HOW WE (REPRESENTED BY NEBUCHADNEZZAR) BECOME BORN-AGAIN

AFTER THE FACT OF SALVATION

(Daniel 4:1-3) Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion [power to bear rule] is from generation to generation.

THE STORY:
THE SECOND DREAM (THE TONGUE FROM GOD)

(Daniel 4:4-9) I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts [i.e., angels: 2 Corinthians 10:5] upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me [Chaldean: terrified me]. Therefore made I 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 ["the interpretation of tongues" 1 Corinthians 12:10]. Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof. But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was 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, saying, O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen [the tongue], and the interpretation thereof. Flourishing: Chaldean: green; prosperous /// to be green; verdant. [Dictionary:

verdant = green with vegetation] Commentary: "flourishing" The latter Chaldean word corresponding to the Hebrew word for "green; prosperous /// to be green; verdant" is perhaps a reference to the legendary "Hanging Gardens of Babylon" that Nebuchadnezzar was purported to have grown for his wife. One the Seven Wonders of the World, The Hanging Gardens are the only "Wonder" not fully substantiated in history. (Daniel 4:10-12) Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold, a tree [ biblical symbol of mankind, or a man] in the midst of the earth, and the height [an allusion to pride] thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height [pride reinforced] 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 [Hebrew: food] for all: the beasts of the field had shadow [i.e., protection] under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. (Genesis 11:4-5) And they said, Go to, let us build us a city [Babel = Heb: confusion] [built by Nimrod "a mighty hunter" (Gen 10:9). The other two hunters mentioned in the Bible are Ishmael and Esau)] and a tower [Heb: castle, pulpit], whose top may reach unto heaven [the tower of Babel]; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. (Psalms 127:1) A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep [Heb: guard, protect] the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. (Daniel 3:1) Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits [120 feet], and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Commentary: In Daniel chapter two, Nebuchadnezzar received a prophetic/historical dream from God of a statue in the form of a man that graphically depicted the empires of four successive supreme world-power civilizations which were represented by the progressively diminishing values of the most precious metals of that time. The statue was composed of gold (the head, the Babylonian empire, 605 B.C.), silver (the chest and arms, the Medo-Persian empire, 539 B.C.), brass (the belly and thighs, the Greek empire, 330 B.C.), and iron (the legs, the Roman empire, 67 B.C.). And then was described this anomaly: "The toes of the feet were part of iron (fallen angels, unclean spirits, demons), and part of clay" (Dan 2:42); "miry clay" actually (Dan 2:43) (i.e., watery clay; the Holy Spirit and men; Christians) representing the Advent of Jesus Christ and the New Testament. The toes of iron and miry clay were mixed in association together "but they shall not cleave one to another" (Daniel 2:43). Cleaving between the sons of God and humans did occur in Gen 6:1-4 which produced a fierce race of mutants called "giants" and was thereafter eternally forbidden (Jude 1:6-7). Please note that each metal was progressively harder [ref: Exodus 1:7-14 "to serve with rigour"] than the last, and also of a lesser "value" (a great and many applications and connotations here) both to God and to mankind. Commentary: In the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, gold represents God. "God is love" (1 John 4:8,16). Gold is malleable (syn: soft), and is the only metal that may be

found and used in its pure state. Gods love has softness (forgiveness), is pure, and is quite quite priceless in "value." In Daniel chapter three, "Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold [a self-image] whose height was threescore cubits" (Daniel 3:1). In the creation and building of this self-image of pure gold representing himself (an image which I have previously interpreted to be made of wood covered with gold however, as in poetry, perhaps both interpretations are intended and correct), Nebuchadnezzar, who was then a pagan, was certainly not erecting this image to commemorate "the love of God," but this image was meant to convey to the inhabitants all the known world Nebuchadnezzars regal power and authority through a display of unequalable wealth and grandeur. This awesome display has been snapped as a picture in time, and symbolizes man at his most prideful moment. (Daniel 4:13-16) I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher [Heb: an angel] and an holy one [Heb: a saint] came down from heaven; He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his 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 [Chald.: imprisonment /// a bond, a binding (especially manacles of a prisoner): + prison] of iron [symbolic of the judgment of sin] and brass [symbol of sin], in the tender [soft, young] grass [i.e., "pulse" Dan 1:12,16; symbolic of the Word of God; the logos] of the field; and let it [i.e., the grass, the pulse] be wet with the dew of heaven [symbolic of the Holy Spirit; the rhema] [water is formless, acidic, and slowly dissolves (rarifies) the substantial grass], 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 [i.e., seven years, the Tribulation, the scouring] pass over him. (Ecclesiastes 3:18) I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them [make apparent to them], and that they might see [Heb: discern] that they themselves are beasts.

THE WORD OF GOD SPEAKS TO ALL; THEN AND NOW

(Daniel 4:17-19) This matter is by the decree of the watchers [Hebrew: angels], and the demand by the word of the holy ones [Heb: the saints]: 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 [Hebrew: lowest] of men. This dream [tongue] 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. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied [Hebrew: astonished] for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to [the benefit of] them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to [the benefit of] thine enemies. THE TREE IS THOU [YOU]

(Daniel 4:20-24) The tree that 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 reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the 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; This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king: (Daniel 4:25-27) That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field [in the forests and caves of the mountains], and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times [the seven year Tribulation, the seven year scouring] shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness [repent], and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be [result in] a lengthening of thy [present] tranquillity [of "rest" and "flourishing" Dan 4:4]. (Daniel 4:28-36) All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months [later] he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake, 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 honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 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 [the Tribulation, the scouring] shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass [the Word of God] as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven [the anointing of understanding], till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers ["they shall mount up with wings as eagles" Isaiah 40:31], and his nails like birds' claws [for "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" Romans 10:17]. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me [restoration], 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: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me [restoration]; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

(Daniel 4:37) Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride [Hebrew: exaltation; arrogance: lifting up] he is able to abase [Hebrew: humble, put down, subdue]. Amen.