of seven years. Burton, “Verse 17 refers again, this time in the plural, to “watchers” and “holy ones.” In solemn assembly the holy angels had not only subscribed to God’s righteous decree in this matter, but had made it their demand. The angels evidently demand judgment on any mortal who seeks to take God’s glory from Him.” DeHaan, “Evidently the interpreta tion of the dream was from the begin ning clear to Daniel. But stunned by the magnitude of the judgment about to befall the king, Daniel stood speech less for one whole hour. Despite his faults, Nebuchadnezzar had been kind to Daniel, and the latter had a high regard for him. For this reason he stood ‘astonied for one hour.’ Seeing that Daniel was troubled, the king en couraged him to go on, indicating that he was ready to receive whatever the prophet had to tell him. Then, after courteously indicating that he would prefer to see such a judgment fall upon the king’s enemies rather than upon Nebuchadnezzar himself, Daniel proceeded fearlessly to proclaim God’s Word.” The. tree represented Nebuchadnez zar himself. With this key the individ ual details were clear enough and needed little interpretation. The most significant feature of the dream was the felling of the tree. Daniel inter preted this as meaning that Nebu chadnezzar was to be driven from his throne and made to dwell among the beasts for seven years: “Till thou know that the most high ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.” Nebuchadnez zar, in his pride and presumption, had come to imagine that his own strength and ability had obtained for him his high position. He must be humbled until he is willing to confess that he is nothing and God is all. Even today God cannot and will not use any per son to the fullest until he is ready to make this same confession. The final item of interpretation was 32 B. THE DREAM INTERPRETED BY DANIEL (4:19-27)
of many “gods,” but he used the term holy, which was applied only to Jeho vah. Daniel was acknowledged “Mas ter of Magicians”—the man who suc ceeded when the magicians failed. Nebuchadne zz a r was sure about Daniel that “no secret troubleth thee” — nothing was too difficult for his interpretation. A description of the p r oph e t i c dream was then given to Daniel. The central feature was a great tree, lo cated in the most conspicuous place on earth. This tree grew and increased until it reached to heaven and could be seen by all the earth. It was pleas ant to look upon and its fruit was good to eat. Not only did it provide beauty and nourishment, but also pro tection to the beasts of the field in its shadow, and to the birds of the air in its branches. But as the king mar veled, suddenly and unexpectedly there came an order for the destruction of this apparently indestructible tree. Although no human woodsman could accomplish such a task “a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven” with God’s decree of judg ment. This “watcher” was doubtless a holy angel. These beings behold the deeds of men, and are “ministering spirits” to the saints of God (Heb. 1:14). The decree proclaimed t h a t the great tree was to be cut down, the branches removed, the leaves shaken from the branches, the fruit scattered, the beasts lodging under it and the fowls lodging in it driven away. The picture was one of almost complete destruction. But even in God’s wrath there was mercy. The stump and the roots were to be left in the earth: it was not to be uprooted. This stump was then to be subject to all the ele ments and to the beasts of the field. The angel in part interpreted the vision; he eventually spoke no longer of the tree as it, but as he (w. 15, 16). Clearly the tree represented a person who was to have his heart changed from a man’s to a beast’s. The person represented in the dream was to have his human intellect made like a beast’s, and that for a period
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