Daniel 4:23–32

Earthly power is clearly meant by the tree in Daniel... This tree was the admiration of men. There was everything that pleased the heart: its own magnificent size, the beauty of its branches and leaves, the abundance and sweetness of its fruits. There was the pleasant shade where all these creatures, the beasts of the field and birds of heaven, found protection. It held all this and more, and such were man's thoughts about it. But what was God's estimate?... Observe, it is only a destruction for a time; there is no such thing as annihilation in anything in the mind of God.

As to the term "watcher," I do not think that knowing who brought the decree of judgment goes beyond Nebuchadnezzar's religious condition. Daniel ascribes it directly to the Most High. Angels may be its intelligent instruments, and its administration may in some way be entrusted to them. That presents no difficulty. The letter to the Hebrews, as well as other Scriptures, teaches us that God employs angels in this way.

Men forget that there is a Watcher who sees their every act and hears their every word... How would any of us stand if the word went out, "Chop down the tree"?

In His mercy God set a limit to his madness, and made his kingdom sure to him "with a band of iron and bronze." God had given him the kingdom at the beginning, and by His power He kept it safe for him. Meanwhile its degraded ruler, with a beast's heart given to him, herded with the cattle of the field, his hair like the feathers and his nails like the claws of a bird. So for seven years he went on, until he was ready to own that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will. God would restore the kingdom to him when he learned that the heavens rule.

He was driven from men and became like a beast of the earth, for he ate grass like oxen. In his bodily condition he was even worse than the beasts of the field. All this expresses his moral state, and the character of the power he wielded when separated from God... "The only true privilege of man, that which ennobles him, is that he can look up to God and acknowledge Him. Without this he looks downward, he is not enough for himself, he is degraded... Pride and independence separate man from God; he becomes a beast, without real intelligence."

The question is, what does it mean? Seven years, none need doubt... One can understand the further idea, drawn especially from Daniel 7 compared with chapter 12, that it covers the whole Gentile lease of power... But where is the proof?... The fact is that not a single text of Scripture applies such a term prophetically. This chapter uses the phrase four times, and always of Nebuchadnezzar himself, in a literal and therefore quite different sense.

"Most High" is always the name of God used to describe Him as supreme over the earth. See, for instance, what Melchizedek said to Abraham. He came out to meet him after the defeat of the kings who had carried off Lot: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth" (Gen. 14:19). The name is used again in Daniel 4:24-25. There it presents God to Nebuchadnezzar as the One who governs the earth and was about to step in with judgment on him.

As for the term "watcher," I do not think that knowing who brought the decree of judgment goes beyond Nebuchadnezzar's own religious condition. Daniel credits it directly to the Most High. Angels may be its intelligent instruments, and God may in some way put its administration into their hands. That presents no difficulty. The letter to the Hebrews, and other Scriptures too, teach us that angels serve in this way.

The personal meaning is this: what happened to Nebuchadnezzar was a direct judgment from God for his personal pride — for what might be called making himself a god. Human pride is one of the special objects of God's hatred. It came out in an extreme form in the king of Babylon, and so he fell under God's judicial hand… God had entrusted him with the government of the earth, so He held him accountable and punished him. Yet He acted in grace as well as in righteousness, since the aim was to teach him "that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will."

Power sinks to the level of the beasts, which do not know God and lack man's understanding. The only true privilege of man, the thing that makes him noble, is that he can look up to God and acknowledge Him. Without this he looks downward; he cannot be enough for himself; he is degraded. Dependence is his glory, for it sets him before God and lets him know God… Pride and independence separate man from God. He becomes a beast, without real intelligence.

Nothing could be more precise than this interpretation… Only one thing let Daniel unroll the scroll of the king's future without fear: he knew God had sent him. It took courage for the Jewish captive prophet to stand before the ruler of the world and describe such an overwhelming disaster.

This chapter shows men turning all the power, authority and glory God gave them into a way of feeding their own pride. The result is that they would lose all understanding of God's mind… What was then literally true of Nebuchadnezzar himself was morally true of the Gentile powers as a whole. All through, the Gentile nations would have no understanding of God and no subjection to Him.

"Most High" is always the name of God used to denote Him as supreme over the earth. See what Melchizedek said when he came out to meet Abraham, after the defeat of the kings who had carried off Lot: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth" (Gen. 14:19). In Daniel 4:24-25 this name presents God to Nebuchadnezzar as the One who governs the earth and was about to step in with judgment on him.

