Daniel 4:21
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: 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:
The tree with fair leaves and abundant food and shelter for every beast and bird is Nebuchadnezzar himself, whose greatness grew to heaven and whose dominion reached to the ends of the earth in a prosperous, firmly established rule that fed and protected loyal nations under his sovereignty. Its fruitful provision and shelter would end with his downfall. The record warns against trusting in oneself and one's own wisdom and making human strength one's support. Such wide-reaching greatness becomes guilt when a man exalts himself and claims over God's heritage an authority God has not given, yet the true object of government shown by the tree is to protect, restore, and relieve without oppression, kindly treating the poor, aiding the oppressed, and granting the greatest possible kindness and freedom to those purchased by Christ's blood. It was plain, direct warning light to a self-exalted king that he disregarded to bring judgment upon himself, as Belshazzar afterward did, and the dream holds lessons of vital importance to all connected with God's work who are far more accountable than the king of Babylon.
Tree's Meaning and Setting
The towering tree with fair foliage and abundant fruit is Nebuchadnezzar himself, as Daniel told him directly to his face, thou, O king, art grown and become strong. Its height reaching to heaven and its sight going to all the earth mark a greatness grown to heaven and a dominion extending to the ends of the earth. The same figure portrays a powerful, prosperous kingdom firmly established in the loyalty of its subjects, with nations living under his sovereignty.
The fair leaves and much fruit with food for all, together with beasts of the field dwelling beneath and fowls of heaven lodging in the branches, picture the provision and protection his rule extended to those under it. That fruitful, flourishing shelter was bound up with his prosperous rule, so that his downfall would bring its provision and shelter to an end. The verse belongs to another dream from God recorded in the fourth chapter of Daniel, the last dream given to Nebuchadnezzar. It was a prediction of coming adversity that troubled the king when none of his wise men would interpret it.
It was given after he had seen the form of the Fourth with the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace and had acknowledged their God as the living God. He did not continue to walk in the light thus received, and so lost the holy impression made upon his mind.
Warning and Right Government
The record of Nebuchadnezzar's life stands as a warning against trusting in oneself and one's own wisdom or making human strength one's support. The flourishing tree with its wide-reaching shelter and food for many pictures greatness that turns to guilt when a man exalts and magnifies himself, claims over God's heritage an authority and power God has not given, and carries on God's work by human wisdom instead of as God requires. That guilt takes the form of standing over fellow workers to investigate, criticize, and condemn every enterprise that does not meet one's own ideas, demanding that all understand and carry out one's mind, harassing workers with drawbacks and discouragements, and revealing a spirit of supremacy in making laws and pledges for the future.
By contrast the tree sets forth the true object of government and the only ruling acceptable to God, which protects, restores, and relieves and never savors of oppression. It requires kindly treating the poor especially and giving aid to the oppressed. It places no soul that bears God's image at the footstool of a human being, and grants the greatest possible kindness and freedom to those purchased by Christ's blood.
The tree belongs to the light God gave Nebuchadnezzar in plain, direct warning to a self-exalted king, which he disregarded to bring judgments upon himself, and Belshazzar's later calamity upon Babylon followed the same disregard of heaven-sent light. The dream and the king's experience with it hold lessons of vital importance to all connected with God's work, showing the working of the great I AM to change even the heart of a heathen king. Those entrusted with sacred truth upon whom the ends of the world are come are far more accountable than the king of Babylon and must learn the lesson God desires to teach. Truth is to be carried to men in high places, and the same work of warning rulers will be given again in the future.