Outside of the pentateuch, no book of the ot has been subjected to as much scrutiny as the book of daniel. One important character appears out of nowhere, namely king darius the mede, a personage quite unknown in historical sources outside the book of daniel. Daniel 6 the scheme of the administrators and the satraps. It is about the nature of guilt and innocence, and about the relations of people to nations. The book of daniel is a clear revelation of the meaning of history. Learn how accurately nebuchadnezzars dream in daniel.
Jan 02, 2020 daniel served in the royal court of nebuchadnezzar and several rulers who followed nebuchadnezzar. Quotation given in full when space permits corresponding quotations from daniel. The book of daniel is one of the most significant prophetic books in the bible. Daniel 1 niv bible in the third year of the reign of.
The book of daniel our english versions of the old testament have the books arranged in sections. The history of the rise and fall of the medes and the persians forms an important background for over two hundred years of biblical history. Old testament survey unit 9 quiz 3 flashcards quizlet. Daniels prayer, and the vision of the seventy weeks 9. Critics on daniel placement in canon jesus ben sirach historical issues linguistic issues indications of early date the 4 kingdoms issue video series. A critical examination and at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. Belshazzar had been known only from the biblical book of daniel chapters 5, 78 and from xenophons cyropaedia until 1854, when references to him were found in babylonian cuneiform inscriptions. The book of daniel portrays him as the babylonian king in the first year of whose reign daniel has his dream of the four great beasts which come up out of the sea. Darius is really persian for lordking 1 and was applied to many of the persian rulers. In todays excerpt from the most recent edition in the story of god bible commentary series, author wendy l. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Daniel is perhaps intentionally confusing two distinct persons. Ahasuerus was a name common to many of the kings of medopersia.
His legends of belshazzars feast in daniel 5 and darius the mede in daniel 6 demonstrate that he could indulge in creative anachronism when he wanted to. In the first year of darius that is, immediately after the overthrow of the kingdom of babylon, which was the year of the jews deliverance from captivity. See more ideas about book of daniel, bible and bible knowledge. Provides archeological and historical proof for the identification of darius the mede and cyrus the persian, both found in the book of daniel. Darius the mede is mentioned in the book of daniel as king of babylon between belshazzar and cyrus the great, but he is not. However history suggests, and i aim to show that the bible suggests, that none of those three are the darius of daniel 6, and that finding the actual darius enables us to unpick some of the behavior we see in.
As a result god passes judgment on belshazzar by taking away his kingdom and dividing it between the medes and persians. I thought it would look low budget, but boy was i wrong. This is a comprehensive but rapid overview of the history from the time of the assyrian empire up until the return of christ. These are often subdivided into major prophets and minor prophets. The book says that daniel is its writer in several places, such as 9. For he is the living god and enduring forever, and his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, and his dominion will be forever. This darius ruled for only two years 538536 bc and is best known as the ruler who promoted daniel to a high position in the kingdom and then cast him into the lions. Ezra 6 the decree of darius king darius then bible. Darius the mede is a major character in daniel 6, and the vision of daniel 9 is said to have occurred during his reign. Introduction of daniel specialty of daniel all the prophets prophesized the events daniel was the only prophet to set time lines on the events daniel is the only book to carry the autobiography of a king daniel also covers what usually called the silent years time between last ot book and first nt book. Apr 12, 1971 the book of daniel is a work of genius like no other. The book of daniel is about how god shows his everlasting wisdom, power, and faithfulness through one of israels greatest prophets. A favorite target of critics of faith concerns two kings mentioned eight times each in the book of daniel.
The book of daniel, one of the volumes of the bible, is found in the section of scriptures. Book of daniel overview insight for living ministries. Daniel 6 esv it pleased darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom. Daniel wrote the book of daniel during the sixth century b. Belshazzar, coregent of babylon who was killed at the capture of the city by the persians.
