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RETURN TO SYLLABUS

DANIEL
LESSON #01
INTRODUCTION AND ORIENTATION

• THIS BOOK IS CALLED AN “APOCALYPSE” AS ARE THE BOOKS OF ISAIAH, ZECHARIAH, AND REVELATION.
• THE WORD, APOCALYPSE, MEANS = “UNVEILING”.
• WHEN WICKEDNESS REIGNED SUPREME ON THE EARTH AND EVIL POWERS APPEARED DOMINANT, AN APOCALYPSE WAS GIVEN BY GOD TO SHOW THE REAL SITUATION BEHIND THAT WHICH WAS APPARENT.
• IN OTHER WORDS, AN UNVEILING OF THE SPIRITUAL REALITY BEHIND THE OBSERVED REALITY.
• AN APOCALYPSE WAS ALSO TO INDICATE THE EVENTUAL VICTORY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ON THE EARTH.
• THIS IS AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO SUFFERING BELIEVERS TO INDICATE THAT THE IMBALANCE OF EVIL OVER GOOD WILL NOT ALWAYS BE SO.
• APOCALYPTIC WRITING USES MANY SYMBOLS AND FIGURES TO REVEAL TRUTH. PART OF THE PROBLEM IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF IT LIES IN RIGHTLY INTERPRETING THE SYMBOLS AND FIGURES.
• AS WITH ALL THE WORD OF GOD, WE WILL USE THE BIBLE TO INTERPRET ITSELF WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
• THE PROPHECY IN DANIEL IS THE ONLY PROPHECY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT THAT SETS THE TIME OF CHRIST’S FIRST COMING.
• IN FACT, DANIEL GIVES US GOD’S WHOLE TIMETABLE FOR HISTORY IN REGARDS TO THE MESSIAH, HIS FIRST AND HIS SECOND COMING.

• WRITTEN BY:

• THE BOOK WAS WRITTEN BY DANIEL, WHOSE NAME MEANS, = “GOD IS JUDGE”.
• PART OF THE BOOK IS WRITTEN IN HEBREW.
• IT WAS WRITTEN IN HEBREW BECAUSE THAT PART SPECIFICALLY PERTAINS TO THE JEWS.
• PART OF THE BOOK IS WRITTEN IN ARAMAIC.
• THAT PART WRITTEN IN ARAMAIC SPECIFICALLY PERTAINS TO THE GENTILES.
• BECAUSE THE BOOK IS WRITTEN IN TWO DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, MANY BELIEVER THERE WERE TWO OR MORE AUTHORS. HOWEVER, IN CONSIDERING THE UNITY OF THE BOOK AND THE PURPOSE OF THE TWO LANGUAGES, DANIEL IS MOST LIKELY THE SINGLE AUTHOR.
• WHO WAS DANIEL?
• HE WAS OF NOBLE BIRTH AND EXCEPTIONALLY INTELLIGENT. HE WAS A POLITICAL STATESMAN AS WELL AS A PROPHET (MAT 24:15). HE WAS POLITICALLY INFLUENTIAL THROUGH THREE DYNASTIES. THAT IS AN UNUSUAL FEAT IN A DAY OF POLITICAL INTRIGUE WHEN HEADS ROLLED EASILY. HIS LIFE IN BABYLON EXTENDED UNTIL ABOUT 534 BC.
• DANIEL WAS DEPORTED AS A BOY IN 606 TO BABYLON.

• WRITTEN TO:

• THE BOOK IS WRITTEN TO GODLY PEOPLE WHETHER THEY ARE JEW OR GENTILE AS AN ENCOURAGEMENT UNDER WORLDLY DOMINATION AND PERSECUTION.

• LOCATION OF THE BOOK:

• DANIEL WROTE THE BOOK DURING A TRAGIC PERIOD OF TIME IN ISRAEL’S HISTORY WHEN THE ISRAELITES WERE IN CAPTIVITY IN BABYLON. THE BOOK WAS WRITTEN IN BABYLON WHERE DANIEL LIVED UNDER THE FOLLOWING KINGS IN BABYLON:
• NEBUCHADNEZZAR
• EVIL MERODACH
• NERIGLISSAR
• LABASHI-MARDUK
• NABONIDUS
• BELCHAZZAR
• DANIEL ALSO LIVED UNDER THE FOLLOWING PERSIAN KINGS:
• CYRUS
• CAMBYSES
• DARIUS I

• DATE OF THE BOOK:

