Daniel Chapter 8 - The Little Horn and The Sanctuary Cleanced

Daniel 8:1-2 “In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. 2 And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.”

King Belshazzar only reigned for three years, and if you remember back to chapter five it was during his rulership that the Babylonian empire crumbled under the hands of the Medes and Persians. So we find this vision coming to Daniel in the final year of the reign of Belshazzar and the Babylonian empire. Also this vision is two years after the one that appeared unto Daniel at the first in chapter seven.

Daniel was located in the palace at Shushan, which was the metropolis of the province of Elam, near the river Ulai. The king of Babylon had a palace situated there which would not make it a strange occurrence for Daniel to be there. For with the position that Daniel held in the kingdom, it would easily indicate that he was there fulfilling the kings business. Abradates was prince of the province of Elam which lies east of Babylon. He later revolted and sided with Cyrus the Persian, thus Elam becoming a province of Persia, who linked up with the Medes to conquer Babylon.

NOTE: Elam's involvement was prophesied of by Isaiah. (Isaiah 21:2)

Daniel 8:3-4 “Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.”

A Ram - The first power introduced to us in this chapter is symbolized by a ram. There is no guessing who this is, for in verse 20 we are told that it is the kingdom of the Medes and Persians. So unlike chapters 2 and 7, this vision starts without the kingdom of Babylon. The reason being that Babylon was at the end of its reign of world dominance. It was passing off the scene.

Which had two horns - Again in verse 20 we are told that the two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

One was higher than the other...higher came up last - The Medes, under Darius, and the Persians, under Cyrus, untied together to bring about the downfall of the Babylonian empire. When they succeeded, as seen in chapter 5, Cyrus, the nephew of Darius the Mede, allowed Darius to take the throne and rule the empire, out of respect for his uncle. Darius ruled for only two years and then died at the age of 64. Persia now took the throne through Cyrus. But why is this referred to as the higher coming up last? It is because, out of the two nations, the Medes were the weaker and thus the higher or stronger, which were the Persians, came up last. The kingdom eventually was known as the Persian kingdom.

Pushed westward, northward and southward - When looking at the word ‘pushed’ here, and the way it is used in this verse, it is easy to see that it is referring to the conquests of the Medo-Persian Empire.

The Medes and Persians conquered Lydia to the west 547 B.C. and Babylon 539 B.C., Egypt and Nubia in the south 525 B.C., and the Scythians in the north in 513 B.C. The entire number of provinces were 127 (Esther 1:1) from India to Ethiopia.

No beast might stand before him - That is, no nation could stand before the Medo-Persian Empire.

Did according to his will - No-one could stand in the way of, nor be delivered out of the hand of this conquering power which did according to his will and became great.

Daniel 8:5-8 “And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. 7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. 8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.”

As I was considering - As Daniel was watching the ram.

Behold an he goat - Daniel is now introduced to the next power whilst watching the ram, thus showing that these are consecutive kingdoms.

Once again there is no guessing who this is, for we are told in verse 21 that the he goat is the kingdom of Grecia or Greece, under the rulership of Alexander the Great.

Came from the west - Greece was to the west.

On the face of the whole earth - Thus showing that Greece was to be a world dominating power.

Touched not the ground - Greece was to cover the face of the whole earth in a short space of time, hence the wording touched not the ground. Under Alexander they did this in 12 short years, conquering everything from Macedonia to India and south to Egypt, marching his army over 8364 km during the 12 years.

Notable horn between his eyes - From verse 21 we see that this notable horn is the first king. History tells us that this was Alexander the Great.