Reduced to the condition of a beast, he lost what characterises a man — all recognition of God. He had a beast's heart, as it says here. God has placed man here below as His image and glory. He is responsible to make God known, and he can only do it because he looks up to God… He credited everything to himself and not to God. A terrible punishment then brought him down to the lowest state.

God especially hates the pride of man. The king of Babylon showed that pride in an extreme form, so he fell under God's judicial hand. Some try to account for his condition in a natural way, calling it a special form of madness. Even so, the question returns: where did it come from? The Bible account answers, and the king himself recorded it — the condition came from the hand of God, as a just judgment on his towering pride and empty boasting. God threatened it a year before He sent it, giving him space for repentance. Then a voice from heaven recalled the very words of Daniel to his mind, at the very moment when the punishing stroke was about to fall. God had entrusted him with the government of the earth, so He held him accountable and punished him. Yet He acted in grace as well as in righteousness. His aim was to teach him that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He will.

The kingdom of Judah fell apart and decayed. It passed into the hands of the first universal empire, under the renowned Nebuchadnezzar. This world-monarchy began the "times of the Gentiles," during which "the Most High rules over [not 'in', as in the older version] the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will" (Dan. 4:25) — at times setting up over it even "the lowliest of men". Since that day empire has replaced empire, dynasty has replaced dynasty, and king has followed king.

The question is, what does "seven times" mean? Seven years, none need doubt… The chapter uses the phrase four times, and always of Nebuchadnezzar, in a literal sense. That is quite different from a prophetic sense.

It does not say "years", though possibly the "times" might be years — it says "times". The expression is vague, but the word "seven" gives it a very precise meaning. It marks a perfect period, one taking in the whole duration of the times of the Gentiles… This shows that we can expect no improvement in the governments of the earth.

In His mercy God set a limit to his madness, and kept his kingdom secure for him "with a band of iron and bronze". God had given him the kingdom at the start, and God's power now held it safe for him. Meanwhile its ruler, brought low and given a beast's heart, lived among the cattle of the field… And so for seven years he continued to exist, until he was ready to own "that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will."

Notice, it is a destruction only for a time; in the mind of God nothing is ever wiped out for good. God leaves the stump of the roots in the earth, and He uses means to keep it alive.

In His mercy God set a limit to his madness, and made his kingdom sure to him with a band of iron and brass. God had given him that kingdom at the beginning, and by His power He held it safe for him. Meanwhile its degraded ruler, with a beast's heart given to him, herded with the cattle of the field, his hair like feathers and his nails like a bird's claws. So for seven years he went on existing, until he was ready to own that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will. God would give the kingdom back to him when he learned that heaven rules.

It is a great comfort that, despite man's pretension and disregard of the rights of God, "Heaven rules" (Daniel 4:26). Nebuchadnezzar had power and dominion greater than any man of today. His greatness reached to heaven and his dominion spread to the end of the earth. He had to learn this, and learning it broke his pride to pieces.

Man was formed to be the being on earth that looked up to God and stood in dependence on Him. That is his glory. A beast enjoys, so to speak, its own sphere of enjoyment, according to the capacity God has given it by nature. But it has no idea of the God that made it and all things. Man has. That is, recognising God is the great essential difference between a man and a beast.

If we read this history as a picture, it shows that the Gentile powers would give up the recognition of God in their government. They might use His name outwardly, but owning God as the source of all they had would pass completely from their minds; and so it has.

Heaven is the source of authority; it is a firmly fixed position. All spiritual, civil and political authority has its source above. "Heaven rules" (Daniel 4:26).

It is a principle from the very beginning that "Heaven rules" (Daniel 4:26). We cannot shape our course by events on earth. Events in heaven must control us.

It is the kingdom of Old Testament prophecy. But the name "kingdom of the heavens" (as it always reads in the original) gives it a character it hardly had in the Old Testament itself. An expression in Daniel 4:26, "after you have known that Heaven rules," may have prepared the way for its use. It implies that the seat of the authority of the kingdom, when set up, is in the heavens.

