Daniel Chapter 1
- One of the most popular books of the Bible
- One of the most documented books of the Bible
- One of the most exciting books of the Bible
- One of the most REVEALING books about a prophet himself, the entire 70 years captivity (teens to 80s)
- Chapters 1-6 are mostly historical
- Chapters 7-12 are prophetic visions
- Chapter 1: Daniel deported as a teenager, tribe of Judah, in royal line
- Chapter 2: Nebuchadnezzar's dream
- Chapter 3: Fiery Furnace (Daniel not even mentioned)
- Chapter 4: Nebuchadnezzar's second dream, Nebuchadnezzar's pride revealed, humility given as a lesson
on it, and it was written by Nebuchadnezzar himself
- Chapter 5: Fall of Babylon, key part of world history and prophetic biblical history
- Chapter 6: Daniel in lion's den
- Chapters 7-8 occur between chapters 4-5, not in chronological order
- Chapter 7: The Times of the Gentiles
- Chapter 8: The Ram and the He-Goat
- Chapter 9: The Messianic prophecy, the Seventy Weeks
- Chapter 10: A Glimpse of the Dark Side
- Chapter 11: Intertestimal, period, the "Silent years"
- Chapter 12: The Consummation of all things
- Chapters 2-7 written in Aramaic (focus is on Gentile world)
ALL BOOKS ARE NOT IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
- Chapter 1: 606-604 B.C.
- Chapter 2: 602 B.C.
- Chapter 3: The Image of Nebuchadnezzar
- Chapter 4: The Pride of Nebuchadnezzar
- Chapter 7: The Times of the Gentiles, between chapters 5-6, in 556 B.C.
- Chapter 8: The Ram and the He-Goat, between chapters 5-6, in 554 B.C.
- Chapter 5-Babylon Fall to the Persians-539 B.C.
- Chapter 9-The Seventy Weeks-538 B.C.
- Chapter 6- Daniel in The Lion's Den
- Chapter 10-12 Visions and Prophecies to The End of The World
- So the Order is 1,2,3,4,7,8,5,6,9,10,11,12, chronologically
- Daniel is mostly events that happened, and very little prophecy
- The little prophecy in it is the most amazing prophecy, perhaps in the whole Bible
- It is also the most attacked as to time and authorship, etc.
- Daniel in it reads from another prophet, Jeremiah
- It covers Daniel's life from a teenager to an old man
- Written in Aramaic and Hebrew
- Daniel, along with Joseph had nothing bad said about them
- Both dealt with leaders with dreams
- Daniel gave pretty much real time (presently fulfilled) prophecies to Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, yet he was not martyred for it. Other prophets were given prophecies for long into the future, yet they were killed for it.
- ISAIAH 14 is all about King Nebuchadnezzar and the enemy both...no other king is to be compared like this in Scripture
- Because the book of Daniel is so utterly accurate that it is also the most disputed book as to its timing and authenticity, but especially timing
- The third century critic and heretic Porphyry said the book of Daniel was a forgery
- Josephus-Jeduah-Alexander the Great-stopping at Jerusalem
"Daniel was in the greatest credit amongst the Jews, till the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. And to reject his prophecies, is to reject the Christian religion. For this religion is founded upon his prophecy concerning the Messiah....Daniel is most distinct in order of time, and easiest to be understood, and therefore in those things which relate to the last times, he must be made the key to the rest."
-Sir Isaac Newton
NEBUCHADNEZZAR:
- Chapters 1-4 are a lot about Nebuchadnezzar
- Nebuchadnezzar conquered the Assyrian empire
- He ruled for 43 years until he died in 562 B.C.
- He had absolute authority and needed no laws, decrees; he simply spoke and it was done-or else
- Probably the wickedest and most barbarous ruler of the day
- He conquered the Jews and brought them all captive to Babylon, over the course of several times.
- As a reward for unsuccessfully trying for five years to defeat Tyrus, God gave him Egypt
- Tyrus, of Tyre, Lebanon, formerly the Phoenicians
And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it:
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.
I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord GOD.
In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
THE BOOK OF DANIEL
(Daniel 1:1)In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
- The whole reason for the captivity in Babylon is in other books of the Bible, about Manasseh
- Placed on the throne by a Pharaoh.
- Name was originally Eliakim, changed by Pharaoh "Niko" or ("Nikau")
And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.
