Introduction to the Book of Daniel

 The book of Daniel was written by the prophet Daniel, a Jewish exile to
Babylon, in the 6th Century BC to reassure God’s people that He is
sovereign Ruler and that His plan of salvation was still on tract despite their
being exiled.
 It was written during a time when Babylon (after breaking away from
Assyrian rule), led by Nebupolasar, and his son Nebuchadnezzar, had taken
over as world power.
 Through persistent disobedience and rebellion God’s people (the Kingdom
of Judah) reached the point where God punished them by sending them into
exile for 70 years (2 Chronicles 36:15-21; Jeremiah 25:11).
 It took Nebuchadnezzar 3 visits to Jerusalem (taking away captives each
time—605, 597 and 586 BC) before the city and temple were destroyed.
The Northern Kingdom (Israel) was exiled, without any promise of
restoration in 722 BC by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:5-18
 As He did in the past, God used the prophetic word/gift to send messages of
hope to His people while they were in captivity.
 He reminded them that He is sovereign Ruler and that His plan for them
will not fail.
 While Daniel functioned as any other prophet, his visions were unique—
they were Apocalyptic in nature. The book of Daniel is to the Old
Testament, what the book of Revelation is to the New Testament.
Apocalyptic Prophecies
 Apocalyptic prophecies are highly symbolic.
 they cover a time period from the time of the prophet to the end,
 they give a broader view of the of the cosmic conflict between Christ and
Satan and
 they usually deal with eschatology.

Approaches to Apocalyptic Prophecy Interpretation

 Preterist View – Prophecies are fulfilled in the past.
 Futurist View – Prophecies to be fulfilled in the distant future.
 Historicist View – Prophecies relate to historical events beginning from the
time of the prophet to the end of time.
  Idealistic View (Idealism) – Prophecies are not to be taken literal; but
provide spiritual lessons.
 Before the Babylonian exile, God’s people were ruled by Judges; then
Kings—they were in charge of their own judicial system.
 These leaders represented Jesus, the Messiah, who is the True Ruler of
God’s people—the One to whom the Sceptre belong (Genesis 49:10;
Ezekiel 21:27; Psalm 2).
 However, the Babylonian captivity ended the judicial and kingly powers of
the Jews.
 From that time, until the Messiah came, they were governed by ‘heathen’
nations.
 The prophecies of Daniel did much to remind God’s people that though they
were governed by heathen nations and kings, God was their Ruler and the
Messiah is the true Heir to the throne of David.
The Nature of the Book
Prophecies
 The book of Daniel is slightly different from Revelation, in that, besides the
prophecies (Daniel 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12),
Experiences (Daniel and the Kings)
 it also includes the life experiences of Daniel, his faithful friends and kings
Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar (Daniel 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6).

 The experiences of Daniel and his friends show that God will and can
protect His people under all circumstances.
 These testimonies are relevant to God’s people in all ages, but especially to
those whom the ‘time of the end’ prophecies apply.
 Daniel was told by the ministering angel to shut up the book for it is sealed
until the ‘time of the end’ when knowledge shall increase (Daniel 12:4).
 In other words, these prophecies that relate to the time of the end, would
not be understood, until that time (Revelation 10 & 14:6)
 The book contains 4 apocalyptic prophecies that cover almost the same time
periods and kingdoms, but each prophecy contains a unique message and
focus on a different aspect of God’s work in the lives of His people
According to Gregor, the book of Daniel answers four basic questions that
are answered by each of the Apocalyptic prophecies of Daniel, as follows:
1. Is this the end of the kingdom of Judah? (Daniel 2)
2. Is this the end to the king of Judah? (Daniel 7)
3. Is this the end of the sanctuary/temple? (Daniel 8 & 9)
4. Is this the end of the people of God? (Daniel 10-12)

Authorship: evidences for Daniel as author

1. The claims made within the book. There are several places that the
Prophet Daniel spoke in the first person and declared that he received these
messages from God (Daniel 8:1-7; 13-19; 10:2-5)
2. Only a person living in the 6th century BC, well versed with Babylonian
affairs, could provide these historical facts contained within the book.
3. Jesus testified of Daniel as the author of the book (Matthew 24:15)

Importance of establishing a date

1. First, the date relates to the historical context in which Daniel and the
other actors of the book lived.
2. Secondly, so many of the prophecies in Daniel relate to specific time
(7:1; 8:1; 9:1:10:1; 11:1).
3. Thirdly, the date of the writing relates directly to the accuracy of the
prophecies it contains. For example, Daniel predicted the rise and fall of a
few emperors. If Daniel predicted these events accurately, it speaks to the
power of His God to reveal the future.

