Chapter 4
MSB outline puts this chapter under the 2nd major point in Daniel - The Prophetic Course of Gentile Dominion, and under the 1st subpoint of that, called "The Dilemmas of Nebuchadnezzar", which runs from 2:1-4:37.
Nebuchadnezzar is now speaking in 1st person. As a co-writer, almost, of this chapter. It starts and ends with a praise, written by him, with narrative of personal events in between. The two praises are in verse format, the rest in plain format.
Vs 4 starts with I, Nebuchadnezzar. Never noticed this before. Is he listed as a writer of the Bible? Here are the verses:
1 King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. 3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation. [Dan 4:1-3 ESV].
After Daniel's interpretation of his dream, Neb said there was no other God who could interpret dreams. After the image of gold, he said there was no other God who could keep people safe in fires. But his theology was still incomplete, still polytheistic. But here in chapter four, that seems to have changed - or words are being put in his mouth. "Most High God" is I believe a Hebrew title for the one God. (2023 - Looked up a couple instances of this title, and it is not like the Jehovah Jirah kind of name. It isn't real catchy transliterated, so I would guess that's why we don't use it. In Daniel 3:26, it would be pronounced "elaha ly".) Everlasting kingdom and dominion acknowledge that God is more powerful than the great Neb, and will still be around long after Neb has gone. The theology here seems quite a bit matured from what it was earlier.
Nebuchadnezzar has another dream. Again he calls in the magicians and so on, but none can interpret this dream, even though he at least tells them this one. Daniel is eventually brought in. This verse:
8 At last Daniel came in before me--he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods--and I told him the dream, saying, [Dan 4:8 ESV]
He talks about his god, and about the spirit of the holy gods. We are back to polytheistic. It makes the earlier salutation look even more "inserted".
2022 - I note that there is nothing at all about this dream in my chart of dreams and interpretations in the note on Daniel 1-3. Why is this dream left out? Because this is not about ages to come or nations or armies. It is about the reckoning to Nebuchadnezzar for his arrogance. I wonder if the reason for this is that God used Nebuchadnezzar differently than he had used Egypt or Assyria. He did more for Neb than just have him conquer Jerusalem. He gave man and beast into Neb's hands. Perhaps with greater position came greater responsibility? Rather than being brought low by conquest, God wanted Neb to understand where real power came from, even if you were the greatest King in the world.
A dream about a huge tree, that all the world can see. Man and beast and birds eat from it and live in and under it. A "watcher" comes down from heaven, a holy one. He says to chop down this tree, and for all that are sustained by it to leave. The tree is to be stripped of it's branches, the mind of a man taken from it and replaced with a beast's mind. But the stump is to be left, bound with iron and bronze. This is to last for seven periods. This vs:
17 The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.' [Dan 4:17 ESV]
I don't know who the watchers are. MSB does not address the question. Nebuchadnezzar is writing. Perhaps this is something he saw in his dream, an angel sent by God, but in his pagan mind, this was a watcher. A figure from Babylonian culture was the best he could come up with to describe an angel? We are given the reason for this strange "sentence". It isn't just about Neb, but about the living. All need to know that history is what God makes it, not what men accomplish on their own. He asks Daniel to interpret this second dream.
2023 - This year, it occurs to me that this "watcher" comes down, and passes on the order to cut down the tree. God wouldn't say this. He would send a messenger to give the orders. I should find examples of that very thing. Note also that it does not say this decree is from God, but "the sentence if by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones". So it's like they tried the case. A decision was made by the holy ones that something must be done. Then, the watchers decided what would be an appropriate sentence. There is that story about how there was this council in heaven and different angels came up with ideas about how to do what God wanted done. God listened to their ideas and selected one. I believe this particular angel was going to put false prophesy in the mouths of the prophets. But in light of this passage, that might be seen as the sentencing phase of that other decision by "the holy ones". Where is that story?
Found it!
19 And Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; 20 and the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, 'I will entice him.' 22 And the LORD said to him, 'By what means?' And he said, 'I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he said, 'You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.' [1Ki 22:19-22 ESV]
Just look how similar this is to what Daniel recounts.
BUT, look at this verse:
24 this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, [Dan 4:24 ESV]. So at the very least, God was in charge of the holy ones who made the decision. It is just like that other story...which I have been unable to find so far.
Daniel is at first afraid to tell Neb what the dream means. But after encouragement from the King, Daniel says the great tree is Nebuchadnezzar. This is the extent of who Nebuchadnezzar was:
22 it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. [Dan 4:22 ESV]
A very great king. In some ways comparable to Solomon - surely Neb's kingdom was even larger.
Daniel says Nebuchadnezzar is going to go "insane". He's going to eat grass, live outside, and for all intents and purposes, he will be an animal. 2020-It does not say he is going to go insane. It says his human brain will be changed by God into an animal brain. It won't be a defect in the brain he was born with, it will be a change that God performs. This is a decree from God Himself, to humble Nebuchadnezzar until he realizes that God is in His heaven, and is in control even of such a great king, and can do with Neb whatever he cares to do. Neb's kingdom will be preserved for him during his time as an animal. Daniel urges Neb to repent and to be a Godly King, so maybe this sentence can be delayed.
The dream comes true a year later. Nebuchadnezzar is on the roof, praising his own greatness and glory. So his period of insanity starts right there, and he becomes like a beast. He lives in the pasture, eats grass, his hair grows very long, and his fingernails grow like birds claws. The seven "periods" are thought to mean 7 years. But could be more or less.
I note that vss 28-33, where the sentence is imposed, are not written in first person. It goes from "I" to "he". Certainly Neb was in no condition to be writing. Then in vs 34, it changes back to first person, as Nebuchadnezzar is restored in his mind.
This phrase, at the end of 35, is a good indication that Nebuchadnezzar now understood God's power: "...and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?"" So it seems that the blessings written by Neb himself at the beginning and the end of the story are the bookends of the episode. Nebuchadnezzar wrote the middle according to "who he was" during the time before and after the time he was more animal than human. The middle is a narrative from the King who believed the Most High God was just one of many gods. But the bookends were written by the changed King, who had experienced 7 years as an animal eating grass and living in the field, and who knew absolutely that God, not man, is in charge of events on the earth.
And this final verse of Chapter 4 summarizes Nebuchadnezzar's understanding of Daniel's God:
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. [Dan 4:37 ESV]
Pride can get you "corrected" very quickly. So can worshiping idols and shedding innocent blood. God does not let these things continue very long. Possible FB post.
2023 - This is the third lesson God gives Nebuchadnezzar. This third time, Neb says he understands now. We don't seen any polytheistic language in Chapter 4...but the first two times, Neb appreciated God's power more than he did before the lesson, but he still did not see that "the Lord our God the Lord is One". Does he get it now?
Also, the seven periods? Could have been just 7 hours. A week. Or 7 years. We have no real idea how long this was.