NOTES FOR SHORT DANIEL CLASS

 

Background to Daniel:

 

Theme:  God Rules the Nations, Do Not Fear!

 

Main messages:

 

1.  How to stay pure and uncorrupted?to maintain your integrity in a world

     in which you are surrounded by unbelievers.

 

2.  God is in control.  He will protect his people.  Do not fear.  God will deal

     with those who persecute or otherwise oppose your service for him.

 

 

Principle Audience:

 

Jews who suffered under the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes (167-164 BC)

 

Historical background.

 

1.  722 BC    Samaria destroyed by Assyria.

 

2.  612  BC     Assyria/Nineveh destroyed by Nabopolassar (Babylonian) and Cyaxares
(Median).

 

605  BC   Nebuchadnezzar  son of Nabopolassar king of Babylon

                Neb attacks Jerusalem, Jehoiakim submits, captives and

                tribute/treasure taken to Babylon.    (beginning of Jeremiah?s
70

                years?

 

600       Judah rebels

 

597    Neb returns, attacks Jer.  Jehoachin  taken as captive to Babylon. 

          Zedekiah installed as puppet king.

 

586.    Zedekiah rebels, Neb. Returns, Jerusalem and Solomon?s temple

           leveled.   (beginning of the 70 years of captivity?)

 

550    Cyrus reigns over Media/Persia

 

          a. 546  Lydia

          b. 538  Babylon

          c. 530  Egypt

 

538  Babylon captured by Cyrus? armies.   Decree to return to native lands. (Ezra 1)
    (Daniel 5)   Media/Persia takes over Babylonian empire.

 

537/6   Jewish captives return to Jer. to build temple

334-332   Crosses into Asia, Conquers entire Persian Empire

 

 

185-163    Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes rules over Jerusalem.

 

167   Temple desecrated.

 

164    Macabeean revolt.  Temple cleansed

 

Outline of Class

 

I.  Practical examples in the lives of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego  (Ch 1,3-
6).   Remaining righteous in a pagan world.

 

II.  Prophecies of the future.  Ch 2,7-12

 

 

 

Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael    children of aristocratic families, taken
as captives.

 

Babylonians try to make them Babylonian

 

Change their names

 

Daniel ?   Belshazzar   (named after the chier pagan god of Babylon:  Bel)

Hananiah ?  Shadrach   etc?   v 5,6

 

Ch III   The image of gold and the fiery furnace   THE FIRES OF PERSECUTION

 

Do not conform to the pressure of the religious world to conform.

 

How will your faith hold up?

 

The Scene:

 

A few years after DSM&A entered service to Nebuchadnezzar.

 

A giant idol is built in the plains of Dura.  (a large open plane not far from B
abylon where tens of thousands could gather.

 

Where is Daniel?  Off on a mission?

 

Nebuchadnezzar calls a big party,  and guess who is invited.  Attendance was not optional!

 

3:4-6     Imagine you are SM&A   What thoughts go through your mind?

 

?I will bow my head, but not my heart.  God will understand?

 

Talk about peer pressure!!

 

Their religious friends (and even fellow-Jews?) Don?t be so hard line.

 

Appn:   Jews in time of Antiochus Epiphanes.  Many wanted to combine Greek culture and
philosophy with Judaism.

 

Appn:   Persecutions of Diocletian:   Some offered the sacrifice to the Roman god.   What shoul
d the church do with these people after the persecution ended?

 

Appn:  the denominational world/ecumenical movement, etc?.

 

You don?t really have to be so committed.

 

Are  you really saying all these people are lost?  How could you be so arrogant.

 

Daniel 1:   Pressure on the job

 

Daniel 3:  Pressure from our religious friends.

 

SM&A:   Would God really want me to die now?  Doesn?t he have great things in store
for me?   What would it hurt for me to compromise?

 

Q:   What would you have done?   Really?.    My kids?.

 

Me:   Barney Ellison

 

V 7   the horn etc. blow.   30,000 bow and three remain standing.  Being a disciple might make
you stick out.  Are you ready for that?  (Remember Antiochus Epiphanes)

 

v. 13. Dragged to furnace.     Neb is furious.    Gives one more chance to repent

 

SM&A refuse to bow.

 

I love v 16-18.   Note 

 

1.     God is able   

 

2.     But even if he does not, we refuse to compromise our devotion to God.

 

Is that your attitude about the truth of the gospel?   Imagine how awesome an example
this was to the Jews suffering under Antiochus Epiphanes.

 

Even as they were dragged to the flames, they could have changed their minds.

 

7 times hotter.

 

What was going through their minds as they were dragged to the furnace?

 

3:22-25

 

Result:

 

1.  Nebuchadnezzar praised God

 

2.  SM&A promoted.

 

Were they guaranteed this result?   No!!!!

 

 

Part II    Prophecies of the Future

 

CH II   A Dream of the Future.

 

v. 1  In the second year of his reign? &nbs
p;  604 BC

 

Neb has a dream.  Interpret it for me.  Fine, tell us.  Neb:  no, you tell me the dream
first, so I will know you are not religious fakes.  Or I will kill you all.

