This is an absolutely beautiful Bible. The cardboard book sleeve does an excellent job of protecting the Bible itself from shelfware, as evidence by the fact that in shipping, the front of the book sleeve did get slightly dented, but the Bible itself was entirely undamaged.
This Bible contains 53,000 (!!!!!!!!) center-column references! 53,000!? What a valuable resource for any Christian!
Thomas Nelson Publishing company never disappoints. The Bibles that they print are always high in quality and eye-catching.
This Bible is large print, meaning that the font size is a readable 10.5-point. This Bible includes Bible book introductions, a concordance, a 365-day reading plan, and a matching satin ribbon bookmarker. It is a Red Letter Edition, which is also a definite bonus because the reader can quickly identify the words of our Savior Jesus.
I absolutely LOVE the pink color on this Bible. I’ve always been pretty traditional in my book collecting; most of my copies of the Bible are black, a few brown, and a maroon one here and there. The soft pink offered as an option for this Bible makes this a beautiful and thoughtful gift for any female pastors in your life, mothers, grandmothers, and young women.
Thomas Nelson Bibles are renowned for their beautiful color maps included in so many editions of the Bibles they print. The KJV Large Print Center-Column Reference Bible is no exception:
With all that is currently going on in the Middle East, being able to quickly turn to maps that express God’s story in His dealings with humanity is truly a blessing. I find that Bible history comes so much more alive with the use of colorful maps such as those included in this KJV Large Print Center-Column Reference Bible.
Readability
This lovely Bible is readable, not only because of the 10.5-point Comfort Print (TM), but also because the layout is so well-crafted. The introduction does not draw attention to itself and likewise the center-column references do not cause confusion to the following of the actual Biblical text.
The King James Version Large Print Center-Column Reference Bible lays flat, which also aids in its readability because it won’t fold in on itself when the reader is trying to read it. Here is an example of this Bible laying flat, open to the book of Ecclesiastes:
Rev. Jennifer Mieliulis Fuentes, M.Div., Duke University
Book details
Title: KJV Large Print Center-Column Reference Bible Author: Publisher: Thomas Nelson Bibles Release Date: March 2024 Genre: BIBLES/King James Version/Reference
Daniel 5: King Belshazzar and a new King in charge
A New King in charge: King Belshazzar
In our study of Daniel, we have talked at length about King Nebuchadnezzar: from his rule over magnificent and wealthy Babylon to his humiliation when he lived in the manner of beasts. King Nebuchadnezzar’s wits had been restored to him, but meanwhile, kings rise up and fall . . . and at this point in the historical record, there was a new king in charge.
A historian named Berosus had chronicled what was happening in Babylon. He actually served as a Babylonian priest of Bel Marduk, but he was Hellenistic and actually wrote in Koiné Greek, a departure from Chaldean (an Aramaic dialect). We see a transitioning from the Babylon of King Nebuchadnezzar into a weakening empire that would be overtaken first by the Medo-Persians and then by the Greeks.
Berosus gives a timeline for some of these kings which helps us understand where King Belshazzar fits in.
King Nebuchadnezzar had a son. His name was Evil-Merodach. His Babylonian name would be transliterated more like Awil-Marduk, but I think as generations have passed, scribes left it as “Evil” because he was evil, licentious (lawless, crude, unrestrained), and served Marduk so the name fits and has stuck.
If you remember from Daniel 1, King Jehoiachin of Judah was the son of King Jehoiakim of Judah.
ExtraBiblical sources such as Berosus and even Ptolemy record that Evil-Merodach ruled for only 2 years and then was assassinated by his brother-in-law. His brother-in-law was named Nergal-Sharezar.
Well, the Bible does at least mention Nergal-Sharezar in Jeremiah 39:3 –
It is said he ruled for 4 years and then he died of natural causes. The ancient historians say that he had a son, Laborosoarchod, who ruled as a child, but he had a mental disorder. He only ruled for 9 months when a gang of conspirators beat him to death.
The gang appointed one of their guys, Nabonidus, to be the new king.
Nabonidus had a son named Belshazzar, who became king. These were the final Babylonian kings.
Don’t confuse Daniel’s Babylonian name, “Belteshazzar” with this King Belshazzar. Very similar and even in meaning, their gods will “protect,” but Daniel is not the king, so don’t get confused by all these names.
It has been years since the holy items had been taken from the Jerusalem temple.
But Belshazzar wanted to make a point of how mighty his empire was and commanded that the gold and silver cups and utensils be brought to be used at his pagan feast and all those people drank from them with no shame.
Remember King Nebuchadnezzar’s statue dream? It was constructed of each of those items. Their worship was severely misguided and would result in the fulfillment of that dream.
If you’ve ever heard that phrase, “the handwriting’s on the wall,” everything’s going down from here . . . it comes from this.
King Belshazzar watched as he experienced a vision. He saw a man’s hand writing on the wall. Like King Nebuchadnezzar’s before him, King Belshazzar’s countenance changed . . . and his knees buckled!
According to commentaries, the queen mentioned in Daniel 5:10 is not King Belshazzar’s wife, but rather the queen mother. The Queen was either versed in their national history, had a good memory, or feared God. She knew about Daniel and counseled Belshazzar to call for Daniel. She was certain Daniel could give Belshazzar the interpretation of the writing on the wall.
Daniel had been governor, but with all the different kings rising to power, he had essentially been demoted and forgotten about. Now King Belshazzar offers to make him third in command.
Daniel is very confident in who he is as a prophet. He knew he would be able to interpret the writing.
When you serve God and you know who you are in Christ, you can have that same conviction. Learn to operate in the gifts of the Spirit and allow God to use you to bless others. Daniel had a prophetic gifting and He cultivated that as He sought God.
Daniel reminds King Belshazzar about all that happened to his predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar.
Verse 22 is very convicting because Daniel tells Belshazzar, “you knew all [of] this.”
This isn’t news to you, king.
Daniel describes 5 sins of Belshazzar:
Belshazzar hasn’t humbled his heart
Belshazzar has lifted himself up against the Lord of heaven. Daniel uses the term, “Lord.” In those earlier chapters, the term “God” was often used. But it has been established which God we are talking about, and not only is the God of Israel Supreme, but He is LORD of heaven. Lord over all of Belshazzar’s gods.
Belshazzar used the LORD’s holy vessels to drink wine at his pagan feast.
Belshazzar has given praise to idols who cannot see, hear, or know.
Belshazzar refuses to glorify the God who has given him life, and who owns everything
The area in southern Babylon near the Persian Gulf was known as the “Land of the sea.” I imagine it would have been seen as a tourist destination, a beautiful place.
Well, God mocks their view of beauty. He calls it the Wilderness – in other words, the Wasteland desert of the sea. Babylon would be made desolate.
Daniel actually lived in Elam according to Daniel 8:2.
We know that ultimately Elam (Persia) will ally with Magog, which is believed to be Russia. (Ez.38:5)
There are differing views as to when the Gog/Magog war will begin, so you would have to really study this out to come up with what you think best aligns with the Scriptures.
Some believe the Gog/Magog War will occur pre-Tribulation while others believe it would occur during the first half of the tribulation. In any case, we know that Iran will fall on the mountains of Israel (Ez.39:4-5). While Iran and Russia plot and plan for a total victory, Ezekiel 39:7 assures us that God will make His Holy Name known.
Hope for Iranians?
It is so very difficult to live in a nation that does its best to work against God.
Even the United States is becoming more and more secularized and anti-God.
The people of Iran have faced so much oppression, yet God has been working and there have been many conversions to Christianity despite the very real risks.
God can still bless you, even if you find yourself alone.
Place your trust in Him today! The fulfillment of so many Biblical prophecies in Isaiah, Daniel and Ezekiel prove that He will soon return! Are you ready for His return? Are you ready to meet Him in the air? If you would like to know more about Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ), please send us a message. We would love to hear from you!
Daniel 4: Nebuchadnezzar is humbled before the True King
In the previous chapter, King Nebuchadnezzar witnessed the miracle of the 3 Judean youth unharmed despite being thrown into Babylon’s fiery furnace.
King Nebuchadnezzar now addresses everyone and decides to acknowledge God’s wondrous works:
Daniel 4:4 describes how Nebuchadnezzar was flourishing. This dream appears to be describing King Nebuchadnezzar’s current situation at the height of his reign – he is like a tall, strong tree that provides for the kingdom in abundance.
