Daniel series Chapter 1 verse by verse 2

Daniel 1:2 KJV 1900

2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand,

The Lord was responsible for Nebuchadnezzar’s defeat of Judah. Daniel understood that God was in charge of Gentile nations. He viewed God as absolutely sovereign. The word “Lord” here is Adonai. Adonai refers to God as supreme master. God was master of Jehoiakim’s situation.

The word “gave” indicates God’s absolute control. Nebuchadnezzar was simply God’s tool or instrument for accomplishing His purposes for Judah.

with part of the vessels of the house of God,

The carrying off of the vessels of the Temple was a gesture of victory over and subjection of a nation.

“Part” of the vessels were taken at this time,

H4480

מִנֵּי    מִנִּי      מִן

min    minnı̂y    minnêy

min, min-nee', min-nay'

For H4482; properly a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses: - above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over, since, X then, through, X whether, with.

and others when Jehoiachin surrendered ; ). Later in Daniel, Belshazzar brought these vessels out for a banquet ().

2 Kings 24:13 KJV 1900

13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, as the Lord had said.

2 Chronicles 36:18 KJV 1900

18 And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.

Daniel 5 KJV 1900

1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. 3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. 5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 8 Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. 9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. 10 Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: 11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; 12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation. 13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? 14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. 15 And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing: 16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. 17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: 19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. 20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: 21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. 22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; 23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: 24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. 25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. 29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. 31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

Almost one hundred years prior, in 701 B.C., Isaiah had predicted this act of carrying off the articles of the Temple because Hezekiah displayed them to an envoy of Babylon ( ).

2 Kings 20:13 KJV 1900

13 And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.

which he carried into the land of Shinar [Babylon] to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god

“Shinar” is Babylonia, a place regularly viewed as hostile to God (; ; , ; ; ). Nebuchadnezzar carried the vessels of the house of God to “the house of his god,” who was Bel or Marduk. The main temple in Babylon was the Marduk temple near the Ishtar gate and a great ziggurat.

Genesis 10:10 KJV 1900

10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

Genesis 11:2 KJV 1900

2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

Genesis 14:1 KJV 1900

1 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;

Genesis 14:9 KJV 1900

9 With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five.

Isaiah 11:11 KJV 1900

11 And it shall come to pass in that day, That the Lord shall set his hand again the second time To recover the remnant of his people, Which shall be left, from Assyria, And from Egypt, and from Pathros, And from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, And from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

Zechariah 5:11 KJV 1900

11 And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.

PRINCIPLE:

God always squares the account.

APPLICATION:

God always keeps His Word. God prophesied previously that if Hezekiah exhibited the vessels of the Temple to a Gentile king, God would judge him ( ; ). God never fails to do what He says He is going to do. God will ultimately square the account.

2 Kings 20:17–18 KJV 1900

17 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. 18 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

Isaiah 39 KJV 1900

1 At that time Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered. 2 And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not. 3 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon. 4 Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. 5 Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: 6 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. 7 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. 8 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.

It is very easy to forget that God will do what He claims He will do. In a day when we claim our rights, we can never be indifferent to God’s rights.

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of

LORD:
“Now
therefore,
O
Jehovah
our
God,
deliver
us
out
of
his
hand,
so
that
all
the
 kingdoms
of
the
earth
may
know
that
you
alone,
O
Jehovah,
are
[God]”
(.)
In
 response
to
that
prayer,
through
the
prophet
Isaiah,
the
LORD
assured
His
people:
 “Therefore,
this
is
what
Jehovah
says
about
the
king
of
Assyria,
‘He
will
not
enter
this
 city,
nor
will
he
shoot
an
arrow
[at
it].
He
will
not
come
against
it
with
a
shield,
nor
 will
he
build
a
siege
ramp
against
it’”
(.)
In
accordance
with
His
promise,
 the
LORD
proceeded
to
deliver
Jerusalem
from
the
Assyrian
army:
 
 Then
the
angel
of
Jehovah
went
out
and
put
to
death
a
hundred
and
eighty­five
 thousand
 men
 in
 the
 Assyrian
 camp.
 When
 the
 Assyrians
 got
 up
 the
 next
 morning—there
were
all
the
dead
bodies!
37So
Sennacherib
king
of
Assyria
broke
 camp
and
withdrew
from
Jerusalem.
He
returned
to
Nineveh
and
stayed
there.
(Isa.
 33:36‐37)

 But
now
there
is
no
such
deliverance
from
the
Babylonian
invasion.
What
are
the
 people
to
think?
Is
the
LORD
unable
to
save
them?
Are
the
“gods”
of
Babylon
stronger
 than
the
God
of
Israel?
Can
you
feel
something
of
the
spiritual
struggle
that
the
 people
of
God
experienced
in
the
time
of
Daniel?
Rather
than
seeing
the
kingdom
of
 God
advancing,
they
witness
the
pagan
empire
of
Babylon
asserting
itself.
They
find
 themselves
being
carried
away,
helpless
to
stand
against
this
mighty
foe,
and
they
 receive
no
deliverance
from
the
LORD
their
God.
 
 Why
was
the
Book
of
Daniel
given
by
the
Holy
Spirit?
What
is
the
overarching
 purpose
of
the
book?
It
was
given
to
remind
and
reassure
God’s
people
that,
despite
 the
fact
that
they
found
themselves
dominated
by
an
alien
and
pagan
empire
(as
the
 consequence
of
their
own
sin),
our
God
reigns.
Christian,
despite
the
spiritual
 adversity
we
may
encounter
in
this
present
world,
let
us
always
remember
the
 blessed
fact
that
Our
God
Reigns!
 
 Our
God
Reigns!
This
is
the
overarching
theme
of
the
Book
of
Daniel.
In
this
present
 lesson
let
us
now
consider
how
this
theme
is
presented
to
us
throughout
the
book.
 
 


I.

We
are
Reminded
that
Our
God
Reigns
by
the
Names
and
Titles
of
God
that
 Occur
throughout
the
Book
of

Daniel
 
 The
LORD
is
identified
as
“the
God
of
heaven.”

 
 Then
 Daniel
 returned
 to
 his
 house
 and
 explained
 the
 matter
 to
 Hananiah,
 Mishael,
and
Azariah,
his
companions,
 18so
that
they
might
request
mercies
 from
 the
 God
 of
 heaven
 concerning
 this
 mystery,
 so
 that
 Daniel
 and
 his
 companions
might
not
be
executed
with
the
rest
of
the
wise
men
of
Babylon.
 ()

 The
LORD
is
identified
as
“the
great
God.”



Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of

This
is
the
meaning
of
the
vision
of
the
rock
cut
out
of
the
mountain,
but
not
by
 hands—the
rock
that
broke
the
iron,
the
bronze,
the
clay,
the
silver,
and
the
 gold
to
pieces.
The
great
God
has
shown
the
king
what
will
take
place
in
the
 future.
The
dream
is
true
and
the
interpretation
is
trustworthy.
()

 The
LORD
is
identified
as
“the
God
of
gods
and
the
Lord
of
kings.”

 The
king
said
to
Daniel,
“Surely
your
God
is
the
God
of
gods
and
the
Lord
of
 kings
 and
 a
 revealer
 of
 mysteries,
 for
 you
 were
 enabled
 to
 reveal
 this
 mystery.”
()

 The
LORD
is
identified
as
“the
Most
High
God.”

 Then
Nebuchadnezzar
approached
the
entrance
of
the
blazing
furnace
and
 shouted,
“Shadrach,
Meshach,
and
Abed­Nego,
you
servants
of
the
Most
High
 God,
 come
 out
 and
 come
 here!”
 Then
 Shadrach,
 Meshach,
 and
 Abed­Nego
 came
out
of
the
midst
of
the
fire.
()

 The
LORD
is
identified
as
“the
Most
High.”

 This
sentence
is
by
the
decree
of
the
watchmen
and
this
verdict
is
a
command
 of
the
holy
ones,
so
that
the
living
may
know
that
the
Most
High
rules
in
the
 kingdom
of
men
and
gives
it
to
whomever
he
desires
and
sets
up
over
it
the
 lowliest
of
men.
()

 The
LORD
is
identified
as
“the
King
of
heaven.”

 Now
I,
Nebuchadnezzar,
praise
and
exalt
and
honor
the
King
of
heaven,
 because
everything
he
does
is
right
and
all
his
ways
are
just,
and
he
is
able
to
 humble
those
who
walk
in
pride.
()

 The
LORD
is
identified
as
“the
Lord
of
heaven.”

