Daniel Segment 4

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Daniel Segment 4

All scripture is from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. Before beginning this study, I suggest you pray and ask God to guide you through this study. I also suggest that you do you own study of this material in order to ensure its accuracy.
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Daniel 4:1 "Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you."

his is the greeting of a letter. Letters and decrees were written on a roll or scroll. If the name or the author was written at the end of a letter, one would need to unroll the scroll to the end to find out who wrote it. Because this was very inconvenient, letter writers identified themselves at the beginning of a letter. The modern equivalent of this is the letterhead, which identifies the sender or his company or both. Nebuchadnezzar sent this letter to all his subjects, which were the entire known world at the time. He was truly a king of kings.

Daniel 4:2-3 "I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. {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."

This is Nebuchadnezzar, the man who wished to cause all his subjects to bow down toward an obelisk he had made and worship his "gods". He is the one that sentenced Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego to the fiery furnace. This is Nebuchadnezzar the pagan who worshipped multiple gods and goddesses. Yet here he is extolling the attributes of God Almighty, El Shaddai, Yehovah the Creator and Ruler of the Universe! What has happened? This is explained throughout the entire chapter, and these are the last of Nebuchadnezzar's actions we read about in the book of Daniel. He is mentioned in Chapter 5 as Belshazzar's father (he is actually Belshazzar's grandfather), but he was dead at that time. This chapter explains what I believe to be the conversion of Nebuchadnezzar. I believe he is presently with the Father and we will be able meet him when we go to be with the Father. Yes, I think he was saved. He was righteous before God (because god imputed righteousness to him for his belief) and at the death of Christ he was saved by Christ just like Abraham, Jacob, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, etc.

And how were those men saved?

Hebrews 9:14-15 "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? {15} And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance."

Hebrews tells us that those who transgressed under the Old Covenant are saved by the blood of Christ under the New covenant. I understand that Dispensationalism and Hyper-Dispensationalism teach that the Law saves those under the first covenant while faith in Jesus Christ saves those under the new covenant. But that is a false teaching. Hebrews clearly states that all are saved by the blood of Christ—those under the first covenant and those under the new covenant. The Greek word rendered "testament" is more correctly rendered covenant or contract in Modern English.

The first covenant is that of the external law written on a medium such as parchment, vellum, papyrus, etc.:

Jeremiah 31:31-32 "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: {32} Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:"

God speaks of a new covenant that replaces the old. It is made with all of Israel, both the northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdoms. That old covenant made with their fathers was the covenant made at Sinai:

Deuteronomy 5:1-5 "And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. {2} The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. {3} The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. {4} The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire, {5} (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to show you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,"

Then Moses goes on to record the Decalogue and the rest of the law. It was the written law that Israel agreed to that was the first covenant. The covenant was accepted by the Children of Israel in Exodus 24:3-4: "And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do. {4} And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel." They agreed to abide by the letter of the written law. This is the old covenant, or the first testament written of in Hebrews. Now, accordingly, there is a new covenant:

Jeremiah 31:33-34 "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. {34} And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

This covenant is the covenant of the Blood of Christ:

Hebrews 12:24 "And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel."

This blood He sprinkled was His own:

We are right back where we started. Jesus' shed blood is the new covenant. Those who believe upon Him have eternal life. This covenant of faith replaced the old covenant of the written law, and this new covenant also saves those who transgressed under the old. But just how does this actually work?

Hebrews 11:39-40 "And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: {40} God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."

The Old Testament saints will be made perfect with us. When does that happen? At His return:

Daniel 12:1 "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."

We can see the culmination of this in Revelation 20:12-15: "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. {13} And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. {14} And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. {15} And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Daniel's people, the Old Testament saints, are written in the Lamb's Book of Life and are saved by the blood of Christ. They will receive their inheritance at the last resurrection.

Some say that during Christ's time in the grave, He went and preached to the righteous dead, allowing them to believe in His shed blood. This teaching in based on 1 Pet 4:6, "For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." But the dead in this verse could also have been the gentiles who were dead in their sins before they were saved. Or they could be those to whom the gospel was preached and then died. It is difficult to be sure. It is certain, though, that those Old Testament saints are saved by Christ's blood just as we New Testament saints are.

Daniel 4:4-5 "I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: {5} I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me."

This is a copy of Nebuchadnezzar's letter and he is the narrator in this part of the chapter. Here is another dream that woke Nebuchadnezzar in fear; that he did not understand.

