DANIEL IN HEBREW CANON
TORAH
LAW
NUBIIM
PROPHETS
KETUBIM
WRITINGS= DANIEL
NAME MEANS “GOD IS MY JUDGE”
BIBLICAL TESTIMONY
EZEKIEL 14: 14, 20
Ezekiel 28: 3
Matthew 24: 15
ANCIENT TESTIMONIES
 1 MAC. 2: 59, 60
 JEWISH ANTIQUITIES X BY
JOSEPHUS FLAVIUS
 LXX
 DSS
PROPHETS AND PROPHECIES
 WRITE
DANIEL, EZEKIEL, JEREMIAH
 DO NOT WRITE
GAD, NATHAN
 TRUE PROPHETS
JEREMIAH
 FALSE PROPHETS
HANANIAH (JER. 28)

PROPHETS AND PROPHECIES
 ESCHATALOGICAL PROPHECIES: (Time of the end;
end of time.)
 APOCALYTIC PROPHECIES: (Dan.,Rev., Symbolic).
 MICRO-COSMIC: (On local basis, Jer. 28: 16, 17).
 MACRO-COSMIC: (ISA. 7: 14, applicable more than
once).
DANIEL THE PROPHET
 TRAGIC EVENTS IN JUDAH
 CITY OF JERUSALEM CAPTURED
 PROMINENT YOUNG CITIZENS DEPORTED
 AMONG WHOM WAS DANIEL
 BORN ABOUT 623BC
 INFLUENCED BY KING JOSIAH’S REFORM
 LIVED IN BABYLON MORE THAN 70 YEARS
 ONE OF THE THREE JEWISH PROPHETS OF
THE EXILE, (EZEKIEL, JEREMIAH)
 JER. 43: 5-7; EZE. 14: 14, 20; 28:3.
 WITNESSED THE FALL OF BABYLON AND THE
RISE OF MEDO-PERSIA
 ONE OF THE THREE CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
IN THE COURT OF THE PERSIAN KING
 SERVED AS A PROPHET NOT ONLY FOR HIS
COUNTRYMEN IN EXILE, BUT FOR PAGAN
KINGS AS WELL
PURPOSE OF THE BOOK
 AS ANY OTHER BOOK OF THE OLD TESTAMENT,
THE BOOK OF DANIEL WAS WRITTEN FOR THE
PEOPLE OF JUDAH WHO LIVED AT THE
PARTICULAR TIME OF HISTORY.
 WAS GIVEN PRIMARILY TO THE EXILED TO
ACCOMMODATE THEIR NEEDS WHILE IN
BABYLON
 IT ALSO CONTAINS PROPHECIES RELATED TO
THE FUTURE TIME, GOING BEYOND EXILE TO
OUR TIME AND BEYOND.
 THERE ARE FOUR BASIC QUESTIONS THAT THE
BOOK ANSWERS:
1. IS THIS THE END OF THE KINGDOM OF
JUDAH?
2. IS THIS THE END OF THE KING OF JUDAH?
3. IS
THIS
THE
END
OF
THE
SANCTUARY/TEMPLE?
4. IS THIS THE END OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD?
PURPOSE OF THE BOOK
The four questions are answered through four
visions given to Daniel:
 The answer to the first question is found in chapter
2: God is in control of all the kingdoms and He will
establish an eternal stone kingdom that shall never
be destroyed.
 The answer to the second question is found in the
vision of chapter 7: Inspite of the fact that, the king
is blind and in captivity, the kingly lineage is not
broken. Dan. 7: 13, 14 and 27. The King of the future
will certainly come.
PURPOSE OF THE BOOK
 The answer to the third question is given in the
third vision of chapter 8: the readers attention is
shifted towards heaven and the heavenly
sanctuary. God’s people will be vindicated and the
heavenly sanctuary cleansed.
 The answer to the fourth question is given in the
fourth vision of chapter 12. Will the people of God
be scattered throughout the Babylonian kingdom
forever? In the final chapter, assurance is given,
that the end of the faithful will never come. Even
if death comes, there is eternal hope.
BOOK OF DANIEL CHAPTER ONE
 The first verse of the chapter indicates that disaster
came upon Jerusalem during the third year of
Jehoiakim
 Discrepancy with Jeremiah 25:1, 9 and 46: 2
 Who is correct, Daniel or Jeremiah?
 Is anybody wrong?
 Or is there an error re the date that tragedy
overtook Judah?
