« Seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind and that he grants it to whomever he wants »
(Daniel 4:10-25)
“‘In the visions of my head while on my bed, I saw a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was enormous. The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached the heavens, and it was visible to the ends of the whole earth. Its foliage was beautiful, and its fruit was abundant, and there was food on it for all. Beneath it the beasts of the field would seek shade, and on its branches the birds of the heavens would dwell, and all creatures would feed from it. “‘As I viewed the visions of my head while on my bed, I saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from the heavens. He called out loudly: “Chop down the tree, cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit! Let the beasts flee from beneath it, and the birds from its branches. But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, with a banding of iron and of copper, among the grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of the heavens, and let its portion be with the beasts among the vegetation of the earth. Let its heart be changed from that of a human, and let it be given the heart of a beast, and let seven times pass over it. This is by the decree of watchers, and the request is by the word of the holy ones, so that people living may know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind and that he gives it to whomever he wants, and he sets up over it even the lowliest of men.” “‘This was the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw; now you, O Belteshazzar, tell its interpretation, for all the other wise men of my kingdom are unable to make the interpretation known to me. But you are able to do so, because the spirit of holy gods is in you.’ “At that time Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was alarmed for a moment, and his thoughts began to frighten him. “The king said, ‘O Belteshazzar, do not let the dream and the interpretation frighten you.’ “Belteshazzar answered, ‘O my lord, may the dream apply to those hating you, and its interpretation to your enemies. “‘The tree that you saw that grew great and became strong, whose top reached the heavens and was visible to all the earth, which had beautiful foliage, abundant fruit, and food for all, beneath which the beasts of the field would dwell and on whose branches the birds of the heavens would reside, it is you, O king, because you have grown great and become strong, and your grandeur has grown and reached to the heavens, and your rulership to the ends of the earth. “‘And the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from the heavens, who was saying: “Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground, with a banding of iron and of copper, among the grass of the field. And let the dew of the heavens make it wet, and let its portion be with the beasts of the field until seven times pass over it.” This is the interpretation, O king; it is the decree of the Most High that must befall my lord the king. You will be driven away from among men, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field, and you will be given vegetation to eat just like bulls; and you will become wet with the dew of the heavens, and seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind and that he grants it to whomever he wants” (Daniel 4:10-25).
As the prophet Daniel indicates, this dream has been later fulfilled in the person of the king of Babylon. Because of his pride, God was going to teach him a lesson in humility and modesty by afflicting him with a mental illness (a form of lycanthropy that would make him believe he was a wild bull) that would prevent him from exercising his kingship for seven times, or seven prophetic years of 360 days. This period corresponded to the felling of the tree, with its stump being preserved in the ground. Here is the historical account of this event in the same chapter:
“Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king was saying: “Is this not Babylon the Great that I myself have built for the royal house by my own strength and might and for the glory of my majesty?”
31 While the word was yet in the king’s mouth, a voice came down from the heavens: “To you it is being said, O King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘The kingdom has gone away from you, 32 and from mankind you are being driven away. With the beasts of the field your dwelling will be, and you will be given vegetation to eat just like bulls, and seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind and that he grants it to whomever he wants.’”
33 At that moment the word was fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven away from mankind, and he began to eat vegetation just like bulls, and his body became wet with the dew of the heavens, until his hair grew long just like eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws.
34 “At the end of that time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to the heavens, and my understanding returned to me; and I praised the Most High, and to the One living forever I gave praise and glory, because his rulership is an everlasting rulership and his kingdom is for generation after generation. 35 All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing, and he does according to his own will among the army of the heavens and the inhabitants of the earth. And there is no one who can hinder him or say to him, ‘What have you done?’
36 “At that time my understanding returned to me, and the glory of my kingdom, my majesty, and my splendor returned to me. My high officials and nobles eagerly sought me out, and I was restored to my kingdom, and even more greatness was added to me.
37 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, am praising and exalting and glorifying the King of the heavens, because all his works are truth and his ways are just, and because he is able to humiliate those who are walking in pride” (Daniel 4:29-37).
