Nebuchadnezzar recounts his dream.
Nebuchadnezzar begins retelling the visions in his mind as he lay on his bed. His dream is not complicated, and yet his wise men could not interpret it. He was looking, and behold, there was a tree in the midst of the earth and its height was great. This tree is the centerpiece of his dream; he sees that the tree grew large and became strong and its height reached the sky, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. The tree was not only large and strong but its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. It provided shelter and nourishment for many creatures. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches, and all living creatures fed themselves from it.
Nebuchadnezzar also explains that as he was looking in the visions in his mind, he saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven. From his description it is apparent that an angel came down from heaven with a message for Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel is the only place in the Bible that uses the term watcher to describe an angel. 1 Peter 1:12 describes the angels’ desire to look into the things that were revealed to the prophets. It seems that angels are watching what goes on here on earth, and this angel came down from heaven to tell Nebuchadnezzar something.
Biblical Text
10 ‘Now these were the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a tree in the midst of the earth and its height was great.
11 ‘The tree grew large and became strong
And its height reached to the sky,
And it was visible to the end of the whole earth.
12 ‘Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant,
And in it was food for all.
The beasts of the field found shade under it,
And the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches,
And all living creatures fed themselves from it.
13 ‘I was looking in the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed, and behold, an angelic watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven.
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