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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
July 24, 2011
Introduction to Daniel
Daniel 1:1-7
Introduction
This morning we begin a new study. For the next four months we will be examining the book of Daniel. While every book of the Bible is important, the book of Daniel is pivotal to our understanding of God’s sovereign hand upon the future and so is a key book in the study of eschatology. For that reason it is also one of the books that is a focus of attack by liberal theologians. Unless they can destroy the credibility of the book, they must prepare themselves for the prophesied events that are still to come. No liberal theologian wants to acknowledge a God that judges the unrighteous and is sovereign over the future.
This morning we will begin with an introduction to the book examining authorship, the historical setting, purpose, and a brief overview. While this may seem academic to some degree, these things are crucial to having confidence that the book is genuine revelation from God, for frankly, if this book is not true in its claims of authorship and historical setting, then nothing else in the book is worth the paper it is printed on much less your time to consider what it claims.
Let us begin by reading through the first seven verses and then examining the authorship and historical setting of the book.
1:1 (NASB) 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, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god. 3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, 4 youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every [branch of] wisdom, endowed with understanding, and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and [he ordered him] to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and [appointed] that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service. 6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 Then the commander of the officials assigned [new] names to them; and to Daniel he assigned [the name] Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abed-nego.
Authorship
The claim of the book is that it is written by a man named Daniel (“God is my judge”). As we just read, he was an Israelite youth who was from either the royal family or of the nobles (vs. 3 & 4). He was taken captive when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem in the third year of Jehoiakim king of Judah (vs. 1-2). This was the year 605 B.C. Daniel was educated and became a court official and maintained an official position in the Babylonian kingdom until the first year of Cyrus the King (538 B.C.). Daniel then became an official in the Persian kingdom (Daniel 6:28) and so Daniel lived through the entire seventy years of Babylonian captivity (Daniel 10:1 cf. Ezra 1:1).
While much of the book is written as a third person narrative with extensive quotes from Daniel, it also has large sections in which Daniel wrote in the first person. For example, 7:1 states Daniel had a dream and “then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it.” Chapter 8 is written in the first person beginning with “. . . a vision appeared to me, Daniel . . . ” In a similar manner 9:2 states “in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet . . .” Chapter 10:2 starts “In those days I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks.”
And the last section of the book begins with “Then I, Daniel, looked and behold . . .” This man Daniel directly claims authorship.
The book of Daniel also gives extensive date makers as to when the particular events described took place and when the particular prophesies were received. Daniel 1:1 – “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah . . . ” Daniel 2:1 – “Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.” Daniel 5:30 – “That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.” Daniel 7:1 – “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream . . .” Daniel 8:1 – “In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king a vision appeared to me . . .” Daniel 9:1 – “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus . . .” Daniel 10:1 – “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel . . .” Daniel 11:1 – “And in the first year of Darius the Mede . . .” The dating of the book is clearly claimed.
In spite of these many claims of first person authorship and the extensive listings of dates, the most common claim among liberal theologians is that Daniel did not write the book and it was not written until at least the second century B.C., some 400 or more years after the events cited took place. Why the rejection of the obvious claims of the book to be written by Daniel in the 6th Century B.C.? Because the prophecies in Daniel in are so detailed concerning the Babylonian, Persian, Greek and early Roman empires and were fulfilled so precisely, that they claim it could only have been written after the fact. In other words, they reject what the book itself claims in favor of their own unbelief that God could foretell the future with such precision.
What always has seemed odd to me is that those whose philosophical presuppositions destroy all claims in the book before they have even examined it bother to write and publish their ideas about the meaning of the book. If the author is not the Daniel of the 6th Century B.C. but rather some impostor writing much later, then the author is an extensive liar and a fraud from the very beginning. Why then pay attention to anything he has to say as if it has any importance or meaning in the present? It would not. Their presuppositions destroy the authorship and timing of the book and so remove any value or meaning except as possibly a curiosity as an example of an ancient fiction writer. They would be better off and more honest to simply state that they do not believe there is a God that can reveal the future and reject the book out of hand. Of course, that has other implications on their claim to be Christians of any sort.
