Monday, August 12, 2013

Introduction to Daniel

I had planned to start a study on Revelation, but quickly realized we need to study the Book of Daniel in order to better understand Revelation.

We'll start, as we often do, with the reporters' 4"W"'s

  1. WHO (in approximate order of appearance):
    • Jehoiakim, King of Judah
      • Wikipedia: Jehoiakim ("he whom Jehovah has set up") was king of Judah 635-597 BC. He was the second son of king Josiah. On Josiah's death, Jehoiakim's younger brother Jehoahaz was proclaimed king, but after three months pharaoh Necho II deposed him and replaced him with Jehoiakim and became king at the age of twenty-five. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and reigned for eleven years to about 598 BC and was succeeded by his son Jeconiah, (also known as Jehoiachin), who reigned for only three months. Jehoiakim ruled originally as a vassal of the Egyptians, paying a heavy tribute. Per 2 Kings 23:35, "In order to get the silver and gold demanded as tribute by Pharaoh Neco, Jehoiakim collected a tax from the people of Judah, requiring them to pay in proportion to their wealth." However, when the Egyptians were defeated by the Babylonians at Carchemish in 605 BC, Jehoiakim changed allegiances, paying tribute to Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. After three years, with the Egyptians and Babylonians still at war, he switched back to the Egyptians and ceased paying the tribute to Babylon. In 599 BC, Nebuchadnezzar II invaded Judah and laid siege to Jerusalem. In 598 BC, Jehoiakim died and his body was thrown out of the walls. He was succeeded by his son Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin). Jerusalem fell within three months. Jeconiah was deposed by Nebuchadnezzar, who installed Zedekiah, Jehoiakim's younger brother, in his place. Jeconiah, his household, and many of the elite and craftsmen of Judah were exiled to Babylon while Zedekiah was compelled to pay tribute, and continued to be king of the devastated kingdom. According to the Babylonian Chronicles, Jerusalem eventually fell on March 16 597 BC. The Chronicles state: "The seventh year (of Nebuchadnezzar-599 BC.) in the month Chislev (Nov/Dec) the king of Babylon assembled his army, and after he had invaded the land of Hatti (Syria/Palestine) he laid siege to the city of Judah. On the second day of the month of Adar (16 March) he conquered the city and took the king (Jeconiah) prisoner. He installed in his place a king (Zedekiah) of his own choice, and after he had received rich tribute, he sent (them) forth to Babylon.
    • Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon
      • Wikipedia: Nebuchadnezzar II (634 – 562 BC) was king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, who reigned c. 605 BC – 562 BC. He is credited with the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and for the destruction of the First Temple. He is featured in the Book of Daniel and is mentioned in several other books of the Bible. The Akkadian name means "O god Nabu, preserve/defend my firstborn son". Nabu is the Babylonian deity of wisdom, and son of the god Marduk. Nebuchadnezzar was the oldest son and successor of Nabopolassar, who delivered Babylon from its three centuries of vassalage to its fellow Mesopotamian state Assyria, and in alliance with the Medes, Persians, Scythians and Cimmerians, laid Nineveh in ruins. Nabopolassar was intent on annexing the western provinces of Syria (ancient Aram) from Necho II (whose own dynasty had been installed as vassals of Assyria, and who was still hoping to help restore Assyrian power), and to this end dispatched his son westward with a large army. In the ensuing Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, the Egyptian and Assyrian army was defeated and driven back, and the region of Syria and Phoenicia were brought under the control of Babylon. Nabopolassar died in August that year, and Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon to ascend to the throne. Nebuchadnezzar engaged in several military campaigns designed to increase Babylonian influence in Aramea (modern Syria) and Judah. An attempted invasion of Egypt in 601 BC was met with setbacks, however, leading to numerous rebellions among the Phoenician and Canaanite states of the Levant, including Judah. Nebuchadnezzar soon dealt with these rebellions, capturing Jerusalem in 597 BC and deposing King Jehoiakim, then in 587 BC due to rebellion, destroying both the city and the temple, and deporting many of the prominent citizens along with a sizable portion of the Jewish population of Judea to Babylon. These events are described in the Prophets (Nevi'im) and Writings (Ketuvim), sections of the Hebrew Bible (in the books 2 Kings and Jeremiah, and 2 Chronicles, respectively). Following the pacification of the Phoenician state of Tyre, Nebuchadnezzar turned again to Egypt. A clay tablet, now in the British Museum, states: "In the 37th year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the country of Babylon, he went to Mitzraim (Egypt) to wage war. Amasis, king of Egypt, collected [his army], and marched and spread abroad." Having completed the subjugation of Phoenicia, and a campaign against Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar set himself to rebuild and adorn the city of Babylon, and constructed canals, aqueducts, temples and reservoirs. The Book of Jeremiah contains a prophecy about the arising of a "destroyer of nations", commonly regarded as a reference to Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 4:7), as well as an account of Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem and looting and destruction of the temple (Jeremiah 52).
    • Ashpenaz -the master of Nebuchadnezzar's eunuchs
    • Daniel (Hebrew God is my judge) renamed Belteshazzar (Chaldean meaning "Bel's prince")
    • Hananiah (Hebrew Yahweh is gracious) renamed Shadrach (Chaldean meaning "Command of the moon god")
    • Mishael (Hebrew Who is like Yahweh) renamed Meshach (Chaldean meaning "Who is what Aku is?")
    • Azariah (Hebrew Yahweh has helped) renamed Abednego (Chaldean meaning "servant of Nebo/Nabu")
    • King Cyrus (from the Persian name "Kurush", meaning" throne") - king of Persia
      Isaiah 45:1-5: This is what the LORD says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never again to shut against him. This is what the LORD says: "I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness -- secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. "And why have I called you for this work? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one. I called you by name when you did not know me. I am the LORD; there is no other God. I have prepared you, even though you do not know me,

