Rise and fall of kingdoms in history – The Book of Daniel.

The book of Daniel is an astonishing account of Gods plan for the nations throughout history. Any attempt to prove the book is a fiction proved wrong.

Daniel is the author of the highly accurate prophetic book. It shows Gods plan for Israel, as well as for the rest of the nations, until the second coming of Christ.

The book is divided into 2 sections:

Chapter 1 – 6 – Daniels life and testing.

Chapter 7 – 12 – Daniels prophesy with interpretation.

With the fall of Nineveh to the Babylonians and Medes in the year 612 BC, the Assyrian empire was finish. Nebuchadnezzar brought a new empire into existence  

In the third year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, besieged Jerusalem, plundered the house of God and took captives to Babylon.

Daniel was among the deportation in the year 605 BC.  Judah was exiled to Babylon, because she continually disobeyed Gods word regarding covenant keeping and Sabbath. God sent them many strong warnings ahead.  People where supposed to follow the rules of Moses by keeping the law with offerings of food and animals.

Arriving in Babylon Daniel was only a young man without much experience.

Chapter 1 verse 1 – 7: Daniel and Hannaniah, Michael and Azariah were among the chosen once to serve the king. They were exceptional good looking, intelligent in every branch of wisdom, and found to be discerning with knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs chapter 2 speaks of pursuit of wisdom and security.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

The king appointed them a daily ration from his choice food and wine. They were to be educated 3 years, before they were ready to enter the kings personal service. The commander of the officials assigned them new names. Daniel became Belteshazzar – Hananiah Shadrach – Michael Meshach – Azariah Abed-nego.

Daniel made up his mind, that he would not defile himself with the king choice food and wine. He sought permission from the commander to be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.    

The commander of the officials was afraid to disobey the kings command,

but agreed to test Daniel and his friends for 10 days, as Daniel requested.

At the end of the 10 days Daniel and his friends were looking better and healthier than the other youth. The commander therefor allowed them their daily portions of vegetables and water.

The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, and no priest were functioning at the present time. The country was in foreign hand. Instead of enjoying the good life with good food and drinks at the kings palace as any other youth may have done, Daniel and his friends were determinate too seach God from their whole heart and pray for the future of their people and country.

One can compare them too todays refugee. Given a chance like that, who would not gladly accept it. One can ask does today’s refugee seach for the only true God and start to pray for Gods plan for their country? Or do they just hope for better opportunity and a good life for their family in a foreign country. If they become faithful to God, he will make even their enemies to be at peace with them. Proverbs chapter 16 – 7.  

What is astonishing in the book of Daniel is, that all of them where willing to be tested before God turned the situation around. Great testing results not only in experience but also in great gift and thankfulness toward God.  

Daniel chapter 2: The kings forgotten dream – ??? Did he actually forget the dream, or was he desperate to come to know its interpretation.

The dream made Nebuchadnezzar extremely upset. In his spirit he sensed, it had very much to do with him and his kingdom. He was ready to kill all his magicians conjures, sorcerers and the Chaldeans, if they did not relate the dream and the interpretation to him.

When Daniel heard about it, he required from Arioch the captain of the bodyguard, about the matter. Then Daniel went in and requested from the king some more time, so that he might declare the dream and its interpretation to the king.       

Daniel informed his friends, so that they together might request compassion from the God of heaven about the dream. The mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven, for it is he who changes times and epochs. He removes kings and establish kings. He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to men of understanding.

Daniel and his friends started to draw on the prophetic gift. The prophetic gift was given in the Old Testament time. The many Old Testament prophets testify about it.

2 Corinthians chapter 3 verses 17:  The prophetic gift is the spirit of Christ.   

The spirit of Christ was present on earth from the beginning. Only the prophet Elijah had the gift of healing whereas other gifts including healing was given on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out. The spiritual gifts are Christs gift to the church in order to edify and build up the saints to establish an everlasting kingdom.

It is estimated that 45 % of the bible is build on prophetic utterance. That by it self should testify to the readability of Gods word. 

The bodyguard Arioch let Daniel again appear before the king. Nebuchadnezzar right away asked Daniel called Belteshazzar, weather he now was prepared to record the dream and give the interpretation.  

