DANIEL - Chapters 3 -4 REIGN OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR
Daniel – Chapters 3-4
REIGN OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
October 16, 2011; June 16, 2026
Chapter 3 is a powerful chapter of faith of three Hebrew men. Through their faith, they esteemed worship of the One True God greater than death at a tyrant’s hand.
In Hebrews 11:33, these men of faith are spoken, of, “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire.”
When the three friends would not worship the gold statute, they stood before King Nebuchadnezzar without defense.
3:14: Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego, that you do not serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
They trusted themselves wholly to their God.
3:16-18: Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful (do not need) l to answer you in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.
This is the same faith of Esther, “If I perish, I perish.”
There comes a time when we must stand in what we believe, whether we see God move for us or He does not, He is still God. If we perish, He is still God, and there is no other.
All of the heroes of Faith in Hebrews 11 won divine approval by means of their faith.
In chapter 2:47, Nebuchadnezzar declared: Daniel’s “God is the God of gods, and Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets.
However, Nebuchadnezzar remained a polytheist, cleaving to the gods he had known from infancy rather than devote himself to the One True God. Babylon was full of idols. Those who forsake the only living God will set up many gods because each one is so unsatisfying. Nebuchadnezzar added Daniel’s God to his menagerie of gods.
Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that he was king because the Lord had chosen him and ordained it to be so. 2:37: You O king are a king of kings; for the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, and strength and glory.” Even with this prophetic declaration, Nebuchadnezzar did not recognize the Lord as the One God.
In Chapter 3:1, we learn the king built an image of gold. It was ninety feet high and nine feet wide. Scripture does not tell us of what or whom the image represented. Some speculate that it was an image of him or the image he saw in his dream.
3:3-6: The princes, the governors, captains, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs, and all rules of the provinces were gathered together to dedicate the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before it. A herald cried aloud, “to you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, at the time you hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king as set up. Whoever will not fall down and worship shall at the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace” …. All the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had setup.
The Chaldeans came near and accused the Jews. They said to the King, “O king, live forever! You, O king have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre and psalter, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
In verses 12- 13, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego are named. However, the accusation is against the entire Jewish race over which Nebuchadnezzar was king.
There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So, they brought these men before the king.
We ran into these same Chaldeans described as the wisest men of Babylon in Chapters 1 & 2. Daniel saved them from having their heads chopped off by interpreting the King’s dream. Now we see the envy of the Chaldeans manifesting against the gifts of the Spirit which are in Daniel and his friends. The Chaldeans came from the vicinity between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (Mesopotamia/Iraq).
Another witness that the Old Testament Saints did have the Holy Spirit gifts indwelling. 4:8b: Daniel came in before me…in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God.”
If the three friends had not made their stand in faith to Nebuchadnezzar, the entire Jewish race would have come under the declaration of death in a burning fiery furnace. We see Satan’s continued plan to destroy the entire Jewish race. Hitler was an extension of this edict when he killed so many Jews in the Holocaust and burned their bodies in ovens.
The identification of the three as men of Judah or some Jews, meaning ‘the foreign race’ help to build a picture of disaffection. They accuse them of paying no attention to the king. Stress is laid on the king’s goodness to the three and their disloyalty as well as their religious stance; they are portrayed as rejecting Nebuchadnezzar’s values. Yet he would not punish the three men without hearing from them showing his regard for them. His questions concentrated on the religious aspect. He still offered a chance for the accused to prove their loyalty, under duress.
3:15b: Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
3:16-18: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand O King. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
Romans 6:16 reminds us: Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey? The three Hebrew children, refused to submit to worship of the Babylonian king or his gods. Whoever or whatever we allow to rule our lives becomes our god.
3:19-20: Then Nebuchadnezzar full of fury…commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was usually heated. He commanded the mightiest men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
The maximum heat would mean not a trace should be left of the men, not even identifiable ashes. Burning human remains was reprehensible and so a crime for which the Lord himself brings justice.
Amos 2:1: Thus says the Lord, for three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime. I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kirjoth; and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
3:21-22: The men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. These men were only the instruments of cruelty. Nebuchadnezzar’s was the greater sin. He himself is reserved for a further reckoning.
