The Biblical Book of Daniel

 

This is a general copy of the Old Testament book of Daniel, with my own commentary, verse by verse. It is largely based on the New Revised Standard Version due to its ease in reading. While the author took great care in accuracy, there is bound to be a couple minor typing errors, and if so, they are minor.

Chapter 4: Biblical Book of Daniel and commentary

 

Summary of the book of Daniel

 

The Old Testament book of Daniel is the only major apocalyptic book in the Old Testament occurring and written during the time of Babylonian captivity, roughly 605 B.C. to 535 B.C. in what was a disastrous period for the Israelite nation, all prophesied earlier by prophets such as Jeremiah, Isaiah and Moses. Due to the sinning condition of that nation with respect to the covenant given almost a millennia earlier, God decreed that the nation and city of Jerusalem would be under siege by foreign nations and destroyed for 70 years.

The main themes to the book are the visions, prophecies, stories contained therein revolve around God's sovereignty over the ruling of nations, as opposed to man in power acting alone. It deals with man, politics, Daniel's faith and courage, humility and wisdom in the face of an idolatrous nation, perseverance in the face of religious oppression and idolatry. It tends to deal with the end-times, or the "end of days," which as you will see, deal mostly with centuries and a succession of world powers leading up to the arrival of the Messiah, about 500 years later.

Daniel is fascinating with respect not only to the accuracy of prophetic visions received and thereafter fulfilled, but seemingly impossible supernatural experiences. Due to the previous suspicions by scholars, there naturally have been many attempts to discredit this book as a fraud, something written after the fact, around 164 B.C. during the time of the Maccabee revolt. There are also some who see problems with the dates of the reign of various kings given, but will not deal with these now, for they involve much tedious and lengthy, scholarly-type discussion. There are other portions of Daniel not included in current canoconical versions of the Bible, such as Bel the Dragon and Susanna.

These for the time will not be discussed, though important.

Well, It is Daniel himself who has returned to say that indeed it was genuinely written by Daniel in the time of Babylon, and has returned to

make sense of all confusion. You will notice that Daniel of old speaks of himself in the third-person, as does Daniel of the 21st century. The

reason is the disdain for the concept of "I" as many refer to themselves, for an angel sees himself as part of a greater whole. All the other

qualities of Daniel of Old have become embodied in his 21st century incarnation as well: Wisdom of the gods (angels), courage, loyalty,

resolute firmness and faith in God in the face of adversity, and under the guidance of super-natural protection.

The prophetic portions are written in layers and form a symbiotic relationship with John's Revelation of the New Testament, as well as many

other Biblical prophecies, and these will be discussed, however briefly. The main focus of the Final Book of Daniel shall not deal with history,

which virtually all of the prophetic portions involve, so much as with the present, therefore commentary dealing with fulfilled prophecy and

historical references will be kept to a minimum. My comments are in brackets.

Chapters 1 through 6 tend to deal with the life of Daniel and companions in a pagan society of Babylon. Daniel of Old was a Jewish captive,

taken in his teenage years to serve under king Nebuchadnezzar in a pagan society, how he progressed through the ranks of the royal palace

serving under many kings until the Mede/Persian rule around 538 B.C. It includes visions, the fiery furnace of blazing fire, the lions' den, the

writing on the wall, and devious plots by idolaters and power-mad kings.

Chapters 7 through 12 deal mostly with prophetic visions of future history. Herein shall include a general summary of most verses, what

they mean, and how they may relate to his present incarnation. Many of such visions were delivered by angels, and some in dreams, and

deal with symbology and military conflicts, transferring of powers from major world civilizations leading to the end of the age, the coming of the

Messiah, more than 500 years later.

Although this commentary is coming from Daniel himself, it is important to note that some meaning has been lost through the ravages of

history and various translations, so will attempt to give only brief disseminations on general content, without nitpicking into literalistic, minute

details, and this version is a combination of the English New revised Standard version/King James version, designed to give basic essence to

scriptural meaning.

The scene of the first chapter starts off with Daniel and companions kidnapped by a fiery king of Babylon who first stormed Jerusalem

around 605 B.C., taking some of the royal family with him, carting them off to Babylon to serve the king there, after being trained to learn the

language and literature of the culture, later to be selected to serve in the royal court.

 

 

DANIEL Four Young Israelites

at the Babylonian Court

 

1 In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord let

king Jehoiakim of Judah fall into his power, as well as some of the vessels of the house of God. These he brought to the land of Shinar, and

placed the vessels in the treasury of his gods. Then the king commanded his palace master Ashpenaz to bring some of the Israelites of the

royal family and of the nobility, young men without physical defect and handsome, versed in every branch of wisdom, endowed with

knowledge and insight, and competent to serve in the king's palace; they were to be taught the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

 

[The above occurred about 605 B.C. and Judah was thereafter under the political control of Babylon. The king took some of the temple

treasures back with him on a preliminary raid on Jerusalem, and kidnapped some of the nobility, including me, Daniel, in the previous

incarnation, in order to serve the king and administrative affairs of Babylon. Judah's king was killed at the time. This was the first of three raids;

the second occurred in 597 B.C., the last in 586 B.C., which was the ultimate downfall of Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed. 70 years

later Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild and restore Jerusalem, allowing many of the captives and dispersed Jews to return, about 536 B.C.

This event was unprecedented for the Judaic nation, and was prophesied to occur many times by many of the prophets, including Moses,

Jeremiah, Isaiah. It was a result of the people's rebellious nature toward the covenant God gave them. The Chaldeans were a nomadic,

semitic tribe who gradually gained power for centuries in the region, and took great influence over affairs and culture of Babylon, with their own

brand of religion involving sorcery and magic and astrology.]