6TH CENTURY BC

• HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

• AFTER THE PERIOD OF THE UNITED MONARCHY UNDER KINGS SAUL, DAVID, AND SOLOMON, THE NATION OF ISRAEL DIVIDED INTO TWO SEPARATE NATIONS.
• THE NORTHERN KINGDOM OF ISRAEL FELL TO THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE IN 721 BC.
• ISRAELITES FROM THE NORTHERN KINGDOM WERE TAKEN CAPTIVE TO THE CITY OF BABYLON.
• THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM OF JUDAH FELL TO THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE IN THREE PHASES.
• DANIEL WAS TAKEN CAPTIVE TO BABYLON WITH THE FIRST GROUP FROM JUDAH IN 606 BC.
• EZEKIEL WAS TAKEN CAPTIVE TO BABYLON WITH THE SECOND GROUP FROM JUDAH IN 597 BC.
• THE THIRD AND FINAL GROUP WAS TAKEN TO BABYLON WHEN JERUSALEM AND THE TEMPLE WERE DESTROYED IN 586 BC.
• A WORD ABOUT DATES:
• THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT DATES ASSIGNED TO VARIOUS EVENTS IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL AND IN THE HISTORY COVERED BY DANIEL’S PROPHECIES. EACH AUTHORITY YOU READ HAS DIFFERENT DATES.
• THE REASONS FOR THIS DISCREPANCY:
• THERE WAS NO ONE UNIFORM DATING SYSTEM DURING THE TIMES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. EACH NATION USED THEIR OWN SYSTEM BASED ON THE THEIR PECULIAR CALENDAR SYSTEM AND DATES BASED ON THE REIGN OF THEIR RULERS.
• MANY THEOLOGIANS ESTABLISH DATES BASED ON SECULAR ASSYRIAN LITERATURE AND HISTORY AND THEN TRY TO FIT BIBLICAL EVENTS INTO THOSE DATES.
• HOWEVER, SINCE THE BIBLE IS THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD WITHOUT ERROR, IT IS BETTER TO ESTABLISH DATES DIRECTLY FROM ON THE BIBLE TEXT.
• ISRAEL’S CALENDAR:
• ISRAEL ESTABLISHED DATES BASED ON THE JEWISH YEAR WHICH BEGINS IN THE MONTH OF NISAN (APRIL 1 TO APRIL 1) ALLOWING 30 DAYS TO A MONTH AND 360 DAYS TO A YEAR.
• HOWEVER, GOD CHANGED THEIR CALENDAR AT THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT BASED ON A LUNAR SYSTEM TIED TO AGRICULTURE.
• HOWEVER, THE JEWS HAVE 2 CALENDARS:
• ONE BEGINS IN THE FALL (A SECULAR CALENDAR THAT BEGINS IN THE MONTH OF TISHRI), AND THE OTHER BEGINS IN THE SPRING (A RELIGIOUS CALENDAR THAT BEGINS IN THE MONTH OF NISAN).
• SOME OF THE DISCREPANCY OF DATES OCCURS DEPENDING ON WHICH OF THESE TWO CALENDARS YOU USE.
• THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM OF JUDAH USED THE RELIGIOUS CALENDAR (NISAN TO NISAN).
• MANY ANCIENT EMPIRES ESTABLISHED DATES ACCORDING TO “THE ASCENSION METHOD”. THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE IS ONE.
• THIS METHOD ASSIGNS THE DATE OF A RULER’S REIGN BEGINNING IN THE FIRST MONTH OF THE YEAR.
• EVEN THOUGH THE RULER MAY HAVE RULED FOR MUCH OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR, HIS DATE OF ASCENSION IS LISTED IN THE FIRST MONTH OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR (THE FIRST COMPLETE YEAR OF HIS REIGN).
• JEWISH AUTHORS WRITING OUTSIDE THE PROMISED LAND, LIKE DANIEL, USED THIS FOREIGN METHOD WITH THE FIRST MONTH (TISHRI) BEGINNING THE YEAR IN THE FALL.
• JEWISH AUTHORS WRITING INSIDE THE PROMISED LAND, LIKE ZECHARIAH, AND SPEAKING OF FOREIGN EVENTS, USED THE ASCENSION METHOD BUT USED THE FIRST MONTH (NISAN) BEGINNING THE YEAR IN THE SPRING.
• MANY DATES VARY BECAUSE OF THE ORIGINAL TEXT OR VERSION OF THE BIBLE THAT IS USED.
• THE SEPTUAGINT VERSION (AN EARLY GREEK TRANSLATION OF THE HEBREW OLD TESTAMENT) HAS MANY DISCREPANCIES REGARDING THE LENGTH OF THE REIGN OF ISRAEL’S KINGS COMPARED TO THOSE IN THE MASORETIC TEXT (THE BASIS OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE).
• THEN, FINALLY, THERE IS THE MATHEMATICAL CONVERSION OF ANCIENT DATES TO OUR PRESENT DAY SYSTEM USED AROUND THE WORLD.
• THE DATES USED IN OUR STUDY ARE BASED SOLELY ON THE MASORETC TEXT OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE. (CHRONOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT BY FLOYD NOLEN JONES).
• THEME FOR THE BOOK:
• LIVING A GODLY LIFE IN AN UNGODLY WORLD
• THIS IS OUR THEME FOR THE BOOK AND OUR TITLE FOR THIS STUDY.
• THE BOOK OF DANIEL PRESENTS US WITH A MARVELOUS OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS HOW THE CHRISTIAN CAN LIVE A GODLY LIFE IN A GODLESS SOCIETY.
• WE WILL OBSERVE PRINCIPLES FOR LIVING IN A SOCIETY WHERE POLITICS RULE THE DAY, WHERE KINGS AND KINGDOMS RISE AND FALL.
• WE WILL USE DANIEL AS A MODEL FOR LIFE IN A SOCIETY WHERE WORSHIPPING AND SERVING GOD IS NOT POPULAR.
• SOURCE MATERIAL FOR THIS STUDY

