"Nebuchadnezzar's second dream was not about an image but about a tree. This tree was so tall till it seemed to reach into heaven and could be seen from any part of the globe. Its immense size and spreading branches displayed its powerful influence....
"'The tree symbolism was not strange to Nebuchadnezzar. Herodotus tells of the case of Astyages, Nebuchadnezzar's brother-in-law, who had also dreamed of a tree symbolizing his dominion over part of the world. Nebuchadnezzar himself, in an inscription, compares Babylon to a great tree sheltering the nations of the world.'--quoted by J. Doukhan, in Secrets of Daniel (Hagertown, Md.: Review and Herald, 2000), p. 63. In Daniel 4 the reign of Nebuchadnezzar is symbolized by the tree in the midst of the earth (vs. 22), highlighting its importance. Babylon was approximately in the center of the then known world.
"The king then sees 'a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven' (vs. 13, NKJV). Throughout history God has been the Holy 'Watcher' who cares for His people. The prophet Hanani reminded King Asa that 'the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him' (2 Chron. 16:9, NKJV). Nebuchadnezzar recognized that the Holy Watcher was similar in appearance to the One who walked with the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace.'--Ellen G. White, in Review and Herald, Feb. 1, 1881).
"The stump and the band refer to Nebuchadnezzar's preservation despite his humiliation. He was to be restored as king after He came to know God. During his madness, he also may have been bound with a bronze chain to restrict his movements. There is some evidence for a Mesopotamian custom of putting metal bands on trees, whether to prevent them from cracking or for some other reason that is not clear. Remnants of a tree with bronze rings or bands were unearthed at Khorsabad, at the entrance to the temple of [the sun god] Shamash. (See J.J. Collins, Daniel [Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993], p. 226.)...
"God's ruleship was the lesson God had been trying to teach the king from the beginning. Some thirty years earlier Daniel had told the king, '"the God of heaven has given you a kingdom"' (Dan. 2:37, 38, NKJV), but Nebuchadnezzar had set up an image of gold to declare his independence from the Most High. In other words, he had refused to accept God's sovereignty. Now he was given another opportunity to learn this lesson, but again he failed....
"Royal conversions are unusual but not unknown. King Agbar of Edessa in Mesopotamia, it is said, became a Christian when the gospel was preached to him....
"There are a number of indicators to show that this conversion was genuine. (1) His desire to give God publicly the glory at the expense of his own humiliation shows that the once proud monarch no longer thought himself to be the greatest king on earth. (2) In chapter 3 he had defied the God of the Jews; now he acknowledged Him as the true God of heaven who held the king's destiny in His hand. (3) His selfishness and self-glorification gave way to concern for the glory of God.
"True repentance and sorrow for sin denote that inward change of mind, affections, convictions, and commitment that leads to the outward turning from sin to God and His service." (Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, Teacher's Edition, 4th Quarter [October - December, 2004], pp. 44, 46, 50).
M.A.
