has to happen in our lives. But the result of this acknowledgment is that we entrust our lives to Him with peace of mind and with joy.

After his introductory proclamation about the greatness of God, Nebuchadnezzar explains what has happened to him. He goes back to the moment when he lives at ease in his house and is flourishing in his palace. He seems to have everything under control. He has nothing to fear from his enemies, for they have been conquered. In his palace, that is to say his government, everything is going well. Also, internally everything is in order. His rule is well established. He is at the height of his power.

At the same time, a state of rest is a dangerous state (cf. Eze 16:49; 2Sam 11:1-4), if that rest is attributed to one’s own effort. Then God must show that He is there. He does so through a dream. Nebuchadnezzar is disturbed in his ease and prosperity. This is not done by an outside enemy he has overlooked or by a confidant who unleashes a palace revolution, but by Someone he has not taken into account at all.

A person can have everything under control, but in his mind, in an unconscious state neither he nor any other person has control. The only one who can approach the spirit of a man against his will is God. He can do that in different ways. Here He does that through a dream. It is often the case that “the dream comes through much effort” (Ecc 5:3a). That is not the case here. God enters his life again through a dream. The previous dream, which is in Daniel 2, is about his empire. The dream he gets now is about himself personally.

This man who is very robust, is overcome by fear because of the visions he sees. On his soft bed, which will be well guarded, Someone, gets through to him to tell him something. If God wants to approach a person, He penetrates the most inner being of that man, no matter how much that person has equipped himself with defense mechanisms to prevent God from ‘bothering’ him.

Just as with the first dream, it is clear to Nebuchadnezzar that this second dream is not just a dream. He realizes that it is a dream with a message. He wants to know that message. To find out the meaning of the dream, he calls all the wise men of Babylon into his presence. They stand around him as a large group. In contrast to the first dream (Dan 2:4-11), which he may have really forgotten, he now tells what he dreamed.

But all his scholars are inadequate; they cannot tell him the interpretation. When they were called on the occasion of his first dream, they claimed that Nebuchadnezzar only needed to tell the dream and then they would tell him the interpretation (Dan 2:4,7). It is clear why they can’t interpret the dream even now, even though he has told them the dream. For the dream comes from God and only God can give the interpretation, for nobody knows the mind of God but the Spirit of God (1Cor 2:11).

Finally, Daniel comes. Did he forget Daniel? Or is it below his level of honor to have to be helped by a Jewish exile again? In any case, he cannot ignore him. Daniel appears on stage when all worldly wisdom has failed and has been unable to provide a solution. After his earlier experience with the interpretation of dreams it would have been understandable if the king had first thought about Daniel. But so quickly does man, and certainly man who does not live with God, forget God’s former actions in his life. The lesson must be learned again.

The last person the world thinks of will be the first to be recognized by God. We also see this with the woman who spent everything on doctors for her illness. When there is no one who has been able to help her, when all the resources she has tapped into have failed, she finally goes to the Lord Jesus. With Him she finds the long sought after and coveted healing (Mk 5:25-34). So many people only resort to the Bible when all the other books have not given what they are looking for. God’s Word is the last refuge.

When Nebuchadnezzar speaks about Daniel and also when he speaks to him, he still turns out to be an idolater. He connects Daniel with his god, he sees Daniel as someone in whom the spirit of the holy gods is, and speaks to him as “head of the magicians”. He has no doubt that Daniel has insight into the most hidden secrets. Full of confidence in ’Daniel’s ‘skill’ to interpret dreams, he tells him his dream.

Nebuchadnezzar sees a tree. First he mentions the place where this tree stands: “in the midst of the earth”. Then he talks about its height: it is a tree of great height. But there is also growth in the tree. It increases in size and strength. It gets so high that it reaches to the sky. Because of its enormous height it is “visible to the end of the whole earth”. Wherever people live, they can see the tree.