Came to the ram...fury of his power...moved with choler - The Bible describes the goat as coming to the ram in the fury of his power and being moved with choler against him, why ? Here is a comment from Adam Clarks Commentary on Daniel to show the reason;

Speaking of Alexander he says, “Subdued Persia and Media; sacked and burnt the royal city of Persepolis, the capital of the Persian Empire, and, even in its ruins, it is one of the wonders of the world to the present day. This he did because ‘he was moved with choler’ against Darius, who had endeavoured to draw off his captains with bribes, and had laboured to induce some of his friends to assassinate him. Alexander, finding this, would listen to no proposals of peace; and was determined never to rest till he had destroyed Darius and his whole empire. In Media, Darius was seized and made prisoner by some of his own treacherous subjects, and afterwards basely murdered.” Adam Clarks Commentary on Daniel, pg. 597 1823/24.

We also find that, when an official entourage appealed for conciliation they were handed the famous reply "Heaven cannot support two suns, nor the earth two masters."

From the rest of verse 7 it is easy to see that Alexander utterly destroyed the Medo-Persian empire, for the Bible says that he, ”smote the ram...brake his two horns...no power in the ram...cast him down...stamped upon him...none that could deliver the ram”. Alexander’s empire covered Greece and Macedonia in the west, and east through to almost the Indus River, then south through Syria, Palestine, and Egypt.

Therefore the he goat waxed very great - Because Alexander’s kingdom covered a greater territory than the Medes and Persians, and the fact that he conquered them, Greece is regarded as waxing very great.

When he was strong...horn was broken - When the empire was at its peak in strength, Alexander died in a drunken debauch at about the age of 31. Just before his death, he was asked to whom the kingdom would go. The reply came back that it would go to the strongest.

For it came up four notable ones - In verse 22 we see that these four notable horns are four kings/kingdoms. They were not to stand up in the power of Alexander, that is, they did not have to conquer land that was unconquered to extend their territory, and not one man was to rule all.

Initially the entire kingdom went to Alexander’s natural brother Phillip Aridaeus, and then to his two infant sons Alexander Aegus, and Hercules. Within a very short time these were all killed so there was no natural heir to the throne, and the battle ensued between the 36 generals for control of the kingdom. Eventually it was divided between four— exactly as the prophecy stated. These were Cassander who had Macedonia and Greece in the west, Lysimachus who had Thrace and a large part of Asia Minor in the north, Ptolemy who had Egypt and a part of Syria in the south, Seleucus who had the bulk of the Persian Empire from Syria eastward.

Towards the four winds of heaven - That is, towards the four points of the compass, north, south, east, and west. (Jeremiah 49:36)

Daniel Chapter 7 - The Rise of Anti-Christ

Daniel 7:1-3 “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 2 Daniel spoke and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.”

In the first year of Belshazzar... - It was in the first year of king Belshazzar that Daniel had a vision and wrote down all that he saw, with the interpretation.

Four winds of heaven - It is quite obvious as we go down through this prophecy that the Bible uses a number of symbols to describe what is taking place. Only the Bible can be used to interpret these symbols.

In Jeremiah 25:31-33 we see that when a great whirlwind is raised up it wreaks death and destruction upon those it comes against. Also in Jeremiah 4:13 we find that the chariots that spoiled the people, (this being a prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem by the hand of Babylon Vs 5, 6), were likened unto a whirlwind. So it is easily seen that winds are a symbol of war, strife, bloodshed, and trouble. Four being from the four quarters of the earth or the four points of the compass Jeremiah 49:36.

Strove upon the great sea - Seas are a symbol of multitudes, nations, tongues, and peoples. (Revelation 17:15, Isaiah 17:12)

Four great beasts came up from the sea - A beast is a symbol of a king or kingdom, so to is a horn. (Daniel 7:17; 23-24) Already we are seeing a picture of what Daniel is being shown. Strife, war and bloodshed is upon the nations as kingdom conquers kingdom to rise to world supremacy. Notice how the beasts rose up out of the sea, thus showing that each kingdom rose out of a densely populated area. We are looking at world events as it comes from all directions, all encompassing.

Diverse one from another - The people in each controlling nation were different, the laws and customs were different, and even the administration of the kingdoms was different.

Daniel 7:4 “The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.”

