Dec. 5, 2022
There are times when one wishes that dreams didn’t come true! To illustrate this point, we will consider the second dream of King Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon. The prophet Daniel, or as the King named him, Belteshazzar (they loved their z’s!), was the only one able to interpret the dream for the king. You will recall the King’s first dream, when he demanded that his soothsayers, wise men, and magicians tell him 1) the dream and 2) the interpretation of the dream. All of them would face death if they failed. Apparently, the king had forgotten the essential details of the dream but knew it was very important. Clearly, no mere mortal could tell the king both the dream and its interpretation. After everyone else failed, Daniel stepped in, knowing the living God, the one and only God. The second dream of the King is recorded for us in Daniel Chapter 4. This is the dream I want to address in this article.
“Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold, I saw a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. And I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven; He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field: and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. 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. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, 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.” Daniel 4: 10-18
A dream without the proper interpretation has no value. A dream with a false interpretation is deceitful, misleading, and destructive. Both in the past and today, many false prophets claim to have dreams and give flexible interpretations that seem to fit whatever situation they are in at the moment. It is a very serious matter to speak for God, and He only entrusts that gift to men and women of His choosing. Belteshazzar steps in again to provide the interpretation God gave him for the king. We can see how Daniel might have been a little hesitant to share the interpretation from God with the king, especially since it was a warning of God’s judgment upon the king himself. Dreams given by God to men and women do come true.
“The tree thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth: whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation: It is thou, O King, that art grown and become strong; for thy greatness is grown and reachest unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. And where as the kings saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew down the tree, and destroy it: yet leave a stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him.” Daniel 4:20-23
Daniel then told the king that he would be driven away from people and would live like a beast in the field, eating grass like an ox for a specific period of time. “… And seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever he will. And since they commanded to leave the stump of the tree’s roots, thy kingdom shall be secure for thee after thou hast known that the heavens do rule.” Daniel 4:25, 26
Daniel then advised the king to repent of his sins so that this judgment might pass over him quickly or not at all, if possible. Unfortunately, he did not, and about a year later, the king was boasting about the great city he built by his power and for the honor of his majesty. In that moment, God judged the king and began the humbling process. The king went into the field on his hands and knees to live as a beast until he came to his senses and glorified the one true God. When the king humbled himself, he was restored to his kingdom.
King Nebuchadnezzar was likely the greatest king of the Babylonian empire. He became king after his father, Nabopolassar, in 605 BC at 29 years old and died in 562 BC. He conquered Assyria, Egypt, and Judah/Jerusalem (Bible and Wikipedia search). His was the greatest empire on earth at the time and the instrument chosen by God to destroy Judah and Jerusalem. The Babylonian empire itself was destroyed in 539 BC by the Persian king Cyrus the Great, less than a century after its founding.
Pride goes before a fall. God always opposes the proud and shows grace to the humble. Will people ever learn this lesson?
What can we learn from this dream?
The first lesson I believe is worth noting is that God is sovereign and providential over the affairs of all kingdoms and nations, as well as those who lead them. Surprisingly, it is stated that God (not the devil) sometimes appoints the “basest” of men to rule over these kingdoms or nations. A “base” person is someone who is morally deficient and lacks admirable personal qualities. Such a person is a godless, wicked, and vile leader. Our current U.S. president fits this description as “the basest of men.” Until we, as a nation, repent of all our many sins, we can expect even worse to come. It’s hard to imagine anyone baser than our current President and many other leaders in positions of power.
Think of the wicked Presidents of the United States and other God-hating political leaders in recent history. We have expelled God from our culture and turned against His moral law. God has surely put over us the “basest of men and women” because of our rejection of Him, His word, and His law. It is easy to understand how the devil might do such a thing, but the testimony from this scripture is that God puts these immoral leaders in place. God, not the devil, called King Nebuchadnezzar to destroy Judah and Jerusalem, along with its people—His people. God is the reigning sovereign over all nations. He is never on vacation nor has He delegated His kingly authority to anyone else. No one else, but God, is capable of governing in truth and justice. We have thousands of years of evidence for this, yet few truly believe that God is the only one capable of ruling the human race. Men and women still aspire to be sovereign because they think more highly of themselves than they should. The lustful pride of humanity is the root of all this evil. Humanity believes it can do a better job than God. Men and women try to redefine God’s moral law, and the results are disastrous. What God declares as evil, our leaders call good; what God calls good, our leaders label evil. We have sown the wind and will continue to reap the whirlwind. Instead of God’s blessings, we will encounter His curses. Even now, those curses are visible to those who have eyes to see. Our ongoing impenitence will guarantee our own destruction. Or we can choose to learn from history.
The second lesson is that God humbles the proud leader and the proud nation. The king of Babylon was a political, religious, and military leader in one role. He was the absolute sovereign over the empire and kingdom of Babylon. The tree in his dream was himself. But he was the governmental, the military, and the spiritual leader of the nation of Babylon. Consequently, the tree represented the nation, not just the king, but the king would be the object lesson at this time. Not long after he was no longer King, God judged the nation of Babylon, and in 539 BC, God sent Cyrus the Great to destroy the Babylonian empire.
