4:1 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living serenely in my house, flourishing in my palace.
4:2 I had a dream that frightened me, and my thoughts in bed and the vision of my mind alarmed me.
4:3 I gave an order to bring all the wise men of Babylon before me to let me know the meaning of the dream.
4:4 The magicians, exorcists, Chaldeans, and diviners came, and I related the dream to them, but they could not make its meaning known to me.
4:5 Finally, Daniel, called Belteshazzar after the name of my god, in whom the spirit of the holy gods was, came to me, and I related the dream to him, [saying],
The sages stress the word "finally" to show that Nebuchadnezzar intentionally waited to call Daniel last, suggesting that by this time, he was becoming convinced that Daniel's God was more powerful than those of his people. Nebuchadnezzar hoped his gods could answer the question and didn't seek Daniel's God until his own had failed to deliver.
The name of Nebuchadnezzar's god was Bel. It is known that Bel was none other than Tara's favorite god, Marduk. Marduk (aka. Murdock) was the chief god of the city of Babylon - which arose from Nimrod and Semirais' Babel - and the national god of Babylonia. Bel was the Nephilim "ba'al" or lord they worshipped. Like people in the United States used to automatically assume that "Lord" meant the God of the Bible, so too, under Mesopotamian religion, people understood the term "Lord" (or "ba'al") to mean Marduk, the father of all the Pagan gods (or ba'alim). Initially, the Mesopotamians conceived of Bel as the ba'al (or god) of thunderstorms, whose words boomed loudly and audibly across the heavens, but later, he became Babylon's principal deity as the Chaldeans restored Nimrod and Semiraimis' religion.
4:6 "Belteshazzar, chief magician, in whom I know the spirit of the holy gods to be, and whom no mystery baffles, tell me the meaning of my dream vision that I have seen.
4:7 In the visions of my mind, in my bed, I saw a tree of great height in the midst of the earth;
4:8 The tree grew and became mighty; its top reached the heavens, And it was visible to the ends of the earth.
4:9 Its foliage was beautiful, its fruit abundant. There was food for all in it. Beneath it the beasts of the field found shade and the birds of the sky dwelt on its branches; all creatures fed on it.
4:10 In the vision of my mind in bed, I looked and saw a holy Watcher coming down from heaven.
4:11 He called loudly and said: 'Cut down the tree, lop off its branches.
Strip off its foliage, scatter its fruit. Let the beasts of the field flee from beneath it and the birds from its branches.
4:12 But leave the stump with its roots in the ground. In fetters of iron and bronze in the grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and share the earth's verdure with the beasts.
4:13 Let his mind be altered from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of a beast. Let seven seasons pass over him.
Some commentators see a double meaning here. Even the surface meaning needs to be clarified. The dream reveals a great tree, but the description can not apply to a literal tree. Also, the king refers to it, the tree, but then, in verse 12, begins using male pronouns: it becomes him. Therefore, we must look deeper.
Logically and contextually, this tree can only signify the dreaming king by the surface reading. The dream references Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of the known world, as this great and mighty tree. Therefore it can only be he, Nebuchadnezzar. His authority metaphorically covered the whole earth and even reached the heavens because of his association with and the presumed blessing of Marduk or Bel, his god. His Babylonia provided sustenance and security to the known world, even as did Nimrod's kingdom, but it was much more significant in size. Everyone looked to Nebuchadnezzar as their "pope" or "papa" as they had looked to his predecessor, Nimrod of Babel.
The first-century Roman-Jewish author Flavius Josephus explained that the name was derived from the Hebrew word Babel (בבל), meaning "confusion," in agreement with Genesis 11:9. The god of Nephilim was Nimrod, and later Nebuchadnezzar. Therefore, the god Bel (or Ba'al) is very significant in world religious history. Marduk is colloquially known as HaShaitan and appears in various guises. He rules through confusion and chaos, not order. "He" twists God's Torah and righteousness to propound his confused paradigm of Globalism.
However, it is HaShem Who rules, not Marduk, and so HaShem sends one of His angelic Watchers to confound the worshipers of Marduk.