Daniel described the dream of the great statue:

The head is made of gold.

The Breast and the arms of silver.

The Belly and the thigh of bronze.

The legs of iron.

The feet are partly made of iron and partly of clay.

The interpretation.

Daniel added: To you o king, God of heaven has given you kingdom, power strength and glory. He has given them into your hand, and caused you to rule over them.

You are the head of gold.

After you there will arise another kingdoms inferior to you.

The breast and the arms of silver.

Then a third kingdom of bronze will appear

it will rule over all the earth.

Then there will be a fourth kingdom strong as iron.

It will crush and break the others in pieces.

The kingdom partly of iron and partly of clay

symbolize a divided kingdom.

It is partly strong and partly brittle.

In those days the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will newer be destroyed. The stone, that was cut out of the mountain without hands, will crush the kingdoms of clay, iron, silver and gold and set up an everlasting kingdom.

Daniel added: The great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future, so the dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy.

Nebuchadnezzar, did homage to Daniel, and acknowledged the God of heaven as the revealer of mysteries and promoted Daniel with many gift and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief of prefect over all the vise men. Daniel made request to the king to have his friends to be the administrators of the province of Babylon. 

The Babylonian kingdoms, the golden head – from the year 600 BC.

The craftsmen taken captive from Judah may have been forced labor to help Nebuchadnezzar to build temples and multiple defense walls of bricks. The outer walls were large enough for chariots to drive on the top. Nebuchadnezzar also provided the city with many new water canals. His great works of restoration are the subject of his boasting in Daniel chapter 4 verses 30, were he takes all the glory for himself.

The Persian kingdom, the breast and the arms of silver from the year 550 BC.

Cyrus the great of Persia started to conquer in the year 550 BC. Some countries simply welcomed him. His kingdom stretched from Ethiopia to India.

In his first year Cyrus issued a degree, that exiles were to return to their homes, at the same time he also restored them their deities, captured by Nebuchadnezzar, to renovate their temples.

Ezra Chapter 1 verse 1 – 4, the Jews then started rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Cyrus was prepared to meet the cost from the royal treasury, but there was some delay in rebuilding the temple. It was only under king Darius that the work was finish.

The heritage of Greece, the thigh and the belly made of bronze.

Alexandra the great of Macedonien invaded the Persian Empire in year 334 BC.

The Greece developed a sophisticated culture and continually made progress also in political terms.

Alexandria had the largest library in the Greece world with 20,000 volumes of catalogue in the first 20 years. The Greek priced learning. Athens became the major university town.

Greek language influenced Rom traditionally. It became the new center of Greek culture.

It began with translations of Greek works by captured slaves, followed by visit of Greek philosophers, teachers of rhetoric and poets.

The Roman Empire provided a secure political frame for such activities. Greek also became the language of business, law and administration. Educated Romans were supposed to read and understand Greek as well as Latin.

The Greek language also penetrated the Jewish communities abroad.

Hebrew scripture got translated into Greek.

After Alexander died, his 4 generals split the empire between them.

The Roman Empire the legs of iron – Jerusalem’s fall in the year 70 BC.

After several struggle in Italy Augustus at last founded a stable administration. He is seen as the savior of the Roman civilization in the beginning of 64 BC.

In the New Testament time the Roman Empire provided stability for those countries it conquered. Augustus created a standing army of 28 legions supplemented by cavalries.

The problems of administrations where solved by people ruling on behalf of Rom like kings and others in descending rank. Herod of Judah became one of them.

For Rom the Jews where a people difficult to govern, because of their religious belief. Herod dealt firmly with the people, and other territories where therefor added to him by Augustus.

Only with bible-knowledge is it possible to look into the future and observe the signs following it, because they are linked to each other.

Chapter 3 Nebuchadnezzar’s pride.

Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue, demanding everyone to worship it by the sound of all kind of music.

Daniel is not mentioned in the contexts, but his three friends became heavily tested, when it was found out, that they did not follow the rule, ordered by the king.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-negro were brought in before Nebuchadnezzar. They politely but plainly refused following the king’s command, which made the king furious. They were therefor bound and cast into the burning oven.