The first - This shows that all the kingdoms came in succession, as they are known as the first, second and so on.

Was like a lion, and had eagles wings - A lion is strong and very courageous, and it is also known as the king of the beasts. But which kingdom does this winged lion represent? If we look in Jeremiah 4:5-7, it is seen there a prophecy regarding the coming destruction of Judah and Jerusalem under the hand of Babylon. Notice how Babylon, who came from the north, is described as a lion. We also know from Daniel chapter 1 that it was Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, that came and conquered Judah and Jerusalem. Babylon is represented by this lion.

Wings are a symbol of speed or swiftness as seen in Habakkuk 1:6-9. It is also interesting to note that in these verses it is prophesied of the rise of the Chaldeans/Babylonians whilst they were still an Assyrian province. Their horsemen were to be like an eagle that hasteth to eat, that is, fast, showing their speed of conquest. The winged lion symbol is found on many Babylonian objects of art and also upon the Ishtar gates, which were the gates of entry for the triumphant armies. This symbol is utilised by Bible prophets in talking about Babylon.

Wings were plucked...made stand upon feet as a man...man’s heart given... - Here we see a change taking place in the Babylonian power. No longer was it swift to fly upon its enemies or quick to defend its territory like the king of the beasts, the strong courageous heart of a lion was replaced by a weak and wicked heart of a man, and made to stand as a man.

In the time of the downfall of Babylon under Belshazzar’s reign, the kingdom was reduced to the walls of Babylon itself. With the conquering spirit gone and regarding that their power came from their god’s. (Habakkuk 1:11, Jeremiah 50:38) God had abandoned them and the Babylonian kingdom fell with Belshazzar being slain in the middle of a drunken feast. See chapter 5. Babylon reigned from 606-538 B.C.

Daniel 7:5 “And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.”

Another beast - We are now introduced to the next kingdom rising to power.

Like a bear...raised up on one side - A bear is very vicious, ferocious, also blood thirsty. But this one is raised up on one side showing that one side is being favoured, thus being weaker.

This is a very good description of the Medo-Persian Empire. They were cruel and vicious. (Isaiah 13:15-19) Also they were partly strong and partly weak. Darius the Mede and Cyrus his nephew came together so as to go up against Babylon. The Persians were much stronger than the Medes, hence the bear raised up on one side, with the Persians ruling the kingdom for the majority of the time. See Inserted note, A.

Three ribs in its mouth - This bear has been devouring other beasts as it has three ribs in its mouth. These three ribs can represent the three kingdoms that the Medes and Persians conquered as they were rising to power, these are Lydia, Egypt, and Babylon.

Arise devour much flesh - The Medo-Persian empire was much larger than the Babylonian empire. They ruled over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia. (Esther 1:1) Medes and Persians ruled from 538-331 B.C.

Daniel Chapter 6 - Accusers, The Accused and The Lions

Daniel 6:1-3 “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; 2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. 3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.”

Darius - We have just seen in the previous chapter the overthrow of Babylon by the Medes and Persians. Darius was the first king ruling for only two years. During this time, 538 - 536 B.C., the events of this chapter took place.

Over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes - It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 princes, obviously one prince per province of the Medo-Persian kingdom. It wasn’t until the victories of Cambyses and Darius Hystaspes that the kingdom was enlarged to 127 provinces as in the time of Esther. (Esther 1:1)

Over these three presidents - Over these princes was placed three presidents, thus the princes were answerable to the presidents.

Daniel was first - Daniel was placed above all of them as he was the first president.

Princes might give accounts unto them... – These princes of the provinces were to give accounts unto the three presidents so the king would have no damage or loss of revenue. This shows to us the qualities the king must have seen in Daniel, for he would have to have been honest, faithful, and have strict integrity in business matters for the king to entrust to him such a position.

