“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).
In considering this chapter the first thing that comes to our attention is that it is a state document, containing a proclamation or decree issued by Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples of his vast empire, written either by Nebuchadnezzar himself or by Daniel at his dictation. It is probably the only complete state paper that has come down to us from those times. The only way we have of determining when the events described in this chapter occurred is from the statement “I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace” (verse 4). It would seem from this that his career as a conqueror was over. He had become the master of a large portion of the known world. Under his supervision the great city and province of Babylon had become one of the great wonders of the world. No record is given in the archives of history of another earthly king so sublime. While it is doubtless true that the three other empires, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, which were symbolized by other parts of the image of the king’s dream, spread over a larger territory than that of Babylon, nevertheless, there never was so magnificent an empire as the one Nebuchadnezzar had succeeded in consolidating and establishing.
He built a second palace, a very wonder of architecture, the grounds of which were ornamented with those famous artificial mountains and hanging gardens constructed in imitation of the Median hills which his Median wife so missed in the flat country around Babylon. But this was only a fraction of his works. Explorers report the ruins of Babylonia as spread over two hundred square miles, and that nine-tenths of the bricks found all over this space are stamped with Nebuchadnezzar’s name. Sir Henry Rawlinson writes: ‘I have examined the bricks in situ belonging, perhaps, to one hundred different towns and cities in the neighborhood of Baghdad, and I never found any other legend than that of Nebuchadnezzar, son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon.’ Another of these indefatigable antiquarians, the Rawlinsons, writes: ‘It is scarcely too much to say that but for Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonians would have had no place in history. At any rate, their actual place is owing almost entirely to this prince, who to the military talents of an able general added a grandeur of artistic conception and a skill in construction which place him on a par with the greatest builders of antiquity.’ ”
The remarkable incident recorded in this chapter then seems to have occurred at a time when there remained nothing more to satisfy the ambition of Nebuchadnezzar or to add to his glory as a king. It was at a time in this great monarch’s career when he seems to have reached the zenith of his power and glory, when he had nothing to do but to meditate upon his glory and the vastness of his dominion, and congratulate himself in what his wisdom had accomplished. As we consider carefully all that is related in this book, as well as in other books of the Bible about Nebuchadnezzar, we cannot but see that Jehovah was dealing in a special manner with this monarch, not only as a ruler but as a man. It is very significant that twice already in the Book of Daniel we have recorded that Nebuchadnezzar received remarkable displays of Jehovah’s great power. Twice prior to this incident had he acknowledged and confessed before his whole empire that Daniel’s God was a “God of gods and a Lord of kings.”
It would also seem evident that Nebuchadnezzar was aware of the reason why the Israelites were in Babylon. He must have been intimately acquainted with Jeremiah, from whom, as well as from Daniel, he had heard the predictions concerning himself, and of his being used as an agency in connection with the captivity of the Israelites. He had shown his good will and favor to Jeremiah by instructing his general, Nebuzaradan, to care for Jeremiah after the capture of Jerusalem, and to see that all his wants were provided for. He had witnessed the fulfilment of Jeremiah’s predictions concerning himself, and therefore had been given convincing evidence that Jeremiah, as well as Daniel, was a prophet of Jehovah. He had been told in words not to be mistaken, that the “God of heaven had given him a kingdom, honor, and glory,” etc. He had received clear evidence that the chosen people of Jehovah were by God’s permission under his control, and that they were under the Divine protection.
Nebuchadnezzar was now to witness one more display of Jehovah’s power. This one was to be a display of His judgment, even as the servitude of Israel was a display of Jehovah’s judgment upon that nation. This judgment, however, was to come upon himself. It was to be a disciplinary, corrective judgment. How would he receive it? We cannot but be deeply interested in learning how this remarkable punishment affected him, especially since, in this account, it seems we have related the last recorded event of Nebuchadnezzar’s history. Secular history, aside from his wars and conquests, gives us very little information about this great monarch, except the fact of his death, which occurred after reigning about forty-three years. The very fact that this narrative related by Nebuchadnezzar himself, was in the Divine purpose and providence given a place in this most wonderful book, is in itself very significant, showing its importance from the Divine standpoint.
