But guess where we meet them first? “Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon” (Daniel 2:48). Was Jesus in the fiery furnace with Daniel? I used my favorite Bible study tool, Logos Bible software, to do research that made this post possible. ■Daniel’s life was characterized by: • Faith • Prayer • Courage • Consistency • Lack of compromise Daniel is one of them (1:6). Even though Daniel prophesied during the early part of the sixth century B.C., his prophecies were sealed until the end time. How was Daniel faithful to God? Why did the “Apocrypha” (they are not hidden books to anyone except Protestants) get dropped from the Bible? Find out how the book of Revelation is relevant to our lives today. I don’t know about what or who inspired them but they were still very interesting. And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, ‘Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.’ So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, ‘Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end’” (Daniel 8:15-17). Gabriel shows up later to tell Daniel that God has plans to make an end to Israel’s sins (9:21–27). The Book of Daniel references a mysterious figure known as the “god of forces”. Daniel is told that at the time of the end, Michael will arise on behalf of Israel again (12:1). Daniel is made an officer in Babylon by four kings: The name “Daniel” means “[the Jewish] God has judged.” But the Babylonians give him a new name: “Belteshazzar.” This new name means “Bel protect him,” with Bel being the name of a Babylonian god (4:8). The Prophet Daniel was one of the major prophets of the Old Testament, and possibly one of the most influencial of all the Bible Prophets. All the captives need to be able to pass a three-year course in Babylonian language and literature, but Daniel and his friends are found to be 10 times wiser than all the experienced magicians and enchanters in the whole kingdom (Da 1:20). Noah got drunk and naked (Gen 9:21). On another occasion the record shows Daniel praying and fasting for his people’s sins and asking for God’s mercy on himself, his fellow captives and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Daniel 9). Daniel Bible Story. These three friends’ names were changed by the Babylonians to Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, respectively. Daniel’s role in the Bible. He’s not just a wise dream interpreter. The murals are now on display in the Istanbul Archaeology Museums (photo by David Treybig). Joseph is yet another. Daniel is placed in a position to oversee the people who relied on other gods to enlighten them. That’s a long time, and so it probably makes sense to point out that …. Daniel was likely in his 80s or 90s by that time. 1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace … God inspired Isaiah to pronounce a prophecy about his descendants: “Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: “Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,” says the LORD. A noble Jewish youth of Jerusalem, he is taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and serves the king and his successors with loyalty and ability until the time of the Persian conqueror Cyrus, all the while remaining true to the God of Israel. Wait… There Were How Many Herods?! Expositor’s Bible Commentary notes: “Obviously, pagan theophoric names like these must have been assigned arbitrarily to these four Israelite students without any consultation with them, since the new names contained the names of false gods” (ed. Sign up to receive the week's latest articles, blog posts and updates. Daniel 11:2 "And now will I show thee the truth. Daniel 6:28 refers to “the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian,” showing that Darius and Cyrus ruled concurrently. When someone gets a weird dream like this, there are a few ways they can interpret it: He gains notoriety for understanding dreams in his youth (Da 1:17). because true protestants didnt remain ignorant & immature to the truth that aprocryphal are not inspired books. Nebuchadnezzar also captures some young men of the royal family with him to serve him in his court (Da 1:3). Yet Daniel can interpret the dream. At times, God sent an angel to deliver prophetic messages to Daniel, who then copied them down. You have to be a looker and a thinker to make it in the palace. Daniel, whose name means “God is my judge,” and his three countrymen from Judea were chosen and given new names. When King Nebuchadnezzar threatened to destroy all the wise men if one of them didn’t tell him his dream and interpret it, Daniel and his friends asked for time so he and his three friends could beseech God in prayer to reveal this information (Daniel 2:18). His visions paint a prophetic landscape for Daniel… In the 14th chapter of Ezekiel, God uses Daniel, Noah, and Job as examples of extremely righteous men. We don’t see any conversations between Daniel and Michael, but he is working behind the scenes in the later chapters of Daniel. Whatever the case, he makes a good choice to pick Daniel. In 605 B.C., the dynasty was in its twilight years. The book of Daniel shows him to be a faithful man of God. Why does this happen? May God bless the gift he gave you! Thus the children of the royal and noble families of Judea were committed to the care of Aspenaz.”