The watchers from the heavenly court have made a very strong decree so that “the living may know that the Most High rules . . . “: King Nebuchadnezzar’s heart will be transformed from that of a man to an animal.
And 7 times will pass.
Most interpret these 7 to be a literal 7 years. 7, again, symbolizes “completion.” In the completion of time, the fullness of time.
The purpose of the coming trial for King Nebuchadnezzar is for him to “come to know that Heaven rules.” King Nebuchadnezzar had a court, but the court of heaven is far superior to that of Babylon.
In Daniel 4:20, the tree is described similarly to the Tower of Babel: having height reaching to the heavens:
King Nebuchadnezzar had the same ambitious spirit.
The tree is to be chopped down, but the stump left in tact and bound up with iron and bronze.
In Daniel 2, iron and bronze represented Rome and Greece, respectively. The Babylonian Empire would remain intertwined – rooted – and even so much as bound up – together with the empires that would follow. Rather than displaying its power and might freely, Babylon would be confined.
Daniel gives King Nebuchadnezzar some valuable advice: seek righteousness and mercy to break the power of sin in his life. Looking ahead to Daniel 4:29, we see that God gave King Nebuchadnezzar a full year to repent!
King Nebuchadnezzar was afflicted with what modern psychologists call “boanthropy.” This is a mental disorder that causes its victim to believe he is an ox or a cow. But I think King Nebuchadnezzar had it even worse. I haven’t seen anybody have hair like eagle’s feathers and nails like claws. God allowed him to experience a pit of shame. Sometimes that’s what it takes to get us to not think so highly of ourselves. His pride as Babylon’s leader had to be stripped away.
We must pray for God’s mercy, that we will always remain humble no matter what position we find ourselves in whether it is in ministry or a secular job or any type of leadership.
Daniel 4:36 tells us that for the glory of King Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, God allowed his honor and splendor to return to him. King Nebuchadnezzar extolled and honored God as the true King.
A lesson for us today
Pride sets itself up so very quickly, and when a person has access to privilege and material possessions, it can be a challenge to remain humble.
Our King Jesus demonstrated humility, as we talked about on Palm Sunday. May the Lord help each of us to always remain humble and give God all the glory in our lives!
Palm Sunday: the Hour has Come
Zechariah’s Shabbat HaGadol/Palm Sunday Prophecy
Every year, I enjoy reading Zechariah’s prophecy in Zechariah 9:9-10 that was fulfilled on Shabbat haGadol, Palm Sunday:
“From the River to the Sea . . . to the ends of the earth”
You may have heard the Palestinian chant back when Hamas’ Gaza still stood strong, “From the River to the sea, Palestine shall be free.”
The problem with the chant is that it (either inadvertently or purposefully) calls for the annihilation of Israel. Palestine wanted to claim the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
So when I read this portion of Zechariah’s prophecy in preparation for today’s message, I was struck by the ending of verse 10:
Last week we talked about Philip. He was the eager one. We’ve found Him! We have identified who the Messiah is and He is alive in our time today! On that first Palm Sunday, Philip would have been among those who were crying out “Hoshia-na!” Lord, save us!
That same excitement and enthusiasm is what we need. We know who the Savior is. He is alive in our time and He is coming back. We need to share with others that He is indeed the only One who can save us!
Philip and Andrew were long-time friends. People were coming far and wide to celebrate the Passover feast. It is very interesting that the Scriptures tell us that some Greek travelers were in town and wanted to see Jesus. The message of Jesus was reaching beyond the Jewish enclave. The message was for Jew and Greek, Jew and Gentile.
Philip, Andrew, Mary, Martha, the Risen Lazarus, and a whole multitude were waving palm branches and doing their best to get as close to Jesus as they could.
Enough had transpired that they loved Him. They waved the Palm Sunday branches just like they would have done with the lulav during the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles was like a divine dress rehearsal for the receiving of the Word who dwelt among us:
Notice, the people were commanded to rejoice. Now, the crowds in Jerusalem freely rejoiced and they heard testimony of witnessing Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead!
His fame was spreading and eyewitnesses to Lazarus’ resurrection were now willing to speak up and testify.
The Bible tells us the disciples didn’t understand at first (John 12:16). It took many of them until after the ascension to reflect back and see that Jesus had fulfilled the prophetic Scriptures.
The Greek word, δὲ, should be translated “and” in John 12:23. The “but” used in the NKJV should be “and.” KJV, ESV, and NIV got this right here.
Victory Proven
Jesus is fully triumphant. He is the One the Scriptures have foretold, He is revealing Himself to His disciples on that Palm Sunday and even the crowds around Him, and has announced that the hour has come for Him to be glorified.
He didn’t say, the hour of terror has come. It will be an excruciating hour, but Jesus is focused on the victory.
Meanwhile the Pharisees are wallowing in their ineffectual campaign against the Lord.
They are pointing fingers at each other. You’ve done nothing to stop this! The whole world is following this donkey-riding “king.” Their strategy to bring Him down is imploding because of their own disunity.
Unity is so very important. If we want to see a genuine move of God in this city, we need to be of united purpose. Division and finger-pointing are the enemy’s tactics to destroy such a movement.
“We wish to see Jesus”
On the first Palm Sunday, the Greek men expressed that they wanted to see Jesus. They didn’t care about the Pharisee’s religious constructs. Judaism was fairly foreign to them. They wanted to meet the miracle-working, salvation-bringing Son of God.
Similarly, there’s a hunger in hearts today.
Our culture here in North Central Wisconsin is also longing to see Jesus. They see a glimpse,
The human part of Jesus would really feel strongly about verse 5, don’t you think?
The divine part of Him knows He can’t ask the Father to detain this. He came to earth for this very moment.
And the Father’s voice was heard audibly. This gets glossed over a lot. A voice thundered. It’s unclear whether or not the people heard what was said to Jesus, but they knew a voice from above had spoken.
If any around had doubts, there could be no doubt now.
Who is the Son of Man?
The Palm Sunday crowd asked the essential question: who is this Son of Man? The Messiah we know about will live forever, but you talk of your death. Where do you fit into the story, Jesus? We don’t understand who is a “Son of Man.”
He spoke cryptically: be sons of light.
And then He left from that place and was hidden to them (v.36).
“Behold, our King is coming to you”
“Behold, our King is coming. He is just and having salvation.” Zechariah’s words that were fulfilled on Palm Sunday are still true to this day and they have a two-part meaning. The LORD rode in on a colt, but His dominion will extend to the ends of the earth. Maranatha!
Daniel was given the interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream because He relied on God’s promises. He prayed together with his friends and sought God, and the interpretation of the dream was given.
Daniel, like Joseph
This week I was reminded that Pharaoh, King of Egypt, also had mysterious and troubling dreams. God used Joseph to give him the interpretation. Like Daniel in Babylon, Joseph in Egypt was given favor by the pagan king and promoted to rule alongside the Pharaoh.
Remember the statue-like image of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream? (Daniel 2:32, 38)
He was the head of gold (Daniel 2:38). Babylon was extremely wealthy and prosperous.
So it is very fitting that King Nebuchadnezzar decides to buildhimself an image of gold.
A huge statue.
He clearly missed the point of the dream. The dream wasn’t so that he would go out and build himself a golden image, it was to alert him about the future of his kingdom and the kingdoms after him, but he fixates on the gold.
See Babylon was like Texas. Everything had to be bigger there.
An Israeli cubit was about 18″ while in Babylon a cubit was measured as about 20.”
This would make King Nebuchadnezzar’s statue the size of a 10 story building, which for ancient Babylon lacking modern construction machines, was a good size.
It was 60 by 6 cubits. Not 70 by 7. It was a mere imitation of greatness. Symbolically, the number 6 means incompletion in the Bible, sinfulness of mankind, human weakness, and the evil devil.
What was the image?
The Bible doesn’t tell us what the image actually was.
Was it a statue of one of the Babylonian deities? Or more likely: was it an image of King Nebuchadnezzar himself? Babylonian kings were worshipped as divine. Receiving a divinely-inspired dream, then, King Nebuchadnezzar may have felt very entitled to being worshipped, considering himself one amidst a pantheon of gods.
