The setting of this account is that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has burnt Jerusalem and Solomon's temple on 586Ab10. He has taken the head ones of the people into exile in Babylon. Daniel, a Hebrew Prophet and Symbolic Dream Decoder, has also been taken captive and resides in Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream about a tree which is chopped down and 7 times pass over it. Daniel interprets this dream as meaning that the King will lose his kingdom for 7 times, i.e. 7 years by the literal meaning of the Times Principle. Here is the dream as described by Nebuchadnezzar to Daniel:
1 Nebuchadnezzar the king,
to all the peoples, national groups and languages that are dwelling in all the
earth: May your peace grow great.
2 The signs and wonders that the Most High
God has performed with me, it has seemed good to me to declare.
3 How grand his signs are, and how mighty his
wonders are! His kingdom is a kingdom to time indefinite, and his rulership is
for generation after generation.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, happened to be at ease
in my house and flourishing in my palace.
5 There was a dream that I beheld, and it
began to make me afraid. And there were mental images upon my bed and visions of
my head that began to frighten me.
6 And from me an order was being put through
to bring in before me all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to
me the very interpretation of the dream.
7 At that time the magic-practicing priests,
the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the astrologers were entering; and I was saying
before them what the dream was, but its interpretation they were not making
known to me.
8 And at last there came in before me Daniel,
whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god and in whom there is
the spirit of the holy gods; and before him I said what the dream was:
9 'Oh Belteshazzar the chief of the
magic-practicing priests, because I myself well know that the spirit of the holy
gods is in you and that there is no secret at all that is troubling you, tell
[me] the visions of my dream that I have beheld and its interpretation.
10 'Now the visions of my head upon my bed I
happened to be beholding, and, look! a tree in the midst of the earth, the
height of which was immense.
11 The tree grew up and became strong, and
its very height finally reached the heavens, and it was visible to the extremity
of the whole earth.
12 Its foliage was fair, and its fruit was
abundant, and there was food for all on it. Under it the beast of the field
would seek shade, and on its boughs the birds of the heavens would dwell, and
from it all flesh would feed itself.
13 'I continued beholding in the visions of
my head upon my bed, and, look! a watcher, even a holy one, coming down from the
heavens themselves.
14 He was calling out loudly, and this is
what he was saying: Chop the tree down, and cut off its boughs. Shake off its
foliage, and scatter its fruitage. Let the beast flee from under it, and the
birds from its boughs.
15 However, leave its rootstock itself in the
earth, even with a banding of iron and of copper, among the grass of the field;
and with the dew of the heavens let it be wet, and with the beast let its
portion be among the vegetation of the earth.
16 Let its heart be changed from that of
mankind, and let the heart of a beast be given to it, and let 7 times
pass over it.
17 By the decree of watchers the thing is,
and [by] the saying of holy ones the request is, to the intent that people
living may know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind and that
to the one whom he wants to, he gives it and he sets up over it even the
lowliest one of mankind.
18 'This was the dream that I myself, King
Nebuchadnezzar, beheld; and you yourself, Oh Belteshazzar, say what the
interpretation is, forasmuch as all the [other] wise men of my kingdom are
unable to make known to me the interpretation itself. But you are competent,
because the spirit of holy gods is in you.'
19 At that time Daniel himself, whose name is
Belteshazzar, was astonished for a moment, and his very thoughts began to
frighten him. The king was answering and saying, 'Oh Belteshazzar, do not let
the dream and the interpretation themselves frighten you.' Belteshazzar was
answering and saying, 'Oh my lord, may the dream [apply] to those hating you,
and its interpretation to your adversaries.
20 'The tree that you beheld, that grew great
and became strong and the height of which finally reached the heavens and which
was visible to all the earth,
21 and the foliage of which was fair, and the
fruit of which was abundant, and on which there was food for all; under which
the beasts of the field would dwell, and on the boughs of which the birds of the
heavens would reside,
22 it is you, Oh king, because you have grown
great and become strong, and your grandeur has grown great and reached to the
heavens, and your rulership to the extremity of the earth.
23 'And because the king beheld a watcher,
even a holy one, coming down from the heavens, who was also saying: Chop the
tree down, and ruin it. However, leave its rootstock itself in the earth, but
with a banding of iron and of copper, among the grass of the field, and with the
dew of the heavens let it become wet, and with the beasts of the field let its
portion be until 7 times themselves pass over it,
24 this is the interpretation, Oh king, and
the decree of the Most High is that which must befall my lord the king.
