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a proclamation throughout the realm, so also the deliverance of Daniel from the lions
moved Darius to make a proclamation:--
"Then king Darius wrote unto all peoples, nations and languages, that dwell in all the
earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my
kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: FOR HE IS THE LIVING
GOD, and stedfast for ever, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and His
dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and He worketh signs
and wonders in heaven and in earth, Who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the
lions" (Dan. 6: 25-27).
To this testimony we ought to add that of Cyrus, as recorded in Ezra 1: 1-4:--
"Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the
kingdoms of the earth: and He hath charged me to build Him an house at Jerusalem,
which is in Judah . . . . . HE is the God . . . . ."
Out of the mouths of kings who were Gentiles by nature, and idolaters by practice, the
Lord brought this testimony to Himself:--
"A God of gods, and a Lord of kings."
"A revealer of secrets."
"A God Who can deliver His servants."
"The Most High God, that liveth for ever."
"The King of heaven."
"The Living God, and One Who works signs and wonders in heaven and earth."
"Whose will is done in the army of heaven."
"Who setteth up kings and putteth them down."
"Whose dominion and kingdom is everlasting."
Yet the men who made these public testimonies had doubtless uttered many a prayer
like the following portion of a hymn to the Moon God:--
"In heaven who is supreme? Thou alone art supreme!
On earth who is supreme? Thou alone art supreme!"
"As for thee thy word is proclaimed in heaven, and the angels bow down their faces."
* * * * * * *
"O Lord, in heaven is thy Lordship, on earth is thy dominion."
The father of Belshazzar has left on record a prayer to the Moon God, opening with
these words:--
"O Sin (i.e., the Moon God), thou Lord of the gods, thou king of the gods of heaven
and earth, and the god of the gods, who dwellest in heaven."
In the decrees and proclamations of Nebuchadnezzar we can, at length, see these
ascriptions of praise and honour transferred from false gods and rendered to the Living
God. If his successors did not profit by his example, we have every reason to believe that
Nebuchadnezzar, the first head of Gentile dominion, is numbered among the redeemed.