Nebuchadnezzar's Nightmares

It is with specific intent that I take archaic scriptural text and using the genre of poetry, make it more palatable, thus easier to read, take in and even remember. I endeavor to take you back to your childhood time of easy reading, while giving you the meat of God’s word and an illumination to boot. If you are a historian, a poet, a teacher, a student or just an occasional bible browser, this is a must read. This book includes one of the first Bible centered short stories I ever wrote. My focus was on King Nebuchadnezzar who is also mentioned in the following books of the bible: Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Jeremiah and finally in Daniel where he receives the most attention.

King Nebuchadnezzar is introduced in Chapter one, as the one who “besieged Jerusalem”. The Bible describes him as the destroyer of Solomon’s Temple. In the twentieth century history, we see him, and his former throne noted as the place where “Saddam Hussein” built his empire(present day Iraq). On the flip side, He also is a pagan king who simultaneously had both the privilege and discomfort of seeing a physical manifestation of the son of God(Daniel 3:24-25). If you are not familiar with the stories noted in Daniel chapters two and or four, brace yourself. The record details physical transformations and spiritual events that were not metaphorical or figurative, but devastatingly actual.

In the Book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar has two prophetic dreams which most could not decipher. Daniel a Hebrew captive from Judah is called upon on two separate occasions to give divine interpretation of the dreams to this king, which I have poetically labeled nightmares. They are recorded in the book of Daniel, Chapters two & four.

Herein, are two familiar bible stories, written in complete poetic prose, and corroborated by scripture. I present by poetic license the poetically Correct Short Stories of: “Nebuchadnezzar’s Nightmares” One and Two.

The ≠ Poet Joel