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| 1 Nebuchadnezzar the king unto all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you. |
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| 2 It hath seemed good unto me to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God hath wrought toward me. |
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| 3 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. |
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| 4 I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. |
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| 5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. |
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| 6 And I made 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. |
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| 7 Then came in the scribes, the magicians, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers; and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation of it. |
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| 8 But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name is 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: |
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| 9 O Belteshazzar, master of the scribes, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret is too hard for thee, tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, and the interpretation of it. |
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| 10 Thus were the visions of my head upon my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height 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 was strong, and its height reached unto the heavens, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth. |
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| 12 Its 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 dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it. |
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| 13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from the heavens; |
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| 14 he cried aloud, and said thus: Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit; let the beasts get away from under it, and the birds from 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 leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be bathed with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass 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 his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him. |
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 This sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the decision by the word of the holy ones: that the living may know that the Most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. |
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 I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and thou, Belteshazzar, tell the interpretation, 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. |
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| 19 Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spoke and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, nor its interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and its interpretation to thine enemies! |
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| 20 The tree that thou sawest, which grew and was strong, whose height reached unto the heavens, and the sight of it to all the earth; |
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| 21 whose leaves were beautiful, and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens had their habitation: |
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| 22 it is thou, O king, who art grown and become strong; for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto 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 a holy one coming down from the heavens, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be bathed with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him: |
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 it is the decree of the Most High, which cometh upon my lord the king: |
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| 25 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 thou shalt be bathed with the dew of heaven; and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. |
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 it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; thy kingdom shall remain unto thee, after that thou shalt know that the heavens do rule. |
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 Therefore, 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. |
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| 28 All this came upon king Nebuchadnezzar. |
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 he was walking upon the royal palace of Babylon: |
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| 30 the king spoke 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 glory 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 the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from the heavens: King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: The kingdom is departed from thee; |
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| 32 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 over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. |
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 The same hour was the word fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar; and he was driven from men, and ate grass as oxen; and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, till his hair grew like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws2. |
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 lifted up mine eyes unto the heavens, 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. |
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 are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of the heavens, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? |
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| 36 At the same time mine understanding returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my nobles sought me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent greatness was added unto me. |
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| 37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of the heavens, all whose works are truth, and his paths judgment: and those that 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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