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| 1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all the peoples, the races and the tongues who are dwelling in all the earth, Let, your prosperity, abound! |
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| 2 The signs, and the wonders, which the most high God, hath wrought with me, it is pleasing before me to declare. |
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| 3 His signs, how great! and, his wonders, how mighty! His kingdom, is an age-abiding kingdom, and, his dominion, lasteth from generation to generation. |
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| 4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at peace in mine own house, and was prosperous in my palace. |
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| 5 A dream, I saw, and it made me afraid,–and, fancies upon my bed, and visions of my head, terrified me. |
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| 6 Therefore made I a decree, to bring in before me, all the wise men of Babylon,–who, the interpretation of the dream, should make known to me. |
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| 7 Then came in the sacred scribes, the magicians, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers,–and, the dream, told I before them, but, the interpretation, could they not make known to me. |
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| 8 Howbeit, at last, came before me–Daniel, whose, name, was Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and, the dream–before him, I told [saying]: |
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| 9 O Belteshazzar, chief of the sacred scribes, because I know that, the spirit of the holy gods, is in thee,–and no secret giveth thee trouble, [therefore], the visions of my dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof, do thou tell. |
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| 10 The visions then of my head upon my bed [were these],–I was looking, when lo! a tree in the midst of the land, and, the height thereof, was great. |
Visions of mine head – "None of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand." (Dan. 12:10) R598:3
Behold a tree – The first dominion of earth. B94
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| 11 The tree, grew, and became strong,–and, the height thereof, reached unto the heavens, and, the view thereof, unto the end of all the land: |
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| 12 The foliage thereof, was beautiful, and, the fruit thereof, abundant, and there was food for all therein,–under it, the wild beast of the field found shade, and, among its branches, dwelt the birds of the heavens, and, therefrom, was well fed, all flesh. |
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| 13 I was looking, in the visions of my head, upon my bed, when lo! a watcher and holy one, outer the heavens, coming down. |
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| 14 He cried aloud, and, thus, he said–Hew ye down the tree, and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves, and scatter its fruit,–let the wild beasts flee from under it, and the birds, out of its branches; |
Hew down the tree – In death. B94
The beasts get away – The lower creation no more found shelter and blessing under man's influence. B94
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| 15 Nevertheless, the stock of its roots in the earth, leave ye, yea in a bond of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and, with the dew of the heavens, let it be drenched, and, with the wild beasts, be its portion, amongst, the herbage of the earth; |
Stump of his roots – God's purpose and plan of restitution. B94
A band of iron – That it should not sprout until the appointed time. B94
And let it – The figure changes from a tree to a degraded man. B95
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| 16 Let, its heart, from a man's, be changed, and, the heart of a wild beast, be given to it,–and let seven seasons pass over it. |
Heart be changed – Man's heart has become beastly and degraded through the fall. B95
So history seems to show that during the period of Gentile dominion the poor world has been in a measure insane, putting light for darkness and darkness for light. CR44:6
Let seven times – In the Bible a "time" is used in the sense of a year. A symbolic year as used in prophecy is reckoned on the basis of a lunar year--12 months of 30 days each, or 360 days--each day representing a year. B89; CR140:2
The final and conclusive punishment visited upon the Jews, the "Times of the Gentiles." Seven symbolic times would be 2520 years, beginning with the 70 years of desolation of the land in 606 BC and ending in 1914 AD. B91, B97
A "prophetic year" of 360 days, used to symbolize 360 years, is an arbitrary arrangement peculiar to its intended symbolic use. It is neither a lunar year of 354 1/3 days nor a solar year of 365 1/4 days. A prophetic year, or time, would mean 360 actual, or solar years, of the common reckoning. R1979:6
Repeated four times (verses 16, 23, 25, 32) as in Lev. 26 (verses 18, 21, 24, 28). HG49:3
When perfect man lost his ability and right to reign. it was taken away and given to the Adversary whose reign of terror and death lasted 6000 years--but limited by the Almighty as to time and power. R196:4
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| 17 By the decree of the watchers, is the thing, and [by] the mandate of the holy ones, the matter: to the intent that the living, may get to know, that the Most High, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, to whomsoever he pleaseth, he giveth it, and, one low among men, he setteth up over it. |
Most High ruleth – Exercises a supervisory oversight. Q502:1
God's government is general over all his works. R196:4
The Lord guides in the affairs of nations now, only so far as will promote the fulfilment of his own purposes. R5466:5: Q501:7
A hindering or restraining power. Q502:3; R5466:6
Kingdom of men – Not that he authorized them to represent him. Q502:1; R5466:6
Whomsoever he will – God used King Cyrus to perform his bidding. Q501:5; R5466:3
Setteth up – Whoever sat on the throne of Israel was there as the Lord's representative. R5466:3; Q501:4
Basest of men – He brings to power those who will have the disposition to do what he purposes when his due time has arrived. R5467:1
For example, Pharaoh, the perverse king of Egypt. Q501:5; R5466:3
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| 18 This dream, have, I, King Nebuchadnezzar, seen. Thou, therefore, O Belteshazzar, the interpretation, do thou tell, forasmuch as, all the wise men of my kingdom, are unable, the interpretation, to make known to me, but, thou, art able, because, the spirit of the holy gods, is in thee. |
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| 19 Then, Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for about one moment, and, his thoughts, troubled him. The king spake and said, O Belteshazzar, let neither, the dream, nor the interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My Lord, The dream, be for them who hate thee, and, the interpretation, for them who are thy foes. |
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| 20 The tree which thou sawest, which grew and became strong, whose, height, reached unto the heavens, and, the view, thereof to all the earth: |
