# Nebuchadnezzar's Building Projects in Babylon Ellen White wrote extensively about King Nebuchadnezzar's pride in his building accomplishments in Babylon. Most notably, she recorded his boastful declaration: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?" (
PK 519.3). This statement of self-glorification came exactly one year after God had warned him through a dream, and it triggered his immediate downfall. ## The Golden Image One of Nebuchadnezzar's most significant construction projects was the golden image he erected on the plain of Dura. Ellen White explained that "from his rich store of treasure, Nebuchadnezzar caused to be made a great golden image, similar in its general features to that which had been seen in vision, save in the one particular of the material of which it was composed" (
PK 505.2). This massive statue was "threescore cubits in height and six cubits in breadth" (
PK 505.2) — approximately 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. The image was designed to represent "the glory of Babylon and its magnificence and power" (
PK 505.2).
She noted that "the Chaldeans had never before produced anything so imposing and majestic as this resplendent statue" (
PK 505.2), and it was placed in a conspicuous positionwith a proclamation issued that all should worship it" (YI February 2, 1904, par. 7). ## Babylon's Royal Palace and Kingdom Beyond the golden image, Nebuchadnezzar took great pride in his construction of Babylon itself, particularly the royal palace. Ellen White described how the king was walking in the royal palace of Babylonwhen he made his fateful boast about building "great Babylon" as his "royal dwelling place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty" (
13MR 62.1). His kingdom was indeed impressive — Ellen White used the imagery from his dream to illustrate this: "Thus were represented Nebuchadnezzar's greatness and prosperity. Nations were gathered under his sovereignty. His kingdom was firmly established in the hearts of his loyal subjects" (
8T 126.3). ## The Consequence of Pride The tragedy was that Nebuchadnezzar "failed of recognizing the power that had exalted him" (
Ed 175.5). Despite being given a full year to reflect on God's warning, his heart remained untransformed. Ellen White explained that "a heart that is not fully transformed by the grace of God soon loses the impression of the Holy Spirit" (
13MR 62.1).
The moment he voiced his pride in his building achievements, divine judgment fell, and he was driven from his throne to live among beasts until he acknowledged that "the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will" (
13MR 62.1). --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:**
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• What did she teach about the danger of taking credit for God's blessings in our own lives? --- 📚 **hundreds of passages found** containing these search terms — [Explore in Full-Text Search](/advanced-search?q=Nebuchadrezzar+Built+Gol)
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