If he stands before the king in the place of God, he will faithfully present God to him in His true character: merciful and gracious, One who does not afflict willingly, and One who takes no pleasure in carrying out righteous wrath… We have no evidence that the king paid any attention to this faithful and friendly advice. It put Daniel's head in danger, for it questioned the way the king had used the power God gave him. Still, the king had to feel that the evil was coming on him because of his own conduct. He might yet escape it by softening his wilful and merciless ways, and by ruling with righteousness and kindness of heart.

Daniel himself seems to have been moved, for he begged the king in earnest words. Like Paul with Felix, Daniel reasoned with Nebuchadnezzar about righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come. But we do not read that the king trembled. Still, Daniel had delivered the message and made the appeal, and the great meeting between the prophet and the king was over.

It is useless to appeal to Daniel 4:27. There the prophet does not urge the vain and self-willed king to pay a ransom. He urges him to break off his sins by righteousness (the Greek version says "by alms"), and his iniquities by showing mercy to the poor (or afflicted), "that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity." How sober is the divine word, and how wild and false is man's!

Daniel says, "break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed" — a passage badly twisted, but fully explained by this. It is the special nature of that corruption to put satisfying, redeeming conduct in the place of the fruits of a changed spirit. It copies the outward effects, and so shuts out and gets rid of the inward power that produced the things they are a bad imitation of.

Daniel 4:27 keeps mercy to the poor separate from righteousness. I know of no place in Scripture where the two are mixed up.

If God causes counsel like this to be given, we may be certain of one thing. He does not intend to carry out the threatened judgment if the sinner takes the counsel to heart and his ways become agreeable to His gracious mind.

Daniel begs the king to break off his sins by righteousness, and his iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Such repentance might lengthen his peace. But Daniel holds out no hope that the judgment will be avoided altogether.

Finally, Daniel closes the interview with a bold appeal to the king to break off his sins by doing righteousness, and to stop his oppression of the poor. This is a bold witness for a Jewish captive to bear before the world's greatest ruler. It means one thing: while these Gentile powers rule the world, God will have a faithful witness for Himself on the earth.

Most people today may ignore the warning, just as Nebuchadnezzar did. Daniel warned him boldly and even advised him to change his ways, as we see in verse 27. But the king did not heed the warning or follow the counsel. Even then, God waited twelve months before His judgment fell.

Nebuchadnezzar himself only showed what would become the general tendency of the Gentile nations, since God had given him his power. He would admire and exalt himself, turning all the greatness God had given him to his own credit. God showed him plainly the judgments that would come upon him, but he ignored the warning. Therefore, "All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar." Twelve months later he was walking in the royal palace of Babylon, and while the word was still in his mouth a voice fell from heaven. The sentence took effect. The Gentile powers have acted toward God in exactly the same way... those who have held the supreme power of the world, and the world's glory, have used it mainly for themselves.

God holds back the threatened blow for twelve months. Between announcing the judgment and carrying it out, He leaves room for repentance. Will the king take this mercy and humble himself before God? Sadly, at the end of twelve months the king's pride is as great as ever.

God always gives space for repentance before He carries out judgment. His judgment will certainly come, though in His goodness it may be delayed a long time. It was so in the days of Noah, when God waited a hundred and twenty years before sending the flood... How then does man treat this patience of God? Sadly, men despise the riches of His goodness. Because God holds back, men think He will never judge; because He is patient, men think He does not care about evil.

Twelve months had passed, and there is no record that the king had even been troubled by the warning he had received. The sky was still clear, with not a cloud on the distant horizon. This would astonish us, if we did not see the same thing every day: sinners untouched while eternal ruin stands right in front of them. Death must come, and judgment will follow, and yet men are careless and heedless.

All this was the glorifying of himself — the full-blown pride of the human heart, born out of his high position and prosperity, the pride that goes before destruction. God had made known to him where his power came from (Dan. 2), but he had completely forgotten it, and credited all the glory of his kingdom to himself.

This at once brings to mind the parable of the rich man whose land produced a large crop. While he was congratulating himself on his wealth, planning bigger barns, and looking forward to years of selfish enjoyment, the judgment came: "Fool! This night your soul is required of you" (Luke 12:16-20). In the same way, while Nebuchadnezzar was pouring out the pride of his heart in foolish boasting, a voice fell from heaven while the word was still in his mouth... When God speaks, it is done, and what He commands stands firm for ever.