It is also a beautiful tree to see and it provides numerous fruits that serve as “food for all”. Finally, the tree appears to provide shade for the beasts of the field and a home for the birds of the sky. So this tree is a blessing for all creatures.

In the interpretation it becomes clear that this tree represents Nebuchadnezzar. Trees are often used as a picture of a human being (Eze 17:22-23; 31:3,18; Psa 1:3; 92:12). In the picture sketched in the tree, we see Nebuchadnezzar as the center of the earth. He is the world ruler. His power increases even more. It seems that his power extends to heaven, which indicates that he even wants to extend his power into heaven.

It recalls the tower building of Babylon (Gen 11:4). This tower must also reach into the heaven and be visible all over the earth. It is an expression of man’s pride and his rebellion against God. We see that also here in Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Babylon is the symbol of pride and disobedience linked to idolatry.

Nebuchadnezzar’s rule has brought him prestige and a good life for all his subjects who comply with his rule. It seems, however, that there is room in his empire for all kinds of beasts, both beasts on earth and beasts living in the sky, the birds. The birds of the sky often represent demonic powers and influences that exert a pernicious influence on the spirit of man (Rev 18:2; Mt 13:32).

It is as if Nebuchadnezzar takes a breath after the description of the tree. There is more to come. Something will happen to the tree. This is made known to him in the continuation of his vision or dream. He tells Daniel that he sees in his dream that “an [angelic] watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven”. It seems that we have to think of an angel. The angel says what to do with the tree. This is not done with a soft voice, but with a powerful exclamation.

The power with which it is spoken matches the content of what is said. Force has to be applied to the tree. The tree must be chopped down, and any blessing attached to the tree must be stopped. There should be nothing left of this impressive stature that is visible all over the world. Everything that the tree provides for shade, habitat and food must disappear. This is how it will be with all the prosperity on which man relies.

But the chopping down of the tree does not mean the final end of the tree. This is shown by the command that the stump with its roots must be left in the ground. This contains the promise of a future restoration (cf. Job 14:7-9; Isa 6:13; 11:1). Until then, the trunk is kept under control by “a band of iron and bronze” around it to prevent premature flowering. Until then, the stump stands “in the new grass of the field”. Nothing is left of the tree that rises far above the grass. It has become equal to the grass and as dependent on the dew for the continuation of life as the tender, perishable grass.

The trunk is thus reduced to its original nullity. “All flesh is like grass, And all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off, But the word of the Lord endures forever” (1Pet 1:24-25a). That makes the transition in verse 16 from the picture of the tree to a human and a beast less strange. The tree, which represents the man Nebuchadnezzar, has a mind. But because his mind is not directed toward God, his mind must change into the mind of a beast.

The chopped down tree, of which only the stump is left, is comparable to a beast. A tree is connected to the earth. A tree also has no sense of God at all. So it is with a beast. A beast is connected to the earth and has no knowledge of God. That is what Nebuchadnezzar must experience for himself (Ecc 3:18).

In that situation he will remain seven times, which means seven years. A perfect – the number seven is the number of perfection – period will elapse before Nebuchadnezzar will be restored. The discipline of God must have a complete effect.

The dream ends with the statement that the decree is fixed in heaven. Angels agree. Every decree made by God always receives the consent of all heavenly people. What will happen to Nebuchadnezzar is according to “a command of the holy ones”. In other words, it may be that the same is said here as in the first part of the sentence. This is indicated by the use of the word “watchers” in the first part of the sentence and the use of the words “holy ones” in the second part of the sentence.

Verse 13 refers to “a watcher, a holy one”, which clearly shows that “watcher” and “holy one” refer to one and the same person. Another indication that they seem to be heavenly beings is the contrast with “the living” mentioned in the following sentence. By this are meant all people living on earth.