Presents historical evidence for the career of gubaru the governor of babylon as gathered from the babylonian cuneiform documents of that era. Daniel spoke about the abomination of desolation this clarifies that daniel was a real person and the events described in the book are real including the prophecies. Is this sole writer the prophet daniel who composed the work during the exile 586536 b. It is a book about some of the beautiful and terrible feelings of childhood. I personally believe that this socalled darius the mede is the darius mentioned in chapters 5, 6 and 11 of the book of daniel but the darius mentioned in chapter 9 of the book of daniel may be a different darius. He probably shouldnt have signed an order making everyone pray only to. Introduction daniel was a young man who was taken captive to babylon by king nebuchadnezzar. Strictly speaking, the book does not belong to the prophetic writings but rather to a distinctive type of literature known as apocalyptic, of which it is an early specimen. Vous pouvez partager vos connaissances en lameliorant comment. There are three references to rulers named darius in the bible. Daniel s prophetic ministry came at the the times of the gentiles, where judah had been ruled over by gentiles and daniel was there to minister these leaders and his own people. He probably shouldnt have signed an order making everyone pray only to him for a month, but the story puts the blame for that more on the conniving band of wicked satraps. The book of daniel nasb audio bible non dramatized youtube.
The biblical book of daniel describes a figure called darius the mede, the son of ahasuerus, who is said to have assumed rule over the neobabylonian empire after the fall of babylon to a medopersian force dan 5. Jun 17, 2008 he is a man who is unknown to history outside of the book of daniel. Located in the area south of the caspian sea and east of the zagros mountains, its original domain stretched for 600 miles north and south, and 250 miles east to west. Book of daniel simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Its prophecies of worldruling empires are closely related to revelation. Well there is the story of shadrach meshach and abednego, who were smart jews that were exiled from the holy land after the destruction of the first temple.
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 he would save all of israel in their present oppression. My family has watched it three times already and passing it around to other family members. Darius the mede and the four world empires in the book of daniel. The decree of darius king darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at babylon. Darius the mede in the book of daniel orthodox christian. The book of daniel part one church of the great god. Daniel god my judge, which accords with the character and contents of the book. While daniel deservedly commands center stage of our text, much can be learned from king darius and even daniel s peers, who seek to arrange his downfall and destruction. The nation first came into prominence in the ninth century b. Tom constables expository notes on daniel this is also available in the net. An introduction to the book of daniel an argument of the book of daniel selected bibliography of the book of daniel j. Daniel and the lions darius thought it would be a good idea to choose one hundred twenty governors who would rule his kingdom. Darius the mede is a major character in daniel 6, and the vision of daniel 9 is. Are darius king of persia and cyrus king of persia the.
The book of daniel is followed by the prophet hosea, the first of the prophets in the book of the twelve. Daniel gives the meaning of history more clearly than any other portion of the bible. It is possible that daniel used the word darius which means lord as a title for the ruler in babylon, rather than a proper name. In the hebrew bible, it is found in the ketuvim, while in christian bibles. Cyrus, after the capture of babylon, appointed a man named gubaru gobryas as his governor at babylon. Daniel s father in law is also a bishop, and the discrete best friend of daniel s bishop. The book of daniel begins with king nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of babylon, ransacking jerusalem. He is shown as the depicted as the one who conquered the babylonian empire and became king. His adopted brother, ethnic asian adam, is an incorrigible rascal. The book of daniel contains some of the most beloved stories as well as some of the most hotly contested, disputed prophecies in all of scripture. The first half of the book chapters 16 contains stories in the third person about the experiences of daniel and his friends under kings nebuchadrezzar ii, belshazzar, darius i, and. In many ways, daniel is a book of paradox, offering very straightforward narratives revealing gods greatness and. All images are also avaliable in digital download for projection or other media use. Cyrus the persian as darius the mede in the book of daniel.
