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Babylon’s Palace
based on the book of Daniel.
Act 4: (6 mins)
Parts: Narrator, Nebuchadnezzar Evil Advisor, Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego.
Narrator: King Nebuchadnezzar was really pleased and he had said: “Daniel, your God is able to reveal all mysteries! Your God is Lord of all kings and leaders everywhere!” But even though the king had said that, he continued to worship many other gods and idols. One day, he built a massive gold statue 27 metres tall and nearly 3 metres wide and set it up in a large field. [POINT TO SCREEN] [PROJECT statue.jpg ON POWERPOINT]
Narrator: He then gave the command that everyone must come to the statue for a massive ceremony.
[SHADRACH, MESHACH, ABEDNEGO & EVIL ADVISOR STAND IN THE HALL BY STAGE]
Shadrach: Where’s Daniel, he’s not here?
Meshach: I heard that he had been sent to another country to sort out a problem, so he won’t get back in time for this.
Abednego: I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve got a very bad feeling about being told to come to this statue.
Shadrach: Yeah, I tried to make an excuse but the guards forced me to come here.
Evil Advisor: [SLIMY CHARACTER] I’m so glad they made you come here. You see, I’ve heard that we have all got to worship that statue. [RUB HANDS] It’s such a pity that you only worship the God of heaven and that you mustn’t worship other gods. What are you going to do now then? [EVIL LAUGHTER]
Adults & children: Boo!
Nebuchadnezzar: [PROUD WALK TO FRONT OF STAGE] This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples and nations. As soon as you hear the sound of the music calling you to worship, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that I King Nebuchadnezzar have set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace!
Meshach: What are we going to do?
Abednego: [CRY OUT] Help us O God of heaven!
Shadrach: [CRY OUT] Yes, help us! We only want to please you O God of heaven!
Narrator: Can we all pretend to be a part of that massive crowd of people standing in front of the 27 metre high statue. When we hear the music we need to all bow down and worship the statue. Please stand up.
[ ] MUSIC STARTS
[SHADRACH, MESHACH, & ABEDNEGO REMAIN STANDING -
Narrator: The thousands of people all got down on the ground and worshipped the statue. The king’s evil advisor worshipped, but he was also watching Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego very closely. The 3 of them had not got down on the ground and they were not worshipping the gold statue, so he got up and went to see the king.
Evil Advisor: [GET UP & WALK TO THE KING] Your majesty! [BOW VERY LOW] I was worshipping your gold statue when I realised that 3 people next to me were ignoring your command.
Nebuchadnezzar: [ANGRY] What! Where are these disobedient, rebellious people?
Evil Advisor: [RUB HANDS] I wouldn’t want to get anyone into trouble.
Adults & children: Boo!
Evil Advisor: But they are over there! [POINT AT THE 3]
Nebuchadnezzar: [ANGRY] How dare you not obey my commands! [CALMS DOWN] Is it you Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? I thought I could totally trust you. How is it that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?
Meshach: O your majesty! We willingly obey your every command!
Abednego: But we only want to worship the one true God, the God of heaven!
Nebuchadnezzar: [ANGRY] So you still refuse to obey me? Music! I want the music to play again and I command you to bow down and worship the statue! If you do fall down and worship it, I will forget that this ever happened. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace! Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand? Start the music!
[ ] MUSIC STARTS
Evil Advisor: [GETS DOWN ONTO FLOOR]
Narrator: What will our 3 friends do? Will they stand up for what they believe in, or will they follow the crowd, and bow down and worship the gold statue? What would you do if you were them? .....
[TURN POWERPOINT OFF]
Act 5: (6 mins)
Parts: Narrator, Nebuchadnezzar Evil Advisor, Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego.
[NEBUCHADNEZZAR STANDING ON STAGE. EVIL ADVISOR WORSHIPPING ON STAGE]
[SHADRACH, MESHACH, & ABEDNEGO STAND IN THE HALL BY STAGE] [PROJECT statue?????.jpg ON POWERPOINT]
Nebuchadnezzar: [ANGRY] I command you to bow down and worship the statue! But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace! Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand? Start the music!