Challenges to the Date of the Book

 It appears that this final reason forms the nucleus of the controversy
surrounding why some questions the date of the book of Daniel—
they claim that it is impossible for a 6th Century prophet to so
accurately speak about the Medes and Persian and the Greeks before
they rose to power.
 Some suggests that the book of Daniel was written in the 2nd
Century B.C. “after-the-fact” of these events. This claim was first
made by “a second century critic of Christianity, Porphyry”. Most of
the liberal modern scholars have now accepted the position that the
 book of Daniel was written in the 2nd Century BC—during the times
of Antiochus Epiphanes.

In Defence of a 6th Century date for the book of Daniel:

 For many years, “Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar were known to
the world only through the book of Daniel.”
 However, recent archaeological discoveries reveal the glory of the
Babylonian kingdom under Nebuchadnezzar.
 It is impossible for someone living during the 2nd Century BC to
have known so much about Babylon and its glory, since so much
time had elapsed
 Change in capital punishment from fire (used by the Babylonians) to
wild animals (used by the Persians), was known only by someone
living in the 6th century. Fire was considered sacred by the Persians;
therefore, was not used for capital punishment.
 References to the “laws of the Medes and Persians” also show that
the book was written in the 6th Century, because it was not until
later that Persia became so dominant that the kingdom was called the
Persian Empire.
 The relationship between the Jews and the Monarch was much more
antagonistic during the times of the Maccabean than in the 6th
Century, as recorded in the book that the monarch showed favor to
Daniel and his friends.

Political and Moral State of Judah at the time of the Babylonian

Captivity

Kingdoms that impact the Political Situation of Daniel

 Assyria
 Babylon
 Judah
Assyria
 Assyria became world power under the leadership of Sargon II and his son
Senacherib. Under their leadership, Assyria gained world dominance by
conquering smaller nations, spring across the entire Middle East, including
Egypt.
  Assyria appeared in the Bible as the nation who attacked, Judah during the
times of Jehoshaphat and conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
 It was difficult to manage such a large territory. It was managed through
local leaders who pledged loyalty to the king. All areas were thus governed,
except for Babylon.
 When Nabopollasar, in 626 B.C. declared himself king of Babylon, there
was nothing that the Assyrians could do.

Babylon
 Nabopollasar joined forces with the Medes, and in a series of attacks
conquered the territory that was originally held by Assyria.
 Assyria attempted to defend itself by joining with Egypt (Pharoah Necho).
 In 612 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar was made King of Babylon

Political and Moral State of Judah at the time of the Babylonian Captivity
 The first two verses of Daniel give insight into the reason behind the
captivity and exile of Judah by Babylon.
 The author indicates that it is the Lord who gave Judah into the hands of
the king of Babylon.
 This act is the culmination of a long history of warnings and entreaties; of
good kings and bad for the Southern Kingdom.

History of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms

 The history of Israel as a nation goes back to their deliverance from Egypt
and their subsequent meeting and entering covenant with God (Exodus
19:5-6).
 God promised that He would bless them and give them the land of promise,
if they should obey. Joshua led them to the promised land after a 40-year
wandering in the wilderness with Moses.
 Joshua was a faithful leader; and so were the leaders who were
contemporaries with Joshua
 However, as soon as Joshua and his contemporaries died, the disobedience
and rebellion started (Judges 2:10-11). Following Joshua, Israel, as a united
nation was led mostly by Judges. The final judge was Samuel; who was also
a prophet.
  Subsequently, the people requested a king, like the other nations (1 Samuel
8:6). The first king appointed, was Saul.
 Saul was a promising king, but because of disobedience, the Lord rejected
him (1 Samuel 15)
 David, Israel’s most iconic king, and the one of whose lineages it was
promised that the Messiah would come, was next.
 David expanded the territory of Israel and is considered Israel’s most
successful king. Solomon expanded on the success of David.
 He was considered the wisest man who ever lived. He apostatized in his
later years but returned to the Lord before his death.
 Saul, David and Solomon ruled for 40 years each.
 They were the only king that ruled over a united Israel for their entire
reign. Because the kingdom was divided under Solomon’s son, Rehoboam.
 Rehoboam despised the counsel of the senior men and listened to his peers.
Therefore, the people rebelled, and Jeroboam took 10 tribes.
 This division gave rise to the naming of the Northern Kingdom (Israel),
with 10 tribes and the Southern Kingdom (Judah), with 2 tribes—Judah and
Benjamin.

Divided Kingdom of Israel

 Israel – Southern Kingdom, Capital Samaria
 Judah – Northern Kingdom, Capital Jerusalem
History of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms
 The books of 1 and 2 Kings record the history of these two nations.
 In Judah, there were some good kings and some bad ones. But, in Israel,
there were some bad kings and some worse ones.
 All the kings of Israel followed in the path of Jeroboam. It got worse
during the times of King Ahab and Jezebel.
 As a result, the kingdom of Israel was sent into Exile in 722 BC by the
Assyrian Kingdom
 There were some good kings of Judah who did well and tried to bring about
reforms, but others did so badly, that the Lord had no choice but to send
them into captivity.
  Things got to a tipping point during the reign of Manasseh, who reigned for
52 years.
 Judah went into captivity in 605, 597 and finally in 586 B.C.
 God used Jeremiah (in Judah) and Ezekiel (in Babylon) to instruct and
reassure His people during this difficult period of transition.