It appears from the account given by daniel that darius the mede was the sovereign appointed to rule over babylonia after the death of belshazzar. The failure of daniel s prophecies 2007 chris sandoval. In this video, we address the most controversial topic in the book of daniel on who was darius the mede. This sermon unveils the mysteries in prayer through the book of daniel as i was meditating the book of daniel, there are four important aspects about prayer that i would like to share with you.
The book of daniel is included in the listing of major prophets. In chapter 9, the darius is said to be the son of ahasuerus, of the seed of the medes. In the first year of king cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of god in jerusalem. Apr 11, 2014 the author of the book of daniel presumably daniel himself viewed the shadowy character of darius the mede as a separate ruler from cyrus the great. I am not qualified enough to say that i can argue this case from a thorough knowledge of archaeology, but internal evidence within the scriptures appears to compel us. Daniels friends shadrach, meshach and abednego served as advisers to king nebuchadnezzar of babylon. The hero of the book of daniel in the ketuvim section of the bible is one of the jews exiled in babylonia, a soothsayer at the babylonian court under nebuchadnezzar who died in 562 b. The book of daniel stands as a unique mix in the old testament, for while it begins with history, it makes a strong transition at chapter 7, where it contains visions of future events significant to the jews. This therefore proves that the book of daniel was written in the traditionally accepted time of 450550 bc.
When he saw that daniel was unhurt by the lions, darius decreed that people must fear and reverence the god of daniel. These officials were among the eight classes of officials that king nebuchadnezzar 605562 bc appointed in babylon. This is the same god who took 3 men into a fiery furnace and brought them. And what is more, it tells us how to live for god in ungodly times, like our own. In his fifth and sixth chapters, he describes a king whose deeds mirror those of cyrus, but whom he ostensibly refers to as darius. Daniel translated by ferial moawad the book for every believer the book of daniel has a special significance in the life of believers, for it is not a record of daniels life nor to an era of the history of the israelites during the babylon captivity, but rather it is a divine book, which the holy spirit offers us to instill hope in the hurt. Peter is daniel s model son and med student, but struggles with being a semicloset gay. In daniel chapter 5, a babylonian king by the name of belshazzar mocks god by throwing a party with articles taken from the jewish temple. Unlike belshazzar and nebuchadnezzar, darius doesnt seem to have bad intentions. The widely held view that the book of daniel is largely fictional rests mainly on the modern philosophical assumption that longrange predictive prophecy is impossible. Darius the mede is mentioned in the book of daniel as king of babylon between belshazzar and cyrus the great, but he is not known to history, and no additional king can be placed between the known figures of belshazzar and cyrus. The book of daniel records the actions, prophecies, and visions of the prophet daniel. Daniel, considering the time of the captivity, daniel 9.
He ends up taking back the cream of the crop, the most elite and noble israelites, to serve at his court in babylon. From the beginning of his eleventh chapter, we deduce that this is none other than darius ii. The book of daniel, originally written in hebrew and aramaic, is a book in both the hebrew bible and the christian old testament writer. Most scholars view him as a literary fiction, but some have tried to harmonise the book of daniel with history by identifying him with various known figures, notably cyrus or gobryas, the general who was first to enter babylon when it fell to the persians in 539 bce. There is uncertainty as to when the story may have taken place, but most scholars contend that its stories occurred in the second century bce.
We will examine the different views and understanding of the book, including the jewish and christian perspectives. It does not say these years were concluded before the events of ch. The genre of the book of daniel is narrative history, prophetic oracle, and it includes apocalyptic material. The book of daniel is an apocalypse, a literary genre in which a heavenly reality is revealed to a human recipient.
Because the book of daniel contains so many detailed prophecies of things that happened centuries later, some skeptics have suggested that it is a fraud, written much later in history. Daniel 6 ncv daniel and the lions darius thought bible gateway. This book takes its name not from the author, who is actually unknown, but from its hero, who was allegedly among the first jews deported to babylon, where he lived at least until 538 b. Well, i believe that the book of daniel was written in the 6th century bc. Darius the mede and the four world empires in the book of. This darius was not darius the persian, under whom the temple was built, as some have asserted, to invalidate the credibility of this book. The author of the book of daniel presumably daniel himself viewed the shadowy character of darius the mede as a separate ruler from cyrus the great.