The important question that arises is this: could this dream have a second fulfillment? For those who think not, even if this story is only anecdotal, it nevertheless teaches an important lesson of modesty and humility applied to the king of Babylon and also to each of us. For example, after understanding the lesson, the king says this: « And there is no one who can hinder him or say to him, ‘What have you done?’ ».
While we certainly don’t always understand Heavenly Father’s actions, we can respectfully ask questions and research them to better understand them. For example, why does He allow wickedness and suffering? However, it would be entirely inappropriate to address Him as if He owed us an explanation, asking, « What have you done? ». In another book of the Bible, of Job, the Heavenly Father prompts reflection through a series of rhetorical questions because Job tended to equate his own justice with that of his Creator (see Job chapters 38-42):
“Who is this who is obscuring my counsel And speaking without knowledge? Brace yourself, please, like a man; I will question you, and you inform me. Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you think you understand. Who set its measurements, in case you know, Or who stretched a measuring line across it?” (Job 38:2-5). The Heavenly Father compares Job’s brief existence with the fact he could not even be present at the beginning of the creation, a very firm way of putting him in his place…
Now, placing the narrative of this dream recorded in the prophetic book of Daniel in a merely anecdotal domain, confined only to the past, raises questions.
It is true that nothing indicates, in chapter 4, that there would be a second fulfillment. In any case, in the Bible, there is not always direct indication or written indication that there would be two fulfillments. It is only the context that allows us to understand it. Furthermore, sometimes there are historical biblical narratives that have, at first glance, no prophetic dimension, and yet, it exists. Let us take two examples. The story of manna falling from heaven (Exodus 16:31-36). Nothing in the historical context of this passage shows the prophetic dimension of this story. However, Jesus Christ considered that it did indeed have a prophetic dimension (John 6:31-58). The historical account of the making of the copper serpent (Numbers 21:7-9). Nothing in the historical context of this passage shows the prophetic dimension of this narrative. However, Jesus Christ considered that it did indeed have a prophetic dimension (John 3:14,15).
Let us look at the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter 4. First of all, it should be noted that it is his second dream sent by God to this king (Daniel 2). In his first dream, Daniel says that God has revealed to him (through the interpretation of this dream) « what is to happen in the final part of the days ». Thus, the historical account of Daniel 2 has more than a simple anecdotal value, but also a prophetic value, concerning our time. The question that arises is: should we expect less from the story of the second dream given by God to King Nebuchadnezzar? Namely, that the scope of this second prophetic dream would concern « the final part of the days ». Basing ourselves, this time on the whole context of the book of Daniel, if we were to consider the second dream of King Nebuchadnezzar as applying only to his time, and to his person alone, then it would be the only prophetic vision which would not concern our time, while the whole of this book is directly related to « the final part of the days » (Daniel 12:9). Therefore, it would be rather the failure to not admit that there would be a second fulfillment of this dream, concerning the last days, which would not respect the entire context of the prophetic book of Daniel.
Therefore, in the following Bible study, also based on this dream, there will be an application that could concern the last days, beginning, particularly at the start of the 20th century, and continuing to the current days…
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The Prophecy of the Book of Daniel
The study of the Prophecy of Daniel is the analysis of current prophetic events in the Middle East and in the World…
The Prophecy of the Book of Daniel – The Last Hard-Faced King (Daniel 8:23-25)
This prophecy describes the face and attitude of the last king, of the last world power…
The Prophecy of the Book of Daniel – The Conflict Between the Two Kings (Daniel 11)
This prophecy foreshadows the conclusion of events in the Middle East…
We are, it seems, currently in the last stage of the fulfillment of this prophecy of Daniel, about the two kings…
The Prophecy of the Book of Daniel – The Conflict Between the Two Kings (Daniel 11)
This prophecy foretells the conclusion of events in the Middle East…
The Prophecy of the Book of Zechariah
The prophecy of Zechariah and its prophetic riddles, explanations to know the future…
The Prophecy of Jesus Christ of the end of this system of things, with several preliminary signs…
Table of contents of the http://yomelyah.fr/ website
Reading the Bible daily, this table of contents contains informative Bible articles (Please click on the link above to view it)…
Table of languages of more than seventy languages, with six important biblical articles, written in each of these languages…
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