NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM OF A TREE
Daniel 4:1 King Nebuchadnezzar, to the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world :May you prosper greatly.
Nebuchadnezzar sounds like a different person. So polite and yes, even nice.
4:2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.
He is now giving his testimony like a regular Baptist minister at Sunday Church.
4:3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.
Then he describes his new dream.
4:4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous.
To be contented and prosperous relaxing at home is not for everyone.
4:5-7 I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. So I commanded that all the wise man of Babylon be brought before me to intrepret the dream for me. When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.
Nebuchadnezzar keeps forgetting his best man, Daniel!
4:8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)
Proof: Nebuchadnezzar does not believe in the One and Only God, Jehovah, Creator of the world and us. He still consults his gods and names Daniel, after his god. Ugh! However, God can use unbelievers to work out his purpose. You know that unbeliever who helped you get a job, or the unbelieving doctor that found a cure for you, or the unbelieving social worker who helped you out during your unemployment. They all were created by God for his own use. Some have said this is not possible, but then if you believe so, you are believing in God, but not his power.
4:9 I said, Beltshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me.
In the Left Behind series by Tim Lahaye, I find it unbelieveable that some Tribulation Force members could be Christians and yet be working for the Anti-Christ. But here is Daniel, a man with high
office working for the enemy. As long as Nebuchadnezzar believes in gods and magic and magicians, he is not a child of GOD. He is a pagan king.
4:10 These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. verse 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. verse 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the air lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed. verse 13 "In the visions I saw while lying in my bed, I looked, and there before me was a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven. verse 14 he called in a loud voice: 'Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. verse 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. "Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 4:16 Let his mind be change from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.
The holy one Nebuchadnezzar spoke of could have been a messenger angel. Nebuchadnezzar was brought to the lowest place a person can go to. To be deprived of his intecllect and all human feelings and become a grass grazing animal. The tree is his kingdom or empire, the very first that God acknowledges
in his Word for the purpose of revealing His plan for our world. Nebuchanezzar was the first world dictator that controlled the whole known world. God took all this away from him, but the stump and its root continued bound with iron and bronze, so that it was able to grow again after the seven times or the seven years had passed. His son inheirted the Empire and lost it to the Medo-Persians.
4:17 "The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men." 18 "This the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you."
Well, the king continues to credit his gods for the ability to help Daniel interpret his dream. He is right in crediting the Most High in being sovereign over the kingdoms of men. He is correct when he tells Daniel, that the lowliest of men can be set over the kingdoms by God. An example is Daniel, who was brought in as a slave from his country, Israel. Yet, because he obeyed God, he is set in a very high position in the Babylonian Empire. He has audiences with the king on a regular basis. When was the last time the president (ie. Obama) called any of us over to share a hamburger, even. Perhaps we are being disobedient to God? Next comes the Interpretation of the dream.
Nebuchadnezzar sounds like a different person. So polite and yes, even nice.
4:2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.
He is now giving his testimony like a regular Baptist minister at Sunday Church.
4:3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.
Then he describes his new dream.
4:4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous.
To be contented and prosperous relaxing at home is not for everyone.
4:5-7 I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. So I commanded that all the wise man of Babylon be brought before me to intrepret the dream for me. When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.
Nebuchadnezzar keeps forgetting his best man, Daniel!
4:8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)
Proof: Nebuchadnezzar does not believe in the One and Only God, Jehovah, Creator of the world and us. He still consults his gods and names Daniel, after his god. Ugh! However, God can use unbelievers to work out his purpose. You know that unbeliever who helped you get a job, or the unbelieving doctor that found a cure for you, or the unbelieving social worker who helped you out during your unemployment. They all were created by God for his own use. Some have said this is not possible, but then if you believe so, you are believing in God, but not his power.
4:9 I said, Beltshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me.
In the Left Behind series by Tim Lahaye, I find it unbelieveable that some Tribulation Force members could be Christians and yet be working for the Anti-Christ. But here is Daniel, a man with high
office working for the enemy. As long as Nebuchadnezzar believes in gods and magic and magicians, he is not a child of GOD. He is a pagan king.
4:10 These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. verse 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. verse 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the air lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed. verse 13 "In the visions I saw while lying in my bed, I looked, and there before me was a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven. verse 14 he called in a loud voice: 'Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. verse 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. "Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 4:16 Let his mind be change from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.
The holy one Nebuchadnezzar spoke of could have been a messenger angel. Nebuchadnezzar was brought to the lowest place a person can go to. To be deprived of his intecllect and all human feelings and become a grass grazing animal. The tree is his kingdom or empire, the very first that God acknowledges
in his Word for the purpose of revealing His plan for our world. Nebuchanezzar was the first world dictator that controlled the whole known world. God took all this away from him, but the stump and its root continued bound with iron and bronze, so that it was able to grow again after the seven times or the seven years had passed. His son inheirted the Empire and lost it to the Medo-Persians.
4:17 "The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men." 18 "This the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you."
Well, the king continues to credit his gods for the ability to help Daniel interpret his dream. He is right in crediting the Most High in being sovereign over the kingdoms of men. He is correct when he tells Daniel, that the lowliest of men can be set over the kingdoms by God. An example is Daniel, who was brought in as a slave from his country, Israel. Yet, because he obeyed God, he is set in a very high position in the Babylonian Empire. He has audiences with the king on a regular basis. When was the last time the president (ie. Obama) called any of us over to share a hamburger, even. Perhaps we are being disobedient to God? Next comes the Interpretation of the dream.