[ ] MUSIC STARTS
Narrator: All the thousands of people were flat down on the floor, except for the king and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego!
Nebuchadnezzar: [ANGRY] What! I commanded you to worship!
Shadrach: O king, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.
Meshach: If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able and powerful enough to stop us from being killed by the burning flames!
Abednego: Yes, he is strong enough to rescue us from your hand, O king, if it is in his plans to do so!
Shadrach: But even if he does not save us from being killed, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the statue of gold you have set up.
Nebuchadnezzar: [REALLY ANGRY] What! You choose not to obey me! How dare you speak to me like this! Soldiers, I want the furnace to be heated up seven times hotter than usual!
Evil Advisor: [RUB HANDS] Oh yes your majesty! This sounds good! Yes, may the furnace be heated up seven times hotter than usual, then no god will be able to save them!
Adults & children: Boo!
Narrator: So the kings soldiers tied up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. [TURN POWERPOINT OFF]
[SHADRACH, MESHACH, & ABEDNEGO GO THROUGH LEFT STAGE DOOR & OUT OF SIGHT]
Narrator: Then the soldiers threw them into the blazing furnace wearing their full clothes. The flames were so hot that all of the soldiers died next to the furnace as they threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego down into it.
Nebuchadnezzar: [PLEASED] That is how I deal with anyone who disobeys my commands!
Evil Advisor: [RUB HANDS] Oh yes your majesty! This is a really good day!
Adults & children: Boo!
Evil Advisor: [RUB HANDS] Oh it’s such a shame that Daniel wasn’t here as well. In fact, all of the kings advisors could have been here and they all could have been thrown in together! That would have left just me as the king’s chief advisor!
Adults & children: Boo!
Nebuchadnezzar: [SUDDENLY MOVE TO LEFT OF STAGE & PEER INTO THE FURNACE. PANIC] Weren't there 3 men that were tied up and thrown into the fire?
Evil Advisor: [CURIOUS] Certainly, O king, there were 3 men.
Nebuchadnezzar: [EXCITED] Look! I can see 4 men in the fire!
Evil Advisor: [SURPRISED] Four men! It must be a trick of the heat and flames.
Nebuchadnezzar: [EXCITED] No, no! I can see 4 men!
Evil Advisor: [WORRIED] There must be another explanation! No one could survive those flames!
Nebuchadnezzar: [EXCITED] Not only are there 4 men, but they are no longer tied up and they are walking around in the flames!
Adults & children: Cheer!
Evil Advisor: [DESPAIR] No it can’t be! No one could survive those flames!
Nebuchadnezzar: [EXCITED] They look unharmed, and the 4th man looks like a son of the gods!
Evil Advisor: [WORRIED] Son of the gods, Oh no!
Nebuchadnezzar: [SHOUT] Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!
[SHADRACH, MESHACH, & ABEDNEGO ENTER STAGE FROM SIDE]
Nebuchadnezzar: [EXCITED] Look they are totally unharmed!
Evil Advisor: [DEAD-
Nebuchadnezzar: [EXCITED] The fire has not harmed their bodies at all! Their hair is not even singed. Their robes are not scorched, and there is no smell of fire on them!
Evil Advisor: [DEAD-
Nebuchadnezzar: [EXCITED] The God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego deserves all thanks and praise. He sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in the God of heaven and disobeyed my command! They were even willing to lose their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
Evil Advisor: [TURN AWAY FROM KING & SPEAK TO THE CHILDREN -
Adults & children: Boo!
Nebuchadnezzar: [STERNLY] I command that if anybody says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they will be executed and their houses will be pulled down! [TURN TO EVIL ADVISOR] Of course, you wouldn’t disagree with anything I have said, would you?
Evil Advisor: [PANIC] No, no ,no your majesty.
Nebuchadnezzar: None of my gods and idols could save people in this way. The God of heaven is the real God. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego you will now have a big pay rise and you will hold a place of honour.
Evil Advisor: Grrrr!
