Nebuchadnezzar A Living Epistle
of Jesus Christ
The book of Daniel is the revelation of
the Old Testament.Daniel tells us
of the coming of the Lord.
The first half of the Book of Daniel
deals with God's providence in Daniel's
life. The last half of the Book of
Daniel presents Daniel's visions.
It reveals God's plans and purpose
in the unfolding of future events.
The book of Daniel is a book of prophecy.
The prophecy of Daniel can be divided
into fulfilled prophecies and prophecies
to be fulfilled .
A study of prophecy will lead us to
a holy life and a fear of God (1 John 3:).
Daniel was a man of prayer.(Dan 2:17-23 ;6:10;
9:3-19; 10 )
Daniel was man of prophecy. Prophecy and history
show that God is overruling man's government.
Daniel was a man of purpose.
And we can see this throughout the book of
Daniel.
Daniel 2:44 is the important key verse to the
book of Daniel.
And in the days of these kings shall
the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which
shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom
shall not be left to other people,
but it shall break in pieces and consume
all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
( Daniel 2:44)
In the third year of the reign of
Jehoiakim king of Judah came
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king
of Judah into his hand, with part
of the vessels of the house of God:
which he carried into the land
of Shinar to the house of his god;
and he brought the vessels into
the treasure house of his god.
(Daniel 1:1-2 )
In 608 B.C. Pharoah Necho placed Jehoiakim on
the throne of Judah in the place of his
brother Jehoabaz. Both of these wicked men
were sons of the godly king Josiah.
Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt. Then he
made Judah subject to Babylon. This
is the beginning of the seventy years of
Judah's captivity to Babylon.
(Jeremiah 25:1-1)
And the king spake
unto Ashpenaz the master
of his eunuchs, that he
should bring certain of
the children of Israel,
and of the king's
seed, and of the princes;
(Daniel 1:3)
Nebuchadnezzar took for himself
the captives that he
considered to be the best
among the captives of
any nations.
The king wanted these boys to
spend their times studying.
And his way of doing this
is to make them eunuchs.
Daniel and his three companions
were made eunuchs
in fulfillment of Isaiah 39:7.
And of thy sons that
shall issue from thee,
which thou shall begat,
shall they take away;
and they shall be eunuchs
in the palace of the king
of Babylon.
Children in whom
was no blemish,
but well favoured, and
skilful in all wisdom,
and cunning in knowledge,
and understanding science,
and such as had ability
in them to stand in the
king's palace, and whom
they might teach the
learning and the tongue
of the Chaldeans.
(Daniel 1:4)
These were brilliant young
men who were exposed
to the learning of their days.
And the king appointed
them a daily provision
of the king's meat,
and of the wine
which he drank:
so nourishing them three years,
that at the end
thereof they might
stand before the king.
(Daniel 1:5)
The king appointed them
a pagan diet that
included unclean animals.
Daniel was a Jew
and was under the
Mosaic law that required
the Jews to abstain
from eating certain meat.
Now among these were
of the children of Judah,
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and
Azariah:
(Daniel 1:6)
For I am the LORD your God:
ye shall therefore sanctify
yourselves, and ye shall
be holy; for I am holy:
neither shall ye defile
yourselves with any manner
of creeping thing that
creepeth upon the earth.
For I am the
LORD that bringeth you
up out of the
land of Egypt,
to be your God:
ye shall therefore be holy,
for I am holy.
(Lev 11:44-45)
Depart ye, depart ye,
go ye out from thence,
touch no unclean thing;
go ye out of the
midst of her;
be ye clean, that
bear the vessels of
the LORD. (Isa 52:11)
Whatsoever is sold in
the shambles, that eat,
asking no question
for conscience sake:
(1Cor 10:25)
But meat commendeth us not to God:
for neither, if we eat, are we the
better; neither, if we eat not,
are we the worse. (1Cor 8:8)
The Hebrew boys were taking
a stand for the Lord.
They were taking a stand
for the Mosaic Law.
Unto whom the prince
of the eunuchs gave names:
for he gave unto Daniel
the name of Belteshazzar;
and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and
to Mishael, of Meshach;
and to Azariah,
of Abednego.
(Daniel 1:7)
Babylon wants their chosen
workers to be in good
physical condition with the
best brains.
The prince of the eunuchs
changed their names. He
gave Daniel the pagan name
Belteshazzar.
The king wanted the chosen
young men to fit into
the culture of Babylon.
But Daniel purposed in
his heart that he
would not defile himself
with the portion
of the king's meat,
nor with the wine
which he drank:
therefore he requested of
the prince of the
eunuchs that he might
not defile himself.
(Daniel 1:8)
Daniel was in the world ,
but not of the world.