We do not believe the claims of a book simply because the author claims them. To do so would set you up to believe the lies of any charlatan that came around. We honestly examine the claims and then look for collaborating witnesses. In the case of Daniel, we have several which are given in ascending order of importance.
First, there is the internal evidence. The writer displays an understanding and accuracy about 6th Century B.C. events that a 2nd Century writer would have mis
sed. This includes names, titles, words, phrases and idioms that would have been archaic in the 2nd Century. Such a writer would have been more contemporary.
Second, there are the existing manuscripts. The Qumran manuscripts of Daniel are all copies dating from the Maccabean period. The existence of such copies at this period itself is evidence for a much earlier writing and the Jews of that period would not have accepted the book as genuine if it had not already had a previous history of canonicity.
Third, Daniel’s existence, righteousness and wisdom are all acknowledged and commented on by Ezekiel, his younger contemporary. Ezekiel 14:14 and 20 lists Noah, Daniel and Job as examples of righteous men, and Ezekiel 28:3 uses Daniel as a comparison of being a wise man.
Fourth, and most important, Jesus testified of Daniel in Matthew 24:15 saying, “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place . . .” This is a brief reference, yet one that is clear support to the historical existence of Daniel and that he was the source of the information cited. This means that a denial of Daniel as part of the canon of Scripture and as an accurate source for knowledge of future events is to claim greater knowledge and wisdom than Jesus. But then, the liberal theologians have always followed a different Jesus.
There are also claims made against Daniel being genuine because the book is not included with the Prophets and it contains both Hebrew and Aramaic sections. Both accusations are easily answered.
Daniel is an usual book because though it does contain a lot of prophetic material including apocalyptic sections, its placement in the Hebrew canon was among the section known as “the writings” instead of with the “prophets.” This is due to the position Daniel actually held. There are two aspects to prophecy, foretelling and forth-telling, and Daniel was not a “prophet” in the sense of calling the nation to repent and follow the Lord such were Isaiah, Ezekiel and Jeremiah. Daniel was a government official and a wise man who was a prophet only in the sense of being a “seer” who interpreted dreams and had the future revealed to him.
Daniel is also an unusual book in that it is written in sections with two different languages. Chapters 1 and 8-12 are in Hebrew while chapters 2-7 are in Aramaic. Only Jeremiah 10:1 and a few parts in Esther are also in Aramaic. During and after the Babylonian captivity it would not have been hard for an Israelite to understand the Aramaic sections since the people learned that language in captivity. In fact, Hebrew was harder for many of them after the captivity which is why Ezra had to read the law and then translate and explain it to the people who had returned to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 8:6-8). The reason for the usage of both languages is actually fairly simple. Chapters 2-7 are revelations specifically given to an Aramaic speaking Gentile or concerned the future of Gentile nations. Chapters 1 and 8-12 specifically concern the Hebrew people. Chapter 1 introduces Daniel and his quick rise to power while chapters 8-12 are revelations that concern the future of the nation of Israel. In fact, the book can be outlined according to it language usage.
I. Introduction: Daniel’s Rise to Power – Chapter 1 – Hebrew
II. Destiny of Gentile Nations – Chapters 2-7 – Aramaic
III. Destiny of the Jewish Nation – Chapters 8-12 – Hebrew
Historical Setting
The book of Daniel must be put into its historical setting in order to understand it properly.
Daniel 1:1 begins, “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.” Daniel is using the Babylonian system of dating in which the first year of a king’s reign was the ascension year and the numbered years began the next year. Remember, Daniel is in Babylon and writing to those who are in Babylon. This was in contrast to the Hebrew system in which the year of ascension was the first year of the reign which is why Jeremiah 25:1 lists this same year, 605 B.C. as the “fourth year of Jehoiakim.”
Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah, the last of the independent kings of Judah. Josiah had been defeated and killed by Pharaoh Neco in 609 B.C. who then dethroned Joahaz and took him to Egypt and placed his brother, Eliakim (“God raises” or “God sets up”) on his father’s throne and changed his name to Jehoiakim (“The Lord raises up”). Josiah had been a good king, in fact one of the most godly of all the kings of Judah (2 Kings 22:2; 23:25), but Jehoiakim was evil (2 Kings 23:37). He was 25 when he was put on the throne and he remained a vassal king to Pharaoh giving him tribute each year until Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated Pharaoh at the battle of Carchemish in June 605 B.C. and then captured Jerusalem that Summer.
The fall of Jerusalem was not a surprise since Jeremiah had been rebuking the people for their sins and prophesying it would happen (Jeremiah 25:1-11). As verse 2 states, “And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.” Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiakim his vassal and carried away what was of value back to Babylon. According to verses 3 & 4 this included “some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, 4 youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every [branch of] wisdom, endowed with understanding, and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court.” These youths, which included Daniel, would be trained to serve Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. We will examine that training next week.
As already mentioned, Daniel would serve as a Babylonian official until Cyrus, king of Persia came to power, and then he would serve in that government for a number of years. Because of that I want to also give you a brief explanation of the succession of power and events that occurred during Daniel’s lifetime.
Jehoiakim continued in his evil ways “filling Jerusalem with innocent blood” (2 Kings 24:4) and then eventually rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. He died in 597 B.C. apparently even while the Babylonian armies were on their way, for his son, Jehoiachin, only lasted for three months before Nebuchadnezzar’s army took him captive and led him away to exile in Babylon along with the vast majority of the population. Only the poor remained (2 Kings 24). Among those carried away this time would have been Ezekiel who became the prophet to those in exile.
Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiachin’s uncle, Mattaniah (“gift of Yahweh”), king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah (“Yahweh is righteousness”). He was also evil before the Lord and also eventually rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar in his ninth year resulting in a year and half siege of Jerusalem. In 586 B.C. Zedekiah was captured, his sons slaughtered before him, then he was blinded and led away to Babylon along with most everyone else who had not been killed in the siege. The city was destroyed and the Temple burned to the ground. Anything of value including bronze was carted away to Babylon. Only the poorest were allowed to remain to be plowmen and vinedressers.
Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam was appointed as governor over the few that were left, but he was murdered seven months later. There would not be another Jewish ruler in Jerusalem until the first return in 538 B.C. under Zerubbabel. There will not be another Jewish King in Jerusalem until Jesus sits on David’s throne.
Daniel would have been aware of these events hearing about them from reports and the captives brought to Babylon. Daniel would also have known Ezekiel who was the prophet to the exiles throughout the early period until about 570 B
.C. Daniel also experienced the succession of Babylonian kings, the fall of Babylon and the establishment of the Persian empire.
We will learn a lot about Nebuchadnezzar in our study of Daniel since he is a main character in chapters 2, 3 & 4. He dies in 562 B.C. and is succeeded by his son, Armel-Marduk who reigns for two years. He is called Evil-Merodach in 2 Kings 25:27 and is noted in that passage for releasing Jehoiachin from prison and giving him a place at the king’s table. Evil-merodach is followed by Nergal-Sharezar in 560 B.C. who is then succeeded briefly by Labushi-Marduk in 556 B.C. However, he is murdered and Nabonidus takes the throne in 556 B.C. Nabonidus is not a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar, but he may have married into the family so that his son, Belshazzar, is referred to as a son – descendent of Nebuchadnezzar. Nabonidus took an army north in 553 B.C. and made Belshazzar is co-regent over Babylon proper. We will meet Belshazzar in Daniel 5.
