THEME The sovereignty of God over all the kingdoms of the world and in all the affairs of Israel.

THEME

The sovereignty of God over all the kingdoms of the world

and in all the affairs of Israel

Hebrew Bible : “TaNaK”

The Law —> “Torah”The Prophets —> “Navaim”The Writings —> “Kethuvim”

“Daniel” is in the “Writings” and not in the “Prophets”

AUTHOR: DANIEL

• Eze 14:14, 20; 28:3

• Jesus referred to him as the prophet (Matt 24:15 )

• a member of the royal family (Isa 39:6-7)

• 605 BC (Dan 1:1 ) —> 536 BC (Dan 10:1)

• approximately 70 years of ministry

• He demonstrated a righteous life before the pagan Babylonians

RECIP IENTS

• Those who returned from the Exile

• The Post Exilic Community

• Possibly during the exile as well

LANGUAGE

Hebrew and Aramaic

CRIT IC S

• Date this as late 165 BC

• DSS —> at least 300 BC or earlier

• Major objection/problem —> with predictive prophecy

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

a) Three - International Power Houses

- Assyria- Egypt

- Babylon


b) Three - Captivities

605 B.C. 597 B.C. 586 B.C.


c) Four - Judah’s Kings

- Jehoahaz- Jehoiakim - Jehoiachin- Zedekiah


d) Four - Succeeding Kingdoms

- Babylon- Medo-Persia

- Greece- Roman


e) Four - Daniel’s Visions

- Beasts- Ram and Goat

- 70 Weeks- Tribulations


f) Four - Key People

DanielNebuchadnezzar

(2 dreams, 2 miracles)

Belshazzar (1 revelation)

Darius (1 testimony)


612 B.C.

• Fall of Nineveh • Assyrians retreated


609 B.C.

- Battle of Haran- Egypt came to aid- Josiah killed at Megiddo- Jehoahaz became king (3 months)- Egypt took him captive- Jehoiakim became king (11 years)


605 B.C.

- 1st Captivity of Israel- Battle of Carchemish - Egypt came to aid- The last stand of Assyrians- Daniel and friends taken


597 B.C.

- 2nd Captivity- Jehoiakim rebelled- Jehoiakim died before the Babylonians

arrived- Jehoiachin became king (3 months)- Babylonians took Jehoiachin captive- Ezekiel and 10k taken captive (2 Kings

24:14)- Zedekiah became king (11 years)


586 B.C.

- 3rd Captivity- Zedekiah rebelled - 30 month siege of Jerusalem- Jeremiah’s ministry- Jerusalem destruction- Only the poor and the weak left

behind

"The book of Daniel is unquestionably the key to all biblical prophecy. It is the great apocalyptic book of the Old Testament, whereas Revelation is that of the New

Testament. Passages such as Matthew 24—25, Mark 13, Luke 21, and the book of Revelation are unintelligible without a

knowledge of the book of Daniel.”

– C HA R LES L . F E I N BER G

PURPOSE OF THE BOOK• To show Daniel and his

friends, as an example to the rest of the exiles — how they should live in a pagan society

• To show the great sovereignty of God over the Gentile nations, which should encourage the exiles

PURPOSE OF THE BOOK

• To show faithfulness of God to Abrahamic covenant by protecting and preserving them in the midst of the ungodly nation

• God’s refining of Israel by the Gentile nations and glorious future deliverance after the times of the Gentiles

MAJOR DIV IS IONS

(a)Chapter 1 : Introduction and historical setting

(b)Chapter 2-7 : Sovereignty of God over the Gentile nations

(c)Chapter 8-12 : Sovereignty of God over the affairs of the nation of Israel

CHAPTER DIV IS IONS

Chapter 1: God is a faithful and covenant keeping God who still blesses people who are faithful to the covenant

i. In the midst of being exiled in Babylon, Daniel and his three friends chose to give total allegiance to YHWH

ii. YHWH blessed them this was the first time in the book YHWH showed that He is superior to the gods of Babylon

iii. God’s promise of blessing for covenant obedience still remained true even for the exiles

CHAPTER DIV IS IONS

Chapter 2: The Living God of Israel is far wiser than Babylonians gods

i. God used Daniel and his three friends to display his greatness and reveal His prophetic history of Gentiles

ii. Messianic Kingdom would supersede all the kingdoms in the end

iii. Nebuchadnezzar determined that these four were superior to the rest and elevated them to prominent positions

CHAPTER DIV IS IONS

Chapter 3: The God of Israel is powerful and can deliver man from any powerful hands of this world

i.Daniel’s three friends in a fiery furnace

ii. Through this testing, God showed that He was completely in control over all even though this was a time of Gentiles domination of the Jews