Let it be carefully observed that Nebuchadnezzar’s great object in issuing this decree or proclamation was to make known the signs and wonders which the most high God wrought with him — “His signs, how great! His wonders, how mighty!” — and that it was also to publicly confess his own sin. The word “sign” is used variously in the Scriptures, as well as in ancient secular writings. A summing up of the meaning as applied to God would be:
“Anything that is significant of His presence and power; anything that shall manifestly show that what occurs is done by Him; anything that is beyond human ability, and that makes known the being and the perfections of God by a direct and extraordinary manifestation. Here the meaning is that what was done in so remarkable a manner was significant of the agency of God; it was that which demonstrated that He exists, and that showed His great- ness. The word rendered wonders, means properly that which is fitted to produce astonishment, or to lead one to wonder, and is applied to miracles as adapted to produce that effect. It refers to that state of mind which exists where anything occurs out of the ordinary course of nature, or which indicates supernatural power.”
It will readily be seen by those who have read carefully the Scripture narrative concerning God’s dealings with this great monarch that he had witnessed many exhibitions of God’s wisdom and power; and also that he had been an observer of the manifestation of God’s love and mercy towards His own afflicted people, those who trusted and confided in Him. Taking all these things into consideration, Nebuchadnezzar now seems to have reached a crisis in his religious life. As a result of this final display of the Divine attributes in bringing a judgment upon him, and the mercy shown in reinstating him to his former position, it seems that the whole power and influence of his authority was used in making known the Most High to all the people of his great empire.
The words of his decree were designed, as we have noted, not only to give honor to Jehovah, but also to make a public confession of his own great sin. Taking up the matter in more detail, we see first that the great monarch had another most startling dream. This dream, unlike the previous one, seems to have come to him apart from any earthly cause or connection. It is reasonable to infer, however, that the king believed it proceeded from the same source as the other. While he was unable to understand its meaning, it seems very apparent that he looked upon it as a serious admonition and rebuke against the pride and self-glorification that was gaining ascendancy over him. Referring to this method of Divine revelation by dreams, we note that it was not an altogether uncommon thing for God to reveal His purposes, particularly His warnings, in dreams. Sometimes it was the case, as we learn from other Scriptures, that He spoke in this way to worldly men. In the Book of Job we read:
“God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed. Then He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that He may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man” (Job 33:14-17).
While the Divine Word is the Christian’s great and infallible guide to which he must at all times look, and to which he must ever contentedly and obediently conform his every action, nevertheless, occasionally, in times of great danger, or in times of threatening calamity, there comes in a dream or in some other mysterious foreshadowing, a warning of danger, in order to draw man from his purpose. This was evidently true in Nebuchadnezzar’s case at this time.
A Presage of Impending Evil
The dream is given as a part of the king’s decree or proclamation in Nebuchadnezzar’s own words:
“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.”
One might at first most naturally wonder why the king sent for the magicians, the astrologers, etc., after their failure on a former and similar occasion. This is easily accounted for when it is remembered that by the king’s own appointment Daniel had long been occupying the position as head of this body of men, and in Nebuchadnezzar’s summoning them, Daniel would necessarily be included. However, Daniel seems to have delayed coming. May it not be that his delay was that he might seek counsel of his God. It is very reasonable to suppose this to have been the case. If the wise men attempted to explain the dream, they were unable to do so to Nebuchadnezzar’s satisfaction. He states that at last Daniel came in, and before him the king related his dream:
“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 visions1 of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof. 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.
(1) “The Greek and Arabic render this, ‘Hear the vision of my dream.’ This accords better with the probable meaning of the passage, though the word “hear” is not in the Chaldee” (Albert Barnes).
“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 [lowest] 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 4:10-14).
When Daniel heard this strange and startling dream from the king’s own lips, he “was astonied for one hour” — amazed and overwhelmed — and for a time he uttered not a word. It is very evident that he was much disturbed, troubled. The cause of this agitation of mind was not that he did not understand the significance of the dream, but rather that its application meant evil to the king, and he was very naturally disinclined to tell him of it. It was through no fear of evil consequences to himself, but because of his great sympathy for the king, in whom it is very reasonable to believe he had a special interest, and whom he had come to respect. He saw immediately that the dream was a prophecy applying to the king, and that it foreboded trouble, calamity.
It is not unreasonable to suppose that a kind of friendship had grown up between Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel, such as frequently exists between a king and his favorite counselor. This would be quite natural. Daniel had been exalted to the position he held by the kindness of the king, and we may be sure that he was a faithful steward, which would be very much appreciated by Nebuchadnezzar. We can hardly believe otherwise than that mutual gratitude between the two men laid the foundation for a certain friendship. This was evidently what caused Daniel to hesitate about telling the king the calamitous tidings.