 Yet
you,
his
son,
O
Belshazzar,
have
not
humbled
your
heart,
even
though
you
 knew
all
this.
23On
the
contrary,
you
have
exalted
yourself
against
the
Lord
of
 heaven.
You
had
the
goblets
from
his
temple
brought
before
you,
and
you
and
 your
nobles,
your
wives
and
your
concubines,
drank
wine
from
them.
()

 The
LORD
is
identified
as
“the
God
who
holds
your
life
in
his
hands
and
who
 governs
all
your
ways;”
i.e.,
the
king’s
very
life,
as
well
as
the
course
of
his
life,
 are
under
the
sovereign
control
and
direction
of
the
LORD.


 You
praised
the
gods
of
silver
and
gold,
of
bronze,
iron,
wood,
and
stone,
gods
 that
cannot
see
or
hear
and
do
not
have
intelligence.
But
the
God
who
holds


Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels from the temple of God. He carried

your
 life
 in
 his
 hands
 and
 who
 governs
 all
 your
 ways,
 you
 have
 not
 glorified.
()

 The
LORD
is
identified
as
“the
living
God.”

 When
he
approached
the
den,
he
cried
out
to
Daniel
in
an
anguished
voice.
The
 king
called
out
to
Daniel,
“O
Daniel,
servant
of
the
living
God
…
”
()

 II.
We
are
Reminded
that
Our
God
Reigns
by
the
Great
Acts
of
God
that
are
 Recorded
in
the
Book
of
Daniel
 
It
was
the
LORD
who
gave
Daniel
the
revelation
and
interpretation
of
the
 mysterious
dream
that
baffled
Nebuchadnezzar
and
all
the
royal
court
of
 Babylon:

 In
the
second
year
of
his
reign,
Nebuchadnezzar
had
dreams.
His
spirit
was
 troubled
 and
 he
 could
 not
 sleep.
 2So
 the
 king
 summoned
 the
 magicians,
 enchanters,
sorcerers,
and
the
Chaldean
[astrologers]
to
tell
him
what
he
had
 dreamed.
 So
 they
 came
 in
 and
 stood
 before
 the
 king
 …
 10The
 Chaldean
 [astrologers]
answered
the
king,
“There
is
not
a
man
on
earth
who
can
do
what
 the
king
asks.
No
king,
lord,
or
ruler
has
[ever]
made
such
a
request
of
any
 magician
or
enchanter
or
Chaldean
[astrologer].
11It
is
an
extraordinary
thing
 that
the
king
requests,
and
no
one
can
fulfill
it
for
the
king
except
the
gods,
but
 they
do
not
dwell
with
men”
…
19Then
the
mystery
was
revealed
to
Daniel
during
 the
night
in
a
vision.
Then
Daniel
blessed
the
God
of
heaven.
 20Daniel
said,
 “Blessed
be
the
name
of
God
forever
and
ever,
because
wisdom
and
might
belong
 to
him
…
23I
thank
you
and
praise
you,
O
God
of
my
fathers,
you
have
given
me
 wisdom
and
might.
Indeed,
you
have
now
made
known
to
me
what
we
requested
 of
you;
you
have
made
known
to
us
the
king’s
dream
and
its
interpretation”
…

 27Daniel
 answered
 the
 king,
 “Neither
 wise
 men,
 enchanters,
 magicians,
 nor
 soothsayers
are
able
to
explain
to
the
king
the
mystery
the
king
has
demanded
 [be
made
known
to
him];
28but
there
is
a
God
in
heaven
who
reveals
mysteries,
 and
he
has
made
known
to
the
king
Nebuchadnezzar
what
will
happen
in
the
 days
to
come.”
(,
,,,)

 The
LORD
answered
Nebuchadnezzar’s
challenge:

 Then
Nebuchadnezzar,
with
rage
and
fury,
summoned
Shadrach,
Meshach,
and
 Abed­Nego.
So
they
brought
these
men
before
the
king.
14Nebuchadnezzar
said
 to
them,
“Is
it
true,
O
Shadrach,
Meshach,
and
Abed­Nego,
that
you
neither
serve
 my
god
nor
worship
the
golden
statue
that
I
have
erected?
15Now
if,
when
you
 hear
the
sound
of
the
cornet,
flute,
zither,
lyre,
harp,
pipes,
and
all
kinds
of
 music,
you
bow
down
and
worship
the
statue
that
I
have
made,
[it
will
be
well
 with
you].
But
if
you
do
not
worship,
you
will
immediately
be
thrown
into
a
 blazing
furnace.
And
who
is
the
God
who
will
deliver
you
out
of
my
hands?”
…
 17”If
[you]
do
[throw
us
into
the
furnace],
our
God
whom
we
serve
is
able
to


deliver
us
from
the
blazing
furnace,
and
he
will
deliver
us
out
of
your
hand,
O
 king.”
…
20Then
he
commanded
valiant
warriors
who
were
in
his
army
to
tie
up
 Shadrach,
Meshach,
and
Abed­Nego
and
throw
them
into
the
blazing
furnace
...
 24Then
Nebuchadnezzar
the
king
was
astonished
and
leaped
to
his
feet.
He
said
 to
his
advisors,
“Did
we
not
tie
up
three
men
and
throw
them
into
the
fire?”
They
 replied
to
the
king,
“[That
is]
true,
O
king.”
25He
responded,
“Look!
I
see
four
men
 untied
 and
 walking
 around
 in
 the
 fire,
 and
 they
 are
 not
 harmed!
 And
 the
 appearance
of
the
fourth
is
like
a
son
of
the
gods!”
 26Then
Nebuchadnezzar
 approached
 the
 entrance
 of
 the
 blazing
 furnace
 and
 shouted,
 “Shadrach,
 Meshach,
and
Abed­Nego,
you
servants
of
the
Most
High
God,
come
out
and
 come
here!”
Then
Shadrach,
Meshach,
and
Abed­Nego
came
out
of
the
midst
of
 the
fire.
27The
satraps,
prefects,
governors,
and
royal
advisors
crowded
around
 them.
They
saw
that
the
fire
had
not
harmed
their
bodies,
nor
was
the
hair
of
 their
head
singed;
their
trousers
were
not
scorched
and
there
was
no
smell
of
 fire
on
them.
(,,,)

 The
LORD
humbled
Nebuchadnezzar,
the
mighty
king
of
Babylon,
so
that
he
might
 come
to
know
and
acknowledge
that
it
is
the
LORD
who
reigns
supreme
over
all:

 The
king
said,
“Is
not
this
great
Babylon
that
I
have
built
as
the
royal
residence,
 by
my
mighty
power
and
for
the
glory
of
my
majesty?”
31While
was
the
word
was
 [still]
 on
 the
 king’s
 lips,
 there
 came
 a
 voice
 from
 heaven,
 [saying],
 “O
 King
 Nebuchadnezzar,
to
you
it
is
declared:
The
kingdom
has
been
taken
away
from
 you.
32Furthermore,
you
shall
be
driven
away
from
men
and
you
shall
live
with
 the
beasts
of
the
field;
you
shall
be
forced
to
eat
grass
like
the
cattle.
Seven
 [years]
shall
pass
over
you,
until
you
acknowledge
that
the
Most
High
rules
in
 the
kingdom
of
men
and
gives
it
to
whomever
he
desires.”
33In
that
very
hour
 what
had
been
declared
to
Nebuchadnezzar
was
fulfilled.
He
was
driven
away
 from
men
and
he
ate
grass
like
the
cattle;
and
his
body
was
drenched
with
the
 dew
of
heaven
until
his
hair
grew
like
[the
feathers]
of
an
eagle
and
his
nails
like
 [the
claws]
of
a
bird.
()

 The
LORD
took
the
kingdom
away
from
Belshazzar
and
gave
it
instead
to
the
 Medes
and
Persians:

 “O
king,
the
Most
High
God
gave
Nebuchadnezzar
your
father
the
kingdom
and
 the
greatness
and
the
glory
and
the
majesty
…
20But
when
his
heart
became
 arrogant
and
his
spirit
was
hardened,
so
that
he
behaved
in
a
proud
manner,
he
 was
deposed
from
his
royal
throne
and
they
took
his
glory
from
him.
21He
was
 driven
away
from
men
and
his
mind
became
like
that
of
the
beasts.
He
lived
with
 the
wild
donkeys,
he
was
given
grass
to
eat
like
the
cattle,
and
his
body
was
 drenched
with
the
dew
of
heaven,
until
he
acknowledged
that
the
Most
High
God
 rules
in
the
kingdom
of
men
and
that
he
sets
over
it
whomever
he
desires.
22Yet
 you,
his
son,
O
Belshazzar,
have
not
humbled
your
heart,
even
though
you
knew
 all
this.
23On
the
contrary,
you
have
exalted
yourself
against
the
Lord
of
heaven.
 You
had
the
goblets
from
his
temple
brought
before
you,
and
you
and
your


them to the land of Shinar to the temple of his god, and he put the vessels in the

nobles,
your
wives
and
your
concubines,
drank
wine
from
them.
You
praised
the
 gods
of
silver
and
gold,
of
bronze,
iron,
wood,
and
stone,
[gods]
that
cannot
see
 or
hear
and
do
not
have
intelligence.
But
the
God
who
holds
your
life
in
his
 hands
and
who
governs
all
your
ways,
you
have
not
glorified.
24Therefore
the
 fingers
of
the
hand
were
sent
from
his
presence
and
this
inscription
was
written.
 25And
this
is
the
inscription
that
was
written:
MENE,
MENE,
TEKEL,
UPHARSIN.
 26This
is
the
interpretation
of
the
thing:
MENE,
God
has
numbered
[the
days
of]
 your
kingdom
and
has
brought
it
to
an
end.
27TEKEL,
you
have
been
weighed
on
 the
scales,
and
you
are
found
to
be
deficient.
28PERES,
your
kingdom
has
been
 divided
and
given
to
the
Medes
and
Persians.”
…
30That
[very]
night
Belshazzar
 the
Chaldean
king
was
killed.
31And
Darius
the
Mede
took
over
the
kingdom;
he
 was
approximately
sixty­two
years
old.
(,,)

 The
LORD
miraculously
spared
Daniel
from
the
lions:


 Very
early
in
the
morning
the
king
arose
and
hurried
to
the
lions’
den.
20When
he
 approached
the
den,
he
cried
out
to
Daniel
in
an
anguished
voice.
The
king
 called
out
to
Daniel,
“O
Daniel,
servant
of
the
living
God,
has
your
God,
whom
 you
serve
continually,
been
able
to
save
you
from
the
lions?”
 21Then
Daniel
 answered
the
king,
“O
king,
live
forever!
22My
God
has
sent
his
angel
and
he
has
 shut
the
lions’
mouths.
They
have
not
harmed
me.”
()

 Note:
These
mighty
acts
of
God
do
not
occur
on
a
daily
basis.
On
the
contrary,
 they
occur
at
those
moments
of
history
when
God
sees
fit
to
act—at
those
 moments
the
heavens
are
opened
and
the
glorious
light
and
power
of
God
pierce
 through
the
clouds
of
darkness
in
a
mighty
way.

 III.

We
are
Reminded
that
Our
God
Reigns
by
The
Testimonials
that
Appear
 throughout
the
Book
of
Daniel
 
 First,
there
is
Daniel’s
prayer
of
thanksgiving
for
granting
him
the
revelation
and
 interpretation
of
Nebuchadnezzar’s
dream:

 Daniel
said,
“Blessed
be
the
name
of
God
forever
and
ever,
because
wisdom
and
 might
belong
to
him.
21He
changes
the
[astrological]
times
and
the
seasons;
he
 deposes
 kings
 and
 establishes
 kings;
 he
 gives
 wisdom
 to
 the
 wise
 and
 knowledge
to
men
of
understanding;
22he
reveals
the
deep
and
hidden
things;
 he
knows
what
is
in
the
darkness,
and
the
light
dwells
with
him.
23I
thank
you
 and
praise
you,
O
God
of
my
fathers,
you
have
given
me
wisdom
and
might.
 Indeed,
you
have
now
made
known
to
me
what
we
requested
of
you;
you
have
 made
known
to
us
the
king’s
dream
and
its
interpretation.”
()

 Second,
there
is
Daniel’s
testimonial
before
Nebuchadnezzar
on
the
occasion
of
 revealing
to
the
king
his
dream
and
its
meaning:
 


treasure house of his god. ()

Daniel
 answered
 the
 king,
 “Neither
 wise
 men,
 enchanters,
 magicians,
 nor
 soothsayers
are
able
to
explain
to
the
king
the
mystery
the
king
has
demanded
 [be
made
known
to
him];
28but
there
is
a
God
in
heaven
who
reveals
mysteries,
 and
he
has
made
known
to
the
king
Nebuchadnezzar
what
will
happen
in
the
 days
to
come.
This
is
your
dream
and
the
visions
that
passed
through
your
mind
 as
you
lay
upon
your
bed.”
()

 Third,
there
is
Nebuchadnezzar’s
first
testimonial
upon
receiving
the
 interpretation
of
his
dream:
 
 Then
the
[great]
king
Nebuchadnezzar
prostrated
himself
before
Daniel
and
 paid
him
homage,
and
he
ordered
that
an
offering
and
incense
be
presented
to
 him.
47The
king
said
to
Daniel,
“Surely
your
God
is
the
God
of
gods
and
the
Lord
 of
 kings
 and
 a
 revealer
 of
 mysteries,
 for
 you
 were
 enabled
 to
 reveal
 this
 mystery.”
()

 Fourth,
there
is
Nebuchadnezzar’s
second
testimonial
upon
witnessing
the
 LORD’s
deliverance
of
the
three
Hebrews
from
the
fiery
furnace:

 Nebuchadnezzar
 declared,
 “Blessed
 be
 the
 God
 of
 Shadrach,
 Meshach,
 and
 Abed­Nego,
who
has
sent
his
angel
and
delivered
his
servants
who
trusted
in
 him!
They
have
defied
the
king’s
command
and
have
yielded
their
bodies,
so
 that
 they
 might
 not
 serve
 or
 worship
 any
 god
 except
 their
 own
 God.
 29Therefore,
I
make
a
decree
that
any
people,
nation,
or
[men
of
any]
language
 who
say
anything
offensive
against
the
God
of
Shadrach,
Meshach,
and
AbedNego
 shall
 be
 cut
 in
 pieces
 and
 their
 houses
 shall
 be
 reduced
 to
 a
 pile
 of
 rubbish;
because
there
is
no
other
god
who
can

save
like
this!”

()

 Fifth,
there
is
Nebuchadnezzar’s
third
testimonial
introducing
his
account
of
how
 he
was
humbled
before
the
Lord
of
heaven:

 Nebuchadnezzar
 the
 king,
 to
 all
 the
 peoples,
 nations,
 and
 [men
 of
 every]
 language
who
live
in
the
whole
world:
May
you
have
an
abundance
of
peace.
2It
 has
seemed
good
to
me
to
declare
the
signs
and
wonders
that
the
Most
High
 God
has
done
for
me.
3How
great
are
his
signs
and
how
mighty
are
his
wonders!
 His
kingdom
is
an
everlasting
kingdom,
and
his
dominion
is
from
generation
to
 generation.
()

 Sixth,
there
is
Nebuchadnezzar’s
fourth
testimonial
following
his
restoration
to
 the
throne
of
Babylon:

 At
the
end
of
that
time,
I,
Nebuchadnezzar,
lifted
up
my
eyes
to
heaven,
and
my
 sanity
was
restored
to
me.
Then
I
blessed
the
Most
High,
and
I
praised
and
 honored
him
who
lives
forever,
for
his
dominion
is
an
everlasting
dominion,
and
 his
kingdom
continues
from
generation
to
generation.
35All
the
peoples
of
the
 earth
are
regarded
as
nothing.
He
does
as
he
pleases
with
the
army
of
heaven


A note on the Scripture text that accompanies each individual message: The American Standard

Version and the New International Version, along with the original Greek and Hebrew, have been used

and
among
the
inhabitants
of
the
earth.
No
one
can
push
away
his
hand,
or
 demand
of
him,
What
are
you
doing?
36At
the
same
time
that
my
sanity
was
 restored
to
me,
my
majesty
and
splendor
were
restored
to
me
for
the
glory
of
 my
kingdom.
My
advisors
and
my
nobles
sought
me
out,
and
I
was
restored
to
 my
throne,
and
I
became
even
greater
than
before.
37Now
I,
Nebuchadnezzar,
 praise
and
exalt
and
honor
the
King
of
heaven,
because
everything
he
does
is
 right
and
all
his
ways
are
just,
and
he
is
able
to
humble
those
who
walk
in
 pride.
()

 Seventh,
there
is
Darius’
testimonial
upon
witnessing
the
LORD’s
deliverance
of
 Daniel
from
the
lions’
den:

 Then
King
Darius
wrote
[this
proclamation]
to
all
the
peoples,
nations,
[and
 men
 of
 every]
 language
 who
 dwell
 in
 the
 whole
 world:
 May
 you
 have
 an
 abundance
of
peace.
26I
issue
a
decree
[commanding]
that
in
every
part
of
my
 kingdom
men
are
to
fear
and
tremble
before
the
God
of
Daniel,
for
he
is
the
 living
 God
 and
 he
 endures
 forever.
 His
 kingdom
 is
 one
 that
 shall
 not
 be
 destroyed
and
his
dominion
shall
continue
to
the
end
[of
time.]
()

 Note
how
these
pagan
monarchs
proclaim
the
sovereign
lordship
of
the
God
of
 Israel
and
cause
that
proclamation
to
be
published
throughout
the
world.