 

The king assigned them a daily portion of the royal rations of food and wine. They were to be educated for three years, so that at the end of

that time they could be stationed in the king's court. Among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, from the tribe of Judah. The

palace master gave them other names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and

Azariah he called Abednego.

 

[Under the training to be received, they ordered me (Daniel) to sacrifice to other gods for the food to be eaten while under training, and also

pig's meat, which was forbidden to be eaten under the kosher food laws established under the Torah I was then submitted to. The King

changed our Jewish names to others based on pagan gods. This was a three-year education experience in preparation for royal duties;

Daniel and his companions were already educated, but had to be trained in the Aramaic (Chaldean) language of Babylon and taught various

forms of wisdom, some of which involved idolatry and practices unbecoming to the Judaic faith.]

 

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the royal rations of food and wine; so he asked the palace master to allow him not

to defile himself. Now God allowed Daniel to receive favor and compassion from the palace master. The palace master said to Daniel, "I am

afraid of lord the king; he has appointed your food and your drink. If he should see you in poorer condition than the other young men of your

own age, you would endanger my head with the king." Then Daniel asked the guard whom the palace master had appointed over Daniel,

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: "Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. You can then

compare our appearance with the appearance of the young men who eat the royal rations, and deal with your servants according to what you

observe." So he agreed to this proposal and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was observed they appeared better and fatter

than all the young men who had been eating the royal rations. So the guard continued to withdraw their royal rations and the wine they were

to drink, and gave them vegetables. To these four young men God gave knowledge and skill in every aspect of literature and wisdom; Daniel

also had insight into all visions and dreams.

 

[Daniel had courage and faith, as he does now, and rebelled against the order to eat swine and sacrifice to the pagan gods as practiced in

Babylonia, thereby issuing a protest to the guard in charge, and how the guard would be in danger should he allow this, so Daniel gave a test

for him: To feed only the bare minimum as a vegetarian diet, observe the result after 10 days, and the result was that God treated them with

favor, keeping them in excellent health, despite depravation. In a karmic sense, this is probably why Daniel started off as a "drunkard and a

glutton" in his present incarnation: to make up for past extremes and deprecations, although Daniel does now fast for the sake of God since

the awakening. I am no longer subject to the strict Kosher food laws of the Torah, and am permitted to eat ham or bacon, although avoid it due

to its unhealthy constitution. Skill in dreams and visions were very important to these ancient cultures, and Daniel received many of the divine

variety due to his faith in God, enabling him to receive favor and respect, as he has in the present incarnation.]

 

At the end of the days that the king had set for them to be brought in, the palace master brought them into the presence of king

Nebuchadnezzar, and the king spoke with them. And among them all, no one was found to compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and

Azariah; therefore they were stationed in the king's court. In every matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king inquired of

them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. And Daniel continued there until the first

year of King Cyrus.

 

[After three years of education, Daniel and his companions were tested in the presence of the king, and due to our faith in God, divine

wisdom and intelligence received, were exalted beyond all others; we were blessed with knowledge and insight far exceeding that of

contemporaries and wise men. Daniel of the present has also been gifted by God in such wisdom and insight, especially after the 1991 NDE,

and later angelification, with exceedingly high wisdom and intelligence. Daniel had remained in administrative service in various positions

within the palace of Babylon for many decades, until the reign of the Medo-Persian empire under king Cyrus, around 538 B.C.]

 

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

 

2 In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed such dreams that his spirit was troubled and sleep left him. So

the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. When

they came in and stood before the king, he said to them, "I have had such a dream that my spirit is troubled by the desire to understand it."

The Chaldeans said to the king (in Aramaic), "O king live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will reveal the interpretation."

 

[From this point on Daniel writes in the form of Imperial Aramaic since learned during the three-year schooling process. This form of

language continued for many centuries, until the time of Christ. It was common in those times to address kings with the phrase "O king live

forever. A furious Nebuchadnezzar then demands all the wise men and sorcerers to tell him the impossible interpretation of the disturbing

dream he witnessed, but they first wished to know the dream, for they did not know.]

 

The king answered the Chaldeans, "This is a public decree: if you do not tell me both the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb

from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards

and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation." They answered a second time, " Let the king first tell his servants the

dream, then we can give its interpretation." The king answered, "I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you have seen

that I have firmly decreed: if you do not tell me the dream, there is but one verdict for you. You have agreed to speak lying and misleading

words to me until things take a turn. Therefore, tell me the dream, and I shall know you can give me its interpretation." The Chaldeans

answered the king, "There is no one on earth who can reveal what the king demands! In fact no king, however great and powerful, gas ever

asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. The thing that the king is asking is too difficult, and no one can reveal it to the

king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals."

 

[Again the Chaldeans demanded of Nebuchadnezzar to first tell them of his dream, but because the irrationally impossible demands of the

king, they could not tell, and he refused to tell them, power-hungry and despotic as he was, expected them to somehow know not only the

interpretation, but the dream itself. The Chaldeans (and many modern-day fundamentalist Christians) did not believe the gods dwelt with

mortals, yet Daniel soon comes to the rescue, and as you will see, is "endowed with the spirit of the holy gods," which means angel. The

Chaldeans hoped that by stalling, the king would change his mind about this threatening decree, until conceding that they could not reveal it.

The king then became furious, and to then make good on his promise of the destruction of all the wise men.]