Daniel 4:6-7 "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. {7} 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."

This is very similar to the dream about the great statue. He called all the politicians, scholars, intellectuals, and scientists of the kingdom—the wisest and best the realm had to offer. But they were not up to the task. This time he did not threaten to kill them if they did not interpret the dream. He waited for Daniel to arrive:

Daniel 4:8 "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,"

Again, Belteshazzar means favored of Bel, that is, Baal or Marduk, the chief Babylonian god, who is also known as Merodach, Nebo(u) and Nabu (hence the names of the kings of Babylon-Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar or Nebuchadrezzar, Evil-Merodach, and Nabonadius or Belshazzar). Before his conversion, to which this letter is addressed, he discounted God Almighty as Daniel's benefactor, instead believing that Daniel was favored of his gods and had their spirit in him.

Daniel 4:9 "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, and the interpretation thereof."

Daniel was not a magician, a sorcerer, or an illusionist. The word rendered magician is chartummim (Strong's 2748) and may come from the Hebrew root cheret, (2747), which means pen or engraving tool. This leads to the conclusion that this was a scribe or other learned man. Some suggest these men were interpreters and scholars of difficult subjects. They were well-educated men upon whom the king could call for help with difficult subjects. There were not illusionists as a magician of today is, though they probably were skilled in the art of illusion and used it when it was to their advantage. Daniel was their master. He was " chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon." He was appointed to this position in Daniel 2:48 -49.

Daniel 4:10-12 "Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. {11} The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: {12} 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."

In Scripture, trees are often used to symbolize men. This tree symbolized Nebuchadnezzar. Let's review what was said about trees in Genesis Segment 4:

The word here for tree is 'ets. It comes from the root word, 'atsah, which is one transliteration out of several used for the single Hebrew word, (these are Hebrew characters, consonants only). The letter names are Heth ( soft h or uh), Tsadeq (ts or tz), 'Ayin (guttural soft hiss). Remember to read them right to left ('Ayin first). I use this example to let you know that the same word is transliterated 'atsah, 'ahtash, 'atseh, and 'etsah, and could also be pronounced 'ets. Each transliteration has a different meaning. Some of these meanings are: to close or fasten, the human spine and body, trees, timber, prudence, advice, and counsel. It is interesting to note these things. The one I want you to remember is the spine and body. Remember this because in various places in the Bible, the Father, the Son, men, and Satan are symbolically referred to as trees.

Some examples: The Father: Hosea 14:8, the Son: Romans 11:15-24, men: Ezekiel 31:14, Romans 11:17, 23, Satan: Ezekiel 31:3-13, etc. For many more examples, do a word study on trees.

In [Genesis 2:9], we are told about two specific trees among all of the trees in Eden, the Tree of Life, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The Tree of Life is mentioned in Revelation 22. In both the Garden of Eden and in the New Jerusalem, the tree of life is the giver of eternal life. Who is the giver of life? Jesus Christ. In Proverbs 3:22, wisdom is referred to as a tree of life and Proverbs also tells us that wisdom was with God in the beginning. John tells us that Jesus, the Word, was with God in the beginning. The tree of life, the giver of eternal life, is symbolic of the Son of God, the Christ.

And conversely, the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is symbolic of Satan. Until the man and woman partook of the tree at the bidding of the Serpent, they had no knowledge of evil.

Daniel 4:13 "I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;"

Watchers were a rank of angels out of the several hierarchies of angels in Babylonian belief. This was a dream, and Nebuchadnezzar could easily have dreamed about characters he was familiar with. According to Babylonian thought, a "watcher and an holy one" is an angel that watches over the affairs of men.

Daniel 4:14-15 "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: {15} 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:"

Though the tree was to be cut down, the stump was to be kept alive with a bit of tree surgery. Nebuchadnezzar was to go and live with the wild animals and be like one of them.

Daniel 4:16 "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."

Here the tree is personified. The person that the tree symbolizes (Nebuchadnezzar) would actually believe himself to be a wild animal (which is what the word rendered beast means). The commentaries talk about a disorder called Lycanthropy. Lycanthropy is a combination of Greek words meaning man-wolf. This disorder causes a person to believe he is a wolf or other wild animal. I have mainly been able to find the word lycanthropy listed at occultic or similar sites. Legitimate mental disorder sites do not often mention this disorder. They do, however, mention schizophrenia. The symptoms for schizophrenia mirror the symptoms of someone with lycanthropy. Some symptoms include changes in personality, abilities, and habits. Some become delusional and unable to grasp reality. Their perceptual abilities are altered. Thought disorder is the most noticeable change. The person becomes incapable of clear and rational thought. Schizophrenics hear voices and have hallucinations. The symptoms continue, but these are enough to make the point.