Nebuchadnezzar, perceiving his servant’s feelings, spoke to him the assuring words: “Let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee.” The Prophet then hesitated no longer, but proceeded to perform the necessary, yet unpleasant task of interpreting the dream. He supplements his interpretation, however, in language expressive of his sincere attachment to and sympathy for the king. “My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee.” The language shows that Daniel had no desire that the things foreboded in the dream should come upon the king. He would prefer, rather, that they would come upon his enemies.
“There is not in this anything necessarily implying a hatred of the enemies of the king, or any wish that calamity should come upon them; it is the expression of an earnest desire that such an affliction might not come on him. If it must come on any, such was his respect for the sovereign, and such his desire for his welfare and prosperity, that he preferred that it should fall upon those who were his enemies, who hated him. This language, however, should not be rigidly interpreted. It is the language of an Oriental; language uttered at a court where only the words of respect were heard.”
Daniel then tells the king that the tree, which grew so strong and tall that it became visible to all on the earth; whose leaves were fair, the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the earth dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation, represented Nebuchadnezzar himself: “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.” Daniel next simply relates the principal circumstances of the dream, in order to refresh the mind of the king and prepare him for the information regarding the terrible calamity which was to befall him. He said: “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.” Then follows the interpretation (verses 24, 25).
The great judgment affliction was that he should be driven from men, which would mean that he should cease to occupy the position he was then holding. The Prophet does not say who would drive him from among men, but merely that this would be done. His dwelling was to be with the beasts of the field, he was to eat grass as oxen, to be wet with the dew of heaven, and this would last until seven times should pass over him, till he should be made to know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever He will.
The king was further told that the command of the “holy one” to leave the “stump of the roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass,” meant that during this punishment, his kingdom would be made sure to him; that is, he would resume the authority of his kingdom after the punishment was over, and that then he would recognize and bow to the rule of heaven.
Daniel concluded his interpretation of the dream with words of instruction and counsel to the king. The words, which we may be sure were kindly spoken, seem to intimate a possibility that if they were heeded, the terrible calamity might be averted. “Wherefore, O king,” said the Prophet, “let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility [margin, “or an healing of thine error”].” Thus was Nebuchadnezzar given to know the chief sin — that of pride and vainglory — that brought this threatened calamity. He had failed to give that which was due to the One who gave him his authority and power. Daniel very naturally believed that if the king would humble himself, and thus remove the cause, the judgment might be stayed.
We are not to suppose, however, that this was Nebuchadnezzar’s only sin. Oppression and injustice were probably inseparable from heathen despotism. Doubtless he fell into these sins in connection with the construction of the many wonderful buildings, the building of the great walls and the many remarkable wonders that made Babylon so famous. We cannot but admire the boldness and fidelity of Daniel, who went even beyond what he was called in to do. To tell the mightiest monarch of the world to forsake his sins, required courage. He could not have done this had he himself not been free from the evils that brought upon Nebuchadnezzar this impending affliction. It is worthy of notice that Daniel’s advice to Nebuchadnezzar was that he perform those same two acts which the Savior accepted in Zacchaeus (Luke 19:8,9), as unquestionable evidences of repentance.
It is very significant as showing the forbearance and long-suffering of God that the judgment predicted was stayed for “twelve months,” giving opportunity for the bringing forth of fruit meet for repentance on the part of the king. Failing in this, the threatened judgment followed, as recorded in the remaining verses of the chapter.
Those who have followed closely these events of Nebuchadnezzar’s history, as recorded in Chapters Two, Three, and Four, cannot but note that Divine truth was producing certain effects upon the great monarch’s heart. The very fact that this judgment which came upon him was limited, and that his kingdom was to be preserved for him, shows that the punishment was corrective, and that it was foreseen by God that it would bring a genuine repentance may we not say, in a sense, his conversion to the Most High. However, the punishment had to be inflicted before repentance came. A noted writer remarks:
“We would suppose that such a sacred and impressive forewarning and admonition could not fail of the most salutary effect. But there is nothing more treacherous and deceitful than poor depraved human nature. Nebuchadnezzar doubtless intended to profit to the full from the counsel he had received. He had the utmost confidence in the wisdom and inspiration of the Prophet. He had every reason to accept the whole presentation as a veritable message from God. Nor was it in the composition of this monarch’s character to make light of so evident a communication from the Deity, whose signs and wonders he had beheld. But it is hard for rich and great men, in the midst of their glories, powers, flatteries, and cares, to be true and faithful to all that they know, feel, and confess of their duty and of what is right and proper. The Savior and his Apostles have remarked upon the great difficulty of such to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And Nebuchadnezzar was not an exception.”