 Conclusion
 
 In
the
fourth
(4:17),
the
fifth
(5:21),
and
the
sixth
(6:26)
chapters
of
the
Book
of
 Daniel
we
find
the
re‐occurring
declaration:
“the
Most
High
rules
in
the
kingdom
of
 men.”
Christian,
take
God
at
His
Word
and
always
remember
that
Our
God
Reigns.
 Entrust
yourself
and
your
cause
into
His
hands
and
wait
upon
Him,
remembering
 the
testimony
of
the
prophet
Isaiah:
“From
ancient
times
no
one
has
known
about— no
ear
has
heard
of,
no
eye
has
seen—any
God
besides
you,
[a
God]
who
acts
on
behalf
 of
those
who
wait
for
him”
(.)
Join
with
Isaiah
in
praying
that
He
would
rend
 the
heavens
and
do
a
mighty
work
of
grace
in
our
day:
“Oh,
[Jehovah,
I
pray]
that
you
 would
tear
open
the
heavens;
that
you
would
come
down,
that
the
mountains
might
 quake
at
your
presence”
(.)
Above
all,
pray
for
the
fulfillment
of
the
great
 petition
our
Lord
Jesus
instructs
us
to
make
of
God
His
Father:
“Your
kingdom
co

in an effort to achieve the greatest degree of accuracy and clarity. Where words or phrases have

been added to the original text in an effort to better express its meaning, those words or phrases

have usually been indicated by means of [brackets].

Introduction

Put yourself in Israel’s place during the time of Daniel; your country is being

besieged by the mighty Babylonian army. The Babylonians are a violent people;

speaking of the them, the prophet Habakkuk writes: “They all come bent on violence.

Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. 10They deride

kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; they build earthen ramps

and capture them [a reference to building mounts of dirt to scale fortified walls and

thereby take enemy strongholds]. 11Then they sweep past like a wind and move on—

they are guilty men whose own strength is their god [the Babylonians are described

as worshiping power and putting their trust in their own military might] (‐

11.)

Furthermore, the Babylonians are a blasphemous people. Describing the Babylonian

conquest of Jerusalem the Psalmist protests unto the LORD: “Your foes roar in the

place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs. 5They behaved like

men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees. 6They smashed all the carved

paneling with their axes and hatchets.” The Psalmist is describing the Babylonian

destruction of the temple as men chopping down trees in the forest. He then

continues, “They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place

of your Name. 8They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!” They

burned every place where God was worshiped in the land” (Psl. 74:4‐8.)

Finally, the Babylonians are a cruel people. The Psalmist laments, “By the rivers of

Babylon we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion. 2There on the poplars we

hung our harps, 3for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded

songs of joy; they said, ‘Sing for us one of the songs of Zion!’” (Psl. 137:1‐3.)

The Babylonians conquer Judah, destroy the LORD’s temple, carry His people away

into captivity—and the LORD has done nothing to stop them. There is no divine act of

deliverance, unlike the days of Hezekiah when the LORD miraculously intervened to

save Jerusalem from the Assyrian army. Back at that time Hezekiah prayed to the

LORD: “Now therefore, O Jehovah our God, deliver us out of his hand, so that all the

kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, O Jehovah, are [God]” (.) In

response to that prayer, through the prophet Isaiah, the LORD assured His people:

“Therefore, this is what Jehovah says about the king of Assyria, ‘He will not enter this

city, nor will he shoot an arrow [at it]. He will not come against it with a shield, nor

will he build a siege ramp against it’” (.) In accordance with His promise,

the LORD proceeded to deliver Jerusalem from the Assyrian army:

Then the angel of Jehovah went out and put to death a hundred and eightyfive

thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the Assyrians got up the next

morning—there were all the dead bodies! 37So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke

camp and withdrew from Jerusalem. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. (Isa.

33:36‐37)

But now there is no such deliverance from the Babylonian invasion. What are the

people to think? Is the LORD unable to save them? Are the “gods” of Babylon stronger

than the God of Israel? Can you feel something of the spiritual struggle that the

people of God experienced in the time of Daniel? Rather than seeing the kingdom of

God advancing, they witness the pagan empire of Babylon asserting itself. They find

themselves being carried away, helpless to stand against this mighty foe, and they

receive no deliverance from the LORD their God.

Why was the Book of Daniel given by the Holy Spirit? What is the overarching

purpose of the book? It was given to remind and reassure God’s people that, despite

the fact that they found themselves dominated by an alien and pagan empire (as the

consequence of their own sin), our God reigns. Christian, despite the spiritual

adversity we may encounter in this present world, let us always remember the

blessed fact that Our God Reigns!

Our God Reigns! This is the overarching theme of the Book of Daniel. In this present

lesson let us now consider how this theme is presented to us throughout the book.

I. We are Reminded that Our God Reigns by the Names and Titles of God that

Occur throughout the Book of Daniel

The LORD is identified as “the God of heaven.”

Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to Hananiah,

Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18so that they might request mercies

from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his

companions might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

()

The LORD is identified as “the great God.”

This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of the mountain, but not by

hands—the rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the

gold to pieces. The great God has shown the king what will take place in the

future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy. ()

The LORD is identified as “the God of gods and the Lord of kings.”

The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of

kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were enabled to reveal this

mystery.” ()

The LORD is identified as “the Most High God.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the entrance of the blazing furnace and

shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego,

you servants of the Most High

God, come out and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego

came out of the midst of the fire. ()

The LORD is identified as “the Most High.”

This sentence is by the decree of the watchmen and this verdict is a command

of the holy ones, so that the living may know that the Most High rules in the

kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he desires and sets up over it the

lowliest of men. ()

The LORD is identified as “the King of heaven.”

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and honor the King of heaven,

because everything he does is right and all his ways are just, and he is able to

humble those who walk in pride. ()

The LORD is identified as “the Lord of heaven.”

Yet you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you

knew all this. 23On the contrary, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of

heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought before you, and you and

your nobles, your wives and your concubines, drank wine from them. (Dan.

5:22‐23a)

The LORD is identified as “the God who holds your life in his hands and who

governs all your ways;” i.e., the king’s very life, as well as the course of his life,

are under the sovereign control and direction of the LORD.

You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, gods

that cannot see or hear and do not have intelligence. But the God who holds

your life in his hands and who governs all your ways, you have not

glorified. ()

The LORD is identified as “the living God.”

When he approached the den, he cried out to Daniel in an anguished voice. The

king called out to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God … ” ()

II. We are Reminded that Our God Reigns by the Great Acts of God that are

Recorded in the Book of Daniel

It was the LORD who gave Daniel the revelation and interpretation of the

mysterious dream that baffled Nebuchadnezzar and all the royal court of

Babylon:

In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams. His spirit was

troubled and he could not sleep. 2So the king summoned the magicians,

enchanters, sorcerers, and the Chaldean [astrologers] to tell him what he had

dreamed. So they came in and stood before the king … 10The Chaldean

[astrologers] answered the king, “There is not a man on earth who can do what

the king asks. No king, lord, or ruler has [ever] made such a request of any

magician or enchanter or Chaldean [astrologer]. 11It is an extraordinary thing

that the king requests, and no one can fulfill it for the king except the gods, but

they do not dwell with men” … 19Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel during

the night in a vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20Daniel said,

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, because wisdom and might belong

to him … 23I thank you and praise you, O God of my fathers, you have given me

wisdom and might. Indeed, you have now made known to me what we requested

of you; you have made known to us the king’s dream and its interpretation” …

27Daniel answered the king, “Neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor

soothsayers are able to explain to the king the mystery the king has demanded

[be made known to him]; 28but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries,

and he has made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the

days to come.” (, ,,,)

The LORD answered Nebuchadnezzar’s challenge:

Then Nebuchadnezzar, with rage and fury, summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and

AbedNego.

