📜 Snipped and Paraphrased - Parts 1-3
Part 3 • From 2, 24-49
So Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed over the executions of the wise men of Babylon and said, “Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon! Bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation.” …And Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to you, king, by this dream, what will be in later days. (Note: concerning great world empires involved with the history and prophecy concerning the faith.) He who reveals mysteries has made known to you the visions of your head, and what shall be. ..You saw, O king, a great statue. This image, was mighty and of exceeding brightness, and it stood before you, and its appearance was frightening [dechal - fearful, dreadful, intimidating]. The head of this image was of shining 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. As you looked, a stone that had not been formed by human hands struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, were all broken in pieces, and became like chaff blowing in the wind. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 36 This was the dream. And now we will tell the king its interpretation.”
37 “You, O king, as a king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, power, might, and glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold [Babylon]. 39 Another kingdom (Media-Persia, the silver) inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze (Greece) which will rule all the earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom (Rome) strong as iron, because iron breaks and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all the rest. (The two legs of Rome.) 41 And as you saw the feet and toes (an ignored last days empire) partly of potter's clay and partly of iron (west), it shall become a divided kingdom, but with some of the strength of iron still in it.. 42 And as the (ten) toes (seats, divisions, “‘kings’ of the last hour”-Rev.17:12,16) were of iron and of clay, so the kingdom shall be part strong and part broken (broken by the iron?) 43 As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples will mix with one another, but will not hold together any more than iron mixes with clay. 44 But in those days the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or hurt [chabal - to destroy, hurt]. It shall stand forever ..The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
47 The king said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of all lords, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery!” 48 Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Daniel made request of the king ..and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were appointed to seats overseeing affairs of the province. But Daniel remained at the king's court.
Part 2 • From chapter 1
In the third year of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.. some of the articles from the temple of God.. he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. Then ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility, young men without handicap, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. And assigned them daily food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. Among those chosen from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names - Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to eat the rich royal food and wine. God had caused the official to show favor to Daniel but the official said, “I’m afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking unfit? The king would then have my head because of you.” Daniel said, “Please test your servants for ten days. Give us nothing but vegetables and water. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food. At the end of ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, so they entered the king’s court. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his court and kingdom. Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.
• From Chapter 2, 1-23 — In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, his spirit and sleep was troubled. So he sent for the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell to him his dream. So they came in ..the king said, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” 4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” But the king answered, “The word from me is firm, if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be tossed to the lions, and your houses laid in ruins. But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you’ll receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” They answered again, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” But the king was firm. The Chaldeans said, “There’s no one who can meet the king's demand not even for a great and powerful king, nor has anyone asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter or Chaldean. No one can show the dream to the king but the gods!”
The king was furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be executed. 13 So the decree went out, and when the wise men were about to be killed they came looking for Daniel and his companions. 14 Then Daniel talked to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard asking, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” (Or “what’s up with the king’s decree?”) Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. So Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king. And Daniel went home and he made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so they not be destroyed, along with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. And Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel said,
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to Him belongs wisdom and might! He changes times and seasons, takes down 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 every mystery. Light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you give wisdom and might, and you have made known to us the king's matter.”
Part 1— study notes
before beginning Daniel
Technical but stick with it 🤪🤓
598bc babylonia conquers Judah (Israel has already been carried off to Assyria)
586bc Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem, carried many off to Babylon.. Babylon later fell to Persia:
Nabonidus; Belshazzar - the writing on the wall king; Darius the Mede “received the kingdom” (under?) Cyrus the Great of Persia 550bc to 538bc - Cyrus decreed all Israel in all his kingdom should go home, and some/many did, led by Zerubbabel, and they began to “rebuild the TEMPLE” (and at the time of Cyrus’ proclamation, the massive empire included once again Assyria)
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Then there’s 3 kings (Dn.11:2) Cambyses; Smerdis; Darius the Great
516bc the rebuilt temple is dedicated
Note - “the captivity” and resulting “diaspora/dispersion” is when synagogues were first established, they were needed for observing the Sabbath, and for holy days, etc, and this is when **prayers were substituted for temple sacrifices** (a biblically repeated theme..)
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(4th king, Dn.11) 486bc Xerxes, great and famous war against Greece …non-consequential reigns are left out of the prophecy list. Alexander such a while later said his war against Persia was in revenge, then he died, the kingdom going to four of his generals.. which became the wars of the Ptolemies (Egypt) and the Seleucids (Syria) up to Antiochus Epiphanes the villain, super persecuter, in the prophecy’s immediate, more ‘micro’ fulfillment, and of course in the Maccabean account.
