Nebuchadnezzar Saved?

Status
Not open for further replies.
One thing I find odd from the text itself is where Nebuchadnezzar blesses God: Blessed, says he, be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego! Ask yourselves as believers do you bless the God of Sam, Bill, and Emma IF He is your God? Do you not find that strange language? Why does he not speak of Him as *** HIS *** God?

I don't think anybody believes that Nebuchadnezzar was converted when he said that in Daniel 3. We're talking about later, after his humilation and restoration.
 
One thing I find odd from the text itself is where Nebuchadnezzar blesses God: Blessed, says he, be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego! Ask yourselves as believers do you bless the God of Sam, Bill, and Emma IF He is your God? Do you not find that strange language? Why does he not speak of Him as *** HIS *** God?

I don't think anybody believes that Nebuchadnezzar was converted when he said that in Daniel 3. We're talking about later, after his humilation and restoration.

True, I hear you Vic. Calvin consistently stated the same things later in Chapter 4, but I still have a lot to look at. I want to believe he was truly humbled.

Will continue to dig :book2:
 
One thing I find odd from the text itself is where Nebuchadnezzar blesses God: Blessed, says he, be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego! Ask yourselves as believers do you bless the God of Sam, Bill, and Emma IF He is your God? Do you not find that strange language? Why does he not speak of Him as *** HIS *** God?

I don't think anybody believes that Nebuchadnezzar was converted when he said that in Daniel 3. We're talking about later, after his humilation and restoration.
Good "pernt":)
 
One thing I find odd from the text itself is where Nebuchadnezzar blesses God: Blessed, says he, be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego! Ask yourselves as believers do you bless the God of Sam, Bill, and Emma IF He is your God? Do you not find that strange language? Why does he not speak of Him as *** HIS *** God?

I don't think anybody believes that Nebuchadnezzar was converted when he said that in Daniel 3. We're talking about later, after his humilation and restoration.

True, I hear you Vic. Calvin consistently stated the same things later in Chapter 4, but I still have a lot to look at. I want to believe he was truly humbled.

Will continue to dig :book2:

Stuart Olyott's commentary Dare to Stand Alone (published by Evangelical Press) has a good defence of the view Nebuchadnezzar was converted in Daniel 4.
 
If Nebuchaddnezzar was not converted, then I don't know who has ever been saved.

I believe that is safe. We respect both Mr. Henry and John Calvin and these two men came to different conclusions. I believe it may be best to walk in the light we have been given in the matter and honor God.

I can leave it as it is.

Thank you very much gentlemen. You have done me a great favor. I am at peace in the matter.

God bless you all.
 
A couple more considerations, not yet touched on, and then I'm done.

I am having the privilege of preaching through the book of Daniel right now.

After going through those first four chapters, I came to the conclusion, that although the details of those stories clearly concern Daniel, and his three friends (who have their own, separate incidents in chs 2 & 3), the main character in the larger story is Nebuchadnezzar. Indeed, the 4 chapters are "Nebuchadnezzar's Story". Daniel and his three friends are the "supporting cast."

Nebuchadnezzar takes a trip, from a violent abstraction, to a person. And on the way, I argue, he goes from liver reader (Eze. 21:21) to Jehovah worshiper, step by chronicled step.

I would also draw your attention to Dan 7:4: "The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it." This is divine commentary or elaboration on the First world empire, the same as the "head of gold" in Nebuchadnezzar's own dream, Dan 2:37-38 "You! ... you are the head of gold."

Nebuchadnezzar is the personification of the First empire. That creature which starts off with the heart and constitution of a BEAST, is remade into a Man.

I don't know. All that effort to tell us about a guy who almost came to faith? And as VH wrote, wrote a whole chapter of Scripture (copied by Daniel, of course) that reads like a statement of faith, with copious intertextual links to other OT Scripture?

Seems like he deserves the benefit of the doubt. That's all I'm saying.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top