The purpose of God’s dealings with Nebuchadnezzar is that all people on earth come to the acknowledgment that He rules. This applies not only to the people in general, but certainly also to all who are in authority (cf. 1Tim 2:1-2). It is about Nebuchadnezzar and the kingship that God gives to whom He wants. For God’s children this is an encouragement, because they often have to deal with rulers who do not care about God and forbid them to live according to God’s will.

Governments can only exercise power within the space God gives them. It is even so that He determines to whom He gives governing power (Dan 2:21; Rom 13:1b). He can give honor to even “the lowliest of men” (1Sam 2:8a; Job 5:11; Psa 113:7-8; 75:6-7). David, who is the lowliest among his brothers, is a good example of this.

After Nebuchadnezzar has told the dream he has seen, he says to Daniel to tell him its interpretation. He says in addition that all his wise men have failed to tell him the interpretation. On the one hand Daniel is his last hope, on the other hand he has no doubt that Daniel will give him the interpretation. He again attributes this to the holy gods. At the same time he realizes that they are not Daniel’s gods.

When Daniel has heard the dream, he immediately knows the interpretation. About that, he becomes appalled. How long that appalment lasts, which prevents him from speaking a word, lasts. In any case, it lasts so long that the king sees that the explanation of the dream appalls Daniel and that he must urge him to tell the explanation.

It may surprise us that Daniel was shocked by the dream. The dream makes it known that Nebuchadnezzar will learn a formidable lesson. Shouldn’t he be happy? This is a good opportunity to sarcastically tell Nebuchadnezzar what would happen to him. For that man has done so much evil to his people, that is God’s people. And he himself was taken away by him from the land of God. But there is no trace of any sense of revenge or gloating. On the contrary, Daniel is scared of the judgment that will come upon the king.

That brings us to the question what about our concern for all those people who are directly on their way to hell and will also end up there if they do not repent. Generally speaking, we may have that compassion and, forced by the love of Christ, we urge people to repent. But is there also this feeling for those who cause us to suffer, who make our lives difficult or perhaps almost unbearable?

By God’s grace Daniel feels no hatred against Nebuchadnezzar, but compassion. Paul calls for prayer for all people and especially for those who are in high positions, like the cruel emperor of Rome (1Tim 2:1-2). If we have hearts like Daniel and Paul, we will pray for such rulers. We will not wish them hell, but wish them to be saved (Acts 26:29).

In his explanation of the dream, Daniel begins with an almost verbatim repetition of the first part of the dream. By doing so he shows Nebuchadnezzar that he has heard and understood the dream well. By repeating the dream again, the king will experience its application even more strongly. Immediately after his repetition of this part of the dream, Daniel says of the tree: “It is you, O king.”

Thus he heard Daniel also say at the interpretation of the first dream: “You are the head of gold” (Dan 2:38). That will have flattered him. He would also have loved to have heard the application of the tree to him if there would not follow more. His greatness is overwhelming, both in height – which “reached to the sky” – and in breadth – it “was visible to all the earth”.

Then Daniel repeats the part of the dream that is about the watcher and what he said. He does so in somewhat stronger terms than in the depiction of Nebuchadnezzar. Thus Daniel speaks of “destroy it”. In what the watcher says, we see what heaven thinks about this wonderful tree, about this wonderful Nebuchadnezzar, who is impressed by himself and with whom people are impressed.

Heaven says: “That which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God” (Lk 16:15). That is why the voice sounds from heaven: ‘Turn that thing upside down, and nothing should remain of all appearances.’ However, the stump of the tree must be left. There is no definitive end to the life of Nebuchadnezzar. This is indicated by the word “until”. It is a temporary humiliation, for a period of seven times.

After the repetition of the second part of the dream, Daniel explains what the meaning is. He introduces the interpretation with the serious assurance that what happens to Nebuchadnezzar according to the interpretation, “is the decree of the Most High”. With this he places the king, whom he addresses with due respect with “my lord the king”, in the presence of God as the Most High. It is about Nebuchadnezzar being convicted of His existence and His sovereignty. What will happen to him is a decree of the Most High and therefore it will not be possible to be changed or ignored by a human being.