THE SETTING
TIMEWISE CONTEXT
2 Kings 24(2 Kings 24:1-4)
In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.
(2 Kings 24:10-16)
¶ At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it. And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.
2 Chronicles 36
(2 Chronicles 36:5-6)¶ Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.
(2 Chronicles 36:9-10)
¶ Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
THE SINS OF MANASSEH
(2 Kings 20:21)
And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.
(2 Kings 21:1)
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah.
(2 Kings 21:1-15)
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.
And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times("soothsayer, fortune teller"), and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever: Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.
But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel. And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying, Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols: Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down. And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies; Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.
(Jeremiah 15:1-15)
Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.
And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy. And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.
For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest? Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting. And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways. Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city.
She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD. Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me. The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction. Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel? Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders. And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you. O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.
THE PROPHECY OF THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY
(Jeremiah 25:1-11)The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the Lord hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened. And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the Lord; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
(Isaiah 39:3-8)
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.
Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.
And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.
THE FULFILLMENT: BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY
(2 Kings 24:1-3)In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them a/gainst Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did;
(2 Chronicles 36:6)
Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.
(2 Chronicles 36:14-21)
Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till {there was} no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave {them} all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all {these} he brought to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: {for} as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years.
God's reasons for the destruction of Judah and their captivity were
- Idolatry
- Infanticide
- Mocking and abusing God's messengers
- Failed to give the land the sabbath rest. (Leviticus 25:1-7)
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
- Apparently when the Jews no longer needed the vessels of worship, God sought fit to take them away
- Nebuchadnezzar had both a house and a house of treasure
- They would be exactly as useful in the hands of Nebuchadnezzar as in the hands of Jehoiakim
- These vessels are later used by Nebuchadnezzar's son Belshazzar in abominable things, when the handwriting is on the wall
SHINAR
(Genesis 10:10)And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
(Genesis 11:2)
And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
(Daniel 1:3-4)
And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
- When Nebuchadnezzar said "children" of Israel, he meant literally children. These were boys
- The world loves its wisdom, and always wants to indoctrinate others in it
- In a addition, language has to be learned to abide in a strange land, if one is to mingle
- Nebuchadnezzar was known to only take the best, elite, "cream of the crop" for himself and his advisors, endeavors, etc.
And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.
- Along with the indoctrination of their "wisdom", and their language, the worldly like to steep them in their culture
- Most likely this was pork and very intoxicating wine
- This meat included unclean animals such as pigs, etc.
Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.
- Along with new "wisdom", a new language, and a new "culture" comes a new name
- Nebuchadnezzar's son's name is Belshazzar; he gave Daniel the name of Belteshazzar
- "Bel's prince." -Yonge
"Beltis protects the king."
"Bel is the keeper of secrets." -appropriate for Daniel
"God is my judge" - Daniel was probably about 17 years old and was made a eunuch, so never married
Biblical (Dan. x. 1). Babylonian name, possibly meaning "Bel is the keeper of secrets." See Rawlinson's note below. Yonge gives the meaning "Bel's prince." (History of Christian Names, Yonge, 1884). See Balthasar and Beltshazzar.
Belteshazzar, the name given by the prince of the eunuchs to Daniel, would have appeared, from the obvious analogy of Belshazzar, to be a contracted form of Bilta-sar-uzur, and therefore to signify "Beltis protects the king." But it is an objection to this that Nebuchadnezzar connects the name with that of "his god," who must (it would seem) be Bel, and not Beltis. If then we are obliged to seek another derivation, we may perhaps find it in Bel, the god, tisha (Heb. ???????), "a secret," and uzur, from nazar, "to guard, protect." Belteshazzar would then mean "Bel is the keeper of secrets," an appropriate sense, since "secrets" were what Daniel was considered especially to know. (The Five Great Monarches of the Ancient Eastern World, Rawlinson, 1880)
(Jeremiah 50:2)
Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.
(Daniel 1:8)
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
- Daniel is desiring to be separate from their practices, as he knew that these meats were sacrificed to idols
- On top of that, there was most certainly unclean meats
- Paul tells us the same, not for the sake of legalism, but rather for the sake of the weak
- Perhaps Daniel did this for the three others with him: Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego
For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth: To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.
(1 Corinthians 6:13)
Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
(1 Corinthians 10:19-33)
What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he? All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.