3:23: These three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
The King could see into the furnace through a stoke-hole or vent at the side. The three had been thrown in through an upper opening whence the heat shot out to kill their guards. Nebuchadnezzar alone saw the fourth figure.
3:24-25: King nebuchadnezzar was astonished. He rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “true, O king.” “Look,” he said, “I see four men loose, walking the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Commentaries foolishly theorize about the fourth man. If the evil king said he looked like the Son of God, We know He was the Son of God. His name is Jesus. The angel (vs 28) of the Lord came down into the furnace.
3:26-27: Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. The satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.
Those that suffer for Christ have his gracious presence with them in their sufferings, even in the fiery furnace, even in the valley of the shadow of death, and even there we need fear no evil.
Nebuchadnezzar now has enough fear of the Lord to call them out of the furnace.
THE FIRE HAD NO POWER OVER THEM. The power of the Son of God “quenched the violence of flames.”
The Chaldeans worshipped the fire, as a sort of image of the sun, so that, in restraining the fire now, God put contempt, not only upon their king, but upon their god too.
It seems that Nebuchadnezzar, the polytheist, now gives glory to the Most High God over another realm. In Chapter 2, he gave him glory as the God of gods, Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets. Now he worships God in another dimension. He makes another decree.
3:28-29: Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God. “That every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.”
Nebuchadnezzar does not concede here that there is no other God. He simply believes that the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego has the power over fire, God of gods, Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets.
NEBUCHADNEZZAR – Chapter 4
In Chapter 4, we see the Lord’s final dealing with this King whom he made great by destiny in the annals of God’s plan and purposes for the kingdoms of this world. Nebuchadnezzar at length gives his testimony of worshipping the LORD as the MOST HIGH GOD.
Nebuchadnezzar is giving his testimony to all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied to you. I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me. Explaining why he decided to worship the God of a small, conquered, deported nation.
He writes this to acquaint posterity with the providences of God that related to him.
4:3P: How great are His signs! And how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.”
Unlike his own kingdom, the Lord’s kingdom is an ever-lasting kingdom. Other reigns are confined to one generation, and other dynasties to a few generations but God’s dominion is from generation to generation.
Before he relates the judgments of God upon him for his pride, he gives an account of the fair-warning he had of them before they came and the 12-month period, the Lord gave him to repent.
In verses 4-7, he tells the story of his dream of the metallic man and his decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon. When all the magicians, astrologers, soothsayers, and Chaldeans had proved powerless to interpret the dream, Daniel made known the true interpretation in one hour.
Verses 8-9: At the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and before him I told the dream saying, O Belteshazzar, master f the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret troubles you…
Notice the words, “at the last”, when all else fails, people will turn to the prophets and to the Word of God for a true word of the Lord.
NEBUCHADNEZZAR YOU ARE THE TREE
Previously he had a dream of a huge metallic man, now a great tree is central. Trees in the bible are symbolic of men. A luxuriant tree symbolized prosperity. Psalm 1:3 “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.”
Daniel 4:10-17 I was looking, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong. Its height reached to the heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of all the earth. The leaves were fair, and the fruit much. It was meat for all; the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of heaven dwell in the boughs. All flesh was fed of it. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, (13) a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven; He cried aloud, saying, Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit; let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches. Nevertheless, leave the stump of its roots 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 in the grass of the earth. Let his heart be changed from man’s and let a beast’s heart be given to him and let seven times (years) pass over him. (17) This matter is by decree of the watchers, and the demand by the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever He will, and sets up over it the lowest of men.
WATCHERS:
4:13: I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven. 4:17: This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones. 4:23: And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven. Since I have been studying the 1 Enoch by Johnny Enlow, he identifies the “Watchers as the 200 angels sent by God to serve as guardians over humanity.” Enoch 6 relates the story of the Watchers as the fallen angels of Genesis 6. The word for Watchers is “iyr” and is only used three times in the Holy Bible in the Book of Daniel.
