Daniel 4 - Interpreting the “tree dream”

Introduction

This chapter is an official Babylonian document, written by the king himself. It is the story of his conversion, and what a story it is. Keep in mind that it was written seven years after the experience itself, so that Dn 4:1–3 and Dn 4:37 are Nebuchadnezzar’s public testimony of what God did to him and for him. So, we will consider those verses at the end of our study. Now for the account of the king’s dream.

I. The Dream Received (4:4–18)

It was at a time of peace and prosperity that God sent this dream to the king, for this dream was really a divine warning to him that his sins were going to catch up with him at last.

Daniel 4:4–5 (KJV 1900)

4 I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace:

5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

He was secure, but it was a false security, similar to the one Jesus pictured in the Parable of the Rich Farmer (Luke 12:15–21).

Luke 13:19 (KJV 1900)

19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.

It is when this wicked world is resting in “peace and safety” that God’s judgment will fall (1 Thes. 5:3). The only true safety and rest is in Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 (KJV 1900)

3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

The dream was this: he saw a huge tree that overshadowed the entire earth, with the birds and animals taking refuge under it, and he heard an angelic voice say, “Hew down the tree.” The tree was cut down, but the stump was left in the wet grass, with a band of iron about it, for “seven times.” Needless to say, the king was greatly disturbed by this dream, especially since he had received another dream in the early years of his kingdom, and it dealt with the future of his reign. Look at what the Bible says:

Daniel 4:10–17 (KJV 1900)

10 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.

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

12 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.

13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;

14 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:

15 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:

16 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.

17 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.

The king summoned his wise men, but they were unable to explain the dream.

Daniel 4:6-7a (KJV 1900)

6 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.

7a Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers:...

Remember their boast in chapter 2: “Show us the dream and we will explain it.” Well, the king did show them this dream, but they could not explain it.

Daniel 4:7b (KJV 1900)

7b ...and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.

The worldly-wise make their boast of great wisdom, but they cannot understand or explain the things of God (1 Cor. 2:14–15).

1 Corinthians 2:14–15 (KJV 1900)

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

The king knew that only one man could solve the problem—Daniel, the man of God. So, he called Daniel to his throne and related to him the dream that had perplexed him.

Daniel 4:8–9 (KJV 1900)

8 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,

9 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.

So the king explained the dream to Daniel.

Daniel 4:18 (KJV 1900)

18 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.

Nebuchadnezzar had power, riches, and glory, but he was unable to unlock the future. The poorest Christian is far richer than he because in the Word we have God’s program for the future.

I. The Dream Received

II. The Dream Revealed (4:19–27)

God used Daniel to be a “light in the darkness,” for He revealed to him the meaning of the dream. But the revelation struck the prophet dumb for an hour.

Daniel 4:19a (KJV 1900)

19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him...

Astonied: to be appalled (fear) v. — to be in a state of being struck with dread, fear, or consternation.

That must have been the longest hour of waiting in the king’s history. It was plain to Daniel that the message of the dream was a sobering one. He did not take it lightly or deliver it in a careless fashion. A true prophet is always sympathizing with his message; he feels the burden of it and delivers God’s Word faithfully. Many people have the idea that spiritual wisdom and knowledge always lead to joy and witness, when sometimes they lead to sorrow and silence. Look at Daniel’s reaction in Dan. 10:1–3 to the truth about the seventy years of captivity.

Daniel 10:1–3 (KJV 1900)

1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.

2 In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.

3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

The explanation for the dream is not a hard one to grasp.

Daniel 4:19b (KJV 1900)

19b ...The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

The tree represented Nebuchadnezzar and his great kingdom (vv. 20–22).

Daniel 4:20–22 (KJV 1900)

20 The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;

21 Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation:

22 It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

God often uses the figure of a tree to picture a kingdom; Ezek. 31 is a great example, and so is Matt. 13:31–32.

Matthew 13:31–32 (KJV 1900)

31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

A tree is a good symbol of an earthly kingdom because it is rooted in the earth and depends on the earth for its food and stability. The other nations that looked to Babylon for protection and provision are pictured by the beasts and birds lodging in and under the tree. Certainly, Babylon had become a great and powerful kingdom. But it was not for Nebuchadnezzar to boast because God had given him his throne and his kingdom. That was the lesson the monarch was to learn the hard way.