Daniel was preferred above - The reason why Daniel was preferred above the other presidents and princes is given to us here. In him was an excellent spirit, thus the king set him over the whole realm for he saw this in him. We do not need to expand on this matter as we have seen the type of character that Daniel has in previous chapters.

Daniel 6:4-5 “Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against... - It was at this time, when Daniel was promoted above them, their jealousy peaked. So they sought to find a fault in his dealings with the affairs of the kingdom. This was to try and bring him down from his exalted position by the king.

But they could find none occasion nor fault - There was not a single mistake or unfaithfulness found in his work, not the slightest discrepancy, neither was there any error or fault found in his person. His dealings with the kingdoms affairs were perfect and his conduct was blameless. Could this be said of us?

We are instructed in Ecclesiastes 9:10 that “whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might”, and 1 Corinthians 10:31 “whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

Against him concerning the law of his God - They realized that they were not going to find any occasion against Daniel except in one area. This was to make a law which was contrary to the law of Daniel’s God and enforce it. They themselves could see that he was faithful in serving his God. We see this situation also at the end of time when laws are made contrary to God’s and are enforced being punishable by death. (Revelation 13:8, 12, 14-15)

Daniel’s faithfulness is being tested yet again.

Daniel 6:6-9 “Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of you, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.”

Presidents and princes assembled together to the king - Margin reads tumultuously. They all assembled before the king, as if to show that this was an important matter for the king to look over.

All the presidents...have consulted together - The claim here is that all inclusively have discussed and agreed on the matter that is going to be brought before the king. Now this is a lie as Daniel was at the head of them all, but yet not present nor consulted about the matter. It was to deceive the king into thinking that there was no opposition at hand.

Royal statute, and to make a firm decree - Their object was to make a royal statute, that is a firm/mighty decree, that no person was to ask any petition of any God or man for thirty days save of the king. They were willing to go against all their own gods and religious system to secure their object of ridding Daniel.

It generally takes thirty days to form a new habit and break an old one. Thus if Daniel would continually bow to this decree it would be the forming of a new habit.

Cast into the den of lions - If not abided by it was punishable by death, being eaten alive by lions. They had watched Daniel and had seen the faultless character that he had, and seeing there was no fault to be found the only option left was to slay him. (Psalms 37:32)

O king, establish the decree - After appealing to the king’s pride through exalting him, they ask him to sign the writing so it cannot be changed. This is a law of the Medes and Persians that once it has been signed by the king it cannot be altered.

Darius signed the writing - The king was deceived. He saw only that which brought glory and honour to himself, thus he signed the decree without hesitation.

Daniel Chapter 5 - From Feasting to Fear and Death

Daniel 5:1-4 “Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. 3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.”

Belshazzar the king - Nebuchadnezzar had died in 562 B.C., leaving his son Evil-Merodach [Amel-Marduk] to take over the kingdom 562-560 B.C. He was succeeded by Neriglissar 560-556 B.C., who was succeeded by his son Laborosoarchod who ruled for 9 months. Nabonadius ruled next 556-539 B.C. with the last three years, 541-539 B.C. co-jointly with his son Belshazzar. This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah 27:6-8 where Babylon would rule until his son and his son’s son, as Nabonadius was Nebuchadnezzar’s son and Belshazzar therefore his grandson.

Made a great feast - In 560 B.C., with Neriglissar ruling, war had broken out between the Babylonians and the Medes. Darius, the king of the Medes, summoned his nephew Cyrus, the king of the Persians, to aid him in the war. At the time of Belshazzar, Babylon the city was the only city in the east not under subjection to the Medes and Persians. So Cyrus laid siege to the city of Babylon. But prior to this, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah 51:44-46, a rumour came that Cyrus was coming to lay siege. He had to turn back due to the death of a sacred white horse, but came out again 1 year later 538 B.C.

With Belshazzar knowing all this, but being full of pride, still made a great feast as an act of defiance. For Babylon’s walls were to thick to break through and to high to climb, and with approximately 25 years supply of food, plus an abundance of food growing within the walls, and with the Euphrates running through the centre they had an indefinite supply of food.

