Montgomery observes, Its construction of gold has also given rise to extensive argument, with charge of absurdity on one side, e. g., JDMich [J. D. Michaelis], with defence based on the fabulous riches of the East on the other. Nebuchadnezzar is notorious for decimating the Jewish presence in the Land of Israel, exiling the vast majority of its denizens to Babylon, and destroying the first Holy Temple. The personal loyalty of such officers should be beyond question; but, as the Chaldeans point out, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego had not shown any regard for the king himself. The Hebrew word for image implies, as Leupold says, An image in the very broadest sense, probably in human form although the proportions are far too narrow for a normal figure.176 Scripture does not solve this problem, but most commentators agree that images of this kind in antiquity frequently varied from ordinary human proportions. Although Nebuchadnezzar had tremendous wealth and could conceivably have erected this image of solid gold, it is probable that it was made of wood overlaid with gold as was customary. The list of the officials gathered for the event has occasioned comment because some of them are Persian rather than Babylonian terms. 1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. George III, seated on a balloon, points downwards with his sceptre to an image of Pitt (right) as a naked child, on a column which is inscribed 'Family Presumption'. Whatever their former rank and authority, they are now promoted.. These men ask for no miracle; they expect none. He recognizes the superior obligation of the men not to worship any deity except their own. Option (3) can definitely be dismissed. King Nebuchadnezzar raged with anger and threw the three men into the blazing fiery furnace. Works devoted to study of the prophecies of Daniel often omit consideration of chapter 3 entirely as do S. P. Tregelles172 and Robert D. Culver.173 Others, such as Geoffrey R. King, interpret the chapter as not only history but parable and prophecy.174 The introduction of the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 3 immediately following Nebuchadnezzars dream of the great image depicting Gentile times, even if its parabolic implications are ignored, obviously is intended to convey not only spiritual truth in general, but characteristics of the times of the Gentiles. The stage was now set for the trial of the three faithful Jews. Nebuchadnezzar doesn't write anything about his political or military exploits, but some important details were captured in a remarkable set of clay tablets known as the Babylonian Chronicles. Nebuchadnezzar makes a golden statue and orders everyone to worship it or be thrown into the furnace. Normally criminals are stripped before execution; but in view of the form of the execution and the haste of the whole operation, there was no particular point in stripping off their clothes. The Aramaic word hashhin translated careful, may be considered a technical word for need. Hence, the statement may be translated, there is no need for us to answer thee in this matter.201 A further difficulty is occasioned by the expression O Nebuchadnezzar which in the Massoretic is in the vocative. Proponents of the said act claim that requiring nationwide respect for the golden image of the great King Nebuchadnezzar is as necessary as it is powerful and brave. The second accusation that they do not serve Nebuchadnezzars gods is more than merely a religious difference. 193 T. C. Mitchell and R. Joyce, The Musical Instruments in Nebuchadnezzars Orchestra, in Notes on Some Problems in the Book of Daniel, pp. Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 2 Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. The strongest men in the army are selected, who bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego as a preliminary to casting them in the burning fiery furnace. 185 K. A. King Jehoiakim died either before or during the siege, leaving his 18-year-old son Jehoiachin to taste Nebuchadnezzar's wrath. 173 R. D. Culver, Daniel and the Latter Days. The speculation as to why Persian terms should be used is much ado about nothing. In the Bible, Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem twice, but in the end, was exiled and forced to eat grass like an ox. The expression, But if not, should be understood as referring to the deliverance not to the ability of God. Leupold, p. 143; also the discussion on The Greek Words in Daniel in Edwin M. Yamauchis, Greece and Babylon, pp. Just as Nebuchadnezzar had acknowledged Daniels God at the conclusion of chapter 2, so here Nebuchadnezzar admitting the power of the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego issues a decree in oriental style commemorating the event. King Nebuchadnezzar's Dream Statue (Daniel's Prophecies) Artwork Illustration. Post Author: Post published: 23/05/2022 Post Category: kent island high school athletics Post Comments: lexington country club membership fee lexington country club membership fee 19-27. "On both occasions, many people in Jerusalem were in fact taken into exile, including the royal family.". The obelisk has never been found but even if it were, it might not be recognizable. what happened to the statue of nebuchadnezzar. notes Chardins remarks on the existence of similar ovens in Persia for execution of criminals (Voyage en Perse, ed. He handed over the kingdom to his son who later had him murdered. E. J. Not much help is given by attempting to find synonyms for these instruments as actually we do not have any information as to their precise character. He confesses that he's constantly thinking of the gods when building temples to them.". But then you have the stories in Daniel about the fiery furnace, Nebuchadnezzar's dreams and being cursed with a seven-year madness, all of which Frahm describes not as history, but literature. They were written in cuneiform and include everything from royal proclamations to accounting documents. January 12, 2020 Dr. Douglas Farrow Features, Opinion 21 Print. