It would seem that Nebuchadnezzar has finally converted to a correct concept of God. He had to learn it the hard way. However, whether he remained loyal and faithful to this truth is not known.
Nebuchadnezzar reigned for forty-three years, 605-562 B.C. It appears that this event takes place later in his reign, after he has completed a number of building projects, Daniel 4:30. A decree is sent, not only to all the people of the kingdom but to those not in his kingdom. It includes a wish that all might lead peaceful lives, Daniel 4:1.
Nebuchadnezzar felt that it was proper for him to make known to the world what God had done to him, Daniel 4:2. We must admire him for wanting everyone to know of the one true God.
Signs and wonders are common biblical words used to describe miracles, Deuteronomy 6:22 / Deuteronomy 7:19 / Deuteronomy 13:1-2 / Deuteronomy 26:8 / Nehemiah 9:10 / Isaiah 8:18.
How great and wonderful are the things done by God. He had signified to Nebuchadnezzar that earthly thrones and kingdoms are not permanent. Only God’s throne was permanent. No one is so mighty that he can prevail forever. Earthly kingdoms, however great, will one day fall, but the dominion of God is forever.
At rest, in his palace, Nebuchadnezzar was at complete ease. His wars were now over, he had built one of the great cities of the world, he had developed a mighty kingdom, and he had gathered wealth and luxuries around him. He no doubt intended to spend the remainder of his life in ease and happiness. He probably felt he had now attained all his goals.
Butler, in his commentary, says the following.
‘He had built a magnificent city, gathered about him the wealth and luxuries of the world, and now he was preparing to while away the remainder of his life enjoying it all.’
Amid this ease, the king had a dream which brought fear to him, Daniel 4:5. He probably sensed that it spoke of something that was about to happen to him.
McGuiggan, in his commentary, says the following.
‘How easily is the mightiest of mortals made afraid. For all his mighty armies, he could not keep dreams from successfully invading his bedroom.’
It appears the king hasn’t learned his lesson, and he has retained and continued to rely upon counsellors who could not profit him. The magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners are called in as before, Daniel 4:6 / Daniel 2:10-12. This time, he did not threaten them with execution if they failed. However, they were unable to tell him the meaning of his dream, Daniel 4:7.
Finally, Daniel is brought in, Daniel 4:8. Why Daniel was not called in at the beginning, we do not know. He could have been about the king’s business somewhere else at the time. When Daniel arrived, he was called the ‘master of the magicians’ because he was considered superior to the other wise men, Daniel 4:9.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Nebuchadnezzar addressed Daniel as the chief of the magicians. By this, he probably meant that Daniel was his chief interpreter of the future, not that he was the head of a group of magicians.’
Nebuchadnezzar related the dream with confidence that Daniel’s God would enable him to give the interpretation, Daniel 4:9 / Ezekiel 28:3.
Nebuchadnezzar now relates his dream, Daniel 4:10. Occupying a central place on the earth was a mammoth tree, standing alone and reaching up into the heavens, Daniel 4:10.
Its branches extended out a great distance, Daniel 4:11. Thus, it offered shade to the beasts of the field. The fowls found lodging in its boughs. It abounded in fruit, providing food for all, Daniel 4:12.
It was a strong tree, indicating it was well-proportioned. It could be seen in all parts of the earth. What could better describe the great, powerful Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian kingdom? It seems that Nebuchadnezzar understood this vision had reference to him in some way.
Young, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The king described what he had seen in poetic language. His words, therefore, appear as a prophetic oracle. The ancients frequently used trees to describe rulers of nations, Isaiah 2:12-13 / Isaiah 10:34 / Ezekiel 31:3-17.’
A ‘messenger’, one who had spiritual characteristics, probably an angel, comes down from heaven, Daniel 4:13. The messenger cries for the tree to be cut down and then cut up into pieces, thus utterly destroying its glory and beauty, Daniel 4:14.
The stump, however, was to be left, Daniel 4:15, meaning the tree would live again. It would retain its roots, enabling it to shoot up again. It was to be protected by placing an iron and bronze railing around it, Daniel 4:15, much as we often protect trees today in public places. The dew falling on it would tend to preserve it and cause it to grow again, Daniel 4:15.
There is now a sudden change from the tree to something represented by the tree. Obviously, a man, Nebuchadnezzar, is represented by the tree, Daniel 4:16. There was to be a change within him. He now becomes like a beast during a fixed period of time.
We do not know how long ‘seven times’ was, Daniel 4:16. Some feel it represented a year, while others think seven represented perfection or completeness, thus the time necessary to accomplish God’s purpose.
The seven times probably refer to seven years because seven days or seven months would have been inadequate for his hair to have grown to the length of feathers, Daniel 4:33.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following concerning Daniel 4:17.
‘God also revealed the purpose of the judgment of this ‘tree.’ It was to teach all people that the Most High God, Daniel 3:26, is sovereign over the affairs of humankind, Daniel 4:17 / Daniel 2:21 / 1 Samuel 2:7-8 / Job 5:11. He can, has, and will set up whom He will, even people of humble origin, to rule nations (e.g., Joseph, Israel’s judges, Saul, David, et al.). God does not need the mighty to do His work. Therefore, it is foolish to become proud over one’s accomplishments and importance, as Nebuchadnezzar was.’