A thousand of his lords plus wives and concubines were present at the feast.

Drank wine before the thousand - The word before can also be translated as against. It would not be unusual for Belshazzar to have been in a drinking contest.

While he tasted the wine - With his reason impeded by the intoxicated state he was in from the fermented wine, he commanded to have the golden and silver vessels, that had been taken from the temple of God at Jerusalem, brought to him so they could drink out of them.

His father Nebuchadnezzar - These were the same vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken when he took over Jerusalem.

As seen already, Nebuchadnezzar was Belshazzar’s grandfather. It was customary to call any parental figure by father.

Drank in them - The wives, concubines, king, and princes all drank out of sacred vessels from the house of God.

Praised the gods - They continued in their debased state by praising the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone. In reality, what they were doing was mixing their pagan religion with the true worship of God. We will see the results in the next verse.

Daniel 5:5-6 “In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.”

In the same hour - Hour comes from the Chaldean word sha’ah, which means a moment. In the same moment that they began to use the vessels, which are for the true worship of God, to drink wine out of and praise their gods, the sentence was pronounced. We learn from this that true and false worship do not mix, but endanger a person of closing their probation.

Fingers of a man’s hand - Obviously the hand of God, as the writing was a judgment from God pronounced upon Babylon. This we will see in Vs 24-28.

Wrote - The finger of God wrote upon the plaster of the wall of the kings palace. Belshazzar saw the hand and the writing which was for all to see.

Countenance was changed...joints of his loins loosed... - This had an immediate reaction upon Belshazzar. It struck so much fear into him that it caused his knees to knock together, a vast change from the drunkenness and revelry of the feast.

Looking at the prophecy of Isaiah 21:2-5, we see the same event described by Isaiah. He likens Belshazzar’s experience to a woman that is in labour. The onset is sudden and unexpected, the night of his pleasure was turned into fear.

Daniel 5:7-9 “The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spoke, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 8 Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof 9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonished.”

Bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers - Belshazzar cried aloud, or with might [margin], to bring in the wise men. Here was a man whose voice would have bellowed throughout the king’s palace, crying out to bring in the wise men so they could give him an answer as quickly as possible.

King spake - The king told the wise men that, whoever could read him the writing and give the interpretation thereof would be clothed in scarlet, [margin, purple] as purple was a symbol of royalty, and have a gold chain about his neck.

Third ruler in the kingdom - Above all of this they were to be promoted to third ruler in the kingdom. But why third and not second? Nabonadius, Belshazzar’s father, was still ruling at the time, though he was absent. This made Belshazzar the second in charge, thus the next person would naturally be below him in the third position.

But they could not read... – They could not even read the writing, thus they could not give the interpretation though such a great reward was on offer. The false system fails again.

Greatly troubled... - All the hopes and confidence that he had in his wise men vanished, which sunk him into a troubled state. His countenance also showing his despair and disappointment.

Daniel Chapter 4 - Nebuchadnezzar’s Conversion

Daniel 4:1-3 “Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 2 I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God has wrought toward me. 3 How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.”

Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people - Here in this chapter we are seeing a decree that Nebuchadnezzar is making to all people, nations, and languages, as he was the ruler of the world at this stage. So this entire chapter deals with this decree that shows the conversion of Nebuchadnezzar.

Signs and wonders - God had wrought many signs and wonders before him. They were the great vision of chapter 2 where he was shown from the kingdom of Babylon to the Second Coming of Christ. Also the mighty deliverance of the three Hebrews from the fiery furnace in chapter 3. Now we will see in this chapter another wonder performed by God to bring Nebuchadnezzar to a decision.

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom - Nebuchadnezzar freely acknowledges that God’s kingdom is an everlasting one and that His dominion is from generation to generation.

Daniel 4:4-7 “I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: 5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. 6 Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.”

