The Book of Daniel (The Book of Daniel) Overall Themes addressed in Daniel: Our eternal hope and living in the world but not being of it. Why are we studying this book? Daniel lived in a land that was hostile to the one true God. That society tried to compromise the values and teachings of the God of Israel. They demanded the inclusion of the worship of other gods and men as gods. They also subverted the youth and trained them in a different system with a different language and different values. Does that sound familiar? We see in this book how Daniel lived and not only survived, but had impact and flourished. *Lesson: We can live in a hostile culture without compromise and still grow and flourish. Israel was taken captive into another land with another ruler. They considered themselves citizens of another kingdom (Israel), but had to function as citizens of a kingdom and a culture that was in opposition to their own (Babylon). Daniel and his people (the people of God) maintained their unique identity and held to the truth (absolute truth) of scripture. But even while there was much risk, the Lord s favor was with them and they learned lessons and functioned and even prospered. We are first and foremost citizens of a kingdom to come (Kingdom of God), but the Lord has put us right here (in a changing culture and society called America) and we are to keep a unique identity and hold to a truth that is eternal. 1 Peter 2:11-12 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. NASU *Lesson: We can consider ourselves as citizens of another Kingdom and maintain a unique identity while engaging our culture and even prosper in do so. Daniel persevered in prayer and was given understanding into spiritual warfare. He learned how to hear the Lord and proclaim truth even in the face of persecution. We can see how this can be valuable to all of us. *Lesson: We can persevere in prayer and fasting that changes things in the heavens and on earth. Daniel lived in the hope of deliverance in this age for his people but kept his eye on the eternal purpose of God on the earth. The events of this age point us to an age to come. The nations and systems of this world are only temporary. Our hope is in a 1
coming king and kingdom that will last forever and will be perfectly just and upright. We will not understand all the details in this book, but the overall perspective of the coming of the Lord in glory will guide us in hope and faith. *Lesson: We can live with an eternal hope that will give light to the everyday we live in. What was going on at the time Daniel lived? a. Daniel lived from around 600 BC to 520 BC. Daniel writes during the Babylonian captivity. Daniel remained an advisor to several kings (Nebuchadnezzar, Nericlissar, Belshazzar, Cyrus, Smerdis, Darius) and the change of a kingdom (from Babylon to Persia). b. Israel was taken captive and lived in the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The temple was sacked and burned and the walls of Jerusalem we torn down. The vessels and lampstands along with other material from the temple we taken to Babylon as spoil. The Ark of the Covenant was already removed years prior. c. Jeramiah prophesied the captivity and said: Jeremiah 29:28 "For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, 'The exile will be long; build houses and live in them and plant gardens and eat their produce.' NASU This was God s judgment and plan. Israel lived with the compromise of idolatry prior to the captivity. After the captivity they never again went into idol worship. d. With the destruction of the temple and the dislocation they had no place for worship and sacrifice. The elders of the people instituted the local center of worship, prayer, education and community. This was started to keep their traditions, language, feasts, and study of Torah alive in a foreign land. This place was known as the Synagogue. The local church in the book of Acts was set up according to the synagogue model. e. The kingdoms of the world that are referred to or could be referred to in the book: i. Babylon. (609-539). Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Judea ii. Meade s and Persian s. (539-334). Cyrus of Persia conquered Judea. iii. Greece. (334-197). Alexander the Great of Greece conquered Judea. Divided into four kingdoms after the death of Alexander the Great. iv. Israel. (166-63) ( HASMONEANS In the broader sense the term Hasmonean refers to the whole "Maccabean" family) v. Rome & Byzantine rule. (197 BC-636 AD). Rome controlled or occupied the region. Byzantine Rule (313-636). In 306, the capital was moved to Byzantium (Constantinople). Christianity became the official religion with the Edict of Milan (313). The land of Babylon was never ruled by the Roman empire. 2
