Dan 4:20-28 | KingComments | STEP | 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” ( ). 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” ( ). 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.

‏ Daniel 4:20-28

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).

Fulfilment of the Dream

Nebuchadnezzar has been told that the decree is assured. But he also heard Daniel’s advice. If God’s decree is certain that a sinner will go to hell, but the sinner accepts the warning, then his fate will change. In the same way, the prophecy would not have had to come over Nebuchadnezzar if he had taken to heart the warning. However, he did not take the warning to heart. Over time, that is, after a year, what is in the heart of Nebuchadnezzar becomes public and what is promised to him in his dream interpreted to him by Daniel happens.

He walks in great complacency on the roof of his royal palace and looks at Babylon. His heart swells with pride. He expresses his pride by honoring himself. Everything he sees is thanks to him, he has done it himself, in his own strength and he deserves all the credit for it.

There is no thought of God with him, he simply ignores God, does not mention Him, does not take Him into account. He does not acknowledge that he owes his power to God. All his buildings proclaim his glory. He sees his own name on everything that is Babylon. Here we see an example of pride. Pride is the sin of the devil (1Tim 3:6). It is the first sin in creation.

A lot of people have their own miniature kingdom, for example in a company with different departments where each manager runs his department like his own kingdom. It can also be true of a father who sees his family as his own kingdom and attributes everything that is nice to his own merit. Maybe we have something of which we think we’re just a little better at than any other. If we boast of this, it is pride.

We must learn that the word is true: “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1Cor 4:7). The Lord Jesus is among His disciples as One Who serves. He never boasted about anything. On the contrary, He humbled Himself. Nebuchadnezzar experiences the truth of the word: “God is opposed to the proud” (Jam 4:6). We will also experience this when we are proud.

The king has not yet pronounced his utterances to the full, the sound of the words have not yet died away, when there is another voice, a voice from heaven. This voice lets hear a proclamation: “Sovereignty has been removed from you.“ From the moment he boasted of his achievements, he lost his kingship. A believer who boasts of his own works also loses his royal dignity and gets heaven against him. What a contrast with the Lord Jesus. Above Him the voice of “God [the] Father” sounds from heaven, testifying of Him: “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased” (2Pet 1:17).

All that is said of Nebuchadnezzar happens to him. At the same time he is robbed of his reason. Suddenly he is insane and in his behavior he becomes “like the beasts that perish” (Psa 49:20). As announced, he is rejected by the people and takes his place as a beast. There he stands in the open field and eats grass like cattle. Thus seven times pass over him.

To the description of the dream by Nebuchadnezzar and its repetition by Daniel, it is now added that his hair and nails are growing all this time. There is no question of any physical care. The image of the once so powerful ruler is becoming increasingly blurred.

So vain is even the most powerful man on earth when he exalts himself against God by placing himself in the place of God. A beast has no awareness of its Creator. When a man denounces the connection with God, he becomes like a beast. This is the situation of every person who does not have God in mind, but only himself.