25 And you they will be driving away from
men, and with the beasts of the field your dwelling will come to be, and the
vegetation is what they will give even to you to eat just like bulls; and with
the dew of the heavens you yourself will be getting wet, and 7 times
themselves will pass over you, until you know that the Most High is Ruler in the
kingdom of mankind, and that to the one whom he wants to he gives it.
26 'And because they said to leave the
rootstock of the tree, your kingdom will be sure to you after you know that the
heavens are ruling.
27 Therefore, Oh king, may my counsel seem
good to you, and remove your own sins by righteousness, and your iniquity by
showing mercy to the poor ones. Maybe there will occur a lengthening of your
prosperity.'
28 All this befell Nebuchadnezzar the king.
29 At the end of 12 lunar months he
happened to be walking upon the royal palace of Babylon.
30 The king was answering and saying: Is not
this Babylon the Great, that I myself have built for the royal house with the
strength of my might and for the dignity of my majesty?
31 While the word was yet in the king's
mouth, there was a voice that fell from the heavens: To you it is being said, Oh
Nebuchadnezzar the king, 'The kingdom itself has gone away from you,
32 and from mankind they are driving even you
away, and with the beasts of the field your dwelling will be. Vegetation they
will give even to you to eat just like bulls, and 7 times themselves will
pass over you, until you know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of
mankind, and that to the one whom he wants to he gives it.'
33 At that moment the word itself was
fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and from mankind he was being driven away, and
vegetation he began to eat just like bulls, and with the dew of the heavens his
own body got to be wet, until his very hair grew long just like eagles'
[feathers] and his nails like birds' [claws].
34 And at the end of the days I,
Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up to the heavens my eyes, and my own understanding began
to return to me; and I blessed the Most High himself, and the One living to time
indefinite I praised and glorified, because his rulership is a rulership to time
indefinite and his kingdom is for generation after generation.
35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are
being considered as merely nothing, and he is doing according to his own will
among the army of the heavens and the inhabitants of the earth. And there exists
no one that can check his hand or that can say to him, 'What have you been
doing?'
36 At the same time my understanding itself
began to return to me, and for the dignity of my kingdom my majesty and my
brightness themselves began to return to me; and for me even my high royal
officers and my grandees began eagerly searching, and I was reestablished upon
my own kingdom, and greatness extraordinary was added to me.
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, am praising and
exalting and glorifying the King of the heavens, because all his works are truth
and his ways are justice, and because those who are walking in pride he is able
to humiliate (Daniel 4).
So the big question for God's people as prisoners in the
foreign land of Babylon, having been deported there by Nebuchadnezzar, a
Gentile, after he
burnt Jerusalem and Solomon's temple, is not how long will it be until we get
Nebuchadnezzar back as our king? But, how long will it be after God ceased being
our king, before he again becomes our king through a vassal King who actually
represents him?
It is this period that has been taken as the greater meaning of Daniel chapter 4 by many Second Adventists, who realised of course that the Vassal King that the Most High God wants to give the kingdom of mankind to at the end of this period is Jesus. This appointment is then possibly the 'second coming' or the 'second presence' of the Christ. The Watchtower originally thought that the end of this period would be Armageddon (not unreasonably on the basis of Daniel 4 alone).
Historically, what 'second adventists' have done is to take Nebuchadnezzar to represent: God's vassal king over his people, in the entire account. They then say that the 2520 day period, which represents the time during which God does not have a vassal king over his people, is obviously way too short and so should be taken at 'a day for a year', effectively using the Times Principle, without realising that it is a general principle of a bible code. Yes all bible researchers think that the idea of taking 7 times as 2520 years only applies to Daniel chapter 4.
The problem with the naive symbolic interpretation of 'Nebuchandezzar' as being God's vassal king over Abraham's true seed, who is Jesus at the end of the 2520 year period, is that Daniel says to him:
27
Therefore, O king, may my counsel seem good to you, and remove
your own sins by righteousness, and your iniquity by showing mercy to the poor
ones. Maybe there will occur a lengthening of your prosperity (Daniel 4).
