Daniel 4, the madness of nebuchadnezzar the fourth chapter of the bibles book of daniel tells how king nebuchadnezzar learns the lesson of gods sovereignty, who is able to bring low those who walk in pride. A study of the book of daniel the church of christ in. Nebuchadnezzar has another dream, which announces judgment on him for his pride. Daniel 2 niv nebuchadnezzars dream in the bible gateway. The book of daniel no other book in the bible has been attacked like the book of daniel. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. Generally speaking i am a big fan of the series and i expect anyone involved in preaching, teaching, bible study or christian education will find many valuable pearls of practical wisdom in this book. Belshazzar sees a hand writing on the palace wall proclaiming the end of his kingdom. When the book of daniel is examined for content and literary character, it falls naturally into two roughly equal parts which may be designated daniel a and daniel b. In addition, the captivating prophecy, imagery, and symbolism make the book of daniel one of the most read. Daniel, theology of definition and meaning bible dictionary. Lets go to daniel 9 and lets look at the 70 weeks of daniel. One of those people was king nebuchadnezzar of babylon. Daniel interpretation is part of the interpretation commentary series, and i have now read more than a dozen selections in this volume.
Daniel, book of, a book of the third division of the hebrew bible, the hagiographa, named for a man daniel whose fortunes and predictions are the subject of the book divisions and contents. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to daniel, hananiah, mishael and azariah. Indeed, the interpretation of many of the events of daniel 11 finds quite widespread agreement among bible commentators, although one needs to avoid the adventistdispensationalist prophecy extremists. The book of daniel introduction to the book of daniel in the bible. Planned and written specifically for teaching and preaching needs, this critically acclaimed biblical commentary is a major contribution to scholarship and ministry. A study of the book of daniel gene taylor3an introduction to daniel i. Additionally, a large proportion of the book is written in aramaic rather than the traditional hebrew adding to the complexity of these biblical texts. A bible commentary for teaching and preaching is a distinctive resource for those who interpret the bible in the church. It was the first prophecy giving a consecutive history of the world from that time to the end.
Its prophecies speak with increased meaning to this generation. What is the meaning of nebuchadnezzars dream in daniel 2. Interpretation of the dream daniel 2 john macarthur. Daniels friends shadrach, meshach and abednego served as advisers to king nebuchadnezzar of babylon. Daniel was gods mouthpiece to the gentile and jewish world, declaring gods current and future plans. It located the most of its predictions within well defined prophetic periods, though reaching many centuries into the future. Book of daniel overview insight for living ministries. Though arioch is quick to claim that he has found the dream interpreter verse 25, daniel takes no personal credit for the dream or its interpretation, but praises god in heaven who reveals mysteries verse 27. The book of daniel is a 2ndcentury bc biblical apocalypse combining a prophecy of history with an eschatology a portrayal of end times cosmic in scope and political in focus. Daniel bridges the entire 70 years of the babylonian captivity from 605 to 536 b. Daniel 2 new international version niv nebuchadnezzars dream. Unsealing daniels mysteries lesson 1 prophetic symbols.
In the hebrew bible, and in most recent protestant versions, the book of daniel is limited to its protocanonical portions. Finally, daniel launches into the actual description of the dream and its interpretation. The queen mother recommended daniel, saying that an excellent spirit, knowledge, insight, the interpretation of dreams, the declaring of riddles, and the solving of problems were found in him. The book of daniel is a 2ndcentury bc biblical apocalypse. In the septuagint, the vulgate, and many other ancient and modern translations of the bible, it comprises both its proto and its deuterocanonical parts, both of which have an equal right to be considered as inspired, and to be included in a treatment of the book of daniel. The book of daniel, though its likely derived from some oral traditions and legends that had been floating around for a long time, was put together in its final form sometime around 165 bce, when the israelites were squabbling with the evil antiochus iv epiphanes, a leftover greek general jockeying for influence in the postalexanderthegreat era. King nebuchadnezzar saw a giant, frightening statue of a human beingone with a head of gold, a chest and arms of silver, a stomach and thighs of bronze, lower legs made of. Jesus mentions daniel as the author as well matthew 24. Dreams, visions and messages in the book of daniel. The interpretation of the book can be determined only by understanding. Summary of the book of daniel the story of the bible. At certain times, god has used dreams to communicate with people.