 

Because of this the king flew into a violent rage and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. The decree was issued,

and the wise men were about to be executed; and they looked for Daniel and his companions, to execute them. Then Daniel responded with

prudence and discretion to Arioch, the king's chief executioner, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon; he asked Arioch, the

royal official, "Why is the decree of the king so urgent?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. So Daniel went in and requested that the

king give him time and he would tell the king the interpretation.

 

[Nobody was able to reveal the king's dream, so, in irrational anger, Nebuchadnezzar wished to kill all the wise men, and issued a prompt

order to execute everyone, so they started rounding up all the wise men to be executed. But Daniel was elsewhere at the time, and when

finding out about this decree, perplexed at the nature of the decree, made a confident assertion to the king through Arioch to wait, and the

dream would be revealed to him by God through prayer and faith, but this required some time.]

 

God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

 

Then Daniel went to his home and informed his companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and told them to seek mercy from the God of

heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions with the rest of the wise men of Babylon might not perish. Then the

mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

 

[In a manner similar to mass prayer for revelation from readers by 21st century readers, Daniel of Old summoned his friends to join in a

mass prayer to God to reveal the mystery of revelation, and God responded. The outcome was a revealing dream of the king's dream, and

Daniel was thankful.]

 

Daniel said: "Blessed be the name of God from age to age, for wisdom and power are his. He changes time and seasons, deposes kings

and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and hidden things; he

knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him. To you, O God of my ancestors, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me

wisdom and power, and have now revealed to me what we asked of you, for you have revealed to us what the king ordered."

 

[Even in his present incarnation has Daniel expressed such profound appreciation to God for such answers, wisdom and power received.

God knows all, and can reveal such wisdom to His messenger-servants, the prophets. God is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient -- God is

all, and One, in sovereign control of everything: The seasons, nations, kings. For those who seek wisdom and understand by the mercy and

grace of God, will receive it if they ask. The answer of the dream was given so that God may be glorified through Daniel.]

 

Daniel Interprets the Dream

 

Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not destroy the

wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will give the king the interpretation." Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king

and said to him: "I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who can tell the king the interpretation."

 

[Arioch tries to take credit for finding someone who can interpret the dream, even though it is Daniel who approached Arioch.]

 

The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to tell me the dream and its interpretation?" Daniel answered the

king, "No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or diviners can show to the king the mystery that the king is asking, but there is a God in heaven

who reveals mysteries, and he has disclosed to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen at the end of days.

 

[Before reveling the dream and its interpretation, Daniel reminds Nebuchadnezzar of the impossible demands placed upon the wise men,

but rightfully gives credit to God for revealing this demand through Daniel. The next verses regarding the dream then deal with a succession of

future, world empires leading up to the time of Christ.]

 

Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed were these: To you, O king, as you lay in bed, came thoughts of what would be

hereafter, and the revealer of mysteries disclosed to you what is to be. But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me because of

any wisdom that I have more than any other living being, but in order that the interpretation may be known to the king and that you may

understand the thoughts of your mind.

 

[As now, Daniel does not give credit to his wisdom exceeding other humans in degree, whether it be now or then, but to the power of God.

Daniel then goes on to describe Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and what it symbolized.]

 

"You were looking, O king, and lo! there was a great statue. This statue was huge, its brilliance extraordinary; it was standing before you,

and its appearance was frightening. The head of that statue was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its

legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

 

[The Babylonians worshiped images, and this statue was a representation of kingdoms to come "in the latter days." In decreasing levels of

"value" according to metallic power, we start with the head of gold, descending to the feet, the foundation of brittle clay. The head of gold was

symbolized as then magnificent Babylon, as strong and powerful as it was at the time, the chest and arms of silver represented the dual Mede

and Persian (two arms) civilization that followed after 538 B.C. -- divided -- , the middle and thighs of bronze represented the civilization of

Greece after 331 B.C., and the feet of part clay and iron represented Rome, the final empire to reign over the Judaic nation.]

 

As you looked on, a stone was cut out, not by human hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and broke them in pieces.

Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, and the gold, were all broken in pieces and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the

wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the

whole earth.

 

[Within 500 years or so, the stone -- Jesus, and the spiritual kingdom of heaven thereafter set up through the church, smashed the last

foundation of the statue, all these kingdoms, bringing them to an end (but the process took longer), without a trace to be found; the stone was

the Christian church that followed in replacement, a great mountain filling the whole earth.]

 

"This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. You, O king, the king of kings--to whom the God of heaven has given the

kingdom, the power, the might, and the glory, into whose hand he has given human beings, wherever they live, the wild animals of the field,

and the birds of the air, and whom he has established as ruler over them all--you are the head of gold.

 

[Daniel acknowledges the power God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, and power therefore given over all aspects of human endeavors, and

proclaims he is the head of gold, or Babylon, who was given great power as the leader of the greatest civilization then existing.]

 

After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over the whole earth.

 

[History makes clear this is the Mede and Persian empire (arms and chest of silver) that followed within a generation or two, with Cyrus

making an alliance with Darius of Persia. Daniel lived to see this event. The third world-empire/kingdom of bronze to rule over the whole earth

was Greece, under the militaristic escapades of Alexander the Great.]

 

And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron; just as iron crushes and smashes everything, it shall crush and shatter all these. As you

saw the feet and toes partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but some of the strength of iron shall be in it, as you

saw the iron mixed with the clay. As the toes of the feet were part iron and part clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. As

you saw the iron mixed with clay, so will they mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with

clay.