BOOK OF DANIEL CHAPTER
ONE

THE ANSWER:
 There were two systems of counting years of
Kings, known as Accession and non-Accession
systems. (The Chronology of the Hebrew Kings,
Thiele 1977: 79; 1983: 43-44).
 in the Accession system, the first year of reign was
not counted as the first year; it was known as
accession year. The next year of reign would be
considered the first year.
BOOK OF DANIEL CHAPTER ONE

In the non-accession system of counting, the year
in which the king started his rule would be
considered as his first year of reign.
 Babylonians are known to have used the accession
system of counting. Since Daniel was in Babylon he
adopted that system while Jeremiah who was in
Jerusalem, used the traditional non-accession
system of counting.
 Both counting systems give 605BC as the year in
which these tragic events took place.
BOOK OF DANIEL CHAPTER ONE
 EUNUCH: Hebrew word “saris”, which means
court official. Gen. 37: 36.
 Eunuchs were court officials who worked with
Kings.
 Did Potiphar have a wife?
NEW NAMES
 Daniel: God is my Judge
 Hananiah: Grace of God
 Mishael: Who is like God
 Azariah: Lord has helped
NEW NAMES
 Belteshazzar: May Bell preserve his life
 Shadrach: Order of Aku, Sumerian god of moon
 Meshach: Who is like Aku
 Abednego: Servant of Nebo/Nabu, god of
wisdom
LEARNING
 Daniel and his friends were educated in Babylonian
schools. Just like Israel had schools of the prophets in
the time of Elisha, Mesopotamia had schools.
 Daniel and his friends were exposed to different
subjects, like: mathematics, astronomy, history,
literature, poetry etc.
 They learnt how to make and prepare tablets for
writing and to copy certain texts among other things.
 Here’s a description from a graduate student from
one of the schools of Babylon:
 “My headmaster read my tablet, said: there is
something missing.” caned me.
 The fellow in charge of neatness said: “you loitered
in the streets and did not straighten up your
clothes,” caned me.
 The fellow in charge of silence said: “why did you
talk without permission,” caned me.
 The fellow in charge of good behavior said: “why
did you rise without permission,” caned me.
 The fellow in charge of the gate said: “why did you
go without permission,” caned me.
 The fellow in charge of the whip said, “why did
you take… without permission,” caned me.
 The fellow in charge of Sumerian said, “why
didn’t you speak Sumerian,” caned me.
 My teacher said: “your hand is unsatisfactory,”
caned me.
 (And so) I (began to) hate scribal art, (began
to) neglect the scribal art.
The Sumerians: their History, Culture, and Character.
Krammer, N. S. 1963: 238-239
DANIEL THE VEGETARIAN
 IDOL OFFETORY
 UNCLEEAN FOOD BY LEVITICAL LAW
 IT WAS NOT KOSHER; MAY HAVE BEEN MIXED
Hebrew verb used.
 It means to appoint. Dan. 1:5
 Apart from being used several times in
the book of Jonah, this word is used
only here in the Hebrew.
 Let’s examine usage in Jonah:

“Mana”
 God appoints a great wind. Jonah 1: 4
 God appoints a great fish. Jonah 1: 17
 God appoints a gourd. Jonah 3: 6
 God appoints a worm. Jonah 3: 7
 God prepared an east wind. Jonah 3: 8
 Usage in Jonah always designates God as the
subject.
 Daniel could not eat because, it was not God
who appoints but King.
 Had Daniel eaten, he would accept the King as
his God.
 Much more was at stake, when he said no to the
food, than just being a vegetarian.
 He risked his life.
 He wanted to show that the principles on which
he stood would never change.
DANIEL THE VEGETARIAN
 10 times more intelligent, handsome, better behaving
because of God’s grace.
 So, was Daniel a vegetarian?
 Daniel 10: 1-3
 Health reform is not about vegetarianism
 It is rather about healthy lifestyle
BOOK OF DANIEL CHAPTER 2
 “The date for the events in chapter 2 is
given in verse 1.
 It
was
the
second
year
of
Nebuchadnezzar’s reign.
 His second year is 603BC using the
accession system of counting years of
Kings.
605BC
604BC
603BC
KING’S DREAM
ACCESSION YEAR
1ST YEAR
2ND YEAR
DANIEL’S
TRAINING
1ST YEAR
2ND YEAR
3RD YEAR
DANIEL’S TRAINING
 After graduation, Daniel and his
friends were immediately employed
by the King Himself as wise men of
Babylon.
