INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO DANIEL
Daniel 1:1,2
As taught by Dave Lindstrom
I. Purposes for the writing of Daniel.
A. Yahweh is faithful, loving, encouraging, and protective of His disobedient people in their Babylonian exile (especially chapters 3,6,9,12).
B. Yahweh is in control of the events of this world (Sovereign) while holding His human creation responsible for their God-given freedoms (especially chapters 2,4,5,7-12).
C. Yahweh’s redemption program is for Israel ’s message to bring His light to all people and nations (especially chapters 2-7,9,12)
D. Yahweh will certainly bring His King, the Son of Man (Jesus), into this world and eventually will set Him up as His only ruler for all time in Jerusalem (especially Daniel 2:44,45; 3:25; 4:34,35; 5:23; 6:26,27; chapter 7; 8:25; chapter 9).
E. Yahweh rules over the trials of this world as well as physical death and has promised resurrection during the rulership of His King (especially chapters 1,3,6,12).
II. Historical dates and rulers as they relate to the book of Daniel.
A. Daniel was taken captive from Jerusalem in 605-604 B.C. and taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 1:1). His last written vision was during the third year of King Cyrus of Persia in 5 35 B.C. Therefore, the book spans about 70 years.
B. Daniel mentions four rulers during the time of this writing:
Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 B.C.), Belshazzar (550-539 B.C.), Darius the Mede (539 B.C.), and Cyrus (539-530 B.C.).
C. Daniel chapters 1-4 are under Nebuchadnezzar, chapters 5,7, and 8 Belshazzar, chapters 6 and 9 Darius the Mede, and chapters 10-12 Cyrus.
III. The authorship of the book is accepted by conservative, supernatural accepting scholars to be the same statesman-prophet of the book, Daniel.
A. He probably compiled and completed this book during his retirement between 532-530 B.C. He was probably around 90 years of age.
B. It appears that Daniel (chapters 9:2,20; 10:2) and Jesus (Matt. 24:15, Mark 13:14 ) relate to his authorship and Ezekiel probably refers directly to his godly character as his comtemporary (Ezekiel 14:14 ,20). There are also numerous references in Matthew 24, I and II Thessalonians, and especially Revelation that use the same words and language found in Daniel.
C. Some liberal, non-supernatural accepting scholars like to assign a date of 200-150 B.C. due to the complete accuracy of the prophecies, miraculous events, the two language format (Hebrew, chapters 1,8-12 and Aramaic chapters 2-7), and the third person (chapters 1-7) – first person (chapters 8-12) changes.
IV. Important historical dates for Israel and Jerusalem as it relates to the dates of Daniel.
A. Isaiah prophesies Judah ’s and Jerusalem ’s fall to Babylon because of disobedience before 703 B.C. (Isaiah 39).
B. There were three separate times Judah and Jerusalem were deported to Babylon :
1) 605 B.C. – Daniel and others,
2) 597 B.C. – Ezekiel and others (2 Kings 24:11-16),
3) 586 B.C. – the complete destruction of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:1-21), Jeremiah is taken to Egypt and writes Lamentations.
C. There are three main returns of the exiles back to Jerusalem :
1) Zerubbabel 538 B.C. (Ezra 2),
2) Ezra 458 B.C. (Ezra 7), and 3) Nehemiah 444 B.C. (Neh. 1).
The new Jerusalem temple began under Cyrus (536 B.C.) and was completed under Darius I (515 B.C.). Psalms 107-150 (Book 5) records the joy of the return, the temple, an d the completion of the walls.
V. Daniel 1:1and 2
A. The invasion of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar is well documented in 2 Kings 23:36 – 24:1 as well as Babylonian historical records.
1. Therefore, as believers, we welcome historical scrutiny.
2. Two things to reason through:
a. This says the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign and Jer. 25:1, 36:1, 46:2 say the fourth year. This is because the Babylonian system Daniel was under only counted full years rather than a rounding up system Jeremiah was under.
b. Nebuchadnezzar is called Nebuchadrezzar in Jeremiah (Jer. 25:2 for example) and Ezekiel. The original Babylonian language, Akkadian, spelling in English is Nabu-kudurri-usur. So the r sound is actually more accurate. Evidently as the language progressed, the n and r sounds interchanged after a d sound due to ease of speech.
B. Some of the items from the Jewish temple were taken during this 605 B.C. invasion and placed in the temple for the Babylonian gods. Possibly Marduk was one of the main gods. Therefore, from the very beginning of the book, we are presented with a conflict between the power of the only God of the Universe Yahweh against the Babylonian gods.