To the king’s astonishment, they walked around in the fire together with a fourth person. The king called them out and cheeked on them, no hurt or smell was found.

Nebuchadnezzar thereafter blessed the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abe-negro.  

At this stage Nebuchadnezzar still did not acknowledged the God of Heaven as the only true God. He eventually received another dream and did still have another chance to come to his senses. 

The situation with Nebuchadnezzar also shows how much it sometime takes for man not to compromise and to give all the glory to the only true God.

 Chapter 4: The vision of the great tree.

All the kings wise men were not able to interpret the king’s dream, Daniel once again appeared before the king.

The king describes the dream to Daniel, who thereafter remained silent for a while. The king responded and said: Let not you’re though alarm you Belshazzar.

Daniel called Belshazzar interpreted the dream to Nebuchadnezzar as following:

The great tree, which you saw, and which became large and grew strong, is you o king. Its fruit is abundant; there is food for all, the birds of the sky and the beast of the field.

The king saw an angelic watcher coming dawn from heaven saying: Chop dawn the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its root in the ground with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the beast of the field until 7 periods of time pass over him. 

This is the degree of the most high o king, that you be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beast of the field, until 7 periods of time has past over you.

Verse 27: Therefor o king let my advice be pleasant to you. Break now away from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.

Humility is often learned the hard way; king Nebuchadnezzar was not an exception.

Verse 30 – 12 month later. The king was walking on the roof of his palace reflecting saying: Is not this Babylon the great, which I myself have build as a royal residence by the might of my power and great glory.

At that moment a voice came from heaven saying: King Nebuchadnezzar to you it is declared, sovereignty has been removed from you.

Verse 36: The dream of the great tree and its interpretation came to pass.

The king lost his sense so to say, and lived on the field like the beast.  

At the end of 7 years – I king Nebuchadnezzar lifted my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me. I exalted, praised and honored the king of heaven for all his works are true and his ways are just.  He is able to humble those who walk in pride.

Daniel gave thanks to God 3 times daily. His prayer life saved him through hard testing and trouble. It could have been the end of his life, had God not intervened. For each testing victory to Gods glory was the result.

Spirit of wisdom was resting upon him, because of his high moral, which made him acting out in righteousness and humility.  

Daniels deep dedication to God, his people and the country, made him able to receive astonishing revelation of God purpose in history to mankind unto the return of Jesus Christ as king over the nations.   

Chapter 5: Belshazzar’s feast – and his pride.

King Belshazzar – son of Nebuchadnezzar made a big feast for 1000 of his nobles.

The golden and the silver vessels, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, were brought in, so that his wife and concubines and officials may drink from them. They thereby praised the gods of gold, silver bronze, iron, wood and stone.

Actually they praised their own works drinking of the holy vessel thus becoming an abomination in Gods sight.

A hand appeared opposite the lampstand writing on the plaster of the world:

Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin.

Since nobody could interpret the inscreption, Daniel was once again brought in, because the Quinn remembered him being able to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.   

Daniel rebuked the king for have overlooked to give God of heaven all the glory and praise, even so he knew about the condition of his Father. Daniel was thereafter given many gift and honored to be the third ruler in the kingdom.

King Belshazzar was killed that same night, and Darius the Mede received the kingdom.

There may be times, when it is to late to repent. Belshazzar without doubt knew, what his father went trough, but he choose to exalt himself.

King Cyrus started to invade the Babylonian empire in part in year 547 BC.

King Darius started to reach all the way to India in the year 522 BC.

The timing of king Xerxes mentioned in the book of Ester is set to be 486 BC.

It seems good to king Darius to appoint 127 satraps over the kingdom, Daniel was one of them. The king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom, because he possessed an extraordinary spirit.

Chapter 6: All the satraps and officials began to conspire together to find something, they could accuse Daniel about. They only came up with the same old problem – who is to receive glory and honor, God or man. They went before the king and suggested, that all should worship him only – for 30 days. Who did not do so where to be cast into the Lions den.

The king signed the document knowing it could not be reversed.  

