The book of Daniel is one of the most important prophetic texts in the Bible. It sets out, more clearly than any other book, God's plan for the ages, thus giving us a road map which enables us to understand future worldwide developments. After the deaths of David and Solomon, the kingdom of Israel split into two parts and rapidly slipped into decline. A succession of godless kings led the people into idolatry and brought them down to humiliation and defeat at the hands of their enemies. By the year 721 BC, the northern ten tribes had disappeared, having been carried off into slavery by the kings of Assyria. The remaining two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) continued for another hundred years but eventually, due to their continued disregard of God's will, they came to a similar fate. Daniel, a young man of high birth, was carried off to Babylon and his book is a graphic account of his incredible experiences there". Exploring Daniel" examines every verse of Daniel's writing and seeks to explain the meaning and significance of the text. An understanding of the book of Daniel is essential to gaining insight into Bible prophecy in general.

EXPLORING DANIEL

A Devotional CommentaryBy Ashley Day

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2009 Ashley Day
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4490-6812-7

Contents

Chapter 1: The Captivity.................................................1Daniel and his friends are carried away..................................2Daniel and his friends stand for their faith.............................4God honors the four friends' faith.......................................6Chapter 2: Nebuchadnezzar's Dream........................................9God Answers Daniel's Prayer..............................................11Daniel's Relief and Gratitude............................................13Daniel Interprets the Dream..............................................14The Head of Gold.........................................................16The Breast of Silver.....................................................16The Loins of Bronze......................................................17The Legs of Iron.........................................................17The Feet of Iron and Clay................................................18Daniel is Promoted.......................................................21Chapter 3: Nebuchadnezzar's Image........................................23The Fiery Furnace........................................................26Nebuchadnezzar Praises God...............................................29Chapter 4: Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream.................................31Daniel Interprets the Dream..............................................34God's Discipline.........................................................36Nebuchadnezzar Restored..................................................37Chapter 5: Belshazzar's Feast............................................41The Writing on the Wall..................................................43Daniel Interprets the Writing............................................45The Fall of Babylon......................................................47Chapter 6: Daniel in the Lions' Den......................................51Intrigue against Daniel..................................................52Daniel's Faithfulness....................................................54The Lions' Den...........................................................56The King's Reaction......................................................58Chapter 7: Daniel's Vision...............................................61Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts.......................................61The Angel Interprets the Vision..........................................67Chapter 8: Daniel's Second Vision........................................71The Ram and the Goat.....................................................72The Little Horn..........................................................73Gabriel's Explanation....................................................76Chapter 9: The Seventy Weeks Prophecy....................................81Daniel's Prayer..........................................................82Gabriel Brings the Answer to Daniel's Prayer.............................85The Seventy Weeks of Daniel..............................................86Chapter 10: Daniel's Prayer Delayed......................................91Verses 8-9:..............................................................94Heavenly Conflict........................................................95Chapter 11: Conflict between the North and the South.....................99The Kings of the North and South.........................................100Daniel's 70th Week.......................................................108Chapter 12: The End Time.................................................115Conclusion...............................................................118

Chapter One

Verses 1-2:

"In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god."

Having already annexed Assyria, Nebuchadnezzar led his army southwards and was confronted by the Egyptian forces at Carchemish, on the banks of the river Euphrates. In the ensuing battle, the Egyptians suffered such a disastrous defeat that their control of both Syria and Palestine was broken. In one engagement, Nebuchadnezzar became the undisputed master of the whole region (BC 609).

Continuing his march southwards, Nebuchadnezzar soon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. The city held out for almost a year but eventually it fell. King Jehoiakim was bound with fetters in preparation for deportation to Babylon, but at the last minute Nebuchadnezzar received news that his father had died. This caused him to temporally restore Jehoiakim to the throne, while he himself headed back to Babylon, taking with him some of the gold and silver vessels from the temple as symbols of his victory. Also, before leaving Jerusalem he gave Ashpenaz, the chief of his eunuchs, instructions to select the brightest and best young men from among the royal line of Judah, or of noble blood, and carry them to Babylon. Among those selected were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

It is significant that in verse 2 we read that "The Lord gave Jehoiakim into his hand." Nebuchadnezzar was the human victor but God controlled the outcome of the whole campaign. Not only was this the fulfillment of the sentence pronounced by God, through Jeremiah, upon Jehoiakim, but also of the prophecy of Isaiah to King Hezekiah more than a century before.

In that passage, King Hezekiah received envoys from Babylon and showed them all his treasure. Isaiah sternly asked him who the men were and what he had shown them. The king replied that they were envoys from Babylon and that he had shown them everything he possessed, all his treasures. There was nothing he had not revealed to them. Isaiah replied:

"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. And they shall take your sons, who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the King of Babylon." (Isaiah 39:6-7).

Isaiah and Hezekiah lived more than one hundred years before Nebuchadnezzar invaded Israel and Jehoiakim was Hezekiah's great, great, great, grandson. God's decrees are fulfilled regardless of time.

"The land of Shinar", mentioned in verse 2, is a reference to Babylon and its surrounding provinces. Nebuchadnezzar removed the vessels from the temple in Jerusalem as tokens of his victory. He did not harm them but placed them in the temple of his own god (probably Ishtar), where they remained until they were returned by Cyrus in BC 536 (Ezra 1:7).

Daniel and his friends are carried away.

Verses 3-4:

"Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, 4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans."

Verse 6:

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