Overview Of Daniel Chapter Four
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday August 14, 2012
Daniel: Overview Of Daniel Chapter Four
Lesson # 106
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 4:1.
This evening we will present an overview of Daniel chapter four, which presents the second vision in a dream Nebuchadnezzar received from God during his reign, which like the first was interpreted by Daniel.
Daniel chapter four records the Lord disciplining Nebuchadnezzar as a believer.
He is not punishing him as an unbeliever but rather he is teaching Nebuchadnezzar as a believer to be submissive to His will through discipline.
As we noted in our study of Daniel 3:28, the fact that the king praises the God of Israel was an expression of his faith in the Lord.
The king’s praise is an expression of his faith in the God of Israel.
The Aramaic verb berǎḵ which we translated “worthy to be praised” appears only once in the book of Daniel but its Hebrew equivalent bā∙rǎḵ (בָּרַךְ) (baw-rak´) appears 75 times in the Old Testament.
When the word is used of praising God, the individual praising God is always a believer and never an unbeliever and thus, Daniel 3:28 is recording for us the conversion of Nebuchadnezzar.
Even though, the king becomes a believer in Yahweh in Daniel 3:28, Daniel chapter 4 records him being humbled by God since he continued to think and act like a pagan.
The discipline accomplished its purpose resulting in Nebuchadnezzar changing his attitude and lifestyle.
After his conversion, the king did not disavow the other gods he worshipped.
Some believe erroneously that one can not practice idolatry or sin after conversion like Nebuchadnezzar and be a “true” believer but the Scripture emphatically refutes this by giving many examples in which believers practiced idolatry and committed gross sins after their conversion.
David committed adultery and murder as a believer, Peter denied the Lord three times as a believer and Solomon practiced idolatry as a believer and the Exodus generation practiced idolatry after their conversion.
All were disciplined by God and all were believers and all committed sin and acted like an unbeliever, yet they still were saved.
The New Testament prohibits believers from engaging in behavior that they use to engage in prior to conversion since it is possible because of the presence of the indwelling sin nature and the devil to become involved in idolatrous and sinful behavior after conversion.
Otherwise, there would be no need to prohibit believers from such behavior if there was no possible way that they could become involved in such things.
Further confirmation that Nebuchadnezzar was already a believer by the time the events of Daniel chapter four took place is that the decree which is found in Daniel chapter four was composed by Nebuchadnezzar himself.
If the king was an unbeliever when he wrote this decree, it would be unique in Scripture in that it would be the only chapter in the Bible composed by an unbeliever.
Now, chapter 4, we see the Lord disciplining Nebuchadnezzar as a believer which was administered during a seven year period and the motivation was God’s love and the purpose was to conform the king to His will in order to bless him.
The following is an outline of the chapter: (1) Nebuchadnezzar issues a proclamation (4:1-3) (2) Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of a tree (4:4-18) (a) Nebuchadnezzar’s request for interpretation by the wise men (4:4-7). (b) Nebuchadnezzar communicates vision to Daniel (4:8-18). (3) Daniel interprets the vision (4:19-27). (4) The vision is fulfilled (4:28-33). (5) Nebuchadnezzar is restored to power (4:34-37).
In Daniel 4:1-3, we have Nebuchadnezzar issuing a proclamation.
Daniel 4:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth: “May your peace abound! 2 It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for 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.” (NASB95)
Daniel 4:4-18 contains Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of a tree.
In verses 4-7, we read of him requesting that his wise men interpreted the vision for him.
Daniel 4:4 “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace. 5 I saw a dream and it made me fearful; and these fantasies as I lay on my bed and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. 6 So I gave orders to bring into my presence all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then the magicians, the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners came in and I related the dream to them, but they could not make its interpretation known to me.” (NASB95)
In Daniel 4:8-18, the king communicates to Daniel the vision.
Daniel 4:8 “But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and I related the dream to him, saying, 9 ‘O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, since I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery baffles you, tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, along with its interpretation. 10 Now these were the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a tree in the midst of the earth and its height was great. 11 The tree grew large and became strong and its height reached to the sky, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches, and all living creatures fed themselves from it. 13 I was looking in the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed, and behold, an angelic watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven. 14 He shouted out and spoke as follows: “Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit; Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 Yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field; And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the beasts in the grass of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let a beast’s mind be given to him, and let seven periods of time pass over him. 17 This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers and the decision is a command of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men.” 18 ‘This is the dream which I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation, inasmuch as none of the wise men of my kingdom is able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.’”
Daniel 4:19-27 records Daniel interpreting the vision for Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 4:19 “Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while as his thoughts alarmed him. The king responded and said, ‘Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.’ Belteshazzar replied, ‘My lord, if only the dream applied to those who hate you and its interpretation to your adversaries! 20 The tree that you saw, which became large and grew strong, whose height reached to the sky and was visible to all the earth 21 and whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt and in whose branches the birds of the sky lodged— 22 it is you, O king; for you have become great and grown strong, and your majesty has become great and reached to the sky and your dominion to the end of the earth. 23 In that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven and saying, “Chop down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field, and let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the beasts of the field until seven periods of time pass over him,” 24 this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: 25 that you be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes. 26 And in that it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules. 27 Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.’” (NASB95)
In Daniel 4:28-33, we have the vision fulfilled.
Daniel 4:28 “All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. 29 Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’ 31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, 32 and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’ 33 “Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.”
Daniel 4:34-37 records Nebuchadnezzar being restored to power.
Daniel 4:34 “But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ 36 “At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.” (NASB95)