He’s characterized by his unwavering faithfulness to the Law of Moses. How should Christians live in but not be of the world? Daniel’s faithfulness to God landed him in a lion’s den, where his detractors were sure he would be devoured. The Babylonian captivity lasted 70 years, which would put Daniel in his eighties at the beginning of Darius’ reign in Daniel 6. It was included until about 1929. Daniel was seperated from his family when he was a child because the Babylonian soldiers of Nebuchadnezzar took the youngs from the elders to teach them new the life and religion of Babylon.Daniel grew up there but always worshipped the True God. Whatever the case, he makes a good choice to pick Daniel. Noah got drunk and naked (Gen 9:21). You can read the whole story in Ezekiel 14:12–23. 2 And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. Daniel Removed to Babylon (Genesis 11:1-9) 1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The record of Daniel’s righteous conduct is not confined to the book he authored. What questions does this help to answer? When God answered his prayer, Daniel remembered to praise and thank God for giving them what they had requested (verses 20-23). Additional accounts of an angel coming to Daniel are found in Daniel 9:20-23 and Daniel 10:5-14. Daniel is made the chief prefect of the wise men in Babylon after interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s first dream (Da 2:48; 4:9, 5:11). And he is the only person who can interpret some of the most troubling dreams and visions for Nebuchadnezzar and his son, Belshazzar (Da 2:27, 30; 4:4–9; 5:15–17). Eunuchs—men who have been castrated—often served in the administrations of kings during the time of Daniel. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; … These lion murals once lined the streets of ancient Babylon, the city where Daniel the prophet spent much of his life. * But it’s also interesting that a Hebrew writer chooses Daniel as a reference point, rather than, say, Solomon. Though there were restrictions in Israel attached to being a eunuch (Leviticus 21:16-20), Jesus Christ shows that even if they were eunuchs, the attitude shown by people like Daniel and his three friends is the same attitude that will enable us to be part of the Kingdom of God: “For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. Used by permission. Everyone knows Daniel was thrown into a lions’ den and went on some kind of fast. Here are a few of the prominent prophecies given by God through Daniel: In the repetition of the prophecy about human world-ruling empires, Daniel further noted: “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! We create research-based articles and handy infographics to help people understand the Bible. As was the standard practice ofinvading rulers, Nebuchadnezzar deported theJewish intelligentsia and forced them to relocate to Babylon. Daniel chooses not to defile himself with the King’s food upon his arrival in Babylon—the food would have rendered him ceremonially unclean according to the Torah (Da 1:8). For the early church, Daniel symbolized the wisdom and virtue of the persecuted believer in the midst of a polytheistic society (one that worships many gods). The consensus of modern scholars is that Daniel never existed, and the book is a cryptic allusion to the reign of the 2nd century BCE Hellenistic king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. You have summarized the life of Daniel in plain and understandable contemporary language which I appreciate as a Bible Study teacher of men. This would be demonstrated multiple times in the events told in the book of Daniel. Daniel (דניאל, meaning God is my judge) was a Jew prophet who lived during the last years of the Kingdom of Judah and of the Babylonian Empire, and during the early years of the Achaemenid Empire. This was approximately 100 years before their departure to Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. But guess where we meet them first? The end of the 70 years was approaching at that time. You have to be a looker and a thinker to make it in the palace. Print subscriptions available in U.S., Canada and Europe, Article URL: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/prophets/prophets-of-the-bible/daniel-the-prophet/. This little horn that Daniel in vision saw “making war against the saints, and prevailing against them” (verse 21) is a religious power that will persecute God’s people at the end of this age (verses 24-25). Six cities claim the He was among the first batch Jews who were carried off into captivity in Babylon about 2600 years ago, at the end of the reign of King Jehoiakim. Thanks. Maybe he just wants to show off “pet” Israelite royalty to people who visit his palace. But God sent an angel that “shut the lions’ mouths” (Daniel 6:22), and Daniel was miraculously spared. You know what the magicians’ response is? All the captives need to be able to pass a three-year course in Babylonian language and literature, but Daniel and his friends are found to be 10 times wiser than all the experienced magicians and enchanters in the whole kingdom (Da 1:20). In 605 B.C., the dynasty was in its twilight years. Expositor’s Bible Commentary notes: “Obviously, pagan theophoric names like these must have been assigned arbitrarily to these four Israelite students without any consultation with them, since the new names contained the names of false gods” (ed. But revealing the future is what God does. As a result of God’s blessings upon Daniel and his three friends, the king “found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm” (verse 20). Joseph is yet another. Well done. Yet Daniel can interpret the dream. There are several dreams in the Bible, and many of them seem to be straightforward instructions from God. The book of Daniel plays several roles in the Bible. When King Nebuchadnezzar threatened to destroy all the wise men if one of them didn’t tell him his dream and interpret it, Daniel and his friends asked for time so he and his three friends could beseech God in prayer to reveal this information (Daniel 2:18). 