Nebuchadnezzar was greatly elated over his vast achievements, and it is nothing strange that his attention should be drawn away from his wonderful dream, and its admonitions. It would be difficult to find a public man today who could be entrusted with such honor and glory, “without having his head completely turned, and his self-consequence lifted higher than the stars.” And so it was with Nebuchadnezzar. We read that at the end of twelve months, when he was walking upon the high places of his palace, from which height he could view the city with its magnificent buildings, its grand and spacious avenues, its beautiful parks and gardens, he looked down upon it all 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 honor of my majesty?” Says Mr. Seiss:
“As men ordinarily reckon and speak, there would not seem to be much out of the way, in such a remark. It was, above all men, his work. Babylon was a great and glorious city; and it had come to be what it was chiefly through him. As we hear men refer to their works and doings we would expect any of them to express themselves after the same style. I know of none who would not speak in the same way, and with much the same emotions, under the same circumstances. But this only shows, not that Nebuchadnezzar was innocent, but that humanity all over is very perverted and wrong. It will leave God out of everything creditable wherever it can. It will parade its own puny self, powers, and achievements, whenever occasion presents. It loves to contemplate what it has done. If in anything it favorably differs from one or another or from the general mass of men, it inwardly gloats over it and rejoices itself in its superiority, not remembering who it is that maketh it to differ, and whose alone is the credit and honor for it all. And Nebuchadnezzar fell into the common offensive and criminal mistake which so deeply inheres in all unsanctified humanity. Taking a survey of his magnificent honors and achievements, he refers them exultingly to himself — to his own genius, strength, and wisdom — and leaves out that eternal Providence without which he was no more than the meanest beggar or the dirtiest dog in all his kingdom. He had himself confessed that, of a truth, Jehovah is God of gods and Lord of kings. He had heard the heavenly ‘watcher’ say, and Daniel repeat, that it was his duty, as that of all men, to know and realize that it is the Most High that ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever He will. But in the moment of transport over what had been accomplished through his instrumentality he forgot all this, and set everything down to his own credit. He knew better, as all men know better when they do such things, but when he looked on the glory of the city he had so exalted and adorned, his pride and vainglory got the mastery over all his better knowledge and the prophetic warnings, and his soul was lifted up in exultation over his own wisdom and might. The gracious God above, from whom, apart from any worth or deservings of his, he had all that distinguished him from any other member of the race, was completely thrown out of reckoning. And thus he lent his soul and speech to a miserable atheistic pride which seems to have been this man’s besetting sin — the besetting sin of all human greatness and success — which reached its culmination as he thus walked and spoke amid the towers and battlements of his glorious palace.”
Nebuchadnezzar’s Period of Insanity
Various explanations have been given respecting the nature of Nebuchadnezzar’s punishment. That it was a species of insanity is clear, because it is stated to be such by Nebuchadnezzar himself when referring to his recovery: “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding [reason] returned unto me.” That the great affliction came upon him as a direct judgment, as a rebuke to his pride and self-exaltation, is also evident. The entire account not only gives evidence of this, but also makes clear that the punishment was a corrective one.
The nature and form of insanity that befell the king has been known in both ancient and modern times. It was of that kind or species in which the subject labors under the delusion that he is himself an animal, and sets himself to live and act like the particular animal which he imagines himself to be. Numerous instances of this form of insanity are recorded in the various medical works that treat of this malady, and examples may be seen by visiting asylums for the insane. One may imagine himself to be a king, and deck himself with a scepter or a diadem. It is very evident from this narrative that Nebuchadnezzar imagined himself to be a beast, and it was a thing not unnatural that he would try to live and act like a beast, as the account informs us he did. In such a state of mind it has been found that nothing can convince the affected one that he is not what he fancies himself to be. Where cases of this kind exist, and the afflicted ones are harmless, it is sometimes customary to indulge them in this fancy, in so far as it would be consistent with safety. It is not necessary to suppose that Nebuchadnezzar was permitted to roam the forests or fields without restraint. It is more reasonable to believe that he was cared for, indeed that special attendants were employed to this end. As expressed by another:
“Perhaps the real influence of Nebuchadnezzar, and the true greatness of his character, cannot be seen more clearly than they are from the conduct of the Babylonians towards him upon this melancholy occasion. As a rule in the East everything depended upon the personal activity of the king, and his constant presence to direct every movement whether in the direction of war, fine art, politics, theology, or civil engineering. But in this case the king was in a helpless condition, confined [most probably] to one of his palatial parks, and there shut off from all intercourse with the outer world. Here he was treated, most probably, not as unfortunate persons are at the present time by the kindness of skilled physicians who have made a study of human infirmity, but by his own magicians, who bound their sacred texts around him, and recited over him some of their incantations. Yet the whole of the state machinery went on just as if the mainspring itself were sound. No attempts were made to nominate a successor or even a regent. The prestige of the great conqueror, aided doubtless by the wisdom of Daniel, was in itself sufficient to maintain the empire.”
