The Book of Daniel

The Book of Daniel [1]

Daniel 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

The background to the Book of Daniel is best described in the life and 11 year reign of Jehoiakim. His life was one of wickedness, lewd depravity, and appalling sin. When Babylon invaded the land and plundered the Temple, Jehoiakim with others were carried captive to Babylon. It was at this time that Daniel and his three friends were taken captive.

2 Chronicles 36:6-7 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. [7] Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

Jeremiah the prophet had sent God's Word to Jehoiakim. The misguided King cut up God's Word with a knife and cast it onto the fire.

Jeremiah 36:23-24 And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. [24] Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words.

Jehoiachin, his son then reigned in his stead. He too was taken to Babylon, where his children were slain before him, then he was blinded by his captors.

Afterwards, the King of Babylon made Zedekiah King in Jerusalem binding him with an oath to Babylon. Afterward Zedekiah rebelled and was imprisoned in Babylon. Because of Zedekiah's rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar burned the Temple at Jerusalem, tore down the city walls and burned the King's house.

This is the background to the Book of Daniel. It was a time of captivity, discouragement, loss, and uncertainty for God's people. They had fallen away from the Precepts of God's Word, they had lost their place of fellowship with God (the Temple). Gentiles had taken over God's land and God's House lay in ruins.

The light of Testimony for God was only a glimmer at that time. Against this backdrop, the Book of Daniel stands out. We want to study this Book for a time in order to get an understanding of God's Prophetic Word.

Blessings in Christ. Rev Mervyn Cotton.