Dan 4:19-27 | KingComments | STEP | After Nebuchadnezzar has told the dream he has seen, he says to Daniel to tell him its interpretation. He says in addition that all his wise men have failed to tell him the interpretation. On the one hand Daniel is his last hope, on the other hand he has no doubt that Daniel will give him the interpretation. He again attributes this to the holy gods. At the same time he realizes that they are not Daniel’s gods. When Daniel has heard the dream, he immediately knows the interpretation. About that, he becomes appalled. How long that appalment lasts, which prevents him from speaking a word, lasts. In any case, it lasts so long that the king sees that the explanation of the dream appalls Daniel and that he must urge him to tell the explanation. It may surprise us that Daniel was shocked by the dream. The dream makes it known that Nebuchadnezzar will learn a formidable lesson. Shouldn’t he be happy? This is a good opportunity to sarcastically tell Nebuchadnezzar what would happen to him. For that man has done so much evil to his people, that is God’s people. And he himself was taken away by him from the land of God. But there is no trace of any sense of revenge or gloating. On the contrary, Daniel is scared of the judgment that will come upon the king. That brings us to the question what about our concern for all those people who are directly on their way to hell and will also end up there if they do not repent. Generally speaking, we may have that compassion and, forced by the love of Christ, we urge people to repent. But is there also this feeling for those who cause us to suffer, who make our lives difficult or perhaps almost unbearable? By God’s grace Daniel feels no hatred against Nebuchadnezzar, but compassion. Paul calls for prayer for all people and especially for those who are in high positions, like the cruel emperor of Rome ( ). If we have hearts like Daniel and Paul, we will pray for such rulers. We will not wish them hell, but wish them to be saved ( ).

‏ Daniel 4:19-27

Daniel Must Tell the Interpretation

After Nebuchadnezzar has told the dream he has seen, he says to Daniel to tell him its interpretation. He says in addition that all his wise men have failed to tell him the interpretation. On the one hand Daniel is his last hope, on the other hand he has no doubt that Daniel will give him the interpretation. He again attributes this to the holy gods. At the same time he realizes that they are not Daniel’s gods.

When Daniel has heard the dream, he immediately knows the interpretation. About that, he becomes appalled. How long that appalment lasts, which prevents him from speaking a word, lasts. In any case, it lasts so long that the king sees that the explanation of the dream appalls Daniel and that he must urge him to tell the explanation.

It may surprise us that Daniel was shocked by the dream. The dream makes it known that Nebuchadnezzar will learn a formidable lesson. Shouldn’t he be happy? This is a good opportunity to sarcastically tell Nebuchadnezzar what would happen to him. For that man has done so much evil to his people, that is God’s people. And he himself was taken away by him from the land of God. But there is no trace of any sense of revenge or gloating. On the contrary, Daniel is scared of the judgment that will come upon the king.

That brings us to the question what about our concern for all those people who are directly on their way to hell and will also end up there if they do not repent. Generally speaking, we may have that compassion and, forced by the love of Christ, we urge people to repent. But is there also this feeling for those who cause us to suffer, who make our lives difficult or perhaps almost unbearable?

By God’s grace Daniel feels no hatred against Nebuchadnezzar, but compassion. Paul calls for prayer for all people and especially for those who are in high positions, like the cruel emperor of Rome (1Tim 2:1-2). If we have hearts like Daniel and Paul, we will pray for such rulers. We will not wish them hell, but wish them to be saved (Acts 26:29).

The Interpretation of the Dream

In his explanation of the dream, Daniel begins with an almost verbatim repetition of the first part of the dream. By doing so he shows Nebuchadnezzar that he has heard and understood the dream well. By repeating the dream again, the king will experience its application even more strongly. Immediately after his repetition of this part of the dream, Daniel says of the tree: “It is you, O king.”

Thus he heard Daniel also say at the interpretation of the first dream: “You are the head of gold” (Dan 2:38). That will have flattered him. He would also have loved to have heard the application of the tree to him if there would not follow more. His greatness is overwhelming, both in height – which “reached to the sky” – and in breadth – it “was visible to all the earth”.

Then Daniel repeats the part of the dream that is about the watcher and what he said. He does so in somewhat stronger terms than in the depiction of Nebuchadnezzar. Thus Daniel speaks of “destroy it”. In what the watcher says, we see what heaven thinks about this wonderful tree, about this wonderful Nebuchadnezzar, who is impressed by himself and with whom people are impressed.

Heaven says: “That which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God” (Lk 16:15). That is why the voice sounds from heaven: ‘Turn that thing upside down, and nothing should remain of all appearances.’ However, the stump of the tree must be left. There is no definitive end to the life of Nebuchadnezzar. This is indicated by the word “until”. It is a temporary humiliation, for a period of seven times.

After the repetition of the second part of the dream, Daniel explains what the meaning is. He introduces the interpretation with the serious assurance that what happens to Nebuchadnezzar according to the interpretation, “is the decree of the Most High”. With this he places the king, whom he addresses with due respect with “my lord the king”, in the presence of God as the Most High. It is about Nebuchadnezzar being convicted of His existence and His sovereignty. What will happen to him is a decree of the Most High and therefore it will not be possible to be changed or ignored by a human being.

The content of the decree is that Nebuchadnezzar will be driven away from the people’s living area and will have his dwelling place with the beasts of the field. He will lose his place among men and he will go into the company of the beasts and behave like one of them. His dwelling, his food, his clothing, his dignity, everything that makes up his greatness as a human being, he loses. Instead he shall be in the open field, without covering, and shall eat grass like cattle. He will no longer quench his thirst with selected wines, but will have to be content with the dew of heaven.

The humiliation is complete and ends when he recognizes “that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes”. Before he reaches that point, seven times will have passed, a perfect period. That this period of humiliation is coming to an end is included in the words “to leave the stump with the roots of the tree”, words that Nebuchadnezzar also heard. Daniel adds that after his recognition “that [it is] Heaven [that] rules”, his kingdom will be assured to him.

For every human being there can only be a connection with God when he acknowledges that God is the Most High Ruler over everything. God is sovereign. Recognizing this gives peace to the heart. We, as believers, must also learn this regularly in our lives, in which so many things can happen that show that we have forgotten this.

Advice of Daniel

When Daniel has interpreted the dream, he adds a personal word. He advises, unasked for, but out of compassion, Nebuchadnezzar to break away from his sins,. The rule of Nebuchadnezzar, experienced as a benefit by all who submit to him, does not mean that he is not a sinner and does not do iniquities. His rule is not a righteous and just rule. He lives for himself. Daniel points out to him that he does not show mercy to the oppressed. If he wants to prolong his prosperity, he must change that. This is only possible if he repents and acknowledges God with his heart as the Ruler of all things.

What Daniel says does not mean that Nebuchadnezzar can make his sins undone by acting righteously now and proving grace. It is not possible to become clean from sins on the basis of good works. A person is saved from his sins only by confessing them and believing in the atoning death of Christ. In the time when the Lord Jesus has not yet come, God can forgive sins in view of the offering that Christ will bring (Rom 3:23-26). For man nothing has changed before and after the cross. God forgives sins only by confession (1Jn 1:9), whereby the basis for forgiveness is the sacrifice of Christ (Heb 9:22b).