Daniel 4:1
Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
The verse opens Nebuchadnezzar's own proclamation to all people, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth throughout his realm and under his rule, beginning with a wish that peace be multiplied to them. Its worldwide scope reflects the extent of his greatness, prosperity, and sovereignty over the nations gathered under him. He is pictured as a lofty tree planted in the earth, sheltering flocks and herds from mountains and hills and giving nesting place in its branches to the birds of the air, representing a kingdom firmly established in the hearts of loyal subjects.
The verse introduces the account of another dream God gave Nebuchadnezzar after the king lost the impression made by an earlier revelation. That was specifically the holy impression made by the deliverance of the three Hebrews from the fiery furnace, lost because he did not continue to walk in the light. The proclamation recounts his self-exaltation and great display for his own glory. God took away his wisdom and brought him low in banishment, followed by his miraculous restoration and conversion.
In what follows he declares it good to show the signs and wonders the high God wrought toward him. His signs are great, His wonders mighty, His kingdom an everlasting kingdom and His dominion from generation to generation. At times he credited Jehovah with the glory of his kingdom and understood that earthly empires would fall before God's everlasting kingdom, ending in praise of the King of heaven who abases the proud.
Through Daniel's faithful witness, Babylon's greatest and mightiest king on earth, humbled by God, was moved to acknowledge God as King over all kings and to make the knowledge of the true God known through royal proclamation to peoples throughout the world. The verse proves that God works with power to bring ruling powers to honor Him, and that He is to be honored and glorified in the world today, giving faith to reach the high ones of the world in the large cities. The chapter records the light God gave Nebuchadnezzar, and disregarding this light meant losing benefits he could have received through obedience, for neglecting God's lessons brings judgment.
His life stands as a warning not to trust in oneself or one's wisdom or to rely on human strength. His case warns against bringing in principles and a course of action that God will not sustain or favor and that contradict how God requires His work to be carried on. Belshazzar knew of Nebuchadnezzar's banishment, conversion, and miraculous restoration but disregarded the lessons they taught about responsibility to obey God.