 No wonder, they were numbered
among the wise men to be killed for
not being able to tell the King his
dream.
CAUSES OF DREAMS
 OVER EATING
 UNDER EATING
 UNFINISHED BUSINESS FOR THE DAY
 UNHOLY INFLUENCES
 GOD HIMSELF
 THE DREAM:
 DREAM TROUBLED KING’S SPIRIT
 HIS SPIRIT WAS STRUCKED LIKE A HAMMER
DRIVING A NAIL
 OR A BELL RINGING
 IT WAS RINGING IN HIS EARS
THE DREAM
 THE KING SENSED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
DREAM.
 HE KNEW IT WAS ABOUT HIM.
 BUT HE COULD NOT REMEMBER THE DREAM.
 AND SO, THE KING DID THE BEST HE COULD
HAVE DONE.
 The burden of chapter two is to answer the question:
 Is this the end of the Kingdom of Judah?
 And so, the wise men are called in to tell the King his
dream and to provide interpretation.
 So, who are these wise men of Babylon?
 Are they the same ones schooled in Babylon’s schools?
WISE MEN OF BABYLON
 THE WISE MEN WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE




TRICKSTERS.
WHY WOULD KING NEED TRICKSTERS AND
ENTERTAINERS IN SUCH A SERIOUS MATTER?
WERE THEY NOT LEGITIMATE WORKERS IN THE
KING’S COURTS?
WERE THEY NOT ON THE KING’S PAYROLL
SO, WHO WERE THEY?
MAGICIANS
 HEBREW WORD, “HARTOM”, NOUN, IT MEANS
ENGRAVER
 HEBREW VERB “HERET”, WHICH MEANS SCRIBES
 THESE MEN WORKED IN TEMPLES
 THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD CONTACT WITH THE
SPIRITS OR THE gods.
 AND SO IT WAS NOT UNREASONABLE FOR THE
KING TO ASK THEM WHAT WAS IT THAT THE gods
WERE TRYING TO TELL HIM.
ENCHANTERS
 SECOND CLASS SUMMONED TO APPEAR BEFORE
THE KING
 CLAIMED TO USE CHANTING AND THE
PRONOUNCIATION OF CERTAN FORMULAS TO
PROVOKE REACTION OF gods AND OR DEMONS
 CLAIMED TO BE ABLE TO DIVERT BAD OMENS
FROM THEIR SUBJECTS
 SO KING WAS FULLY CONFIDENT THAT THEY
WERE ABLE TO UNRAVEL THE MYSTERY.
SORCERERS
 THIRD CLASS BROUGHT BEFORE THE KING.
 THIS WAS THE PRACTICE OF BLACK MAGIC
 NEBUCHADNEZZAR ACCEPTED THIS PRACTICE
 THEY CLAIMED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT
WITH EVIL SPIRITS AND TO EXORCISE THEM
 THEY ALSO CLAIMED TO PREVENT EVIL THINGS
FROM HAPPENING TO THOSE WHO ASKED FOR
HELP.
CHALDEANS
 A SPECIAL ETHNIC GROUP
 NEBUCHADNEZZAR IS BELIEVED TO BE OF
CHALDEAN ORIGIN
 THEY PERFECTED TWO FORMS OF ART:
 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGY
 THEY WERE UNDISPUTED AUTHORITIES IN
THESE TWO FIELDS
 STUDY MOVEMENT OF STARS AND PREDICT
OMENS BY SUCH
DANIEL AND HIS FRIENDS
 DANIEL AND HIS FRIENDS NUMBERED AMONG
WISE MEN OF BABYLON. DANIEL 2: 13
 SECRET REVEALED IN A NIGHT VISION. DAN. 2: 19
 BUT THERE IS A GOD UP IN HEAVEN… DAN. 2:28
THE DREAM
 DANIEL 2: 31-36
INTERPRETATION OF DREAM
 GOLD-BABYLON (605-539 BC)
 SILVER-MEDO PERSIA (539-331 BC)
 BRASS-GREECE (331-168 BC)
 IRON-ROME (168BC- 476 AD)
 IRON/ CLAY (476 AD TO…
IRON/ CLAY
 CONTINUATION OF FOURTH KINGDOM
 CLAY SUGGESTS DIVISION
 METAL REPRESENTS POLITICAL POWER
 CLAY IS ASSOCIATED WITH RELIGION
 THE ONLY POWER COMING OUT OF ROME WAS
THE PAPACY.
