“This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.”
Daniel continues: Whereas the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, Hew down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let its lot be with the animals of the field, until seven times pass over it—this is the interpretation, O king, and it is a decree of the Most High that has overtaken my lord the king. Daniel plainly states the judgment: the king will be brought low, reduced to an animal-like state, yet preserved (leave the stump of its roots) for eventual restoration. The phrase a decree of the Most High that has overtaken my lord the king indicates that the judgment is not contingent or avoidable; it has already been determined and will surely come to pass. Daniel's language is formal and direct; he does not hide or minimize the judgment but presents it as inevitable divine decree.
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