 

[Moving from the head down to the final kingdom, here represented by the clay and iron feet, this kingdom was in fact Rome, strong as iron,

smashing everything, crushing all previous kingdoms. But in fact it was at the core brittle, mixed with clay, and it did not hold forever, and

eventually crumbled into various nations of Europe, at least retaining some of the strength of iron; it has continually remained divided as the

many historical wars suggest. The ten toes can be symbolized either by ten emphasized by ten major segments or provinces of Rome existing

at the time of Christ, or ten emperors. What came of its legacy? It was replaced by the everlasting spiritual Kingdom of Heaven set up by

Jesus as the king.]

 

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall this kingdom be left to

another people. It shall crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever; just as you saw that a stone was cut from

the mountain not by hands, and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The great God has informed the king

what shall be hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation trustworthy."

 

[Contrary to most Jewish contemporaries at the time with their expectations of the Messiah, and even now despite the wishes or beliefs of

many Christians, this was in fact not a physical, earthly kingdom to be established, but was in fact a spiritual kingdom. Jesus, the Messiah in

fact set up this kingdom "in those days," and had read Daniel's writings concerning this matter, discerned its proper meaning when frequently

discussing the "kingdom of heaven" to be established: A spiritual, heavenly kingdom, which cannot be destroyed, and this began with the

Church, which began by politically taking over Rome; and it shall stand forever, as no earthly kingdom is otherwise capable. Also, the

"kingdom of God is already here, but you do not see it...The kingdom of God is within you." This is demonstrated in modern NDEs: the

kingdom was long ago established in the after-life realms.]

 

Daniel and His Friends Promoted

 

Then king Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, worshiped Daniel, and commanded that a grain offering and incense be offered to him. The

king said to Daniel, "Truly, your God is God of gods and lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this

mystery!" Then the king promoted Daniel, gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect

over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of

the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king's court.

 

[I never wished to be worshiped, but the king did so, and made payment in several forms, then thanked God that Daniel worshiped as the

God over gods, the One capable of revealing mysteries of the dark, then was promoted to conduct the economic and political affairs of

Babylon, but with the help of his friends. Because of this, God allowed Daniel and companions to be promoted in the kingdom. This began a

long career in the office conducting affairs over Babylon, but remained in the presence of the king, leaving much business to his three

companions.]

 

The Golden Image

 

3 King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue whose height was sixty cubits and whose width was six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura

in the province of Babylon. Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent for the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers,

the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to assemble and come to the dedication of the statue that King

Nebuchadnezzar had set up, the heralds proclaimed aloud, "You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear

the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that King

Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be thrown into the furnace of blazing fire." Therefore,

as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, all the peoples, nations,

and languages fell down and worshiped the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

 

[This was almost two decades after the previous chapter, and involved more demands of pagan idolatry; everyone was suddenly under a

command by the king, Nebuchadnezzar, to fall down and worship an inanimate object, a statue, at the sound of a chorus of instruments. In

this culture we were subject to many adversarial forms of religious oppression. We were then ordered to worship this large statue, based on

the likeness of king Nebuchadnezzar, under the threat of destruction by being cast into the fiery furnace. This "casting into a fire" metaphor

was symbolically used by many of the New Testament, such as the "lake of fire" mentioned in John's Revelation.]

 

Accordingly, at this time certain Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live

forever! You, O king, have made a decree, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical

ensemble, shall fall down and worship the golden statue, and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into a furnace of

blazing fire. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs over the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abednego. These pay no heed to you, O king. They do not serve your gods and they do not worship the golden statue you have set up."

 

[Again, the Chaldeans, in religious conspiracy, under the irrational rage of king Nebuchadnezzar and his command to worship the gods of

metal, stone and wood, assault the beliefs in One God of the Jews, of whom many years earlier had been taken captive, by bringing to light

Daniel's companions' refusal to worship anything other than the Most High.]

 

Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought in; so they brought those men

before the king. Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do

not worship the golden statue that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and

entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the golden statue I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall

immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?"

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter.

If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. But if not, be it

known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up."

 

[Arrogant as ever, Nebuchadnezzar became furious that these men would not serve or worship the statue or his gods, and therefore

threatened them, but they persisted and unrelentlessly stuck to their faith in the Most High God, willing to sacrifice their lives with immense

devotion, and were rewarded with supernatural protection.]

 

The Fiery Furnace

 

Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the

furnace heated up seven times more than customary, and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and

their other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. Because the king's command was so urgent and the furnace was

so overheated, the raging flames killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire.

 

[There exists another portion of Daniel inserted here which has not been canonized within the current Bible, but involves a lengthy prayer

these three men said with an angel in the midst of the fire. The supernatural protection they were granted caused the flames to leap out of the

over heated furnace and killed the soldiers who bound and threw these three men into the fire.]

 

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in amazement. He asked his counselors, "Was it not three men that we threw

bound into the fire?" They answered the king, "True, O king." He replied, "But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and

they are not hurt; and the fourth has the appearance of a god."

 

[During this supernatural episode as a result of their faith, an angel came and protected Daniel's three companions, in the midst of the fiery

furnace to which they had been cast.]

 

Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the

Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the

governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their

heads was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not even the smell of fire came from them. Nebuchadnezzar said, "Blessed be the

God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king's

command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god but their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people,

nation, or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their

houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

in the province of Babylon.

 

[Nebuchadnezzar finally came to his senses, realizing he threw three men, servants of the Most High God into a fiery fire, who placed their

trust in God, and therefore escaped harm. Some have speculated that this angel was Michael. Some have even suggested this was Daniel,

who, in angel form, detached from his body to help his companions. It may very well could have been...Nebuchadnezzar then makes a decree

acknowledging the power of God and those that worship Him alone, acknowledges sovereignty of the Almighty and thereafter respects

thereof.]