At rest...flourishing in my palace - Nebuchadnezzar was at rest, or in a state of security because of his success, and flourishing/prosperous as he had subdued Syria, Phoenicia, Judea, Egypt, and Arabia. Because of this security and prosperity he was slipping into a condition of laxness. We can guarantee that Satan was using this prosperity to keep him from God as we see in v30.

Dream which made me afraid...troubled me - It was at this time that God, in His mercy, gave him another dream. If you look through the book of Daniel, you will see God trying to draw Nebuchadnezzar to Himself, either through dreams or wonders performed before him.

This dream struck fear into him at a time when he was secure, and continued to trouble his mind and not give him any peace.

Therefore...decree to bring in all the wise men - Because it brought so much unrest to his mind, he made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon. This was to have them give him the interpretation of the dream.

I told the dream before them - Unlike the dream of chapter 2, the king remembers this time what he has dreamt. Therefore he tells the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and the soothsayers what the dream was.

Did not make known unto me the interpretation - In chapter 2 the wise men begged the king to give them the dream and they would give the interpretation. Here the king gives them the dream and they still could not give the interpretation of it. God is still exposing the falsity of the counterfeit system to Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel 4:8-9 “But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, 9 O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret troubleth you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.”

But at the last Daniel - At last Daniel has come in before the king. The king remembers Daniel and the abilities he has plus the position of being the master of the magicians. He is called this because he can give the answer of all secret things.

Spirit of the holy gods - Nebuchadnezzar says this about Daniel because it is Daniel’s God that is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets. (Daniel 2:47)

Before him I told the dream - Before Daniel the king tells the dream and asks Daniel for the interpretation.

Daniel Chapter 3 - An Image of Defiance and a Fiery Trial

Daniel 3:1 “Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.”

King made an image of gold - The impression of the dream in chapter 2 had obviously worn off by this time, the impression being in verses 46-49. For Nebuchadnezzar made the entire image of gold unlike the one in his dream. He was not content with having another kingdom succeed his own so, more in defiance, he makes one of gold. This was to show that his kingdom was not going to be succeeded by another but continue on perpetually. It was more an image of defiance and rebellion against God. He was worshiping his own kingdom and the exaltation of himself at the head of it.

We see part truths in this image of defiance. For Babylon, then ruled by Nebuchadnezzar, was depicted as being the head of gold in the dream. Then there was to be the chest and arms of silver, but not so with Nebuchadnezzar. Satan loves to mingle just enough truth with error to make things appear as being correct, but it is for the purpose of bringing about your fall. We see this example in Genesis 3.

Height was threescore cubits...breadth thereof six cubits - Sixty cubits high by six cubits wide, which would include the height of a pedestal as the image would be out of proportion if there were not one. In our language, it was 27.43 metres by 2.74 metres.

Set up...plain of Dura...Province of Babylon - The image was set up on the plain of Dura, which is approximately 41 kilometres south east of Babylon. Dura was a province/district of Babylon.

Daniel 3:2-3 “Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.”

Nebuchadnezzar was to make the dedication a rather big occasion. He gathered together all the chief men of his kingdom from all the provinces to come to the dedication. The response was one of full acceptance by all. This is quite remarkable seeing that some would have to travel a great distance to be there. Idolaters are generally very committed to there religion. What about us?

Daniel 3:4-7 “Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 5 That at what time you hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up: 6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.”

All kinds of music, ye fall down and worship - The congregation were informed that when they here all kinds of music they were to bow down to the image and worship it. Music has a great influence over a persons mind and can create a pleasant atmosphere to help a person feel at peace in a given situation, or to encourage/persuade a person.

Music can be used rightly or wrongly. We need to be careful in the type of music we listen to because of the influence it can have over a person, even more so in worshiping God. Satan himself is the master of music, as he was created with musical instruments in him (Ezekiel 28:13) thus he uses it to his advantage.

