The Prophet From Babylon

Understanding The Book Of Daniel

Kameel Majdali

• Publisher: Teach All Nations Inc
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9780994577399
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

It is based in the greatest city of the ancient world: Babylon.

It contains some of the most famous stories known: like the three men in the fiery furnace and a praying prophet in the lions' den - who all lived to tell the tale.

But it is more than a history book, travel log and grand story. It contains the key to understanding all last days Biblical prophecy.

This is the greatness of the Book of Daniel.

In ' The Prophet from Babylon: Understanding the Book of Daniel, ' you will be led through this most inspiring, colorful and complex subject. Gain insight to the Nebuchadnezzar's grand dream of a multi-metal statue - representing four great world empires. Daniel 9: 24-27 is called the '70 Weeks Prophecy ' and it is the foundation stone for all end time prophecy. In these four verses you will learn about the timing of Messiah's appearance, his death and the abomination of desolation. This prophecy proves Messiah had to publicly appear before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 AD.

The Book of Daniel helps you understand the Book of Revelation, and vice-versa.

Rather than mystify you, The Prophet from Babylon will motivate you to learn more about Biblical prophecy, which is a bright ' light that shines in a dark place' (2 Peter 1: 19).

 Part One

Introduction

Preface

Though one of 66 books of the Bible, in many ways Daniel is in a class all its own. It has some of the best known and loved stories the world has ever heard, like the miraculous deliverances from the fiery furnace and then a den full of lions. At the same time, it has some amazing pronouncements about the future which aren’t always easy to understand. 

More to the point, this book is a foundational book - like Genesis is foundational to the Bible, the Gospels to the life of Christ, the Book of Acts to the birth and growth of the church; and Romans is the most systematic and theological presentation of redemption. Daniel’s foundation is end-time prophecy. 

The Book of Daniel is indispensable if we are to understand events of the last days in the light of God’s Word. Its prophetic ‘Siamese twin’ is the Book of Revelation. Even though the latter offers no direct quotes from Daniel, we are dependent on each book to understand the other. 

Years ago, a Bible college student in his forties asked me if Bible prophecy ‘really mattered?’ While it can be a very popular topic, it can also create an unsettled disposition. It is a deep subject, which speaks about some dramatic, even cataclysmic events. Interpretations can be varied and contentious. Some find prophecy confusing, even frightening. And with the advent of postmodern relativism and therapeutic ‘feel good’ motivational messages, speaking about Nebuchadnezzar’s statue, the goat and the ram, the 70-week prophecy, and the abomination of desolation is enough to give one a migraine.

Prophecy is not just some minor sideline; it is a major part of Scripture. According to David Pawson, the Bible predicts 735 events with approximately 27% of verses focusing on the future. Of these events, 593 or 81% have already been fulfilled. Daniel offers 166 predictions of which many are symbolic. ⁱ

In answer to the Bible College student’s question, let us note the ten benefits of Bible prophecy:

1. Bright light (2 Peter 1:19): In this increasingly darkened world, Bible prophecy is a light that shines in a dark place. Indeed, it would be correct to say that Bible prophecy is the brightest light we have on this planet until Jesus Christ, the light of the world, returns (John 8:12).

2. Affirms Christ (Luke 24:44): There are dozens of Old Testament prophecies about the first coming of Christ which were fulfilled to the letter. When we see Christ in prophecy, we have greater proof of His Personhood and mission.

3. Insight to the future (John 16:13): It is God’s will that His people have a ‘heads up’ to what the future holds. The Holy Spirit and prophecy go hand-in-hand and when we learn prophecy, as quickened by the Spirit, we have insight into ‘things to come.’

4. Incentive for evangelism (Matthew 24:14): If we truly understand the nature of prophecy and the last days, it will motivate us to share the gospel with others. It no longer remains an option, but becomes a glorious imperative.

5. Prosperity (2 Chronicles 20:20): King Jehoshaphat told the besieged people of Judah: ‘Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.’ This divine prosperity is given because people are living in harmony with God’s end-time purposes and they are blessed in the process.

6. Affirms Scripture (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; Daniel 9:26-27; Micah 5:2): Christ’s greatest commitment - no matter what price, pain, or poverty He experienced - was that above all else the Scripture must be fulfilled. This fulfillment is what prophecy does so well - when you see these things come to pass, and prophecy realised, it again proves the veracity of God’s Word.

7. Incentive for holiness (2 Peter 3:10-13): When we know that the footsteps of the Messiah are at the door, we will no longer be living a careless and carnal lifestyle. We will live in a holy manner, without which no man shall see the LORD - Hebrews 12:14.

8. Comfort (I Thessalonians 5:11): Some people think that Bible prophecy is designed to scare the daylights out of people. The devil, mark of the beast, the false prophet, the whore of Babylon - these things are enough to ruin anyone’s day! Yet, as we see from the previous seven points, prophecy is actually given to comfort believers. It encourages, not discourages; enlightens, not darkens; blesses, not curses.

9. Edification (I Thessalonians 5:11): This wonderful Bible word which in Greek is oikodomeō οἰκοδομέωⁱⁱ meaning ‘to build up, embolden, to establish, restore, strengthen, rebuild, build well, repair, foster growth and fruit in the Christian life.’  Bible prophecy builds you up, especially in light of the other benefits listed. 

10. Blessing (Revelation 1:3): In addition to comfort and edification, prophecy bestows blessing. In Revelation 1:3, it gives you a written guarantee of blessing when you ‘read and heed’ this prophecy … indeed, all prophecy.

