Nebuchadnezzar II's prophetic dream of the great tree: the most powerful king of antiquity had to live like an animal for 7 years to praise the King of Heaven
The neo-Babylonian empire conquered between 604 and 562 BC was the largest that ever existed in antiquity, under the command of its king Nebuchadnezzar II. His power, military dominance and political reach was the widest existing until his generation - by permission of God himself, as the prophet Daniel reports to the king himself:
"37. you who are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven gave kingship, power, strength and glory ; 38. to whom he gave dominion, wherever they dwell, over men, land animals and birds from heaven," Daniel, 2:37,38.
If prudent, the king would be grateful for these gifts from God in his life, using them to do good for the populations he dominated. But he couldn't resist so much glory, fame and wealth, becoming immensely proud, megalomaniac, materialistic, power loving and polytheistic. God, then, to straighten his ways, make him humble and recognize Him as Almighty Creator, planned to send him a severe punishment , previously warning him by an enigmatic dream (Daniel, 4:1-34)
In this dream he saw a great tree growing and reaching the top of the heavens . All animals and birds on earth ate its fruits and rested in its branches and shade. Everything was going well until an angel came down from heaven ordering the tree to be cut down , leaving only the stump of the trunk and chaining its roots to the ground. He further orders these roots to be wetted by the dew and to live with the beasts of the earth for 7 seasons.
Desperate, the king seeks an explanation of the dream with the wise men, diviners and astronomers of his kingdom. They didn't conclude anything. Finally, seek the wisdom of the prophet Daniel , who served in his palace at the time. Babylon had conquered the Kingdom of Judah, taking Daniel as a slave to its reign due to its intelligence and wisdom. They also took Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, taking several Jews with specific skills and slaves to Babylon. This period became known in Jewish history as the Babylonian Captivity.
Daniel, on hearing the account of the dream, first laments and is troubled, saying that he wished this divine decree to be directed to his enemies. Then he informs that unfortunately this huge tree was the king himself, because his power reached the ends of the earth. Then God would take away all his glory and his mental judgment, starting to live like an animal for 7 years . As for the roots that were left, he concludes, it means that everything would not be taken away from him , because as soon as he recognized God's dominion in his life, He would restore his royalty on earth.
Daniel still tried to persuade the king to abandon his evil ways and help the poor population in order for the Most High to revoke this decision. But everything remained the same, his pride remained greater than his fear. A parenthesis at this point, as Jesus would explain approximately 2000 years later to Saint Catherine of Siena about the situation of a soul like that of this king. In one of his private appearances to the saint, he explains the danger that an uncontrolled attachment to money (as the end of life objective) causes a person:
"If you pay attention, you will see that all evils come from the inordinate attachment and greed for wealth . (...) They don't understand that if they acquire and keep wealth, they owe it to me. (...) Things must serve man and not vice versa. Man alone must serve me, I am his ultimate end "
It is noted that King Nebuchadnezzar incurred exactly this problem indicated by Jesus. His greed, pride and feeling of superiority was so great that he ordered a golden statue made with his image for the population to prostrate themselves before it. He also wanted the city of Babylon to reflect its power and ostentation , building a second version of the Tower of Babel , the Ishtar Gate and the Hanging Gardens , coming to be considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. After all this, Nebuchadnezzar exalted himself as the ultimate end (and not the true and only God), saying that everything was done through him.
A year has passed since he had the prophetic dream. He was walking peacefully in his palace, boasting once again all his power and majesty, when a voice came from the heavens while he was still speaking and decreed that everything would be fulfilled as he dreamed of before.
Instantly he went mad (lost his mind, as foretold) and was driven from among men, living like an animal in the wild. Its hair and nails grew like eagles, eating grass and sleeping under the night dew for seven long years.
Source: image widely shared on social media
At the end of the time set by God, Nebuchadnezzar regains his sanity, glorifying and praising the Lord, as well as recognizing His domination over humans , giving the kingdoms of the earth to whoever He wants. As a consequence, he had his Terran majesty restored and with even greater power. He ended by declaring:
"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, extol, and glorify the King of heaven, whose works are all just and whose ways are upright, and who has power to humble those who walk in pride." Daniel, 4:34.
References: BÍBLIA CATÓLICA, REVISTA CATÓLICA, HISTORIA E FATOS, MUNDO EDUCAÇÃO, FOCA NA HISTÓRIA, FOCA NA HISTÓRIA, SUA PESQUISA, HISTORIA DA GENTE, GENTE NA HISTÓRIA