There is an article in the American Journal of Psychiatry about lycanthropy. It was written by Harvey Rostenstock, M.D. and Kenneth R. Vincent, Ed.D in Volume 134, October, 1977. It is entitled A Case of Lycanthropy. The doctors go into great detail about the life of a 49-year-old woman who had "delusions of being a wolf and "feeling like an animal with claws."" She not only had the delusions, but acted upon them, acting like a wolf-growling, scratching, and gnawing. During her stay in the hospital, she was observed looking into the mirror where she thought she saw herself with the head of a wolf.

The doctors diagnosed "chronic pseudoneurotic schizophrenia". They gave a more detailed diagnosis of lycanthropy. I quote:

"After reviewing ancient and modern literature, it is felt that the differential diagnosis for lycanthropy should include consideration of all of the following possibilities: 1) schizophrenia, 2) organic brain syndrome with psychosis, 3) psychotic depressive reaction, 4) hysterical neurosis of the dissociative type, 5) manic-depressive psychosis, and 6) psychomotor epilepsy."

(Sounds similar to demon possession to me. I can see how an actual demon possession could be diagnosed as schizophrenia. The symptoms are similar. The demoniac at Gadarenes exhibited all of the above symptoms. I am not for one moment intimating that all cases of schizophrenia are caused by demon possession, but I certainly believe a few are.)

They went on to conclude:

"Lycanthropy is a rare phenomenon, but it does exist. It should be regarded as a symptom complex and not a diagnostic entity. Furthermore, although it may generally be an expression of an underlying schizophrenic condition, at least five other differential diagnostic entities must be considered."

These quotes were taken from the article, "A Case of Lycanthropy", Volume 134 of the American Journal of Psychiatry, October 1977. Their site is located at http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/. At the time of this writing, the article was published in its entirety at http://www.primitivism.com\lycanthropy.htm.

The point in this discussion is that lycanthropy is entirely possible and that there are documented cases on file with professional organizations. Nebuchadnezzar also exhibited some of these symptoms, as we will see in verse 33.

Seven times are basically seven years. The Akkadian word, 'iddan (5732), literally means set time. It is used to denote a year. Here it probably means seven years. Archaeology confirms that Nebuchadnezzar had a lengthy sickness that took him out of power during its duration. But this is just the prophecy as told by Nebuchadnezzar himself. The prophecy did come true.

Daniel 4:17 "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 is a most interesting statement. Nebuchadnezzar was referring to his concept of angels and their hierarchy. He is saying that the angel's actions were to get him to really understand who the One True God is. But the angel was actually a vision from God that accomplished this outcome.

Daniel 4:18 "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."

Nebuchadnezzar still believed that his gods were the source of Daniel's ability. But he did not doubt Daniel's ability. He was confident that Daniel could unravel his mystery for him, just as surely as he knew that all the other wise men could not.

Daniel 4:19 "Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied 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 them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies."

The phrase, "one hour" really refers to one short indefinite period of time. It comes from a word that means a look of introspection or a nonplussed look. Daniel had a vacant look on his face and remained silent for a short period of time. The king, who had real affection for Daniel, did not want the dream to trouble him. So he said so. Daniel revealed that his hesitation is based on the fact that he liked the king and did not want to tell him the bad news. Those that hated the king would be pleased upon hearing the dream.

Daniel 4:20-22 "The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; {21} 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: {22} 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."

Nebuchadnezzar's realm had reached its pinnacle. He actually ruled over all the kings in the world. Everything and everyone in the world dwelt under Babylon's auspices, just as all the beasts and fowls dwelt under the branches of the tree. And just as Nebuchadnezzar's government provided for all of his vassals and subjects, so did the tree provide. This is exactly why the Babylon in the Book of Revelation is a worldwide government ruling over all and all the vassals of the world depended on it for their livelihood. The wares of that Babylon are very similar to those at Vanity Fair in Pilgrim's Progress. See Revelation Segment 8 and Revelation Segment 14.

Daniel 4:23-25 "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; {24} This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king: {25} That 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 they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will."

The leaders of Babylon would drive Nebuchadnezzar out from the city into the wilderness. This was to get his attention and point him toward God.

Daniel 4:26 "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."