. Michael is a warrior angel who combats opposing forces from Persia and Greece (10:13, 21). I am putting together a sermon for this Sabbath at the Seventh Day Adventist church and really enjoyed the context of this lesson and how you made the writings real to our contemporary times. Gabriel is told to tell Daniel what’s going on (8:15–19). Additional accounts of an angel coming to Daniel are found in Daniel 9:20-23 and Daniel 10:5-14. Hebrews 11:33-34 mentions some of the faithful who await the resurrection “who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword.”. Many thanks for this great article. And Daniel’s fame isn’t a royal family secret. God saw these fruits of Daniel and his three friends and gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom. Daniel is captured as a young man in Nebuchadnezzar’s first siege of Jerusalem, and he lives in Babylon right into the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Women today can take Paul's message to heart, learn from Daniel's courage, and guard the treasure of the gospel. We create research-based articles and handy infographics to help people understand the Bible. It was included until about 1929. And those other two sterling examples of righteousness, Noah and Job? I am beginning a new study tomorrow on the prayer life of Daniel and your excellent background on his life helps the process. So let’s say he was between 10 and 18 years of age. A. Hebrew:1. But that doesn’t mean Daniel can interpret every dream. These names incorporated the names of Babylonian gods. The biblical account of Daniel the prophet begins as he and other young men from Judah were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (Daniel 1:1-4) in approximately 604 B.C. Daniel was one of these people who was counted as righteous (Ezekiel 14:14). Print subscriptions available in U.S., Canada and Europe, Article URL: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/prophets/prophets-of-the-bible/daniel-the-prophet/. The consensus of modern scholars is that Daniel never existed, and the book is a cryptic allusion to the reign of the 2nd century BCE Hellenistic king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. You know what the magicians’ response is? How crazy is that? Daniel (דניאל, meaning God is my judge) was a Jew prophet who lived during the last years of the Kingdom of Judah and of the Babylonian Empire, and during the early years of the Achaemenid Empire. The part left out lays the groundwork for how Daniel became so prominent in the land. And toward the end of his life he continues to pray to God and not the king, even though it puts him in danger (Da 6:13). Nebuchadnezzar successfully besieges Jerusalem and carries off some of the treasure from the temple of God to Babylon. Daniel in the Den of Lions - It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. “And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon”’” (verses 5-7). Another prophet, Ezekiel, references Daniel when he’s preaching against a clever, but arrogant ruler of another nation. Daniel’s faithfulness to God landed him in a lion’s den, where his detractors were sure he would be devoured. Biography, Facts and Information about Daniel The following info provides a concise biography with facts and information about Daniel: One of the four great prophets, although he is not once spoken of in the Old Testament as a prophet. This summary of the book of Daniel provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of Daniel. God, through the prophet Ezekiel, stated: “‘Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,’ says the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 14:14, emphasis added). There are several dreams in the Bible, and many of them seem to be straightforward instructions from God. The Hebrew Scriptures were probably originally canonized into a two-fold division: the Law and the Prophets12. Thank you Jeffrey. I heard that ancient Babylonion records actually mention Daniel (by his Babylonion name Belteshezzar). Daniel was a young man of Jewish nobility taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar in the third year of Jehoiakim and renamed Belteshazzar. Get the latest blog posts from Life, Hope & Truth straight to your inbox. Later, Daniel again demonstrated his faith by praying to God even though he knew that doing so would endanger his life! The three-fold division included the same books as the two-fold divisionb. Few Bible characters have the kind of status that Daniel does. But this brings up an interesting aspect of Daniel that often gets overlooked. Daniel’s life, however, was to become an example for all of us. This site uses cookies to analyze traffic and ensure you get the best experience. It’s cool in and of itself that Daniel is being quoted by a contemporary. Who was Daniel in the Bible? Through Isaiah, God declares: “Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure’” (Isaiah 46:9-10). My Video on the God of Forces Yep: the book of Daniel. Who would the Antichrist find worth honoring? This captivity of citizens of Judah in Babylon lasted for 70 years, as God had foretold through the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11). 