The Hebrew (Jewish) Bible, which is the same as the Christian Old Testament, has a 3-fold division: 

1. The Law (Torah);

2. The Prophets (Nevi’im);

3. The Writings (Catuvim);

From this division we get the acronym TaNaCh, another name for the Hebrew Bible.

Of interest, Daniel is not listed among the prophetic books of the TaNach/Hebrew Bible, like Isaiah, Ezekiel, or Jeremiah. Instead, the book is listed among the writings. Why is that the case? Apparently, the decision makers said that Daniel gave no recorded prophetic utterances. He definitely interpreted dreams and was very impressive in doing so, but he did not prophesy in the book.

 

…with the advent of postmodern relativism and therapeutic ‘feel good’ motivational messages, speaking about Nebuchadnezzar’s statue, the goat and the ram, the 70-week prophecy, and the abomination of desolation is enough to give one a migraine.

Yet, in the Christian Bible, not only is Daniel located among the prophetic books, it is listed among the ‘Major Prophets,’ which include Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel (Lamentations is also thrown in because it is linked to Jeremiah). This is interesting because Daniel only has 12 chapters, while Isaiah has 66, Jeremiah 52, and Ezekiel 48 (Lamentations only has 5). 

How did Daniel get ‘promoted’ as a prophet in the Christian Bible? For a simple reason: Jesus Christ declared him to be a prophet in Matthew 24:15. For the record, Abraham the patriarch is also called a prophet in Genesis 20:7 and he has no recorded prophecies in the Bible, either. So if Daniel’s prophetic status is good enough for Jesus, it should be good enough for the church, too.

This book is entitled, The Prophet from Babylon. Daniel lived and worked in Babylon and his book came from there; but there is nothing ‘Babylonian’ about Daniel’s Book. It is God’s Word. 

Understanding the prophetic stature of Daniel and the book that bears his name will help us gain more from the vital and timely subject called Bible prophecy. It will also help unlock the Book of Revelation in a greater way. These two books in one sense are like a relay race: Daniel hands the baton to Revelation. In the last chapter of Daniel, he is commanded to seal the prophecy of the book; in the first chapter of Revelation the ‘unsealing’ or ‘unveiling’ of last days prophecy commences. 

May this book help stimulate your appetite for the wonderful subject of Bible prophecy in general and the Book of Daniel in particular. Be prepared to have your eyes opened and your future brightened.

—Kameel Majdali, Director

Teach All Nations Inc.

Melbourne, Australia

________________________________________

i. David Pawson, Unlocking the Bible, London: William Collins, 2015, pages 636-37.

ii. "G3618 - oikodomeō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (KJV)." Blue Letter Bible. Accessed 24 Jan, 2020. https://www.blueletterbible.org//lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3618&t=KJV

Introduction to Daniel

Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah — Daniel 1:6

A multi-metalled statue, a fiery furnace, a king who goes mad and eats grass like an animal, a night in the lion’s den, these are some of the images that come to mind when we consider the Book of Daniel. Yet, it has value beyond memorable, faith-building Sunday school stories.

The Book of Daniel is a handbook for end-time prophecy, detailing the end of the ‘Times of the Gentiles’ and the ‘kingdoms of men,’ and the transition to the ‘Time of Messiah’ and of the ‘Kingdom of God.'

Though the book is written in Hebrew for the sake of Israel and its future, Chapters 2-7 are in Aramaic, so that the Gentiles can also learn of God’s purpose for them. Daniel is considered the Old Testament twin of the Book of Revelation. For the sake of understanding God and His end-time plan, the Book of Daniel is indispensable.

Hebrew Name of Daniel

Dani’el means that God ‘el’ is ‘my judge’ ‘dani.’

Author of Daniel

Daniel (621-530 BC) of the royal seed of Judah, was deported to Babylon as a teenager in the first of three Babylonian deportations, the earliest being in 605 BC. Apparently, he lived through the entire 70 year captivity of Judah in Babylon. The book is replete with dreams, including animals, images, and trees. The interpretation of these dreams impact Israel and the nations.

There have been questions, even doubts, about Daniel of the 6th Century BC being the author. The two main objections include:

1. Prophetic accuracy: There are so many fulfilled prophecies that the highly rationalistic scholar cannot believe God would give that much detail in advance. So there is the hypothesis of a ‘late Daniel’ of the 2nd Century BC, 400 years later, during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes and the Maccabean revolt. If Daniel was written at the later date, then it really is no prophecy at all, but history masquerading as foretelling. This would render the account as a fraud. Is the God of the Bible incapable of foretelling events way in advance? Is anything too hard for the Lord? Consider the prophecies about the first coming of Jesus, which were uttered centuries before their fulfilment in the 1st Century AD. Like Micah 5:2, which predicted 700 years before the place where Messiah would be born; in the city of Bethlehem. If God gave predictions well in advanced for Jesus, He did the same fo...

Table of contents

• Part One
• Preface
• Introduction to Daniel
• Babylon’s Rise & Fall
• DANIEL CHAPTER ONE:
• DANIEL CHAPTER TWO:
• DANIEL CHAPTER THREE:
• DANIEL CHAPTER FOUR:
• DANIEL CHAPTER FIVE:
• DANIEL CHAPTER SIX:
• DANIEL CHAPTER SEVEN:
• DANIEL CHAPTER EIGHT:
• DANIEL CHAPTER NINE:
• DANIEL CHAPTER TEN:
• DANIEL CHAPTER ELEVEN:
• DANIEL CHAPTER TWELVE:
• An Appeal