Daniel 4:3, commentary and pictures

It is the public testimony of a humbled king to all peoples and nations of what God had done for him after power from God broke his pride and brought him low a second time. It declares that the signs God works are surpassingly great and His wonders overwhelmingly mighty, displaying His power and bringing Him glory. It confesses Him as the Most High King above all kings, whose reign never ends and whose authority carries from one generation to the next, while earthly kingdoms that rise and fall will at last give way to His kingdom that cannot be destroyed. He learned this only through severe discipline and humiliation ending in conversion and restoration, which taught him that God and not any human ruler is supreme over the nations and that his own scepter stood under a higher rule. The record therefore warns against trusting in self and human wisdom and calls rulers and leaders to humble themselves, acknowledge His authority, and walk in His ways.

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream and Humbling

Daniel 4 records a dream of a lofty tree planted in the earth, whose shelter was enjoyed by flocks and herds from the mountains and hills and whose branches gave nesting place to the birds of the air. The tree represented Nebuchadnezzar's greatness and prosperity, with nations gathered under his sovereignty and his kingdom firmly established in the hearts of loyal subjects.

God had earlier honored Nebuchadnezzar by giving the dream of the great image and sending Daniel to explain that Babylon was the head of gold. He had further convinced him by the deliverance of the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace, where the king saw the form of the Fourth and was convinced that their God was the living God. The king acknowledged the wonderful miracle, but because he did not continue to walk in the light he lost the holy impression made on his mind, so God in mercy gave him the further dream of Daniel 4.

The verse is his deliberate public testimony to all peoples, nations and languages of what God wrought toward him. After God worked with power upon his proud mind and humbled him a second time, he recounts his pride and humbling and declares the greatness of God's signs and the might of His wonders. He ends in praise to the King of heaven who abases those who walk in pride, confessing Him as most high King over all kings whose kingdom is everlasting and whose dominion continues from generation to generation.

He learned this through severe discipline, suffering and humiliation ending in conversion and miraculous restoration. His pride was humbled at Dura, and through judgment followed by restoration he was taught that God and not a human ruler is supreme over the nations. His own scepter was subordinate to God's rule, and though an idolater ruling an idolatrous people he could still recognize God's justice and right and serve His purposes among the nations.

God's Signs and Everlasting Kingdom

How great are His signs and how mighty are His wonders, great and mighty beyond all human power to match. They display His might and glorify His name before all peoples, nations and languages. At the Sanitarium heavenly agencies made the institution a place under His special care, where many experienced healing and decisive change of heart. Those healed and changed returned home as witnesses to tell others of His greatness and goodness.

He is confessed as the most high God, King over all kings, even over the mightiest king on earth. His kingdom is everlasting and never ends, and His dominion continues from generation to generation through every generation. Nebuchadnezzar had to learn through severe discipline that God and not a human ruler is supreme over the nations, and that his own scepter was subordinate to God's rule. His conversion and miraculous restoration through suffering and humiliation taught him this truth.

Earthly kingdoms rise and fall, but they will ultimately be superseded by His indestructible kingdom. The testimony of Babylon's greatest king therefore points beyond mortal rulers and fading empires to the eternal King and His unfading glory.

He can bring down rulers who exalt themselves, and can remove rulers or give wisdom. Despite being an idolater ruling an idolatrous people, Nebuchadnezzar after his pride was humbled could recognize God's justice and right and serve God's purposes among the nations.

Warning and Present Application

The life recorded in this verse stands as a warning not to trust in self or in one's own wisdom and not to make human strength a reliance. To bring into God's vineyard principles He will not sustain or favor is met by His rebuke, for self-exaltation and carrying on His work by human wisdom stands under His contradiction and must be stopped.

The testimony therefore calls leaders to humble themselves, to recognize God's authority, and to follow His ways, since God can bring down rulers who exalt themselves and can remove rulers or give wisdom. Nebuchadnezzar learned this through suffering and humiliation ending in conversion and miraculous restoration, yet Belshazzar knew of his grandfather's experience and ignored its lesson and the responsibility to obey God.

Even the mightiest king on earth was brought by God's powerful working upon his proud mind and by a second humbling to proclaim publicly to all peoples, nations and languages that the high God is King over all kings. His acknowledgment ends in praise to the King of heaven who abases those who walk in pride. Because even the highest ruling powers can thus be brought to acknowledge and honor God, workers in large cities are to reach in faith for the high ones of the world and expect God to be honored and glorified today.

The same pattern is seen where heavenly agencies made the Sanitarium a place under God's special care, displaying His might and glorifying His name through signs and wonders. Many who went there experienced healing and decisive change of heart and spiritual change. They then returned home as witnesses to tell others of His greatness and goodness.