Jesus had no sin, but was unblemished, and he had no iniquity, so this counsel
cannot apply to him. The solution to this is to realise that the Gentile
Times is not a malediction only on Jesus but on all the sons of the JAC, who
cannot rule over the sons of the ICC for 2520 years. The point is that David
and Solomon were saints...
12 When your days come to the full, and you
must lie down with your forefathers, then I shall certainly raise up your seed
after you [Solomon, the seed of David],
which will come out of your inward parts; and I shall indeed firmly establish
his kingdom.
13 He is the one that will build a house
for
my name, and I shall certainly establish the throne of his kingdom firmly to
time indefinite.
14 I myself shall become his father, and he
himself will become my son [Solomon was
born again as were the whole line from Moses through the Judges to Jehoahaz].
When he does wrong, I will also reprove him with the rod of men and with the
strokes of the sons of Adam.
15 As for my loving-kindness, it will not
depart from him the way I removed it from Saul,
whom I removed on account of you (2 Samuel 7).
In fact all the heads of Judah from Moses to Jehoahaz were saints because God would not cause a non saint to rule over the sanctified. Of course just as there are rotten saints in the church, there were rotten saints ruling over Israel. This is proven by the word symbolic meaning of the genealogy of Matthew1 - see U254.
So these saints, sons of the JAC, born again angelic children of God in human bodies, could sin and fulfil Daniel 4:27.
There is secular evidence that King Nebuchadnezzar lost his sanity for 7 years from Wikipedia...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebuchadrezzar_II
A clay
tablet in the British Museum (BM34113) describes Nebuchadnezzar's behaviour
during his insanity: "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 and clan does not exist.[2]
There is also a notable absence of any record of acts or decrees by the king
during 582 to 575 BC.[3]
2 Kendall K. Down, Daniel: Hostage in Babylon, p.30
3 Gleason Archer, Vol 7 Expositor's Bible Commentary.
Here is a sentence count on Daniel 4...
| And visions of my head upon my bed, I was beholding | 3x. |
| and look! | |
| a tree in the middle of the land | 1½x |
| and height of him enormous | 1x |
| he grew large the tree | 1x |
| and he grew strong | 1x |
| and height of him touched to the skies | 2x |
| and visibility of him [touched] to end of all the earth | 2x |
| leaf of him beautiful | 1x |
| and fruit of him abundant | 1x |
| and food of all in him | 3x |
| under him she found shelter, beast of field | 2x |
| and in branches of him they lived, birds of the airs | 10x |
| and from him, he was fed, every creature | 2x |
Total of 27½x = 27½ times. But these are multiplied by the 3x of visions upon the bed:
3x.27½x=82½x, 82½ times, we take as 82½ years in the case of FDS3 from 1919Nisan1, when the directors of the WTBTS were released from prison until 2001Tishri30, when the Watchtower lost its ability to water baptise. 7 days later they lost their water baptism as a church (this never happens to the LWs).
'Birds of the airs' are the saints. They took centre position in the earth when they were appointed over all belongings in Nisan 1918. Every creature is being fed 'at the proper time'. The branches of this tree are the 5 watches of the Watchtower.
We have the narrative of the dream, we have the recital of the dream to Daniel, we hae the interpretation of the dream by Daniel and we have the angel actually telling the king what he had dreamed would happen. So the scenario is repeated 4 times. The phrase 7 times appears 4x in the account.
So there are several fulfilments, several 7x kingship maledictions being referred to.
The first was the end of the physical sons of David, in the days of Jehoahaz whose last agricultural year ran from 608Tishri to 607Tishri, the destruction lasting for the 7 Prophetic Times of the Gentile Times. The second was under GNS2. It runs from 2001Heshvan7 when the Watchtower lost its water baptism until 2008Heshvan7, when the veil is lifted from the 1NC descended saints who come and join the LWs in the 7th month of the wedding feast, and Zoar protection kicks in.
26
This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: Remove the
turban, and lift off the crown. This will not be the same. Put on high even what
is low, and bring low even the high one.
27
A ruin, a ruin, a ruin I shall make it.
As for this also, it will certainly become no [one's] until he comes who has the
legal right, and I must give [it] to him (Ezekiel 21).
Three ruins of Kings over God’s people. This may just refer to TCC1/2/3.
Incidentally Charles Russell may have correctly identified the great 2520 year malediction of Daniel 4 as the 'Gentile Times' of Luke, which is another way of saying the 'Appointed times of the Nations' of Luke, in a word symbolic thread:
24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled (Luke 21).