Another writer has also laid stress on this matter as follows:
“That after so deep, long, and total a disability he found his imperial authority still reserved to him must likewise be referred to the special providence and merciful goodness of God, the while foreseeing what a salutary change the sorrowful affliction would work. We may justly attribute it, in good part, to that generosity and sound statesmanship which led the king to put Daniel and the three other Hebrews at the head of things. Faithful to their God, they would not be unfaithful to their king, nor allow advantage to be taken of his melancholy sufferings to set up another in his place. These men knew that the trouble was only for a definite time, and that then the king would be recovered to his right mind in a still higher sense than it was ever before possessed. And, so far as their high authority and influence would go, they would reserve the kingdom for him, as the Chaldeans had done when his father died.”
The expression, “they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen,” seems to denote that as this was his fancied propensity, he would be indulged in it. It is not necessary, however, to suppose that his food was confined to what is termed grass today. The account is in the Chaldean language, and the corresponding Hebrew word for grass, according to Mr. Barnes and other learned expositors, means properly herbs, green herbs, vegetables. “The word grass in our language conveys an idea which is not strictly in accordance with the original. That word would denote only the vegetable productions which cattle eat.” The herbs or vegetables would of course in this instance be eaten raw, the same as with cattle. The expression, “They shall make thee to eat grass,” means that as this would be his inclination, they would treat him so that he would be permitted to do it. The words, “And they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven,” means that they would allow him to live out in the open air. This would not be considered a strange treatment of an insane person, and especially so in a climate where it was not uncommon for all classes of persons to pass the night in the open air.
However, we must not lose sight of the fact that this affliction of the king was a special judgment of God.
“The affliction was meant to be extraordinary, and the falling of it within the category of common afflictions, though with peculiar features of its own, serves the double purpose of showing that it was not at all unlikely on the one hand, and that it was not a mere natural disorder on the other.”
It is utterly impossible to conceive a contrast more marked than the one between Nebuchadnezzar’s former state and condition and that which this great punishment brought upon him. The description exhibits one of the most melancholy and sad afflictions that could be visited upon any human being, however low his condition; but when considering the former exalted state of the king, the affliction would be so much more greatly magnified. Imagine, if you can, the great monarch of the world, the one who was symbolized by the head of gold of the great image of empires, the one whose dominion reached almost to the end of the inhabited earth, the one whose genius surpassed all others, whose fame as a warrior, architect, and ruler resounded far and near; imagine him having reached the height of worldly success, honor, and glory, walking upon the walls of his palace, contemplating with inward satisfaction what his great genius and military prowess had accomplished; imagine him looking down with selfish pride and admiration upon what he believed his own wisdom and might and power had accomplished and saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty.”
Then come and see him under the terrible affliction — this same man, walking among the cattle, thinking himself one of them, trying to live and act like them, disdaining human habitation and ways of living. Observe him feeding upon the green herbage, despising the dainty food of the palace. Mark his matted hair and beard. Observe his nails grown so that they looked like birds’ claws. Note the dull, vacant look of his countenance; his refusal to speak to any human being, even to answer his questions. Observe his beast-like habits. Note how impossible it is to persuade him that he is any different from the beasts that he persists in associating with. What degradation! Can this be a man? Is this the great and mighty conqueror whose fame had reached the world over? Is this the man under whose supervision and by whose wisdom and genius Babylon, the glory of the “Chaldean excellency,” had been built? Is this the man who had consolidated and welded together all the kingdoms of the ancient world and brought them to acknowledge him as their ruler? Can this be the great and mighty monarch who was so desirous of having his fame handed down to generations unborn that he had his name stamped on the millions of bricks that were used in the construction of the wonderful palaces and other buildings designed by him or under his supervision?
