4:1 (3:31) “King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations, and language groups that live in all the land: Peace and prosperity!

King Nebuchadnezzar wrote an official public letter to all of the people, nations, and language groups within his province. He wanted to tell them how to have peace and prosperity. He was not talking about military peace. His armies had already conquered all of these provinces. He was talking about peace with God. No one can have peace in themselves, unless they have peace with God.

Nebuchadnezzar reigned for 43 years (605–562 B.C.). This incident may have taken place about the 35th year of Nebuchadnezzar’s rule (570 B.C). This would be about 30 years after the experience of the three men in the fiery furnace and about the 50th year of Daniel’s life.

4:2 I am delighted to tell you about the signs and wonders that the most high God has done for me.

Nebuchadnezzar recorded in this letter all of the signs and wonders that the Most High God had done for him.

4:3 “How great are his signs! How mighty are his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, and his authority continues from one generation to the next.”

The Most High God does great signs. He does mighty wonders. His Kingdom will last forever. His authority will continue through all generations.

Has Nebuchadnezzar become a believer in the one true God? Or, is Jehovah just one of many gods in the Babylonian pantheon of polytheism?

Verses 4-37 contain his official public letter to the Babylonian citizens.

Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of a great tree

4:4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was relaxing in my home, living luxuriously in my palace.

Nebuchadnezzar began to tell the entire Babylonian Empire about his experience with Jehovah.

4:5 I saw a dream that frightened me badly. The things I imagined while lying on my bed—these visions of my mind—were terrifying me.

Nebuchadnezzar told his entire kingdom about his nightmare.

4:6 So I issued an order for all the wise men of Babylon to be brought before me so that they could make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

Nebuchadnezzar called in his satanic occultists to interpret the nightmare.

4:7 When the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners entered, I recounted the dream for them. But they were unable to make known its interpretation to me.

Since God gave this dream to Nebuchadnezzar, the Satanists did not know the meaning of the dream.

4:8 Later Daniel entered, whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom there is a spirit of the holy gods. I recounted the dream for him as well,

Everyone in the Babylonian kingdom knew of Daniel. He was a high official and in charge of the Babylonian educational system.

It is interesting to note that the modern educational programs of the satanic world system are just as pagan as that of the pre-Daniel educational programs of Babylon. Almost every subject is being taught in our modern schools and colleges except for the Word of God. During the Millennial Kingdom, the Word of God will be emphasized in the new and improved educational systems. The Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified.

Notice that Nebuchadnezzar still called Daniel by his Babylonian name. He stated that Daniel was named after “my god.” He stated that Daniel was led by the spirit of “the holy gods.” Nebuchadnezzar was still polytheistic in his thinking. To Nebuchadnezzar, Jehovah was just one of many gods.

4:9 saying, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, in whom I know there to be a spirit of the holy gods and whom no mystery baffles, consider my dream that I saw and set forth its interpretation!

Nebuchadnezzar recognized the prophetic gifts which God had given to Daniel.

4:10 Here are the visions of my mind while I was on my bed. While I was watching, there was a tree in the middle of the land. It was enormously tall.

In this dream, Nebuchadnezzar saw a tall tree in the middle of the land.

4:11 The tree grew large and strong. Its top reached far into the sky; it could be seen from the borders of all the land.

This tall tree reached into the heavens. It could be seen everywhere in Babylon.

4:12 Its foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful; on it there was food enough for all. Under it the wild animals used to seek shade, and in its branches the birds of the sky used to nest. All creatures used to feed themselves from it.

This tall tree was very beautiful. It possessed abundant fruit. The tree gave sustenance to everyone in the land. Wild animals would seek shade from it. Birds would nest in its branches. Creatures would feed from the tree.

Nebuchadnezzar had most likely traveled to Lebanon to watch the felling of the great cedar trees to provide timber for his many construction projects in Babylon. Therefore, he had most likely witnessed the felling of these mighty trees.

4:13 While I was watching in my mind’s visions on my bed, a holy sentinel came down from heaven.

The Aramaic word for “holy sentinel” is עִ֣יר (air), meaning a watching angel. This Aramaic word appears only twice in this chapter. It also appears in the Book of Enoch, which is an uninspired extra-biblical text. This term suggests that angels are watching humans, actually “desiring to look into” God’s dealings with humans. I Peter 1:12 confirms this doctrine as well.

4:14 He called out loudly as follows: ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches! Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit! Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches!

The angel ordered the tree to be cut down and stripped.

4:15 But leave its taproot in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it surrounded by the grass of the field. Let it become damp with the dew of the sky, and let it live with the animals in the grass of the land.

Only the stump of this once-beautiful tree was to remain.

4:16 Let his mind be altered from that of a human being, and let an animal’s mind be given to him, and let seven periods of time go by for him.

The mind of the tree was to be given the mind of an animal for seven years.

4:17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels; this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones, so that those who are alive may understand  that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, and he bestows them on whomever he wishes. He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’

The watchers were angelic beings who seem to dispatch disciplinary judgment on evil kings and politicians. They decreed this judgment upon the tree as a message to the nations.

The “Most High” is Jehovah Himself. He has authority over all political leaders. This includes capitalists, socialists, communists, fascists, dictators, Republicans, and Democrats. God chooses the most evil and lowest of men to become political leaders. Man is totally depraved and evil, so God gives the people the type of political leaders which they deserve. This is why history is filled with evil kings and crooked politicians. Even if a nation has a voting electorate, the people will end up voting for wicked politicians. They cannot help it. The voters are just as wicked as the politicians. Man does not have enough Bible doctrine to choose good leaders. Even believers will often choose wicked leaders, because they do not possess enough Bible doctrine to choose the right man. Sometimes, in response to repentance and confession by at least some of its people, God provides a godly leader to lead a nation back to God. Sometimes, He chooses scoundrels (like Jephthah) to protect the people from themselves.