Biblically, especially in the earlier periods, we read of the Watchers actively overseeing everything as governors of the king. According to the rabbis, such beings watch over every nation except Israel. HaShem Himself watches over Israel (the people and the territorial nation). HaShem is not a finite king. In reality, nothing escapes His direct awareness. To help fallen humanity conceive of His Power and Glory to the degree possible, the Tanach often uses courtly language and metaphors the people can better understand. As time passed, the biblical authors grew in their comprehension of His unlimitedness, and their descriptions bear this out. The Holy One requires no Watchers or other assistants. He is echad, absolute 'One' with everything.
So this Watcher declared, by the authority of HaShem, that the mighty 'Tree of Babylonia' should be 'cut down to size'-but not destroyed. Rather, the tree was 'banded' for 'seven times.' The natural assumption, as confirmed by the text, is that these were seven years, but the text says 'times' or 'periods,' not years. The term 'seven' suggests that these "times" were the completing a given task.
In this case, the pompos Nebuchadnezzar needed teshuvah (repentance). In direct fulfillment, this happened to the mighty king. This experience humbled the king. He went temporarily insane and lived as a lycanthrope or "wolf-man," a veritable were creature, for seven years until the true God restored his senses and his throne.
A Double Meaning: Israel as the Great Tree
As stated, some commentators see a double meaning in this dream, a dual prophecy referencing Israel. Under Kings David and Shlomo, the United Kingdom of Israel was God's earthly Kingdom. But after Shlomo's death, the Israelites became haughty. In the Northern Kingdom of the Ten Houses, avodah zara or foreign worship and assimilation became a severe problem. As a result, HaShem "cut down" and banded the 'Tree of Israel' (i.e., Ephraim, the Northern kingdom). Judah and Benjamin, the Southern Kingdom, were chastised and brought into slavery in Babylon. The Tanach is very clear on this point: In brief, the Ten Northern Houses of Israel (collectively known as Ephraim) disappeared from history due to 'spiritual adultery' as stated in II Kings 17:18. HaShem chose the Southern Kingdom of Judah to maintain the eternal Covenant. Eventually, similar failings by Judah caused it to fall as well, but Judah was never 'divorced' by HaShem. Still, He did chastise them: "...and there was none left but the tribe of Judah only," as stated in II Kings 17:18. And as written at Jeremiah 3:8:
She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce [a get]. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore. She saw that I divorced faithless Israel because of her adultery.
This experience was another culling of the Semites by HaShem. It demonstrated the importance of loyalty and obedience to His Torah and established that HaShem is sovereign in the affairs of humanity, especially Israel. He builds up or removes governments as He desires (Daniel 4:17). HaShem chose to favor Judah and secured their continued existence as His Elect. Here is the origin of the Jews or Judaites as a people distinct from Israel. From then on, the Covenant and Promise passed only through Judah (and Benjamin). However, as this and other prophecies show, HaShem placed world political power into the hands of the Gentile nations, primarily those of the Japhites, now that Hamite Egypt had been disqualified. Even though Israel again exists as a secular nation, its "banding" has only been loosened, not removed. The Diaspora will continue until Israel comes into a state of repentance.
4:14 This sentence [as in verdict] is decreed by the Watchers. This verdict is commanded by the Holy Ones so that all creatures may know that the Most High is sovereign over the realm of man, and He gives it to whom He wishes and sets over it even the lowest of men.'
4:15 "I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had this dream; now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its meaning, since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make its meaning known to me, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you."
4:16 Then Daniel, called Belteshazzar, was perplexed for a while, and alarmed by his thoughts. The king addressed him, "Let the dream and its meaning not alarm you." Belteshazzar replied, "My lord, would that the dream were for your enemy and its meaning for your foe!
4:17 The tree that you saw grow and become mighty, whose top reached heaven, which was visible throughout the earth,
4:18 whose foliage was beautiful, whose fruit was so abundant that there was food for all in it, beneath which the beasts of the field dwelt, in whose branches the birds of the sky lodged—
4:19 it is you, O king, you who have grown and become mighty, your greatness has grown to reach the heavens, and your dominion is to the end of the earth.