THE STONE
 FOCAL POINT
 STONE IS DIFFERENT FROM STATUE
MATERIALS
 NOT MADE BY HUMAN CRAFT OR ART
 THE ORIGIN OF THE STONE SPEAKS
VOLUMES
 IT CAME FROM THE MOUNTAIN
THE STONE
 IN BABYLONIAN THINKING gods LIVED IN
MOUNTAINS
 GOD IS TEACHING THE KING AN OBJECT LESSON
 KING CANNOT MISS THE POINT
 HE MUST KNOW WHO SENT THE STONE
 GOD SENT THE STONE
PARALLELISM IN DANIEL
 THE SAME MESSAGE IN CHAPTER 2 CAN BE
FOUND IN CHAPTERS 7 AND 8.
 DIFFERENT SYMBOLS ARE USED BUT THEY ALL
MEAN THE SAME THING
 GOD IS REPEATING HIS WORD THAT WE MAY
KNOW THE SURETY OF IT
 EACH CHAPTER GIVES MORE INFORMATION,
NOT PREVIOUSLY REVEALED.
BOOK OF DANIEL CHAPTER 3
 WHEN AN AUTHOR WRITES, HE HAS AN AGENDA
OR REASONS TO WRITE
 THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE CHAPTER WAS THAT
THERE WERE THREE YOUNG MEN WHO DID NOT
BOW
 AND SO, THE TIME OF THE EVENTS OF CHAPTER
THREE IS NOT SPECIFIED
 HOWEVER, ITS NOT LONG AFTER THE DREAM IN
CHAPTER 2.
PERSECUTION OF THE FAITHFUL
 THE OCCASION:
 595/594 REVOLT BROKE OUT IN BABYLON
 ARCHAELOGY: KINGS CHRONICLES DISCOVERED
AMONG RUINS OF BABYLON.
 A REVOLT BROKE OUT, KING HIMSELF HAD TO
FIGHT THE OPPOSITION WITH THE SWORD IN
HIS HAND
THE OCCASION
 “In the tenth year the king of Akkad was in his own
land; from the month of Kislev to the month of Tebeth
there was rebellion in Akkad… with arms he (the King)
slew many of his own army. His own hand captured his
enemy.”

Wiseman, D. J. 1956, Chronicles of the Chaldean Kings
(626-556 BC).
THE OCCASION
 KING REQUESTED PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
 LIST OF FIFTY NAMES WAS FOUND RELATIVE TO
THE TIME OF THE GOLDEN IMAGE
 THREE OF DANIEL’S FRIENDS WERE ON THE LIST:
THE OCCASION
 NEBU ZARADAN
JEREMIAH 39: 9-11. HE WAS A
GENERAL IN THE ARMY
 NERGAL-SHAREZER
JEREMIAH 39: 3
 IT IS QUITE PROBABLE THAT ZEDEKIAH WAS
SUMMONED TO BE PRESENT AS WELL JER. 51:59
THE OCCASION
 HE BECAME KING IN 597BC
 HIS FOURTH YEAR AS KING FALLS IN 594BC
GREAT IMAGE
 EGYPTIANS, ROMANS AND GREEKS BUILT VERY BIG
IMAGES
 MARDUK OF SOLID GOLD 18 FEET
 TEXT DOES NOT INDICATE WHETHER STATURE WAS THE
KING HIMSELF, OR MARDUK OR ANY OTHER DEITY
 NEVERTHELESS, THE PURPOSE WAS EVIDENT:
WORSHIP
 THE MAIN ISSUE IS WORSHIP
 NOT COMPLYING WAS DIRECT DISOBEDIENCE TO
THE KING
 WAS ALSO A DISLOYALTY TO HIS gods
DECREE
 COMMUNICATION NOT A PROBLEM
 ARAMAIC LANGUAGE LINGUA FRANCA
(COMMON LANGUAGE)
INSTRUMENTS
 MUSIC IN KINGS COURTS WAS COMMON FOR
THE PURPOSE OF ENTERTAINMENT
 IN THIS CASE HOWEVER, MUSIC WAS USED TO
MARK THE BEGINNING OF AN ACTION
 AND ALSO TO INITIATE RELIGIOUS FEELING
 THE TEXT MENTIONS 6 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS:
 THREE WIND INSTRUMENTS AND
 THREE STRINGED INSTRUMENTS
WHO WERE SUMMONED?