 

Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream

 

4 King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages that live throughout the earth: May you have abundant prosperity! The signs

and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me I am pleased to recount. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His

kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his sovereignty is from generation to generation.

 

[Nebuchadnezzar finally recognizes the power of God over his life and kingdom, but not for long.]

 

I Nebuchadnezzar was living at ease in my home and prospering in my palace. I saw a dream that frightened me; my fantasies in bed and

the visions of my head terrified me. So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, in order that they may

tell me the interpretation of the dream. Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners came in, and I told them the

dream, but they could not tell me its interpretation. At last Daniel came before me--he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god,

and who is endowed with a spirit of the holy gods--and I told him the dream: "O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that you are

endowed with a spirit of the holy gods and that no mystery is too difficult for you. Hear the dream that I saw; tell me its interpretation.

 

[Again, all the magicians, Chaldeans could not tell the King his dream or interpretation thereof, then along comes Daniel, endowed with the

spirit of the holy gods (angels) who is wise and understands all, for no mystery is too difficult for him, for his power of wisdom comes from God,

as it is now in the present incarnation. Notice that the above portion were written by the King, but under the guidance of Daniel, hence the

third-person method of writing.]

 

Upon my bed this is what I saw; there was a tree at the center of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew great and strong, its top

reached to heaven, and it was visible to the ends of the whole earth. Its foliage was beautiful, its fruit abundant, and it provided food for all. The

animals of the field found shade under it, the birds of the air nested in its branches, and from it all living things were fed.

 

"I continued looking, in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and there was a holy watcher, coming down from heaven. He cried aloud and

said:

'Cut down the tree and chop off its branches, strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from beneath it and the birds from its

branches. But leave its stump and roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be bathed in the

dew of heaven, and let his lot be with the animals of the field in the grass of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a human, and let

the mind of an animal be given to him. And let seven times pass over him. The sentence is rendered by decree of the watchers, in order that

all who live may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of mortals; he gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of

human beings.'

 

"This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, since all the wise men of my

kingdom are unable to tell me the interpretation. You are able, however, for you are endowed with a spirit of the holy gods."

 

[After describing his story, the king asked Daniel to interpret the dream, and issue meaning. Indeed Daniel has been endowed with the

"spirit of the holy gods," as acknowledged by the king, then as well as now, and the God-given wisdom enabled Daniel to proceed to tell the

king the interpretation of the symbology thereof.]

 

Daniel Interprets the Second Dream

 

Then Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar, was severely distressed for a while. His thoughts terrified him. The king said, "Belteshazzar, do

not let the dream or the interpretation terrify you." Belteshazzar answered, "My lord, may this dream be for those who hate you, and its

interpretation for your enemies!

 

[The dream was terrifying because it dealt with the king's future downfall, something his enemies would certainly enjoy; the next explanation

describes thereof.]

 

The tree that you saw, which grew great and strong, so that its top reached to heaven and was visible to the end of the whole earth, whose

foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and which provided food for all, under which animals of the field lived, and in whose branches the

birds of the air had nests--it is you, O king! You have grown great and strong. Your greatness has increased and reaches to heaven, and your

sovereignty to the ends of the earth.

 

[King Nebuchadnezzar was given by God sovereignty over nations, and all living things, with great riches of a prosperous nation to feed all,

and was at the height of power, but a dire judgment by God would soon be decreed, much to the chagrin of King Nebuchadnezzar, by a holy

watcher.]

 

And whereas the king saw a holy watcher coming down from heaven and saying 'Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and

roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze, in the grass of the field; and let him be bathed with the dew of heaven, and let his lot be

with the animals of the field, until seven times passes over him'--this is the interpretation, O king, and it is a decree from the Most High that has

come upon the lord my king: You shall be driven away from human society, and your dwelling shall be with the wild animals. you shall be

made to eat grass like oxen, you shall be bathed with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, until you have learned that the

Most High has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals, and gives it to whom he will. As it was commanded to leave the stump and roots of

the tree, your kingdom shall be re-established for you from the time that you learn that heaven is sovereign. Therefore, O king, may my

counsel be acceptable to you: atone for your sins with righteousness, and your iniquities with mercy to the oppressed, so that your prosperity

may be prolonged."

 

[King Nebuchadnezzar had then been ruling over what was then the most powerful and prosperous civilization on earth, but this success

soon led to iniquitous behavior, pride and arrogance, and Daniel counseled him to repent with righteousness, so that his kingdom and power

may persist, for God rewards those who live by guidance of the ways of the spirit, and gives punishment to those who do not. The holy

watcher was an angel who came to pass judgment. The stump and roots with a band of iron and bronze was the promise of

Nebuchadnezzar's return to power after his tree has been cut down and humbled, and realize that God has ultimate sovereignty over mortals,

no matter how powerful they become. If he did not humble himself, he would face seven years of living in the wilderness as a madman.]

 

 

Nebuchadnezzar's Humiliation

 

All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the

king said, "Is this not magnificent Babylon, which I have built as royal capital by my mighty power and for my glorious majesty?" While the

words were still in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven: "O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: The kingdom has departed

from you! You shall be driven away from human society, and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. you shall be made to eat grass

like oxen, and seven times shall pass over you, until you have learned that the Most High has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals and

gives it to whom he will." Immediately the sentence was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven away from human society, ate grass

like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew long as eagles' feathers and his nails became like birds' claws.