Indeed, this is the man! how has the mighty fallen! This is the punishment the Almighty imposed upon him for ignoring his Maker — for not heeding the “signs and wonders” of Omnipotence. What a punishment indeed was this! However, it was all designed for good. In his case it was corrective — sent upon him in order that he might see his sin, abhor and forsake it, and acknowledge that the great God of heaven was the One to whom all men should give the praise and honor for what they are, as well as for what they have been enabled in this world to accomplish. Was the punishment in vain? Did he learn the lesson? Did it cause him to look up to the great God? Was his recovery an illustration of how the goodness of God leads men to repentance?
It is impossible for us to tell whether or not the king retained his inner consciousness during the period of this terrible affliction. Medical works refer to cases of like affliction in which the subject’s consciousness or even memory was seriously impaired, although they persisted in maintaining that they were not men, but beasts. The late Joseph Seiss is authority for saying:
“Dr. Browne, the eminent commissioner of the Board of Lunacy [about 1850] for Scotland, gives it as his opinion, made up from an experience of thirty years in the treatment of mental alienations, that ‘the idea of personal identity is but rarely enfeebled, and that it is never lost.’ He says: ‘All the angels, devils, dukes, lords, kings, “god’s many,” that I have had under my care remained what they were before they became angels, dukes, etc., in a sense, and even nominally.’ This author says: ‘I have seen a man declaring himself to be the Savior sign himself, James Thomson, and attend worship regularly, as if the notion of divinity had never entered into his head.’ And in reference to the very case now before us he says: ‘I think it probable that Nebuchadnezzar retained a perfect consciousness that he was Nebuchadnezzar during the whole course of his degradation.’ ”
If the quite general opinion that a “time” represents a year is correct, then seven years was the divinely appointed period that this great affliction was to continue. The decree of the heavenly “watcher” was that after this period had passed, he would recover. Whether the king retained the consciousness that he was Nebuchadnezzar all these years or not, it is quite certain that he possessed it as the time drew near for his deliverance from the punishment.
It is very significant that the great calamity came upon him while the voice from heaven was speaking to him, and when his deliverance came, he informs us that he found himself looking up to heaven whence the voice came: “At the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes to heaven.” He must then have recognized that he was a grievous sufferer; he must have been conscious of the great sin that caused his affliction; and it is very reasonable to suppose that the look upwards was one expressive of reverence — a look that indicated earnest prayer for pity; one which needed no audible expression for Him who is not only just but merciful to know that the king was pleading for mercy and help. He who has said, “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones,” responded, and Nebuchadnezzar was delivered.
He informs us, in words expressive of his joy and gratitude, that his under- standing returned to him, and that he blessed the Most High, and praised and gave honor to Him for his great deliverance. His words, as recorded in the closing verses of this most remarkable decree or proclamation are:
“At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honor and brightness returned unto me; and my counselors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment; and those that walk in pride He is able to abase.”
Some writers, with seeming reasonableness, have located this incident of Nebuchadnezzar’s recovery as occurring only a brief period, perhaps a year, before his death. All accounts agree that his death occurred in 561 BC, after a reign of about forty-three years. This Bible account is the last we hear of this great monarch. Berosus hints at some mysterious silence in connection with his closing days. From the few vague and very brief passages mentioned in these ancient histories, however, there can be no solid inferences drawn. After this most remarkable proclamation which he says was designed to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God wrought toward him, the veil is drawn, and his subsequent history is hidden from our view, until “the judgment of the great day.”