Dedication of the image
King Nebuchadnezzar decrees that all of his government officials have to come to the dedication of the idolatrous statue. What’s more, all of these people would be required to bow down and worship the gold idol when his pagan worship band starts playing.
Worship: or else . . .
The spirit of Babylon always forces a pluralistic and polytheistic agenda. Pluralism is the accepting of all religions as equally valid. Polytheism is the belief in multiple gods. Babylon claims to promote religious tolerance. We see evidence of that in their worship because the names of the instruments are actually written in Greek. The rest of this chapter is written in Aramaic, but the uniting of pagan practices and musical influences was occurring in Babylon. The empire wanted to put on a show of inclusivity and universalist worship!
Some of the Chaldeans (remember, this is just another name for Babylonians) decide to accuse the Jews. (Daniel 3:12). The Aramaic term there in Daniel 3:8קְרַץ “qerets” translated as simply “charges” has a deeper connotation of “maliciously accused” and more literally, “to eat the pieces of, to devour piece by piece” (NKJV Study Bible).
So the Chaldeans came forward to maliciously accuse Daniel’s friends “to devour them a bit at a time, piece by piece.” It’s interesting that Daniel is not accused at this point, only his friends.
In Daniel 3:12, Daniel’s friends are listed by name. Their accusers are trying to really make a point. An “us” vs. “them” point.
They want to remind King Nebuchadnezzar that these Jews, who serve in the government refuse to assimilate into the pagan culture.
And King Nebuchadnezzar follows the antiSemitic lead of his advisors, but to his credit, (Daniel 3:14) he does ask the Hebrews directly if the accusations are true.
Refusal to Worship Pagan Deities
Daniel 3:13 describes King Nebuchadnezzar as being in a “rage and fury!”
He addresses Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah by their Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego and asks them directly: is this true? Do you not worship my golden image?
He gives them a second chance. “Next time you hear my worship team leading idol worship, make sure you fall down and worship.” He even says that would be “good!”
And then he threatens them. Worship or else you’re being thrown into an oven.
Back in Daniel 2:47, King Nebuchadnezzar had acknowledged that Daniel’s God is Lord of kings and able to reveal secrets. Did he forget already? Or did he not realize that Daniel’s friends also shared strong faith in the God of Israel? King Nebuchadnezzar viewed himself as a god and because our God cannot be seen with human eyes, he didn’t think there would be any intervention.
In Daniel 3:16, the three Judean young men don’t challenge Nebuchadnezzar. It kind of reads that way, like “we don’t need to answer you!” But it’s not that so much as they were admitting they had nothing to say, no answer for the king because their refusal to worship was so obvious.
A lot of people in our culture today, especially those who have grown up with a religious spirit are uncomfortable with expression in worship. They don’t want to raise their hands or they don’t want to physically bow before the Lord in prayer. But one of the very main definitions of worship used throughout the Bible is the Hebrew word “שָׁחָה”shachah, which means to “bow down, very low.” It is a physical action shown the heart’s devotion.
In the time of Babylon, it was no different. Worship, whether it was the worship of the One True God of Israel, or worship of a pagan deity, was understood as being physically prostrate before the object of worship.
So it was obvious that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were not physically bowing before anything. There was no need to defend themselves, they knew they were guilty of disobeying the king’s order.
The testimonies of believers who have gone before can really be encouraging. Daniel and his friends can really inspire us to trust in God no matter what happens and no matter the cost. Paul suffered and maintained an unwavering faith. He and Timothy wrote to the church in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11:
He has not forgotten about you. He knows the labor of love you do in service to Him. He sees you and He smiles. He died for you so you could live and when you face the world’s fiery furnaces and you feel under attack or afraid for your future, just remember, place your hope and trust in Him. He is your confidence and your rescuer, your mighty Savior.
The Bible says that Nebuchadnezzar’s countenance – the expression on his face – changed. Some translate this as “his face was distorted with his fury.” He took on a spirit of rage and his whole attitude worsened (NIV).
He orders the furnace turned up to 7x hotter than normal and then has his valiant army man bind up Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah and throw them into the fire.
The fiery furnace was so hot that it killed anyone near it. King Nebuchadnezzar’s men died instantly. To Nebuchadnezzar they were disposable. He makes no mention of their death. He is satisfied to oversee the three Judeans falling over in a fire, but then . . . he is completely taken aback.
3 tied up Hebrew men were cast into the fire, but now they were freely walking in the fire unharmed, and now not 3, but 4! The only thing that had burned were the ropes that had tied them up! The Septuagint translation (the Greek translation of the original Aramaic/Hebrew) actually says that King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished because he heard the men singing praises! It reminds me of Paul and Silas singing praises in the jail (Acts 16:25).
The New King James and the King James translates this as the Son of God. If you have commentary notes in your Bible, you might notice that Son of God could be translated as “son of the gods.” So which is it?
In Aramaic, the generic word for “God” is singular “Elah.” The plural for “Elah” is “elahin”, which although etymologically related to the Hebrew (a related Semitic language) for God, “Elohim,” the difference is that “elahin” is used only to refer to idols.
So (unusually!) the NIV actually translates this a bit more accurately:
King Nebuchadnezzar wouldn’t understand a singular Son of God. We know it was Jesus. But, we have to be careful reading translations (the original manuscripts of Scripture are 100% right).
So King Nebuchadnezzar expresses in his own language and his own understanding that there is Someone, of divine origin, who has appeared in the fire. He doesn’t know how to express what he is seeing from his pagan context.
I actually think that gives the text more power, not less. King Nebuchadnezzar is astonished because he is not the supreme deity. He has to really grapple with this . . . who are these Judeans and who is with them!?
This is an example of a theophany. A theophany is an appearance of God. The king of Babylon was astonished by this, but the Bible doesn’t mention if the 3 youth even knew the 4th man (Jesus!) was there. Sometimes God will manifest in a very tangible, apparent way in our lives, but other times, He is working and we don’t even realize how close He is to our situation.
In verse 26, King Nebuchadnezzar switches to “Elah,” the singular form! Here he is beginning to understand! He acknowledges that the 3 young men serve the Most High God (Elah). He is recognizing that the God of the Hebrews is greater than his Babylonian gods by singling Him out.
King Nebuchadnezzar only calls the 3 men out of the fire. The 4th man was heavenly enough in appearance, he knew not to even go there. The Chaldean advisors saw with their own eyes that the fire had no power whatsoever on them and they didn’t even smell like a fire.
Nebuchadnezzar celebrates this singular victorious God. Nebuchadnezzar sent his “Angel.” This is an accurate translation for the Aramaic מַלְאֲכֵהּ֙ (mal·’a·cheh) (Hebrew: מֲלְאָךְ malach). “Angel” can also be translated as “Messenger.” Nebuchadnezzar recognizes that a Messenger from God was in the fire.
No Other God can deliver like this
King Nebuchadnezzar realizes that no other God can deliver like this and he says no one is allowed to slander Hananiah, Mishael, nor Azariah. In keeping with his excessively brutal personality, King Nebuchadnezzar decrees that anyone who does speak against them shall be chopped up and their homes burned. This chapter ends with another promotion: the 3 Hebrew youth are once again promoted in the province of Babylon.
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were willing to pay the ultimate price to remain faithful and obedience to the One True God. And the LORD revealed Himself! May the LORD give us the strength to be that faithful!
Daniel 2: Dreams and a vision in the night
King Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by dreams. Explore Daniel 2 and how the LORD granted great favor to Daniel and his friends.
Recap of Daniel 1: Steadfastness in love and faith
Daniel 1 highlighted the stark contrast between the godly faith of the young captives and the Babylonian culture. King Nebuchadnezzar and his staff tried their hardest to impose their pagan, polytheistic culture upon the Hebrew youth.
While Daniel, Hannah, Mishael, and Azariah did learn the Chaldean language and did learn about the Babylonian ways, they did not internalize it. They remained steadfast in their love for and commitment to God Most High, the only True God, the God of Israel.
King Nebuchadnezzar was troubled
Daniel tells us in Daniel chapter 2 that Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by vivid dreams.