vi. Islamic Caliphate. Islamic Rule (622-1920). The Roman and Parthian empires are exhausted from war and the Muslim Arabs take over. Islamic forces conquer Jerusalem under Caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab. 200 Jewish families return.» Crusades (1096-1291). Christian Europe attempts to take the Holy Land from Muslims and attacks Jews in the process.» Mamluk Rule (1291-1516). Turan Shah, an Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt, is murdered and replaced by his Mamluk slave general Aibek, who founded the Mamluk dynasty.» Ottoman Rule (1500-1920). Selim the Cruel captured Jerusalem after the Ottoman army defeated the Mamluks at Marj-Dabik in northern Syria. Jewish Revolts (70 AD-132 AD). There were two major revolts against Rome in Jerusalem. First Revolt (66-73 AD) Emperors Vespasian and Titus. The second temple was completely destroyed after the first revolt (70 AD) by general Titus. The trees were cut down and the land was salted in 71 AD. In 66 AD the Romans robbed the temple treasury and the Jews revolted for 3.5 years. The first revolt ended 3.5 years later in 73 AD when the fortress of Masada was destroyed by the Romans who took the 10,000 soldiers of the tenth legion to build a huge siege ramp just to destroy 900 rebellious Jewish zealots. They committed suicide rather than be captured. Each man killed his family, and then one killed the rest before killing himself. Kitos War (115-117) Emperor Trajan. Hundreds of thousands were killed in the Jewish communities of Cyprus, Cyrene (Libya), Aegipta (Egypt) and Mesopotamia (Syria and Iraq) at war. Pagan temples and the tomb of Pompey were destroyed. Bar Kochba Revolt (132-135 AD) Emperor Hadrian. The city of Jerusalem was destroyed after the second major revolt (132-135 AD). Then the people were exiled in 136 AD. Judea was renamed Palestine and the land was completely ploughed under. 3
Timeline of Daniel and his contemporaries: Glossary of terms: 1. Prophecy: Simple Definition of prophecy : a statement that something will happen in the future : the power or ability to know what will happen in the future 2. Proleptic: Prolepsis Definition of prolepsis : anticipation : the representation or assumption of a future act or development as if presently existing or accomplished : Prophecies that were prophecies for the original hearers but have since been fulfilled and seen to be accomplished in history. 3. BOMINATION OF DESOLATION: "The idol [see ABOMINATION] of the desolator," or "the idol that causeth desolation." Abomination refers especially to such idolatry only as is perpetrated by apostates from Jehovah (2 Kings 21:2-7; 23:13). Josephus (B. J., 4:6, sec. 3) refers to the Jews' tradition that the temple would be destroyed "if domestic hands should first pollute it." The Lord quotes Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11, in Matthew 24:15 "the abomination of desolation," as the sign of Jerusalem's coming destruction. Daniel makes the ceasing of the sacrifice and oblation the preliminary to it. Jewish rabbis considered the prophecy fulfilled when the Jews erected an idol altar, described as "the abomination of desolation" in 1 Macc 1:54; 6:7. This was necessarily followed by the profanation of the temple under the Old Testament antichrist, Antiochus 4
Epiphanes. He built an idolatrous altar on the altar of burnt offering to Jupiter Olympius, and dedicated the temple to him, and offered swine's flesh. 4. BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY OF "JUDAH." Date of Captivity. Nebuchadnezzar, early in his reign, B.C. 606-562, repeatedly invaded Judea, and finally besieged Jerusalem, carried away the inhabitants to Babylon, and destroyed the city and Temple. Two distinct deportations are mentioned in 2 Kings 24:14, and 25:11; one in 2 Chronicles 36:20; three in Jeremiah 52:28,29, and one in Daniel 1:3. The two principal deportations were, (1) that which took place B.C. 598, when Jehoiachin, with all the nobles, soldiers, and artificers (artisans) were carried away; and (2) that which followed the destruction of the Temple and the capture of Zedekiah, B.C. 588. Parallels in the book of Daniel: As you read through this book you will notice some parallels between chapters. Many of the visions are similar and talk about the same subjects. When you get to chapter 7 you will notice the parallel with chapter 2. Chapters 3 and 8 are similar in focus along with chapters 4 and 9 and 5 and 10. We bring this up for you to notice the continuity and the flow between the first half and the second half of the book. These parallels also focus us on a theme that is proven accurate and pertains to the end of the age. The same kingdoms are revealed and the same concluding difficulties are prophesied for the people of God. Geography and nations of Daniels time: Persia: Present day Iran Babylon: Present day Iraqi Assyria: Present day northern Iraqi and Syria. 5
Maps of the kingdoms (or possible kingdoms) referred to in the book of Daniel. 6
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The Islamic Caliphate 635 AD. After this time Islamic rule expanded, but included this area until 1920 after the First World War. We hope this information will help you as you read through the book of Daniel and seek to apply its principles in your lives and families. 8