2 And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. His life and prophecies are recorded in the Book of Daniel. Beloved and chosen by God to foretell future events, Daniel the prophet prophesied as moved by God through visions and dreams about what was going to happen throughout history, including what would happen to Daniel’s people in the “latter days” (Daniel 10:14) and to the whole world. But that’s not all he takes. Daniel the prophet was the hero and traditional author of the book of Daniel. We know that Daniel was at least a teenager when he was taken to Babylon in 605 BC (Daniel 1:1). https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-major-prophets/daniel At that time, the church was started purely for political reasons. “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed [that no one could petition any god or man except the king for 30 days], he went home. Bible Verses about Daniel. Who are Daniel's People? Daniel is made the chief prefect of the wise men in Babylon after interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s first dream (Da 2:48; 4:9, 5:11). by Jeffrey Kranz | Oct 29, 2016 | Bible characters, Bible facts | 18 comments. In fact, Daniel has trouble interpreting some of his own dreams. In the first year of the reign of Darius (around 539 B.C. Learn More About Prophets: True or False? Hi Jeffrey. Or is a … I named my only child Daniel and he has made me more proud than I could have imagined. Daniel Removed to Babylon (Genesis 11:1-9) 1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. Daniel’s life serves as an example of godly integrity. And he is the only person who can interpret some of the most troubling dreams and visions for Nebuchadnezzar and his son, Belshazzar (Da 2:27, 30; 4:4–9; 5:15–17). The book of Ezra mentions another king named Darius, also known as Darius I or Darius the Great. They say that a spirit of the holy gods lives within him (Da 4:8–9, 18; 5:11, 14). Who Was Herod? To Daniel, God also gave understanding in all visions and dreams (Daniel 1:17). This has caused Bible scholars to posit that Darius was appointed viceroy over Babylon by his nephew, King Cyrus. The angel Gabriel tells the prophet Daniel, "Seventy Weeks are determined for your people". If you’re a Bible geek like me, you might want to check it out. God blessed their effort and after a 10-day test, their appearances were found to be healthy by the steward who had been appointed over their care (Daniel 1:8-15). Daniel became “Belteshazzar,” while Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah became “Shadrach," "Meshach," and "Abednego.” But Daniel and his three friends determined to remain faithful to God. May the Lord continue to bless you and your work! The Beginner’s Guide, Nebuchadnezzar, after Daniel interprets his dream (2:48), Belshazzar, after Daniel reads the original “handwriting on the wall” (5:29), Darius the Mede, because Daniel had an “extraordinary spirit” (, Cyrus the Persian, for reasons unknown … but the guy had a great résumé by then (. How should Christians live in but not be of the world? He’s a righteous and wise hero of the Old Testament whose decisions save the lives of many. His faithfulness to God earns him another honorable mention from the prophet Ezekiel. I have also read some of the apocryphal books. Download the free booklet. This has always been my favorite book of the old testament. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14). But God sent an angel that “shut the lions’ mouths,” and Daniel was miraculously spared.Daniel’s faithfulness to God landed him in a lion’s den, where his detractors were sure he would be devoured. Because the apocryphal books are anachronistic and deceptive writings, that are NOT written by the authors that are claimed… they contain information that undermines what is in the actual canon of Scripture. (Da 2:11). This was approximately 100 years before their departure to Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. If this is true I’d like to see those references. This is when the whole lions’ den episode takes place. Used by permission. Join our email list, and we’ll send you some of our best free resources—plus we’ll tell you whenever we make something new. This is very helpfull. These lion murals once lined the streets of ancient Babylon, the city where Daniel the prophet spent much of his life. I am a sundayschool teacher for toddlers age 3 & 4. He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Maybe he just wants to show off “pet” Israelite royalty to people who visit his palace. =). Because the book of Daniel contains so many detailed prophecies of things that happened centuries later, some skeptics have suggested that it is a fraud, written much later in history. You may have heard that there are two good angels who are explicitly named in the Bible: Gabriel and Michael. Daniel, the biblical Old Testament prophet, served four kings in the royal court of ancient Babylon. The reason Daniel and his friends’ names were changed was likely to encourage them to forget their past and to adopt Babylonian customs. The first time Gabriel is mentioned in the Bible is in the Book of Daniel. As was the standard practice ofinvading rulers, Nebuchadnezzar deported theJewish intelligentsia and forced them to relocate to Babylon. 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