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Daniel

DANIEL & KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR

PART 1, CHAPTER 1

When King Nebuchadnezzar and his army attacked Jerusalem, he took the king of Judah and thousands of other people who lived in the city to Babylon. He took all of the silver and gold from the temple and placed it in the house of his own god.

A young man by the name of Daniel was one of the captives. He didn’t panic like most of the captives did, but instead he was confident that God had a purpose for his life. He had been well-trained in the Word of God by his parents and others with whom he had grown up. Daniel was also of royal blood.

After much training and numerous testings, Daniel was assigned to various positions of high authority by several great kings whom he served. The first of those kings was Nebuchadnezzar, the Chaldean.

Nebuchadnezzar knew that some of the prisoners had descended from Jewish royalty, so he selected some of them to be trained to serve in the palace in Babylon.

The young men who were chosen were isolated from their own people and taught the language and the ways of the Chaldeans. (by doing that, the king could isolate them from the Word of God and from other Jewish believers) The young then were given a special diet of the same food that the king ate and the wine that he drank. That was to be done for three years, and then they were to be presented before the king.
Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael and AZariah, were among the selected ones and were given into the custody of Meizar, the prince of the eunuchs in the king’s personal service. Their names were changed to Chaldean names. Daniel was called Belteshazzar; Mishael was named Meshach; Hanania was called Shadrack, and Azariah’s name became Abednigo.

The Lord brought Daniel into special favor with Meizar, and when Daniel asked that he and his three friends be even a diet of cereal and water rather than the food specified by the king, Meizar listened to the request and then replied, “I’m afraid to disobey the king! If he sees the four of you looking worse than the others, I’ll be in danger of losing my head!”

Daniel replied, "Please let us try it for ten days, and then compare our appearances with those who have eaten the king's food. I know you will be pleasantly surprised."

Melzar agreed to try it for ten days, and at the end of that time, he saw that Daniel and his three companions looked so much better than the others, that he allowed them to continue eating cereal and drinking water for the remainder of the three years.

When the king called for the young men who had trained with Melzar, he questioned them at length and found that Daniel and his three companions were more pleasing to him than all of the others. In fact, in matters that called for wisdom and understanding, he found their answers to be ten times superior to all of the wise men in his realm, so he chose them for special service in Babylon.

PART 1, CHAPTER 2

In the second year of his reign King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him greatly. He commanded that all of the wise men, the magicians and the sorcerers in the kingdom be brought before him. He made a decree and said, '1 insist that you tell me my dream and interpret it for me!"

The men looked at each other in shock and amazement and answered, "0 king, live forever! Please tell us your dream and we will be happy to interpret it for you."

Impatiently, the king demanded, "If you don't tell me my dream and the meaning of it, you will all be cut in pieces and everything you own will be burned! On the other hand, if your answer is pleasing to me, you will be rewarded handsomely. That is my decree!"

They questioned, "How can anyone tell you what you dreamed?"

The king replied, "I know you are stalling for time! You are preparing lies and corrupt words to say to me until the time elapses when the decree is no longer in effect!"

The men tried to reason with the king and said, "There isn't a man on earth who can answer you ... only the gods can do that, your majesty!"

Nebuchadnezzar became furious and commanded that all of the wise men in Babylon were to be slain, and a search was made for Daniel and his three friends.

Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, found Daniel and was about to arrest him when Daniel questioned, "Why is the king's order so urgent that you have come to arrest me without giving me a chance to speak on my own behalf?"

Arioch explained what had taken place regarding the king's dream, and when Daniel heard the facts, he asked that he be allowed to consider the dream and find an answer for the king.. Arioch agreed to wait until the following morning.

Daniel searched for his three friends, and they prayed earnestly all that night and asked the Lord to reveal the king's dream to them.

The Lord answered their prayers and gave the answer to Daniel in a night vision. Daniel praised the Lord and said, "Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever and ever! Wisdom and strength are His! He alone changes the times and the seasons. He sets up kings and removes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and adds knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals the deep and secret things. I thank thee, 0 God of my fathers, for giving me wisdom and strength and for revealing the matter of the king's dream to me."

When Arioch came in the next morning, Daniel said, "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon, because I have been given the meaning of the king's dream."

Arooch took Daniel into the king's presence and said, "Your majesty, I have brought one of the Jewish captives to you, and he will interpret your dream."

