King Nebuchdnezzar inherited the Babylonian Empire from his father Nabopolassar who had overthrown Assyria fifteen years earlier. Nebuchadnezzar greatly expanded the empire and built the city of Babylon into a wonder of the world. It had palaces, a museum (perhaps the world’s first museum), a bridge over the Euphrates River, and a grand processional boulevard leading to the Ishtar Gate.

Glazed bricks in white and blue were inscribed with praise for King Nebuchadnezzar’s projects and his glory. Terra cotta cylinders were marked with extensive records of his rule over his empire. The ruins of ancient Babylon cover two thousand acres of land, making it the largest archeological site in the Middle East.

Nebuchadnezzar reigned forty-three years –longer than any other Babylonian king. His empire was legendary and he was a proud king.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

King Nebuchadnezzar had a strange and troubling dream one night while he was asleep in his palace. He saw an enormous tree that grew high enough to touch the sky. Its leaves were beautiful and it was laden with good fruit. Birds and animals lived under the shelter of its mighty branches.

A messenger came from heaven and ordered that the tree be cut down and its branches, leaves, and fruit be stripped from it. Only the stump of the tree remained rooted in the ground and iron and bronze straps bound it tightly.

Daniel Interprets the Dream

As he had before, Nebuchadnezzar called for Daniel to come and interpret the dream. It was upsetting to Daniel because the dream foretold that mighty King Nebuchadnezzar was about to be brought low. He was going to lose his mind and live like an animal for seven years, away from people and the palace, out in the open fields.

Daniel gave Nebuchadnezzar some advice.

“Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be then that your prosperity will continue.” Daniel 4:27

The Dream Comes True

Twelve months later Nebuchadnezzar was walking on the roof of his royal palace, congratulating himself on his power and glory, when the prophecy in the dream came true. A voice came from heaven and told the king his royal authority had been taken away from him.

“You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like an ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms of the earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.” Daniel 4:32

It happened just as God said it would. Nebuchadnezzar went out into the fields and lived like an animal until he came to look like one. Seven years went by before he was restored to sanity.

Daniel chapter four was written in the king’s voice. He was glad to confess the truth about how his humiliation taught him that God alone is Lord over the kingdoms of the earth.

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” Daniel 4:37

Ezekiel’s Vision of the New Temple

Fourteen years after the fall of Jerusalem, almost no one had gone back to see how things were in Judea. If they had, they would have found its cultivated fields mostly overgrown and wild. The city of Jerusalem was burned up rubble full of weeds and the dens of wild animals. There was no temple, no palace, and no city wall. Travelers who passed through shook their heads in amazement that Jerusalem, the apple of God’s eye, had fallen into a complete shambles.

However, God had a plan. He had promised Israel that he would restore the land and bring his people back home. Someday, the temple was going to be rebuilt and the Lord gave Ezekiel the privilege of looking at the plans he had in mind.

What Ezekiel saw in his vision wasn’t the temple that the Jews built upon their return from exile after seventy years. That temple was much smaller and plainer than what God had in mind for his future temple.

The temple Ezekiel saw came to be known as Ezekiel’s Temple, or The Third Temple, and it hasn’t been built yet. There are Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem today who are ready to build the Third Temple, but they can’t. The place where it must be built is on the Temple Mount and there is a huge Muslim Mosque sitting in that spot. It’s not time yet for Ezekiel’s Temple to be built.

Elaborate Plans

It’s hard to visualize what Ezekiel saw in this vision just by reading his words, but you can find models and architectural drawings of it online if you search for “Ezekiel’s Temple.” The prophet’s description begins at the outer wall and works its way inward to the holiest place.

It’s not easy to describe all of the elements of a complex arrangement of walls and buildings the way Ezekiel did here. It’s harder still to follow what he said and conjure up the images he saw.

Sometimes the great value of a prophecy is simply that it is there, waiting to be fulfilled. When the Third Temple is constructed someday people will be able to compare Ezekiel’s words with the actual buildings. Then they will be awestruck by how this prophet saw things that didn’t exist yet as if they did exist.

And then the nations will know that God is the Lord.