Introduction
to Daniel
Background:
Daniel
was a man who had dealings with various kings in ongoing reigns,
so in this book we see:
a)
Kings
of Babylon:
-
Nebuchadnezzar
(605 – 562).
Chapters
1 to 4
-
various lesser rulers concluding with Belshazzar
(562 – 539).
Chapter 5
-
after which Babylon fell to Cyrus the Persian [who eventually
sent Israel home]
b)
The Persian-Medes Empire:
-
Cyrus (539 – 530) [see 1:21, 6:28, 10:1]
-
Cambyses (530-522)
-
Darius I
(522-486). Chapter
6
We
should note that the author of Daniel only records the three
kings who had
significant interaction with Daniel
The
start of the book sees Daniel being taken to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar
invaded Israel three times ,
when
he came and took captives to Babylon from Judah. It started in
605 , when Daniel and his friends
were taken. The account goes from Nebuchadnezzar to Belshazzar
and finally to Darius I, although there appears to be another
Darius in the background who is used as a marker in chapter
So
why read Daniel? We usually
ask this question first but it needs seeing in the historical
context because, whereas Jeremiah prophesied at this time to Jerusalem
and Israel, and Ezekiel to the exiles in Babylon, Daniel's activity
throughout is seen in the royal court in Babylon. He is God's
mouthpiece to the various kings of the all-powerful Babylonian
and Persian empires and, indeed, his prophesies go way beyond
those empires to others that follow.
The
book of Daniel is in two parts, the first [chapters 1-6] which
is all drama – threats to life, dreams, prophecies and miraculous
deliverances - and the second is all prophecies. [chapters 7-12]
Contents:
Part
1: Historical Narrative
Ch.1
– Daniel taken to Babylon
Ch.2
– Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream
Ch.3
– Nebuchadnezzar's idol & the Fiery Furnace
Ch.4
– Nebuchadnezzar's Downfall & Restoration
Ch.5
– The Judgment on Belshazzar
Ch.6
– Darius throws Daniel to the lions
Part
2: Prophecies
Ch.7
– A New Vision in Belshazzar's reign
Ch.8
– The Second Vision in Belshazzar's reign
Ch.9
– Daniel Prays for his people
Ch.10
– Vision Preparation in the reign of Cyrus
Ch.11
– The Vision Continues
Ch.12
– The Vision Concludes
Continue
to chapter 1