You cannot serve God
and Mammon.
Daniel did not conform
to the world.
Daniel purposed in his
heart that he would
not defiled himself with
the portion of the
king's meat, nor with
the wine which he drank.
And be not conformed to
this world:
but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is
that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God.
(Romans 12:2)
Now God had brought Daniel
into favour and tender love
with the prince of
the eunuchs.(Daniel 1:9)
And the prince of the
eunuchs said unto Daniel,
I fear my lord the king,
who hath appointed
your meat and your drink:
for why should he see
your faces worse liking
than the children which
are of your sort?
then shall ye make me
endanger my head
to the king (Daniel 1:10).
The prince of the eunuchs
is afraid to disobey
the king's commandments. The
meat and drink diet
is appointed by the king.
If Daniel's appearance
is not up to good standard,
he could make the
the prince of the eunuchs
endanger his head to the
king.
Then said Daniel to Melzar,
whom the prince of the
eunuchs had set over Daniel,
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
Prove thy servants, I beseech
thee, ten days;
and let them give us
pulse to eat,
and water to drink.
(Daniel 1:11-12 )
Then let our countenances
be looked upon before thee,
and the countenance of the
children that eat of the
portion of the king's
meat: and as thou seest,
deal with thy servants.
(Daniel 1:13)
So he consented to
them in this matter,
and proved them ten days.
(Daniel 1:14 )
And at the end of
ten days their countenances
appeared fairer and
fatter in flesh than
all the children which
did eat the portion of
the king's meat.(Daniel 1:15 )
Thus Melzar took away
the portion of their meat,
and the wine that they
should drink;
and gave them pulse.
(Daniel 1:16 )
As for these four children,
God gave them knowledge
and skill in all learning
and wisdom:
and Daniel had understanding
in all visions
and dreams.
(Daniel 1:17 )
Now at the end of
the days that the king
had said he should bring
them in, then the
prince of the eunuchs
brought them in before
Nebuchadnezzar.(Daniel 1:18 )
And the king communed
with them; and among
them all was found none
like Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah:
therefore stood they
before the king.
(Daniel 1:19 )
And in all matters
of wisdom and understanding,
that the king inquired
of them, he found
them ten times better
than all the magicians
and astrologers that were
in all his realm.
(Daniel 1:20 )
And Daniel continued
even unto the first
year of king Cyrus.
(Daniel 1:21 )
And in the second
year of the reign of
Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar's Dreams
Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams,
wherewith his spirit was troubled,
and his sleep brake from him.
(Daniel 2:1)
Then the king commanded
to call the magicians,
and the astrologers, and
the sorcerers, and the
Chaldeans, for to shew
the king his dreams.
So they came and stood
before the king.
( Daniel 2:2)
And the king said
unto them, I have dreamed
a dream, and my spirit
was troubled to know
the dream.( Daniel 2:3)
From verse four of
chapter two in the Book of
Daniel there was a change
from Hebrew to
the Aramaic language.
From verse 4 of chapter 2,
the book of Daniel
is written in Aramaic language.
Aramaic was the language
of the Gentiles.
Aramaic or Syriack was the
main language of world.
The change of language
is significant.
Now God is speaking to
the world, and not
just to His chosen
nation of Israel.
Then spake the Chaldeans
to the king in Syriack,
O king, live for ever:
tell thy servants the dream,
and we will shew
the interpretation.
( Daniel 2:4)
They start by giving
flattery to the king.
The Chaldeans tried to
avoid the real issue
because they had no
knowledge of the king's
dream.
No man could give
the dream. Only God can
give dreams. The magicians
and the worldly wise men
are pleading for their lives. They
are trying to show
the unreasonableness
of the king's demands.
For man it is impossible.
But for with God
nothing shall be impossible.
The magicians and Chaldeans
have claimed to possess
supernatural powers. The king is
now asking them to
demonstrate that.
The king answered and
said to the Chaldeans,
The thing is gone from me:
if ye will not make
known unto me the dream,
with the interpretation thereof,
ye shall be cut in pieces,
and your houses shall
be made a dunghill
( Daniel 2:5)
But if ye shew the
dream, and the interpretation
thereof, ye shall receive
of me gifts and rewards
and great honour: therefore
shew me the dream
and the interpretation thereof.
( Daniel 2:6)
They answered again and said,
Let the king tell his
servants the dream,
and we will shew the
interpretation of it.
( Daniel 2:7)
The king answered and said,
I know of certainty that
ye would gain the time,
because ye see the thing
is gone from me.
( Daniel 2:8)
But if ye will not
make known unto me
the dream, there is
but one decree for you:
for ye have prepared
lying and corrupt words to
speak before me, till
the time be changed:
therefore tell me the dream,
and I shall know that
ye can shew me the
interpretation thereof.
