Daniel 1
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There are many similarities between the images Revelation and the prophecies of Daniel. There are probably as many different interpretations regarding the prophecies of Daniel as there are disputes over the interpretation of Revelation. We are going to read the book of Daniel and allow the prophecies to speak for themselves. This means that we may explain some things differently than what scholars teach. We will not promote any particular theology or viewpoint. We want the simple meaning of the prophecies of the book.
The book of Daniel is divided into two general parts. The first six chapters of the book are historical, giving the account of what took place during the days of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius. There are only a few prophecies that are found in these six chapters. Chapters 7-12 of the book are prophetic, with many visions seen by Daniel of things that would take place in the future. As with Revelation, when we see visions and signs we must understand that we are reading figurative language that represents some literal event that will occur. With these things in mind, let us begin our study of the text.
Historical background (1:1-2)
The book begins in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah . This places the beginning of the book at 606-605 B.C. This is when the first invasion of Judah took place by the nation of Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. In verse 2 we begin to see the fulfillment of a prophecy made by Isaiah in Isaiah 39:2-6. At that time, King Hezekiah showed the Babylonians the treasures of the temple. For this sin, Isaiah prophesied that the treasures of the temple would be taken to Babylon . Here we see that event taking place as Nebuchadnezzar begins to take the treasures of the house of God. But notice that this was not by the power of Babylon . Verse 2 tells us that the Lord gave Jehoiakim and the treasures of the house of God into the hand of Babylon . God was the one who was raising up the nation of Babylon as an instrument of judgment upon the nation of Judah .
The captives (1:3-7)
Nebuchadnezzar gives the instructions to capture those of nobility and of the royal family. The captives were to be young men, without physical defect and handsome. The captives also had to exercise wisdom, knowledge and insight and would thus be competent to serve before the king. This gives us insight into the social status and education of Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. These were very accomplished young men who were transported to the nation of Babylon to serve in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. In Babylon , the captives would be trained for three years, being educated in the literature and language of the Chaldeans. At that time, they were placed before the king to be ready to serve.
We also see that Daniel and his three friends’ names are changed to Babylonian names. Daniel’s name is changed to Belteshazzar. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are now called Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, respectively. This was an effort for these men to break their ties with their Israelite background and immerse themselves in the culture of Babylon . One reason for this was to break the spirit of the captives that they would become willing to serve in Babylon without rebellion. What is interesting to notice is that throughout the book of Daniel, though the Babylonians refer to Daniel and the three friends by their Babylonian names, Daniel and the three friends still call each other by their original names.
God’s providence toward the captives (1:8-21)
In verse 9 we read that God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs. This is important and will come into play in later chapters. We also see in verse 17 that God gave Daniel and the three friends learning and skill in all literature and wisdom so that they were ten times wiser than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all the kingdom (vs. 20). God worked in such a way that Daniel and the three friends would stand out from the rest of the Babylonians in wisdom and skill. The chapter concludes by telling us that Daniel remained there prophesying to the court of Babylon for the duration of the captivity, all 70 years. With this understanding we see that Daniel was likely 20 years old or younger when he was taken captive.