 

v. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among
men.     WRONG.

 

Many so-called charismatics are the same.   God told me?  I know it in my heart?     Do not
be intimidated by religious fakes.  The world will be able to tell the difference.

 

Daniel?s prayer:   God rules the nations.  Do not fear.

 

v. 28  gives God the glory

 

The vision

 

A head of gold.       

 

Chest of Bronze,

 

Belly and thighs of silver

 

Legs of iron, but legs are part iron and part clay

 

v. 37  God has given you dominion and power.

 

Head = Babylon

 

Chest = Media/Persia

 

Belly and Thighs =  Greece

 

Legs = Rome.

 

Divided kingdom   Diocletian  AD 284   Permanent after Theodosian AD 395

 

Clay:  Western Rome

 

Iron:  Eastern Rome?Byzantium   until AD 1453

 

603 BC- AD 1453  over two thousand years.

 

In time of Rome, God will establish the kingdom of God on the earth.  V 44

 

When God proposes, he disposes.

 

Daniel VII     Daniel?s First Vision.   Four Beasts.

 

This vision focuses on Rome!    (so much for 160 BC date of authorship)

 

First year of Belshazzar (regency)   553 BC

 

v.4  A lion    Babylon   lion a major motif.   Eagle:  Jer 48:40  Look, an eagle is swooping
down

 

The heart of a man given to it.   Nebuchadnezzar repents.

 

v. 5  a bear.  Strength.   Persia/Media   3 ribs = Lydia, Babylon, Egypt.

 

v. 6  a leopard.  Speed   Greece   four heads = Antigonus, Cassander, Lysimachus and
Ptolemy.  (See ch. 8)

 

v.7    a terrible beast.  This vision about Rome.  Persecutions.

 

v. 7  10 horns = 10 kings  (v. 24)     (The Emperor?s Club)

 

Augustus??.Titus

 

v. 8  another horn.  An eleventh king.  Domitian.  First systematic persecutor of Christians.  AD
?81-96.

 

This horn will speak boastfully.

 

Domitian was proverbial for arrogance and pride.

 

Go to v. 20-25.

 

v. 21  waging war against the saints.   Imagine how 1st century disciples felt when they
were persecuted by Domitian, the 11th emperor!!!!   God is in control.  Do not fear.

 

Subdue 3 kings:     Galba, Otho and Vitellius  defeated by his Father, actually.   How did Daniel know
that?

 

(Revelation 17:1-18   7 heads and 10 horns  (ignoring G, O & V) 

 

v. 8  the beast who once was (Antiochus Epiphanes), now is not, and yet will
come (Domitian) God is preparing his people.    v. 10,11  the eighth king is Domitian.   He is going
to his destruction.  God is in control, do not fear)

 

back to Daniel

 

v. 25  will try to change the set times.   Domitianus   a new month

                   (got rid of it the day after he died)

 

v. 25  and the laws.    Set up an entirely new set of laws. (like Napolean)

 

v. 25   3-1/2 times   ? of seven   A limited period of persecution.

 

v. 26,27  so cool   (or go back to v. 9)   Massively inspiring.  But imagine being a 1st-3rd cent
ury disciple.

 

CH VIII    Daniel?s second vision.  A Ram and a Goat.  Greece and Antiochus Epiphanes.

 

v. 2  in the citadel of Susa.     Later the capitol of Persia.

 

v. 3  A ram with two horns.   

 

v. 3  A horn which was longer but grew up later.  What a strange vision!  Persia.     Cl
early, Daniel sees Media/Persia as one kingdom!!!

 

v. 4  Charged West (Lydia)  North (Babylon) and South (Egypt)

 

v. 5  Suddenly, a goat charges form the West.  Prominent horn: Alexander the Great.  33
4 BC crossed the Dardenelles. 

 

v. 5  Without touching the ground.

 

v. 8  At the height of his power?  323 BC. 

 

v. 8  Four Prominent horns.   Antigonus, Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy

     (v. 21,22)    Not 3, not 5, 4!!!!!

 

v. 9  Out of one of them.   Seleucus  312 BC

 

v. 9  to the South (Syria)   East (Persia, Media, Elam)  toward the Beautiful
Land (Palestine)    All this took over 100 years.

 

v. 11  It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host?Antiochus had
a statue of himself put up in the inner sanctuary of the temple.

 

v. 11  It took away the daily sacrifice.   For three years.

 

a.     see how specific!!

b.     See how the Jews would be helped by this!!!!

v. 12   truth thrown to the ground.     Hellenizing Jews set up as high priests

 

?Because of rebellion?   God is in control

 

skip to v. 23-25

 

24.     He will become very strong, but not by his own power.

25.     Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.    Is this subtle?

 

 Back to v. 14    2300 evenings and mornings = 1150 days.

 

The actual desecration lasted from early Dec 167 ? Dec 25 164 BC

   About 1150 days.

 

Dec 25, 164  Judas Maccabeeus  successful revolt   Maccabeean kingdom.

 

Hannukkuh celebrates this.  See 1st Maccabees.

 

v. 25   Antiochus died the next year.

