Daniel 4:23
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;
The king saw in his dream a holy Watcher coming down from heaven commanding the great tree to be cut down and destroyed, yet with its root-stump left bound with iron and brass in the grass of the field and the one judged left wet with dew and portioned with the beasts till seven times passed over him. The decree meant Nebuchadnezzar would be brought down from his throne and driven from men to live with the beasts, losing his reason to eat grass as oxen for seven years until he knew that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He will. The command to leave the stump bound in the earth meant his kingdom would remain secure to him and be restored after he learned that the heavens rule. The judgment would fall because of his pride and arrogance, yet Daniel faithfully warned him without flattery and urged him to break off his sins by righteousness and mercy to the poor to lengthen his tranquility. A Watcher still takes cognizance of all the works of men, weighing every word, act, and secret motive with perfect justice, and stands by all in positions of trust to reprove wrongdoing, convict of sin, and answer prayer for wisdom to perfect character after the divine likeness.
Dream Context and Interpretation
This was another dream God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, coming after he had acknowledged the living God when he saw the form of the Fourth with the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace, yet he did not continue to walk in the light and lost the holy impression made on his mind. It stood as a second warning to the king, with Daniel giving its interpretation.
The great tree that grew strong to heaven and fed all was Nebuchadnezzar himself in his greatness, prosperity, and dominion to the ends of the earth. The nations were gathered under his sovereignty, and his kingdom was firmly established in the hearts of his loyal subjects. What the king saw was a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, commanding that the tree be hewn down and destroyed. Yet the stump of its roots was to be left in the earth, bound with a band of iron and brass in the tender grass of the field, and the one judged was to be wet with the dew of heaven and given a portion with the beasts of the field till seven times should pass over him.
That decree of the Most High meant Nebuchadnezzar would be brought down from his royal position and driven from men to dwell with the beasts of the field. He would lose his reason and leave human society, eating grass as oxen and being wet with the dew of heaven. Seven times means seven years passing over him, till he knew that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He will. The command to leave the stump of the roots bound in the ground meant his kingdom would remain secure to him and be restored after he learned that the heavens rule. The meaning was clear that this judgment would fall on Nebuchadnezzar because of his pride and arrogance.
Daniel declared this warning plainly without flattery, urging the king to break off sins by righteousness and iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, that his tranquility might be lengthened. In this God warns and impresses understanding before bringing judgment, and the plain, direct warning is a pattern for warning those who stand in high places of the earth. Disregard of that light loses the benefits obedience could have brought.
God's Sovereignty Over Nations
The coming down from heaven with the command to cut down and destroy announces a divine decree over a king. Earthly rulers and nations occupy their places only by permission and are tested against God's purposes. The experience belongs with the rise and fall of earthly kingdoms and with the rule of God's kingdom, which is never destroyed. Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome each failed, and their glory and power passed away.
The banishment from human society by God's decree and miraculous restoration was a lesson in humility and obedience. Belshazzar knew that lesson but failed to heed it. The record of that life warns against trusting in oneself and one's own wisdom or making human strength one's support.
Watcher Present With People
The decree against Nebuchadnezzar was given by a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and that same Watcher still takes cognizance of all the works of men. He notes every word and action and weighs motives, plans, and secret motives by perfect justice and truth, with every act of self-denial or covetousness recorded in heaven. This watching work is connected with the writing on Belshazzar's palace wall, showing God's record of human deeds. God is present everywhere in this inspection, and in a special sense He marks those entrusted to receive and reveal sacred truth, who are more accountable than the king of Babylon and must learn the lesson from his experience.
The Watcher stands by the side of all who fill positions of trust. He is ready to reprove and convict of wrongdoing and to answer prayers for help. He watches to see if those privileged to bear responsibilities will look to God for wisdom and use every opportunity to perfect character after the divine likeness. If they deviate from straightforward rectitude, God turns from them, and if they do not earnestly strive to understand His will concerning them, He cannot bless or prosper or sustain them.
The Watcher from heaven is present in the midst of God's people now, with their work carried on under the eyes of the heavenly host. He inspects all that is planned and carried on, revealing God as a God of judgment. The holy Watcher also looks upon display of dress in the house of God, tracing the whole history from cause to effect. He sees what might have been done with the means spent to gratify pride in clothing, had it been used to glorify God and to bear the truth to the perishing, and how that selfish use ministers to pride and separates souls from God.
The judgment of being hewn down fell for exalting and magnifying self with a spirit of supremacy and unauthorized authority and power over God's heritage. That hewing down warns those in God's vineyard, especially in sanitarium and medical missionary work, not to bring in principles of human wisdom that God will not sustain and not to carry on the work contrary to what God requires. It warns not to investigate and criticize and condemn other workers unless they meet one's own ideas, not to require everyone to understand and carry out one's mind while discouraging others, and not to make laws and pledges for the future to control God's servants. The Watcher calls God's commandment-keeping people to be one and not be broken up and separated.