He would loose his kingdom temporarily, but he would not die, and his kingdom would be there awaiting his return.

Daniel 4:27 "Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity."

Nebuchadnezzar was a vain, self-centered, and spoiled king. He wanted things his way right now. Sounds like my grandchildren. While he would acknowledge God at times, he still believed in his own gods, and his own power and ability to get things done. He also took credit for all of his supposed feats, but it was God that put him where he was and not he, Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel asked him to repent of these shortcomings and acknowledge God. If Nebuchadnezzar had repented, he would not have suffered. But he did not repent.

Daniel 4:28-29 "All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. {29} At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon."

There is a change in narration here. Since the beginning of this chapter, Nebuchadnezzar has been narrating his own letter. Now another narrator (Daniel) is giving the history of the event described by the king in his letter. A year after his dream, Nebuchadnezzar had forgotten all about it. He had forgotten its interpretation as well. Since it had been a year, he probably thought he prophetic dream was just a fantasy.

Daniel 4:30 "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?"

No, it is not. Babylon was great because the LORD built Babylon by His power, and might, and for His honor and Glory. What the king did was to assume the place of God. This is blasphemy. One of the definitions of blasphemy is claiming for oneself the attributes of God or claiming to be God. Nebuchadnezzar claimed God's attributes. God gave to Nebuchadnezzar everything he had.

Archaeology tells us that Nebuchadnezzar built or restored almost every temple and city in Babylonia. He did an enormous amount of labor it his kingdom. He built the Hanging Gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The city of Babylon was a great park with gardens, monuments, sculpture, moving water, etc. Nebuchadnezzar's name is engraved on all the bricks used for his construction work. He gave himself credit for the work even on individual bricks. That shows his self-centered personality. The great archaeologist of Babylon, Sir H. Rawlinson, said:

"I have examined the bricks belonging perhaps to a hundred different towns and cities in the neighborhood of Baghdad, and I never found any other legend than that of Nebuchadnezzar, son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon." Nine-tenths of all the bricks amid the ruins of Babylon are stamped with his name."

Daniel 4:31-32 "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. {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 in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will."

The voice from heaven was known to Daniel, or he would not have been able to write it here. We are not told if the voice was heard by others or only by Nebuchadnezzar. It was most likely the voice of an angel, Gabriel, to hazard a guess. This would fulfill Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a "watcher and an holy one". Though lycanthropy is suggested as a cause, Nebuchadnezzar did not think himself a wolf or a carnivore. He was to eat grass like an ox. And, while lycanthropy might be a good explanation of his condition for men, God caused this event. God is unlimited in power and I believe this was simply God causing him to lose his memory and causing him to act like a wild animal.

Daniel 4:33 "The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws."

He was not a werewolf as some might suggest. He did not take on the external shape of any animal, including a wolf. He just believed himself to be a beast. The hair and nails were not caused by some supernatural event. They were caused by lack of personal hygiene (which is a symptom of schizophrenia). He never trimmed his nails and never got a haircut. After seven years of hair and nail growth, the hair would cascade down his back and cover it like feathers and his nails would be very long and curled under, resembling claws.

Daniel 4:34-35 "And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, 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: {35} 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?"

The narration now returns to Nebuchadnezzar. He was an eyewitness to this fact. He looked up to heaven, that is he looked with the knowledge of God toward heaven. When his sanity returned he recognized the God and God alone was responsible for the entire universe. God is in control of everything. Nothing escaped His Sight or Knowledge. That is still true. God is still in control of all. Make no mistake on that account. He is fully aware of every single thing that goes on in the world today.

Nebuchadnezzar recognized God for He truly is and he worshipped Him and believed on Him. He praised and honored him. Abraham "believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness." I believe the same applies to Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel 4:36-37 "At the same time my reason returned unto me; 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. {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 he is able to abase."

The kingdom was restored to Nebuchadnezzar and even more majesty was added to the king. Nebuchadnezzar then worshipped God and acknowledged all that God is and does. He was saved. He is in Heaven now with God.

It took a very difficult trial to bring about Nebuchadnezzar's conversion. I am afraid that there are many hard-hearted people who must needs go through just such a trial to acknowledge God. Still, some go through very great trials and never acknowledge Him. Nebuchadnezzar did. Daniel gave him the opportunity to repent and turn to god eight years before Nebuchadnezzar ever did repent. Repentance would have prevented the hard trial Nebuchadnezzar withstood. The moral of this story is:

REPENT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND! (Matthew 3:2)

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