4:18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, for none of the wise men in my kingdom are able to make known to me the interpretation. But you can do so, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Nebuchadnezzar gave testimony to the nations that Daniel was a prophet from the most holy God.

4:19 Then Daniel (whose name is also Belteshazzar) was upset for a brief time; his thoughts were alarming him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream and its interpretation alarm you.” But Belteshazzar replied, “Sir, if only the dream were for your enemies and its interpretation applied to your adversaries!

Daniel loved the King and did not want to share the bad news of the dream.

4:20 The tree that you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached to the sky, and which could be seen in all the land, 4:21 whose foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful, and from which there was food available for all, under whose branches wild animals used to live, and in whose branches birds of the sky used to nest—4:22 it is you, O king! For you have become great and strong. Your greatness is such that it reaches to heaven, and your authority to the ends of the earth.

We do not have to guess at the symbolization of the tree. The tree was Nebuchadnezzar. There is a modern mental illness known as zoanthropy in which a person believes himself to be an animal.

4:23 As for the king seeing a holy sentinel coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its taproot in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, surrounded by the grass of the field. Let it become damp with the dew of the sky, and let it live with the wild animals, until seven periods of time go by for him’—4:24 this is the interpretation, O king! It is the decision of the Most High that this has happened to my lord the king.

The council of the watchers decided to cut down the King.

4:25 You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and you will become damp with the dew of the sky. Seven periods of time will pass by for you, before you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.

Nebuchadnezzar will live with the mind of an animal for seven years. After the seven years are over, then Nebuchadnezzar will understand that Jehovah is God who appoints and removes kings as He wishes.

There have been many world rulers who have suffered from some form of mental illness. Antiochus Epiphanes, Henry IV, Charles VI of France, Christian VII of Denmark, George Ill of England, Otho of Bavaria, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Hitler, and many other political leaders throughout history have suffered from similar mental illnesses.

4:26 They said to leave the taproot of the tree, for your kingdom will be restored to you when you come to understand that heaven rules.

The stump is to remain with its taproot, because the kingdom will be restored to Nebuchadnezzar.

4:27 Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps your prosperity will be prolonged.”

Daniel advised the King to stop sinning, to rule righteously, and to take care of the poor. This request shows that the judgment was a conditional warning.

Not all, but many of the mental and emotional abnormalities today, result from spiritual problems. Instead of sitting on the couch of a psychologist, most people should study Bible doctrine from the entire counsel of the Word of God.

4:28 Now all of this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.

In his personal testimony to the people of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar revealed that this prophecy was fulfilled.

4:29 After twelve months, he happened to be walking around on the battlements of the royal palace of Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar was known for his building projects. He built a 400 foot high mountain terraced with flowing water and hanging gardens for his wife. These hanging gardens were one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. He may have been walking around these beautiful and famous “Hanging Gardens.” After one full year of the warning, Nebuchadnezzar had not repented or changed his behavior.

4:30 The king uttered these words: “Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?”

Nebuchadnezzar did not recognize that God gave him the Babylonian kingdom by divine sovereignty. There are many people in the world today who think that they earned their lot in life. They go through life, pretending that there is no God. They think that they earn and deserve their position in life.

4:31 While these words were still on the king’s lips, a voice came down from heaven: “It is hereby announced to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you!

A voice from heaven announced to King Nebuchadnezzar that his kingdom was being taken away from him.

4:32 You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and seven periods of time will pass by for you before you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.”

Nebuchadnezzar would live with the mind of a beast for seven years.

4:33 Now in that very moment this pronouncement about Nebuchadnezzar came true. He was driven from human society, he ate grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until his hair became long like an eagle’s feathers, and his nails like a bird’s claws.

Nebuchadnezzar was given the mind of an animal. Dr. Philip R. Newell has this note from Albert Barnes, “Josephus attributes to the Babylonian historian, Berosus, a definite reference concerning a strange malady suffered by Nebuchadnezzar before his death” (Daniel, the Man Greatly Beloved, and His Prophecies, p. 54).

4:34 But at the end of the appointed time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven, and my sanity returned to me. I extolled the Most High, and I praised and glorified the one who lives forever. For his authority is an everlasting authority, and his kingdom extends from one generation to the next.

Nebuchadnezzar testified to the entire Babylonian Gentile world of the one true God. This message was sent into every province of Babylon.

4:35 All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he wishes with the army of heaven and with those who inhabit the earth. No one slaps his hand and says to him, ‘What have you done?’

Nebuchadnezzar testified that God was sovereign over all things. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.

4:36 At that time my sanity returned to me. I was restored to the honor of my kingdom, and my splendor returned to me. My ministers and my nobles were seeking me out, and I was reinstated over my kingdom. I became even greater than before.

The sanity of Nebuchadnezzar was restored by God’s grace. Nebuchadnezzar became a greater king, because his Bible doctrine was stronger. His motive for leadership had changed.

4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all his deeds are right and his ways are just. He is able to bring down those who live in pride.

Nebuchadnezzar praised God for judging his pride and restoring him in honor. He reminded the citizens of Babylon that God brings down the prideful ones. This is a powerful message for men in power today. God placed them in power to further the kingdom of God. If they refuse to use their God-given political positions to do so, then God will bring down their pride.