Much debate has been had as to whether Nebuchadnezzar was genuinely converted or not. To answer with certainty it would be necessary to know for a surety what was the character of his life after this. So far as his words are concerned, they express nothing less than a genuine repentance and conversion. May we not with confidence believe that his words, “And for the glory of my kingdom, mine honor and brightness returned unto me and excellent majesty was added unto me,” express his purpose that his restoration to the exercise of his reason, should contribute to the glory of his kingdom, by the acts of justice and beneficence which he intended should characterize the remainder of his reign? And indeed, if the belief of many eminent writers is true — that Nebuchadnezzar was a symbolical man; that in both his degradation and recovery he represented both humanity’s degradation and restitution — then, to make the typical representation full and complete, would it not require that he suffer not only a judgment degradation, but also experience in the close of his life a genuine conversion to the God of heaven? It certainly would seem so. Concerning this a noted writer has said:
“He had endured a most signal judgment, but it had upon him the intended effect. It humbled his pride. It brought him to the most devout personal recognition of the true God. It set him to work to do all in his power to honor and glorify Jehovah. It took away from his heart all shame or hesitation in confessing his sin, and the justice of the punishment he had suffered on account of it. It made him a penitent adorer and royal missionary of the true God. Not a great golden statue now, but his own imperial station, his recovered reason, his softened heart, his royal pen, himself and all his power and faculties as a, king, were dedicated to that infinite One whose majesty he had offended, whose judgment he had suffered, and whom all men should fear, worship, and obey. He transmuted his throne into a pulpit and his state papers into sermons, that his erring subjects might learn the wonders of Omnipotence, be led to honor the high God, and have peace multiplied unto them through His name. He had ‘learned that the heavens do rule’; and now his royal desire was that all people, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth might learn the same, without coming to it through such sorrows as he had felt. He had through deep waters reached the better shore, and he now sung his psalm of royal praise to the ‘King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment.’ He had come to a pious appreciation of ‘the signs and wonders that the high God had wrought toward him’; and, touched with that beneficent missionary-fire which always attends a true experience of grace, he now would have all men reverence and adore that same almighty Being who is able to humble all the children of men.
“Men have debated whether his was a full and genuine conversion or not. To me it seems as if everything that could be expected under the circumstances was actually wrought. There breathes through the whole document so quiet, candid, earnest and beautiful a spirit that I know not how to explain it without referring it to a thorough transformation of his entire character, which only the converting grace of God could work. The offensive pride of the heathen autocrat gave place to that penitent humility which frankly confesses its sin and blesses the Hand that chastised it. The hand which held the sword, and wielded it with such terrible effect is now stretched forth in benediction. The lion, so fierce and ravenous, is tamed into a lamb. The harsh enactor of decrees to cut men to pieces and to burn them in furnaces of fire, now exhorts and admonishes them as a very prophet of God. If his language and speech are not yet completely purged of their heathen accent, and do not in all respects conform to that of the inspired teachers of Israel, we can still distinctly trace in it the soul of a true worshiper and servant of the Most High. Nor do I know by what authority any one can deny him place in the great congregation of them that know God and share in His redeeming grace” (Joseph Seiss).
It certainly is remarkably significant that the last view of Nebuchadnezzar given us in that sacred history is that of issuing a proclamation to all people to reverence and obey the great God whose signs and wonders are so mighty, and who sits in majesty as the King of heaven. What more, in so far as words can express, is needed to describe a human soul won to God?
The Picture of Humanity
It is understood by several eminent writers that Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity and recovery had a deeper significance, a much wider application, than is contained in the interpretation as given by Daniel. The thought is that Nebuchadnezzar was a typical man. Mr. Guinness has said:
“Nebuchadnezzar was a typical, representative man. Not only was he the golden head of the great fourfold image, but he stands as its representative, as the representative of the long succession of Gentile rulers who were to succeed him, till the coming of the Son of Man. His degradation to a bestial condition, typified the moral degradation of the Gentile kingdoms, through idolatry, pride, and self-exaltation; his restoration to reason prefigured the yet future day when the empires of earth shall own that ‘the heavens do rule’ … thus the duration of Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity becomes typical of the duration of the times of the Gentiles, the times during which supreme power in the earth, is by God committed to Gentile rulers, instead of to the seed of David. Now these ‘times’ have already lasted more than 2400 years since the days of Nebuchadnezzar, and thus we see that the seven years of days, during which the king was insane, were intended to prefigure seven years of years (2520 years) during which the moral and spiritual degradation and debasement of the kingdoms of this world, dating from himself, are destined to endure.”
Mr. Elliott thus refers to this matter:
“Did Nebuchadnezzar experience this most extraordinary judgment and recovery simply in his individual character, or as a symbolic man? For my own part, considering the extraordinary nature of the judgment — the fact of its being so fully recorded by Daniel — the circumstance of Nebuchadnezzar being addressed on occasion of another prophecy as the representative of his nation (‘Thou art the head of gold’) — and that of the symbolic tree, when cut down, being bound with a band of brass and iron, the metals significant of the Greek and Roman Empires, which for ages held sway over the prostrate region of Babylon — all these considerations … induce me to believe that the seven times 360 days that passed over Nebuchadnezzar in his madness, represents the 2520 years of the times of the Gentiles.”