 

[Despite Daniel's warnings originating from his dream, King Nebuchadnezzar let power and arrogance get to his head, taking all the credit

for the magnificence he obtained, failing to acknowledge the sovereignty of God over the kingdoms of mortals. An angel -- holy watcher -- then

pronounced the sentence upon the king, which involved a seven-year bout of insanity which involved behaving like an animal and outcast in

the wilderness apart from human society, until acknowledging the power of God.]

 

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

 

When that period was over, I Nebuchadnezzar lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me. I blessed the Most High, and

praised and honored the one who lives forever. For his sovereignty is an everlasting sovereignty, and his kingdom endures from generation to

generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does what he wills with the host of heaven and the inhabitants of

the earth. There is no one who can stay his hand or say to him, "What are you doing?"

At that time my reason returned to me; and my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom. My counselors and

my lords sought me out, I was re-established over my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise

and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are truth, and his ways are justice; and he is able to abase those who walk in pride.

 

[Finally after seven years of madness King Nebuchadnezzar comes to his senses, recognizing the incredible power of God, his errant ways

of pride, and how, after realizing this, was given by God even more power and dominion in his kingdom, corresponding to the roots and stump

of iron and bronze.]

 

Belshazzar's Feast

 

5 King Belshazzar made a great festival for a thousand of his lords, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.

Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar commanded that they bring in the vessels of gold and silver that his father Nebuchadnezzar

had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. So they brought in the

vessels of gold and silver that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his

concubines drank from them. They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

 

[This was around 539 B.C. where Belshazzar was co-ruler under a different king (who was absent most of the time) for a time, son of

Nebuchadnezzar, and under the drunken festivities and erroneous celebration, discarding all respect to the Most High, abused the treasures

taken from the previously ransacked Jewish temple years earlier under King Nebuchadnezzar, proudly worshiped the material riches, that of

wealth of the mortal realm, all of which pass away, rot, over change in form, and are all vanity. At this time the armies of the Medes and

Persians had surrounded the city of Babylon, but they thought they were safe due to the perceived safety of impenetration of the city's walls.]

 

The Writing on the Wall

 

Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the wall of the royal palace, next to the lampstand.

The king was watching the hand as it wrote. Then the king's face turned pale, and his thoughts terrified him. His limbs gave way, and his

knees locked together. The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners; and the king said to the wise men of

Babylon, "Whoever can read this writing and tell me its interpretation shall be clothed in purple, have a chain of gold around his neck, and rank

third in the kingdom."

 

[Terrified at the meaning of this phenomenon, Belshazzar called out for the wise men and other sorcerers, but because they did not have

God of their side, they were dumbfounded. Confused at the meaning of the ominous apparition, the wise men are called in, but they cannot tell

determine its meaning.]

 

Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king the interpretation. Then King Belshazzar became

greatly terrified and his face turned pale, and his lords were perplexed.

 

[The "writing on the wall" has since become a metaphor for an obvious sign to which everyone should take heed...Belshazzar did not, for

the end of his kingly reign was only hours away. Seeking the meaning of this frightening phenomenon, he calls out for the wise men to issue

interpretation with promise of reward, including a kingship rank next to him.]

 

The queen, when she heard this discussion of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall. The queen said, "O king, live forever!

Do not let your thoughts terrify you or your face grow pale. There is a man in your kingdom who is endowed with the spirit of the holy gods. In

the days of your father he was found to have enlightenment, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your father, King

Nebuchadnezzar, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners, because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and

understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, who the king named Belteshazzar. Now let

Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation."

 

[The queen, knowing of Daniel's past fame in dream interpretation, wisdom, enlightenment and knowing the spirit of a holy angel dwells

with him, requested of the king to summon Daniel to determine the meaning. Daniel had been out of circulation for some time from ruling the

province of Babylon, therefore Belshazzar had never heard of him.]

 

The Writing on the Wall Interpreted

 

Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, "So you are Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom my father the

king brought from Judah? I have heard of you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that enlightenment, understanding, and excellent wisdom

are found in you. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and tell me its interpretation, but they

were not able to give the interpretation of the matter. But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you are

able to read the writing and tell me its interpretation, you shall be clothed in purple, have a chain of gold around your neck, and rank third in the

kingdom."

 

[After Daniel was located, and brought in the presence of Belshazzar, it was then requested, with the reward of great status, that if he could

give the interpretation to the vision, which all the magicians, enchanters and sorcerers were incapable of providing, he would thereafter rank

third in the kingdom, behind Belshazzar, but Daniel refused this reward, for he knew that the gifts were ill-gotten from a corrupt king who was

disrespecting the temple treasures.]

 

Then Daniel answered in the presence of the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself, or give your rewards to someone else! Nevertheless I will

read the writing to the king and let him know the interpretation. O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar kingship,

greatness, glory, and majesty. And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared

before him. He killed those he wanted to kill, kept alive those he wanted to keep alive, honored those he wanted to honor, and degraded those

he wanted to degrade. But when his heart was lifted up so that his spirit was hardened so that he acted proudly, he was deposed from his

kingly throne, and his glory was stripped from him. He was driven from human society, and his mind was made like that of an animal. His

dwelling was with the wild asses, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most

High God has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals, and sets over it whomever he will. And you, Belshazzar his son, have not humbled

your heart, even though you knew all this! You have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven! The vessels of his temple have been

brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them. You have praised the

gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know; but the God in whose power is your very breath,

and to whom belong all your ways, you have not honored.