Daniel 2:1 identifies Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams as having happened in the second year of his reign. This would be 603BC. In the Near East, there were different customs for the counting of years. Daniel preferred a whole year system, whereas Jeremiah counted part of a year as a full year. This has led to some people concluding that the Bible has discrepancies, but it does not.
King Nebuchadnezzar was troubled because he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Babylon was an enormous, prosperous empire and Nebuchadnezzar planned to keep it that way.
If we jump ahead to Daniel 2:29, we see that Daniel recognizes that the king was thinking at night when he was laying down in bed – worried about the future:
King Nebuchadnezzar struggled with psychological issues, and here we see signs of anxiety and insomnia that will increase throughout the book of Daniel.
King Nebuchadnezzar brought together his arsenal: those he considered “wise” enough, and really “spiritual” enough to decipher the vivid dreams he was experiencing:
Astrologers – astrologers studied the stars. Did you know that the Babylonians invented the modern horoscope? Capricorn and Sagittarius . . . the Babylonians invented the 12 signs of the zodiac and relied on their interpretation of the planetary alignments and constellations to predict outcomes. Astrologers served as priests in the Babylonian religion so they used the zodiac signs to attempt to determine the will of the gods.
Sorcerers – these are the witches and warlocks of Babylon. They would use satanic spells and incantations, amulets, and rituals of the dead to invoke demonic influences. They genuinely “received power from evil spirits” (NKJV Study Bible).
and Chaldeans – here Chaldeans is probably referring to a select group of Chaldean advisors (who likewise would have been well-educated in the Babylonian customs
The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, insisted that the magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers present themselves before him to tell what the king had dreamed.
Those who were accustomed to creating fear through their sorcery would now be very fearful of whether or not they would be able to correctly guess and describe Nebuchadnezzar’s mystery dreams.
Nebuchadnezzar was known as a brutal king and any misstep could merit execution.
Nebuchadnezzar did not have a relationship with God that could provide peace to his troubled soul. His dreams caused him to be unsettled and anxious.
However, notice that the Bible is talking about dreams, not “terrors of the night” or “nightmares.” The dream impacted Nebuchadnezzar enough that he wanted an interpretation, but this was a God-given dream.
Nightmares come from the evil one. While what God might reveal to us may be unsettling at times, he is not the author of confusion nor of fear.
“O king, live forever” was their way of saying, “Long live the king!” The Chaldean advisors praised their earthly king in an effort to keep him appeased and at least fake some confidence.
King Nebuchadnezzar wanted relief from his distress so badly that he made a firm decision regarding the consequence should those summoned before him fail to correctly identify the dream and its interpretation: he would have them cut into pieces and their homes burned.
There was an ancient practice of dismembering bodies and so this is what the king is referring to when he says anyone who doesn’t know the dream will be chopped up. (See 1 Samuel 15:33,Daniel 3:29)
On the flip side, if the advisors could provide what the king wanted, King Nebuchadnezzar promised to reward them well.
King Nebuchadnezzar’s advisors realized the peril of their situation. They asked the king to at least reveal the dream so they could provide their interpretation.
However, King Nebuchadnezzar would make it very obvious that the sorcerers and magicians were not as powerful as perhaps they wanted him to believe. He replied to them that if they had the ability to identify his dream he would trust that they had the power to give the interpretation.
The Chaldean advisors would have been panicking at this point. They admit that no one could possibly know the dream “except the gods.”
Living up to his harsh reputation, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered all the wise men of Babylon killed. Daniel and his friends have not been mentioned in this chapter until now, but they were considered among the Chaldean wise men and were therefore about to be killed.
In another sign of King Nebuchadnezzar’s questionable mental state, his desperation causes him to fixate on wanting to kill the very people who could potentially give him his answer. He demonstrates very self-destructive behavior.
Young Daniel spoke with the captain of the king’s guard, a man named Arioch. ארי The name Arioch in both Hebrew and Aramaic indicates a meaning like “Lion-like,” an appropriate name for a military leader.
Daniel approached Arioch with “counsel” and “wisdom.” He didn’t know why the decree was so “urgent”/”harsh,” but Arioch filled him in on what was going on.
Daniel had enough favor to proceed to go directly to the king to ask him for some time to fulfill the king’s request. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah sought “mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret” and prayed that they would not be killed along with the others.
Whenever you face a challenge or need God’s direction, seek His mercies! Pray! Your very first line of attack should be as a prayer warrior!
Daniel’s leadership in prayer and consistent faithfulness to pursuing God’s will and way resulted in God granting him supernatural favor. Daniel received a vision in the night that revealed the secret dream.
Dream and Visions
Do you notice in verse 19 that the Bible says Daniel received a night vision?
Normally, visions are understood as occurring during the day, while dreams occur at night.
I believe God wants us to notice that Daniel had been awake. He was seeking God with all his might and the Lord gave him a vision.
Daniel very naturally praised the God of His fathers.
When Daniel says, “Blessed be the Name of God forever and ever.” The construction in Aramaic could also be translated, “Let God’s Name be blessed/praised forever and ever.” It is clear that Daniel is exalting God and inviting others to do the same.
He gives reasons: because wisdom and might belong to God.
And God is the one who changes the times and seasons (times and seasons will become very important as we continue along in Daniel). God has power over the weather and the days and the times; God is ultimately King over all the kings of the earth and He removes them and raises new ones up.
God alone is Wise and All-Knowing. He gives wisdom and knowledge to those who are wise and have understanding. Notice – he “gives wisdom to the wise” and “knowledge to those who have understanding” – already. Daniel is talking about increase. Those who already have some wisdom and knowledge will receive still more, but he is not saying that God is giving wisdom to the unwise or knowledge to those lacking understanding. God has chosen to give increase to those who understand.
In Babylon, this would have been a controversial position. Daniel is making the claim that the wise in the kingdom are not wise due to their own wisdom and knowledge nor did their insights come from the Babylonian deities. God alone holds true wisdom and knowledge.
Likewise, God alone can reveal deep and secret things.
Though we cannot see in the darkness, God knows what is there and He illuminates all because Light dwells within Him. He is the Light of the world!
Daniel is thankful and acknowledges that God has given him wisdom and might (or strength). He is thankful that God answers prayer and has made known to him and his friends the king’s demand.
Arioch the military commander must have had a pretty good relationship with Daniel. Remember, Arioch is the same man who filled in Daniel about what was happening with the killings of the Chaldean wise men.
This time Daniel filled in Arioch on some important news: Daniel told him that he knew the interpretation and asked Arioch to bring him before King Nebuchadnezzar.
Arioch responded quickly. He knew the urgency and gravity of the matter because lives were at stake. Without the interpretation, Arioch himself would have to continue to carry out the king’s orders to kill all of the wise men of Babylon. Daniel 2:25 says Arioch quickly brought Daniel before King Nebuchadnezzar.
I find it interesting that Arioch specifies here that the man who has the interpretation is one of the “captives of Judah.” It seems Arioch supports Daniel because he does not suggest that Daniel “might” know the interpretation, but rather says with certainty: “who will make known to the king the interpretation.”
King Nebuchadnezzar asks Daniel (Belteshazzar) directly if he is able to describe the dream and to give the interpretation.
Daniel boldly affirms that he has this ability because of His relationship with the God of heaven. Daniel begins by reminding the king that his wise men and astrologers and magicians and soothsayers have been unable to reveal the king’s secret dream.
And then Daniel makes a faith statement. He does not believe in the polytheism of King Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. He declares “there is a God in heaven.”
Daniel proceeds to inform the King of Babylon that the God of Heaven has revealed the mystery dream. Daniel is making quite the claim: that his God – the God of the Judean captives – is indeed the Omniscient, All-Powerful God and that Daniel will serve as His spokesman for a prophetic word that will reveal what will happen in the future.
The Chaldean culture was very focused on their view of “wisdom.”
So Daniel makes very clear that although he is counted among the wise, it was not because of his human wisdom that he was able to ascertain the secret dream.
God alone, All-Merciful and All-Knowing chose to reveal the dream to Daniel to spare the lives of the wise men (particularly those of Judean descent). God loves the Chaldean and the Judean: He wants all to learn of Him and trust in His ways. God also loves King Nebuchadnezzar! In His mercy, God wants King Nebuchadnezzar to understand the dream he was given and have time to repent.
