Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Vision

Daniel 4:1-18

“Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.   I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.  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) 

When Nebuchadnezzar became king he had rebuilt and improved the city of Babylon, building a bridge over the Euphrates river and building the hanging gardens for which the city was famous.  He also rebuilt the Ziggurat or stepped pyramid referred to as the tower of Babel in Genesis 11 as a temple for a god known as both “Bel” and “Marduk.”   They also worshipped various other gods and goddesses, including Ishtar, the mother goddess.  He was initially so involved in their religion he had named his son Awil-Marduk.

Daniel 2 describes how Nebuchadnezzar came to recognize God as being as great as any of the various Babylonian gods.  In Daniel 3, he recognized God as more powerful than any of the Babylonian gods and forbid the people to make light of him.  Daniel 4 is Nebuchadnezzar’s own story of how he personally came to believe in God.  The story appears to have taken place around 575 BC, about thirty years after he became king.
 
“I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.  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. 

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)

Nebuchadnezzar was near the peak of his power when he had another dream that troubled him like the his dream in Daniel 2. Unlike that dream, he was able to remember this dream and called all the educated men and those who purported to have special powers to tell him what it meant.  They had no idea, and did not attempt to make something up, probably remembering his actions twenty years before.

“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, 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. “ (Daniel 4:8-9)

When the captives had been brought from Judah, all those whose names had referred to God were renamed with names focusing on the gods of the Babylonians, in an effort to make them forget God and fit more easily into the Babylonian culture.  Daniel’s Babylonian name was Belteshazzar, and related to the god “Bel.”  Because of his experience in Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar knew Daniel had the spirit of God in him and would be able to find out what his vision meant.  He described his vision to Daniel.

“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.  The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: 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. 

I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth: Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him: and let seven times pass over him. 

This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. 

This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.” (Daniel 4:10-18) 

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream had been of a huge tree that was noticed throughout the world.  Because it was a good tree and very strong, the birds and wild animals made it their home, depending on it for protection and food.

At the height of its glory, a holy one from heaven ordered that the tree be cut down and its leaves and fruit be scattered around, forcing the birds and animals to seek shelter elsewhere.  The stump was to be left behind protected as if by brass and iron, while the tree would be like the animals of the field, no longer living as a man but like some kind of animal for a seven periods of time.

It was made very clear that the command to destroy the tree was from the most high god and would certainly come to pass, to make it clear that that god was the one who had control of men’s lives.

Because he knew Daniel had power with God, and none of the other gods or educated men had been able to tell him what it meant, Nebuchadnezzar had called on Daniel.  He was counting on God to make Daniel able to interpret it.