Mr. Russell’s interpretation of this remarkable dream also carries with it a typical application. Regarding this he says:
“This remarkable tree, in its glory and beauty, represented the first dominion of earth given to the human race in its representative and head, Adam, to whom God said, ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth’ (Genesis 1:28). The original glory of man and the power invested in him were indeed sublime, and were over the whole earth, to bless, and feed, and protect and shelter every living thing. But when sin entered, the command came to hew down the tree, and the glory and beauty and power of mankind were taken away; and the lower creation no more found shelter, protection and blessing under his influence. Death hewed down the great tree, scattered his fruit and foliage, and left the lower creation without its lord and benefactor. “So far as man was concerned, all power to recover the lost dominion was hopelessly gone. But it was not so from God’s standpoint. The dominion originally sprang out of His Plan, and was His gracious gift; and though He had commanded it to be hewn down, yet the root — God’s purpose and plan of a restitution — continued, though bound with strong fetters so that it should not sprout until the divinely appointed time.
“As in the dream the figure changes from the stump of a tree to a man degraded and brought to the companionship and likeness of beasts, with reason dethroned and all his glory departed, so we see man, the fallen, degraded lord of earth; his glory and dominion have departed. Ever since the sentence passed, the race has been having its portion with the beasts, and the human heart has become beastly and degraded. How striking the picture, when we consider the present and past half-civilized and savage condition of the great mass of the human race, and that even the small minority who aspire to overcome the downward tendency succeed only to a limited degree, and with great struggling and constant effort. The race must remain in its degradation, under the dominion of evil, until the lesson has been learned, that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will. And while men are in this degraded condition God permits some of the basest characters among men to rule over them, that their present bitter experience may prove in the future to be of lasting benefit.
“True to Daniel’s interpretation, we are told that ‘All this came upon the king, Nebuchadnezzar,’ and that in this insane, degraded, beastly condition he wandered among the beasts until seven times (seven literal years in his case) passed over him. Daniel’s interpretation of the dream relates only to its fulfilment upon Nebuchadnezzar; but the fact that the dream, the interpretation, and the fulfilment are all so carefully related here is evidence of an object in its narration. And its remarkable fitness as an illustration of the Divine purpose in subjecting the whole race to the dominion of evil for its punishment and correction, that in due time God might restore and establish it in righteousness and everlasting life, warrants us in accepting it as an intended type.”
In addition to this, may we not say that just as man’s fall and degradation are represented by Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity and his beastly state during its continuance, so man’s recovery and restitution must also be represented by Nebuchadnezzar’s recovery and genuine conversion? Furthermore, if the entire dream is representative and typical, it is most reasonable to suppose that the period of the seven times is likewise typical. In other words, if Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity lasted 2520 literal days, so reckoning from his day, man’s dominion under sin would be 2520 symbolic days, a year for a day. Associating this expression “seven times” with the prediction of our Lord, “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled,” it seems not only clear that there is a symbolical significance in the expression “seven times,” but that its beginning is marked by two distinct events in Nebuchadnezzar’s career, one of which was the commencement of the servitude of the Jewish nation to Nebuchadnezzar, which marked the starting point of the Gentile lease of power, the other being the overthrow of Jerusalem and the temple. The dates assigned to these two events, as calculated by the vast majority of the world’s most reli- able historians and chronologists, are respectively 606 and 588 BC. Their ending is 1914 and 1934 AD.1 The arrival of this future date of course will determine the correctness or incorrectness of this application.
(1) For a fuller explanation of the “times of the Gentiles,” their beginning and ending, see special treatment on Chronology in The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom (Appendix A).
The Spirit of Mortal
Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
Like a swift-fleeting meteor, a fast-flying cloud,
A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave,
He passeth from life to his rest in the grave!
The leaves of the oak and the willow shall fade,
Be scattered around and together be laid;
And the young and the old, and the low and the high,
Shall moulder to dust, and together shall lie!
The hand of the king that the sceptre hath borne,
The brow of the priest that the mitre hath worn,
The eye of the sage, and the heart of the brave,
Are hidden and lost in the depths of the grave!
And we are the same that our fathers have been;
We see the same sights our fathers have seen;
We drink the same stream, and view the same sun,
And run the same course our fathers have run.
’Tis the wink of an eye, ‘tis the draught of a breath,
From the blossom of health to the paleness of death —
From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud —
Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud?