The Prophecy That Ended with the Conversion of a King

Prologue to Daniel Chapter 4

The revelation given by God to King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2 is a prophecy that spanned human history from 606 BC., from the time of the Babylonian Empire through the successive Kingdoms of Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, to the eventual fragmenting of the Roman Empire, and finally to the establishment of Christ’s eternal Kingdom.

It is significant to note what the prophet Daniel declared concerning God’s authority: “Blessed be the name of God from age to age, for wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons, deposes kings and sets up kings …” (Daniel 2:20,21). As he stood before King Nebuchadnezzar to explain what God had revealed, he informed the king that “the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the might, and the glory” to the king (Daniel 2:36-38).

Nebuchadnezzar was a proud, uncondescending, heathen king. He defied the God of heaven; he was not going to be ruled by Him! He thought he had subjugated the God of Israel, but little did he realize that God would ultimately subdue him!

In the true philosophy of history, the Most High Rules: -

• Men and nations have a probationary period that, if not valued, terminates in judgement and destruction.

• This is evident by the eventual fall of Babylon and the successive kingdoms.

• Nebuchadnezzar as well as all of us are faced with the same situation

• We are all to face the judgement and its outcome!

Likewise, it will be the case of spiritual Babylon and Jerusalem as revealed in the Book of Revelation.

To every man there openeth
A highway, and a low;
And every man decideth
The way his soul shall go

- John Oxenham

God had given Nebuchadnezzar time and opportunity to humble himself by recognizing the true God of heaven. In chapter 1, the testimony of Daniel and his 3 friends, they were 10 times better. In chapter 2, the dream revealed to Daniel as evidence and what would happen up to the end of time. In chapter 3, the deliverance of the three young men from the fiery furnace.

How God Reveals Himself

God often reveals Himself to us in rather surprising ways. Sometimes He may touch us gently on the shoulder, we may hear that still, small Voice guiding us to do what is right. Our persistent conscience convicts us of sin, as we are prompted by the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes His Voice may be loud - He may startle us, stopping us in our tracks - He shakes and wakes us up! We are on the edge of danger and He wants us to turn around! He suddenly surprises us by breaking into our lives in a remarkable way! Yet, He values our freedom to decide the way we shall go. It happened to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. And it can happen to you!

Nebuchadnezzar’s Personal Testimony

(vs. 1-3)
It may surprise some to discover that Nebuchadnezzar wrote most of the contents of chapter 4. He has recorded his personal testimony for posterity. He relates how his conversion came about.  

(vs. 4-7)
He had another dream from the true God of heaven. It greatly troubled him. Summoning his Babylonian counsellors, he enquired of them the meaning of his dream; but they were unable to give him the interpretation.

Finally, Daniel came in before the king who now recognised him as having a spiritual quality and calling more than the rest of his wise men.

However, before we proceed further, it would be helpful to remind ourselves of what had previously happened concerning Daniel’s position: in chapter 2 when Daniel informed the king what he had dreamt and then gave the interpretation of the dream, Nebuchadnezzar gave him many gifts and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and also chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon (Daniel 2:48). So now Daniel enters before the king who expresses confidence that he will give him the interpretation of this second dream that troubled him.

The King’s Dream and its Interpretation

(vs. 10-18)
Considering this dream, it leaves no doubt why he was frightened at what he dreamt, especially in the light of verses 13-17. Daniel himself was also distressed (v. 19) about what he should inform the king (vs. 20-27). It must have been very difficult for Daniel to tell King Nebuchadnezzar what was soon to happen to him! How humiliating for this proud king!

(v. 27)
Daniel Appeals to King Nebuchadnezzar to Repent of His Sins

Daniel’s concern and sympathy for the king is clearly obvious but although he hesitated at first, when encouraged by this proud monarch, he did not shirk his responsibility to reveal God’s message to him.  He stressed the moral once more: “until you have learned that the Most High has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals” (v. 25).

It is clearly implied that the fulfilment of this prophecy is conditional:

Daniel admonished the king to amend his ways so that tranquillity may be continued rather than the judgement pronounced upon him. Conditional nature of divine announcements concerning good and evil is of utmost importance to empires, nations and individuals (Jeremiah 18:7-10). It was the case with the antediluvian world and it was the same with Nineveh when Jonah was sent to call the people to repentance otherwise they would be destroyed. It is the same call to us today: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! . . . . Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you do not take part in her sins, and so that you do not share in her plagues . . .’” (Revelation 18:2-4. c.f. 2 Peter 3:9,10; Ezekiel 18:30,31).