Nebuchadnezzar: Right, it’s time for a bit of respect to be shown to these 3 men. [POINT AT EVIL ADVISOR] Oi you! Show some respect! Bow to these men.
Evil Advisor: [BOW LOW]
Nebuchadnezzar: [STERNLY] Lower! Bow lower than that!
Evil Advisor: [BOW VERY LOW]
Adults & children: Cheer!
[ALL EXIT STAGE]
Daniel: [ENTER STAGE – LOOK AROUND]
Evil Advisor: [WALK ACROSS STAGE]
Daniel: [POINT] Hang on a minute! Have you seen Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego?
Evil Advisor: [NERVOUS] Errr why? Why is that?
Daniel: I had heard that someone had dropped them right into trouble. What do you know about it?
Evil Advisor: [NERVOUS] Nothing. Nothing at all!
Adults & children: Boo!
Daniel: I had heard that the king had thrown them into a blazing furnace and they had survived.
Evil Advisor: Yes, something like that. Here they come now. I must dash! [EXIT STAGE]
[SHADRACH, MESHACH, & ABEDNEGO ENTER STAGE]
Shadrach: Good to see you Daniel!
Daniel: Hey, you’re looking good! No burns then? What was it like?
Meshach: It happened so quickly. I had prepared myself that this was it – that I was going to die.
Abednego: We fell into the flames and it wasn’t hot!
Daniel: Amazing!
Shadrach: Suddenly there was this forth person who looked human – but wasn’t and his power seemed to protect us!
Daniel: That’s [PAUSE] Dare I say it? It’s unbelievable! But looking
at you -
Meshach: I know that this sort of thing is very unusual.
Daniel: Well, for God to protect you in those flames, he must really have a plan for us here in Babylon. Come on back to mine and we can talk more about this.
[ALL EXIT STAGE]
Act 6: (10 mins)
Parts: Narrator, Nebuchadnezzar, Evil Advisor, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego. Special props:.
[NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S BED AT BACK OF STAGE]
Nebuchadnezzar: [ASLEEP ON HIS BED]
Narrator: King Nebuchadnezzar had conquered many, many countries. He was now extremely rich and he could do whatever he wanted in his kingdom. No one would dare to challenge him. Everyone was there to be his servants.
Nebuchadnezzar: [GET REALLY RESTLESS] No! No! [ROLL AROUND] Help! Don’t all run away! [ROLL AROUND] Help me! Help me! [WAKE UP – STILL TIRED] Oh it was a dream! Just a dream! [PACE UP & DOWN] No, it was not just any dream. [SCRATCH HEAD] It was so scary! [PULL AT HAIR] It is another message from God!
Narrator: The king called for an Advisor.
Evil Advisor: [BOW LOW] You majesty. You called for your most excellent
Advisor -
Adults & children: Boo!
Narrator: The king told the Advisor every detail about his dream.
Nebuchadnezzar: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of a vast land. The height of this tree was enormous. [POINT UPWARDS] The tree continued to grow larger and larger. Stronger and stronger. [CLENCH FISTS]
Evil Advisor: Wow!
Nebuchadnezzar: And its top seemed to reach up into the sky, far above the clouds. [RAISE ARM]
Evil Advisor: Wow!
Nebuchadnezzar: [ANGRY] Stop keep saying ‘Wow’!
Evil Advisor: Yes your majesty. Sorry your majesty.
Nebuchadnezzar: The whole world could see this huge tree. Its leaves were really beautiful, and it had masses of fruit which fed everybody in the world!
Evil Advisor: Woooow, [REALISE YOU’VE JUST SAID WOW AGAIN] I mean, that’s amazing!
Nebuchadnezzar: [GLARE AT ADVISOR] Grrr! Under the tree, all the animals found shelter from the storms. All the birds of the world built nests and lived in its branches.
Evil Advisor: [PUZZLED] Yeah?
Nebuchadnezzar: [ANGRY] I hope you are listening carefully to all of this, because you will have to tell me what it all means!
Evil Advisor: [PANIC] Right, OK!
Nebuchadnezzar: Suddenly I looked, and there before me was a messenger from God! He was powerful and came down from heaven.