Nebuchadnezzar’s three (3) year integration programmed

 Nebuchadnezzar's purpose in selecting the best of the Hebrews and placing
them on this special 3-year program was for them to join the ranks of his
'wise men' who would help to build up his kingdom through intelligence.
 You could call it a brain-drain. He also intended for them to become
‘Babylonians’ to the point where they would forget about their heritage and
become fully integrated into the Babylonian system.

The programme included the following:

1. Giving them a special diet
2. Teaching them the learning of the Chaldeans
3. Changing their names
4. Teach them the languages of the Babylonian

The special diet

 Daniel and his friends accepted all the components of Nebuchadnezzar’s
program, except for the diet.
 Even today, it is considered disrespectful to refuse a meal offered by a host
in the near east, much less this was from the king.
 Daniel and his friends risked their own lives and the life of their supervisor
by refusing the diet.
 Obviously, there were things about the diet that would bring them into
conflict with serving their God.

Possible reasons Daniel and his friends refused the king’s food:
1. The food was probably offered to idols. This was a common practice in
those times and culture (1 Corinthians 8:7-10).
2. Secondly, the king’s meat probably contained foods that were among
those declared to be unclean by God in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.
 3. Thirdly, the meat was probably not prepared as stipulated by the Lord in
Leviticus. It was not “Kosher”. Meaning, that the blood and the fat were not
removed.

Learning of the Chaldeans

 Even at that time, the Babylonians ran a highly sophisticated schools that
catered mainly for the rich and well-to-do.
 It was a high honor for Daniel and his friends to be enrolled in the
Babylonian schools.
 In those schools, they would be taught Mathematics, Astronomy, Literature
and Poetry.

Mathematics
 Babylon’s mathematics was highly sophisticated for its time. They solved
problems using quadratic equations, tables of reciprocals, squares and square
roots, cubes and cuboids and the “place value” system, which is their
greatest contribution to modern day mathematics.
 They used the base 10 (decimal) and base-60 (sexagesimal) systems.

Astronomy
 Babylonians were known to have studied the stars and were able to predict
the occurrence of eclipses to the day or even the hour.
 Their methods have contributed greatly to modern day astronomy.

Name Change
 Most Hebrew children had names relating to their character and their
connection with God. Therefore, their the name of God was attached to the
meaning of their names.
 For example,
 Daniel meant, “God is my Judge”,
 Hannaniah meant, “Yahweh is gracious”,
 Mishael, “Who is like God”,
 and Azariah, “Yahweh has helped”.
Name Change
 When Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem, it also meant that the gods of
Babylon was stronger than their god. Therefore, part of the integration
process, was that their names would be changed to reflect the gods of
Babylon.
 The intention was that they would forget about their God.
1. Daniel was renamed, “Belteshazzar”, meaning, “May Bell protect his life.” “Bell
was known as one of the greatest gods in the Babylonian pantheon” (Gregor, 29).
2. Hannaniah’s name was change to Shadrach, meaning “order or command of
Aku”. “Aku was an old Sumerian god of the Moon.”
3. Mishael’s name was replaced with Meshach, meaning, “Who is like Aku”.
4. And Azariah’s name was replaced with “Abednego, meaning, “servant of
Nego”. Nego might have been derived from “Nabu”, the god of wisdom—the
second highest god in Babylon.

The languages of Babylon included:

 Akkadian, the official language,
 Sumerian, the language of traditional religion. It was not a spoken language
at the time of Daniel but was used in the temples for ceremonial purposes.
 Aramaic, the language of international commerce and diplomacy.

Establishing the Year for the Exile

 In Daniel 1:1, 2, Daniel said that Jerusalem was taken captive in the 3rd year
of Jehoiakim, yet Jeremiah said that it was the 4th year. Some scholars
suggest that this was a clerical error on the part of Daniel.
 However, the differences in reckoning the years of kings can explain the
discrepancy. In the accession system, the first year of the king was not
counted as his first year, but his accession year
 Establishing the Year for the Exile
 The next year is considered the first year. In the non-accession system, the
year he begins to rule is considered the first year. Daniel, who was in
Babylon adopted the accession system; while Jeremiah, who was in
Jerusalem adopted the non-accession system. (Show diagram).
 Both systems have 605 B.C. as the year that the tragedy took place
 The Selection
 The book of Daniel declared that Ashpenaz, the chief Eunuch was asked to
select some young men from the Jews to stand in the king’s palace.
 Does eunuch refer to the sexually impotent? Daniel 6:24 “Without blemix”
– Leviticus 21:17-2