( Daniel 2:9)
The Chaldeans answered before
the king, and said,
There is not a man
upon the earth that can
shew the king's matter:
therefore there is no king,
lord, nor ruler, that
asked such things at any
magician, or astrologer,
or Chaldean.
( Daniel 2:10)
And it is a rare
thing that the king requireth,
and there is none other
that can shew it before
the king, except the gods,
whose dwelling is
not with flesh.
( Daniel 2:11)
They recognized the limitation
of human knowledge.
Only God can show it
to the king. The worldly wise
men are stalling for time.
They can not demonstrate
the super power that they
have claimed to possess.
They are only deceivers.
They are lying.
For this cause the king was angry and very furious,
and commanded to destroy all the wise
men of Babylon. ( Daniel 2:12)
And the decree went forth that the wise men should
be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows
to be slain.
( Daniel 2:13)
Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom
to Arioch the captain of the king's guard,
which was gone forth to slay the wise men of
Babylon:
He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain,
Why is the decree so hasty from the king?
Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
( Daniel 2:14 -15)
Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king
that he would give him time, and that he would
shew the king the interpretation.
( Daniel 2:16)
Then Daniel went to his house, and made the
thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
his companions: ( Daniel 2:17)
That they would desire mercies of the God of
heaven concerning this secret;
that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with
the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
( Daniel 2:18)
Daniel went to his house and made known to his
Hebrew companions that they would desire mercies
from the God of heaven concerning this secret.
Daniel demonstrates his God-given wisdom.
Daniel asks for time .There must have been
at least night before the execution of
wise men. During that night
Daniel receives a revelation from God.
Daniel has been allowed to go forth before the
king. Daniel has strong faith in the Lord
for a revelation and interpretation of
the dream.(v. 16)
Daniel went to his house and made the thing
known unto Hananiah, Mishael,and Azariah,
his companion.
They join in prayer and would desire mercies
of the God of heaven concerning this secret;
that Daniel and his fellows should not perish
with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
(Daniel 2:14-18)
Then was the secret
revealed unto Daniel
in a night vision. Then
Daniel blessed
the God of heaven. ( Daniel 2:19)
When they prayed . God answered and gave the
dream to Daniel in a night vision.
Daniel answered and said,
Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever:
for wisdom and might are his:
And he changeth the times and the seasons:
he removeth kings, and setteth up kings:
he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to
them that know understanding:
He revealeth the deep and secret things:
he knoweth what is in the darkness,
and the light dwelleth with him.
I thank thee, and praise thee,
O thou God of my fathers, who hast
given me wisdom and might, and hast made
known unto me now what we desired of thee:
for thou hast now made known unto us the king's
matter.
( Daniel 2:20-23 )
Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch,
whom the king had ordained
to destroy the wise men of Babylon:
he went and said thus unto him;
Destroy not the wise men of Babylon:
bring me in before the king,
and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
( Daniel 2:24)
Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king
in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found
a man of the captives of Judah, that will make
known unto the king the interpretation.
( Daniel 2:25)
The king answered and said to Daniel,
whose name was Belteshazzar,
Art thou able to make known unto me the dream
which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
( Daniel 2:26)
Daniel answered in the
presence of the king, and said,
The secret which the king hath demanded cannot
the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians,
the soothsayers, shew unto the king;
( Daniel 2:27)
But there is a God in heaven that revealeth
secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar
what shall be in the latter days.
Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed,
are these; ( Daniel 2:28)
As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind
upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter:
and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee
what shall come to pass. ( Daniel 2:29)
But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me
for any wisdom that I have more than any living,
but for their sakes that shall make known the
interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest
know the thoughts of thy heart. ( Daniel 2:30)
Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image.
This great image, whose brightness was excellent
stood before thee; and the form thereof was
terrible. ( Daniel 2:31)
This image's head was of fine gold, his breast
and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs
of brass, ( Daniel 2:32)
His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and
part of clay. ( Daniel 2:33)
Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out
without hands, which smote the image upon his
feet that were of iron and clay, and
brake them to pieces. ( Daniel 2:34)
Then was the iron, the clay, the brass,
the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together,
and became like the chaff of the summer
threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away,
that no place was found for them:
and the stone that smote the image became a great
mountain, and filled the whole earth.( Daniel 2:35)
The dream portrays man's perspective of man's boastful
achievements.
God wants to show what He wishes to made known
to man
God uses the image of man to tell the story of
the days of man and the history of human civization
King Nebuchadnezzar saw the colosso and terrible image of man
These kingdoms are pictured from man's standpoint
The terrible image of man is man's perspective
of man's achievement
We are living in the days of the gentile.
