Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

Important lessons to learn from the life and times of Daniel.

The account of Daniel starts in the year 605 BCE when Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon and Daniel together with 3 of his friends was exiled with the house of Judah. It lasts until the eventual downfall of the Babylonian empire in 539 BCE, when the Medo-Persian Empire conquered Babylon and continues beyond 536 BCE.  After Daniel was deported to Babylon, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in two stages; i.e. during 597 and 586 BCE. Every time the Babylonians deported progressively more of the Jewish people. Elohim allowed Judah to be taken captive because of their numerous sins, but was also providently working out His purpose toward the eventual display of the coming Kingdom of Elohim.

Elohim allowed Gentiles to dominate the Jewish nation, specifically Babylon (605 – 539 BCE); Medo-Persia (539 – 331 BCE); Greece (331 – 146 BCE); and Rome (146 BCE – 476 CE) right up to the time when Yahshua our Messiah will return one day. The Key of Elohim’s kingly control is vested in Messiah’s return to rule the world from Jerusalem.  He is pictured as a stone who will return to crush and put an end to the kingdoms of the world, but His kingdom will endure forever. The book presents a number of challenges around the interpretation of passages about a future tribulation. Though many archeological findings confirm the date of writing of the book, there are some skeptical interpreters, unwilling to acknowledge the supernatural prophecies of which numerous were already fulfilled. They consider these prophecies simply as observations of a later writer, who penned the events during the days of Antiochus Epiphanes between 175 - 164 BCE. Without going into too much detail, we only need to look at the prophecies of Daniel to establish the accuracy of the Scriptures. The prophecies of Daniel provide so many details about specific events that it is impossible to refute.

It was during the third year of Jehoiakim king of Judah, son of Josiah, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon besieged Jerusalem. At that time King Nebuchadnezzar ordered his officials to bring some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and the nobles and youths in who was no defect, who were good-looking, intelligent and endowed with understanding, who had the ability to serve in his court. They were taught the literature and language of the Chaldeans. Among these sons of Judah were Daniel and his three friends. In verse 7 of Daniel 1, we see that the commander of the officials assigned new names to Daniel and his friends.  Key in the process of their Babylonian training was a name change. This was to tie the inductees to local gods rather than to support their former religion. Whereas the name Daniel means ‘Elohim is my Judge’, his new name Belteshazzar meant ‘Bel protects the king’; where as Hananiah’s name means, ‘YHVH is gracious’, his new name Shadrach meant ‘command of Aku,’ another Babylonian god; where as Mishael’s name means ‘who is like Elohim’, his new name Meshach meant ‘who is what Aku is’; and finally where as Azariah’s name means ‘YHVH is my helper’, his new name Abednego meant ‘servant of Nego’, yet another Babylonian god. 

Daniel and his friends were given daily rations of the king’s choicest food and wine, and it was appointed that they be educated three years, at the end of which they would enter the king’s personal service.  However, Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine, so he obtained permission for him and his three friends to only eat vegetables and drink water. After their period of training was over, the king appointed Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah in his personal service. We read about this in Daniel 1: 18 – 20, in this way: ‘Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. (19) And the king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service. (20) And as for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.’

During the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, he had a dream and his spirit troubled him. At first the king ordered the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the master astrologers to tell him the meaning of his dream.  However, there was a catch; the king not only wanted to know the meaning of his dream, but demanded that they also tell him what he dreamt. Even though the king knew what he dreamt, he also wanted to test these so-called wise men. In the end these men told him that there is no one on earth who could help him, except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh. This angered the king and he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.  Arioch acting on the king’s instructions came to arrest Daniel and his friends and escorted them to await execution. In thinking that Daniel might be able to make sense of the king’s dream, Arioch related the morbid situation to Daniel. This was because the king and others in the administration believed that Daniel was more competent than any of the other magicians in his empire. This is when Daniel requested for more time to discover the dream and its interpretation. We read consequently from Daniel 2: 13 – 16, ‘So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them. (14) Then Daniel replied with discretion, and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king’s bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon; (15) he answered and said to Arioch, the king’s commander, “For what reason is the decree from the king so urgent?” Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. (16)So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king.’

With the king’s permission Daniel went home, where he informed his three friends about what happened, in order that they might pray and request help from Elohim concerning the matter. We read from Daniel 2: 19 - 23, ‘Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the Elohim of heaven; (20) Daniel answered and said, “Let the name of Elohim be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. (21) And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to men of understanding. (22) It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him. (23)To Thee, O Elohim of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for Thou hast given me wisdom and power; even now Thou hast made known to me what we requested of Thee, for Thou hast made known to us the king’s matter.”’

Because of Daniel’s life long relationship with YHVH the Elohim of Israel, he was confident that YHVH revealed not only what the king dreamt, but also the meaning of the dream, as we read from verses 24 & 25 of Daniel 2, ‘Therefore, Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and spoke to him as follows: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Take me into the king’s presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king.” (25) Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into the king’s presence and spoke to him as follows: “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king! ”Even though skeptical, the king questioned Daniel. But instead of revealing the dream and its meaning immediately, Daniel first told the king the reason why the other wise men could not interpret his dream. We read his response to the king in verses 27 - 30, in this way: “As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. (28) However, there is an Elohim in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. (29) As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place. (30)But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.”