:

• THE PROPHECY OF DANIEL

BY WILLARD C. PEIRCE

• THE COMING PRINCE

BY SIR ROBERT ANDERSON

• THE NEW STANDARD FOR LIVING

BY CHARLES SWINDOLL

• DANIEL

BY JOHN C. WHITCOMB

• COURAGE TO CONQUER: STUDIES IN DANIEL

BY DORIS W. GREIG

• CHRONOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

BY FLOYD NOLEN JONES (THE SOURCE FOR ALL DATES IN OUR STUDY.)

• MISC. NOTES

• OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL

• GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY IN DANIEL’S LIFE (DAN 1)
• DANIEL’S DEPORTATION (DAN 1:1-7)
• DANIEL’S CHARACTERISTICS (DAN 1:8-16)
• DANIEL’S PREPARATION (DAN 1:17-21)
• GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER WORLD EMPIRES (DAN 2-7)
• FOUR WORLD EMPIRES (DAN 2)
• THE FORGOTTEN DREAM: THE IMAGE (2:1-30)
• THE RECALLED DREAM (DAN 2:31-35)
• THE INTERPRETATION(DAN 2:36-45)
• GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY IN A FIERY TRIAL (DAN 3)
• DEDICATION OF THE IMAGE (DAN 3:1-7)
• THREE HEBREW PROTESTORS (DAN 3:8-12)
• THE FIERY FURNACE (DAN 3:13-30)
• GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY VERSUS A PROUD KING (DAN 4)
• DANIEL THE INTERPRETER OF DREAMS (DAN4:1-9)
• THE DREAM: THE TREE (DAN 4:10-18)
• THE INTERPRETATION(DAN 4:19-27)
• THE DREAM FULFILLED

(DAN 4:28-33)

• THE RESTORATION (DAN 4:34-37)

• GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST(DAN 5)
• HANDWRITING ON THE WALL (DAN 5:1-9)
• DANIEL’S INTERPRETATION (DAN 5:10-31)
• GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY — DARIUS’ DECREE (DAN 6)
• DANIEL’S POSITION OF AUTHORITY (DAN 6:1-3)
• THE PLOT (DAN 6:4-15)
• THE LION’S DEN (DAN 6:16-28)
• GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE FOUR BEASTS (DAN 7)
• DANIEL’S DREAM: THE FOUR BEASTS (DAN 7:1-8)
• JUDGMENT(DAN 7:9-14)
• THE INTERPRETATION (DAN 7:15-28)
• GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER ISRAEL’S FUTURE (DAN 8-12)
• GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY AND ISRAEL’S PERSECUTION (DAN 8)
• DANIEL’S DREAM: THE RAM & THE HE-GOAT (DAN 8:1-14)
• THE INTERPRETATION(DAN 8:15-27)
• GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY AND SEVENTY WEEKS (DAN 9)
• DANIEL’S PRAYER (DAN 9:1-19)
• THE SEVENTY WEEKS (DAN 9:20-27)
• GOD’S HEAVENLY SOVEREIGNTY (DAN 10)
• DANIEL’S HEAVENLY VISION (DAN 10:1-9)
• HEAVENLY CONFLICT (DAN 10:10-21)
• GOD’S EARTHLY SOVEREIGNTY THROUGH HISTORY (DAN 11)
• FROM DARIUS TO ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES (DAN 11:1-20)
• ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES (DAN 11:21-35)
• FROM ANTIOCHUS TO THE ANTI-CHRIST (DAN 11:36-45)
• GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY AND THE FINAL VICTORY (DAN 12)
• THE GREAT TRIBULATION (DAN 12:1)
• THE RESURRECTIONS (DAN 12:2-3)
• GOD’S LAST MESSAGE TO DANIEL (DAN 12:4-13)