“The watcher and holy one” mentioned in Dn 4:17 is an angel of God, appointed to work in the kingdom of Babylon. Daniel 10:4–20 informs us that the angels are very active in the affairs of the nations of the world. The angel announced, “Cut down the tree—get King Nebuchadnezzar off the throne.”

Daniel 4:23 (KJV 1900)

23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof 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 of the field, till seven times pass over him;

What an experience the king would have! He would actually cease to live like a man and would live like a beast for seven years. The tree would be cut down, and the iron band would restrain its growth, but the judgment would not be permanent. After seven years, Nebuchadnezzar would become human again, his reason would return, and he would ascend his throne in great glory.

Daniel 4:24–26 (KJV 1900)

24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:

25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

26 And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.

Why was God working this way in the king’s life? To teach him humility. You will remember that in the king’s “image dream” he was pictured as the head of gold; and in Dn 3, the king had made an entire image of gold to attract worship and praise to himself. God would show this proud monarch that he was actually a beast at heart. In fact, in Dn 7, Daniel will have a vision that shows that all the empires are nothing but wild beasts. Daniel warned the king to repent and change his ways. “Break off thy sins,” he begged, “and perhaps the Lord will give you forgiveness and time to serve Him.”

Daniel 4:27 (KJV 1900)

27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

God had spoken to the king on two different occasions—the dream of Dn 2 and the furnace episode of Dn 3—and it is dangerous to turn a deaf ear to God.

I. The Dream Received

II. The Dream Revealed

III. The Dream Realized (4:28–36)

It happened as Daniel said. God gave Nebuchadnezzar a whole year to consider the warning and turn from his sins, but the king paid no heed. In fact, he became more and more proud of his achievements.

Daniel 4:28–30 (KJV 1900)

28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.

29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

See what these verses say:

Ecclesiastes 8:11 (KJV 1900)

11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Proverbs 29:1 (KJV 1900)

1 He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

But there came a day when judgment fell and the true beastly nature of the king was revealed for all to see. Men drove him from his palace, and he lived for seven years like a beast of the field, eating grass like the oxen.

Daniel 4:31–33 (KJV 1900)

31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.

When God wants to humble a proud king, He can do it quickly and thoroughly.

This did not last forever. After seven years, Nebuchadnezzar was converted. The first step (the king tells us)

Daniel 4:34 (KJV 1900)

34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me,

It is too bad he had not looked to heaven long before this.

and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

“I blessed God—I praised God.” That certainly sounds like a man whose life has been changed by faith in the Lord. The king had learned his lesson: he was nothing and God was everything. Let’s read vv. 34–35 through together to see how much practical doctrine Nebuchadnezzar learned through this humbling experience.

Daniel 4:34–35 (KJV 1900)

34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

How tragic that the proud rulers of this present world fail to see they are nothing and God is everything. Verse 17 (KJV) states the lesson clearly: “most High ruleth in the kingdom of men …”

Daniel 4:36 (KJV 1900)

36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellers and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

Now back to vv. 1–3. Here is the mighty dictator addressing all the peoples of the world and sending them peace. Nebuchadnezzar certainly was not known for his peaceful activities because he was a cruel man of war. Verse 1 reads almost like a NT epistle from Peter or Paul.

Daniel 4:1 (KJV 1900)

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.

Note how in vv. 2–3 he gives all the glory to God and ascribes greatness to the Lord.

Daniel 4:2–3 (KJV 1900)

2 I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.

3 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.

This, again, was very unlike this heathen dictator; just seven years before he had been saying, “Is not this great Babylon that I have built?” He was boasting about his power and his majesty, with not a syllable of praise or gratitude to God. Well, all that is changed now; the king writes an official document giving personal witness to what God has done for him. Verse 37 is the grand climax:

Daniel 4:37 (KJV 1900)

37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour -not Nebuchadnezzar- the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

Do we not have in this chapter a fore-view of what will happen to the nations in the latter days? Just about the time they will be boasting of their greatness and glory, God will send seven years of awful judgment upon them and bring them low. Then, at the end of that Tribulation period, Christ will return to earth and establish His kingdom. The nations that have trusted Him will enter into the glorious kingdom; the others will be cast out. Like Nebuchadnezzar, the believers will be converted from their pride and unbelief and will enjoy the blessing of God.