Ancient secrets fresh from my upcoming book, The Woman Veiled in Scripture
A primeval time capsule, and a voice from the past...
Though cultural legends often involve ascribing mythical powers to familiar items in nature, some seem to be based on a collective memory of events that are more clearly described in Scripture. Yet these often became embellished and changed as people took poetic license in retelling them. Though some claim Scripture is no different from other cultural myths, Bible stories are not of the same character.
The Flood story, for example, gives specific time and date markers and other factual details that myths don’t usually mention. Scripture doesn’t gloss over the faults of main characters or represent animals as magical, for example. It mostly just relates events in people’s lives. Scripture’s accuracy in recorded details and scientific concepts has been confirmed repeatedly. Thus, we have reason to believe its descriptions of Creation and world history are the original accounts from which other cultural stories descended.
Yet an opposite phenomenon can be found in Scripture as well. Some examples seem to have been inspired because they reflect the likeness of already existing cultural views. Like how the Old Testament sacrificial system reflected elements resembling prevalent temple worship of the time, such as drink offerings and food offerings. It took the harmless, familiar elements of pagan religion and applied them to the worship of the true God.
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the tree that reached the heavens, recorded in Daniel 4, is another example that seems calculated to resonate with many cultures. Not only was it given to one of the most powerful rulers in world history, but it also reflected the concept of a “world tree,” seen in dozens of cultures worldwide. This is among examples that indicate God’s intent was to enlighten the whole world with Scripture, rather than just a few groups here and there. The king related his dream as follows:
"I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. 11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: 12 The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it." Daniel 4:10b-12
A cosmic or divine tree is seen as standing at the center of the world in many cultures. Its branches are said to reach the skies and roots to connect with the subterranean realm. An eagle is often depicted as perched in its branches, as a creator or weather deity, and a snake at its roots. It has been seen as a ladder between Heaven and Earth and as able to confer immortality. It’s also sometimes depicted as having the water of life flowing from the roots. Several of these concepts match biblical themes, such as the trees described in Genesis and the Tree of Life described in Revelation 22.
Though the tree of Daniel 4 was said to be Nebuchadnezzar, he symbolizes God, who alone feeds all creation (Psalm 145:16). His golden kingdom represented Heaven. Jesus is the mediator between Heaven and Earth and the granter of eternal life. The Cross was also a tree, the axis mundi of the spiritual world. The ladder that appeared in Jacob’s dream bore similar concepts as a representation of Jesus. Trees are associated with ladders in how you can climb them and in how boards are sometimes nailed on them to form a ladder. The implication of Jacob’s shadowy dream is that through Christ we are to climb, one step at a time, toward Heaven.
But Scripture’s expansion on the divine tree concept, in depicting its mighty fall, portrays a great tragedy of the spiritual realm in the most poignant terms. Its felling symbolized the cutting off of God’s omniscience and him being brought down off his throne through the incarnation. Yet it also dramatizes the moral fall of man that necessitated it. And the fallen Tree of Life symbolizes death, which then first began.
"I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; 14 He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: 15 Nevertheless leave the stump of his 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 he grass of the earth: 16 Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given until him; and let seven times pass over him." Daniel 4:13-16
In the context of the tree symbolizing humanity’s fall, the parable could apply to humans as the god-like king who transforms into a beast-like state of moral declension. We were made in God’s image and given dominion over the Earth (Genesis 1:26). And many verses compare sinful individuals to beasts, including Psalm 49:12, 20; Ecclesiastes 3:18-19; Job 18:3; Psalm 73:22; 2 Peter 2:12; Titus 1:12.
From this viewpoint, the dream conceals a prophecy in how it limits the beast-like condition to seven “times.” This seems to mirror other indicators that Earth’s timeline may follow a “cosmic week” pattern. We’ll cover more details of this in an upcoming book of this series entitled, “Times of Earth: Ancient Chronologies Converging.” But, in summary, the idea arises from clues in 2 Peter 3:8-9 that speak of Jesus’ second coming in relation to thousands of years:
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9
The next verse, 2 Peter 3:10, describes the fiery judgment that will burn up the earth. As described in Revelation 20, this will take place at the end of the 1,000 years when God’s people are in Heaven, after which they return to Earth in the New Jerusalem. The day as a thousand years comparison, followed by a verse linking to the millennial Sabbath, seems to confirm the pattern of a cosmic week that mirrors Creation week, for a total of 7,000 years.
Reading Revelation 20 shows the sequence as it describes the millennium. Note that some things may seem out of order in Scripture when they are repeated. Such as how Revelation 21 describes the New Jerusalem coming down after the earth passes away from fiery judgment. But because the “beloved city” with God’s people and the “great white throne” are already described as being on Earth in chapter 20, we may assume chapter 21 is providing more detail about the same elements.
See also this link for any confusion about Revelation 20:10.
The interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as containing an encoded message encompassing the history and future of planet Earth makes it relevant to all people in all ages. When you realize that, its opening line pops out at you. The chapter is a letter written by King Nebuchadnezzar himself, ruler of one of the most magnificent and influential empires of the ancient world. It is addressed to everyone on Earth, even those beyond his own kingdom. God published it in Scripture, knowing its reach would far exceed the limits of his realm. Now, you can pick up a Bible anywhere, open it to Daniel 4 and read Nebuchadnezzar’s letter. Picture the wistful, dignified monarch dictating the words that would become a living time capsule, a voice from history:
"Unto all people, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you…" Daniel 4:1-2
Due to Nebuchadnezzar’s sincere repentance in turning to God, we can very likely expect to meet him when we get to Heaven. He represents humanity in this also, that many will be saved from all backgrounds and all walks of life, from the dredges of society to its lordly thrones and palaces…
Will you be one of them?