TIMELINE OF DANIEL’S CAPTIVITY

NORTHERN KINGDOM OF ISRAEL	SOUTHERN KINGDOM OF JUDAH		GENTILE KINGDOMS
CAPTIVES TO THE CITY OF BABYLON	KING HEZEKIAH REIGNS	721 BC	ASSYRIA CONQUERS ISRAEL
		610 BC	BABYLONIAN EMPIRE CONQUERS ASSYRIA
[DAN 1-6]	DANIEL CAPTIVE TO BABYLON	606 BC	BABYLON INVADES JUDAH (FIRST DEPORTATION) NEBUCHADNEZZAR RULES (606 – 561 BC)
	EZEKIEL CAPTIVE TO BABYLON	597 BC	NEBUCHADNEZZAR INVADES JUDAH (SECOND DEPORTATION)
	THE TEMPLE DESTROYED	586 BC	NEBUCHADNEZZAR INVADES JUDAH (THIRD DEPORTATION)
		561 BC	EVIL-MERODAK RULES BABYLON (561 – 559 BC)
		559 BC	NERIGLISSAR RULES BABYLON (559 – 555 BC)
		555 BC	LABASHI MARDUK RULES BABYLON (555 BC)
		555 BC	NABONIDUS RULES BABYLON (555 – 553 BC)
	[DAN 7] 553BC [DAN 8] 551BC	553 BC	NABONIDUS CO-REIGNS WITH BELSHAZZAR (553 – 538 BC)
	[DAN 9] 538 BC	538 BC	BABYLON FALLS TO THE MEDES AND THE PERSIANS. DARIUS, THE MEDE CO-REIGNS WITH CYRUS, THE PERSIAN (538 – 536 BC)
	[DAN 10-12] 536 BC	536 BC	CYRUS, THE PERSIAN RULES THE EMPIRE OF THE MEDES & THE PERSIANS (536 – 529 BC)
			CAMBYSES RULES THE EMPIRE OF THE MEDES AND THE PERSIANS (529 – 521 BC)
		521 BC	DARIUS 1 HYSTASPES RULES THE EMPIRE OF THE MEDES & THE PERSIANS (521 – 486 BC)

• HOMEWORK SHEET

:

• ALL LESSONS AND STUDY NOTES ARE BASED ON THE KING JAMES BIBLE.
• THERE IS ALWAYS A HOMEWORK SHEET AT THE END OF EACH LESSON.
• EXCEPT FOR THIS FIRST LESSON, THE HOMEWORK SHEET CONSISTS OF A PRACTICAL APPLICATION SECTION FROM THE LESSON OF THE PREVIOUS WEEK
• THE HOMEWORK ALSO CONSISTS OF A PREPARATION SECTION FOR THE LESSON TO COME.

THE HOMEWORK SHEET ALWAYS INCLUDES A MEMORY VERSE THAT RELATES IN SOME WAY TO THE MAINFOCUS OF THE LESSON. IT IS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE GOTTEN INTO THAT HABIT OF MEMORIZING A VERSEEVERY WEEK, OR FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN THIS HABIT.

HOMEWORK
INTRODUCTION TO PROPHECY
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• PREPARATION FOR INTRODUCTION TO PROPHECY:
• TO ACQUAINT YOURSELF WITH THE STORY, SIMPLY BEGIN TO READ THE BOOK OF DANIEL. READ AS MUCH OF THE BOOK AS YOU CAN THIS WEEK.
• MEMORY VERSE: 2PETER 1:19