After this Daniel began telling the king what he dreamt, as we read from verses 31 – 35 of Daniel 2, as follows: “You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. (32) The head of the statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, (33) its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. (34) You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. (35)Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Daniel continued to reveal the meaning of the king’s dream in verses 36 – 45, in this way: “This was the dream; now we shall tell its interpretation before the king. (37) You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the Elohim of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory; (38) and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold. (39) And after you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth. (40)Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. (41) And in that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. (42) And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. (43) And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery. (44) And in the days of those kings the Elohim of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. (45)Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great Elohim has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.” In addition to keeping Daniel safe, Elohim also inspired King Nebuchadnezzar to make Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon and the chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 

Even though Daniel taught Nebuchadnezzar about the supreme Elohim of heaven, the king did not worship Him.  Instead he made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits; and he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Next king Nebuchadnezzar commanded everyone in his kingdom to bow down and worship the image, upon hearing the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music. He further decreed death in a furnace for anyone who refuses to bow down to this image. Because the people of Elohim are forbidden to bow down and worship images, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not worship the image. When the king found out about their refusal to worship the image, he commanded that they be brought before him. When the guards brought them before the king and he asked them if it was true that they would not worship the image, they respectfully answered as recorded in verses 16 – 18 of Daniel 3, saying to the king: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this. (17) If it be so, our Elohim whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. (18) But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” When Nebuchadnezzar heard this he became very angry and commanded that the furnace be heated seven times more than usual. Then he commanded that certain valiant warriors tie up the three men and throw them into the furnace. We read from verse 21, ‘Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.’ At this point I need to mention that there are some in our Nazarene/Messianic faith, who insists that the custom of wearing a kippah or cap comes from Babylon. Even so, we are aware that King David wore a head-covering whilst praying, as may be read from 2 Samuel 15: 30 & 32. We also know that King David was never in captivity in Babylon. In addition we know that Aaron and the priests all wore head-coverings as commanded in the Torah.  From verse 21 of Daniel 3, quoted here we notice that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fire, wearing all their clothes, including caps, because they were defying king Nebuchadnezzar for not worshipping the image that he set up. I therefore do not agree that these Jewish men, who were in defiance of king Nebuchadnezzar, adopted the custom of wearing head-coverings from the Babylonians, but that it was an Israelite custom all along.

The king’s soldiers grabbed the three men and threw them into the fire, and because the flames were so intense the soldiers were killed instantly. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fell into the fire still tied up. Nebuchadnezzar was astounded at what he saw and he asked his high officials, as we read from verses 24 & 25, “Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “Certainly, O king.”  (25) He answered and said, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!”’ Then the king called upon Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to come out of the fire and the king’s officials were utterly amazed that not a hair of the heads of Daniel’s friends was singed. Immediately upon seeing this Nebuchadnezzar said (as recorded in verse 28),‘Blessed be the Elohim of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as to serve or worship any god except their own Elohim. ’Again Elohim used Daniel’s three friends to remind Nebuchadnezzar that there is a supreme Ruler in heaven.

One night king Nebuchadnezzar had another dream, in which he saw a big tree that reached into heaven and provided food and shelter for many animals. But an angelic being from heaven caused the tree to be chopped down, leaving only a stump. The angelic being also said as recorded in verse 16 of Daniel 4, “Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let a beast’s mind be given to him, and let seven periods of time pass over him.” When the king told Daniel about his dream, he immediately knew its meaning, but he hesitated to tell the king. When the king insisted, Daniel told the king what he dreamt and then gave him the interpretation saying as we read from verses 24 – 27, ‘This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: (25) that you be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever He wishes. (26) And in that it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules. (27) Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.’ King Nebuchadnezzar did not change his ways and within a year his dream came true, He was driven away and began eating grass. His hair grew like eagles feathers and his nails became like bird claws. However, at the end of the seven years Elohim restored his sanity and he realized that he was dealing with the Most High. He blessed and praised Elohim, as recorded in verse 37 of Daniel 4, as follows: “Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise, exalt, and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.’  Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom lasted a few more years until Belshazzar became king in his place.

Whilst Belshazzar was feasting with his officials one evening, he gave orders that the gold and silver vessels, which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, be brought out so that the nobles and their wives, and concubines might drink from them. Suddenly a finger of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the wall of the king’s palace. The king’s face grew pale and he called for the conjurers, diviners and the astrologers to read what was written on the wall. But the king’s wise men could not read the inscription on the wall.  The queen entered the banquet hall and told the king that there is a man who served under his father, who will be able to interpret the message. So the king called for Daniel and told him that he heard about his abilities. He immediately offered Daniel expensive gifts and the position of the third ruler in the kingdom. However, Daniel refused the gifts but added that he will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him. We read Daniels interpretation of the kings dream, after explaining to the king, that the Most High Elohim is ruler over all mankind, and He sets over it whomever He wishes, from verses 25 –  28 of Daniel 5, in this way: “Now this is the inscription that was written out: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.’ (26) This is the interpretation of the message: ‘MENE’ –Elohim has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.(27) ‘TEKEL’ – you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. (28) ‘PERES’ – your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and the Persians.” Even though Belshazzar honored Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and made him the third ruler in his kingdom, the king was slain that night.

