Daniel 4: King or Beast?
Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream (4:1-18)
Royal Epistle/Pride (4:1-3)
“His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And his sovereignty is from generation to generation.”
The Dream (4:4-18)
Nebuchadnezzar Disturbed (4:4-5)
“I saw a dream that frightened me; my fantasies in bed and the visions of my head terrified me.”
Seeking an Interpreter (4:6-9)
“O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that you are endowed with a spirit of the holy gods and that no mystery is too difficult for you.”
Details of the Dream (4:10-17)
“…there was a tree at the center of the earth…The animals of the field found shad under it, the birds of the air nested in its branches, and from it all living beings were fed.”
The “holy watcher” said: “Cut down the tree…Let the animals flee from beneath it and the birds from the its branches…Let his mind be changed from that of a human, and let the mind of the animal be given him. And let sever times pass over him.”
“The sentence is rendered by decree of the watchers, the decision is given by order of the holy ones, in order that all who live may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of mortals.”
Daniel Asked to Provide the Interpretation (4:18)
Daniel Interprets the Second Dream (4:19-27)
Terrifying Meaning (4:19).
The same word is used to describe Daniel’s terror as was used of Nebuchadnezzar: “alarmed, terrified” (4:4, 19).
Interpretation of the Tree (4:20-22)
The tree—“it is you, O king!…Your greatness has increased and reaches to heaven, and your sovereignty to the ends of the earth.”
Interpretation of the Watcher’s Message (4:23-26)
“You shall be driven away from human society, and your dwelling shall be with the wild animals…until you have learned that the Most High has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals and gives it to whom he will. As it was commanded to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be reestablished for you from the time that you learn that Heaven is sovereign.”
Daniel’s Plea (4:27)
“atone for your sins with righteousness, and your iniquities with mercy to the oppressed, so that your prosperity may be prolonged.”
Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation (4:28-33)
Nebuchadnezzar’s Impenitence (4:28-30)
“And the king said, ‘Is this not magnificent Babylon, which I have built as a royal capital by my mighty power and for my glorious majesty?’”
Divine Voice (4:31-32)
“The kingdom has departed from you! You shall be driven away from human society, and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field…until you have learned that the Most High has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals and gives it to whom he will.”
Nebuchadnezzar’s (Mental) Illness (4:33).
“Immediately the sentence was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar.”
Nebuchadnezzar’s Praise of God (4:34-36)
The Prayer (4:34-35)
“I blessed the Most High,
And praised and honored the one who lives forever.
For his sovereignty is an everlasting sovereignty,
And his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
And he does what he wills with the host of heaven and the
the inhabitants of the earth.”
Nebuchadnezzar’s Restoration (4:36-37)
“Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven,
for all his works are truth,
and his ways are justice;
and he is able to bring low
those who walk in pride.”
Theological Point
- God intended kings of represent God’s dominion in the world, including the creation mandate to shepherd (rule) the earth. This entailed a care for the oppressed with truth and justice (cf. Psalm 72).
- Nebuchadnezzar’s pride exalted himself above the sovereignty of God by seeking his own glory.
- The purpose of God’s engagement with Nebuchadnezzar is to impress upon him God does what God wills and gives the kingdoms of this world according to God’s own desire.