Background of Daniel
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.
Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 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. (Daniel 1:5-7)
“THE PURPOSES IN WRITING THE BOOK ARE SEVERAL: (1) It presents a divine philosophy of history. God is represented as the Sovereign over all of history. He moves men and nations according to His will (4:35). (2) It provides a prophetic framework for the future─that period called by Jesus “the times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24). The world empires mentioned in chapters 2 and 7 show the ultimate fortunes of Gentile powers.
“(3) IT EXPLAINS OTHER PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE. The Book of Revelation could not be understood apart from the Book of Daniel. Revelation 4-19 is a commentary on the events of Daniel’s “seventieth week” (Daniel 9:27). (4) It served as a book of encouragement to the Babylonian exiles, whose hearts were no doubt lightened by Daniel’s predictions of the ultimate triumph of Israel over her enemies.” (The King James Study Bible – p.1268)
DANIEL IS A HEAVY BOOK and to understand it, we must put it into its historical setting. Shortly after the death of King Solomon, Israel split into two kingdoms. The ten tribes of the north broke away from the capital city of Jerusalem and formed the northern capital city in Samaria. God raised up Elijah as a last effort to salvage the ten tribes (Israel) from destruction. On Mount Carmel, Elijah called down fire from heaven that devoured his sacrifice, the water and the stones of the altar.
THE CROWD OF SPECTATORS WERE IMPRESSED and declared their allegiance to Jehovah. But, it was skin-deep and nothing changed. At last, God sent the Assyrians into the ten tribes of Israel and carried them into Assyria and dispersed them all over the land so that they “disappeared.” Gradually, another power known as Babylon, or “The Chaldeans” came to power and overcame the Assyrians.
FAST-FORWARD 150 YEARS ND THE REMAINING TWO TRIBES KNOWN AS JUDAH, are about to be taken over by Babylon. The king’s seed and the most skilled people of Judah are going to be marched into Babylon in chains for 70 years until they understand that God means business about their idolatrous practices and forsaking their covenant with Jehovah.
THEY LEARNED NOTHING FROM WATCHING TEN SISTER TRIBES DISAPPEAR into Assyria 150 years earlier. Their glorious temple built by Solomon was going to be leveled to the ground. The walls of the city would be destroyed, and Jerusalem was going to be gutted and virtually destroyed.
NEBUCHADNEZZAR RULED BABYLONIA FROM 605 TO 562 B.C. The prophet Jeremiah had counseled Jerusalem to submit to Nebuchadnezzar, whom he viewed as the tool of God’s wrath (Jeremiah 27:6). King Jehoiakim of Judah ignored Jeremiah and resisted Babylon until Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem.
THE JEWS WERE TAKEN TO BABYLON IN THREE DEPORTATIONS beginning in 605 B.C. and the last deportation and the destruction of the Temple occurred in 586 B.C. The first deportation in 605 B.C. began the occupation of Jerusalem by a foreign power, which Jesus called: “the time of the Gentiles.” (Luke 21:24).
EZEKIEL WAS TAKEN TO BABYLON IN 597 B.C. DURING THE 2ND DEPORTATION. After the destruction of the Temple in 586 B.C., the final dismantling of Jerusalem and the 3rd deportation of the Jews, Jeremiah was set free by the Babylonians to do as he pleased. The Temple was gone. The government of Judah was gone. The walls of Jerusalem and her best buildings were gone. The best and most skilled workmen of Judah were gone. Jeremiah was taken by some zealot Jews into Egypt where he preached to the Jews that were there.
IF WE STUDY THE BOOK OF DANIEL, WE WILL SEE THAT GOD PRESIDES over the nations of the world as well as individual people in the world. The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. (Nahum 1:3)
THERE IS ONLY ONE BOOK THAT TELLS THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD: it’s the Bible. The Book of Daniel is the foundation book of Bible prophecy. Please read a chapter every day in the Book of Daniel during the next twelve days. Thank you. Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 – FRIDAY
A.M. Proverbs 25-27 P.M. 2Corinthians 6
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
A Good Verse to Memorize:
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalms 11:3)
(Write verse on scrap of paper and put in your pocket to memorize.)
Song for Today:
The Holy City (5:59) (Pierre Garby Fountaine)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gus1egjquFc&start_radio=1&list=RDgus1egjquFc
Give it a little time – You may need to adjust the sound.
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