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. This is also the case for prophecies of things to come. Archer and others have challenged whether these words are actually Greek words, pointing out that karoz (herald, classified as a Greek word by Brown, Driver, and Briggs Lexicon, has in recent works like Koehler-Baumgartners Hebrew Lexicon been traced to the old Persian khrausa, meaning caller.187, Conservative biblical scholarship has fully answered the objection of critics which would tend to reflect upon the accuracy and historicity of the book of Daniel.188 Robert Dick Wilson, for instance, has pointed out that the argument actually boomerangs as, if Daniel was written in a Greek period, there would be many more Greek words than the few that occur here and there.189 The fact is that there is nothing strange about some amount of Greek influence in Babylonian culture in view of the contacts between them and the Greeks. Mar. Such a display of officials was on the one hand a gratifying demonstration of the power of Nebuchadnezzars empire and on the other hand was significant as recognizing the deities who in their thinking were responsible for their victories. The text goes on to say that Nebuchadnezzar commanded all the leaders, magistrates and important personages of his kingdom to come to a special service for the idol. 2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. Nebuchadnezzar not only recognizes the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego but now belatedly commends them for their trust in God even though it resulted in changing his word. The captains seemed to refer to presidents or governors of civil government. Kitchen, The Aramaic of Daniel, in Notes on Some Problems in the Book of Daniel, p. 43. The use of the golden metal for the image may have been derived from Nebuchadnezzars previous experience with the image of chapter 2 where Daniel informed him that he, Nebuchadnezzar, was the head of gold. Nebuchadnezzar attempted the invasion of Egypt but was repulsed with heavy losses. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire. The statue is composed of four different materials: gold, silver, bronze and iron. to c. 280 BC (allowing about fifty years lapse from the fall of Persia to Macedon).185. There is no certainty, however, that there is a relationship between the destruction of Jerusalem and the erection of the image, although the general narrative and the fact that Daniel apparently is away would imply considerable passage of time. After all, this was forbidden in Exodus 20:4-6. Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold - The time when he did this is not mentioned; nor is it stated in whose honor, or for what design, this colossal image was erected. By that, we can safely assume that the statue could be visible. Daniel continues by identifying the chest of silver as "another kingdom" which will arise. And Nebuchadnezzar did a stupid thing. The basis of his decree is the simple statement, because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. It is clear at this point that though Nebuchadnezzar is greatly impressed, he has not yet been brought to the place where he is willing to put his trust in the God of Israel. Nebuchadnezzar's Pride And Punishment. Nebuchadnezzar II strengthened Babylon and brought it into its golden years, in which his offspring quickly tarnished and ended up destroying the nation. The threat of being executed by being burned alive was sufficient to cause the entire group to fall down and worship when the music sounded. He calls upon all the people in his realm not to say anything amiss concerning this God at the threat of being cut to pieces and their houses made a dunghill. To Daniel, the dream is clear: If Nebuchadnezzar doesn't repent and praise the one true God, he will be stricken with a madness that will cause him to wander the wilderness like a beast. He is mentioned numerous times in nine different Old Testament books. Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in 2016. The gold consisted in overlaid plates, for which we possess not only abundant Classical evidence but also that of the Bible.178 The golden altar (Ex 39:38) was actually wood overlaid with gold (Ex 37:25-26). The expression the Son of God (3:25) is a translation of the Aramaic bar elahin, which means a divine being. Nebuchadnezzar interprets this in verse 28 as a malak, meaning, an angel. The alternative that God sent a mighty angel to protect them is, of course, also plausible and in keeping with other Scripture. 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