 DANIEL 3:2
 ALL ON THE KINGS PAYROLL: THE LIST STARTED
WITH THE HIGHEST OFFICE AND WENT DOWN
TO ALL THE OFFICIALS OF THE PROVINCES
 WHEN THE KING’S ORCHESTRA SOUNDED ITS
MUSIC, ALMOST ALL FOUND THEMSELVES WITH
THEIR FACES IN THE DUST OF THE PLAIN OF
DURA
WHERE WAS DANIEL?
 TEXT DOES NOT INDICATE WHAT HAPPENED TO
DANIEL AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME
 ALL THAT IS KNOWN IS THAT HE WAS NOT
AMONG HIS 3 FRIENDS WHO STOOD TALL IN THE
PLAIN OF DURA
 HOWEVER, IT IS UNIMAGINABLE THAT HE
WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE WHO PAID
HOMAGE TO THE IMAGE
WHERE WAS DANIEL?
 TWO EXPLANATIONS FOR HIS ABSENCE FROM
THE LIST:
 FIRST, HIS LOYALTY WAS WELL ESTABLISHED
AND HE SERVED THE CROWN NOT JUST AS A
SATRAP OR OFFICIAL BUT AS THEIR CHIEF,
THEREFORE HE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN
REQUIRED TO BE THERE
 SECOND, BECAUSE OF HIS HIGH POSITION, HE
MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABSENT, TRAVELLING
THROUGHT THE PROVINCES, TAKING CARE OF
KING’S AFFAIRS
WHERE WAS DANIEL?
 ARCHAELOGICAL DISCOVERIES FOUND AMONG
THE RUINS OF BABYLON SOME FIFTY NAMES,
WHO WERE SUMMONED TO THE DEDICATION
 DANIEL’S 3 FRIENDS WERE NAMED, BUT DANIEL’S
NAME WAS NOT FOUND
(Shea W. 1982, Daniel 3: Exxtra-Biblical Texts
and the Convocation of the Plain of Dura. 20: 29-52)
THE FURNACE
 DAN 3: 6
 THROWING PRISONERS IN A FURNACE WAS NOT
AN UNCOMMON PRACTICE IN BABYLON
 KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR ORDERED THE
EXECUTION OF ZEDEKIAH AND AHAB WHO
WERE “ROASTED IN THE FIRE” JER. 29: 22
 IT WAS HORRIBLE TO BE PUNISHED BY FIRE
THE FURNACE
 HUGE FURNACES PRESENT THROUGHOUT THE
PROVINCE OF BABYLON
 READILY AVAILABLE FOR SEVERAL INDUSTRIES:
 PRODUCTION OF POTTERY: BAKED IN KILNS OR
FURNACES RESULTING IN BETTER QUALITY AND
DURABILITY OF POTS
 METALLURGY: ANOTHER IMPORTANT INDUSTRY
 MASSIVE PRODUCTION OF BRICKS
FURNACES
 FURTHER, KING WAS FAMOUS AS A GREAT
BUILDER
 SINCE BABYLON WAS LOCATED ON A FLAT LAND,
IT LACKED STONES FOR BUILDING PURPOSES
 THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE LEFT WAS BUILDING
WITH BRICKS
 FURNACES WERE ALSO INVENTED FOR GLAZING:
ADDING DECORATIVE COLOURS TO THE BRICKS
TO BE USED TO BEAUTIFY WALL SURFACES.
FURNACES
 HIGHER TEMPERATURES WERE NECESSARY FOR
QUALITY GLAZING
DELIVERANCE
 FIRE, HEAT AND SMOKE WAS VERY FRIGHTENING
 BUT NOT FOR THE THREE SERVANTS OF GOD
 THEY DECIDED TO STAY FAITHFUL TO GOD
REGARDLESS OF CONSEQUENCES
DELIVERANCE
 KING SHOCKED AT WHAT HE SAW IN THE FIRE
 HE SAW “ONE LIKE THE SON OF MAN” IN THE
FIRE WITH THE FAITHFUL
 THE PAGAN KING HAD TO ADMIT FOR THE
SECOND TIME, THAT THE GOD OF HEAVEN IS
INDEED THE LIVING GOD.
 HE RECOGNIZED HIM BUT WAS NOT READY OR
WILLING TO COMIT HIS LIFE TO HIM
 GOD WAS ABOUT TO TEACH HIM A LESSON
BOOK OF DANIEL CHAPTER 4
 In this chapter, a second dream of Nebuchadnezzar is
recorded.