Cyrus king of Persia captures Babylon in 539 B.C. and kills Belshazzar. In 538 B.C. Cyrus gives a decree that allows the Jews to return to Jerusalem. He set up other kings under him to rule various provinces including Darius the Mede whom we will meet in Daniel 6. He is not to be confused with Darius I who does not come to power until 522 B.C. Daniel had success in the reign of Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian (Daniel 6:28), so he lived through the entire period of the captivity prophesied in Jeremiah 29:10.
Purpose
Why was Daniel written and included in the canon of Scripture? The most obvious reason is so that there would be a record of the revelations given to him and therefore an understanding of the events that were to take place, some of which are still in the future. At the time of the events that took place within the book and for many years following the nation of Israel was in very difficult circumstances. Jerusalem suffered multiple defeats at the hands of her enemies resulting in the destruction of the Temple and the deportation of her people. Jeremiah had said that this captivity would be for their welfare to give them a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11), but what would be that future? Could they trust God to bring about such promises of good when things were so bad? Daniel gave testimony to God’s sovereign hand for good in the midst of tragedy and it continues to do so to this day.
The unique nature of the use of two languages in the book show that these revelations were for both Jew and Gentile, believer and unbeliever alike. Many of the prophecies contained in Daniel were detailed and precise and of events that would be fulfilled in both near time and distant time. This shows that the purpose of the book was for both those who first read it and all those who would read it in the future. Why are these prophecies important? Certainly it is not just to satisfy human curiosity.
Near prophecy is given so that its fulfillment will convey confidence in the fulfillment of the prophecies still in the future. The more detailed the prophecy and precision in their fulfillment, the greater the confidence that the one making the prophecies is able to bring to pass what He declares. In a word, such a person must be sovereign. The prophecies of Daniel declare God’s sovereignty in a very powerful manner – which again is why liberal scholars reject the book. They do not want to submit to a sovereign God who will judge.
Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar said it best himself in Daniel 4:34-35 when he “blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom [endures] from generation to generation. 35 “And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And [among] the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What hast Thou done?'” The Lord God of Israel is the Most High God who is great in signs, mighty in wonders and whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His dominion is from generation to generation (Daniel 4:3). He is the one that declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which had not been done (Isaiah 46:10).
In general, prophecies give us confidence in God’s sovereignty and so encourage us to stand fast in the present as we wait for history to unfold according to God’s declaration. Since the prophecies in Daniel include God’s judgement and establishment of His righteous eternal kingdom, there is also motivation to live morally pure lives. Our hope of Christ’s return is motivation to live pure lives in the present (1 John 3:3; 2 Peter 3:14).
The particular prophecies in Daniel also give us the broad scope of God’s plans through the ages and to eternity. This demonstrates that God has a purpose for his creation and design for all history even though evil may seem to be holding sway in the present. We are comforted by the prophecies in Daniel that tells us that Messiah is coming and He will deliver. There is a better and eternal future ahead. And since the prophecies cover time from Nebuchadnezzar until eternity, the book will continue to fulfill these purposes for generation after generation until eternity begins.
Finally, the book of Daniel gives examples of warning and inspiration. There are righteous men who trust God even when their lives are threatened – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace and Daniel in the lions’ den – which encourage us to stand firm and live in righteousness for God in a sin filled society. The humiliation of Nebuchadnezzar teaches not only God’s sovereignty but also the dangers of pride. The foolishness of Belshazzar warns against hedonism and misplaced trust.
Outline
Let me conclude this morning by giving you a little more detailed outline of Daniel so that you will know what we are going to be studying and the lessons we will be learning over the next several months.
