Introduction to Daniel

Overview of Daniel

• “As we near the close of this world’s history, the prophecies recorded by Daniel demand our special attention, as they relate to the very time in which we are living”...

• Daniel and Revelation describe by means of symbolic visions the course of human history and the final advent of the kingdom of God.

Overview: Judgement a pervading theme

• Daniel – ‘God is my judge’.• A book about judgement- begins and ends

with references to judgement.- Apostate Israel- End: King of the North- Nebuchadnezzar- Belshazzar- The judgement to come.

Overview: The Tale of Two Cities- Jerusalem and Babylon

Jerusalem:•Rule of righteousness•Reveals the mystery of godliness

Babylon:•The reign of wickedness•Reveals the mystery of sin

The Stories and prophecies of the book of Daniel illustrate the principles of the ancient conflict

between good and evil.

Overview of Daniel

• The climax in each narrative is the elevation of the worshipers of the true God, and each vision ends in the establishment of the kingdom of God.

• This book continually proclaims the good news that trial and temptations are followed by blessings for those obedient to God.

What Christ and others thought about the Book

Matthew 24:1515 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Paul – refers to the abomination of desolation and the man of sin.

Early Church Fathers – many of them expositors of Daniel and Revelation like Paul seem to have some insight into the interpretation and fulfilment of the texts.Reformers – under sola scriptura Daniel and Revelation we highly referenced for study

Others

Daniel Chapter 11 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

2 Kings 21:10-1310 And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying,

11 Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:

12 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.

13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.

2 Kings 21:13-16

14 And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;

15 Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.

16 Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

Isaiah 42:66 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

God Intended for Israel to be a Light

Jeremiah 25:8-98 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words,

9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

The Secular History – The first Invasion

• Jehoiakim (son of Josiah) was an Egyptian vassal until Nebuchadnessar forced him to submit to Babylon in 605 BC. . Nebuchadnezzar personally lead his army to conquer Jerusalem

• Jehoiakim revolted in 598 BC in 597 BC.

• Installed Zedekiah as rule.• Took a large quantity of temple

utensils to Babylon• Took 10,000 captives to Babylon. (2 Kings 24:10-16; Eze 1:1)

• Zedekiah made an alliance with Egypt against Babylon. (Jer 37:7,8).

• Nebuchadnezzar again marched against Judah in 586 B.C scorching the land.

The Secular History – The Second Invasion

• Captured Jerusalem and burnt it to the ground.

(2 Kings 25:9-10)

2 Kings 24:10-1310 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.

12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.

13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.

2 Kings 24:14-16

14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.

16 And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

Spiritual dimension provides the explanation for historical events.

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

Describes event in terms of secular history

Event’s spiritual dimension

Daniel 1:3-73 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes;

4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

Daniel 1:3-7

6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:

7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.

Hebrews Under Pressure• To keep his empire intact

Nebuchadnezzar trains the cream of the crop of the captives for future service:

• A thorough Babylonian education and training was necessary.

• After education the subjects would be sent back to administer their homeland or serve at the court in Babylon.

What did they have to learn?

1) The tongue (language) of the Chaldeans .2) Literature of the Chaldeans.

Tongue (language)• Akkadian (Native language of Babylonians)• Sumerian (Ancient language of Sumer –used in

religious practices and technical literature.• Aramaic (language of international commerce and

diplomacy)

What did they have to learn?

Literature of the Chaldeans• The literature of the Chaldeans, whose name

became a byword for “magician” or “diviner”, most likely included the study of astrology and the art of divination.

• These were condemned in the old testament (Deut 18:10)

Changing their names

• In the ancient Near East, names and their connotation formed part of a person’s identity.

• Obliterating any references to the Hebrew God was the goal.• Substituting names alluding and referencing Babylonian gods.

Nebuchadnezzar did not compel the Hebrew youth to renounce their faith in favour of idolatry, but he hoped to bring this about gradually.

Daniel 1:8-13

9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel 1:12-13

12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

Daniel 1:14-1714 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.

16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

To eat or not too eat...

• Not just because some of the food was most likely unclean, but also because it had been offered up to idols before it was served.

• Babylonian royal mean began with an act of worship, and those who participated in the meal considered themselves as having taken part in the religious rite.

To eat or not too eat...

• To refuse could have been regarded by the court as an insult to the king and as evidence of insubordination.

• The Hebrews refused to violate their conscience; their determination not to do so may indicate that they were in the habit of turning away from evil.

• God honoured the faith of the young men and performed a miracle.

Daniel 1:18-2118 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

21 And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

God Honours Faithfulness1 Samuel 2:3030 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

Though forced to undertake a process of assimilation, the true source of their wisdom was not the Chaldean curriculum, but the God of Israel.

By remaining firm in their challenge, they gained experience that helped them in the future. They would most likely have succumbed to the greater tests in chapters 3 and 6 had they failed in this test.

Lessons• God is in control– God is sovereign and directs the

world by His providence. While He gave Jerusalem into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, he also gave knowledge and skill to the four young Hebrews.

• Tests of character are opportunities to grow.

• Christians must stand up for what they believe- The Hebrew youth did so and were willing to resist the dominant culture of their day.

Christians today live in a strange land

• The god of modern culture is the god of self- personal gratification and self-realisation over any sense of the other person.

• Surrounded by a culture hostile towards most basic Christian values.

Ask yourself• Whose am I?• Do I belong to the Lord?• And if so, how am I to relate to the culture in

which I live?John 17:1818 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Romans 12:2

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Comments & Questions?

References• Daniel Chapter 1 (KJV)• Daniel – The Seer of Babylon, Gerhard Pfandl (Review and Herald Publishing Association)• Wikipedia.org