Burning fiery furnace - If the music was no help in preparing the people to worship the image, Nebuchadnezzar had furnaces in place to give a little more encouragement. Nebuchadnezzar was dictating to the people the way they were going to worship, what they were going to worship, and how they were going to worship. If they did not, it was punished by death. Forced worship is the system of the false religion, as Babylon was at the head of a false system of religion. Whereas with God it is a system of choice. (Revelation 2:17, Isaiah 1:18, Joshua 24:15)

At the end of time we find that we have the same situation: forced worship under the penalty of death if not complied with. (Revelation 13:15)

Therefore at that time - Because of the death penalty to all who did not comply, when the people heard the music they all bowed down and worshiped the image.

Daniel Chapter 2 - Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Daniel 2:1 “And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.”

Before we enter into this chapter it would do us well to quickly look at a few things. Babylon was the great counterfeit religion, founded by Nimrod not long after the flood. (Genesis 10:8-10) Nimrod married his mother Semiramis, who was worshiped as Rhea the great “Mother” of the gods, and raised Babylon to a bad eminence among the nations as the grand seat at once of idolatry and consecrated prostitution. It is from here also that the worship of mother and child stems, with many other false forms of worship that we still see today throughout the churches. The Two Babylons by Rev. Alexander Hislop. Their religion and state were so closely interwoven that they were one entity not two separate entities, which is common for pagan religions/states.

Satan himself desired to be like God and to be worshiped as such. (Isaiah 14:12-14) We see in the city of Babylon imitations of the City of God. In Revelation 22:1-2 the river of life flows through the midst of the city for all the redeemed to partake of it. In the city of Babylon, Satan’s bride, we see a river running through the midst to give life to the inhabitants. Babylon trusted in their educational system rather than the God of heaven (Isaiah 47:10) as Lucifer trusted in his own wisdom than in God. (Ezekiel 28:17) There are more likenesses but we do not have time to look at them.

So it is easily seen that we are dealing with the great counterfeit religion. But we must remember that ultimately God is in control. (Jeremiah 27:6-7)

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. This dream troubled him to the point of where he could no longer sleep. God speaks to each of us as he was trying to speak to Nebuchadnezzar, but we do not always here His voice for we push it away or crowd it out. But when deep sleep comes upon a person it is at this time that the God of heaven can communicate to the stubborn of heart. (Job 33:13-17) This is the case with Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel 2:2 “Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.”

The king now calls upon his trusted interpreters to show him his dream. Let us have a look at what their claims are.

Magicians - They practiced superstitious rights and ceremonies of fortune tellers, casters of nativities.

Astrologers - Pretended to foretell the future events by the study of the stars.

Sorcerers - Pretended to hold communication with the dead.

Chaldeans - These were a sect of Philosophers, similar to the magicians and astrologers, who made physic (the art or skill of healing), divinations (discovering future events or unknown things as though by supernatural powers) etc. their study.

They all claim to be in touch with the other side and the gods. For this reason the king called them, for he wished for them to use their powers in aiding him with his problem.

Daniel 2:3-4 “And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. 4 Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.”

Here we find why the king was so troubled. It was in the fact that he could not remember the dream. They now speak to the king in Syriack, which was a language used by the educated and cultured classes. The group here called in by the king are already well versed in drawing information out to obtain their objective, hence the statement “tell thy servants the dream”. For when the dream is told they can make up some sought of interpretation.

Daniel Chapter 1 - Introduction

Daniel 1:1-2 “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.”

Jehoiakim reigned from 609-598 B.C. and “did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord” 2 Chronicles 36:5. It was in his 3rd year, 606 B.C., that Nebuchadnezzar came and besieged Jerusalem, in which time Nebuchadnezzar took some of the vessels of the temple of the Lord and some of the inhabitants, Daniel and his three friends included.

It would be interesting to note that during this time king Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar’s father, died leaving the throne naked. Nebuchadnezzar receiving word endeavoured to return to Babylon, in the land of Shinar (Genesis 10:10) to claim it before another did. He rode approximately 700 km’s, across the Syrian Desert, over 22-23 days and claimed the throne and kingship.