Nebuchadnezzar looked at Daniel and questioned, "Can you truly tell me what my dream was and interpret it as well?"

Daniel replied, "Your majesty, it is not because your wise men or I have any unusual wisdom, but there is a God in heaven who is able to reveal all hidden things, and He has done this for you so that you may know what future events are going to take place during your lifetime and beyond."

By this time, the king and all who stood with him were absolutely speechless, and they listened intently to Daniel as he began to reveal the dream to them.

Daniel said, "0 king, in your dream you saw a gigantic and brilliant statue, and the sight of it made you extremely afraid. The head of the statue was of gold, and the breast and arms were of silver. The thighs and belly were of brass, and the legs were of iron. The feet and toes were a mixture of iron and clay. As you observed the image, a huge stone suddenly appeared and rolled against the feet of the image, breaking it into so many pieces that it became powder and the wind blew it away. After that, the stone that destroyed the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth."

The king listened intently and waited for the interpretation of the dream.

Daniel said, "Here's the interpretation of your dream, your majesty: You are the head of gold. The God of heaven has given you a magnificent kingdom with great power, strength and glory. You rule over many nations, but after you there will be a third kingdom that will bear rule over all the earth. The fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron and extremely cruel to those whom it controls. The feet and toes of the image that are a mixture of iron and clay will be a divided kingdom of ten nations. Those nations will not always be in agreement with one another, and in the days of those ten kings, the God of heaven shall come and destroy them and set up an everlasting kingdom over which He shall rule forever."

Nebuchadnezzar interrupted and said, "Why would the most high God tell us these things?"

Daniel replied, "God has made these events known to you so that you may know in advance His plan that will surely come to pass."

Daniel's answers pleased the king, and he gave him many gifts. He also promoted Daniel as ruler over the entire province of Babylon and made him chief of the governors who were in charge of all of the wise men in Babylon.

Daniel accepted the honors bestowed upon him by the king, and asked that favor be shown also to his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo.

Nebuchadnezzar set those three friends of Daniel over the internal affairs of the province.

PART 1, CHAPTER 3 

WHOEVER WILL NOT FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP THE IDOL, WILL BE CAST INTO THE BURNING FURNACE (Daniel 3:6)

The more Nebuchadnezzar thought about the head of gold, the more his pride increased. He ordered construction of a solid gold image ninety feet high and nine feel wide to be built in the plain of Dura where it could be seen for miles in all directions.

When the image was completed, Nebuchadnezzar sent for all the rulers in the provinces to come to the dedication of the idol he had made. He ordered musicians to come and to bring as many musical instruments as they could find.

Hundreds of people arrived for the ceremony, and at the proper time a herald shouted loudly, 'To you, 0 people of all nations and languages who are assembled here today, it is commanded that you fall down and worship the king's golden idol when you hear the sound of the music. If you refuse to do so. you will be cast into the fiery furnace where lawbreakers in Babylon are executed!"

When the music was played, everyone who was present fell on their knees before the image except three officials ... Shadrach. Meshach and Abednigo!

Certain Chaldeans who were jealous of those three because they had been promoted above them reported their act of disobedience to the king. They bowed before the king and said, "Your majesty, there are certain Jews whom you placed over the affairs of the province of Babylon who have refused to worship the golden idol that you have set up!"

When the king heard that, he became very angry and sent for the three men and questioned them. Nebuchadnezzar said, "Is it true that you refuse to bow down and worship the golden image that I have set up?"

Without waiting for their excuses, the king said, "I will give you one more chance! When you hear the sound of the music, you will fall down and worship the image, and if you refuse, you shall surely be cast into the middle of the burning, fiery furnace! There is no god who can deliver you out of my hands!"

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo were not afraid, and they replied, "0 king, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace if He chooses to do so, but even if He does not protect us, we will not serve your gods nor will we worship the idol you have set up!"

In his fury, the king changed his attitude toward them, and he ordered his servants to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual. Then he called for the strongest men i his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo and cast them into the furnace.

The enormous furnace had an opening at the top where they would take certain prisoners and cast them into the fire below. There was a stairway leading up to the opening, and there were windows at the bottom where observation could be made.

Then, because the king's command was urgent and the furnace was extremely hot, the flames killed the soldiers as they deposited their three prisoners into the fire below.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo fell down bound into the middle of the fire. The king was observing all of this activity very carefully, and then suddenly said to hi counselors, "Didn't we cast three men securely bound into the fire?"