Daniel with his friends had prayed for revelation and the interpretation together. Daniel included them in the presentation of the interpretation. The dream was a revelation about four kingdoms represented by an image comprised of four metals.
Ultimately, this is an end times revelation about world empires and the return of Christ.
I found an illustration that you may find helpful. I believe “bronze” is a bit more accurate than “brass,” but besides this small detail, the rest of this illustration seems accurate:
Notice that while gold would be prized as most valuable, the four materials associated with the different empires go down in value but up in strength.
The First Kingdom
It is revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar that he is the head of a series of kingdoms. King Nebuchadnezzar has achieved great wealth and fame, a “king of kings.” It is generally accepted that the first kingdom depicted by the dream is Babylon.
The Second Kingdom
Medo-Persian Empire
The next kingdom would be inferior, but still strong. This refers to the Medo-Persian empire. Persia today is known as Iran. The Medes were from Media, a city important to the Islamic people of Iran. Today, the descendants of the Medes are likely the Kurds of Iraq. The people of Media joined together with the Persians (like the image describes the two arms and chest).
King Cyrus and the gates of bronze and bars of iron
King Cyrus was the ruler of the Medo-Persian Empire.
This passage reveals to us that Cyrus, a Gentile king, did not know the God of Israel yet God was using him to bless Israel. Notice the references to breaking the gates of bronze and the bars of iron – components of the future kingdoms.
The Medo-Persian Empire was conquered by Alexander the Great, a Macedonian (Greek) in 331BC.
The Third Kingdom
Grecian Empire
The third kingdom is represented by bronze. This refers to the Greek (or “Grecian”) Empire. The military of Greece may have used bronze for their armor and weaponry.
Alexander the Great
In 336BC, Alexander the Great conquered Greece and very rapidly extended the empire to the edges of the known world at that time, including the conquering of the Medo-Persian empire. The Grecian Empire extended as far south as Egypt, east to Syria and Persia, and all the way to the border of Pakistan with India. Alexander’s military might was so ferociously successful that it is said that at one point Alexander wept because he couldn’t think of any more places to conquer in his quest for world domination.
Although Greece was a strong empire, its division into warring city-states weakened it over time and Greece eventually fell to Rome in 146BC following the Macedonian wars.
The Fourth Kingdom
Roman Empire
The fourth kingdom is represented by iron. This represents Rome, the last significant world empire. The Bible describes the image in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as having two iron legs (Daniel 2:33).
The two legs could represent division, in that Rome became divided between the Eastern and Western empire (Constantinople/Byzantium vs. Rome/Mediterranean).
Rome’s influence has lasted even to our time.
Roman architecture still very much influences our own government buildings.
The concepts of having a senate, courts, and military codes of ethics, tactics, and strategies all came from Rome.
Have you ever considered the names we use for rulers and kings?
Caesar has morphed into “kaiser” in German and “czar” in Russian.
I find it to be fascinating!
Feet of iron and clay
Rome stood tall, but began to crumble just as the feet in the image show an unstable mixture of iron and clay. No other world leader has ever been as strong as the earlier kingdoms. There are several different opinions as to what exactly the feet represent. Many would agree it refers to the divided countries of Europe.
I was intrigued by a question raised in the article: “Could it be that the feet of iron and clay might be the Islamic colonialism that has taken so much ground, and its uneasy alliance with the cloying humanism that has overrun the west?” (One for Israel, Feb.12, 2024).
The article is definitely worth your time in reading as your study this passage in Daniel 2. Check it out!
Toes
The feet of the statue image are divided into toes. The NKJV Study Bible considers the perspective that “the Roman Empire will one day be revived (v.41), will be ruled over by 10 rulers (the toes of v.42), will feud over internal problems (v.43), will witness the return of Jesus Christ (v.44) and will be destroyed by Christ at the Second Coming (v.45).”
Daniel concludes his interpretation with God-given confidence: the dream is certain and its interpretation is sure.
Just as Daniel predicted, these empires did indeed rise and fall in the precise order given in the dream and interpretation.
Jesus came to dismantle the world’s empires and to set up the indestructible eternal Kingdom of God! (Daniel 2:44)
The Second Coming of Christ
The dream reveals that there would never be another world empire as great as Rome. Rome was the last great kingdom. There would be four empires that would rule the world (and fall) before the return of our Messiah.
King Nebuchadnezzar recognizes the immensity of Daniel’s interpretation. He fell on his face in wonder and confessed that the God of Daniel, Mishael, Hananiah, and Azariah is the “Lord of kings.” This does not mean; however, that King Nebuchadnezzar converted – he was acknowledging the supremacy of the God of the Judeans “at least in matters of divine knowledge” (NKJV Study Bible) but he did not renounce his own deities.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar promoted Daniel to serve as the ruler (the governor!) of the whole province of Babylon and the chief administrator over all the wise men! No doubt the wise men gladly served under Daniel’s leadership because he had saved them from mass execution!
Daniel requested that King Nebuchadnezzar allow his friends to also serve in the government, which was approved. Daniel sat in the gate of the king which is another way of saying he served on the king’s royal court.
Isn’t it amazing how God had a marvelous plan to rescue and bless Daniel and his friends? No matter what you face in life, always remember: God is willing to help you and raise you up to accomplish things you never imagined. Daniel and his friends persisted in prayer and faith despite the fear and anxiety that the enemy would have been trying to impose upon them. Whenever you feel discouraged or under pressure, seek God with all your heart and He will minister to you! Be open to the power of the Holy Spirit working in your life through dreams and visions, especially in these last days!
Daniel 1: God our Governor (a verse-by-verse Bible study)
Daniel is a complex, but very fascinating book of the Bible.
Time periods covered by the book of Daniel
The book of Daniel covers the Babylonian captivity though the second coming of Christ our Messiah!
Languages used in the original text of of the book of Daniel
Daniel 1 and 8-12 were originally written in Hebrew while Daniel 2-7 were written in Aramaic (which was the language of the Chaldean Babylonians.) Daniel had become so fluent in the language of the Chaldean regime that he actually wrote chapters 2-7 in their (the Babylonians’) language.
There are also actually a few Persian words in the book of Daniel (Babylon was a “satrapy”, meaning a province of the Persian empire). Additionally, some Greek language musical instrument names (indicating the origin of the instruments) are found in Daniel 3, for example.
Daniel 7:15tells us in the first person that Daniel is the author. He wrote in 3rd person (Daniel 1-7:14) until that point when he switched into his 1st person account.
Now for the skeptics out there who would like even further evidence that corroborates our claim of Daniel’s self-authorship, Jesus (Yeshua) Himself ascribes Daniel’s prophecies to – Daniel. (Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14). If Jesus accepted Daniel as the author of Daniel . . . that should be good enough for us. Scripture and even extraBiblical historical chronicles provide overwhelming evidence that Daniel was a reliable historian as well as prophetic figure.
In Daniel chapter 1, which we will get to in a moment, the now-experienced servant of God, Daniel, is reflecting upon his experience in being taken captive and deported to Babylon from Judah. He describes himself as one among the youths who were taken in the first wave around 597BC. Some say the date would have to be a little later, such as 587BC. In any case, it is believed to be accurate to say that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 586BC.
But who was Daniel before he was taken captive?
We don’t know Daniel’s exact age when Nebuchadnezzar’s army came, but we can reasonably deduce a few of his attributes. It is likely that Daniel came from Israel’s upper class precisely because he was included in the first group of captives. Many kings in those days would conquer another king and capture the rest of their noble family and relatives. So Daniel would have had fairly prosperous and distinguished ruling class parents and he would have had opportunities available to him in Judah like attending the best schools or easily obtaining an influential job.
An analysis of the dates in the Biblical record shows that when Daniel was a child, the good, God-fearing young King Josiah would have been reigning. Daniel and his family would have been well-aware of King Josiah‘s positive reforms in restoring Solomon’s temple and the finding of the Book of the Law (2 Kings 22-23).King Josiah was the last good king who reigned in the Southern Kingdom (Judah) prior to the Babylonian takeover. During King Josiah’s reign, the people experienced revival and restoration.
After King Josiah died, Judah’s leadership returned to the idolatry and wickedness that had characterized the Southern Kingdom for so long. Like those of us who lament the ungodliness that permeates our nation today, Daniel would have observed the stark difference between living under godly leadership versus living under the corrupt and ungodly leadership of people like King Jehoiakim as he was growing up. God was preparing Daniel, ever since his youth, to be an influential leader and also important writer of the Biblical text.