Power sinks to the level of the beasts, which do not know God and have none of man's understanding. Man's one true privilege, the thing that lifts him up, is that he can look up to God and acknowledge Him. Without this he looks downward. He cannot be enough for himself, and he sinks low. Dependence is his glory, because it sets him in front of God and lets him know God... Pride and independence cut man off from God, and he becomes a beast, with no real understanding.

The threatened blow is held off for twelve months. Between the sentence and its carrying out, there is room to repent. Will the king take up this mercy and humble himself before God? Sadly, at the end of twelve months the king's pride is as great as ever.

Twelve months had passed. Nothing in the record shows that the warning had even troubled the king. The sky was still clear, with not a cloud on the distant horizon. This would astonish us beyond words, if we did not see it every day: sinners untroubled on the edge of eternal ruin. Death must come, and judgment will follow, and yet men are careless and heedless.

Perhaps he thought the results of his wicked life would never come. The dream and the prophet's explanation had warned him of them. It seems to have been delayed a long time; perhaps it will never come at all! God is infinitely patient, and He gives men time to repent. To take that as proof that He does not care about a life of evil dishonours the Lord and destroys our own souls. Yet this is often the natural thought: "Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil" (Eccl. 8:11).

So solemn a dream should have brought Nebuchadnezzar to his knees, but it did not. Yet God, who is patient with all, granted him twelve months' delay before the blow fell. At the end of that time the king walked on the roof of his palace, full of pride. His magnificent capital spread out before him, with its mighty walls and bronze gates. He exclaimed: "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built...?" While the words were still in his mouth, a voice from heaven said, "O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken; the kingdom has departed from you."

This chapter shows us, then, that men took all the power, authority and glory God gave them and turned it into a way of feeding their own pride. The consequence is that all understanding of God's mind would be taken from them... Twelve months passed. Then, in pride of heart, he credited all the greatness and splendour around him to himself and to the work of his own hands... At once the sentence takes effect on him. What was literally true of this one man was morally true of the Gentile powers as a whole.

It was God's solemn way of dealing with the pride and self-exaltation of man. When man gets into power, he exalts himself. There is only one Man who can really be trusted with power — the Lord Jesus Christ... Give any other man power, and what will he do with it? Give any other man riches, and what will he do with them?

Twelve months had passed. Nothing in the record shows that the warning had troubled the king at all. The sky was still clear, with not a cloud on the distant horizon. This would surprise us beyond words, if we did not see the same thing every day. Sinners stay unmoved on the edge of eternal ruin. Death must come, and judgment will follow, and yet men are careless and heedless.

At the end of twelve months the king's pride is as great as ever. In all this proud talk there is no recognition of God. As the king looks over the great city of Babylon, he claims that he has built it to establish the imperial line. He claims that everything has been achieved by his power and for his glory.

This king stands out as a fitting picture of the pride of the human heart. Man should thank God and glorify Him as the source of all power. Instead he boasts of that power as if it were his own doing, brought about by his own wisdom. Do we not still hear words much like these all around us?… Instead of ascribing glory to God, he credits it to himself.

Nebuchadnezzar had remarkable visions and revelations from God. But what did they achieve? He had had this warning, the most personal one of all… Twelve months passed. Then, in pride of heart, he credited all the greatness and splendour around him to himself and to the work of his own hands… At once the sentence takes effect on him. What was then literally true of him as a man was morally true of the Gentile powers as a whole.

Entrusted with the government of the earth, God held him accountable, and punished him accordingly, and yet in grace as well as in righteousness, since the object was to teach him "that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will" (v. 32)… The king's physical state is therefore a moral picture, and one that should often be thought over. It shows man's condition as God sees it, when he boasts of his own power, seeks his own glory, and claims to be independent.

A heart that is "lifted up" is in a dangerous state, and almost always on the eve of a fall.

Wherever we look at the Son — on earth, in heaven, or on the cross between earth and heaven — His first and great desire is to glorify the Father. Such purity of motive is beyond the imagination of fallen man. The natural thought is to use power, in whatever form it takes, to glorify self… All heaven may well unite to say, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power." This is because He alone uses power for the glory of God and the blessing of man.

There follows the account of the fulfilment of the dream. The threatened blow is held off for twelve months. Between the announcement of the judgment and its execution, there is room to repent. Will the king make use of this mercy and humble himself before God? Sadly, at the end of twelve months the king's pride is as great as ever.

