INDEX to STUDIES IN DANIEL
You are about to embark upon the study of one of the most prolific and important prophets of God ... Daniel the Prophet. The following is provided to help you understand the prophecies.
Along with the "Sudies in Daniel" section found in the numbered study list, it is also recommended to read and study the following:
Song of the Three Children
Susanna
Bel and the Dragon
I Maccabees
II Maccabees
Against Heresies by St. Irenæus (book5)
On Daniel by St. Hippolytus, Bishop of Rome
Introduction
The book of Daniel takes its ocassion during that time that the children of Israel had been taken into Babylonian captivity (in 606 BC and in 586 BC), before and after King Nebuchadnezzar by the will of God (according to Jeremiah the Prophet) beseiged and brought destruction upon the southern kingdom of Judah and Benjamin in 587 BC. The captivity in Babylon lasted for seventy years. It began when the final king of Israel, king Zedekiah, was taken captive in 586 BC. It ended with the completion of the second temple in 516 BC. During this captivity, Daniel interpreted visions and dreams that pertain to the events and fate of future kingdoms from his day until the coming of Messiah's kingdom on earth at the end time.
Chapters 2 through chapter 7:28, are written in aramaic and are narrated in third person concerning Daniel. While Chapter 1 and chapter 7:29 to chapter 12, are written in Hebrew and in first person with Daniel speaking for himself.
It should be noted that the aramaic language is not the same as the Babylonian language, nor is it Hebrew. It was a second language of the Assyrians and then also the language of the ancient Chaldeans tracing back through the Chaldean empire ... a small empire that existed about 800 b.c. until it was absorbed fully into the Babylonian empire by 600 B.C.
The book of Daniel mentions a specific group of "Chaldeans" (and their leader Melzar), who in particular were magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers. They were a secretive mystery cult well learned in the sciences, the art of dark sentences, dreams, omens, prophecies, and believed in "the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh." They were in service to the king of Babylon to be at his beckon call in all manner of questioning and inquiry.
When Daniel as a youth was brought into Babylon, he was found skillfull in all wisdom and thus found worthy of their instruction "that they might teach the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans" (Daniel 1:4).
It is the view of this writer that perhaps the portions written in aramaic were scribed by the Chaldeans themselves who were partners and eye witnesses of Daniel and his dealings with the kings that Daniel and they served. They supply the narrated portions (in third person) and recount the events and interpretations of visions and dreams as given by Daniel the Prophet in their native language tellling us about Daniel and his exploits with his God.
This might also explain the "Persian Kings" who came from the east to worship the Christ child at his birth. How else can we explain why "Magi from the east" (who were Gentiles) would have such interest in a Jewish Messiah? How did they know when and where the Messiah would be born? King Herod Antipas was made "King of the Jews" but the Magi were only interested in him who was to be born King of the Jews. When the Magi entered Jerusalem they exclaimed ...
- "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him."
- Matthew 2:1-2
Could it be that that the Chaldean Magi understood the "number of the years" as told in Daniel chapter 9? Could it be that they understood about the future arrival of the Messiah from their correspondence with Daniel the Prophet? Therefore, could it be that they passed this knowledge down among their secretive order over the next 500 years or so ... from the time of Daniel until the coming of the Messiah in the time of Rome in the reign of Ceasar Augustus? What would have compelled them to trek such a vast distance of terrain to bring gifts and worship him as one who was "born King of the Jews"?
- "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
- And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way."
- Matthew 2:10-11
From the book of Daniel itself we see the succesion of world empire Kings that Daniel served ... from Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius of the seed of the Medes, and to the first year reign of King Cyrus of the Medo-Persian Empire.
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