They replied, "That's true, your majesty!"

The king said, "If that's true, why is it that I see four men who are not bound walking in the middle of the fire? The fourth one must be an angel sent by their god!".

Then Nebuchadnezzar walked closer to the furnace and spoke to the men inside and said, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo ... you servants of the most high God ..

The three men were lifted up out of the fire, and all the king's officials standing by saw with their own eyes that the fire had not even singed one hair on the heads of the prisoners' Their clothing was not damaged in any way, and even the smell of fire could not be detected on them!

The king spoke to all who were assembled and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo who has protected these men because they trusted in Him. He also changed the king's word! These three men offered their bodies to be burned rather than to worship any other god than their own!"

After saying that, the king made a decree that anyone in the kingdom who would speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo should be cut into pieces and their property made a garbage heap!

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo to even higher positions of authority than they had before.

PART 1, CHAPTER 4

Things went well for Nebuchadnezzar and his people after that, but then the king had a second dream that troubled him. As before, he sent for all of the wise men in Babylon and demanded that they interpret his dream.

After he described the dream to them, the wise men found that they were not able to tell the meaning of it to the king.

Finally, Daniel was located and brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to him, "0 Daniel, I know there is no secret hidden from you, so I will tell you my dream. I beheld a huge tree in the midst of the earth, and as I looked at the tree, it grew so tall that it reached up into the heavens. The leaves were healthy, and the branches were so broad that all of the birds and beasts of the earth found shelter in and under its branches. The fruit on the tree was so plentiful that the whole earth was fed from its production!"

The king watched Daniel's expression for a moment and then continued, "Suddenly, an angel came down from heaven and shouted loudly for all to hear, 'Cut the tree down and destroy it's branches and it*s fruit, but band the stump with iron and brass, and let it be wet with the dew from heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts of the field for seven years. ' "

Daniel was so upset when he heard the king's dream that he didn't speak to anyone for an hour.

Then the king said to him, Daniel, don't let the dream or the interpretation of it upset you so!"

Daniel replied, "0 king, let the dream be for those who hate you and the interpretation of it be for your enemies! The tree you saw that reached up into heaven and protected and fed all creatures on the earth is you, your majesty. The greatness of your kingdom has been extended throughout all the earth. When you saw the angel from heaven and heard him say, 'Cut the tree down and leave the stump banded with iron and brass, and let it be wet with the dew from heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field for seven years, it was a decree from the Lord God of heaven regarding you!"

The king listened to Daniel but said nothing. Then Daniel continued, "All of these things will happen to you, your majesty! You will be driven from men and made to live with the beasts of the field where you will eat grass like the ox, and the dew from heaven will cover your body. All of this will come to pass and will continue for seven years. After that, you will know that the Lord rules over the kingdoms of men and gives power to whomever He pleases! The command that was given to leave the stump and the roots of the tree was so that you may know and understand that your kingdom will be taken from you, but it will be returned to you after you humble yourself before the Lord! I now implore you to accept my counsel, and change your ways, your majesty! If you will show mercy to your people, the Lord may extend the peace you now enjoy!"

PART 1, CHAPTER 5

Twelve months later, king Nebuchadnezzar walked through his palace garden and boasted, "Isn't this MY great Babylon that I have built for the house of MY kingdom by the might of MY power and for the honor of MY majesty?"

(the beautiful hanging gardens outside the king's palace were one of the sever wonders of the world at that time. Historians say that Nebuchadnezzar planted the gardens for his beautiful wife) . .

While those proud words were still in his mouth, the king heard a voice from heaven saying, "0 king Nebuchadnezzar, the kingdom is taken from you! Now you will be driven from men and sent into the field to live like an animal for seven years. After seven years you will know that the God of Heaven rules over the kingdoms of men and gives power to whomever He pleases!"

That very hour, the king was taken out to eat grass like an ox. His body was wet with the dew of heaven for seven years. His hair grew like eagle's feathers, and his nails looked like bird's claws.

After the seven years had ended, Nebuchadnezzar's sanity returned to him. Then he looked up and praised and honored the God of Heaven. His position as king with all of the honor and glory he once possessed were restored to him.