Daniel 2 tells how daniel interpreted nebuchadnezzars dream, in which god provided an overview of world events in the millennia yet to come. In addition to interpreting the two dreams of king nebuchadnezzar and the writing on the wall for king belshazzar, daniel also received several messages from god. Historicist interpretations of the book of daniel wikipedia. Does the book of daniel have any significance for us today. Daniel, as many other authors of the antiquity and the bible, writes of himself in the third person throughout the first part of the book. Jews for judaism daniel 9 a true biblical interpretation.
In the first verse of daniels book, this struggle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is introduced. Daniel, theology of daniel is one of the most controversial books of. Daniel free bible commentary in easy english easyenglish bible. But the author wrote the book in four distinct sections. It seems improbable that a second century writer would fabricate such a story or allow it to pass without comment in a situation where the preservation of the purity of the jewish faith was considered. The book of daniel has been divided since it was written into 12 chapters. Interpreting daniel a premillennial historicist study of the book of daniel introduction. The book of daniel is one of the most significant prophetic books in the bible.
David guzik commentary on daniel 1 keeping pure in the face of adversity, gives the introduction to the book of daniel. The great controversy between good and evil which began in heaven revelation 12. Daniel s parents chose a hebrew name for their son meaning god is my judge, testifying of their faith in the one, true god. Named after its writer, daniels book is a product of his time in babylon as a. Daniel who through the book received revelations from god. Nine of the 12 chapters relate revelation through dreams and visions. The modern interpretation views antiochus iv reigned 175164 bc as the small horn that uproots three others antiochus. The book of daniel identifies the prophet daniel as its author daniel 9. Daniels prophecies are in many respects the most remarkable of any in the sacred record and is the most comprehensive. As such, daniel is similar to the book of revelation in the new testament. In addition, the captivating prophecy, imagery, and symbolism make the book of daniel one of the most read of hebrew scripture, our old testament of the bible. The traditional interpretation of the dream identifies the four empires as the babylonian the head, medopersian arms. He may have descended from a noble family, perhaps he was even a prince, since normally the prominent people.
Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a great tree that shelters the whole world, but in his dream an angelic watcher appears and decrees that the tree must be cut down and that for seven years. This volume, a part of the interpretation commentary series, explores the book of daniel. Porphyry claimed that instead of being written by daniel about b. Daniel interpretation excels because it persistently remains focused on what the text tells us about god, how that affects our relationship with him, and how that understanding applied in antiquity and applies in the contemporary world. The purpose of the book of daniel in the book of daniel the scriptures foretell how the lord will deal with the people of daniel the jews and the gentile nations. Although prophecy is scattered all through the bible, two books focus almost entirely on symbolic representations. He carried these off to the land of shinar, a to the house of his god, where he put them into the treasury. When they came in and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, i have had a dream that troubles me and i. Daniel proceeds to tell the dream and its interpretation. The bible is a history book, it tells the pastbut like no other history bookit tells the present and future just as clearly. The book of daniel is followed by the prophet hosea, the first of the prophets in the book of the twelve. Daniel with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Daniel s friends shadrach, meshach and abednego served as advisers to king nebuchadnezzar of babylon.
In more mundane language, it is an account of the activities and visions of daniel, a noble jew exiled at babylon, its message being that just as the god of israel saved daniel and his friends from their enemies, so. The years daniel mentions put this prophecy around 535 b. So, without the slightest embarrassment or hesitation, i largely rely here on the halley outline of daniel 11. Through a night vision from god, daniel comes to understand the kings dream and its interpretation. This dissertation investigates the use of biblical interpretation in the book of daniel. The prophetic book of daniel was written for our time. The following chart provides a list of these divinely inspired messages from god recorded in the book of daniel. Through a series of dreams and visions and their interpretations daniel is shown an outline of future kingdoms of the world. Its prophecies of worldruling empires are closely related to revelation. A free bible version and commentary on the book of daniel in easyenglish. But when daniel was a young manaround or 14jerusalem was besieged by nebuchadnezzar, king of babylon, and daniel and many others were taken into captivity. The book of daniel is filled with messianic illusions and calculations that even left daniel pondering their meanings. It demonstrates the spectrum in which daniel uses older scriptural texts such as genesis and ezekiel in order to accomplish the theological concord with the earlier scriptural traditions of ancient israel. Historicism, a method of interpretation in christian eschatology which associates biblical prophecies with actual historical events and identifies symbolic beings.
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