The Jehovah’s Witnesses here argue that the seven years stand for 2,520 years, and the kingdom that was bound with iron is the Lord’s kingdom that was finally established in 1914 A.D.
Yet the kingdom under consideration is clearly Babylon, ‘your kingdom’, Daniel 4:26. The purpose of God is made clear in Daniel 4:17. God gives dominion and authority to whomsoever he chooses.
Nebuchadnezzar now calls upon Daniel to interpret the dream for him, Daniel 4:18. Daniel has bad news for the king, Daniel 4:19.
Feinberg, in his commentary, says the following concerning Daniel’s actions.
‘This verse reveals the heart of Daniel as well as any in the entire book of Daniel. He knew the meaning of this dream and how well Nebuchadnezzar deserved what was to come upon him. Nevertheless, Daniel’s heart was concerned for the king and grieved over what he had to tell him. This was the distinctive feature of the true prophets of God: though they often had to predict judgments, they were nevertheless grieved when any of God’s creatures were chastised.’
The king senses that what Daniel is about to say is bad news, but tells him he had nothing to fear in revealing it, Daniel 4:19. The dream was not one which pleased the king. The tree which is the king will be brought low. The tree is the king, Daniel 4:20-22.
As mentioned above, the seven times, Daniel 4:23, probably refer to seven years because seven days or seven months would have been inadequate for his hair to have grown to the length of feathers, Daniel 4:33.
Furthermore, he will be driven from his place among men and the palace, Daniel 4:24. He would be in such a state so as to be treated like an animal rather than a man, he will even eat grass as the oxen do, Daniel 4:25. The stump would be spared meaning that his kingdom would be kept safe though he is to be humbled and brought low, Daniel 4:26.
Daniel recommends that the king repent, assuming that the judgment of God might be averted if the king would change, Daniel 4:27. Included in this call for reform was the suggestion that he show mercy to the poor, Daniel 4:27.
Part of the king’s iniquities may have been the mistreatment of the poor. This was often true of monarchs. God holds all rulers, pagan and godly, responsible for violating His moral standards. This also reveals that the king was guilty of injustice, cruelty, oppression, and sin.
The judgment predicted comes at the end of twelve months, Daniel 4:28-29. The twelve months may be a period of grace where God endured the pride of the king and waited for him to repent.
A full year was then granted to the king to repent, thus to avoid the calamity. Either he forgot the warning, or else it was no longer pressing on his mind. It is very hard sometimes to convince a sinner he needs to repent; most refuse.
About this time, a sense of his own importance fills him, and he gives vent to self-glorification as he surveys the great city he had built, Daniel 4:30. While he was speaking, a voice from heaven declared that the kingdom he had been bragging about, which he had built, is now departing from him, Daniel 4:31-32. One moment he is bragging, and the next he is eating grass.
McGuiggan, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is almost humorous to envision a foreign ambassador seeking an audience with the king who is out in the field having his lunch!’
What was done was done instantly, Daniel 4:33. It is obvious that this was some form of mental derangement. His hair was neglected until it appeared to resemble the feathers of a bird. His nails became like the nails of a bird’s claws, Daniel 4:33.
At the end of the designated time, Nebuchadnezzar lifted up his eyes to heaven and blessed God, Daniel 4:34. The raising of the eyes toward heaven indicates a return to human consciousness. His sanity being restored, his first act was to glorify God, Daniel 4:34.
The king is convinced that Daniel’s God is all-powerful and the true ruler of the kingdoms of the earth. The king admits that God rules supreme and has his own way, Daniel 4:34. Certainly, if God could preserve a kingdom with an ox as its leader, then a leader is of little importance to God, as he controls the universe.
Earthly kings and empires come and go, but God is always in charge. The king has been removed from the national stage for seven years, and God has continued to rule without him!
God can do without any of us, regardless of how important we may think we are and how badly we think we are needed, Daniel 4:35. God is not answerable to any man; rather, man is answerable to God. No man has a right to question God.
The message now comes over clear and plain. God is the real ruler of this world, Daniel 4:35. He had given Nebuchadnezzar his kingdom. It was not his genius that brought him to so great power, but the will of God.
Furthermore, God could hold this kingdom together, though its ruler be an ox. Nebuchadnezzar now feels called upon to acknowledge the true God he is now aware of for the first time. This had to be a humiliating experience for Nebuchadnezzar as his advisers and nobles sought him out, Daniel 4:36.
If the king had allowed his pride to get in the way, he could have resented what God did to him. However, to his credit, he breaks forth in praise to the one true God and desires that this experience he has suffered through be made known throughout the world, Daniel 4:37 / Job 42:12. This would indicate he was a changed man; he humbled himself, Daniel 4:37 / James 4:6 / Luke 18:14.
According to tradition, he is supposed to have lived for about one year after this. It is hoped that he continued steadfastly in his new faith in the one true God that he had been brought to acknowledge. While it was humiliating to the king to have to go through this experience, it was the best thing that ever happened to him.
We Christians today may have to suffer through many difficulties which are humiliating, but if we maintain the right attitude, we will be made much better as a result.
While chaos, wickedness, indignities, and persecutions exist in the world, it does not preclude the fact that God rules the world and not man. In the end, the wicked will be punished, but the righteous will be rewarded.