The king wrote a declaration to all the people and nations in his kingdom that said, "There is one God which lives and abides forever! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom that reigns from generation to generation! No man can question His wisdom or His purpose! His works are truth. His ways are just, and those who walk in pride. He is able to bring low!"

 THE END - PART 1
 

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT DANIEL'S CAREER:

Daniel was taken to Babylon in the first deportation of the Jews from Judah in 604 B.C. in the first year of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar.

He held important positions during the rule of three ancient kings, namely, Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar and Darius. Their rule covered a period of approximately seventy years.

In 555 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar's grandson Belshazzar ruled for nine years. He was the last of the Babylonian monarchs.

When Babylon fell in 539 B.C., Darius the Mede was appointed as king over the province of Babylon by the conqueror Cyrus, the Persian.

Together, the Medes and Persians ruled for two hundred years, with Persia being the stronger of the two.

In 330 B.C., Alexander the Great of Greece conquered the Persians.

The Roman Empire followed the reign of Alexander the Great, and was in control of most of the known world at the time when Jesus Christ, the God-man came into the world.
 

DANIEL and the handwriting on the wall

PART 2, CHAPTER 1

"Daniel! Daniel! Hurry! The king is calling for you and wants to see you immediately!"

Daniel was sleeping soundly in his private quarters in the palace when he was suddenly jolted out of sleep by shouting and pounding on the door of his apartment.

He reached for his robe and sandals and opened the door. Several of the king's servants were standing there and Daniel asked, "Why have you come to me in the middle of the night?"

One of the men replied, "Oh Daniel, nothing like this has ever happened before! The king and his lords are frightened out of their wits!"

Then Daniel said, "Come in and tell me what has happened while I make myself presentable to go before the king."

They all began to speak at once, and Daniel interrupted, "Just a moment! Let me hear one of you at a time!"

He selected the man who was the least excited and said to him, "I'd like to have you tell me about the events from the very beginning."

The king's servant took a deep breath and then answered, "Your excellency, surely you are aware that our king Belshazzar enjoys a good feast. Well, early last evening the king held a banquet and invited a thousand of his lords to attend."

Daniel said, "I was sleeping so soundly that I heard none of the activities that took place."

The servant continued, "The best wine was brought in, and when the king tasted it, he ordered the waiters to bring the gold and silver cups that his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. The king, his princes, his wives and concubines all drank from those cups, and they praised their gods of gold and silver. That very hour, the fingers of a man's hand mysteriously appeared and began to write on the wall where everyone could see! The king's eyes were glued on what he saw, and then he became extremely pale and so frightened that his knees began to knock against each other."

"The king shouted loudly and ordered all of the wise men in Babylon to be brought in. When they stood before him, the king said, "If any man is able to read this writing and interpret it for me, he shall be clothed with scarlet and given a chain of gold to wear about his neck. I will also appoint him to be the third highest ruler in my kingdom!'"

"While the wise men discussed the writing on the wall among themselves, the king's lords were astonished to see that the king's mother, the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, come in before the king. She said, 'Do not be so worried, my son! There is a man in the palace by the name of Daniel who is governor over all the wise men in the empire. Call for him, and he will interpret this writing on the wall."'

After hearing that, Daniel agreed to accompany the men, and they took him to the king.

Belshazzar said to Daniel, "So you are the man who was brought here from Judah by my grandfather! I have heard that you're understanding and wisdom exceeds all the wisdom of the wise men and astrologers in my kingdom. If you are able to tell me the meaning of the writing, I will give you scarlet robes, a gold chain to wear about your neck, and make you the third highest ruler in all my kingdom!"

Daniel replied, "Keep your gifts to yourself, your majesty, and give the rewards to another. I will read the writing on the wall and interpret it for you. The Most High God gave your grandfather Nebuchadnezzar this kingdom along with much glory and honor. He ruled over nations of every language and did according to his own will regarding them. However, when he became proud, all of his power was removed from him, and he was made to live like an animal for seven years. After that, he acknowledged the God of Heaven and understood that HE ALONE RULES THE KINGDOMS OF MEN AND SETS OVER THEM WHOSOEVER HE DESIRES!"

Belshazzar listened as Daniel continued, "You, Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself before God although you have known these things! Instead, you have set yourself up above the Lord God of Heaven! You have brought the vessels of the Lord's house to use in your drunken banquet! You have praised the gods of silver and gold that cannot see, nor hear, nor reason, and you have refused to give glory to the God who has given you your very life! Now, because of your disregard for the Lord, He has sent this message in writing to you. The words that you see on the wall are MENE, MENE, TEKEL,UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of those words: 1.) your kingdom has come to an end; 2.) your life has come to an end; 3.) you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 4.) the kingdom is divided and given to the Modes and Persians!"