Evil Advisor: Wow!
Nebuchadnezzar: [GLARE AT ADVISOR] Grrr! This messenger from heaven called out in a loud voice: “Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches.”
Evil Advisor: What happened next?
Nebuchadnezzar: The messenger continued: “Drag the tree away, but leave it’s stump in the ground. Now bind the stump with metal straps. Fix the straps tightly around the stump.”
Evil Advisor: [PUZZLED] How strange!
Nebuchadnezzar: Then the messenger started to talk about a man saying that he would live outside all of the time, that he would be drenched by the dew every morning. He would live with the wild animals and sleep among the plants of the earth.
Evil Advisor: [PUZZLED] Even more strange!
Nebuchadnezzar: Then the messenger said: “The command will be given for this man’s mind to be changed from that of a man to the mind of an animal, until seven lengths of time have passed by him. I the messenger from heaven speak this command, so that everyone may know that the Most High God of heaven is ruler over all kingdoms and countries. He is the God of this world and the whole universe!”
Evil Advisor: [PANIC] Is that it?
Nebuchadnezzar: Yes. Now I want you to tell me the meaning of this dream!
Evil Advisor: [PANIC] A tree. [LOST FOR WORDS] Ermm. A tree. [TRY TO SOUND CONVINCING] A tree with birds and animals!
Nebuchadnezzar: You are beginning to irritate me!
Evil Advisor: [PANIC] Surely not me your majesty! I would not irritate you. [GROVEL] I am such a low servant that I wouldn’t know how to irritate you!
Nebuchadnezzar: It just comes naturally to you! Whatever you do, you get on my nerves! Now, where are the other advisors?
Narrator: King Nebuchadnezzar called for his other advisors.
[DANIEL, SHADRACH, MESHACH & ABEDNEGO STAND IN FRONT OF THE KING]
Narrator: The King then explained the dream to them.
Nebuchadnezzar: Daniel, I am glad to see you here. I know that the spirit of the God of heaven is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you to solve. You have now heard my dream, so tell me what it means. For this [POINT AT EVIL ADVISOR] so called wise man – one of my Advisors was unable to tell me what it means.
Daniel: [CONFUSED] Your majesty, I am trying to find out what the dream means.
Evil Advisor: [RUB HANDS] Oh good! Daniel the little king’s pet, is unable to give the king an answer. Do I sense that Daniel is going to fall from the king’s favour? Oh yes! [EVIL LAUGH]
Adults & children: Boo!
Daniel: [CONCERNED] I am starting to see the meaning but I am uneasy telling you it.
Nebuchadnezzar: Daniel, do not let the dream or its meaning worry you.
Daniel: [CONCERNED] My king, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to those who hate you!
Nebuchadnezzar: Daniel, tell me what you know!
Daniel: No, really, I can’t!
Nebuchadnezzar: [SHARPLY] Daniel!
Daniel: OK. The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top reaching up into the sky, far above the clouds, that the whole world could see.
Nebuchadnezzar: [EAGER] Yes, yes, go on!
Daniel: The tree with its beautiful leaves and masses of fruit which fed everybody in the world! And under the tree all the animals found shelter from the storms and all the birds of the world built their nests and lived in its branches... [PAUSE] You, O king, are that tree!
Nebuchadnezzar: [FEARFUL] Aaagh! I knew it would be something like that! What does it mean?
Daniel: You, O king, have become great and strong. Your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and you govern even the farthest countries.
Nebuchadnezzar: Yes, I can see that the tree is a symbol of my greatness. Continue!
Daniel: You, O king, then saw a messenger who came down from heaven and said: “Cut down the tree and trim off its branches. Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Drag the tree away, but leave it’s stump in the ground. Now bind the stump with metal straps. Fix the straps tightly around the stump.
Nebuchadnezzar: [PROUDLY] Are you saying that I will stop being king? Me? I am the king of my kingdom! How can I be cut down? I have got a massive army to protect me!
Daniel: The Most High God of heaven has given the command against you O king! You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals! You will eat grass like a cow and be drenched with dew every morning. Seven lengths of time will pass by until you acknowledge that the God of heaven is God over you!