There are two recognized ways to interpret verse 16. On the one hand, Daniel diplomatically says, 'Oh king, may this prophecy be for your enemies and not directed to you.' Delivering such a dire message to a king could easily result in execution, as Daniel well knew! 'How dare you say such a thing to me.' However, Rashi, based on Talmudic discussions, offers a second plausible meaning based on the word "My lord":
"My lord" [Aramaic: מָרִאי]. Our Rabbis said (Shevu. 35b): "My Lord, may the dream be for Your enemies," refers to God [as my Lord, not to Nebuchadnezzar]. He raised his eyes to the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, "May this dream be fulfilled upon this enemy of Yours." But if you say that he told it to Nebuchadnezzar, was not Israel his enemy? Is it possible that he would curse them [i.e., Israel]?
While I mostly agree with Rashi, the prior, more direct interpretation seems far more likely. Standing before the most powerful person on earth to relate such a dire interpretation would be terrifying, and offering such a negating statement seems logical. "I'm not saying this, my king; may this not apply to you, but-." Rashi's Talmudic point, however, is worth noting. While Daniel has to be very diplomatic here, he knows precisely what Hashem will do to the king, an enemy of Israel. Remember also that Nebuchadnezzar had already defeated Israel and, as such, Israel was no longer an active enemy of the king. Daniel was merely using appropriate and wise courtly language.
4:20 The holy Watcher whom the king saw descend from the heavens and say,
Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground. In fetters of iron and bronze in the grass of the field,
let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and share the lot of the beasts of the field until seven seasons pass over him—
4:21 this is its meaning, O king; it is the decree of the Most High which has overtaken my lord the king.
Again, Daniel seems to plead, "Don't blame me, o king. I'm just the messenger." Once again the prophecy interprets itself. King Nebuchadnezer himself is the tree, at least in the surface interpretation.
4:22 You will be driven away from humanity and have your habitation with the beasts of the field. You will be fed grass like cattle, and be drenched with the dew of heaven; seven seasons will pass over you until you come to know that the Most High is sovereign over the realm of man, and He gives it to whom He wishes.
4:23 And the meaning of the command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots is that the kingdom will remain yours from the time you come to know that Heaven is sovereign.
4:24 Therefore, O king, may my advice be acceptable to you: Redeem your sins by beneficence and your iniquities by generosity to the poor; then your serenity may be extended."
Daniel is fully aware of the king's many abuses. He deserves what HaShem is about to do, yet he gives him good advice: make teshuvah (repent) before it's too late! Likewise, even though we see evil all around us today, we still seek to aid in restoring the world and encouraging teshuva. Daniel advises Nebuchadnezzar to immediately make heartfelt teshuvah or repentance so that HaShem might reconsider this punishment. But the king refuses and undergoes the consequences as a result.
Prophecy Fulfilled
4:25 All this befell King Nebuchadnezzar.
4:26 Twelve months later, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace at Babylon,
4:27 the king exclaimed, "There is great Babylon, which I have built by my vast power to be a royal residence for the glory of my majesty!"
4:28 The words were still on the king's lips, when a voice fell from the heavens, "It has been decreed for you, O King Nebuchadnezzar: The kingdom has passed out of your hands.
4:29 You are being driven away from humanity, and your habitation is to be with the beasts of the field. You are to be fed grass like cattle, and seven seasons will pass over you until you come to know that the Most High is sovereign over the realm of man and He gives it to whom He wishes."
4:30 There and then the sentence was carried out upon Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven away from humanity, he ate grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of the heavens until his hair grew like eagle's [feathers] and his nails like [the talons of] birds.
4:31 "When the time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason was restored to me. I blessed the Most High, and praised and glorified the Ever-Living One, Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion and whose kingdom endures throughout the generations.
4:32 All the inhabitants of the earth are of no account. He does as He wishes with the hosts of heaven, And with the inhabitants of the earth.
There is none to stay His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'
4:33 There and then my reason was restored to me, and my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom. My companions and nobles sought me out, and I was reestablished over my kingdom, and added greatness was given me.