If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?
For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
(Daniel 1:9)
Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
- If Daniel were alive today, he would tell us that it was nothing he did or was that would have made these people like or love him at all.
- The culture and history of the Babylonians is proof that they were enemies as well as all other ancient cultures
When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
(Daniel 1:10)
And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
- Three things are happening here
- Number one: A clear denial of the supernatural
- A concern for this man's own personal well being, not Daniel's health
- Most likely the meat was also pork or included it, which Daniel and the boys would not have eaten, so this prince did not respect Jewish culture as well. In any case, whatever meat it was, it was surely sacrificed to idols.
- This is not even legalism; this meat would have been infested with trichina worms
(1 Corinthians 8:4-13)
As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
CHURCH AT PERGAMOS
(Revelation 2:14)But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
CHURCH AT THYATIRA
(Revelation 2:20)
Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
(Daniel 1:11-12)
Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
- No meat protein, just things like beans, lentils and peas
- Basically, a vegetarian diet
- In animals, the beating or throbbing of the heart and arteries; more particularly, the sudden dilatation of an artery, caused by the projectile force of the blood, which is perceptible to the touch. Hence we say, to feel the pulse. The pulse is frequent or rare, quick or slow, equal or unequal, regular or intermitting, hard or soft, strong or weak, _c. The pulses of an adult in health, are little more than one pulse to a second; in certain fevers, the number is increased to 90, 100, or even to 140 in a minute.
- The stroke with which a medium is affected by the motion of light, sound, _c.; oscillation; vibration.
Sir Isaac Newton demonstrates that the velocities of the pulses of an elastic fluid medium are in a ratio compounded of half the ratio of the elastic force directly, and half the ratio of the density inversely.
To feel one's pulse, metaphorically, to sound one's opinion; to try or to know one's mind.
PULSE, v.i. To beat, as the arteries. [Little used.]
PULSE, v.t. [L. pulso.] To drive, as the pulse. [Little used.]
PULSE, n. [L. pulsus, beaten out, as Seeds; Heb. a bean, to separate.] Leguminous plants or their seeds; the plants whose pericarp is a legume or pod, as beans, peas, _etc.
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(Daniel 1:13)
Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.
- This is a trust in God that when they eat less protein from meat, they will not diminish on whit
- The command to eat meat was given after the Flood, and it appears that man's digestive system was adjusted to accommodate this, so Daniel expects that they suspect he shall appear thinner due to a lack of animal protein
- Most people think this today as well, and rightly so.
Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
(Daniel 1:14-16)
So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
- This is the opposite of what one would expect, and a supernatural thing God Himself is dong to show these princes a thing or two
As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
- Today, we say that schools give us knowledge, wisdom, learning in science, etc.
- The fact is, all true knowledge and wisdom is from God, all other is worldly wisdom, not useful for God's purposes, but for mans.
Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
- The reason for the proof was here in this presentation, in case they were too skinny and Nebuchadnezzar asked, they would have to tell him that it was because they refused the king's meat.
- Since God took care of the appearance, there was no questioning the appearance and no need to respond and reveal the rejection of the king's meat.
- The same can be said for us, that God is in charge, sovereign, and we can just trust Him for the question, the appearance, the answer, every time
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(Proverbs 16:1)
The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
(Daniel 1:19)
And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.
- God wants to commune with us because HE loves us
- Nebuchadnezzar is like the world and wants to commune with these guys because he is into knowledge and worldly wisdom
- I am sure he got godly counsel, not worldly answers
And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
- The world cannot even touch the wisdom of God in its worldly wisdom, not even close
- They are not comparable, not acceptable, polar opposites
- The wisdom of the world cannot find God, as it does not seek Him
- Seeking God comes from God drawing men to Himself
- Can you mix the two and not get confused?
- The world is run by the enemy and man. They both have:
- Seers
- Soothsayers
- "prophets"
- "wise men"
- "magicians" (miracle workers)
- The difference is one set is true, set forth to bring men to the LORD Jesus Christ
- The other half-truths designed to deceive to draw away men from God at every moment
(John 6:44)
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
(John 6:63)
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
(John 12:32)
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
(John 14:17)
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
(1 Corinthians 1:19-22)
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
(Daniel 1:21)
And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.
- Cyrus the Median eventually conquered Babylon
Daniel Chapter 2
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