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464bc to 425bc Artaxerxes (son of Xerxes) ruled the Persian empire, Esther was one of his queens, it was from his court, around 440bc that Ezra and Nehemiah traveled from Persia to Jerusalem to start rebuilding the rubble that was Jerusalem’s WALLS - Artaxerxes’ decree to - rebuild Jerusalem - fulfilled part of Daniel’s 70 weeks (of years) prophecy (very technical, um, code?) 9:25 - from the decree (and support) to rebuild aNd restore Jerusalem - until the coming of Messiah/an anointed one (on Palm Sunday, the declaration of) - there will be seven weeks (of years, 49 years of building, until the 16th year of Darius the Great, lion’s den account, the ancient Persian empire was at its largest) and (then) sixty-two (more) weeks (of years, 7x62/434 years) until Messiah (entered Jerusalem in the Triumphal Entry).
So, the prophecy was 7 weeks of years (49 weeks) of rebuilding Jerusalem, then 62 more weeks of years, which is 434 years, to Messiah’s Triumphal Entry.
49 plus 434 is 483, so in prophecy, leaving one week of years (left) - 7 years of the total 490.
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I’m hoping Part 2 starts with Daniel 1:1 - though I have more notes.. Should I include them here? After all anyone can read or not read.. For the sake of Part 2, even though the book of Daniel is pretty complicated and intense:
Every part of the study will be included below the new parts. So this can always be read later.
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The first two of the large prophetic visions in Daniel, end with obvious, last days fulfillment. These two visions are, first, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream statue of earth empires (Dn.2 and 2) which impressive statue is struck upon the feet (the ten toes/divisions called kings of the last hour in Rev.17:12,16) with a stone, so that the statue topples, and the stone (kingdom) becomes a great mountain/kingdom that fills the earth.
And the second vision, of the four, succeeding one another beasts, the last one “more terrible” - with the iron and bronze-7:7,19 & Rev.13:1 - of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream statue. The iron and bronze representing the empires of Rome and Greece, that shatters/roman and subdues/greek - also - concludes with an obvious last days reference, as it ends with — as Daniel watched “thrones were set in place and the ancient of days took his seat”. (All the world is a stage - Shakespeare.)
So in the same pattern (?) a third vision. In chapter 8. And we know the ram is the same old (Media) Persia, and the goat that charges at it is Greece - so maNy wars! Spanning so long - Xerxes.. Alexander.. Antiochus Epiphanes (who claimed he was Zeus incarnate) —> to today? As west against east.. Verse 23, the power of the west (of today, goat which charged so far east) becomes diluted by breaking off (dividing, division) into four different powers. Or two powers (the liberal and conservative of the west?) - but each with their extremes.. Making four. Weakness, division. BUT one of them, portrayed as “a horn with eyes” will rise.. (A SAME seat/oFFice, which Revelation, verse 13:13 pinpoints/pinpointed. Not yet? pointing to an individual.)
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History, thus prophecy, repeats. Having a more or less immediate ‘micro’ fulfillment, and then later a culmination of all history macro fulfillment - 9:26 - “After the sixty-two ‘sevens’ (weeks of years) the Anointed One will be put to death and will (appear to) have nothing. (After that) The people of the ruler/prince (Caesars, emperors) who will come, will destroy the city and the sanctuary (70A.D.). The end will come like a flood.
Julius who wasn’t an emperor; Augustus first Roman emperor, Luke 2:1 - “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered” - just before Jesus was born; Tiberius; Caligula; Claudius under whom the Jews thus Priscilla and Aquila had to leave Rome, Acts 18:2; Nero; Galba; Otho; Vitellius; Vespasian; Titus who sacked Jerusalem as a general under Vespasian before he (Titus) became emperor; Domitian who banished disciple/apostle John to Patmos — Note: Napolean Bonaparte crowned himself an emperor of a Roman Empire.
War will continue - until, the end. And desolations are decreed [decided] (made into laws?)
The 70th week starts when the ‘prince’/a.c. of-the-day, makes and confirms a strong covenant with many for one week.
(Rev.13:1-5) Daniel 9:27 - In the middle of the week he will “put an end to sacrifice” (of prayers?) in 12:11 it’s worded as “takes away the perpetual sacrifice” — oR (current) place of? Lk.19:41,44.
…will put an end to sacrifice and offering. [Yes, did occur under Antiochus Epiphanes whom the Maccabees valiantly fought and routed.]
Dn.12:11 - ..Will end/prohibit/take away the perpetual sacrifices. And on the wing of abominations (as one exceeding them all, of that day?) will set up an abomination that causes desolation.
Dn.12:11 - “From the time that the daily (hebrew, perpetual) sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Verse 12 - Blessed are they who wait and come to the 1,335 days.”
So what is set up lasts/runs for 45 days? Escalating the last “ten days”? Rev.2:10.
The abominations in the past- which desolated, had to do with the temple(s). The brick and mortar temple. Could the final one have to do with the human temple made for God’s Spirit/Presence?
“..Until the end [kalah: the completion, consummation]” 9:27 - “And on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, until the decreed destruction is poured out (upon him).”
Rev.15:1, 16:1 - “..seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last.. Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
Verse 9:24 (at day 1,335) Jesus returns and anoints a holy place..
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