 Written as a testimony of a Pagan King or as Daniel as
told by the King
 It happened in reality
 It seems that the building activities of the King were
completed (4:30)
 His empire enjoyed great prosperity and relative peace
(4:4)
THE DREAM
 In this second dream, the focal figure is the King
himself
 He witnessed on several occasions the power and
might of Daniel’s God, yet he remained the same
unchanged person
 He failed to make any change in his personal life
 This dream was God’s final warning to the King
 By the time he woke up, he knew the dream was about
him and his kingdom
THE DREAM
 Unlike chapter 2, he remembered the dream
 Wise men were summoned and the result was the
same as with the first dream
 But Daniel was finally summoned (vs 9)
 The King saw a tree in his dream (vs 10)
 Position of the tree is very important (middle of the
Earth) (10)
THE DREAM
 It provides shelter for beasts of the field and birds
 It provided food for all flesh (vs 12)
 Suddenly the dream was interrupted by the
appearance of a Watcher (vs 13)
 Attention is now drawn from the tree to the Watcher
 Watcher means, “one who is awake”
 The aramic word translated as “watcher”, is “ir”
 Used 3 times in this chapter and never again
 Translated: messenger, angel or watcher
THE DREAM
 No doubt in the King’s mind, that this was a heavenly
being, with power over Kings, small and great,
insignificant and mighty
 The watcher commanded that the tree be cut down
 The stump was to be bound in iron and bronze (16),
his kingdom will be kept safe for him when he returns
 From hereon, it becomes a man who is to live outside
as an animal
 His mind/heart is changed and he pretends to be an
animal
THE DREAM
 According to 4:16, this is to last for “seven times”
 “Time” has four seasons
 Four seasons make one year
BOOK OF DANIEL CHAPTER 4
 In chapter four, King had a dream
 Dream was about King himself
 Unlike chapter 2, King remembers the dream
 Daniel is called after wise men failed again
 Interpretation of dream and illness
BOOK OF DANIEL CHAPTER 4
 Illness started one year after the dream
 He reigned 43 years (605-562BC)
 Dream was had in 571BC
 One year after that King became ill
DANIEL CHAPTER 5
 This chapter has to do with the punishment of another
Pagan King.
 Even though the chapter does not provide details
concerning the date of the events, one can conclude
that they occurred in 539BC, when the kingdom of
Babylon fell into the hands of Medo-Persians.
BELSHAZZAR THE KING
 He was a deeply religious man
 He was fully aware of the experience that his
predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar went through
 He knew about Daniel and his three friends, and about
the image, the furnace and the deliverance God has
provided
BELSHAZZAR THE KING
 He also knew about the prophecy from chapter two
and perhaps chapters 7 and 8, where Babylon’s fall to
the Persians was prophecied
THE FEAST
 It was the last night that Belshazzar would be King of
Babylon
 For some reason, the Medes and Persians surrounded
the city walls, yet the feast was organized
 Feasting in ancient times was not uncommon
THE FEAST
 The text does not indicate why he had a feast. There
are several possibilities however:
1. It could have been a moral booster for the people of
Babylon. It served as assurance that there was no
reason for concern, since the walls were
impenetratable.
2. It is possible that even though Babylon was under
siege, it was a time for some yearly festival. To
demonstrate that everything was under control, the
King ordered the feast to be celebrated regardless of
the political situation and crises imposed by MedoPersia.
THE FEAST
 While the banquet was in progress, the King ordered
vessels to be brought from the temple to serve drink to
his guests
 These vessels were stored in the temple as trophies
from the time of the conquest some seventy years
earlier
 It was customary to strip conquered nations of their
gods and their treasure as indication that the
conqueror’s gods were superior
THE FEAST
 For decades, these vessels were stored in the temple
 Belshazzar being intoxicated with wine and/or beer,
ordered that the vessels taken from the temple in
Jerusalem, be brought to the banquet
DRANK WINE IN THEM
 IT IS KNOWN THAT BEER PRODUCTION WAS
VERY POPULAR IN BABYLON
 ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES UNEARTHED
EVIDENCE THAT BEER WAS PRODUCED FROM
BARLEY
 SO WHY DID BELSHAZZAR USE WINE RATHER
THAN BEER?
