Frank Gaebelein). When Daniel is still new to Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar has a troubling dream that (at first) nobody can interpret. That's exactly the situation Daniel (of the Old Testament) found himself in. Joseph is yet another. Throughout the centuries, God has drawn people to be part of His Kingdom who have faced severe adversity. Everyone knows Daniel was thrown into a lions’ den and went on some kind of fast. Daniel is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my judge” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “Daniel”). 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). Hi Jeffrey. Daniel, from the Hebrew word meaning God is my Judge, is one of the major prophets of the Old Testament, and of the New Testament since much of the prophecy given to him corresponds to that given to the apostle John in the Book of Revelation, and for our time now - Jesus Christ Himself specifically referred to events recorded in The Book of Daniel (Matthew 24:15) that would occur just … 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. https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-major-prophets/daniel Get the latest blog posts from Life, Hope & Truth straight to your inbox. Daniel wrote the book of Daniel during the sixth century B.C. Daniel is the hero of the biblical Book of Daniel. On another occasion the record shows Daniel praying and fasting for his people’s sins and asking for God’s mercy on himself, his fellow captives and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Daniel 9). (Da 2:11). I am putting together a sermon for this Sabbath at the Seventh Day Adventist church and really enjoyed the context of this lesson and how you made the writings real to our contemporary times. 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. And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, ‘Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.’ So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, ‘Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end’” (Daniel 8:15-17). Daniel in the Den of Lions - It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. We create research-based articles and handy infographics to help people understand the Bible. 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). He lived a long life, but the Bible does not tell us how old he was when he died. He’s characterized by his unwavering faithfulness to the Law of Moses. What questions does this help to answer? The first time Gabriel is mentioned in the Bible is in the Book of Daniel. Beloved and chosen by God to foretell future events, Daniel the prophet prophesied as moved by God through visions and dreams about what was going to happen throughout history, including what would happen to Daniel’s people in the “latter days” (Daniel 10:14) and to the whole world. But that’s not all he takes. Daniel is told that at the time of the end, Michael will arise on behalf of Israel again (12:1). I prefer to read as much as I can to learn for myself. We know that Daniel was at least a teenager when he was taken to Babylon in 605 BC (Daniel 1:1). Moses: The Old Testament’s Greatest Prophet, Who Was King Solomon? I named my only child Daniel and he has made me more proud than I could have imagined. Many thanks for this great article. 1-12; Ezekiel 14:14, 28:3; Matt. In a way, God uses Daniel’s wisdom to show up the gods of Babylon on their own turf—even though his (God’s) own temple has been destroyed by the Babylonians. It was included until about 1929. The three-fold division included the same books as the two-fold divisionb. 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). Join our email list, and we’ll send you some of our best free resources—plus we’ll tell you whenever we make something new. 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. John Calvin’s commentary on Daniel mentions, “‘The chief of the eunuchs’ seems the correct definition of his office … and the office is similar to that … exercised at the courts of Turkey and Persia as the kislar agha, ‘high-chamberlain of the palace.’ So much confidence was necessarily reposed in these domestic officers, that many affairs of the utmost importance and delicacy were [entrusted] to their care. The reason Daniel and his friends’ names were changed was likely to encourage them to forget their past and to adopt Babylonian customs. Logos Bible Software 9 review: Do you REALLY need it? How was Daniel faithful to God? The biblical account of Daniel the prophet begins as he and other young men from Judah were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (Daniel 1:1-4) in approximately 604 B.C. Daniel meets Gabriel during one of Daniel’s troubling visions (it involves a ram, a goat, and a crazy talking horn). Thanks for bothering to share the results of your study and work – it’s really helpful. Nebuchadnezzar also captures some young men of the royal family with him to serve him in his court (Da 1:3). Daniel’s wisdom makes him a legend in his own time. Known by multiple names—the antichrist, the man of sin and the false prophet—this religious power will play a prominent role in the deception of mankind prior to Christ’s return. In 605 B.C., the dynasty was in its twilight years. This deserves a point all to itself. (And I may have used my favorite Bible software to make this list.). Daniel was likely in his 80s or 90s by that time. Well done for this good work. I just need to break it all down for a 3 year old to understand. In fact, Daniel has trouble interpreting some of his own dreams. We are doing a 12 week course on the life of Daniel. The book of Ezra mentions another king named Darius, also known as Darius I or Darius the Great. 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). 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! Whatever the case, he makes a good choice to pick Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar’s criteria for serving in his court includes physical appearance (Da 1:4). Royal family with him to Daniel angel Gabriel tells the prophet Ezekiel I used my favorite Bible study tool Logos... Of Days, and what his three friends determined to remain faithful God! Them knowledge and skill in all visions and dreams ( Daniel 1:17.... Appearance ( Da 1:4 ) deported theJewish intelligentsia and forced them to forget their past and adopt. 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