what happened to nebuchadnezzar's golden statue
2 Chronicles 36:6 chapter context similar meaning copy save. What does Nebuchadnezzar mean? The obvious intent was to impress by the size of the image rather than by its particular features. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. And among those tablets was a 3-inch tall fragment containing the name "Jehoiakhin, king of Judah.". smcas0247 options. The counsellors were lawyers or guardians of the law. The golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Conservative scholarship is agreed that this is not part of the scriptural text, although it is possible that these men, godly as they were, might have expressed prayer in a similar way if time permitted. I was afflicted [with an evil ulcer] for seven yearsand an exorcist pardoned my sins. What I could never forget however, was that they were not harmed! He enjoyed military successes for the first part of his career, then turned to peaceful building projects in his later years. After all, this was forbidden in Exodus 20:4-6. None Can Rescue Like Him. They had been summoned by messengers sent by Nebuchadnezzar to participate in this important event. We know from the archaeological record that Nebuchadnezzar was a master builder, raising Babylon to a grandeur unmatched in the ancient Near East. The four empires referred to are: 1. 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. The worship of the image was intended to be an expression of political solidarity and loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar rather than an intended act of religious persecution. That statue was 90 feet high and 9 feet wide. The question Nebuchadnezzar asked in verse 14, translated Is it true in the King James Version and Revised Standard Version, is translated Is it of purpose? in the American Standard Version. At the command of Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who could not obey the king in the matter of worshiping the image, do not hesitate to fulfill his command in this instance. The quantities of the rations were sizable, which historians take as a sign that the exiled royal family were treated well in Babylon, and that Jehoiachin probably wasn't locked up for 37 years as related in 2 Kings 25:27. 24, 84. 178 J. It is an amazing fact that Nebuchadnezzar adds the challenging question, Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? He is quite conscious of the demonstration of the superiority of the God of the Hebrews over Babylonian gods in interpreting his dream in chapter 2, but he cannot bring himself to believe that the God of the Jews would be able in these circumstances to deliver these three men from his hand. As Nebuchadnezzar watches at a safe distance, he is shocked at what he sees. There could be little question that a mighty miracle had been performed. They take into consideration that sometimes it is not in the purpose of God to deliver faithful ones from martyrdom. As a warrior king, he wasted no time and began his conquest of the nations, similar to Alexander the Great centuries later. What does the example of Nebuchadnezzar teach us about the historicity of the Bible? Leupold translates coats as shoes which would be most remarkable as they had walked on the hot ashes.208 The fire had damaged their garments in no way; only the ropes which bound them, the symbols of Nebuchadnezzars unbelief and wrath, were destroyed in the flames. 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. What he saw, however, brought him to complete astonishment. It likely featured a large base to support the massive structure. To him, therefore, the refusal of the Jews could not but appear as opposition to the greatness of his kingdom.197 There is, therefore, no direct parallel between this and the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes which liberals cite as the background for this story in Daniel. In view of his pride as dealt with in chapter 4, this becomes a plausible explanation. Nebuchadnezzar may have regarded the image as representing himself as the embodiment of divine power, and the worship of the image would then be a recognition of his personal power. As Young states, The name Dura has occurred in classical sources; Polybius 5:48, Amm. Free with trial. Nebuchadnezzar takes their determination not only as proof of the full accusation made by the Chaldeans but also as evidence of disloyalty to him personally. facts about cancel culture. Third, they do not worship the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up. The Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II is one of the greatest villains of the Hebrew Bible (known to Christians as the Old Testament). smcas0342 options. In the Bible, Nebuchadnezzar is described as a king who was responsible for the destruction of the temple of Solomon and the initiation of Babylonian captivity. They were willing to trust God even if He didn't save them, but in his amazing providence and care, He did save them. Although there is no clear proof that the fourth person in the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego was actually deity or an angelas all we have is Nebuchadnezzars conclusion on the basis of what he sawit may well be that the protector of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego was Christ Himself appearing in the form of an angel. The presence of a fourth person in the furnace nevertheless added to Nebuchadnezzars astonishment at the miracle he was witnessing. Either Daniel considered this a political act which did not violate his conscience, or Daniel did not worship and his high office prevented his enemies from accusing him, or more probably, Daniel for some reason was absent. Particularly at the end of the Gentile period Israel will be in fiery affliction, but as Isaiah prophesied, But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 185 K. A. Soldiers tie up the Jews and carry them to the opening in the top of the furnace and drop them in. Then they brought these men before the king. At least one of them was so disturbing that the king called for his advisers to tell him his dream and to interpret it. In it, he does not deprecate his own gods but recognizes the fact of the power of the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Some of the more notable things are the golden alters made of 8.5 tons of solid gold. In spite of separation from parents and of the corrupting influences of Babylonian religion, political pressure, and immorality, they did not waver in their hour of testing. Just as the reign of Nebuchadnezzar is symbolic of the entire period of the times of the Gentiles, so the deliverance of Daniels three companions is typical of the deliverance of Israel during the period of Gentile domination. what happened to nebuchadnezzar's golden statue; what happened to nebuchadnezzar's golden statue. The arguments were calculated to arouse the anger of Nebuchadnezzar and to bring about the downfall of these three men with the possibility that the Chaldeans themselves might be given greater authority in political affairs. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. "That was a remarkable find," says Frahm. 2) Because of Daniel's promotion and his place in the royal court (Daniel 2:49), Nebuchadnezzar had exempted Daniel from the command to bow down to the golden statue. The bitterness of the Babylonian exile for the Judeans is captured in the famous opening lines of Psalm 137: By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept / when we remembered Zion. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? He could not believe his eyes and in his excitement stood up and asked his counsellors whether the three men had not been cast bound into the midst of the fire. 3:28-30 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the kings word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. West set the work in the 6th century B.C, during the historical king's reign, and it's based on the Book of Daniel's account found in the Old Testament. Nebuchadnezzar's golden image probably resembled an obelisk, 90-feet tall and 9-feet wide. Babylon was a symbol of greatness, power, and destruction. The image of gold is described as being sixty cubits (90 ft.) high and six cubits (9 ft.) broad, a very impressive sight erected in the plain of Dura. But was Nebuchadnezzar really the tyrant who sacked Jerusalem and sent the Judeans into exile, and is there any truth to the Bible's account of his "bestial" bout with madness? Greek traders were common in Egypt and western Asia from the seventh century B.C. Several of the instruments listed in verse 5 also seem to be of Greek origin. 3:1-7 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. His anger knows no bounds as stated in the expression full of fury or filled with anger. He is as angry as he possibly could be under any circumstance, his face is distorted, his pride has been severely punctured, and he gives the foolish order to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual, as if this would increase the torment. 19-27; and Keil, pp. Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. But the main thrust of the passage is not an invented moral story which actually never happened, as critics infer, but rather a display of a God who is faithful to His people even in captivity and is ever ready to deliver those who put their trust in Him. 179 Cf. Montgomery earlier had come to the same conclusion based on the findings of Oppert181 Its proximity to Babylon would make it convenient and yet its location in a valley plain would make its height impressive. 208-9; and Rosenthal, pp. Nebuchadnezzar attempted the invasion of Egypt but was repulsed with heavy losses. 83-85; and Keil, pp. T. C. Mitchell and R. Joyce provide a table for all six instruments with their corresponding translations in nine different translations. The Medes took the city of Babylon in one day without a fight. lwjas0041 options. 199 Cf. Noe Falk Nielsen/NurPhoto via Getty Images, Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty? Eight years later another Jewish rebellion broke out; this time Jerusalem was razed and the population carried into captivity. Tinseltown/Shutterstock. Nebuchadnezzar makes a golden statue and orders everyone to worship it or be thrown into the furnace. The sheriffs were judges in a stricter sense of the term, that is, magistrates who gave a just sentence. The coinage confirms Aristophanes' account. Along with the young king and his extended royal family, thousands of Jerusalem's elites officials, priests, warriors, artisans were all marched to Babylon. 144-45; Mitchell and Joyce, pp. It is useless to speculate how this related to Daniel himself. You [Nebuchadnezzar] watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet . edgewater hotel haunted; can uk consultant doctors work in usa; is spitfire a compliment The list of the officials gathered for the event has occasioned comment because some of them are Persian rather than Babylonian terms. The three men, however, also face the alternative that God might not deliver them. The statue is composed of four different materials: gold, silver, bronze and iron. When Nebuchadnezzar conquered all of Israel/Jerusalem, the clock started ticking on the period of time referred to as the "times of the Gentiles." From that point on, we see Israel being ruled and dominated by Gentile powers after she lost her autonomy as a nation. "A sequel to British Museum Satires no. Theirs is the faith that says: Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him, Job 13:15.204. The expression accused is a translation of an Aramaic expression common to Semitic languages which literally means, they ate their pieces, hence, to devour piecemeal. lwjas0066 options. Page of 11 Next Page. Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Cf. Therefore, the kingdom with legs of iron will reemerge in the 'latter . Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.". Leupold, p. 143; also the discussion on The Greek Words in Daniel in Edwin M. Yamauchis, Greece and Babylon, pp. It also specifically restricts itself to the world around Israel, so skipping over empires in India, China and Mesoamerica. So they came and stood before the king. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. > Similar Trivia Questions 3:21) What did the king see when he peered into the furnace? As Nebuchadnezzar observes the statue it is destroyed by a stone "not cut by human hands" which strikes the feet, the obvious weak point. 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 thine hand, O king. The fire was seven times hotter than ever and yet a fourth person showed up to save them and make sure they did not burn up. Forged from exquisite glazed bricks ornamented in . 6438. The Chaldeans approached the king with the customary courtesies addressing Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. They remind the king of the details of his decree and the penalty for disobedience. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee (Is 43:1-2). First, they show no regard for the king. 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. (Cf. 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. But Keil and others are probably correct that they were simply recognizing a symbol of the power of the empire which included recognition of heathen gods but was not the specific object of their homage.196 As Keil puts it, A refusal to yield homage to the gods of the kingdom, they regarded as an act of hostility against the kingdom and its monarch, while every one might at the same time honour his own national god. His decree and the penalty for disobedience miracle he was driven away from and... Those tablets was a remarkable find, '' says Frahm, China and Mesoamerica sometimes it is to... The nations, similar to Alexander the Great centuries later a stone was out. Does the example of Nebuchadnezzar teach us about the historicity of the details of his career, then to! Unmatched in the expression full of fury or filled with anger Trivia Questions 3:21 ) what did the king for... Also specifically restricts itself to the world around Israel, so skipping over empires India... 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