Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Image
King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold and he set it up in Babylon. Then he sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image. They came and stood before it.
The herald proclaimed aloud that when all the people heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, they were commanded to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Whoever did not do this would immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. Therefore, as soon as all the people heard the music they fell down and worshipped the golden image.
The Fiery Furnace
At that time certain Chaldean came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar that there were certain Jews whom he had appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who paid no attention to him. They would not serve the king’s gods or worship the golden image that he had set up.
Then Nebuchadnezzar in a furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought to him and he asked them if this were true. He told them again that if they did not worship his golden image they would be thrown into a burning fiery furnace, and asked them, “Who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” -Daniel 3:16-18
Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and he ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it usually was. Then he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the furnace.
Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and those three men fell into the burning fiery furnace.
King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste, questioning if it was for sure three men that were thrown into the furnace; for he saw four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire. They were not hurt, and the appearance of the fourth was like the son of the gods.
Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the furnace and declared that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, were to come out. All the people saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair on their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.
Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.” -Daniel 3:28
Therefore the king made a decree that any person who spoke anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would be torn limb from limb, and their houses would be laid in ruins, for there was no other god who was able to rescue in that way. Then the three men were promoted.
Nebuchadnezzar Praises God
King Nebuchadnezzar spoke to all of the people and said, “Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.
How great are his signs,
how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and his dominion endures from
generation to generation.”
-Daniel 4:1-3
Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream
King Nebuchadnezzar was at ease in his house and prospering in his palace when he had a dream that made him afraid. He made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon come before him so they could interpret the dream. The magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and not one could make known the interpretation.
At last Daniel came in, who was named Belteshazzar, and the king told him the dream. He said, “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.
The king’s dream was this:
He saw a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. It’s leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
There was a watcher, a holy one, who came down from heaven and proclaimed that the tree be chopped down, its branches lopped off, its leaves stripped, and its fruit scattered. The beasts would flee from under it and the birds from its branches.
The stump of its roots in the earth would be left, and bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. He would be wet with the dew of heaven, and his portion would be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. His mind would be changed from that of a man’s, and a beast’s mind would be given to him. Seven periods of time would pass over him.
The sentence was by decree of the watchers, a decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.
Daniel Interprets the Second Dream
Then Daniel was dismayed for a while and his thoughts alarmed him, for the dream should be interpreted by those who hated the king, and its interpretation for his enemies.
The tree represented the king, which grew and became strong so that it reached to heaven, and it was visible to the whole earth. Its leaves and fruit were abundant, which was food for all. The king’s greatness had grown and reached to heaven, and his dominion to the ends of the earth.
Because the king saw a watcher, a holy one from heaven, and told him to chop down the tree and destroy it…and let his portion be with beasts for seven periods of time; it was a decree that he was to be driven from among men. His dwelling would be with the beasts of the field and he would be made to eat grass like an ox, and would be wet with the dew from heaven for seven periods of time until he knew that the Most High ruled the kingdom of men and gave it to whom he will.
The stump of the roots of the tree would be left, and the kingdom would be confirmed to him from the time that he knew that Heaven ruled. Daniel asked that his counsel be acceptable to the king and that he would break off his sins by practicing righteousness, and his iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of his prosperity.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation
All of this went upon King Nebuchadnezzar at the end of twelve months when he was walking on the roof of his royal palace of Babylon. He said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”
While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven that told him the kingdom had departed from him, and he would be driven from among men, and would dwell with the beasts of the field. He would eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time would pass over him, until he knew that the Most High ruled the kingdom of men and gave it to whom he would.
Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar and he was driven from among men and ate grass like and ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.
Nebuchadnezzar Restored
At the end of the days, Nebuchadnezzar lifted his eyes to heaven and his reason returned to him. He blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,
for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does according to his will
among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
or say to him, “What have you done?”
-Daniel 4:34-35
At the same time the king’s reason returned to him, and for the glory of his kingdom, his majesty and splendor returned. The counselors and lords sought him and he established his kingdom, and still more greatness was added to him.
Now Nebuchadnezzar praised and extoled and honored the King of heaven, “for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” -Daniel 4:37