Nebuchadnezzar: [PROUDLY] I rule my kingdom! I will do what I want! God will not rule over me!
Daniel: The command to leave the stump of the tree means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you accept that the God of heaven is greater than you! Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Turn away from your pride and turn to God and put him first in your life. Do what is right, and then your kingdom may be restored to you. [EXIT STAGE]
[ SHADRACH, MESHACH & ABEDNEGO EXIT STAGE]
Evil Advisor: [LOOK AROUND WORRIED] Errr! Your majesty, I hope you don’t think I had anything to do with that!
Nebuchadnezzar: No. You were unable to think of anything, and you were unable to say anything! At least Daniel had the bottle to speak out what he believed to be true.
Evil Advisor: [SURPRISED] What? Do you believe what he said? Are you going to allow him to say such things about youself?
Nebuchadnezzar: I respect him for saying that, even though I don’t agree with what he said. [PROUDLY] I mean, who could ever drive me away from my throne! How stupid is that! Why would I go to live with the animals and eat grass!!! Perhaps you are right, I ought to keep an eye on Daniel.
Evil Advisor: Oh yes your majesty. You are far too wise and powerful to eat grass like a cow!!! I have always been suspicious of what Daniel says. [RUB HANDS] He cannot be trusted! [EXIT STAGE]
Adults & children: Boo!
[REMOVE BED FROM STAGE]
Narrator: Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the Babylon Palace, he said:
Nebuchadnezzar: [STRUT UP & DOWN, FULL OF PRIDE] Is not this the great Babylon I have built? This is my beautiful palace which shows off my mighty power and my majesty!
Narrator: The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven saying: "This is the command for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you! You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like a cow. Seven lengths of time will pass by until you acknowledge that the God of heaven is God over you!
Nebuchadnezzar: [COVER YOUR EARS, FALL TO THE GROUND & WALK ON ALL FOURS OFF STAGE]
Narrator: A long time past, then....
Nebuchadnezzar: [WALK ON ALL FOURS BACK ONTO STAGE. LIFT YOUR HEAD UP, SHIELD YOUR EYES] O God of heaven, I can now see that you are greater than me! I have come to understand that your kingdom, O God, is forever and ever. No one is stronger than the God of heaven!
Daniel: [WALK ONTO STAGE] Your majesty! No one was able to find you for years and now I have found you. What have you been eating all this time? You haven’t cut your hair and you certainly need a wash! [HOLD YOUR NOSE]
Nebuchadnezzar: I praise and worship the God of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are perfect. Even though I walked in my arrogance and pride, he was still able to humble me and make me turn to Him for help.
[ALL EXIT STAGE]
[SHARACH, MESHACH & ABEDNEGO ENTER STAGE]
Shadrach: Where is the king? He’s been missing for years!
Meshach: No one seems to know what to do! [SCRATCH HEAD]
Abednego: Some time ago there was a rumour that someone had seen the king living out in the forest. And worse than that [PUT HAND OVER MOUTH] he was walking around on his hands and knees!
Shadrach: [SHAKE HEAD] That can’t be true! Our great king doing that -
Abednego: And the rumour got even worse! He had been seen eating grass! How stupid is that!
Daniel: [WALK ONTO STAGE] There you! I’ve been looking for you! The king has been found! You won’t believe the state he’s in!
Meshach: What do you mean? [WORRIED] He’s not dying is he?
Daniel: No, no! He’s alive and well! But he hasn’t had a haircut for years
-
Shadrach: [PUZZLED] What? You are talking about the king aren’t you?
Evil Advisor: [ENTER STAGE]
Daniel: Yes of course I’m talking about the king. He’s saying that God has made him look to heaven for help.
Evil Advisor: Yes, that’s all we need -
Daniel: [LOOK AT EVIL ADVISOR] Ignore him! Come on and I’ll tell you more about it
[DANIEL, SHADRACH, MESHACH & ABEDNEGO EXIT STAGE]
Evil Advisor: [MOCK THEM THEN EXIT STAGE]
Adults & children: Boo!