God wants to teach us how the
human governments rule.
Human governments rest on the delicate foundation .
Heavy top metals rest on the foundation of mud.
Gold is the most valuable, silver is less valuable,
brass is less valuable than silver. Iron is less
valuable than brass. And clay holds the least value
God reveals the course of world empire and the its
destruction by Christ.
The dream concerns latter days.
The dream is about the empires of the world.
When Nebuchadnezzar dreamed the dream,
Persia was a vassal state, Greece was
marauders warring tribes in the desert,
and Rome was a village.
There is no way Nebuchadnezzar could foretell
about the future world on his human perspective.
The dream tells of future events
of his life and the future of world.
God gives the dream to a wicked pagan king
Jerusalem will be trodden down
(Matt 24:15)
This is the dream; and we will tell the
interpretation thereof before the king.
Thou, O king, art a king of kings:
for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom,
power, and strength, and glory.
And wheresoever the children of men dwell,
the beasts of the field and the fowls of the
heaven hath he given into thine hand, and
hath made thee ruler over them all.
Thou art this head of gold.
( Daniel 2:38-38)
And after thee shall arise another kingdom
inferior to thee, and another third kingdom
of brass, which shall bear rule over all the
earth. ( Daniel 2:39)
And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron:
forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth
all things: and as iron that breaketh all these,
shall it break in pieces and bruise.
And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes,
part of potters' clay, and part of iron,
the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be
in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as>
thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
And as the toes of the feet were part of iron,
and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly
strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest
iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle
themselves with the seed of men: but they shall
not cleave one to another, even as iron is not
mixed with clay. ( Daniel 2:40-43)
And in the days of these kings shall
the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which
shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom
shall not be left to other people,
but it shall break in pieces and consume
all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
( Daniel 2:44)
Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone
was cut out of the mountain without hands,
and that it brake in pieces the iron, the
brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold;
the great God hath made known to the king
what shall come to pass hereafter:
and the dream is certain, and the
interpretation thereof sure.
Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face,
and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that
they should offer an oblation and sweet
odours unto him.
( Daniel 2:45-46)
The king answered unto Daniel, and said,
Of a truth it is, that your God is
a God of gods, and a Lord of kings,
and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest
reveal this secret.
( Daniel 2:47)
Then the king made Daniel a great man,
and gave him many great gifts, and made him
ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and
chief of the governors over all the wise
men of Babylon.
Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the
affairs of the province of Babylon:
but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
( Daniel 2:48-49)
Nebuchadnezzar knows only to worship physical
objects, Nebuchadnezzar wants to worship the
God of heaven but he does not know how to
worship the God of heaven
The pagan king falls down on his face and tries
to worship Daniel, but Daniel is only a man.
Daniel is a godly man who puts always gives
all the credits to the Lord.
Daniel is the king's advisor. I am sure that
Daniel has told the king to worship only
the Lord, the God of heaven.
Nebuchadnezzar does not know any better ,
but he has good intentions. The king wants to
worship the God of heaven.
This is Nebuchadnezzar's introduction to the
God of heaven.
Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges the God of heaven
Nebuchadnezzar honors the God of heaven by
honoring Daniel, a prophecy of the Lord.
Nebuchadnezzar realizes the wisdom and almighty
of the God of heaven. He makes Daniel the ruler
of the province of Babylon and chief of governors
over all the wise men of Babylon.
Then Daniel requested of the king,
and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
over the affairs of the province of Babylon:
but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
Chapter Three
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold,
whose height was threescore cubits,
and the breadth thereof six cubits:
he set it up in the plain of Dura,
in the province of Babylon.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather
together the princes, the governors, and
the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the
counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers
of the provinces, to come to the dedication
of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king
had set up.
(Daniel 3:1-2)
The tremendous height of the golden image
was visible from great distance. Babylon was
located on a flat plain surrounded by
flat country.
Nebuchadnezzar was rebelling against the
God of heaven when he made the golden image
of himself. Instead of giving gratitude for
God's gift, Nebuchadnezzar was rebelling
against God.
The making of the golden image of himself
was because of vaulted pride. It was
self-dedication.
Then the princes, the governors, and captains,
the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors,
the sheriffs, and all the rulers of
the provinces, were gathered together unto the
dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar
the king had set up; and they stood
before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
(Daniel 3:3 )
Then an herald cried aloud,
To you it is commanded, O people,
nations, and languages,
That at what time ye hear the sound of the
cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer,
and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and
worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar
the king hath set up:
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth
shall the same hour be cast into the midst
of a burning fiery furnace.