Daniel knew the document was signed but continue as usually to give thanks to God three times a day in the chamber on the roof of his house. He was caught doing so. King Darius became deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering him, when he heard about it. The men, accusing Daniel, came before the king and reminded him, that the law of the Medes and Persian where not to be broken.   

Verse 16: Then the king gave order to bring Daniel in and cast him into the lion’s den, but first the king spoke kindly to him: Your God, whom you constantly serve, will deliver you. After a sleepless night the king hurried the next morning to the lions den. He must have been extremely overjoyed, to hear Daniels answering his calling with: My God sent his angels and shot the lions mouth.

Then the king was very pleased and gave order to take Daniel out of the den, and he was restored to the king’s service.

 The king ordered to bring the accuser of Daniel in together with their wife and children, and cast them all cast into the Lions den.

This action is difficult for us to understand.

Those who dig a grave for others will themselves fall into it.

Chapter 7: Daniel relates in writing a dream, he had during the first year of king Belshazzar – the vision of the 4 beasts. He moves and talks in the vision.

Daniel saw: a lion – a bear – a leopard – and a dreadful terrifying beast.

Matching the statue Nebuchadnezzar saw of: Gold – silver – bronze – and iron.

Verse 7: The dreadful beast has 10 horns; a little horn came up and pulled out 3 of the remaining horns. The 10 horns symbolize some kind of union. 

Most people believe the little horn is antichrist arriving at world scene.

Verse 9 to 14: At that point of time in history the son of man will appear – Jesus Christ.

To him was given dominion, glory and kingdoms. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will newer be destroyed or pass away.

Verse 18: The saints, of the highest one, will receive the kingdom and possess it for all ages to come. At this point in history a new age has started, it is, what we should look out for. All other things will pass away, Christ will be king over all the earth, and we will reign with him.

In the first place Adam lost the kingdom because of disobedience. Christ has replaced Adam, and will restore all things.

Chapter 8: The vision of the ram and the gout.

Daniel goes on to describe a vision, he had in the third year of king Belshazzar, were he is given insight into the future, from that point of time, unto the preparation and the manifestation of the millennium. God himself has, in this way, proved the accuracy of the prophesy by revealing future event.

A mighty angel explains the vision.

The ram that comes over the earth has 2 horns. One is longer than the other, with that he pushes north, south and vest – all the while he magnifies himself.

The ram represents the king of Media and Persia.   

Verse 5: The goat that rapidly comes from the west, with a conspicuous horn between his eyes, is Alexander the great from Greece. He crushes Medo-Persia.

The conspicuous horn will be broken, and in its place 4 horns comes up.

The 4 horns represent 4 kingdoms that will arise from that nation.

Chapter 8 verses 14: The angel explains about the regular sacrifice.

Antiochus Epiphanies the fourth 168 – 164 BC, came to Jerusalem and removed the Lords alter. Some times later he set up a pagan altar. He was determined to destroy the Jewish faith.

The angel explains, that it will take 2300 evenings and mornings then the Lords alter will be restored again. There were 2 sacrifices daily, one in the morning and one in the evening, representing the atonement for the people as a whole.

The interval between the desecration by Antiochus and the consecration by Judas Macabeus 165 BC could have taken some time as well.

Still today, this event Hanukah, is remembered and celebrated every year in Israel.  

As antichrist will manifest before the truth Christ,

so Antiochus, is a type of antichrist and has already manifested.

According to scripture, this happens to test our faith.

Some will fall away, because they do not know the Word.

Daniel noticed in Jeremiah Chapter 25 – 11: The whole land will be desolate and in horror and the nation will serve the king of Babylon 70 years.

Chapter 9: Verse 20: Daniel intercedes for his people and his  country.

Verse 21: Daniel: The angel Gabriel, whom I have seen previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering.

Gabriel great Daniel with: You are highly esteemed, your prayers have been heard, and I have come to give you understanding.  

Verse 25: From the issuing of the degree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the coming of Messiah there will be: 7 weeks and 62 weeks.

It will be restored again even in times of distress.

God count a week 7 years, it therefor make a total of 490 years.

The 7-year may refer to the time of the degree by the Persian king Cyrus, and complete restoration of Jerusalem by Ezra and Nehemiah.

Verse 26: Then after 62 weeks the Messiah will be cut of.