CHAPTER DIV IS IONS

Chapter 4: The Sovereignty of God in raising up and bringing down the nations and kings of this world

i. God humiliated Nebuchadnezzar with insanity and loss of his kingdom because of his boastful pride

ii. After he acknowledged God’s sovereignty, he was restored over his kingdom

iii. God alone was sovereign and Nebuchadnezzar learned that great truth

CHAPTER DIV IS IONS

Chapter 5: The Sovereignty of God in bringing swift judgment upon the nations and kings

i. God ended the Babylonian rule by His judgment through Darius the Mede, which was pronounced during Belshazzar’s ungodly feast

ii. Belshazzar did not learn the lesson his forefather Nebuchadnezzar had learned

CHAPTER DIV IS IONS

Chapter 6: God is a faithful and covenant keeping God who still blesses people who are faithful to the covenant (even throughout his life)

i. Daniel’s absolute’s faithfulness to God during the Persian period resulted in his persecution in the lion’s den

ii. Darius universally proclaimed allegiance to God and the greatness of the person of God

iii. Both Nebuchadnezzar and Darius praised God, but what about the Jews?

CHAPTER DIV IS IONS

Chapter 7: The Vision of the 4 Beasts and the Little Horn

i. Daniel given a vision of 4 beasts representing 4 great gentile powers

ii.They would all be superseded by the great, eternal and universal kingdom given to the Son of Man

iii. The identity of the “Little Horn”

CHAPTER DIV IS IONS

Chapter 8: The Vision of the Ram and the Goat and the Little Horn

i. God revealed prophetic history of Israel during the times of the Gentiles

ii. The goat (Greece) defeating the ram (Medo-Persia)

iii. The rise of Antiochus and his conflict with the Jews

CHAPTER DIV IS IONS

Chapter 9: The Vision of the 70 Weeks

i. God revealed to Daniel the chronology of His prophetic program for Israel

ii. The issue of Daniel 70 Weeks

CHAPTER DIV IS IONS

Chapters 10-12: The Last Days of Tribulation : Kings and Kingdoms

i. After a period of prayer and preparation, Daniel received a final vision of the future of Israel

ii.This period included Maccabean period, the last days, (the time of tribulation) and the resurrection

iii. Conclusion: Daniel commanded to seal the books until time of the end

R E V I E W Q U I Z

• LAMENTATIONS• Q: Who wrote Lamentations?• A: Anonymous/Traditions ascribe to Jeremiah

R E V I E W Q U I Z

• EZEKIEL• Q: How many times does the term “I am the

LORD” appear?• A: 65

R E V I E W Q U I Z

• DANIEL• Q: What language was the book of Daniel

written in?• A: Hebrew & Aramaic

R E V I E W Q U I Z

• LAMENTATIONS• Q: Who wrote Lamentations?• A: Anonymous/Traditions ascribe to Jeremiah

R E V I E W Q U I Z

• EZEKIEL• Q: How many times does the term “I am the

LORD” appear?• A: 65

R E V I E W Q U I Z

• DANIEL• Q: What language was the book of Daniel

written in?• A: Hebrew & Aramaic

N E XT S E S S I O N

Start of FEED 215 Mentoring Through the Minor Prophets

Date: 17 Oct & 14 Nov, 2015Cost: $20Registration (Closing Date: 11 Oct) 1.Online, 2.Reception on Sundays, [email protected](Indicate: Name, M/F, Age, CG/Church)


17 October 2015 (Saturday) 7:30 am – 12:30 pm

1.Session 9A: Intro to Minor Prophets, Jonah & Amos

2.Session 9B: Hosea & Micah3.Session 9C: Nahum & Habakkuk


17 October 2015 (Saturday) 7:30 am – 12:30 pm

1.Session 7A&B: Intro to Prophets & Isaiah2.Session 7C: Jeremiah

Reading Assignments:3.BIBLE: Ecclesiastes 4 to Isaiah 52

4.Book By Book: page 211-239Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah

3.For All Its Worth: Appendix: The Evaluation and Use of Commentaries (Old

Testament)1.(4th Edition): page 275-2862.(3rd Edition): page 265-275

I M PO RTA N T A N N O U N C M E N T S

1. Feedback Form will be sent to you. Please fill it up and return it before the next class

on 17 Oct.

2. Privileged Closed-Door Registration for FEED 260 Mentoring Thru the New

Testament (2016) will be open all Mentoring Thru Old

Testament participants from 17 October to 15 November 2015.

THEME The sovereignty of God over all the kingdoms of the world and in all the affairs of Israel.

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