Topical Bible: Converts: Zealous: Nebuchadnezzar

◄ Converts: Zealous: Nebuchadnezzar ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Nebuchadnezzar II, the renowned king of Babylon, is a prominent figure in the Bible, particularly in the Book of Daniel. His journey from a pagan ruler to a man who acknowledges the sovereignty of the God of Israel is a compelling narrative of conversion and zeal.

Background

Nebuchadnezzar reigned from approximately 605 to 562 BC and is best known for his military conquests, the expansion of the Babylonian Empire, and the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. His interactions with the Jewish people began with the conquest of Jerusalem and the subsequent Babylonian Exile, during which many Israelites, including Daniel and his companions, were taken captive.

Encounters with the God of Israel

Nebuchadnezzar's encounters with the God of Israel are documented in several key events in the Book of Daniel:

1. The Dream of the Statue (Daniel 2): Nebuchadnezzar's first significant encounter with the God of Israel occurs when he dreams of a great statue made of various materials. Disturbed by the dream, he demands its interpretation from his wise men, who fail to provide an answer. Daniel, a young Jewish exile, is granted divine insight to interpret the dream, revealing the rise and fall of empires. Nebuchadnezzar responds by acknowledging the greatness of Daniel's God, saying, "Truly your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries" (Daniel 2:47).

2. The Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3): In an act of defiance against God, Nebuchadnezzar constructs a massive golden image and commands all to worship it. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three Jewish men, refuse to bow down, resulting in their being thrown into a fiery furnace. Miraculously, they emerge unharmed, accompanied by a divine figure. Witnessing this, Nebuchadnezzar praises their God, declaring, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him" (Daniel 3:28).

3. The Humbling of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4): Nebuchadnezzar's most profound transformation occurs after another dream, which Daniel interprets as a warning of impending judgment due to the king's pride. True to the prophecy, Nebuchadnezzar is driven from his throne and lives like a beast until he acknowledges God's sovereignty. Upon his restoration, he zealously proclaims, "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride" (Daniel 4:37).

Zealous Conversion

Nebuchadnezzar's conversion is marked by a dramatic shift from arrogance and idolatry to humility and reverence for the God of Israel. His declarations of faith and acknowledgment of God's power reflect a zealous transformation, as he publicly praises and honors the God he once defied. His account serves as a testament to the power of divine intervention and the possibility of redemption for even the most powerful and prideful individuals.

Nave's Topical Index

Daniel 3:29
Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
Nave's Topical Index

Daniel 4:1-37
Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied to you.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Teuton Nations.
... The miry clay which Nebuchadnezzar saw mixed with the ... many did he convert, and such
zealous Christians were ... Patrick taught his converts to enter into the great ...
/.../yonge/the chosen people/lesson xxviii the teuton nations.htm

The Withered Fig Tree
... When Jerusalem was to be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar a former ... They are so zealous
that they are not chilled ... Young converts and seekers are naturally apt to do ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 35 1889/the withered fig tree.htm

Be not Deceived; God is not Mocked.
... As in the case of Nebuchadnezzar, his friends gathered ... was given by Paul to Christian
men"converts in the ... his lips." Peter was the most zealous and defiant ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/moody/sowing and reaping/chapter ii be not deceived.htm

An Analysis of Augustin's Writings against the Donatists.
... judgment might catch the ear of the more zealous. ... grievous ill-treatment toward
voluntary converts: Marcus, presbyter ... Nebuchadnezzar is an example both of the ...
/.../chapter ii name analysis of.htm

Christian Behavior
... may be had, especially our new converts, for whose ... Nebuchadnezzar will have his fiery
furnace, and Darius his ... though thou oughtest to be very zealous for the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/christian behavior.htm

Letter Xciii. (AD 408. )
... future, there was given under King Nebuchadnezzar a figure ... presents unto Himself
a "numerous people, zealous of good ... for the baptism of the converts in Corinth ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter xciii a d 408.htm

A Traveler's Note-Book
... of Christianity, Plato's love will seem like the image in Nebuchadnezzar's
vision,"the ... himself of the best type of orthodox piety, and zealous to vindicate ...
/.../merriam/the chief end of man/iii a travelers note-book.htm

Mr. Bunyan's Last Sermon:
The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3. <. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/mr bunyans last sermon .htm

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
... by that sound sense of death and of the day of judgment, which abode, as it were,
continually in my view; I should often also think on Nebuchadnezzar, of whom ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/grace abounding to the chief.htm