So they brought these men before the king. 14Nebuchadnezzar said

to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego,

that you neither serve

my god nor worship the golden statue that I have erected? 15Now if, when you

hear the sound of the cornet, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of

music, you bow down and worship the statue that I have made, [it will be well

with you]. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be thrown into a

blazing furnace. And who is the God who will deliver you out of my hands?” …

17”If [you] do [throw us into the furnace], our God whom we serve is able to

deliver us from the blazing furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O

king.” … 20Then he commanded valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up

Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego

and throw them into the blazing furnace ...

24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished and leaped to his feet. He said

to his advisors, “Did we not tie up three men and throw them into the fire?” They

replied to the king, “[That is] true, O king.” 25He responded, “Look! I see four men

untied and walking around in the fire, and they are not harmed! And the

appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!” 26Then Nebuchadnezzar

approached the entrance of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach,

Meshach, and AbedNego,

you servants of the Most High God, come out and

come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego

came out of the midst of

the fire. 27The satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisors crowded around

them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was the hair of

their head singed; their trousers were not scorched and there was no smell of

fire on them. (,,,)

The LORD humbled Nebuchadnezzar, the mighty king of Babylon, so that he might

come to know and acknowledge that it is the LORD who reigns supreme over all:

The king said, “Is not this great Babylon that I have built as the royal residence,

by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31While was the word was

[still] on the king’s lips, there came a voice from heaven, [saying], “O King

Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: The kingdom has been taken away from

you. 32Furthermore, you shall be driven away from men and you shall live with

the beasts of the field; you shall be forced to eat grass like the cattle. Seven

[years] shall pass over you, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules in

the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he desires.” 33In that very hour

what had been declared to Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away

from men and he ate grass like the cattle; and his body was drenched with the

dew of heaven until his hair grew like [the feathers] of an eagle and his nails like

[the claws] of a bird. ()

The LORD took the kingdom away from Belshazzar and gave it instead to the

Medes and Persians:

“O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom and

the greatness and the glory and the majesty … 20But when his heart became

arrogant and his spirit was hardened, so that he behaved in a proud manner, he

was deposed from his royal throne and they took his glory from him. 21He was

driven away from men and his mind became like that of the beasts. He lived with

the wild donkeys, he was given grass to eat like the cattle, and his body was

drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God

rules in the kingdom of men and that he sets over it whomever he desires. 22Yet

you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew

all this. 23On the contrary, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven.

You had the goblets from his temple brought before you, and you and your

nobles, your wives and your concubines, drank wine from them. You praised the

gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, [gods] that cannot see

or hear and do not have intelligence. But the God who holds your life in his

hands and who governs all your ways, you have not glorified. 24Therefore the

fingers of the hand were sent from his presence and this inscription was written.

25And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

26This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE, God has numbered [the days of]

your kingdom and has brought it to an end. 27TEKEL, you have been weighed on

the scales, and you are found to be deficient. 28PERES, your kingdom has been

divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” … 30That [very] night Belshazzar

the Chaldean king was killed. 31And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom; he

was approximately sixtytwo

years old. (,,)

The LORD miraculously spared Daniel from the lions:

Very early in the morning the king arose and hurried to the lions’ den. 20When he

approached the den, he cried out to Daniel in an anguished voice. The king

called out to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom

you serve continually, been able to save you from the lions?” 21Then Daniel

answered the king, “O king, live forever! 22My God has sent his angel and he has

shut the lions’ mouths. They have not harmed me.” ()

Note: These mighty acts of God do not occur on a daily basis. On the contrary,

they occur at those moments of history when God sees fit to act—at those

moments the heavens are opened and the glorious light and power of God pierce

through the clouds of darkness in a mighty way.

III. We are Reminded that Our God Reigns by The Testimonials that Appear

throughout the Book of Daniel

First, there is Daniel’s prayer of thanksgiving for granting him the revelation and

interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream:

Daniel said, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, because wisdom and

might belong to him. 21He changes the [astrological] times and the seasons; he

deposes kings and establishes kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and

knowledge to men of understanding; 22he reveals the deep and hidden things;

he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. 23I thank you

and praise you, O God of my fathers, you have given me wisdom and might.

Indeed, you have now made known to me what we requested of you; you have

made known to us the king’s dream and its interpretation.” ()

Second, there is Daniel’s testimonial before Nebuchadnezzar on the occasion of

revealing to the king his dream and its meaning:

Daniel answered the king, “Neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor

soothsayers are able to explain to the king the mystery the king has demanded

[be made known to him]; 28but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries,

and he has made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the

days to come. This is your dream and the visions that passed through your mind

as you lay upon your bed.” ()

Third, there is Nebuchadnezzar’s first testimonial upon receiving the

interpretation of his dream:

Then the [great] king Nebuchadnezzar prostrated himself before Daniel and

paid him homage, and he ordered that an offering and incense be presented to

him. 47The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord

of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were enabled to reveal this

mystery.” ()

Fourth, there is Nebuchadnezzar’s second testimonial upon witnessing the

LORD’s deliverance of the three Hebrews from the fiery furnace:

Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and

AbedNego,

who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in

him! They have defied the king’s command and have yielded their bodies, so

that they might not serve or worship any god except their own God.

29Therefore, I make a decree that any people, nation, or [men of any] language

who say anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego

shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be reduced to a pile of

rubbish; because there is no other god who can save like this!” ()

Fifth, there is Nebuchadnezzar’s third testimonial introducing his account of how

he was humbled before the Lord of heaven:

Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all the peoples, nations, and [men of every]

language who live in the whole world: May you have an abundance of peace. 2It

has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High

God has done for me. 3How great are his signs and how mighty are his wonders!

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to

generation. ()

Sixth, there is Nebuchadnezzar’s fourth testimonial following his restoration to

the throne of Babylon:

At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my

sanity was restored to me. Then I blessed the Most High, and I praised and

honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and

his kingdom continues from generation to generation. 35All the peoples of the

earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the army of heaven

and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can push away his hand, or

demand of him, What are you doing? 36At the same time that my sanity was

restored to me, my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of

my kingdom. My advisors and my nobles sought me out, and I was restored to

my throne, and I became even greater than before. 37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar,

praise and exalt and honor the King of heaven, because everything he does is

right and all his ways are just, and he is able to humble those who walk in

pride. ()

Seventh, there is Darius’ testimonial upon witnessing the LORD’s deliverance of

Daniel from the lions’ den:

Then King Darius wrote [this proclamation] to all the peoples, nations, [and

men of every] language who dwell in the whole world: May you have an

abundance of peace. 26I issue a decree [commanding] that in every part of my

kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel, for he is the

living God and he endures forever. His kingdom is one that shall not be

destroyed and his dominion shall continue to the end [of time.] ()

Note how these pagan monarchs proclaim the sovereign lordship of the God of

Israel and cause that proclamation to be published throughout the world.

Conclusion

In the fourth (4:17), the fifth (5:21), and the sixth (6:26) chapters of the Book of

Daniel we find the re‐occurring declaration: “the Most High rules in the kingdom of

men.” Christian, take God at His Word and always remember that Our God Reigns.

Entrust yourself and your cause into His hands and wait upon Him, remembering

the testimony of the prophet Isaiah: “From ancient times no one has known about—

no ear has heard of, no eye has seen—any God besides you, [a God] who acts on behalf

of those who wait for him” (.) Join with Isaiah in praying that He would rend

the heavens and do a mighty work of grace in our day: “Oh, [Jehovah, I pray] that you

would tear open the heavens; that you would come down, that the mountains might

quake at your presence” (.) Above all, pray for the fulfillment of the great

petition our Lord Jesus instructs us to make of God His Father: “Your kingdom come.

Your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth” (.)

OUR GOD REIGNS!

()

Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his

hand, along with some of the vessels from the temple of God. He carried them to the land of

Daniel 1:1–2 KJV 1900

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

Shinar to the temple of his god, and he put the vessels in the treasure house of his

god. ()

A note on the Scripture text that accompanies each individual message: the King James, along with the original Greek and Hebrew, have been used in an effort to achieve the greatest degree of accuracy and clarity. Where words or phrases have been added to the original text in an effort to better express its meaning, those words or phrases have usually been indicated by means of [brackets].

Standard Version and the New International Version, along with the original Greek and Hebrew, have

been used in an effort to achieve the greatest degree of accuracy and clarity. Where

words or phrases have been added to the original text in an effort to better express

its meaning, those words or phrases have usually been indicated by means of [brackets].