King Nebuchadnezzar put the vessels from the temple of God into the temple of Marduk (formally named Bel) the god of the Babylonians, Jeremiah 50:2.

All of this came to pass according to the word of the Lord through Isaiah the prophet. (2 Kings 20:16-17)

Note: Jerusalem was besieged 2 more times, once under the reign of Jehoiachin 597 B.C. and secondly under the reign of Zedekiah in 586 B.C. in the which, Jerusalem’s walls were pulled down also the temple, and the city was burned only leaving husbandmen to tend to crops. (2 Kings 24 & 25; 2 Chronicles 36)

Daniel 1:3-5 “And the king spoke unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; 4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.”

Isaiah prophesied of the fact that king Hezekiah’s sons, or the kings seed, would be taken captive by the Babylonians, and made eunuchs (in a physical sense of the word), in the palace of the king of Babylon. (Isaiah 39:7)

Nebuchadnezzar told Ashpenaz, the master of the eunuchs, to choose out children of the kings seed (which can be read as youth as Daniel was 18 years of age), that had no blemish, or physical defects, (Leviticus 24:19-20) but well-favoured or good looking in appearance. Skilful in all wisdom, cunning in knowledge, understanding science, and have the ability to be able to stand or hold a position in the king’s palace. Those that were chosen had to be able to be taught in the schools and tongue of the Chaldeans.

It is obvious that those who were chosen were well educated, which is another reason why they were not just children. What should make the reader sit back and look at what has just been read is this; an idolatrous king demanded perfection in those who were chosen. And he was so concerned in their well being, that he would not allow ordinary food to be fed to them. Nebuchadnezzar wanted them to be fed with what he regarded as the best, which is the food from his own table. If this is expected by an idolatrous king, how much more is expected by the King of kings, Jesus Christ.

The question must be asked, why did Nebuchadnezzar not wipe out the opposing kings seed, but wish to educate them in the affairs of his kingdom so that they could stand in his palace? The answer is rather a simple one. Nebuchadnezzar was a very wise king, and by doing this he would guarantee, more fully, the loyalty of the captive nation to his own kingdom.

At the end of three years they were to stand before the king, obviously to be tested by him to see how they have faired, verses 18-20.

Daniel 1:6-7 “Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.”

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were a part of the captivity. The prince of the eunuchs gave them new names as listed below;

The Pagan name change:

Daniel; God is my judge changed to Belteshazzar; Keeper of the hide treasures of Bel

Hananiah; Yahweh is God changed to Shadrach; Inspiration of the sun (worship of Sun)

Mishael; Who belongs to God changed to Meshach; Of the goddess Shaca (worship of Venus)

Azariah; Yahweh helps changed to Abednego; Servant of the shining fire

The change of names was customary of this time, but why to names of pagan deities? This was to encourage them, or influence them, to compromise, (conform to), and take up the idolatrous religion and practices that encompassed them in the Babylonian nation.

Book of Daniel

Historical Prologue
Chapter 1

Kingdom Prophecies
Chapter 2 - Image of King
Chapter 7 - Wild Beasts
Chapter 8 - Sacrificial Animals
Chapter 11-12a - King Of North / King Of South

Trials of God's People
Chapter 3 - Image Worship/Fiery Furnace
Chapter 6 - Worship King/Lion's Den
Chapter 9a - Prayer Of Forgiveness
Chapter 10 - Mourning For The Temple

King's Prophecies
Chapter 4 - Nebuchadnezzar; Tree Cut Down
Chapter 5 - Belshazzar; Writing On The Wall
Chapter 9:25 - Decree To Rebuild Jerusalem
Chapter 9:27 - Decree To Destroy Jerusalem

Messiah Dies Alone
Chapter 9:26

Prophetic Epilogue
Chapter 12b