 

How Did Daniel know all this?

 

Intense persecution.      Temporary.     God is in contr
ol.    Do not fear.

 

DANIEL IX   THE MESSIAH IS COMING TO JERUSALEM.

 

Darius who was made ruler.   An appointed governor, not a hereditary emperor.  Daniel is not
wrong.

 

9:1   538 BC  The prophecy is coming true. 

 

v. 24-27

 

v. 24  Seventy ?sevens?   =  490    (years?  let the fulfillment interpret the prophecy)

 

          finish transgression?.  anoint the Most Holy    (anoint = Messiah)

 

v. 25   issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem

 

          539 BC   Darius  Ezra 1     return and rebuild temple

 

          520 BC   Darius   Ezra 6   rebuild temple  Never worked on wall

 

          458 BC   7th year of Artaxerxes  Ezra 7:13-16    specific permission to

                             rebuild the city of Jerusalem.

 

          445 BC    20th year of Artaxerxes  To Nehemiah  decree not quoted

                   but implied.  Specific permission to rebuild wall.  Confirmed

                   458 BC.

 

458 – 490 = -32    no!   there was no zero BC    = AD 33

 

The simple treatment.   The Messiah is coming to Jerusalem around 33 AD.

 

Read in more detail.  The Messiah is coming to Jerusalem during the seventieth week–between
26 and 33 AD.    Most likely date of crucifixion was AD 29     (Passover Sabbath
on a Saturday 29,33)

 

Let?s back off.   Daniel predicted the year when Jesus would be crucified!!!!

 

v. 26   The people of the ruler will come.   AD 69  Vespasian   AD 70 Titus

 

Destroy the city and the sanctuary.   Exactly what happened in AD 70.

 

Luke 21:20  When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies?

 

v.  22  the time of judgment on the Jews has finally come.

 

Matthew 24:12-14  sounds almost exactly like Daniel 8 under Antiochus.

 

Matt 24:15,16

This is the abomination of desolation of Jesus Christ

 

My opinion:  God gave the Jews 40 years to consider Jesus, then he cut off their religion
forever.

 

Daniel 9:27  He will put an end to sacrifice and offering.   So much for the premillenial
expectation!

 

Hebrews 8:13    It will soon disappear.

 

The abomination of desolation.  It is over folks.  Titus performs a pagan sacrifice right on
the site of the temple.

 

 

DANIEL X & XI   DANIEL?S FINAL VISION.  KINGS OF THE NORTH AND KINGS OF THE SOUTH.

 

 

v. 16   An overwhelmingly intense vision.

 

11:2  Three more kings?     Cambysses  530-522   Darius I 522-486  

 

          Xerxes 1  Attacked Greece  Artaxerxes  Biggest attack on Greece

 

          Then  a mighty king  Alexander

 

          Parceled out to the four winds.  Not go to his descendents.    Four successors.

 

Again, how did Daniel know this?

 

v. 5  The king of the South  (the Ptolemaic dynasty under Ptolemy 1)

 

v. 5  But one of his commanders?  Seleucus  I Nicator

 

Go to outline.   and Read my book p 173 bottom for a while.

 

v. 28-30  Ships of the western coastlands  (The Romans intervene to save the balance of power!)  
?

 

  Antiochus returns frustrated and angry to attack Israel

 

Read 1 Maccabees 1:10-16    also 1:41-64   4:36-40

 

v. 35 (also Daniel 8:25) Encouragement for the faithful Jews.  God is in control.  Do not
fear.

 

v. 36-45   Rome vs Greece.  The fulfillment of v. 35.  The battle of Actium 31 BC   T
he end of Greek power.

 

v. 36  He will exalt himself above every god.

 

Rome allowed all kinds of gods, as long as you would also worship the god Roma 
   Rome!!!

 

v. 38  he will honor a god of fortresses.   Roma   (which later morphed into emperor worship)

 

v. 39  client kings

 

v. 40  The battle of Actium.  The greatest sea battle in history up to that time.

 

Octavian (Autustus)  vs   Marc Antony and Cleopatra.

 

Why is this here?    God is judging the Greek power which persecuted the Jews.   God is
in control.  Do not fear.

 

v.  44   Reports from the North   (the Parthians attacked some outposts)

 

CHAPTER XII  THE TIME OF THE END   (still part of the vision)

 

Daniel 12    ?   Revelation 20-22

 

12:1   persecutions under Rome?

 

12:2   Rev 20:11-15    Resurrection at end times, followed by judgment

 

12:3  Those who are wise (like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego)

          will shine?.

Theme of Daniel?

 

Those who lead many to righteousness. ?    Do not forsake sharing your faith!!

 

v. 5,6 How long will it be?    My guess;  events of AD 70  (see v 7 When the power of the
holy people (Jews) is broken)

 

v. 8  What will happen?

 

Reply:   Daniel, mind your own business.  Just trust in God.  God is in control.  Do not fear.  Some will
be wise.  Some will stubbornly oppose the truth.  You, just keep your head and trust in
me.

 

God?s final encouragement to Daniel (and us)  You will rest and live with me forever.

 

Amen.