But in the literal meaning this is Balfour's Times U121.
Now God ceased having a vassal king that represented him over his people sometime before Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and burnt the temple in 586Ab10 BC (13th August). In fact the first king over the Jews who did not represent God was Jehoiakim who acceded sometime between 608 Tishri BC (September/October) and 607 Elul (August/September), in fact it was on 608Chislev10 (13th November), see - [97]. So the last agricultural year of God's Kingship started in 608Tishri, and the first agricultural year without God as king over the seed of Abraham started on 607Tishri1 (23rd September). Jehoiakim was appointed by Pharaoh Nechoh of Egypt and was a vassal of his, see [121]. So the Gentile Times, the 7 Prophetic Times of God ceasing to be the King of his people, who are Abraham's seed, the manifestation of which was that a Gentile was their King, started in 607Tishri. So it ended in 1914Tishri (there was no 0BC it went 1BC then 1AD). This was the start of the first world war!
The great war can now be seen in spiritual terms to be a fracas caused by Satan to try to reject the appointment of Jesus as heavenly vassal of God over Isaac's true seed, and to prevent Jesus from exercising his new kingship effectively. Jesus appointed an earthly vassal to rule on his behalf over his people, the sons of the ICC on earth the minute he became king. This was Charles Russell, the 3rd Elijah. Presumably he was appointed as the first vassal of Jesus since Jehoahaz on 1914Tishri15/18. Russell was also appointed as head of the faithful and discreet slave to feed God's official people at the proper time. This appointment also occurred on 1914Tishri15/18. Matthews refers to it, saying...
45 Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master
appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?
46 Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing
so.
47 Truly I say to you, He will appoint him over all his belongings (Matthew
24).
The first appointment is to feed at the proper time, and then if this is carried out satisfactorily, the second appointment is over all belongings. The former appointment is also referred to by Paul:
9 In that he made known to us the sacred secret of his will. It is according to his good pleasure which he purposed in
himself
10 for an administration at the full limit of the appointed times
[the Gentile Times], namely, to
gather all things together again in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the
earth. Yes, in him (Ephesians 1).
The administration is that of the faithful and discreet slave above. Now the administration that Jesus appointed was quite simply the one that recognised that this 2,520 year period did indeed end in 1914Tishri. And this administration was the Watchtower Society. Therefore this scripture in Revelation 11 refers to them in respect of one of the two witnesses:
1 And a reed like a rod was given me as he said:
Get up and measure the temple [sanctuary] of God and the altar and those worshiping in it.
2 But as for the courtyard that is outside the temple [sanctuary], cast it clear
out and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy
city underfoot for 42 months
[WW1].
3 And I will cause my 2 witnesses to prophesy 1260 days dressed in sackcloth.
4 These are [symbolized by] the 2 olive trees and the 2 lampstands and are standing before the
Lord of the earth.
5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire issues forth from their mouths and devours their
enemies; and if anyone should want to harm them, in this manner he must be
killed.
6 These have the authority to shut up heaven that no rain should fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have authority
over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every sort of plague as often as they wish.
7 And when they have finished their witnessing, the wild beast that ascends out of the
abyss will make war with them and conquer them and kill them (Revelation 11).
Ok, the nations are trampling Jerusalem underfoot as in the case of Luke 21 above. And it was Elijah who shut up heaven for 42 months in the days of Ahab, and this prefigured Jesus ministry:
25 For instance, I tell you in truth, There were many widows
in Israel [covenants with dead
mediators exclusive to the inhabitants Israel, LCC, Law, JAC, ICC etc] in the
days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up [the
Pharisees were silenced] 3 years and 6 months [from
33Nisan14 to 36Tishri18 when Cornelius was baptised], so that a
great famine fell upon all the earth (ghn)
[their teachings were shown to be of no
nutritional value],
26 yet Elijah
[1EC water baptism]
was sent to none of those
[women], but only to Zarephath in the land of Sidon to a widow [the
Gentile call into the 1NC, the widow of Jesus]
(Luke 4).
17
Elijah was a man with feelings like ours, and yet in prayer he prayed for it
not to rain; and it did not rain upon the earth (gh)
for 3 years and 6 months
[the baptism into the ICC through the law of
Moses ended at the baptism of Jesus, so from 29Tishri10 to 33Nisan14, it did not
rain upon the land of Israel, the congregation under law].