In many ways, the USA resembles the tree in this dream. It is not hard to picture the USA as “the great tree amid the earth that gives food and shelter to all.” The USA has been the greatest nation on earth for many decades. Babylon was the reigning world empire back then. And like the king of Babylon and the Babylonian nation, the USA will soon be humbled (all our branches and leaves will be cut down, only the stump will remain) until we recognize that there is one true God, who is the real king of kings. His laws govern the universe, all nations, and all leaders. The USA, like this great tree in the king’s dream, has worldwide influence and reach. As we prosper, so does much of the world. We have been the source of prosperity and freedom for many nations. Over the years, the USA has had positive influences throughout the world. Unfortunately, we have also been the source of much moral corruption for many decades. At one time, we sent out many missionaries to tell the lost about God, and now missionaries are sent to us from other lands. Even our spiritual leaders have been corrupted, just like in the days when God used Nebuchadnezzar to judge Judah and Jerusalem for their spiritual apostasy. We might even be worse than them. We have many political, civic, religious, and business leaders in the USA who have rejected God and vainly think that they are the reason for their success, power, wealth, and prosperity. Their pride and rebellion have no limits. However, they couldn’t be more wrong, and God is about to humble them and this nation (USA), for as the king said, “…those who walk in pride he can abase.” Daniel 4:37
You may not be in a significant political leadership position or a part of a highly successful business, but know this. God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. Average and even poor people are often as proud as the successful elites. Pride knows no age, gender, race, or class. If you walk in the stubbornness of your own heart, you are proud. If you refuse to repent of your sin and serve God, you are pleased. God is going to humble you. Or you can humble yourself while there is time.
The third lesson is that God has “watchers’ overseeing everything on Earth. Nothing is hidden from His sight. What men and women do in darkness and privacy is always being watched by holy ones in heaven. Consider this: a record is being kept by the “watchers” and will soon be revealed for all to see. All our unrepented secrets will eventually be exposed. It’s truly astonishing how foolish humanity is, thinking their wicked acts go unnoticed by the holy “watchers.” They wrongly believe that because God doesn’t immediately punish them, He is unaware of their evil or indifferent. Man’s ability to deceive himself is endless. Never mistake God’s patience and long suffering for apathy toward evil or sinners. He endures patiently to save as many as are willing to repent. Soon, we will all stand before the holy watchers to be judged. The goats will face “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” while His sheep will inherit the kingdom of God.
The fourth lesson is that to be used of God, you must be willing to do and say whatever God commands, no matter how difficult or dangerous. No sacrifice is too great or too dear that the child of God is not willing to make to obey God rather than man. Daniel knew that to give a dictator, like Nebuchadnezzar, bad news was inviting death. Daniel had already seen his God deliver his three friends from the fiery furnace. He knew that these three friends were willing to die before they would worship an idol and offend God. Daniel and his three friends feared God more than the king. Most leaders of yesterday and today fear man more than God. And that explains why our culture is increasingly corrupt and deeply depraved. It also explains why Christians are such cowards. Christians, for the most part, are unwilling to make any sacrifice whatsoever because they fear man more than they fear God. They will not say or do anything that might hurt their career, put their wealth at risk, or ruin their reputation. For evil to triumph, all it takes is for good men and women to say nothing. (Edmund Burke) The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of man is the end of wisdom and the beginning of eternal death.
The fifth lesson is to get engaged in the battle now or die later. We Christians had better aggressively stand for Biblical righteousness and truth before our country becomes completely forsaken of God and begins to persecute those who hold fast to truth actively. A softer form of persecution has already started. Think of what happened in “Christian” Germany under Hitler and what happened in Russia under Stalin. When “good” people refused to confront evil, evil overwhelmed them. Millions of people lost their lives because “good” people said nothing and did nothing. Praise God, there were exceptions, but the vast majority said and did nothing as evil marched through their cities and towns. And they thought if they kept silent, they would be safe. But the holy watchers were looking on and keeping a record of their infidelity and cowardice. Their security was short-lived. When evil came knocking at their door, there was no one left to confront evil and help them. Fight now or die later might be the only two options.
There is almost no fear of God in the churches in the United States. Without the fear of God, there is no limit to the wickedness that those claiming to be Christian will practice. And when that takes place, God fights against His corrupt children as He did in the fall of Israel and Judah. How can there be any real fear of God when sinning “Christians” are told, by their pastors and teachers, that it is normal for Christian’s to live in sin or live in constant rebellion against God. Moreover, they said they have nothing to fear from God, for He will take them to heaven no matter how evil they are if they will only trust that Christ died for their sins, even if they never stop committing those sins. The truth has fallen in the streets because fake Christians and a fake gospel have paved the way.
We are back to the first lesson. God judges a wicked nation by setting over it the basest of leaders and thereby destroying its security, wealth, and prosperity. In many cases, the loss of life is overwhelming. Under our current President, we are witnessing the rapid destruction of our beloved nation. We must speak the truth in love. We must fight back. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. We fight, sometimes standing and often on our knees, using the truth. Only when God, by His Holy Spirit, empowers and anoints the truth do we have any hope for change and the blessing of God. Our enemies will always use lies, deception, and violence.
The truth in the mouth of humble, courageous, and righteous men and women is powerful. These saints fear God more than they fear man. These holy ones confront evil, boldly and courageously. You will see in them some of the same characteristics seen in Daniel and his three friends.
May God’s best dreams for us be realized in our holy submission to His will, His laws and His confrontation of all that is evil.