It is a book about the nature of left politics in this countryits sacrificial rites, its peculiar cruelties, its humility, its bitterness. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Who so ever reads, let him understand meaning whatever daniel saw was recorded and at that recorded clearly and correctly. Aramaic, also called chaldean or the language of the chaldeans, was the language of ancient babylon, and daniel and his fellow captives were taught it as part of their training to. Cyrus was the king of persia who defeated the babylonian empire and freed the jews in exile.
And this daniel hath prospered in the reign of darius, and in the reign of cyrus the persian. Its the encouraging, satisfying triumph of faith, righteousness, and justice over wickedness and evil in high places. Arguments for earlylate date of authorship of daniel. The first, chronologically, occurs in the book of daniel, where the ruler is called darius the mede daniel 6. Although it does not actually claim to have been written in the sixth century bce, the book of daniel gives clear internal dates such as the third year of the reign of king jehoiakim, that is, 606 bce. The book of daniel is a 2ndcentury bc biblical apocalypse combining a prophecy of history with an eschatology cosmic in scope and political in focus. Interesting facts about daniel biblical facts and comments. Part of it is composed of puzzling apocalyptic imagery, while other parts share with us some of the most inspiring stories in all scripture. The book of daniel presents a collection of popular stories about daniel, a loyal jew, and the record of visions granted to him, with the babylonian exile of the 6th century bce as their background.
True or false daniel s book is primarily about the gentile nations. This book offers a most fascinating study from several. Cyrus arrives in babylon 605 bc 515 bc 556 bc 560 bc 562 bc 586 bc 604 bc 603 bc 602 bc 553 bc 551 bc 539 bc 538 bc 53 6 bc 3rd year of the rule of jehoiakim mayjun. The absence of knowledge about him outside of the bible has lead most historians and. Daniel 1, new international version niv the bible app. The use of the aramaic language in the book of daniel is not surprising, given the fact that the setting for this book is during the jews captivity in babylon. Daniel tomb of daniel in present day iran, in the city of susa, iran. 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 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.
The bible, however, speaks of both cyrus and darius. Once again in the book of daniel, we are reminded that god is able to deliver his people, even in a distant land. The first is the babylonian king whom daniel records was feasting when babylon fell dan. Well, the darius mentioned in both books are not the same darius the mede, daniel 6. The book of daniel is often read for its contribution to our understanding of endtimes events, but sometimes christians have been so obsessed with this that we have missed its main message. Once it is admitted that the book of daniel is the work of one single author, there naturally arises the important question. Book of daniel is very well made and the acting is awesome, not at all what i expected.
Daniel also has vivid, symbolic visions about the future of israel, world kingdoms, and the kingdom of godexposing us to some of gods longterm plan for the world. A scroll was found in the citadel of ecbatana in the province of media, and this was written on it. As with all of scripture, the book of daniel is profitable for our study 2 ti 3. It pleased darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was daniel. Yet some people use it as a weapon to try to discredit the scriptures. Cyrus is referred to in the book of isaiah, which shows great appreciation for his help and generosity.
Daniel chapter 3 kjv king james version what a mighty god we serve. Daniel 6 sg21 darius le mede sempara du royaume bible gateway. Commentary on the book of daniel from a literal,historical and contextual perspective. The book is written in a mixture of hebrew and aramaic. 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. List of books and articles about book of daniel online. The book of daniel, also called the prophecy of daniel, a book of the old testament found in the ketuvim writings, the third section of the jewish canon, but placed among the prophets in the christian canon. In the old testament book of daniel darius the mede is mentioned 5. From daniel and his three friends, we will learn the power of faith and commitment b.
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