(Daniel 3:4-6 )
Therefore at that time, when all the people
heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp,
sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick,
all the people, the nations, and the languages,
fell down and worshipped the golden image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
(Daniel 3: 7)
Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came
near, and accused the Jews.
(Daniel 3:8 )
They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar,
O king, live for ever.Daniel 3:10
Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man
that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute,
harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and
all kinds of musick, shall fall down and
worship the golden image:
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth,
that he should be cast into the midst of
a burning fiery furnace.
There were certain Jews whom thou hast set
over the affairs of the province of Babylon,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men,
O king, have not regarded thee:
they serve not thy gods, nor worship the
golden image which thou hast set up.
(Daniel 3:9-12 )
Certain Chaldeans came near and accused the Jews.
The three Hebrews youths were being accused
of not bowing down to worship the golden image.
Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded
that the three Hebrew youth be brought before
him.The Chaldeans were using corrupted
and lying words.
Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury
commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego. Then they brought these men
before the king. (Daniel 3:13 )
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them,
Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the
golden image which I have set up?
(Daniel 3:14 )
Now if ye be ready that at what time ye
hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp,
sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all
kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship
the image which I have made; well:
but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast
the same hour into the midst of a burning
fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall
deliver you out of my hands?
(Daniel 3:15 )
The king asked if it
is true that they
did not worship his
gods and did not worship
the golden
image .The consequences for disobedience
was severe. The
king gave them another chance.
If they worship not
the golden image, they would
be cast into a fiery
burning furnace.
It was not disloyalty
to the king , when the Hebrew
youths refused to worship the golden image.
They were obedient to their Lord, the God of
heaven.
The king gave them
opportunity to change their minds
to bow down and worship
the golden image.
Nebuchadnezzar had a false
idea of the power
of the God of heaven.
He did not think that
God was able to deliver
them from the fiery
burning furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar foolishly thought
that he was more
powerful than God.
Nebuchadnezzar was promoting
his man-made religion of
golden image of himself.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered
and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we
are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
(Daniel 3:16 )
If it be so, our
God whom we serve is able
to deliver us from
the burning fiery furnace,
and he will deliver
us out of thine hand,
O king. But if not,
be it known unto thee,
O king, that we will
not serve thy gods, nor
worship the golden image
which thou hast set up.
(Daniel 3:17-18 )
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the
form of his visage was changed against Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake,
and commanded that they
should heat the furnace
one seven times more than
it was wont to
be heated.
And he commanded the most
mighty men that
were in his army to
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, and to cast
them into the burning
fiery furnace.
(Daniel 3:19-20 )
Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury. His
fury was so intense that the form
of his visage was changed
against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego .
He commanded that the furnace to
be heated seven times hotter than
the ordinary. Nebuchadnezzar commanded
the mighty men that were in his
army to bind the three Hebrew
young men and cast them into
the burning furnace.
These were the mighty men in
his army who help him conquer
the then known world.
Then these men were bound in
their coats, their hosen, and their
hats, and their other garments,
and were cast into the midst of
the burning fiery furnace.
(Daniel 3:21 )
Therefore because the king's
commandment was urgent,
and the furnace exceeding hot,
the flame of the fire
slew those men that took
up Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego. And these three men,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
fell down bound into the midst of the
burning fiery furnace.
(Daniel 3:22-23 )
Satan seeks to destroy
God's plan for the
salvation of man. God
overwrites the decisions
of world kings so that
all things works
for good according to the will of God.
God can turn bad situations into victories,
showing that He is the Almighty God.
Many times the attempts of evil men in
high places to destroy the people of God
end up destroying the evil men themselves
and glorifying God.
This is a warning for
the modern evil people that
listen to the devil's lies.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and
rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his
counsellors,
Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of
the fire? They answered and said
unto the king, True, O king.
He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose,
walking in the midst of the fire, and they have
no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the
Son of God.
(Daniel 3:24-25 )
The mighty men were the best warriors in Nebuchadnezzar's
army. And they were destroyed by God. Nebuchadnezzar
was astonished . They had cast three men bounded in the
midst of the fire. Now the king saw four men loose,
walking in the midst of the fire . and they have no hurt.
And the form of the fourth is like the son of God.
They were unhurt in the fire. Satan will try to hurt
and hinder the child God.
Believers are not separated from
difficulties. Fiery
darts were thrown at them.
a believer's faith
in the Lord will be
tested and challenged.
By the grace of God,
the people of God is
delivered.
However , deliverance is
not always from the situation.
Deliverance is sometimes
in and through the difficult
situation. You go through
fiery trials and tests which
are more precious than gold
that perishes.(1 Peter 1:6-7)
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth
of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of
the most high God, come forth, and come hither.
Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth
of the midst of the fire.