World History at the time of Daniel
Jeremiah
Not everyone realizes that Daniel actually lived at the same time as Jeremiah and Ezekiel, so he was a contemporary of these prophets. During the reign of King Josiah (Daniel, remember, was a little boy then), Jeremiah was beginning his prophetic ministry.
Jeremiah ended up fleeing with a remnant to Egypt (he started in a northern town called Mizpah and ended up going through Gaza and then down into Egypt in a place known as Tahpanhes along the Nile River.) Jeremiah never gets a break from being the prophet of lamentation and he continues prophesying that Nebuchadnezzar would reach Egypt, as well, as part of God’s judgment (Jeremiah 43:8-13).
Daniel grew up with positive spiritual influences. Besides living under King Josiah’s godly leadership, Daniel would have grown up hearing Jeremiah’s prophecies. Daniel demonstrated exceptionally strong faith in the LORD and it is fair to attribute some of that to his godly upbringing. Never underestimate the value of training up your children in the way they should go:
While all of that was going on in the Middle East, the Greek civilization was also flourishing. In Greece, a slave was gaining popularity for his storytelling abilities.
Have you ever read Aesop’s fables? Aesop was born in 600BC so he would have likely been aware of Babylon’s conquests east of the Mediterranean. Aesop’s fables (like the Tortoise and the Hare or The City Mouse and The Country Mouse) were so clever that it is said that his master finally gave him his freedom.
If you know those stories, Aesop used animals to represent people. That would have been a very wise tactic in his day. Just as in Babylon, the Greek culture had a hierarchical society, so Aesop could make societal commentary without directly offending a noble and ending up in jail.
Within the next hundred years or so, democracy was established in Athens, Greece. Then the famous philosophers like Plato and Socrates lived, so there was a lot going on in that region.
Daniel 1:1 records the existence of 2 different kings:
Jehoiakim (king of Judah – remember, Judah was the Southern Kingdom after the North/South split over the disputes between Rehoboam and Jeroboam).
King Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon). Nebuchadnezzar (II) was the son of Nabopolassar, the founder of the Neo-Babylonian/Chaldean empire. He was probably named after his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar I. King Nebuchadnezzar reigned from 605-562 BC: 43 years – making him the longest reigning king of Babylon. He tackled a large number of construction projects, one of the more famous being the Hanging Gardens of Babylon which you may know were considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Jehoiakim
Jehoiakim was one of Josiah’s sons. He chose wickedness rather than following his father’s righteous example of leadership. We find information about him in the Biblical Chronicles:
Notice in 2 Chronicles 36:4, the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho (probably Necho II) changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim.
Hebrew names had great significance and we will talk further about this when we get to the changed names of Daniel and his friends, but a way for another nation to exert dominance would include the changing of an individual’s name.
Interestingly enough, the name “Eliakim” meant, “God (or El/Elohim) will establish or raise up.” The name “Jehoiakim” is not a large departure from that. Jehoiakim means “Jehovah/YHWH will establish or raise up.” So Pharaoh or King Necho is identifying which “God” in Necho’s opinion Eliakim will be serving.
Some scholars have deciphered that to Necho, “El/Elohim” may have been considered very powerful and may have been recognized as the true Supreme Deity whereas culturally, Necho’s polytheism accepted a “lower deity” known as “Jehovah” or “YHWH.” Necho “thought” he was diminishing Eliakim’s name, but as Christian believers we know that Elohim is YHWH and that we serve one true God.
Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin
After Jehoiakim, his son Jehoiachin reigned for three months. Jehoiachin’s name is a variation of Jehoiakim.
Leaders must be responsible for their actions. Jehoiakim established a pattern that continued producing bad fruit. In 2 Chronicles, nothing is recorded regarding Jehoiakim’s manner or time of death – we are informed only that he was replaced.
Jeremiah 22:18-19 fills us in. Jehoiakim did not receive a special kingly burial:
But Jehoiakim had had his chance. God had sent Jeremiah to prophesy and to warn him that if he didn’t change, his kingdom would be scattered and destroyed. Similarly, we must preach to the lost the Gospel of repentance because only then can we be saved from sin and eternal destruction.
Zedekiah is the last known king of Judah. According to Josephus (the first century Jewish historian), Daniel and his friends were each related to Zedekiah’s royal family. Despite Zedekiah’s poor leadership, Daniel and others managed to remain faithful to the One True God.
Throughout the Book of Daniel, you will see an emphasis on God’s sovereignty and His role in the unfolding of history.
Nebuchadnezzar symbolically thought he could control the deity of the Judean Israelites. He stole the Temple’s sacred items which was a way that Near Eastern empires of that time demonstrated victory over another group. These cultures believed that by taking religious artifacts, the deity attributed to them lost its powers. Nebuchadnezzar didn’t know Who he was taking on: our God does not live in things made with human hands!
Young, handsome Daniel of Judah with all sorts of good prospects and abilities was suddenly taken away from his home.
I can’t help but think of the Israelis who were taken hostage into Gaza on October 7, 2023.
That type of experience can break a person.
But Daniel‘s gifting and trust in God enabled him to grow from that experience. By seeking God’s wisdom, Daniel was able to allow his experiences to form him into a truly righteous servant of God Most High.
And if you are looking for a word of hope in this troubled time, the spirit of Babylon will not win in the end. While none of us like to hear of more judgment, death, or destruction, we may at least rest knowing that God is handling it:
Nebuchadnezzar had a strategy to weaponize education. He re-trained the Judean noble youth in Babylonian customs with the idea that once they grew up, they would be very capable of governing in Babylon.
Sadly, we see similar tactics used today. Hamas and other jihadists enroll children in their terrorist training camps, Russia attacks Ukrainian schools, and our own public school system has been hijacked by secularists. If a conquering nation can control that narrative of the educational system, the weaker nation will cease to exist.
King Nebuchadnezzar thought that by selecting the youth who were fast learners, he would be able to indoctrinate them with Chaldean ideologies.
Truly, King Nebuchadnezzar underestimated just how astute Daniel and his friends really were.
The name דָּנִיֵּאל Daniel is often briskly translated as “God is my Judge.”
And that isn’t incorrect, but there is a nuance that we shouldn’t miss:
The verb from the Hebrew word דן , means “to judge” or additionally, “to govern.”
So Daniel’s very name means “El/Elohim/God is my Governor” or “Governed by God.” “God rules over me.” “God governs.”
Daniel served as governor, but he never forgot that he himself was governed by God.
Names and Identity
Daniel 1:6 records that Daniel’s friends were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
Hananiah’s name means “God is gracious.”
Mishael means “Who is what God is?”
Azariah means “The Lord has helped me.”
In the Hebrew world, a person’s name was very much associated with their identity. Even today, some of us have names that perhaps we don’t know the clear meaning of, but if someone gives us a degrading nickname or uses our name in an offensive manner, it rightly bothers us.
The ruling regime of the day did everything it could do to strip Daniel and his friends of their Judean world. Nebuchadnezzar hoped these youth would internalize the new names that the Babylonians forced upon them.
The chief eunuch began to call Daniel, Belteshazzar. This name refers to a goddess named Sarpanitu, the wife of the famed Babylonian deity, Marduk. Belteshazzar translates to “Lady Protect the King.” It has been posited that Belteshazzar appears to be a girl’s name. Gender confusion was a thing back then, too. The Babylonians wanted to offend and confuse Daniel so that he would lose his godly values and godly identity.
Hananiah became Shadrach which means “I am fearful of the God.” This is psychological warfare! Babylon wanted fear to be instilled in young Hananiah, to cause him to forget that the One True God is gracious and to cause him anxiety. The spirit of Babylon wants us to lose our faith and trust in God. If we begin to internalize fear, we will not turn to God in prayer as we should. We will either attempt to trust in ourselves or, worse yet, turn to false gods.
Mishael was renamed Meshach, meaning, ” I am of little account.” Again, Babylon sought to diminish the confidence of the Hebrew youth. The world always seeks to make people feel worthless and of no value.
