Chapter 4 Outline

1. King Nebuchadnezzar's Dream of a Tree
1. this chapter appears to be first person experience - with King N saying it is his pleasure to tell about the miracle God performed for him.
2. Nebuchadnezzar says alot about God....
1. miraculous signs & wonders
2. Most High God preformed
3. Great are his signs and mighty his wonders
4. God's kingdom is eternal
1. his dominion endures from generation to generation
3. Nebuchadnezzar recounts his story
1. I was @ home in palace, content and prosperous
2. I had a dream - it made me afraid
3. I was in bed and the images/vision that passed through my mind terrified me
4. I commanded the wise men of Babylon to come and interpret the dream
1. magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came
2. I told them the dream but they could not interpret it for me
3. Daniel came into my presence and heard my dream and interpreted it.
1. Note King says Daniel is called Belteshazzar, after the name of his god, and the spirit of the holy gods in him.
5. The king said
1. Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians
2. I know the spirit of the holy gods is in you and no myster is too hard
3. Here is my dream
1. I was in bed and looked
2. a tree stood before me in the middle of the land
1. enormous hight
2. grew large and strong
3. its top touched the sky
4. was visible to the ends of the earth
5. its leaves were beautiful
6. fruit was abundant
7. and on it was food for all
8. under it wild animals found shelter
9. the birds lived in its branches
10. from it every creature was fed
3. Then I looked and saw a holy one, a messenger from heaven
1. He called in a LOUD voice
1. cut down the tree
2. trim off its branches
3. strip off its leaves
4. scatter its fruit
5. let the animals flee from under it
6. let birds flee from branches
7. let the stump and its roots remain in the ground - in the grass in the field
1. they are bound with iron and bronze
8. Let him be drenches with dew of heaven
9. live with animals among the plants of earth
10. Let his mind be changed from that of a man to an animal
11. til 7x pass by for him
2. The decision is announced by messengers - the holy ones declare the verdict
1. "so the living may know the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people"
4. King Nebuchadnezzar said this was his dream and asked Belteshazzar to tell him what it means.
2. Daniel interprets the Dream
1. Daniel was perplexed for a time and his thoughts terrified him
2. The King told Daniel/Belteshazzar not to let the dream or its meaning alarm him
3. Daniel/Belteshazzar said 
1. if only your dream applied to your enemies
2. the tree is you, your majesty
1. with it's top touching the sky
2. visible to the whole earth
3. with leaves and abundant fruit
4. providing food for all
5. giving shelter to the animals, 
6. having nests in branches for birds
7. you have become great & strong - until it reaches the sky, you dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.
3. You saw a holy one, messenger come down from heaven and say
1. cut down the tree and destroy it
2. leave a stump, bound with iron and bronze in the grass of the field - its roots in the ground
3. let him be drenched with dew of heaven
4. let him live with the wild animals 
5. until 7x pass by for him
4. This is the interpretation your majesty
1. you will be driven away from people
2. you will live with the wild animals
3. you will eat grass like the ox 
4. you will be drenched with the dew of heaven
5. 7x will pass before you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on the earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.
5. The command to leave the stump of tree with roots means your kingdom will be restored WHEN you acknowledge Heaven rules
6. "Therefore, your Majesty< be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being king to the oppressed.  It may be that then your prosperity will continue"
3. The Dream is fulfilled
1.    12 months later as king was walking on roof of palace of Babylon, he said, "is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence - by my mighty power and for glory of my majesty?"
2. While words were on his lips a voice from heave said:
1. This is decreed for you
2. Your royal authority has been taken from you
3. You will be drive from people and will live with wild animals
4. you will eat grass like the ox
5. "7x will pass until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all the kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes"
3. Immediately what was said was fulfilled
1. King N was driven away from people
2. ate grass like the ox
3. his body was drenched with dew of heaven
4. his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle
5. his nails like the claws of a bird
4. At end that time (again King is speaking in first person)
1. I raised my eyes toward heaven and my sanity was restored
2. I praised the Most High
3. I honored and glorified him who lives forever;  GOD:
1. His dominion is an eternal dominion
2. His kingdom endures from generation to generation
3. All the people of the earth are regarded as nothing
4. He does as he pleases
1. with the powers of heaven
2. with the peoples of the earth
5. No one can hold back his hand
4. At the same time my sanity was restored
1. my honor and splendor were returned to me
2. my advisers and nobles sought me out
3. I was restored to my throne
4. I became even greater than before
5. Now, I Nebuchadnezzar
1. praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven
1. everything he does is right
2. All his ways are just
2. All those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

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Daniel 4: NIV

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The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®