605 BC: Daniel Refuses the King's Portion: Daniel 1: 604 BC: Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar Dream: Daniel 2: 585 BC: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: Daniel 3 Hi Jeffrey. Who appeared with Daniel in the fiery furnace? May God bless the gift he gave you! So let’s say he was between 10 and 18 years of age. Few Bible characters have the kind of status that Daniel does. Women today can take Paul's message to heart, learn from Daniel's courage, and guard the treasure of the gospel. Throughout the centuries, God has drawn people to be part of His Kingdom who have faced severe adversity. Many thanks for this great article. In fact, Daniel is presented as such a righteous person in Scripture that …wait, you know what? Rather than defile themselves with food provided by King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel and his three friends chose to eat vegetables and water instead. His life and prophecies are recorded in the Book of Daniel. This captivity of citizens of Judah in Babylon lasted for 70 years, as God had foretold through the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11). Daniel meets Gabriel during one of Daniel’s troubling visions (it involves a ram, a goat, and a crazy talking horn). I love how you write! Harold Dressler is well qualified to discuss the Dnil of the Ras Shamra texts since he wrote his doctoral dissertation on that very topic.5He outlines four arguments which “have been advanced for denying that the Daniel of Ezekiel xiv and xxviii is to be identified with the Biblical Daniel” (p. 155). He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Daniel the prophet was the hero and traditional author of the book of Daniel. When Nebuchadnezzar’s son sees a terrifying vision, his mother refers him to Daniel. Moses struck the rock and was banned from Canaan. Daniel is told that at the time of the end, Michael will arise on behalf of Israel again (12:1). What happened? Sign up to receive the week's latest articles, blog posts and updates. Some have wondered if Daniel was a eunuch because the book of Daniel mentions the young princes from Judah were under the supervision of “Ashpenaz, the master of his [Nebuchadnezzar’s] eunuchs” (Daniel 1:3). The angel Gabriel tells the prophet Daniel, "Seventy Weeks are determined for your people". In the first year of the reign of Darius (around 539 B.C. This is how she describes him: [Daniel] was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Publisher We would like to thank The General Council of the Assemblies of God for providing this plan. I prefer to read as much as I can to learn for myself. But there’s a lot more to this character than the Sunday school lessons let on! At that time, the church was started purely for political reasons. In the 14th chapter of Ezekiel, God uses Daniel, Noah, and Job as examples of extremely righteous men. God inspired Isaiah to pronounce a prophecy about his descendants: “Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: “Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,” says the LORD. All rights reserved. Who Was Herod? This summary of the book of Daniel provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of Daniel. I heard that ancient Babylonion records actually mention Daniel (by his Babylonion name Belteshezzar). Even though Daniel prophesied during the early part of the sixth century B.C., his prophecies were sealed until the end time. Daniel’s life serves as an example of godly integrity. We know that Daniel was at least a teenager when he was taken to Babylon in 605 BC (Daniel 1:1). Learn More About Prophets: True or False? You may have heard that there are two good angels who are explicitly named in the Bible: Gabriel and Michael. Daniel was taken to Babylon as a young man—likely before he had finished puberty. Daniel’s life, however, was to become an example for all of us. This is bizarre, because the Babylonians have a temple—and a temple is specifically built so gods can live with humans. But Daniel and his three friends determined to remain faithful to God. Daniel was an honest politician. Daniel is made an officer in Babylon by four kings: The name “Daniel” means “[the Jewish] God has judged.” But the Babylonians give him a new name: “Belteshazzar.” This new name means “Bel protect him,” with Bel being the name of a Babylonian god (4:8). Earlier in the history of the kingdom of Judah we find Hezekiah—king of Judah—unwisely showed the treasures of his house to the emissaries of the king of Babylon (Isaiah 39:2). *OK, full disclosure, it’s possible that there was an ancient legendary figure named Daniel who has nothing to do with our prophet. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days” (Daniel 6:10). Thank you so much for this article! This site uses cookies to analyze traffic and ensure you get the best experience. Not just any royal kid gets to go to Babylon: only the handsome ones. 24:15. 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