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| 21 Whose, foliage, was beautiful, and whose, fruit, abundant, and, food for all, was in it,–under it, dwelt the wild beasts of the field, and, in the branches thereof, nestled the birds of the heavens: |
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| 22 Thyself, it is, O king, in that thou art grown, and become strong,–and, thy greatness hath grown, and reached to the heavens, and, thy dominion, to the end of the earth. |
It is thou, O king – Nebuchadnezzar, typifying the original dominion given to Adam: "Thou art this head of gold." (Dan. 2:38) B96
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| 23 And, whereas the king saw a watcher and holy one coming down out of the heavens, who said, Hew ye down the tree and despoil it, nevertheless, the stock of its roots–in the earth, leave ye, even in a bond of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field,–and, with the dew of the heavens, let it be drenched, and, along with the wild beasts of the field, be its portion, until that, seven seasons, pass over it. |
With the beasts – Typical of human degradation under beastly governments. B96
Till seven times – Typifying the Times of the Gentiles. B95, B97; R2498:1
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| 24 This, is the interpretation, O king,–and, the decree of the Most High, it is, which hath come upon my lord the king: |
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| 25 That, thee, are they going to drive forth from among men, and, along with the wild beasts of the field, shall be thy dwelling, and, grass–like oxen, will they suffer, thee, to eat, and, with the dew of the heavens, will they suffer, thee, to be drenched, and, seven seasons, shall pass over thee,–until that thou come to know, that the Most High, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, to whomsoever he pleaesth, he giveth it. |
Seven times – This, being a type, covers only seven literal years. R109:5*
During Gentile domination of 2520 years the poor world has been in a measure insane. CR44:6
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| 26 And, whereas they gave word to leave the stock of the roots of the tree, thy kingdom, unto thee, is sure,–after that thou come to know, that the heavens, have dominion. |
Leave the stump – The root of promise and hope, planted first in Eden and borne across the flood and transplanted with Israel, will sprout and bloom again. B98
That there might be a restitution of the kingdom. HG49:2
The heavens do rule – The kingdom of earth is sure to man after he has learned that the heavens do rule. R196:4
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| 27 Wherefore, O king, let, my counsel, be pleasing unto thee, thy sin, then,–by righteousness, break thou off, and, thine iniquities, by shewing favour to the oppressed,–if so be it may become the lengthening out of thy security. |
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| 28 All this, came upon Nebuchadnezzar the king. |
This came upon the king – We understand that God's dealing with King Nebuchadnezzar was prophetic. R5466:3
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| 29 At the end of twelve months, over the palace of the kingdom of Babylon, was he walking: |
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| 30 the king spake and said, Is not, this, Babylon the great,–which, I myself, have built as the home of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the dignity of my majesty? |
Great Babylon – 14 miles square surrounded by walls 350 feet high (300 feet--R2497:3[R2497]) and 80 feet broad. Having 100 gates; the largest and strongest fortress in the world at that time; it was the center of commerce, art and wisdom. R2497:3[R2497], R3632:3[R3632], R4901:6
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| 31 While yet the word was in the mouth of the king, a voice, out of the heavens, fell,–Unto thee, is it said, O Nebuchadnezzar the king, The kingdom, hath departed from thee; |
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| 32 And, from among men, are they going to drive, thee, forth, and, with the wild beast of the field, shall be thy dwelling, grass–like oxen, will they suffer, thee, to eat, and, seven seasons, shall pass over thee,–until that thou come to know that the Most High, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, to whomsoever he pleaseth, he giveth it. |
Seven times – The "Times of the Gentiles." B95, B97; R109:5*; CR44:6; HG49:5
Shall pass – Although the Gentile times do expire, it may be that the Lord will not immediately dispossess them. R5449:4
Whomsoever he will – He might have given the Kingdom to Jesus without redeeming man at all had he seen good to do so. A274
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| 33 Immediately, the word, was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and, from among men, was he driven forth, and, grass–like oxen, did he eat, and, with the dew of the heavens, his body was drenched,–until that, his hair, like to eagles' feathers, was grown, and his nails, like birds' claws. |
Nebuchadnezzar – His period of bestial degradation represents the madness upon the world. R3361:2
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| 34 And, at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, mine eyes unto the heavens, did uplift, and, mine understanding, unto me, returned, and, the Most High, I blessed, and, to him that liveth age-abidingly, I rendered praise and honour,–whose dominion, is an age-abiding dominion, and, his kingdom, lasteth from generation to generation; |
The end of the days – Typically. Antitypically, the end of the Times of the Gentiles. B97
Understanding returned – So at the end of the Gentile times, after 1915 AD, reason will begin to come back to the prodigal son (Israel). R3361:3
Already we begin to see reason returning to mankind; men are awakening to some sense of their degradation, and are on the lookout to improve their condition. B98
Typifying the restitution of earth's dominion. B97
After the close of the Gentile times humanity will regain its sanity and praise the God of heaven. CR44:6
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| 35 And, all the inhabitants of the earth, as nothing, are accounted, and, according to his own pleasure, dealeth he–with the army of the heavens, and the inhabitants of the earth,–and none there is who can smite upon his hand, or say to him, What hast thou done? |
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| 36 At the same time, mine understanding, returned unto me, and, for the dignity of my kingdom, my majesty and my brightness, returned unto me, and, unto me, my nearest friends and my nobles, did seek,–and, over my kingdom, was I restored, and, surpassing greatness, was added unto me. |
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| 37 Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, am praising and extolling and honouring the King of the Heavens, all whose works, are truth, and, his ways, right; and, them who walk in pride, he is able to abase, |
Praise and extol – Nebuchadnezzar and other nations, even those in idolatry, reverenced Jehovah, the God of Israel. R2541:3
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