The content of the decree is that Nebuchadnezzar will be driven away from the people’s living area and will have his dwelling place with the beasts of the field. He will lose his place among men and he will go into the company of the beasts and behave like one of them. His dwelling, his food, his clothing, his dignity, everything that makes up his greatness as a human being, he loses. Instead he shall be in the open field, without covering, and shall eat grass like cattle. He will no longer quench his thirst with selected wines, but will have to be content with the dew of heaven.

The humiliation is complete and ends when he recognizes “that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes”. Before he reaches that point, seven times will have passed, a perfect period. That this period of humiliation is coming to an end is included in the words “to leave the stump with the roots of the tree”, words that Nebuchadnezzar also heard. Daniel adds that after his recognition “that [it is] Heaven [that] rules”, his kingdom will be assured to him.

For every human being there can only be a connection with God when he acknowledges that God is the Most High Ruler over everything. God is sovereign. Recognizing this gives peace to the heart. We, as believers, must also learn this regularly in our lives, in which so many things can happen that show that we have forgotten this.

When Daniel has interpreted the dream, he adds a personal word. He advises, unasked for, but out of compassion, Nebuchadnezzar to break away from his sins,. The rule of Nebuchadnezzar, experienced as a benefit by all who submit to him, does not mean that he is not a sinner and does not do iniquities. His rule is not a righteous and just rule. He lives for himself. Daniel points out to him that he does not show mercy to the oppressed. If he wants to prolong his prosperity, he must change that. This is only possible if he repents and acknowledges God with his heart as the Ruler of all things.

What Daniel says does not mean that Nebuchadnezzar can make his sins undone by acting righteously now and proving grace. It is not possible to become clean from sins on the basis of good works. A person is saved from his sins only by confessing them and believing in the atoning death of Christ. In the time when the Lord Jesus has not yet come, God can forgive sins in view of the offering that Christ will bring (Rom 3:23-26). For man nothing has changed before and after the cross. God forgives sins only by confession (1Jn 1:9), whereby the basis for forgiveness is the sacrifice of Christ (Heb 9:22b).

Nebuchadnezzar has been told that the decree is assured. But he also heard Daniel’s advice. If God’s decree is certain that a sinner will go to hell, but the sinner accepts the warning, then his fate will change. In the same way, the prophecy would not have had to come over Nebuchadnezzar if he had taken to heart the warning. However, he did not take the warning to heart. Over time, that is, after a year, what is in the heart of Nebuchadnezzar becomes public and what is promised to him in his dream interpreted to him by Daniel happens.

He walks in great complacency on the roof of his royal palace and looks at Babylon. His heart swells with pride. He expresses his pride by honoring himself. Everything he sees is thanks to him, he has done it himself, in his own strength and he deserves all the credit for it.

There is no thought of God with him, he simply ignores God, does not mention Him, does not take Him into account. He does not acknowledge that he owes his power to God. All his buildings proclaim his glory. He sees his own name on everything that is Babylon. Here we see an example of pride. Pride is the sin of the devil (1Tim 3:6). It is the first sin in creation.

A lot of people have their own miniature kingdom, for example in a company with different departments where each manager runs his department like his own kingdom. It can also be true of a father who sees his family as his own kingdom and attributes everything that is nice to his own merit. Maybe we have something of which we think we’re just a little better at than any other. If we boast of this, it is pride.

We must learn that the word is true: “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1Cor 4:7). The Lord Jesus is among His disciples as One Who serves. He never boasted about anything. On the contrary, He humbled Himself. Nebuchadnezzar experiences the truth of the word: “God is opposed to the proud” (Jam 4:6). We will also experience this when we are proud.

