DANIEL 4:12

[Daniel 4:12 BSB] — Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and upon it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, in its branches the birds of the air nested, and from it every creature was fed.

[Daniel 4:12 ICB] — The leaves of the tree were beautiful. It had plenty of good fruit on it. On the tree was food for everyone. The wild animals found shelter under the tree. And the birds lived in its branches. Every animal ate from it.



In this Bible verse, that Tree was the center of both attention and attraction, having the leaves of the Tree beautiful to behold, having abundance of fruits and food for all, flourishing in prosperity and being blessing to all, for under it the whole family of the world were blessed with supply of food, shelter for the animals and branches for the avians.

Was there any problem or fault in this Tree to warrant God to cut it down?

*1* You cannot say that Tree was unfruitful for it to be cut down or cursed like the Lord cursed that Fig-Tree; rather that Tree was having abundance of fruits and food for all living beings on earth.

*2* You cannot say that that Tree was producing evil fruits nor say it's a forbidden tree like the one that was inside the Garden of Eden; rather all living creatures of the world were right to feed from that Tree.

*3* You cannot say that Tree was not planted by God, as in, every plant that is not planted by My Father (God) in heaven shall be uprooted (Matthew 15:13); rather that Tree was planted and established by God.

So what is the sin or fault with that beautiful Tree that was helping all the poor and feeding all the hungry in the world, accommodating birds and beasts in its branches and sheltering, bearing fruit for all with no charge? The Tree was beautiful, was great, was generous, was a philanthropist or a giver, providing the basic primary needs to all that came to it: And the Primary Needs the Tree provided included Food, Shelter, and Clothing with its beautiful leaves.

Now let us learn what the sin or fault of this beautiful, generous and great famous Tree was in just this Bible verse alone.

There was a place in the gospel where the Lord Jesus Christ instructed we should let our light shine before men so that they would see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). The same Lord Jesus afterwards warned us not to do our works to be seen of men otherwise we have no reward of the Father in heaven (Matthew 6:1,6, 23:5). What then was the difference between "men to see your goodworks to glorify your Father in heaven" and "works to be seen of men?"

That's the same difference between Works that make men to see and works that get to be seen by men: (In the preceding verse I separated the Seer from the Seen).

*1* The first works He instructed are shining as light before men, for light helps men to see what they couldn't see; and when your light/works make them see, they glorify your Father in heaven through your works or light.

*2* The other works He warned against are to be seen of men for self glory, gaining the praises/applauses of men, and self promotion. Men see you as the father/maker of those works, but do not see the Father/Maker in heaven through you. So to be seen works are not light but veils to men.

In the top Bible verse above, that Tree was doing what appears as "Good works" but those goodworks are not light to the world but veils/shadows or clouds, preventing those depending on that tree from depending on God or seeking the Lord because they all sought after that Tree for all their basic needs. Technically, that Tree caught off men, animals and birds from seeking the Lord, since they all looked only to that Tree for their food, shelter, beautiful sight to behold.

That Tree was more like another form of Tower of Babel accomplished because its top reached heaven, and almost all the hosts of the earth gathered together in one place by that Tower/Tree without getting scattered to other parts of the earth. That Tree was their high Tower, and they ran to it for safety and provisions. They idolized that Tree, and not even the animals were looking at the LORD for their daily bread since that tree built its being seen globally as an antichrist or antigod.

Don't be deceived even by the good works, good gifts, and good words, any man is doing; if that man's deeds are not projecting, promoting and pointing God and the Lord Jesus Christ and denying himself to increase more of people seeing God and the Lord, and less of him being seen, even those supposed good works are conspiracy.