Introduction

Put yourself in Israel’s place during the time of Daniel; your country is being besieged by the mighty Babylonian army. The Babylonians are a violent people; speaking of the them,

besieged by the mighty Babylonian army. The Babylonians are a violent people; speaking of the them, the prophet Habakkuk writes: “They all come bent on violence. Their hordes advance

of the them, the prophet Habakkuk writes: “They all come bent on violence. Their hordes advance

the prophet Habakkuk writes:

like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. 10They deride kings and scoff at rulers.

They laugh at all fortified cities; they build earthen ramps and capture them [a reference to building mounts of dirt to scale fortified walls and thereby take enemy strongholds]

to building mounts of dirt to scale fortified walls and thereby take enemy strongholds]. 11Then

they sweep past like a wind and move on— they are guilty men whose own strength is their god [the

Babylonians are described as worshiping power and putting their trust in their own military might]

(.)

Habakkuk 1:9–11 KJV 1900

9 They shall come all for violence: Their faces shall sup up as the east wind, And they shall gather the captivity as the sand. 10 And they shall scoff at the kings, And the princes shall be a scorn unto them: They shall deride every strong hold; For they shall heap dust, and take it. 11 Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, Imputing this his power unto his god.

Furthermore, the Babylonians are a blasphemous people.

Jerusalem the Psalmist protests unto the LORD: “Your foes roar in the place where you

met with us; they set up their standards as signs. 5They behaved like men wielding axes to cut

Describing the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem the Psalmist protests unto the LORD: ()

through a thicket of trees. 6They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and

hatchets.” The Psalmist is describing the Babylonian destruction of the temple as men

chopping down trees in the forest. He then continues, “They burned your sanctuary to the

Psalm 74:4–8 KJV 1900

4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; They set up their ensigns for signs. 5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up Axes upon the thick trees. 6 But now they break down the carved work thereof At once with axes and hammers. 7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, They have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground. 8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: They have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name. 8They said in their hearts, “We will

crush them completely!” They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land” (Psl.

74:4‐8.)

Finally, the Babylonians are a cruel people. The Psalmist laments, (.)

sat down and wept when we remembered Zion. 2There on the poplars we hung our harps, 3for there our

Psalm 137:1–3 KJV 1900

1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, When we remembered Zion. 2 We hanged our harps Upon the willows in the midst thereof. 3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; And they that wasted us required of us mirth, Saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, ‘Sing for us one of

the songs of Zion!’” (Psl. 137:1‐3.)

The Babylonians conquer Judah, destroy the LORD’s temple, carry His people away into captivity—and the LORD has done nothing to stop them. There is no divine act of deliverance, unlike the days of Hezekiah when the LORD miraculously intervened to save Jerusalem from the Assyrian army. Back at that time Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: (.) In response to that prayer, through the prophet Isaiah, the LORD assured His people: (.) In accordance with His promise, the LORD proceeded to deliver Jerusalem from the Assyrian army:

\the LORD has done nothing to stop them. There is no divine act of deliverance, unlike the days of

Hezekiah when the LORD miraculously intervened to save Jerusalem from the Assyrian army. Back

at that time Hezekiah prayed to the

Isaiah 37:20 KJV 1900

20 Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only.

LORD: “Now therefore, O Jehovah our God, deliver us out of his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, O Jehovah, are [God]” (.) In response to that prayer, through the prophet Isaiah, the LORD assured His people: “Therefore, this is what Jehovah says about the king of Assyria, ‘He will not enter this city, nor will he shoot an arrow [at it]. He will not come against it with a shield, nor will he build a siege ramp against it’” (.) In accordance with His promise, the LORD proceeded to deliver Jerusalem from the Assyrian army:

the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, O Jehovah, are [God]” (.) In response

to that prayer, through the prophet Isaiah, the LORD assured His people: “Therefore,

Isaiah 37:33 KJV 1900

33 Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, Nor shoot an arrow there, Nor come before it with shields, Nor cast a bank against it.

this is what Jehovah says about the king of Assyria, ‘He will not enter this city, nor will he

shoot an arrow [at it]. He will not come against it with a shield, nor will he build a siege ramp

against it’” (.) In accordance with His promise, the LORD proceeded to deliver Jerusalem

from the Assyrian army:

thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the Assyrians got up the next

morning—there were all the dead bodies! 37So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew

Isaiah 37:36–37 KJV 1900

36 Then the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

from Jerusalem. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. (Isa. 33:36‐37)

But now there is no such deliverance from the Babylonian invasion.

to think? Is the LORD unable to save them? Are the “gods” of Babylon stronger than the God of

Israel? Can you feel something of the spiritual struggle that the people of God

What are the people to think? Is the LORD unable to save them?

experienced in the time of Daniel? Rather than seeing the kingdom of God advancing, they witness

the pagan empire of Babylon asserting itself. They find themselves being carried away, helpless to

Are the “gods” of Babylon stronger than the God of Israel?

stand against this mighty foe, and they receive no deliverance from the LORD their God.

Can you feel something of the spiritual struggle that the people of God experienced in the time of Daniel?

Rather than seeing the kingdom of God advancing, they witness the pagan empire of Babylon asserting itself.

They find themselves being carried away, helpless to stand against this mighty foe, and they receive no deliverance from the LORD their God.

Why was the Book of Daniel given by the Holy Spirit?

of the book? It was given to remind and reassure God’s people that, despite the fact that they

found themselves dominated by an alien and pagan empire (as the consequence of their own sin),

What is the overarching purpose of the book?

our God reigns. Christian, despite the spiritual adversity we may encounter in this

It was given to remind and reassure God’s people that, despite the fact that they found themselves dominated by an alien and pagan empire (as the consequence of their own sin), our God reigns.

present world, let us always remember the blessed fact that Our God Reigns!

Christian, despite the spiritual adversity we may encounter in this present world, let us always remember the blessed fact that Our God Reigns!

Our God Reigns! The ABSOLUTE Sovereignty of God

This is the overarching theme of the Book of Daniel.

now consider how this theme is presented to us throughout the book.

In this present lesson let us now consider how this theme is presented to us throughout the book.

I. We are Reminded that Our God Reigns by the Names and Titles of God that Occur throughout the Book of Daniel

Book of Daniel

The LORD is identified as “the God of heaven.”

()

Azariah, his companions, 18so that they might request mercies from the God of heaven

Daniel 2:17–18 KJV 1900

17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: 18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be executed with

the rest of the wise men of Babylon. ()

The LORD is identified as “the great God.”

This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of the mountain, but not by hands—the rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold to pieces. The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy. ()

that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold to pieces. The great

Daniel 2:45 KJV 1900

45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation

is trustworthy. ()

The LORD is identified as “the God of gods and the Lord of kings.”

The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were enabled to reveal this mystery.” ()

revealer of mysteries, for you were enabled to reveal this mystery.” ()

Daniel 2:47 KJV 1900

47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.

The LORD is identified as “the Most High God.”

()

Meshach, and Abed­Nego, you servants of the Most High God, come out and come here!” Then

Daniel 3:26 KJV 1900

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed­Nego came out of the midst of the fire. ()

The LORD is identified as “the Most High.”

()

that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to

Daniel 4:17 KJV 1900

17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

whomever he desires and sets up over it the lowliest of men. ()

The LORD is identified as “the King of heaven.”

()

he does is right and all his ways are just, and he is able to humble those who walk in pride. (Dan.

Daniel 4:37 KJV 1900

37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

4:37)

The LORD is identified as “the Lord of heaven.”

()

the contrary, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his

temple brought before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines, drank

Daniel 5:22–23a KJV 1900

22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; 23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

wine from them. ()

The LORD is identified as “the God who holds your life in his hands and who governs all your ways;” i.e., the king’s very life, as well as the course of his life, are under the sovereign control and direction of the LORD.

all your ways;” i.e., the king’s very life, as well as the course of his life, are under the

sovereign control and direction of the LORD.

( )

hear and do not have intelligence. But the God who holds

Daniel 5:23b KJV 1900

23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

your life in his hands and who governs all your ways, you have not glorified. (Dan.

5:23b)

The LORD is identified as “the living God.”

()

Daniel 6:20a KJV 1900

20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?

Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God … ” ()

II. We are Reminded that Our God Reigns by the Great Acts of God that are Recorded in the Book of Daniel

Daniel

It was the LORD who gave Daniel the revelation and interpretation of the mysterious dream that baffled Nebuchadnezzar and all the royal court of Babylon:

mysterious dream that baffled Nebuchadnezzar and all the royal court of

Babylon:

(, ,,,)

and he could not sleep. 2So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters,

sorcerers, and the Chaldean [astrologers] to tell him what he had dreamed. So they

Daniel 2:1–2 KJV 1900

1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. 2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

came in and stood before the king … 10The Chaldean [astrologers] answered the

king, “There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks. No king, lord, or ruler

has [ever] made such a request of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean [astrologer]. 11It

Daniel 2:10–11 KJV 1900

10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

is an extraordinary thing that the king requests, and no one can fulfill it for the king except the gods, but they do not dwell with men” … 19Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel during the night in a vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20Daniel said, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, because wisdom and might belong to him … 23I thank you and praise you, O God of my fathers, you have given me wisdom and might. Indeed, you have now made known to me what we requested of you; you have made known to us the king’s dream and its interpretation” … 27Daniel answered the king, “Neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers are able to explain to the king the mystery the king has demanded [be made known to him]; 28but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the days to come.” (, ,,,)

gods, but they do not dwell with men” … 19Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel during the night

Daniel 2:19–20 KJV 1900

19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: For wisdom and might are his:

in a vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20Daniel said, “Blessed be the name

of God forever and ever, because wisdom and might belong to him … 23I thank you and praise you, O

God of my fathers, you have given me wisdom and might. Indeed, you have now made known to me what

Daniel 2:23 KJV 1900

23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, Who hast given me wisdom and might, And hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: For thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.

we requested of you; you have made known to us the king’s dream and its interpretation” … 27Daniel

answered the king, “Neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers are able to

explain to the king the mystery the king has demanded [be made known to him]; 28but there is a God

Daniel 2:27–28a KJV 1900

27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; 28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;

in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what

will happen in the days to come.” (, ,,,)

The LORD answered Nebuchadnezzar’s challenge:

(,,, )

these men before the king. 14Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abed­Nego, that you neither serve my god nor worship the golden statue that I have erected? 15Now

if, when you hear the sound of the cornet, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all

kinds of music, you bow down and worship the statue that I have made, [it will be well with you].

Daniel 3:13–15 KJV 1900

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

But if you do not worship, you will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. And who is the God who will deliver you out of my hands?” … 17”If [you] do [throw us into the furnace], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the blazing furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.” … 20Then he commanded valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed­Nego and throw them into the blazing furnace ... 24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished and leaped to his feet. He said to his advisors, “Did we not tie up three men and throw them into the fire?” They replied to the king, “[That is] true, O king.” 25He responded, “Look! I see four men untied and walking around in the fire, and they are not harmed! And the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!” 26Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the entrance of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed­Nego, you servants of the Most High God, come out and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed­Nego came out of the midst of the fire. 27The satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisors crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed; their trousers were not scorched and there was no smell of fire on them. (,,, )

who is the God who will deliver you out of my hands?” … 17”If [you] do [throw us into the

furnace], our God whom we serve is able to

Daniel 3:17 KJV 1900

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

deliver us from the blazing furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.” … 20Then he

commanded valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed­Nego and

throw them into the blazing furnace ... 24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished and leaped to

his feet. He said to his advisors, “Did we not tie up three men and throw them into the fire?” They

Daniel 3:20 KJV 1900

20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

replied to the king, “[That is] true, O king.” 25He responded, “Look! I see four men untied and

walking around in the fire, and they are not harmed! And the appearance of the fourth

is like a son of the gods!” 26Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the entrance of the

blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed­Nego, you servants of the

Most High God, come out and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed­Nego came out of the

Daniel 3:24–27 KJV 1900

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellers, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire. 27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellers, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

midst of the fire. 27The satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisors crowded around them. They

saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed; their

trousers were not scorched and there was no smell of fire on them. (Dan.

3:13‐15,17,20,24‐27)

()

acknowledge that it is the LORD who reigns supreme over all:

The king said, “Is not this great Babylon that I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31While was the word was [still] on the king’s lips, there came a voice from heaven, [saying], “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: The kingdom has been taken away from you. 32Furthermore, you shall be driven away from men and you shall live with the beasts of the field; you shall be forced to eat grass like the cattle. Seven [years] shall pass over you, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he desires.” 33In that very hour what had been declared to Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from men and he ate grass like the cattle; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like [the feathers] of an eagle and his nails like [the claws] of a bird. ()

power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31While was the word was [still] on the king’s lips,

there came a voice from heaven, [saying], “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared:

The kingdom has been taken away from you. 32Furthermore, you shall be driven away from men and you

Daniel 4:30–33 KJV 1900

30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.

shall live with the beasts of the field; you shall be forced to eat grass like the

cattle. Seven [years] shall pass over you, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules in the

kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he desires.” 33In that very hour what had

been declared to Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from men and he ate grass like

the cattle; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like [the

feathers] of an eagle and his nails like [the claws] of a bird. ()

(,,)

Persians:

“O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom and the greatness and the glory and the majesty … 20But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened, so that he behaved in a proud manner, he was deposed from his royal throne and they took his glory from him. 21He was driven away from men and his mind became like that of the beasts. He lived with the wild donkeys, he was given grass to eat like the cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men and that he sets over it whomever he desires. 22Yet you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. 23On the contrary, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines, drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, [gods] that cannot see or hear and do not have intelligence. But the God who holds your life in his hands and who governs all your ways, you have not glorified. 24Therefore the fingers of the hand were sent from his presence and this inscription was written. 25And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE, God has numbered [the days of] your kingdom and has brought it to an end. 27TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales, and you are found to be deficient. 28PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” … 30That [very] night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom; he was approximately sixty­two years old. (,,)

glory and the majesty … 20But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened,

so that he behaved in a proud manner, he was deposed from his royal throne and they took his glory

from him. 21He was driven away from men and his mind became like that of the beasts. He lived with

Daniel 5:18 KJV 1900

18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:

the wild donkeys, he was given grass to eat like the cattle, and his body was

drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules in the kingdom

of men and that he sets over it whomever he desires. 22Yet you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not

humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. 23On the contrary, you have exalted yourself

against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought before you, and

you and your

Daniel 5:20–28 KJV 1900

20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: 21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. 22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; 23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: 24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. 25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

nobles, your wives and your concubines, drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and

gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, [gods] that cannot see or hear and do not have

intelligence. But the God who holds your life in his hands and who governs all your

ways, you have not glorified. 24Therefore the fingers of the hand were sent from his presence

Daniel 5:30–31 KJV 1900

30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. 31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

and this inscription was written. 25And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE,

TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE, God has numbered [the days of]

your kingdom and has brought it to an end. 27TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales, and you

are found to be deficient. 28PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and

Persians.” … 30That [very] night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31And Darius the Mede

took over the kingdom; he was approximately sixty­two years old. (,,)

The LORD miraculously spared Daniel from the lions:

()

den, he cried out to Daniel in an anguished voice. The king called out to Daniel, “O

Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been

able to save you from the lions?” 21Then Daniel answered the king, “O king, live forever!

Daniel 6:19–22a KJV 1900

19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? 21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. 22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

22My God has sent his angel and he has shut the lions’ mouths. They have not harmed me.” (Dan.

6:19‐22a)

Note: These mighty acts of God do not occur on a daily basis. On the contrary, they occur at those moments of history when God sees fit to act—at those moments the heavens are opened and the glorious light and power of God pierce through the clouds of darkness in a mighty way.

occur at those moments of history when God sees fit to act—at those moments the heavens

are opened and the glorious light and power of God pierce through the clouds of darkness in a

mighty way.

III. We are Reminded that Our God Reigns by The Testimonials that Appear throughout the Book of Daniel

Daniel

First, there is Daniel’s prayer of thanksgiving for granting him the revelation and interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream:

of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream:

Daniel said,()

Daniel said, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, because wisdom and might belong to him.