DRANK WINE IN THEM
 HE DELIBERATELY DESECRATED THE OBJECTS
FROM THE TEMPLE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT HIS
GODS WERE IN CONTROL
 THIS WAS A PROPAGANDA TO THE GUESTS AT
THE BANQUET THAT MEDO-PERSIAN ARMIES
WOULD BE DEFEATED, AND THAT THE GOD OF
DANIEL WAS POWERLESS AND HIS PROPHECIES
WOULD NEVER COME TRUE
DRANK WIINE IN THEM
 FURTHER TO THIS SACRILEGIOUS ACT, HE
DELIBERATELY USED WINE FOR THE BANQUET
 IN MESOPOTAMIA, WINE WAS ONLY USED FOR
SACRIFICIAL PURPOSES IN TEMPLES
 BY USING WINE AT THIS BANQUET, KING STOOD
IN DEFIANCE OF ALL gods IN BABYLON
DRANK WINE IN THEM
 HE DEMONSTRATED THAT HE STOOD EQUAL TO
ANY OF TH EWEM
 AS SUCH, EQUALITY WITH DIVINITY WOULD
HAVE GIVEN HIM RIGHT AND LIBERTY TO USE
THE VESSELS FROM THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM
 BUT THE PARTY ENDED ABRUPTLY WHEN THE
WRITING ON A WALL APPEARED
PALM OF A HAND
 Whose hand?
 Writing was unknown
 However, when the hand wrote, they were
immediately sober
 King’s knees started to shake
 His cheek went up and down
 All because he knew it was about him.
WRITING ON THE WALL
 THE MESSAGE ON THE WALL WAS WRITTEN IN
ARAMIC.
 FOUR WORDS WERE WRITTEN ON THE WALL,
AND THE FIRST ONE WAS REPEATED TWICE
 THE WORDS ARE: mene mene tekel upharsin
 IMMEDIATELY HE KNEW THAT THE MESSAGE WAS
ABOUT HIM
WRITING ON THE WALL
 THE FIRST 3 WORDS REFERRED TO THE KING
HIMSELF, WHILE THE LAST ONE REFER TO HIS
KINGDOM
 THESE WORDS USED IN PARTICIPLE PASSIVE
FORM
 WHAT DOES A PARTICIPLE DO TO A VERB?
WRITING ON THE WALL
 IT CHANGES VERB INTO NOUN
 WHENEVER PARTICIPLE FORM IS USED IN THE
OLD TESTAMENT, ITS FOR A SPECIAL PURPOSE
BECAUSE IT HAS POWER
 ONE WHO IS NUMBERED, WEIGHED AND
DIVIDED
WRITING ON THE WALL
 THESE WERE ALSO MARKET MEASURES
 HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THEY MEANT
 MARKET MEASURES SYMBOLISE JUDGEMENT
AND COURT LANGUAGE
DANIEL TO THE RESCUE
 When Daniel appeared in the room, he rebuked the
King without apology, for being ignorant of God’s
power concerning the revelation God gave his
grandfather Nebuchadnezzar (5: 22, 23).
 With ease and without fear, Daniel interpreted the
message on the wall:
 Mene means, “one who is numbered,” it represents
“mina” (600 grams)
DANIEL TO THE RESCUE
 Tekel means, “one who is weighed,” it represents
“shekel” (10 grams)
 Upharsin means, “one who is divided,” it stands for
“half of mina” (300 grams)
 Belshazzar’s days were numbered. He was weighed out
and found wanting and his kingdom would be divided.
 Isaiah 45: 1
GOD’S WORD WILL COME TO
PASS
 Belshazzar was suppose to grasp the meaning of this
message, since it was market language
 Language of measures implies judgement in biblical
context (1 Sam. 2:3; Job 31: 6)
 That same night, the Medo-Persian army, took control
of Babylon almost without a fight.
 That same night, King Belshazzar was executed
BOOK OF DANIEL CHAPTER 6
 The events took place in the first year, after the fall of
Babylon
 Jeremiah’s 70 years prophecy has been fulfilled
 Jewish captives are returning home
 Daniel however, chose to remain in Babylon
ANOTHER PERSECUTION OF
THE FAITHFUL
 Daniel was a very old man. If he were 18, when he
entered Babylon in 605BC, then in 539BC he was about
84 years old.
 A new government had taken over
 Daniel however, was continually distinguishing
himself as a man of God.