And the princes, governors, and captains, and the
king's counsellors, being gathered together,
saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had
no power, nor was an hair of their head singed,
neither were their coats changed, nor the smell
of fire had passed on them.(Daniel 3:26-27 )</b>
They were tested by fire. The believers are thrown
into the fiery fire . The believers may not
always escape the fiery furnace but God is able to
turn on impossible situation into a miracle of
God.
The onlookers can behold the presence of the Lord.
They can behold the sustaining and protecting
grace of the Lord in saving the believers.
God will protect God's children. For the men in
the fiery furnace, they have no hurt. They are
unharmed.
Many times the believers must stand firm in the
Lord.The believers must rest completely in the
grace and strength of the Lord in the face of
seemingly impossible situations.
Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said,
Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered
his servants that trusted in him, and have changed
the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that
they might not serve nor worship any god, except
their own God.
Therefore I make a decree, That every people,
nation, and language, which speak any thing
amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses
shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other
God that can deliver after this sort.
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
(Daniel 3:28-30 )
Blessed be the Lord God ,
who has sent his angel , and
delivered His servants that trusted in Him. God has
changed the king's word.
The Word of God is the truth. The Word of God is the
most power and overwrites the commands of man.
Therefore the king made a decree that every people ,
nation, and language which speak anything against
the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall
be cut in piece and their house shall be made
a dunghill. The king is convinced that only God
can deliver the Hebrew young men after this matter.
Then the king promoted to a higher position in
the province of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar the king,
unto all people, nations,
and languages, that dwell in all the earth;
Peace be multiplied unto you.
DANIEL CHAPTER FOUR
I thought it good to shew
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 )
Nebuchadnezzar sends a message of peace to all people,
nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth.
He is not speaking peace among the nations. He has
already attained peace through his military might.
Nebuchadnezzar is speaking about the peace of the
heart that comes to a sinner when he is at peace
with God. The sinner knows that God has accepted him.
And this man's peace is restored to him.
The Lord has shown miracles and wonders in saving
Nebuchadnezzar.
It is a great spiritual battle that the Lord has
won against the devil. How great is the miracles of
the Lord. How mighty are the wonders of the most
high God. His kingdom is everlasting kingdom, and
His dominion is from generation to generation.
Man's plan for salvation ends
in madness.
For the natural man's greatest
achievement the natural man
gets for himself his portion
with the beasts in the grass
of the earth.
Without Christ , the natural
man's portion is with
the beasts is the grass of the earth.
Without Christ the natural man
is given a heart of a beast.
For all of natural man's achievement,
the devil gives a heart of a beast
to the natural man.
God sees the natural man as
nothing but a wild beast in
the grass of the earth.
The fourth chapter of Daniel relates to
Nebuchadnezzar's journey into madness.
When the natural man follows the devil,
he becomes a lunatic.
The natural man loses his mind.
The natural man loses his heart.
And the natural man loses his
strength.
Satan is the father of lies.
A lunatic builds on a
foundation of lies.
Let his heart be changed
from a man's and let
a beast's heart be given unto him.
God has placed hedges around man to protect man.
When the hedges are removed from man, the devil
is able to come to changed his heart and a
beast's heart is given unto him.
I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house,
and flourishing in my palace: (Daniel 4:4 )
I saw a dream which made me afraid, and
the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of
my head troubled me. (Daniel 4:5 )
Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in his house and
was flourishing in his house.
He saw a dream which made him afraid.
His thoughts upon his bed and the visions of
his head troubled him.
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. Then came
in the magicians, the astrologers, the
Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told
the dream before them; but they did not
make known unto me the interpretation thereof.
But at the last Daniel came in before me,
whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the
name of my god, and in whom is the spirit
of the holy gods: and before him I told
the dream, saying,
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 visions of my dream that I have
seen, and the interpretation thereof.
(Daniel 4:6-9 )
Nebuchadnezzar commanded to bring all the wise
men of Banylon before him so that they might
make known unto him the interpretation of
the dream. then came in the magicians, the
astrologers , and the soothsayers.
He told them the dream, but they could not
interpret the dream.
But as last Daniel came before the king.
He had confidence in Daniel in whom is
the spirit of the holy God.
The king believed that no secret troubled
Daniel. Daniel knows the will of God.
God's plan will be done earth according to
God's will .
Man makes decrees. And God will overwrite
man's decrees because God rules in the
affairs of man.
The king knew that Daniel was able to
tell him the visions of his dream 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.
(Daniel 4:10-16 )
In his dream Nebuchadnezzar saw a tree
that grew strong in the midst of the
earth. The height of the tree was
great. The tree grew ,and was strong,
and the height thereof reached
into heaven, and the sight thereof
to the end of the earth.