This Watcher with a holy one was an agent of the Godhead announcing the decree of the Most High. with power to act upon his observations. The sentence was severe, yet not fatal as a stump remained.
I am not qualified to identify this “Watcher” with the fallen angels of Genesis 6.
Daniel’s genuine love and compassion for the King is evident in verse 19. He was troubled and grieved for one hour over the dream. The king encouraged him, telling him not to be troubled.
Nebuchadnezzar you are the tree.
4:22: It is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth. Inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying Chop down the tree and destroy it…
4:24: This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king.
You will become mentally deranged and men will drive you from your kingdom. You will imagine yourself one of the beasts of the field, eating and sleeping with them for 7 years, until you learn that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever He will. The stump left in the ground with the roots held firm by a band of iron and brass means that your kingdom shall be sure unto you when your lesson is learned.
The mental disease of Nebuchadnezzar is rare. It is called Lycanthropy (from the Greek word lukos, wolf, and Anthropos-man) because the person imagines himself to be a wolf, a bear, or some other animal.
4:27: O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto you, break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.”
If he repented, it was pure lip service, for his heart was still filled with pride.
Verses 29-31: “At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spoke, and said, Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom is departed from you….(33) he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
Babylon was a great city. The walls of the square city were 14 miles long on each side, making 56 miles around an area of 196 sq. miles. Roads crisscrossed the city as in modern times. The city was built on both sides of the Euphrates. The sections were joined by a bridge 3,240 feet long. At each end was a royal palace. There was also a tunnel under the river. The hangings gardens were 400 ft. sq. riding in terraces planted with trees of various kind. The temple of Bel and other large buildings made Babylon the greatest city in the world.
Nebuchadnezzar claimed all the glory to himself and did not give glory to God. When he spoke thus in pride, it was the downfall of Nebuchadnezzar. It was God who had chosen him and given him his great kingdom. At the height of his glorifying himself, his mind snapped and he remained insane for 7 years.
All men will eventually know from experience that God is the Most High and sovereign in the earth and the heavens.
When the seven years were up, he was suddenly restored to sanity and began blessing the God of heaven for His mercy. His son was regent during his father’s insanity and he no doubt helped preserve the kingdom for him, which made possible the fulfilling of verse 26. “Whereas they (the angel watchers) were commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; your kingdom shall be sure unto you, after that you shall have known that the heavens do rule.
4:34: At the end of the days, I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes unto heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him that lives forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothings; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What are you doing?”
Nebuchadnezzar learned:
1. That he should honor God.
2. God was the King of heaven.
3. All God’s works are truth.
4. God’s ways are just.
5. God is able to abase the proud.
6. God is Lord of kings.
7. God is a revealer of secrets.
8. God sends angels to protect those who put their trust in Him.
9. God can change man’s word.
10. True servants of God will not worship any other god.
11. There is no other god who can deliver people but the true God.
12. No other god can do miracles except the true God.
13. God’s kingdom is everlasting.
14. The Spirit of God can dwell in man.
15. God is supreme in earth.
16. God gives rule to whomsoever He will.
17. The wise men of earth are incapable of solving human problems.
18. Sin does not pay.
19. Pride is the cause of downfalls.
Verses 36-37: At the same time my reason returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and brightness returned to me; and my counselors and my lords sought to me; and I was established in my kingdom and excellent majesty was added to me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise, extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment; and those that walk-in pride He is able to abase.
Nebuchadnezzar reigned from 605 B.C. to 562 B.C (43 years). Born in 642 B.C. He lived to be 80. According to Babylonian tradition he prophesied on his death bed the taking of Babylon by Cyrus.
This is a story of the Lord’s sovereign choice of His elect, His dealings with His elect, and His free Grace to those whom He chooses. It is a witness of the sovereignty of the Lord concerning His Kingdom purposes for His election of Kings and nations.
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Eastgate Ministries Church, 10115 West Hidden Lakes Lane, Richmond, TX
Scripture from K.J.V. Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible. – references from Matthew Henry and F. F. Bruce Bible Commentary- A. R. Millard; quote on Watchers from 1 Enoch, Johnny Enlow. – comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those from whom I have gleaned.