 

[Daniel rebukes Belshazzar for profaning the holy treasures taken from Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar years earlier, reminds him of the

sovereignty of God, pride and abuse thereof, and how he would soon be punished thereafter as a consequence. His mind had not been set

on God, but earthly pleasures, vanity and idolatry under a false sense of security, not acknowledging respect of the Most High. Daniel told him

to keep the offered reward for they would not be of value, since his kingdom would soon be destroyed, that night.]

 

"So from his presence the hand was sent and this writing was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. This is the interpretation of

the matter: MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to and end; TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found

wanting; PERES, your kingdom is divided and given over to the Medes and Persians."

 

[The supernatural hand that wrote the inscription on the wall, terrifying Belshazzar was interpreted by Daniel, moved by the Holy Spirit. The

kingdom of Babylon was now decreed by God to come to an end, Belshazzar was judged unworthy of its leadership, and was about to be

taken by storm by the Mede and Persian armies.]

 

Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed in purple, a chain of gold placed around his neck, and a proclamation was

made concerning him that he should rank third in the kingdom.

That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

 

[Hoping that he could somehow prolong his reign, Belshazzar anointed Daniel, with futility, rulership with a gold chain around the neck.

Meanwhile, the immense fortresses of Babylon were breached by the Mede-Persian armies under the command of Cyrus (in conjunction with

Darius, his uncle -- a coalition tied by marriage), who had been preparing for two weeks, entering the city with little resistance by damming the

river which flowed beneath it, enabling soldiers to enter under the walls, killing the guards, lowering the drawbridges and allowing the rest of

the army to enter. Once reaching the royal palace, they immediately killed Belshazzar, ending the civilization of Babylon. Despite the refusal of

Daniel to accept the gifts, the king still gave them.]

 

The Plot against Daniel

 

6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty satraps, stationed throughout the whole kingdom, and over them three

presidents, including Daniel; to these the satraps gave account, so that the king may suffer no loss. Soon Daniel distinguished himself above

all the other presidents and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom. So

the presidents and the satraps tried to find complaint against Daniel in connection with the kingdom. But they could find no grounds for

complaint or any corruption, because he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption could be found in him. The men said, "We shall not find

any grounds for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God."

 

[At this time a new civilization under a new king and government was being established by the Mede-Persian empire, and one of the first

jobs entailed appointing sectorial leadership in the form of leaders and presidents. Daniel had been demonstrating great ability (and also

influenced by Belshazzar's last command that he would rank high in the kingdom) in handling past Babylonian affairs and was therefore given

position of president, one out of three. Because of the exceptional wisdom and ability Daniel possessed, given by God, others became

jealous, particularly being of a Jewish exile. They conspiratorially searched for reasons to get him fired, but because of his loyalty, incorruption

and faithfulness with respect to the kingdom, they could find none. Therefore, knowing he was a Jew, seeking to dispose of him through

conspiratorial means. This begins a famous chapter dealing with the lion's den. King Darius lived only two years after this initial conquest and

episode, to be succeeded by Cyrus of Persia.]

 

So the presidents and satraps conspired and came to the king and said, "O king Darius, live forever! All the presidents of the kingdom, the

prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish and ordinance and enforce an interdict,

that whoever prays to anyone, divine or human, for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions. Now, O king, establish

the interdict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be

revoked." Therefore King Darius signed the document and interdict.

 

[The conspirators managed to issue an ordinance to the unknowing king in order to be entrapped, and Daniel disposed of by being cast

into a den of lions to be eaten. To ensure their success, they reminded the king that once signed, could not be changed. Daniel's faithfulness

in God would again be challenged, and God's ability to deliver demonstrated.]

 

Daniel in the Lion's Den

 

Although Daniel knew the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open

towards Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously. The

conspirators came and found Daniel praying and seeking mercy before his God. then they approached the king and said concerning the

interdict, "O king! Did you not sign an interdict, that anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human, within thirty days except to you, O king,

shall be thrown into a den of lions?" The king answered, "The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot

be revoked." Then they responded to the king, "Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the interdict you

have signed, but he is saying his prayers three time a day."

 

[In rebellion against the absurd ordinance, Daniel showed his faith in God by continuing to pray to God as usual, even in the sight of the

antagonistic conspirators, naturally then approached the king with the accusation and charges of Daniel's perceived disobedience,

emphasizing the identity of Judaic exile. Daniel exercises the same diligence in prayer, but has now attained a state of near continual prayer.]

 

When the king heard the charge, he was very much distressed. He was determined to save Daniel, and until the sun went down he made

every attempt to rescue him. Then the conspirators came to the king and said to him, "Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians

that no interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed." Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and

thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!" A stone was brought and laid on

the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, so that nothing may be changed concerning

Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no food was brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

 

[Darius was now in distress about what he had done -- allowing the conspirators to prevail and send an innocent Daniel to the lions by

abusing the king and immutable laws of the Medes and Persians, followed through on the command but mourned, wishing Daniel to be saved

from the power of the lions. Little did they know the supernatural power granted to an embodied angel of God, then, as is also the case in

present-day Daniel. Although this is the only such lion's den story mentioned in the Christian Bible, there was at least one other time where

Daniel was thrown into the dens, once for a week straight.]

 

Daniel Saved from the lions

 

Then, at daybreak, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions. When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to

Daniel, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?" Daniel then said

to the king, "O king, live forever! My God has sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found

blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong." Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel

be taken up out the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. The king gave a command, and those

who accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions--they, their children, and their wives. Before they reached the bottom of the

den the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

 

[Darius, desiring to save Daniel and distressed all night long at the predicament, rushing to the den, hoping that God has saved him.