The king has not yet pronounced his utterances to the full, the sound of the words have not yet died away, when there is another voice, a voice from heaven. This voice lets hear a proclamation: “Sovereignty has been removed from you.“ From the moment he boasted of his achievements, he lost his kingship. A believer who boasts of his own works also loses his royal dignity and gets heaven against him. What a contrast with the Lord Jesus. Above Him the voice of “God [the] Father” sounds from heaven, testifying of Him: “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased” (2Pet 1:17).

All that is said of Nebuchadnezzar happens to him. At the same time he is robbed of his reason. Suddenly he is insane and in his behavior he becomes “like the beasts that perish” (Psa 49:20). As announced, he is rejected by the people and takes his place as a beast. There he stands in the open field and eats grass like cattle. Thus seven times pass over him.

To the description of the dream by Nebuchadnezzar and its repetition by Daniel, it is now added that his hair and nails are growing all this time. There is no question of any physical care. The image of the once so powerful ruler is becoming increasingly blurred.

So vain is even the most powerful man on earth when he exalts himself against God by placing himself in the place of God. A beast has no awareness of its Creator. When a man denounces the connection with God, he becomes like a beast. This is the situation of every person who does not have God in mind, but only himself.

When the days of Nebuchadnezzar being a beast are over, he raises his eyes toward heaven. A beast only looks toward the earth and has no consciousness of the Creator. If Nebuchadnezzar looks up to heaven, it is because he has back his reason. God has taken away his reason from him and gives it back to him. He has achieved His goal with His discipline. This is evident from the first words spoken by Nebuchadnezzar. They are words of praise and honor to the Most High. He glorifies Him.

The name ‘Most High’ is the name of God in the kingdom of peace. The first time that name occurs is when Melchizedek meets Abraham who by battle has freed his cousin Lot from the power of a few kings. Melchizedek is a priest of “God, the Most High” and blesses Abraham on behalf of “God, the Most High” (Gen 14:18-20). This situation is reminiscent of the liberation by the Lord Jesus of the faithful remnant of Israel in the future. After His victory, He is the true Melchizedek Who distributes bread and wine for strength and joy. The kingdom of peace will be full of them.

Nebuchadnezzar recognizes God even as the One Who lives forever, Whose government is eternal. He not only rules forever, He also rules from the moment there is something to govern, that is, from the moment He created something. There has never been a time when He did not have the rule and there will never be such a time.

Against this greatness Nebuchadnezzar recognizes the nullity of man, not only as an individual, but as a total mankind. All men together cannot do anything against Him. All heavenly inhabitants are under His authority, just like all earth-dwellers. No one is strong enough to ward off His hand and thus evade His authority. Which man is so audacious to take up the word against Him and call Him to account (cf. Rom 9:20)? He who does this, sins against his life.

After this acknowledgment, which is the result of the return of his reason, he also gets back the kingdom. His nobles seek him out again. He gets more greatness than he possessed before that time (Pro 29:23). It is often the case that we lose more than we gain if we go a road that is not good. But it is also sometimes the case that God gives more than we had.

We see that with Peter. After his restoration, he is given a great task among the believers. His two letters are proof of this. Someone who has truly repented that he went a wrong road or did a wrong deed, sometimes receives more praise than in the life he lived before that time.

Nebuchadnezzar concludes his proclamation with a new praise. He calls God the “King of Heaven”, He Who has all authority in heaven. With this position he connects His deeds and paths on earth. Everything He does is true and in accordance with heaven where everything is true. Every way which He goes, whether with a man or with a nation, is a way in righteousness; that is the righteousness of heaven. Everything in heaven corresponds to His Being of truth and righteousness. We see the results on earth.

When the Lord Jesus rules on earth, all deeds and paths on earth are a reflection of heaven. He Who rules in heaven, Whose throne is in heaven, shall then reign on earth, and His throne shall be on earth. Then the prayer will be fulfilled: “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10). In view of this time, may it be our prayer that this is already visible in our personal lives.