      The Cyrus Cylinder in the British Museum
    • Astrologers (wise men)
    • Arioch (meaning “servant of the moon god"), the commander of the king's guard
    • King Belshazzar (meaning "Bel protect the king") - king of Babylon.
    • The queen mother
    • Darius (meaning "he possesses" or "rich and kingly") the Mede. Son of Cyrus according to his own inscription at the Biston stone relief in Iran.
    • Four huge beasts
    • The Ancient One
    • A man coming with the clouds of heaven
    • The Most High
    • A ram with two long horns
    • A male goat from the west
    • Gabriel the archangel
    • Jeremiah the prophet
    • The Lord God
    • The Anointed One
    • The one who looked like a man
    • Prince of the kingdom of Persia
    • Michael the archangel
    • Prince of the kingdom of Greece
    • A mighty king (Alexander the Great)
    • The king of the south
    • The king of the north
    • Belshazzar (Akkadian meaning ""Bel, protect the king") - the king who saw the writing on the wall
  2. WHAT:
    1. Captives in Babylon
    2. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
    3. The fiery furnace
    4. Nebuchadnezzar's madness
    5. Belshazzar's feast (The writing on the wall)
    6. Daniel in the lions' den
    7. Vision of the great beasts
    8. Vision of the ram and goat
    9. Vision of the kings of north and south
  3. WHEN:
    • Timeframe: 605 B.C. – 536 B.C.
    • Historical Setting: In 931 B.C., after the reign of King Solomon, the kingdom of Israel was divided between the
      Northern and Southern kingdoms. The Northern Kingdom, Israel, was disobedient to God and was taken
      captive in 722 B.C. by Assyria. The Southern Kingdom, Judah, lasted awhile longer because they enjoyed
      some periods of godly leadership and were generally more obedient as a nation. However, their ultimate
      rebellion against God led to their conquest and captivity, beginning in 605 B.C., which is when Daniel and his
      friends are taken captive to Babylon.
    • During this approximate period:
      • Construction on the Acropolis in Athens began
      • Mayan civilization flourished in Mexico
      • Aesop wrote his fables Confucius and Buddha lived
      • The Phoenicians made the first known sea journey around Africa
  4. WHERE:
    • Judah
    • Babylon

      From Wikipedia
NOTES:
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