I. Introduction: Daniel’s rise to power (1) {Hebrew} (The Character of Daniel & his friends)
II. Destiny of the Gentile Nations (2-7) {Aramaic}
A. Gentile Destiny 1 – (2) (Nebuchadnezzar’s Statue Dream – The God Who reveals mysteries & The Great Kingdoms of the Earth)
B. Gentile Persecution 1- (3) (Nebuchadnezzar’s Idol and Faith in the Midst of the Fire)
C. Gentile Humiliation 1 – (4) Nebuchadnezzar’s Tree Vision & Humiliation – The Rule of the Most High)
D. Gentile Humiliation 2 – (5) Belshazzar & the Writing on the wall – God’s Judgment of the Proud)
E. Gentile Persecution 2 – (6) (Darius’ Foolish Decree & Daniel in the Lion’s Den)
F. Gentile Destiny 2- (7) (Daniel’s Vision of Four beasts – The Kingdoms to Come)
III. Destiny of the Jewish Nation (8-12) {Hebrew}
A. History to Second Advent: Oppressed by Antiochus – (8) Daniel’s Vision of Ram & He-Goat
B. History to Second Advent: Oppressed by Antichrist – (9) (Daniel’s Prayer & Revelation of 70 weeks)
C. History to Second Advent: Oppressed by Both (10-12)
1. Angelic Messenger – (10) (The Ministry of Angels)
2. History Revealed (11) (Daniel told of Destiny of Syria & Egypt)
3. History Concealed (12) (Daniel told of the End & to Seal the book)
There will be much to learn from this study. There are many parallels between our own time and the early days of Daniel when the Israel was in steep spiritual decline. We do not know the near future of this nation other than for it to continue on our current path will result in national destruction – yet we find hope in God’s sovereign care for His people in the midst of any calamity
. We have a future with Him both in the near present and eternity future.
KIDS CORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Count how man times Daniel is mentioned by name. Discuss with your parents how Daniel was a good example of righteousness
THINK ABOUT IT!
Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. Why is the book of Daniel important to Christians? Who wrote the book of Daniel? When was it written? How do we know those things? Why are they important? Why isn’t Daniel included in the “prophets”? Why is Daniel written in two Aramaic and Hebrew? What does this indicate to us? Trace the historical settings of the book of Daniel: What occurred in Judah during his lifetime? What prophets were his contemporaries? What occurred in Babylon and Persia during his lifetime? List at least five purposes for the inclusion of the Book of Daniel in the Bible? Why was it important to those who would have first read it in the 6th Century B.C.? What do you hope to gain from a study of Daniel? Make a brief outline of the book.
Sermon Notes – 7/10/2011
Introduction to Daniel – Daniel 1:1-7
Introduction –
Daniel is pivotal to our understanding of God’s _______________ hand upon the future
If it is not ________ in its claims of authorship and historical setting, then it is not even worth reading
Authorship – Daniel, a Hebrew youth who was deported to Babylon in __________ B.C.
Much of it is written in the _________ person – Daniel 7:1; 8:1; 9:2; 10:2
It contains extensive _______ markers – Daniel 1:1; 2:1; 5:30; 7:1; 8:1; 9:1; 10:1; 11:1
Liberal theologians _________the book’s claim of authorship and date claiming it is from the 2nd Century
They reject the claims in favor of their own ____________ that God can foretell the future
If the author is not by Daniel from the 6th century – it has no _________, so why write about its meaning?
Reasons for 6th Century authorship by Daniel
_____________ Evidence – accurate understanding of 6th Century using its archaic language
Existing _____________ – from Maccabean period require an older date that 2nd Century
____________ Testimony – his existence, righteousness and wisdom – Ezekiel 14:14, 20 & 28:3
____________ Testimony – Daniel is the author and gave accurate prophecy – Matthew 24:15
Daniel contains much prophecy, but is placed among the “___________” and not the “prophets”
Daniel interpreted dreams and had the future revealed to him, but he was a “_______,” not a “prophet”
Daniel is written in two languages: Hebrew, chapters 1 and 8-12 and _____________, chapters 2-7
It contains revelation specific to the ______________ nations and specific to the Jewish nation
Historical Setting
Daniel uses the Babylonian system of _____________ a king’s reign
_____________was the last independent king of Judah – he died in battle with Pharaoh Neco in 609 B.C.
Jehoiakim & all that followed him were _____before the Lord. Pharaoh set him on the throne in 609 B.C.
Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar in _______ B.C. – as Jeremiah 25 had prophesied
Daniel was among the _________ taken to Babylon to serve in Nebuchadnezzar’s court
Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, but died in __________ B.C.
______________, his son, reigned for 3 months, but was deposed by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C.
______________, his uncle, was placed on the throne, but also rebelled in 588 B.C
Jerusalem was under siege for 1 ½ years and fell in ____B.C. – the city destroyed and the temple burned
Gedaliah was made governor over the very poor that remained, but was murdered after ________ months
Daniel was aware of these events hearing the reports in __________and seeing the captives brought there
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is a main character in __________________He dies in 562 B.C.
Evil-Merodach (2 Kings 25:27) releases Jehoiachin from prison, but dies in ___________ B.C.
Nergal-Sharear reigns until __________ B.C,, and Labushi-Marduk in murdered that same year.
________________, not a direct descendant of Nebuchadnezzar, takes the Babylonian throne in 556 B.C.
Nabonidus possible marries into Nebuchadnezzar’s family so that his son, ____________is a descendant
Belshazzar dies when Babylon falls in 539 B.C. (Daniel 5). Cyrus issues a decree of return in ____B.C.
Darius the _________ (Daniel 6) (Gubaru?) is king over Babylon serving under Cyrus king of Persia
Purpose
A _____________ of the revelations given to Daniel giving understanding of God’s plan for the future
A ______________of God’s sovereign hand for good in the midst of the tragedy Israel had suffered
A ______________ of to God’s sovereign plans for both the Gentile nations and the Hebrews
Increase ___________ that God can and will carry out His plans regardless of man
Daniel 4:34-35 & 4:3 – The Lord God of Israel is the Most High God – the _______________ One
___________________ to stand firm for God in all circumstances
A broad revelation showing God He has a purpose in His creation and a design for ______________
_______________ examples of righteous men who remained faithful even when facing death
Examples of ______________ of the dangers of pride (Nebuchadnezzar) and hedonism (Belshazzar)
Outline
I. Introduction: Daniel’s rise to power (1) {Hebrew} (The Character of Daniel & his friends)
II. Destiny of the Gentile Nations (2-7) {Aramaic}
A. Gentile Destiny 1 – (2) (Nebuchadnezzar’s Statue Dream – The God Who reveals mysteries & The Great Kingdoms of the Earth)
B. Gentile Persecution 1- (3) (Nebuchadnezzar’s Idol and Faith in the Midst of the Fire)
C. Gentile Humiliation 1 – (4) Nebuchadnezzar’s Tree Vision & Humiliation – The Rule of the Most High)
D. Gentile Humiliation 2 – (5) Belshazzar & the Writing on the wall – God’s Judgment of the Proud)
E. Gentile Persecution 2 – (6) (Darius’ Foolish Decree & Daniel in the Lion’s Den)
F. Gentile Destiny 2- (7) (Daniel’s Vision of Four beasts – The Kingdoms to Come)
III. Destiny of the Jewish Nation (8-12) {Hebrew}
A. History to Second Advent: Oppressed by Antiochus – (8) Daniel’s Vision of Ram & He-Goat
&
nbsp; B. History to Second Advent: Oppressed by Antichrist – (9) (Daniel’s Prayer & Revelation of 70 weeks)
C. History to Second Advent: Oppressed by Both (10-12)
1. Angelic Messenger – (10) (The Ministry of Angels)
2. History Revealed (11) (Daniel told of Destiny of Syria & Egypt)
3. History Concealed (12) (Daniel told of the End & to Seal the book)
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