4:34 So now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify the King of Heaven, all of whose works are just and whose ways are right, and who is able to humble those who behave arrogantly."
The Proposed Dual Fulfillment
When the Great Tree is conceived as Israel, which was chopped down by Nebuchadnezzar, the understanding is that HaShem 'banded' it until 'Seven Times' metaphorically passes over it, as described in Ezekiel chapters 38-39. This banding process began with the rise of the four global Gentile empires described by Daniel. The Tree was unbanded in 1948, as Israel began producing stems and branches again. To date, the Tree has not grown beyond the borders of Judea, but one day, HaShem will restore all of our Land to us, and the Tree of Israel will give 'shade to the world' as described once HaMashiach is ruling.
According to Sage Rambam, any of the following conditions will inaugurate HaMashiach ben David's reign, reestablish Israel, and end global suffering. Or, as Daniel described it here, restore the Tree of Israel. Rambam presents these conditions in two parts. If the Jews choose the first option, the world will avoid much suffering, and HaMashiach ben David may come without this most dreadful of all wars. It is probably too late for this option. Today's Jews are collectively moving away from HaShem, not to Him.
Under the second option, Mashiach ben Yosef will come, raise an army from among the restored Twelve Houses, and end the War of Magog and all of the terrible sufferings BEFORE the coming of Mashiach ben David. This option will require the War of Magog and its concluding battle at Har Megiddo (or Armageddon). This way 'forward through the fog' seems all but certain now. We may already be in the early phases of this World War Three scenario with the Russian (Magogian) invasion of Ukraine, whether or not that invasion was justified. Only time will tell.
If the Jews succumb to genocide - as large segments of the world are again promoting - all hope will be lost, and the world will become a living Hell until its inhabitants finally destroy the human race and much of the natural world. Then perhaps HaShem would plant a new Gan Eden and begin again. However, this can not happen because the Holy One has declared that Israel, the people, will never be wholly destroyed and will reestablish His Theocracy (Jeremiah 14:9-11):
And GOD shall be sovereign over all the earth; in that day, there shall be one GOD with one Name. Then, the whole country shall become like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. The latter shall perch high up where it is and shall be inhabited from the Gate of Benjamin to the site of the Old Gate, down to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the King's winepresses. Never again shall destruction be decreed, and Jerusalem shall dwell secure.
So, under the second option, here is how HaShem will rescue and restore Israel. Rambam identifies two clauses that would bring in Melech Mashiach ben David:
Clause One:
- If all the Jews choose to repent in a single day;
- If all the Jews observe a single Shabbat properly;
- If all the Jews observe two consecutive Shabbats properly.
Connecting Clause:
If a generation of Jews is completely righteous or unrighteous;
Then:
Clause Two:
- If a generation of Jews loses all hope;
- If a generation of Jews produces children that are totally disrespectful towards their parents and elders;
If the Jews meet one of the first three clauses, there will be no reason for Mashiach ben Yosef to come since his primary role is to defeat our enemies and lead the Jews to teshuvah (a state of heartfelt repentance). If we choose this first option, HaShem will do what is needed, and Melech Mashiach ben David will assume his throne and re-establish the Theocracy. The same would be true of a generation in which all Jews become Torah observant (and hence righteous). Therefore, the Jews always could have prepared the way for Mashiach ben David and avoided the pain and sorrow foretold by certain prophets. Unfortunately, the Jewish people as a whole have seldom chosen righteousness.
In a generation without Torah observance, the remaining adverse conditions exist, and Mashiach ben David will not arise. The Jews must invite him through shared teshuvah, even as Nebuchadnezzar had to come to the point of teshuva to be restored. To save the Jews from genocide, HaShem will cause the results of our negative choices to be met through divine coercion to make us look to our King with emunah. It is in such a generation that Mashiach ben Yosef will be required. By finally choosing teshuvah, changing our direction, and seeking harmony with HaShem now, we could avoid the evils coming upon us (Deuteronomy 30:19). Imagine if all the Jews would choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19)! We would rock the world for good!
Continue to Chapter Five
* © This series is by John of AllFaith, © April 12, 1997 (last updated June 10,2024)
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