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Ezekiel and Daniel: Babylonian Crisis

  1. Lesson One
    Ezekiel's Prophetic Word (Ezekiel 1–24)
    19 Activities
    |
    2 Assessments
  2. Lesson Two
    Ezekiel: Israel's Shame and Restoration (Ezekiel 25–39)
    22 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  3. Lesson Three
    Ezekiel's Distinctive Message (Ezekiel 40–48)
    24 Activities
    |
    2 Assessments
  4. Lesson Four
    Daniel: Dreams and Prophecies (Daniel 1–3, 9–12)
    18 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  5. Lesson Five
    Daniel: Kings and Kingdoms (Daniel 4–8)
    18 Activities
  6. Course Wrap-Up
    Course Completion
    1 Activity
    |
    1 Assessment

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Grab your Workbook Journal!

[Record your answers in the workbook provided at the beginning of this course.]

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus will make some unexpected connections between Himself and Nebuchadnezzar. Two of these are tabled below. Listen to the way Jesus uses language and imagery ascribed by Daniel to the Babylonian king.

NebuchadnezzarJesus
And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. (Daniel 3:6 ESV)The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. (Matthew 13:49-50 ESV)
I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth … and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches. (Daniel 4:20-22 ESV)The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches. (Matthew 13:31-32 ESV)
  1. Based on your review of the previous table, why do you think Jesus makes these connections?
Nebuchadnezzar and Jesus

It appears that Jesus—and Matthew—are deliberately using this connection to contrast Jesus and the kingdom of heaven with human kings and their earthly kingdoms. The values and actions embodied in Nebuchadnezzar are reversed as the true king replaces every false king who has come before him.

A False King The True King
Nebuchadnezzar commanded people to worship idols. Jesus commands people to worship the true God.
Nebuchadnezzar casts the righteous into a fiery furnace. Jesus will cast the wicked into a fiery furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar was unable to punish the righteous. Jesus will succeed in punishing the wicked.
Nebuchadnezzar is interested in growing an earthly kingdom. Jesus is interested in growing faith and the kingdom of heaven.

Reference and adapted from: James M. Hamilton, Jr., With the Clouds of Heaven, 2014, pp. 183-184.