Mere outward changes in our life are insufficient! Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are important but they do not make us fit for a holy and eternal life. The New Testament mentions baptism and the Lord’s Supper just a few times; but repentance over 70 times! Daniel called for this proud monarch to repent by forsaking his sins.

The Prophecy Fulfilled!

(vs. 28-32)
It is obvious that the king failed to renounce his sins because a year later the prophecy began to be fulfilled! “Seven times” (Aramaic for years) - i.e. “Seven Years” - LXX.

(v. 33)
Nebuchadnezzar’s mind was immediately affected and he was driven out!

“The type of insanity to which Nebuchadnezzar was subjected is uncommon, but not unknown in modern psychiatric practice. The technical name for animal-like, or more specifically ‘wolf-like’, behaviour by human beings is lycanthropy” (William H. Shea, d. 2020, physician, professor, and lecturer on archaeology and the Bible, Andrews University).

In the British Museum is a cuneiform tablet (MB 34113 = sp213) translated in 1975 by A.K. Grayson, the Assyriologist describing a period in Nebuchadnezzar’s life: “His life appeared of no value to him . . . Then he gives an entirely different order . . . He does not show love to son or daughter . . . Family clan does not exist.”

Commenting on this, Jacques Doukhan says: “It seems that for a while . . . He [Nebuchadnezzar] gave senseless and contradictory orders, and he could not express affection to either his son or his daughter, recognize his clan, or even participate in the building up of Babylon and its temple.”

Extra-biblical sources parallel Nebuchadnezzar’s experience: “In the Babylonian Jobs (1600-1150 BC) we read: ‘Like a she-nakim or a suku-demon he made my fingernails grow.’ The novel of Ahikar (7th cent. BC) has a character say: ‘I would stoop to the earth, my hair falling upon my shoulders, my beard down to my chest, my body was covered with dust, and my nails were as the eagle’s.’ Historian of psychiatry Gregory Ziboog relates several such cases between the 3rd and 17th centuries AD.

As rare and strange as the illness may seem, it has been a constant throughout history. Today it has practically disappeared in industrialised countries, where it is adequately treated, but traces of it appear in China, India, Africa, and South America. In recent years several cases have found their way to the hospitals of Paris and Bordeaux.

The symptoms are always the same. The patient imagines that he has been transformed into a wolf (Lycanthropy), an ox (Boanthropy), or another animal (dog, leopard, snake, crocodile), and behaves as such down to the most intimate details. The allusion of the patient is so perfect that it affects even the way he sees himself. A 49-year-old woman was convinced her head was that of a wolf complete with snout and fangs. And when she opened her mouth to speak she would hear herself growl and howl like a beast.” (Jacques B. Doukhan, Professor of Hebrew OT Exegesis and Jewish Studies, Andrews University, USA, Secrets of Daniel, pp. 69,70).

The Conversion of the King

(vs. 34-37)
After 7 years were completed, Nebuchadnezzar’s sanity returned and he was restored to the throne of Babylon but as a changed man!

We may question how Nebuchadnezzar managed to hold on to his throne having been insane for 7 years. It would have been an ideal time for a usurper to assassinate the insane king and take his throne. However, the ancients believed mental illness was caused by demons, minor gods who were malevolent toward human beings. They also believed that if a person was deliberately killed while suffering from insanity, the demon god who had caused the illness would cause it to come upon the murderer! In which case, no one would risk becoming insane.

The Amazing Grace of God

“If so great a blasphemer and persecutor did find mercy, he was not the last. And, if our charity may reach so far as to hope he did, we must admire free grace, by which he lost his wits for a while, that he might save his soul forever” (Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, Daniel 4).

It is only by God’s Grace that anyone is saved (Ephesians 2:8-10).

• We are redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-20).

• Jesus bore our sins on the cross to bring freedom and healing to us (1 Peter 2:24).

• He invites us to come to Him with our burden of sin (Matthew 11:28,29).

• We should seek the Lord with genuine repentance (Isaiah 55:6,7).

• He promises to cleanse us from ALL sin (1 John 1:7,9).

• As sinners we are doomed to perish but God offers us the GIFT of eternal life (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; John 3:16).

• He will transform our lives (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:1; 1 John 4:16,17).

• Abide in Jesus and prepare for His soon return (1 John 2:28).

This article serves as the script for presentation #5 in "The Book of Daniel" series, delivered by Pastor Michael I. Walker. If you're interested in downloading a printable PDF version, just click here.

You can also find the video presentation recorded during the Zoom meeting on Friday, 14 February 2025, below.