The devil propose to give man the
kingdoms of the world if man
bows down to him. It is a lie.
The kingdoms do not belong to
the devil.
It is the same proposal the devil
presented Jesus in the desert.
Then said Jesus unto him,
Get you hence, Satan:
for it is written, You shall worship
the Lord your God, and him only
shall you serve(Matt.4:10)
Gen 1:26 And God said,
Let us make man in our image, after
our likeness:
and let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the fowl of
the air, and over the cattle, and over
all the earth, and over every creeping
thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own
image, in the image of God created he
him; male and female created he them.
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and
God said unto them,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and
replenish 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.
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of
the dust of the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living soul.
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 of men.
(Daniel 4:17 )
This was the story of the
most powerful and wicked man
that ever walked on
earth. The king has grown and became
strong , for his greatness is grown
and reaches unto heaven.
His dominion has reach to the end of
the earth. The king saw the holy one
saying... "Hew the tree down.,.,."
There is a hedge around the breath
of life.
A living soul has life.
The devil wants to squeeze the life
out man. The devil wants to block
man's connection with God.
A person with a heart of a beast
has no life. He acts like a beast.
This is the same story for all
the unbelievers. The unbelievers
move toward self-destruction.
For the natural man's greatest
achievement , he is rewarded with
his portion with the wild beasts in
the grass fields of the earth.
Man's plan for man's salvation will
end in man's madness.
Without Christ , the natural man's
portion is with the beasts in the
grass of the fields.
Without Christ , the natural man is
given a heart of a beast.
God sees the natural man as nothing
but a wild beast in the grass of
the earth.
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 4:18 )
Daniel was astonished for one hour.
And his thoughts troubled him.
Daniel was troubled not because
he had difficulty understanding the
dream. Daniel was troubled because
he ached for the king. He was
troubled because he ached for
the welfare of his own people.
Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar,
was astonied for one hour, and
his thoughts troubled him. The king
spake, and said,
Belteshazzar, let not the dream,
or the interpretation thereof,
trouble thee.
Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord,
the dream be to them that hate
thee, and the interpretation thereof
to thine enemies.(Daniel 4:19 )
Who are the king's enemies ?
The devil and the demons are
the enemies of the king. The
devil wants to destroy the king.
God wants to save the king.
The tree that thou sawest, which grew,
and was strong, whose height reached unto
the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the
earth; Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit
thereof much, and in it was meat for all;
under which the beasts of the field dwelt,
and upon whose branches the fowls of the
heaven had their habitation:
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 4:20-22 )
The king wants to hear the
interpretation of the dream.
The king saw a tree that grew
strong and reached to the heavens.
The leaves were fair and had an
abundance of fruit, where under
the tree the beasts of the field
dwelt, and upon the branches the
fowls had their habitation.
This tree represented king
Nebuchadnezzar.
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;
This is the interpretation, O king, and this
is the decree of the most High, which is
come upon my lord the king:
(Daniel 4:23-24 )
That they shall drive thee from men, and
thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the
field, and they shall make thee to eat grass
as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew
of heaven, and seven times shall pass over
thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth
in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to
whomsoever he will.
And whereas they commanded to leave the stump
of the tree roots;
thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after
that thou shalt have known that the heavens
do rule. (Daniel 4:25-26 )
The order to chop down the
tree and destroy it was a
prophetic portrayal of what
would befell king Nebuchadnezzar.
Yet leave the stump of the roots
therefore 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.
Daniel explained to the king. This
is the interpretation. This is
the decree from the most High
God , which is come upon the king
that they shall drive you from
men , and your dwelling place
shall be with the beasts of
the field. And they shall make
you eat grass as oxen, and they
shall wet you with the dew of
heaven.
And seven times shall pass over
you till you know that the most
High God rules in the kingdoms
of Human beings , and give it
to whomsoever He will.
And whereas they commanded to
leave the stump of the tree
roots, your kingdom shall be
sure unto you.
After that you shall know that
God do rule.
The devil's plan of salvation
is a lie. When a person fills
his mind and heart with lies,
he becomes a lunatic. He sees
himself as a wild beast. He
thinks like a beast , and he
acts like a wild beast.
He takes his portion with the
wild beast of the field.
It is the grace and mercy of God ,
that Nebuchadnezzar was saved
from the claws of the devil.
It is the story of the natural
man. Some people build their
empires in politics. Some people
build their kingdoms in business.
Some people builds their empire
in writings. Some people build
their kingdom in education.
Some folks build their empire
in technology. Whatever man
accomplished under the sun,
it is vanity and useless.
It is like trying to catch the
wind. It is temporary. It comes
and it is gone like the wind.