Twelve months had passed, and there is no record that the warning ever troubled the king. The sky was still clear, with not a cloud on the distant horizon. This might surprise us beyond words. But we remember that the sight of sinners unmoved on the eve of eternal ruin greets our eyes every day.

All this was the glorification of himself. It was the full-blown pride of the human heart, born out of his exaltation and prosperity — the pride that goes before destruction. The source of his power had been given to him (Dan. 2); but he had entirely forgotten this when he attributed all the glory of his kingdom to himself.

This is very instructive, for this has been God's way, and is so still. The builders of the tower of Babel were allowed to go on with their work until they made it a wonder. Nebuchadnezzar was given time to finish his great city. The beast of Revelation will prosper until the whole world wonders after him. So here Haman is put up with, until he sits on the pinnacle. Then, in the moment of proudest elevation, the judgment of God visits all these.

There are those who try to account for his condition in a natural way by calling it a special form of madness. Even so, the question comes back: where did it come from? The Bible's account supplies the answer, and the king himself recorded it. It came from the hand of God as a just judgment on Nebuchadnezzar's overwhelming pride and vainglory. The blow was threatened a year before it fell, so there was space to repent. Then, at the very moment when the stroke was about to fall, a voice from heaven brought Daniel's own words back to his mind. Yet God punished him in grace as well as in righteousness, since the object was to teach him "that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will" (v. 32).

Power is reduced to the condition of the beasts that do not know God and lack man's understanding. The only true privilege of man, the thing that ennobles him, is that he can look up to God and acknowledge Him. Without this he looks downward, he is not enough on his own, he is degraded... Pride and independence separate man from God; he becomes a beast, without real intelligence.

Nebuchadnezzar had remarkable visions and revelations from God. But what did they achieve? He had had this warning, the most personal one of all... At once the sentence takes effect on him. What was then literally true of him as one man was morally true of the Gentile powers as a whole. Their character all through would be the same — no understanding of God, and no subjection to Him.

When man gets into power, he exalts himself. There is only one Man who can really be trusted with power — the Lord Jesus Christ... Give any other man power, and what will he do with it? Give any other man riches, and what will he do with them?

Nebuchadnezzar poured out the pride of his heart in foolish boasting. Even "while the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you." The voice repeats the judgment Daniel had already announced, and carries it out at once. It all happened to Nebuchadnezzar that same hour.

God had given the king "a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory." Despite those gifts, and despite the striking way God had borne witness to Himself, the king forgot God. He sat at ease in his palace at the height of his prosperity. He credits all his power and glory to himself, and uses his high position to exalt himself. Never was such great prosperity joined to such pride… As one has said, "He makes himself the centre instead of God. He becomes a beast and loses his reason entirely. A beast may be powerful, large, stronger than a man, and clever in its own way. But its look is downward. It has no exercise of conscience, and so no real relationship to God."

In His mercy God set a limit to the madness, and made his kingdom sure to him "with a band of iron and bronze." God, who had given him the kingdom at the start, held it safe for him by His own power. Meanwhile its degraded ruler, now with a beast's heart, herded with the cattle of the field, his hair like a bird's feathers and his nails like its claws. So for seven years he went on living, until he was ready to own "that the Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom He will." The kingdom would be restored to him when he learned that the heavens rule.

Seen from the human side, men usually seize kingdoms by corruption, violence, bloodshed, and often murder. But behind the scenes, where no human eye can reach, God is accomplishing His purposes. He does it even through the wickedness of the ambitious creature, prompted by the devil. Neither the cunning and malice of Satan nor the guilty ambition of man can counteract the intention of God, but everything that they do must serve to bring it to pass.

Seven times pass, and then God is confessed. Seven times means a complete period of time. In prophecy it would cover the whole period of Gentile rule… During the period of Gentile power, men govern the world without reference to God and so without any understanding of His mind. At the end of this period, after judgment has done its work, the nations will confess God.

Put power into the hands of any fallen son of Adam and he will use it to exalt himself and dare to use it against the saints of God and even God Himself. So this stroke of discipline fell on Nebuchadnezzar… What is God seeking to teach these men? "That the Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom He will." When will they learn this lesson? When, like this king, they lift up their eyes to heaven.