Lastly, Azariah was given the name Abed-Nego meaning, “Servant of (the god) Nebo.” Babylon tried with all its might to convince Azariah that he was no longer servant of the Most High God of Israel. How often the devil tries to convince us that God has abandoned us.
When there is a situation like this, and the world wants to put something on you that isn’t yours to own, you have the power in Christ to reject that. The Babylonians could call Daniel and his friends anything they wanted to, but these faithful servants of the True God did not internalize and accept what the world was imposing upon them.
Three-year training program
Daniel and his friends were forcibly enrolled in a three year Babylonian training program. Daniel 1:5 says the end-goal of this training was that these special youth could serve in the king’s government.
Nebuchadnezzar appointed them to be given the king’s “delicacies” and the royal wine.
Always seek the favor of God. Just as we are to be ready to preach in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2), we must be ready at any time to serve God in any situation. When we have diligently prayed and fasted, He gives us the favor we need:
Daniel was not alone in requesting to abstain from the king’s food and drink. “Your food” is plural in Hebrew. Daniel’s friends agreed with him in refusing to eat the prescribed meals.
What was the issue with the food?
The Scriptures do not tell us exactly what was on King Nebuchadnezzar’s standard menu, but we do know that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were observant Jews.
Babylon’s food would have included
nonKosher/unclean/forbidden food – food not prepared according to the Torah’s regulations
meat dedicated to Babylonian idols
It would have been a violation of conscience for these Hebrew youth to eat nonKosher meals.
The chief of eunuchs, while kind to Daniel, expressed concerned that he would get beheaded over this!
So Daniel turns to a steward, rather than the chief. Did you ever notice that before?
Daniel trusted in God. He had the confidence that despite not eating any meat of any kind, he and his friends would be able to maintain their health and strength because God would be their portion.
Daniel stood out – he could understand visions and dreams.
Being knowledgeable has its place. How valuable it is when a God-fearing, God-loving person uses their God-given gifts to acquire knowledge and to serve, even in secular roles. But even more valuable than that is a pure and contrite spirit, a Spirit-filled person who God entrusts with revelation through visions, dreams, and interpretations thereof. Daniel had this anointed combination and it granted him great favor.
The Bible says that King Nebuchadnezzar interviewed the young men. They had to prove themselves prepared to serve him, and he surely was curious to know how they were faring on their vegetarian diet.
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah proved themselves worthy of the tasks ahead, for “none was found like [them].” They served before King Nebuchadnezzar and the Hebrew youths were 10 times more accurate in their wisdom and understanding than Babylon’s own magicians and astrologers.
God is our Governor!
As Daniel’s name declares, God is our Governor. He rules over all of us in fairness, righteousness, and love.
We do not have to “prove” ourselves worthy. In fact, that would never be possible.
We are formidably unworthy of all that God has done for us. He has spoken throughout history and used faithful servants like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. He has made a way for our salvation from sin and death by sending His Son, Jesus, (Yeshua) to save us.
Allow the LORD Most High to rule and reign over your life today! Be inspired by Daniel’s great favor and seek the LORD with all your heart! Have confidence and faith, that no matter where life takes you or what is set before you, God will provide, intervene, bless, and help you if you will trust in Him today.
Daniel’s 70 weeks Prophecy and the War in Israel
5784 B”H
The Prophet Daniel had much to say about the end times and the war in Israel has really brought some of the Biblical prophecies to light as we witness the ongoing conflict. I have received many questions regarding the Biblical timeline of the end of days, so I thought we should take a closer look at Daniel today.
Daniel‘s prophecy describing the determined “seventy weeks” can be better understood as 70 “7’s.”
What is translated as “weeks” in most English Bibles is really describing groupings of 7 in Hebrew.
During the 70 “7’s, 6 important things will happen:
To finish with transgression
To put an end to sin
To make reconciliation (atonement) for iniquity
To bring in everlasting righteousness
To seal up vision and prophecy
To anoint the Most Holy (or the Most Holy Place)
Notice the first three are concerned with eradicating sin and transgression. The last three speak to the everlasting reign of our King.
In the Bible, 6 indicates lack of completion or total fulfillment. Therefore, we know to look more deeply, search God’s Word for more. Let’s move on to the next verse:
Daniel 9:27 clearly informs us that the antichrist (antimessiah) will make a covenant with Israel and then betray Israel. Daniel 7:8 so aptly describes this evil charismatic figure as the epitome of pompousness.
With the war in Israel, many Bible-believing Christians are starting to wonder:
Has the antichrist already been born? Is he walking the earth today?
Only prayer and discernment will answer those questions as history continues to unfold.
But for those who believe that the coming of our King is in the very distant future, consider all that is going on right now. If Iran and even Russia get involved in the current conflict (in a greater way than they already have by supporting Hamas and even Hezbollah) the violence will escalate to a level never seen before. The people of Israel will become desperate for hope and change, and many could quickly be swept away by the lies of a false messianic figure.
The final seven years begin with the covenant.
Are you prepared for the true end of days?
This is not intended to incite fear in you, but do you realize how very close we are to the true end of the age? We are nearing the end of the Biblical timeline of history. We must be prepared! We must know the Word and hide it in our hearts, we must have a living, ongoing relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Yeshua haMashiach), and we must do everything we can to share the Gospel to as many people as we can.
There is revival happening in pockets all around the world. It is not coincidental that we see so many falling away and so many also being rescued just in time. These are all signs that the end is near and soon, so very soon, our Righteous Redeemer will come again and reign!
Time to Forgive
Don’t worry if some of this seems overwhelming. Mathematics has never been one of my strengths so these prophetic words of Scripture make me scratch my head, too!
But there’s no escaping math, and even Jesus said we have to forgive 70 x 7 times!
The return of Jesus Christ (Yeshua haMashiach) is imminent
The imminent return of Christ should motivate each one of us to study the signs of the times and the signs in the heavens. Each of us should be diligently praying and fasting and studying the Word of God. There are so many parallels between the different concepts presented in the Bible and I believe this passage on forgiveness is one such parallel.
Redeeming the time
We know time is short. And so for that very same reason, we must be diligent to love and to forgive so that we can make the most of our time, redeeming our time:
I pray that you have taken to heart the importance of knowing the Word of God and where we stand in relation to the fulfillment of significant portions of Biblical prophecy.
I am praying for you today, dear reader, and your family – that you and your household may be saved. Please leave a comment below with any prayer requests, comments, or questions!
The War in Israel and God’s Word
5784 B”H
The Nation of Israel is the only Jewish state
When I was in undergrad, “just war theory” was a hot topic among my overwhelmingly liberal, pacifist- agenda-pushing professors. In fact, one of my first theology professors spent many years living in Palestine unfairly decrying Israel’s policies. He always condemned Israel as an occupier and he refused to give a balanced perspective of the Middle East conflict. This professor claimed that his “‘Christian’ convictions” brought him to conclude he must side with the “oppressed” as he vehemently opposed Zionism and all things related to the nation of Israel.
True Christian conviction must be Biblically sound.
The Bible is very clear that the nation of Israel and those who love it will be be blessed.
Bethlehem is located in Judea, but it has been governed by the Palestinian authority for many years now.
Because of this, people like my first college professors like to insist that Jesus (Yeshua) was a poor, “Palestinian” Jew.
They reach a fallacious conclusion that because Jesus was born in modern-day Palestine, we as American Christians “must” therefore support the leftist pro-Palestine agenda.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea (Judah).
The modern Palestinian agenda has nothing to do with Him.
The West Bank is actually Judea and Samaria.
Accountability for universities
Institutions of higher learning should promote Biblical principles and the ideals of democracy, including support for Israel, the only Jewish state.
The Jewish nation as a whole has endured oppression time and time again and deserve a safe homeland free of radical Islamic terrorism.
Israel is engaged in justified war. The beautiful, prosperous nation of Israel was unfairly targeted by hate-filled organized terrorists who are unwilling to compromise and are set on destroying Israel.
We must pray, as David did, for God’s people in Israel:
Universities need to be held accountable when they promote a false tolerance at the expense of Israel. The Holocaust happened, it was real, and cannot legitimately be denied. Raping and pillaging innocent civilians in Israel cannot be justified, under any circumstance. Universities should be held accountable for any anti-Semitic posture they are taking because it influences our future American leaders.