Darius the Mede became the next ruler over Babylon. King Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom that they should be in charge of the entire kingdom. He further appointed three commissioners, of whom Daniel was one over these satraps. At that time Daniel distinguished himself among his peers because he possessed an extraordinary spirit and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. As a result Daniel’s fellow government officials became jealous of him. So, Daniel’s colleagues tricked the king into signing a decree which outlawed anyone from making a petition to any god or man besides king Darius; else such a person would be thrown into the lion’s den. This was a severe test for Daniel, as it was his habit to pray to YHVH three times a day, whilst kneeling by an open window facing Jerusalem. This decree meant that it became unlawful for Daniel to worship YHVH in prayer. Even so, this did not stop Daniel from praying to YHVH as may be read in the second part of Daniel 6: 10: ‘and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his Elohim, as he had been doing previously.’ His colleagues caught him praying and reported him to the king. The king was deeply distressed and he tried saving Daniel. However, the decree was in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, meaning that no injunction or statute which the king established may be changed, so Daniel was duly thrown into the lion’s den.  In addition, the den was sealed by a stone, which the king sealed with his signet ring. But, we see that when the king entered his palace he started fasting for his servant Daniel. Later when he could not fall asleep, he went to the lion’s den. We read what happened next from verse 20 of Daniel 6, ‘And when he (the king) had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living Elohim, has your Elohim, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?” We read about the end result of Daniel’s faith, from verses 21 - 23, as follows: ‘Then Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever! (22) My Elohim sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” (23) Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his Elohim.” The king publicly acknowledges the supremacy of Daniel’s Elohim by relating His deliverance of Daniel from the lions.  Daniel’s faith in Elohim saved his life and as we read from verse 28 of Daniel 6, ‘So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.’

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Elohim revealed events which will happen many years in the future. Daniel wrote these visions down, as may be read from Daniel 7: 1 to 8: 2. Daniel wrote that he saw four great beasts coming up from the sea, different from one another. The first beast was like a lion, the second like a bear and the third was like a leopard with wings. However, the fourth beast appeared very strong and different from the animals that we are familiar with, and had ten horns. In Daniel’s vision a little horn came up among the ten and uprooted three of the ten horns. Elohim revealed to Daniel that these four beasts symbolized four world ruling kingdoms. From history we know that these were the Persian Empire, the Greco-Macedonian Empire under Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire. The ten horns of the fourth beast symbolized ten successive kings and their governments which would arise out of the Roman Empire. Elohim told Daniel that the little horn will cause His people much trouble in the last days. But Elohim the ruler of the universe will take away the little horn’s power, and will at that time set-up His eternal Kingdom on earth.

Another prophecy of Daniel’s that played out exactly as he prophesied is in Daniel 8: 14, as follows: ‘And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the Set-apart place will be properly restored.”’ The ‘and’ between the evenings and mornings in this verse is written in italics in the New American Standard Bible, showing that it does not appear in the original Hebrew texts from which this is translated, and refers to 2,300 total units or days. The total period involved here is about 6½ years of sacrificing a lamb, twice a day, as per Exodus 29: 38 & 39. This prophecy accurately identifies the time of Antiochus’ persecution, between September 6, 171 BCE and December 25, 165/4 BCE. After his death Jews celebrated the cleansing of the Temple in the Festival of Lights or Chanukah; in celebration of the restoration led by Judas Maccabeus.

Daniel wrote the prophecy in Daniel 9, about the seventy weeks, during the first year of Darius’s reign about 539 BCE. Daniel predicts Messiah’s ministry to commence during the Spring of 27 CE and end three and a half years later in the middle of the week. Yahshua was almost 30 years of age when He was immersed. Most competent Bible scholars know that Messiah’s ministry was 3 ½ years in length. Yahshua was impaled as our Passover Lamb during the spring of 31 CE according to the Roman calendar. Both the British and U.S. Naval Observatories agree that 31 CE was one of only a few erratic years which had a mid-week Passover. Yahshua was in the grave for three full days and three full nights, thereby proving that He was indeed our Savior, as He confirmed in Matthew 12: 38 – 40, as follows: ‘Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” (39) But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; (40) for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”’

Elohim called Daniel a righteous man as may be read from Ezekiel 14: 14. Daniel set a great example for us in that he was constant in prayer and thankfulness; courageous enough to speak the truth, even if it meant persecution at times; and faithful to Elohim and His Torah throughout his life. If we like Daniel commit our lives to Elohim, despite the difficult circumstances in which we live, we will definitely make it into the coming Kingdom of Elohim.