Dan 4:33-34 | KingComments | STEP | 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 ( ). 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?” ( ). 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” ( ). 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” ( ). 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” ( ). 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.

‏ Daniel 4:33-34

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.

Nebuchadnezzar Gets Back His Reason

When the days of Nebuchadnezzar being a beast are over, he raises his eyes toward heaven. A beast only looks toward the earth and has no consciousness of the Creator. If Nebuchadnezzar looks up to heaven, it is because he has back his reason. God has taken away his reason from him and gives it back to him. He has achieved His goal with His discipline. This is evident from the first words spoken by Nebuchadnezzar. They are words of praise and honor to the Most High. He glorifies Him.

The name ‘Most High’ is the name of God in the kingdom of peace. The first time that name occurs is when Melchizedek meets Abraham who by battle has freed his cousin Lot from the power of a few kings. Melchizedek is a priest of “God, the Most High” and blesses Abraham on behalf of “God, the Most High” (Gen 14:18-20). This situation is reminiscent of the liberation by the Lord Jesus of the faithful remnant of Israel in the future. After His victory, He is the true Melchizedek Who distributes bread and wine for strength and joy. The kingdom of peace will be full of them.

Nebuchadnezzar recognizes God even as the One Who lives forever, Whose government is eternal. He not only rules forever, He also rules from the moment there is something to govern, that is, from the moment He created something. There has never been a time when He did not have the rule and there will never be such a time.

Against this greatness Nebuchadnezzar recognizes the nullity of man, not only as an individual, but as a total mankind. All men together cannot do anything against Him. All heavenly inhabitants are under His authority, just like all earth-dwellers. No one is strong enough to ward off His hand and thus evade His authority. Which man is so audacious to take up the word against Him and call Him to account (cf. Rom 9:20)? He who does this, sins against his life.

After this acknowledgment, which is the result of the return of his reason, he also gets back the kingdom. His nobles seek him out again. He gets more greatness than he possessed before that time (Pro 29:23). It is often the case that we lose more than we gain if we go a road that is not good. But it is also sometimes the case that God gives more than we had.

We see that with Peter. After his restoration, he is given a great task among the believers. His two letters are proof of this. Someone who has truly repented that he went a wrong road or did a wrong deed, sometimes receives more praise than in the life he lived before that time.

Nebuchadnezzar concludes his proclamation with a new praise. He calls God the “King of Heaven”, He Who has all authority in heaven. With this position he connects His deeds and paths on earth. Everything He does is true and in accordance with heaven where everything is true. Every way which He goes, whether with a man or with a nation, is a way in righteousness; that is the righteousness of heaven. Everything in heaven corresponds to His Being of truth and righteousness. We see the results on earth.

When the Lord Jesus rules on earth, all deeds and paths on earth are a reflection of heaven. He Who rules in heaven, Whose throne is in heaven, shall then reign on earth, and His throne shall be on earth. Then the prayer will be fulfilled: “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10). In view of this time, may it be our prayer that this is already visible in our personal lives.