The city and the sanctuary destroyed.  Even to the end there will be war.

From the restoration of the city to the coming of Messiah there will be 62 weeks or 483 years. Then Messiah – Christ will be cut of – his crucifixion on Golgotha. 

Verse 27: He will make a firm covenant with many for one week.

Antichrist means:  The one who is going to appear before the return of Christ.

He will make a union with many for one week – 7 years.

The last 7 years, described in the book of Revelation, will be the worst ever.

Christ will appear with an army in the sky and destroy antichrist as well as those who have come to make war with Israel.

The time, between the 69 weeks and the last week, has to be the time of the gentiles. We are still in it, it has lasted over 2000 years.

The angel Gabriel was sent to inform Daniel about his people and his country. The New Testament time, the time of the gentiles would have been hard for Daniel to comprehend.

Chapter 10: In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia Daniel again had a mighty angelic visitation. The name of the angel is not mentioned. His appearance is described in verse 6.

His face was like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches. Arms and feet like polished bronze, the sound of his words like a tumult.

Those with Daniel did not see anything but became fearful and run away. Daniel must have past out. The angel put him on his feet and strengthened him.

Then he greeted him with: I have come to give you understanding.

From New bible atlas.

Daniel chapter 11: Soon after the death of Alexander the great in 323 BC his 4 generals divided the empire into 4 parts.

Two, of which Egypt and Syria, were under the rule of Phonemes and Seleucids.

The king of the south refers to Egypt and the king of the north Syria.

The Holy land was controlled from Egypt by Pholemai dynasty from 323 to 198 BC and governed by the Seleucids dynasty from 198 to 142 BC.

From Zondervan Nasb study bible.

Daniel chapter 11: Describe the conflict, the war and the alliances between the kings of the north and the kings of the south.

Verse 31: Their hostility towards the people of God culminated in the abomination of desolation identified historically as Antiochus the fourth Epiphanies’ 175 to 164 BC. The Maccabean revolt followed leading eventually to the founding of the Hasmonean dynasty.  

Continuing political rivalries in Judea brought the intervention of the Roman general Pompey in 63 BC. This event signaled the end of Jewish political independence except for ill-fated revolt during the first and second centuries.   

The scriptures in Daniel chapter 11 have been studied and compared with historical event. Amazing they are exact in detail. 

Daniel chapter 11 verse 35: The angel is announcing: The end-time is still to come at the appointed time.

It is therefor very sure, that until this point of time in history. Daniels prophetic revelation of the future is linked to the Old Testament time and it concerns the Jewish people only.

The New Testament time.

Verse 36 – 39: Description of Antichrist. He will magnify himself greatly.

Verse 40 – 44: He will confront with his political enemies – the king of the south and the king of the north.

Verse 44: He will destroy many.

Verse 45: The battle of Armageddon when Christ arrives to save the earth.

Chapter 12: The angel goes on to explain, with few words, the end-time, which is still to come. One sure sign is, knowledge will increase verse 4.

Knowledge spiritually and practically always goes hand in hand, and it is happening before our eyes every day.

Verse 8: Daniel: I heard but I could not understand, and he asks the angel what the outcome of the event will be.

Verse 9: The angel answered Daniel: Go you way Daniel, for this words are sealed  up until end  of time.

Verse 10: Many will be purified and refined but the wicked will act wickedly and will not understand.  

Only those who have insight will understand.

Therefor the gospel has been preached and heard until the end of the world, according to scripture.

Verse 11 and 12: We will know for sure, when Christ will return, after antichrist has removed the regular sacrifice from the temple and the abomination of desolation is set up. 1290 days blessed are those who wait 1335 days.

Antichrist will, at this point, declare himself to be Christ and demand worship.

Verse 13: Once again the angel tell Daniel to go his way, promising him to rise again to his allotted portion at he end of the age.

Chapter 12 verse 2: Resurrection of the death and the living bodily is going to take place at the end time, followed by Christ dividing the just and the wicked. Where after we will reign with Christ for a 1000 year before  final entering into eternity.

Their may newer have been before or will be here after, generations of people with the choice to serve an eternal Godhead trough out eternity.