Indeed, God demonstrated power to those who have faith by sending an angel to help protect against the ferocity of the lions' hunger. Daniel

had done nothing wrong in the view of God, or Darius, and this faith was divinely rewarded, through faith and trust. Realizing then the

deception of the conspirators against the king and Daniel, he immediately ordered them to be cast into the den of lions; because of the culture

then present, the household -- wives and children were considered as "one" with the man, so they also were thrown to the lions. They were

not under God's protection as Daniel, therefore were immediately devoured with powerful jaws of large feline variety, braking all their bones

into smithereens. What a way to go.]

 

Then King Darius wrote to all peoples and nations of every language throughout the whole world: "May you have abundant prosperity! I

make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: For he is the living God, enduring

forever. His kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion has no end. He delivers and rescues, he works signs and wonders in

heaven and on earth; for he has saved Daniel from the power of the lions. So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and of Cyrus

the Persian.

 

[Acknowledging the miracle he observed, Darius proclaims to all nations of the power of God, sovereignty and dominion, amazed at such

supernatural signs, and that we should all respect the Most High, who rules over all kingdoms everlasting, enduring forever. Cyrus, around

538 B.C., issued a decree enabling the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the city and temple, and by that time Daniel was very old,

but still managed to return to witness the end of Judaic desecration (Nehemiah 10:6, Ezra 8:2). The king had read the prophecy of Isaiah

which names him specifically as the one who would be the shepherd of the Jews, allowing them to return to their homeland.]

 

Visions of the Four Beasts

 

7 In the first year of king Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed.

 

[Now the book of Daniel takes a turn, with remaining chapters dealing with prophetic aspects of future world events. It should be noted that

Daniel's book is written in layers, and is not chronological in order, and that some chapters have significant relationship to others, and are

symbiotic. Chapters two and seven are supplementary in that they deal with roughly the same topic, given in different ways at different times;

chapter two near the beginning of Daniel's career under Nebuchadnezzar, and chapter 7 several decades later under Belshazzar. This is

termed backtracking; chapter 5 chronologically takes place after chapters 7 and 8. What follows in this chapter is symbolic dreams based on

beasts and animals representing kings and nations to come, from the perspective of the times of Daniel. Because Daniel was administrator

over affairs of Babylon for much of his life, much of the visions he had dealt with world politics, kings and conquests of nations. Additionally,

because this was an apocalyptic time for the Judaic nation and faith, the prophecies are likewise apocalyptic for the future, all understandable

considering Daniel's circumstances. Most of these dealt with times leading to the era of Christ, leaving very, very little for our time, for it is

largely history.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then he wrote down the dream: I Daniel saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts

came out of the sea, different from one another.

 

[Daniel witnessed symbolic beasts representing four kingdoms -- world powers to come from Babylon to the era of Christ. Writing down

such important dreams is significant, for it is easy to forget them otherwise.]

 

The first was like lion and had eagles' wings. Then, as I watched, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made

to stand on two feet like a human being; and a human mind was given to it.

 

[This first beast was Babylon, for the lion once represented this nation, and the mind may be considered Nebuchadnezzar. This is the head

of gold mentioned in the statue of Daniel 2]

 

Another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, had three tusks in its mouth and was told,

"Arise, devour many bodies!"

 

[The above represents the two-sided Mede/Persian empire, and the three tusks may represent the conquests of Babylon, Lydia and Egypt.

This corresponds to the chest and arms of silver in the statue of chapter 2.]

 

After this, as I watched, another appeared, like a leopard. The beast had four wings of a bird on its back and four heads; and dominion was

given to it.

 

[This was the world dominion and civilization of Greece, headed by Alexander the Great, starting around 331 B.C. and conquests

administered thereof. The kingdom was thereafter divided into four parts.]

 

After this in the visions by night a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth and was devouring,

breaking in pieces, and stamping what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that preceded it, and it had ten horns. I was

considering the horns, when another horn appeared, a little one coming up among them; to make room for it, three of the earlier horns were

plucked up by the roots. There were eyes like human eyes in this horn, and a mouth speaking arrogantly.

 

[This fourth and final kingdom of the age was the Roman empire, with the symbology of strengthened iron that trampled into pieces the

remains of all the preceding empires/beasts. It grew very powerful and lasted longer than all others it replaced. The ten horns represented the

ten divisions or provinces existing at the time of Christ. The "little horn" to come from this empire -- contrary to what many presently believe, or

called the "antichrist," -- was in fact the emperor Nero, who spoke arrogantly and persecuted Christians just before 70 A.D. Then Daniel sees

the outcome of the end of the age.]

 

Judgment Before the Ancient of Days

 

As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient of Days took his throne, his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head

like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence. A

thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were

opened.

 

[This is often referred to as the "Judgment," but this is actually not the Most High God, but the first human to attain god-like status and

dominion, ascending in angelification to the celestial realms, and he achieved this many thousands of years ago. This was actually the

judgment at the end of that age, around the time of Christ, similar to another we will face at the close of the present age. There is such a

judgment at the end of every age by the Ancient(s) of Days, whose presence and glory is overwhelming as described above.]

 

I watched then because of the noise of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was put to death, and

it body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, there dominion was taken away, but their lives were

prolonged for a season and a time.

 

[This "beast" against the ways of God was Nero of Rome, and the historical record and congruence of other scriptures such as John's

Revelation indicate this occurred almost two millennia ago; the beast/devil/dragon/serpent "cast into the fiery furnace of blazing fire and sulfur."

The other beasts' dominion, or remnants of the other world powers -- Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece were "taken away" but remained to issue

some influence on culture for some time after, even to this day.]

 

As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient of Days and

was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His

dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and hi