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be
acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins
by righteousness, and thine iniquities by
shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a
lengthening of thy tranquillity.
(Daniel 4:27 )
Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar to repent
and get right with God.
Break off your sins by righteousness.
Break off your iniquities by showing
mercy to the poor. It may be a
lengthening of your tranquility,
The king rejected the advice of
Daniel. God give the king time
to repent. Nebuchadnezzar had not
repent from his sins. The king
boasts of his abilities and
human accomplishments. This is
natural man's plan of salvation.
The natural man thinks that
he has to think and act like
a wild beast in order to survive.
What defiles a man ? What comes out of
man's heart.
Surviving is not living. Surviving
is for wild beasts. Living is
for the spiritual person.
The natural man left God out of
his useless survival plan.
The natural man listens to the lies
of the devil. There is no truth
in the devil's lies.
The king glory in this great city.
It was designed for protection
and security with high and thick
walls, and broad moat.
God has allowed Nebuchadnezzar to
be king of this great kingdom.
Instead of thanking God for
the gift, Nebuchadnezzar claimed
all the glory for himself.
He had conquered the then known
world, but the king could not rest
securely in the greatest city of
the then known world.
Natural man's greatest achievement
can not give him rest.
He strives to be the greatest
and he finds he only labours in vain.
Pride goeth before destruction, and
haughty spirit before a fall
(Prov.16:18).
His mind is filled with pride.
His heart is filled with selfish
pride. He had conquered all the
known world of his days. He had
conquered all the nations and
their idols. He thinks he is
the idol of the idols. He wanted
everyone to worship him.
He had already made a decree
that all the people must bow
down to him and his golden
image.
Prophecy concerning the king
was now being fulfilled.
All this came upon the king
Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of
twelve months he walked in the
palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
The king spake, 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 honour
of my majesty?
While the word was in the
king's mouth, there fell a
voice from heaven, saying,
O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee
it is spoken;
The kingdom is departed from thee.
And they shall drive thee from
men, and thy dwelling shall be
with the beasts of the field:
they shall make thee to eat
grass as oxen, and seven times
shall pass over thee, until
thou know that the most High
ruleth in the kingdom of men,
and giveth it to
whomsoever he will.
The same hour was the thing
fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar:
and he was driven from men,
and did eat grass as oxen,
and his body was wet with the
dew of heaven, till his hairs
were grown like eagles' feathers,
and his nails like birds' claws.
And they drove him from men. And his
dwelling place was with the beasts
of the field. They made him eat
grass as an oxen. And seven time
passed over him, until he knows
that the most High God rules
in the kingdom of men, and gives
it to whomsoever He will.
(Daniel 4:21-33 )
Then Nebuchadnezzar fills his
heart with praises
to the most High God. It cures his
insanity. The Word of God drives
out evil thoughts of the devil.
He no longer thinks like a wild
beasts. And he no longer acts like
a wild beast of the field.Now
Nebuchadnezzar has a man's heart
that is pleasing to God.
Nebuchadnezzar has repented from his
sin.
From his heart, he praises the Lord.
And at the end of his days, Nebuchadnezzar
lifted up his eyes unto heaven. And
his understanding returned unto him.
What did Nebuchadnezzar understand ?
He understood the truth . The Lord
is the way, the truth , and the life,
And Nebuchadnezzar blessed the most
High God , he praised and honoured
Him .
He saw the truth. He repented from his
sin. And he put away the idols.
And he turned toward God.
He understood that the most High
God lives forever. The Lord is the same
today, yesterday, and forever. The
kingdom of God is an everlasting
kingdom .And His kingdom is from
generation to generation. And all
the inhabitants of the earth is
reputed as nothing.
And the Lord does according to His will
in the army of heaven. And none cam
stay His hand. And none can give orders
to Him.
And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar
lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine
understanding returned unto me, and I blessed
the most High, and I praised and honoured him
that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an
everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from
generation to generation:
(Daniel 4:34 )
And all the inhabitants of the earth are
reputed as nothing: and he doeth according
to his will in the army of heaven, and among
the inhabitants of the earth: and none can
stay his hand, or say unto him,
What doest thou?
(Daniel 4:35 )
What defiles a person ?
The evil things that comes out
of his heart. The evil thoughts
from in a person's heart defile
him.
Nebuchadnezzar filled his mind with the most
High God. The Word of God drives out the
devil and his billions of legions of demons
and idols.
At the same time my reason returned
unto me;
and for the glory of my kingdom,
mine honour and brightness returned
unto me; and my counsellors 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 honour the
King of heaven,
all whose works are truth, and
his ways judgment:
and those that walk in pride
he is able to abase.
(Daniel 4:36-37 )