When Belshazzar heard and understood the interpretation of the writing on the wall, he commanded his servants to clothe Daniel with a scarlet robe and put a gold chain about his neck. Then the king proclaimed to all who were present that Daniel was to be the third highest ruler in the kingdom. Belshazzar was a very proud and immoral man who apparently had not profited from the lessons his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taught him about how pride can destroy both a man and a nation.

That very night, Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain, and Darius the Mede took the kingdom of the Chaldeans.

The End Part 2

DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN

PART 3, CHAPTER 1

The Medes and Persians combined forces and became the second world empire. The Persians were the stronger of the two nations, and Cyrus the Great was their leader. Cyrus appointed Darius the Mede king over the conquered Chaldeans.

Darius set one hundred twenty princes over the kingdom and selected three presidents to direct them. Daniel was chosen as one of the presidents, and when Darius saw that Daniel excelled above all the others, he considered putting him in charge over his entire kingdom.

Darius' preference for Daniel caused much envy and jealousy among the other leaders, and they tried to find a way to destroy Daniel or at least discredit him before the king. However, Daniel was faithful to the Lord and trustworthy in his position, so it was very difficult for his enemies to find any fault in him.

The other presidents and princes decided to accuse Daniel in the matter of his faithfulness to his God. They conceived of an idea, and a group of them went to Darius and said, "King Darius, ALL of the presidents, governors and captains in your kingdom have agreed on an idea that we hope will please you. If you would establish a royal statute and make a firm decree that whoever petitions any god or man except you for thirty days, that man would be cast into the den of lions."

While the king was considering the idea, the men continued, "If you would make such a decree and seal it with your official ring, that law could not be altered for any reason for a period of thirty days."

The idea appealed to Darius' ego, so without any thought about who would be endangered by such a decree, he signed the writing, and it became law.

Daniel was not included in the plan his enemies had agreed upon, but he was told that a decree had been written and signed by the king. Nevertheless, Daniel went on about his business as usual.

PART 3, CHAPTER 2 

It was Daniel's daily custom to pray and give thanks to the Lord three times a day, so Daniel went into his house, opened the windows where all could see him, and kneeled down in prayer as usual.

The men who had accused him saw Daniel on his knees praying to his God, and they scurried off to tell the king about it. They asked, "Didn't you just sign a decree that forbids anyone in your kingdom from petitioning any god or any man other than you,. your majesty?"

Darius replied, "Yes, I did! Why have you come to me about it?"

The men answered, "Well, your majesty, that fellow Daniel who was brought here as a captive from Judah some years ago has shown no respect for you or for your decree! He still prays to his god three times a day as before!"

When Darius realized that Daniel was being accused, he was very displeased with himself for allowing his pride to interfere with good judgment! The rest of that day and all through the night, Darius tried to find a way to deliver Daniel, but he was unable to find a solution. He was forced to order his servants to cast Daniel into the den of lions.

A stone was placed at the entrance of the den, and the king and his lords put their seal upon it indicating that the execution must be carried out.

Darius approached the den and said to Daniel, "Daniel, your God whom you serve continually will certainly deliver you!"

That night, the king was so upset that he was unable to eat or sleep. He arose very early the next morning and rushed to the lions den and cried out, "0 Daniel, servant of the living God ... has your God whom you serve been able to deliver you from the lions?"

Daniel replied, "Yes your majesty! My God has sent His angel to shut the mouths of these lions. I have been found innocent in the eyes of my Lord, because I have done. nothing against Him or against you, so my God prevented the lions from banning me."

When Darius heard Daniel's words, he was very happy, and then he ordered his servants to remove Daniel from the lion's den. Daniel was completely unharmed, because he had trusted in his God.

Then Darius' anger was against the men who had accused Daniel, and he ordered that they be cast into the lion's den. The lions attacked and killed them as soon as they were thrown into their den.

All of this resulted in Darius personally believing in the Lord, and he sent a message throughout his kingdom that read, "I, Darius, decree that in every coiner of my kingdom men should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, because HE IS THE LIVING GOD!"

THE END