The recent news that some Harvard students signed an anti-Israel statement as part of the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Group didn’t surprise me at all. These students have been taught to believe lies about Israel, propagated by far too many leaders in American higher education.
What did surprise me has been some of the backlash and I am grateful that people are holding these Harvard students accountable. Companies want to know who these students are so that they don’t end up hiring these kids. It is harsh, but it is justified, and necessary given the current climate.
Personally, I don’t think it was right to post the students’ photos and names on billboards, but I do appreciate our nation overwhelmingly supporting Israel despite the abundance of anti-semitic rhetoric that is pervasive in most American universities today.
Our nation has long stood with Israel, and that is a friendship worth keeping. Universities would do well to re-evaluate the way that the Israel/Hamas conflict is presented to encourage unwavering support for Israel.
What does the Bible say about the current conflict?
Gaza City is one of 5 formerly Philistine cities
Gaza City has a long history.
It was one of the five formerly Philistine cities which included Gaza, Ashqelon (Ashkelon), Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath.
Even our English term “Palestinian” comes from the root words for Philistia and the Greek, palaistinei.
The Philistine and Edomite partnership
One prophecy that really stands out to me is found in Amos. Philistine Gaza had partnered with the descendants of Esau (the Edomites) to turn in Jews to them:
These offenses will not go unpunished. The God of Israel will not allow the Philistine goliaths of the world to conquer His chosen people. Gaza has remained unrepentant and hostile toward Israel, and the Word of God is very clear that the wall of Gaza will be burned.
Likewise, a prophecy in the book of Obadiah speaks against the treasonous Edomites:
The war that Hamas started when they attacked Israel is a decisive moment in history.
It has been so heartbreaking to know that so many innocent lives have been taken and in such horrific manners.
Being pro-Israel does not mean anti-Arab. Let it be known that there is plenty of room in the household of God for people of every ethnic background – every tribe and tongue – to repent of his or her sin and be welcomed with open arms into the Kingdom of God.
There is a stark difference between the terrorizing, hate-filled message of radical Islam and the message of love, forgiveness, and acceptance offered by the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Yeshua haMashiach).
This is a moment in which God’s people – believers around the world – need to stand with Israel while at the same time demonstrating fierce love.
Pray for the Palestinian people who are being used and abused by terrorists.
Pray for the Palestinian people who have been deceived into accepting lies and hatred.
Pray for unbelieving Jews to recognize the Eternal Savior who has come to rule and reign.
Pray for all of the hurting families (on both sides) who have lost dear loved ones. Pray for Israel’s hostages to be rescued. Pray for all the little children who are witnessing such horror. Pray for nations to support Israel.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Please leave a comment about how you and your family are personally praying for Israel!
A young Israelite slave girl’s great faith and love + check out my Guest Post at A Child Shall Lead Them blog
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About two weeks ago, I was so blessed to be invited to Guest Post for the A Child Shall Lead Them blog about the Israelite slave girl mentioned in 2 Kings 5. You can find that post at this link.
It was a neat challenge for me because I am not typically very involved in “children’s ministry” per se.
But I do have children, so I do know that sometimes we need to break the Scriptures down into manageable segments for the youngest among us!
And sometimes, even we adults need the same.
Analyzing small segments of Scripture
Breaking down a passage into manageable segments does not have to mean missing out on the incredible depth and richness of Scripture!
In fact, analyzing small segments of the Scriptures is actually a marker of careful study, and provides such impactful results in the life of any follower of our Savior and Messiah Jesus.
If your schedule is super busy and you feel frazzled, this is great news for you! You don’t have to read pages and pages of the Bible to learn and to study (although I will never discourage anyone from doing so!). Often, one single verse is enough to meditate on for days, even weeks when you invite the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh) to illumine your mind and heart to the multifaceted meaning of the Word of God.
It is a privilege to be able to access the Scriptures in so many translations, so we should respond in great gratitude by studying and learning every day so we can continually grow in our relationship with God.
Like I said in that guest post, I love to learn about some of the lesser-known figures in the Bible. Though mentioned only in a single verse or two, their story and legacy is important enough they still made it into the pages of the sacred Scriptures!
One such individual is the young Israelite slave girl mentioned in 2 Kings 5:2-4. She only gets two verses! But two are at least two!
Don’t ever think you are insignificant.
You might think you are making a very small difference, either in the life of your family or in your community, but if you are a person who seeks the LORD with all your heart and desire to serve Him each and every day, you are much more significant than you realize.
As I wrote in my guest post, Naaman the Syrian was a decorated soldier who served as the commander of the Syrian king’s army.
We see in the Scripture passage that the king of Syria revered him, calling him “great and honorable” and the LORD even gave Naaman’s country victory in battle.
I also pointed out that even the bravest and strongest of men can endure the greatest of difficulties: in this case, Naaman was suffering from leprosy.
At that time, leprosy was truly an isolating and painful condition, a disease seen as without remedy.
Yet the Bible shows us that when find ourselves quarantined and isolated, fearful and rejected, we are never without hope.
I imagine that Naaman was going through a dark time in his life. He was a conqueror, but now he probably felt like the disease was conquering him. It was something that would have damaged his reputation and his future goals. It was something that would have damaged his marital life. Perhaps Naaman had had to move out.
The Syrians had captured and enslaved the young Israelite girl mentioned in the passage, but surprisingly this sweet girl does not demonstrate any resentment. Instead, she chooses to be a witness in faith – she shows genuine concern for her master, Naaman!
“If” is such a short word, but it can change an entire outcome and outlook.
“If” is a word for people who know how to dream, to look beyond what our natural eyes can see. “If only” there could be a change. “If only” I believe! “If only” our God will work on our behalf!
He will!
He absolutely will!
“If” becomes “Yes and Amen” when we believe.
“If” we dare to seek God’s vision in our lives, we will see results of our faith – we will being to see healings and miracles and walk in victory.
The Israelite slave girl knew that if a true prophet of God were around, surely Naaman could be healed. She didn’t doubt – and did you notice? There’s no “maybe” in that verse. It is a verse of faith. This young captive girl knew there existed hope for her master.
She was able to find love in her heart to care enough that her master receive a healing miracle.
Elisha the Prophet and Miracle-Worker
I mentioned in my post for the children’s blog that the Bible indicates that Elijah’s successor, Elisha, was gaining quite a reputation in Israel – both as a prophet and miracle-worker. This Israelite slave girl had somehow either heard about or seen firsthand the wonders occurring in Israel through Elisha’s ministry prior to becoming enslaved.
The sons of the prophets had witnessed Elisha’s early miracle-working power.
Well, many of those sons would have had wives and children and so word would have quickly gotten around. Israel wasn’t a huge place, after all. You know how fast rumors spread, and this rumor just happened to be true!
Israel has always been such a unique place. Miracles were occurring, people were talking, and even a child like this slave girl had seen or witnessed the power of God.
It amazes me . . . no, more like “dismays me”! that there are many people who do not believe God is still working miracles today.
If He was willing to work in Israel in a miraculous way before the redemption won on the cross of Calvary by our Lord Jesus (Yeshua haMashiach), surely He is willing to work in miraculous ways today!
The slave girl may or may not have seen a miracle first hand, but she absolutely believed in miracles.
She knew a miracle could be waiting, even for her foreign master.
Do you have confident faith?
I love how this passage, short as it is, proves that the Israelite slave girl had confident faith.
It may be redundant to say “confident faith” because true faith must be confident!
But I urge you: be confident in the One in whom you have placed your trust!
Have great confidence in all of the promises that He has given you!
Trust and be confident – have a righteous certainty that the LORD God Almighty absolutely can and will work in your life and use you for His glory!
Be confident that even if you find yourself feeling bound or enslaved, He has the power to set you free and help you to love even those who have persecuted you.
What a mighty God we serve!
When you learn to love others, your own faith will grow, and like the servant girl, you will see the hand of God work in your life.
Love others today!
The Israelite slave girl concerned herself for the need of her master rather than her own predicament.
If I can give you one challenge today it is: love others. Be intentional. When someone crosses your path … and maybe it’s on the highway and you’re upset about it, pray for them.
There may be someone who you would never expect to follow God or love Him, but maybe, just maybe, they will see the love of God in you, and want to follow after Him, too.