 He was providing honest service irrespective of who
was in power
BOOK OF DANIEL CHAPTER 7
 VERY IMPORTANT CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF
DANIEL
 SOME ARGUE THAT IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
CHAPTER IN THE BOOK
 THIS CHAPTER IS WRITTEN IN ARAMAIC
LANGUAGE
 IT ALSO MARKS THE END OF THE PORTION OF
THE BOOK WRITTEN IN SAME LANGUAGE
RELATIONSHIP
 CHAPTERS 1-6 WRITTEN IN THIRD PERSON
 CHAPTERS 7-12 WRITTEN IN FIRST PERSON
 CHAPTERS 1-6 WRITTEN IN CHRONOLOGICAL
SEQUENCE
 CHAPTERS 7-12 ALSO WRITTEN IN
CHRONOLOGICAL SEQUENCE
RELATIONSHIP
 7TH CHAPTER , 1ST YEAR OF BELSHAZZAR
 8TH CHAPTER, THIRD YEAR OF BELSHAZZAR
 9TH CHAPTER , 1ST YEAR OF DARIUS THE MEDE
 CHAPTERS 10-12, 3RD YEAR OF CYRUS
DATE OF THE EVENTS
 IT WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF BELSHAZZAR
 HE RECEIVED BABYLON FROM HIS FATHER
 IT HAPPENED DURING THE 3RD YEAR OF
NABONIDUS
 NABONIDUS BECAME RULER OF BABYLON IN
556BC
DATE OF THE EVENTS
 HIS 3RD YEAR IS 553BC
 DANIEL WAS 70 YEARS OLD
CONTENT OF THE VISION
 THE VISION CAME TO DANIEL IN A DREAM
 HE SAW 4 WINDS, INDICATING THE FOUR
DIRECTIONS OF THE WORLD
 THE HAVOC CREATED BY THESE WINDS IS
UNIVERSAL
 WINDS ALSO REPRESENT GOD’S JUDGEMENT
(ZECH. 7: 14; HOSEAH 8: 7)
LION
 Lion represents Babylon. It has wings of an Eagle.
 Lion (Jer. 4: 7; 49: 19, 20; 50: 17, 14)
 Eagle (Jer. 49: 22; Lam. 4: 19, Eze. 17: 3 and Hab. 1: 8)
 Eagle and Lion in prophecy stand for Babylon
LION
 The torn wings also represent the insanity of the King
 All of a sudden, the same Lion that represents Babylon
now represents the King
 In fact, it begins moving on 2 feet rather than four
 Human’s heart means that Kings sanity would return
BEAR
 Raised up on one side
 Dominance of one province (Persia)
 This limping Beast just killed something and still has
the 3 ribs between its teeth:
 Lydia (546BC); Babylon (539BC) and Egypt (525BC)
LEOPARD
 Four heads and four wings
 The only animal faster is Cheetah (when it catches its
prey-it needs 2 hours to come back to its senses.
 Wings represents extra speed
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
 Alexander the Great invaded Persia in 334 BC
 He died in 323BC
 Four heads- four Generals:
 Antipater- Greece and Macedonia
 Lysimachus- Asia Minor (Present day Turkey)
 Seleucus- Syria and Babylon
 Ptolemy- Palestine and Egypt
UNRECOGNIZABLE BEAST
 Iron teeth
 Ten horns
 As heads before horns represent kings
 Little horn appears
 Three were destroyed, as a result of little horn growing
up
 It had eyes and mouth (all ten horns were mouthless
and eyeless) except little horn
 Intelligence (eyes and mouth)
FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
 EMPIRE FINALLY CRUMBLES
 476 AD
 IT DISINTEGRATED INTO TEN KINGDOMS
LITTLE HORN- 7
CHARACTERISTICS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
IT CAME OUT OF THE FOURTH BEAST
IT APPEARED AMONG TEN HORNS
BY ITS GROWTH 3 WERE PLUCKED OUT
IT HAD EYES AND MOUTH
IT SPOKE AGAINST THE MOST HIGH
IT CHANGED GOD’S LAW
IT PERSECUTED THE SAINTS OF GOD
IT CAME OUT OF THE
TH
4
BEAST
 It is the same power as in chapter 2
 Little horn appears on the 4th Beast
 There is only one recognizable power coming after the
Roman Empire
 It is the Papacy or what we call papal Rome
IT APPEARED AMONG 10
EXISTING HORNS
 It appeared only after 10 horns were established
 Only power which came into existence at that time was
the papacy
3 HORNS PLUCKED OUT
 It is 5th century AD
 Most of Europe is Christian
 Arianism accepted by some tribes
 Clash of beliefs
 Church used political influence to destroy the heretic
tribes
 Visigoths, Vandals and Ostrogoths
EYES AND MOUTH
 Eyes stand for intelligence
 Mouth stand for ability to influence
WHAT LITTLE HORN DOES?
 It speaks great words against the Most High
True Worshippers:
Enter to worship
and
depart to serve!