18
And he
prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth (gh)
put forth its fruit
[the new heaven inaugurated on 33Nisan17 was
able to give rain, causing its land, its new earth, its congregation to be
baptised]
(James 5).
So we can now apply the No Coincidences Principle and deduce that the 42 months of prophesying of each of these two witnesses is a direct antitype of Jesus' ministry. Here is the comparison:
| Witness | Appointed by Jesus to feed | Started prophesying in sackcloth | Appointed over all belongings | Stopped prophesying in sackcloth | Duration |
| Jesus' ministry to Jews | 29Tishri10 (Baptism) | 29Heshvan22 (Peter called) | 33Nisan17 | 33Iyyar25 (Jesus ascends, ministry ends) | 1260 days (3 days in heart of Earth) |
| Watchtower ministry to Christendom | 1914Tishri15 (Gentile Times ends) | 1914Heshvan26 | 1918Nisan17 | 1918Iyyar25 (Governing Body locked up in Prison) | 1263 days inclusively |
| Lords' Witnesses ministry to Watchtower | 1995Sivan30 - U42 | 1992Elul11 First book: [Letter to Society] hand delivered to Watchtower HQ | 1995Tishri18, 3rd day after 1995Tishri15 - U42 | 1995Adar11 Gordon disfellowshipped | 1260 days exclusively |
Now Jesus' ministry lasted 1264 days inclusively, but 3 of these days saw him in the heart of the earth, either being grilled by Caiaphas or Pilate or being impaled or being dead, during which time he gave no witness. So his ministry was 1260 days counting exclusively and subtracting these 3, and it had a religious system change in it. So likewise the two periods of prophesying of the two witnesses of Revelation 11 have religious system changes in them - see U151.
For more detail of the pattern of Jesus' life mapped onto the early history of the Watchtower - see U42.
The purpose of the above is to establish that Charles Russell became King over God's official people, Isaac's seed, the sons of the ICC, on 1914Tishri15 at the end of the Gentile Times, in accordance with the pattern of Jesus life, which applies to both of his presences. He was a vassal of Jesus who is still a vassal of God over the sons of the ICC today.
Russell is therefore the successor actually to Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, the last Vassal King of God over the sons of the ICC of ancient Israel - see [91]. And that the Watchtower is not the final true religion, there is a second group of witnesses which has this honour from God, the Lords' Witnesses.
Returning to the Symbolism of Daniel 4: The Seraph said to Isaiah, to say to this people not once, but again and again:
9 Go, and you must say to this people: Hear again and again, O
men, but do not understand; and see again and again, but do not get any
knowledge.
10 Make the heart of this people unreceptive, and make their very ears
unresponsive, and paste their very eyes together, that they may not see with
their eyes and with their ears they may not hear, and that their own heart may
not understand and that they may not actually turn back and get healing for
themselves.
11 At this I said: How long, O Jehovah? Then he said: Until the
cities actually crash in ruins, to be without an inhabitant, and the houses be
without earthling man, and the ground itself is ruined into a desolation;
12 and
Jehovah actually removes earthling men far away, and the deserted condition does
become very extensive in the midst of the land.
13 And there will still be in it a
tenth, and it must again become something for burning down, like a big
tree and like a massive tree in which, when there is a cutting down
[of them], there is a stump; a holy seed will be the stump of it (Isaiah
6).
So people are blind and deaf and dull until cities crash in ruins and earthling man is removed far from God. Then there is a tenth, a holy seed, a stump of a big tree, a massive tree, which again becomes something for burning down, like Nebuchadnezzar did to Jerusalem. So the cut down or burned down stump is a holy seed, more than once, these seeds are Jacob, FDS3 and FDS4. A tenth is God’s farming percentage, at Armageddon. For the full decoding of Daniel 4 - see [136].
We do wonder whether the 3 7x maledictions on man exist due to the gap between Adam's sin and the 3 big ransoms of Gabriel, Melchizedek and Michael.
3993 to 33 is 4025 years
3340 the birth of Methuselah (653 after 3993) and 969=1622 years
Cainan resurrected Shelah around 2309 BC (1684 after 3393) + 330 = 2014 years
Total number of years without a ransom is 7661 not 7560 which is 21x.