21He changes the [astrological] times and the seasons; he deposes kings and establishes

kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to men of understanding; 22he

Daniel 2:20–23 KJV 1900

20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: For wisdom and might are his: 21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, And knowledge to them that know understanding: 22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, And the light dwelleth with him. 23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, Who hast given me wisdom and might, And hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: For thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.

reveals the deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with

him. 23I thank you and praise you, O God of my fathers, you have given me wisdom and

might. Indeed, you have now made known to me what we requested of you; you have made known to us

the king’s dream and its interpretation.” ()

Second, there is Daniel’s testimonial before Nebuchadnezzar on the occasion of revealing to the king his dream and its meaning:

king his dream and its meaning:

()

able to explain to the king the mystery the king has demanded [be made known to him]; 28but there

is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what

Daniel 2:27–28 KJV 1900

27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; 28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;

will happen in the days to come. This is your dream and the visions that passed through your mind

as you lay upon your bed.” ()

Third, there is Nebuchadnezzar’s first testimonial upon receiving the interpretation of his dream:

interpretation of his dream:

interpretation of his dream:

()

and he ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47The king said to Daniel, “Surely

Daniel 2:46–47 KJV 1900

46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. 47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.

your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you

were enabled to reveal this mystery.” ()

Fourth, there is Nebuchadnezzar’s second testimonial upon witnessing the LORD’s deliverance of the three Hebrews from the fiery furnace:

deliverance of the three Hebrews from the fiery furnace:

()

has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him! They have defied

the king’s command and have yielded their bodies, so that they might not serve or

worship any god except their own God. 29Therefore, I make a decree that any people,

Daniel 3:28–29 KJV 1900

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

nation, or [men of any] language who say anything offensive against the God of Shadrach,

Meshach, and Abed­ Nego shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be reduced to a

pile of rubbish; because there is no other god who can save like this!” ()

Fifth, there is Nebuchadnezzar’s third testimonial introducing his account of how he was humbled before the Lord of heaven:

before the Lord of heaven:

()

live in the whole world: May you have an abundance of peace. 2It has seemed good to me to

declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. 3How great are his

Daniel 4:1–3 KJV 1900

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 2 I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. 3 How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.

signs and how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is

from generation to generation. ()

Sixth, there is Nebuchadnezzar’s fourth testimonial following his restoration to the throne of Babylon:

Babylon:

( )

restored to me. Then I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives

forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom continues from generation to

generation. 35All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the

army of heaven

Daniel 4:34–37 KJV 1900

34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: 35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? 36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellers and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. 37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can push away his hand, or demand of

him, What are you doing? 36At the same time that my sanity was restored to me, my

majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisors and my nobles

sought me out, and I was restored to my throne, and I became even greater than before. 37Now I,

Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and honor the King of heaven, because everything he does is right

and all his ways are just, and he is able to humble those who walk in pride. (Dan.

4:34‐37)

Seventh, there is Darius’ testimonial upon witnessing the LORD’s deliverance of Daniel from the lions’ den:

lions’ den:

()

every] language who dwell in the whole world: May you have an abundance of peace. 26I

issue a decree [commanding] that in every part of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble

before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God and he endures forever. His

Daniel 6:25–27 KJV 1900

25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. 27 He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

kingdom is one that shall not be destroyed and his dominion shall continue to the end [of

time.] ()

Note how these pagan monarchs proclaim the sovereign lordship of the God of Israel and cause that proclamation to be published throughout the world.

proclamation to be published throughout the world.

Conclusion

In the fourth (4:17), the fifth (5:21), and the sixth (6:26) chapters of the Book of Daniel we find the re‐occurring declaration:

Daniel we find the re‐occurring declaration: “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men.”

Christian, take God at His Word and always remember that Our God Reigns. Entrust yourself and

your cause into His hands and wait upon Him, remembering the testimony of the prophet

Isaiah: “From ancient times no one has known about— no ear has heard of, no eye has seen—any God

besides you, [a God] who acts on behalf of those who wait for him” (.) Join with Isaiah in

“the Most High rules in the kingdom of men.”

praying that He would rend the heavens and do a mighty work of grace in our day: “Oh, [Jehovah, I

pray] that you would tear open the heavens; that you would come down, that the mountains might

Christian, take God at His Word and always remember that Our God Reigns. Entrust yourself and your cause into His hands and wait upon Him, remembering the testimony of the prophet Isaiah:

quake at your presence” (.) Above all, pray for the fulfillment of the great

“From ancient times no one has known about— no ear has heard of, no eye has seen—any God besides you, [a God] who acts on behalf of those who wait for him” (.)

petition our Lord Jesus instructs us to make of God His Father: “Your kingdom come.

Isaiah 64:4 KJV 1900

4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, Neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, What he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

Join with Isaiah in praying that He would rend the heavens and do a mighty work of grace in our day: “Oh, [Jehovah, I pray] that you would tear open the heavens; that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence” (.)

Isaiah 64:1 KJV 1900

1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, That the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

Above all, pray for the fulfillment of the great petition our Lord Jesus instructs us to make of God His Father: “Your kingdom come.

Your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth” (.)

Matthew 6:10 KJV 1900

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth” (.)

The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.Lord gave

- ; ; ; ; ; ; ; , ;

Along with some of -

:24Along with some of -

; ; ,

; ; ,

Shinar -

; ; ; -- Synonyms = Babel, Babylon, Shinar, Chaldean/Chaldea

,20Shinar - ;

; ; -- Synonyms = Babel, Babylon, Shinar, Chaldean/Chaldea

He brought the vessels -

,; , ; ; , ; ; ; )

; , ; ; , ; ; ; )

THE ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

Lord (Adonai) (Septuagint = kurios [word study])

is the name for God indicating that He is the supreme Master. The use of this name in this verse indicates that He is in complete control of removing kings (and kingdoms) and establishing kings (and kingdoms) ( -note). The fact that the Lord is in control is emphasized throughout the book of Daniel (eg, see , ; ).

But God is a God of great compassion and in the midst of His righteous wrath (the defeat and exile of Judah), remembering mercy (cp -note), "granting favor and compassion" ( ) as well as "knowledge and intelligence" ( ) to His chosen servants.

Related Resources:Adonai - My Lord, My MasterStudy of Sovereignty - note verb reign! God reigns!

(Note by Charles Bridges)The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.

We see the Sovereign Hand of God in the disciplinary action on Judah in a parallel passage...He (Jehovah) brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans (Nebuchadnezzar) who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm;

He gave them all into his hand. ( , , , , )

Gleason Archer...the theme of God's absolute sovereignty is here implied. It continues to dominate the entire Book of Daniel, along with the accompanying theme of God's unwavering purpose to bring his people back to repentance through disciplinary suffering, so equipping them spiritually for restoration to the Land of Promise.

The divine motive behind all this dreadful humiliation, suffering, and loss was redemptive and altogether in harmony with God's promises given to the generation of Moses ( ; ; cf. also ).

(Ibid)Nebuchadnezzar thought he conquered Judah with his military campaign and siege ( ), but Daniel records that the victory was given by the Lord, a truth all believers must continually keep in mind as they fight the good fight of faith. As David wrote...Some boast in chariots, and some in horses (King Nebuchadnezzar trusted in his power), but we will boast in the name of the LORD ( ), our God (by faith we lay hold of His supernatural power).

( -note, cp , , , , -note, , , , , ,

King Jehoshaphat = , , , ,

, David against Goliath = , , ,

Hezekiah = , )

Judah refused to heed the warnings of her prophets or the fate of her idolatrous sister Israel and continued to practice idolatry. Finally, God gave Judah into the hands of the land of idolatry!

If you continually pursue idols, beware, for God may just give you what you want!

, is not only a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy to Hezekiah (alluded to above [see note] - , , ) but is also a fulfillment of a prophecy recorded by Moses ( , , , ).

WHY WAS JUDAH TAKEN INTO EXILE?

Through Jeremiah, Jehovah summarized Judah's sin declaring that...My people have committed two evils:

(#1) (the sin of "omission") They have forsaken Me , the fountain of living waters,

(#2) (the sin of "commission") to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. ( )

Comment:

In ancient Israel there were two major sources of water, running streams of fresh, clear and cool water and large pits called cisterns.

The landowners would dig cisterns to collect rainwater adding a coat of lime plaster in an attempt to insure the cistern would hold water.

However frequently cracks would develop and the water would leak out, not to mention that this water was brackish. How sad that in a similar foolish way Israel abandoned Jehovah, the "fountain of living waters" ( ; ; ; , , ) to make for themselves powerless "gods" (cp where Hebrew word for "idols" = literally "something worthless", cp ; ; -note)!

A W Tozer was correct when he said that...Nothing twists and deforms the soul more than a low or unworthy conception of God.The sins of Judah which eventually resulted in the final destruction of Jerusalem in 586BC were...

(1) Idol Worship in place of Worship of the One True Living God - cp , , where "Jeshurun" is another name for Israel.

(2) Failure to observe the Sabbaths for the Land for 490 years. -

Every seventh year the Jews were to keep the Sabbath year and allow the land to rest (cf ).

Judah was reaping the harvest of conforming to the mold of the pagan world, rather than obeying God's clear instructions!

COUNTDOWN TO CAPTIVITY

Tony Garland summarizes the countdown as follows..

.#5 - Josiah (note) - Josiah begin his reign while a boy of only eight ( ) and reigned for 31 years. His reign was patterned after the godly king Hezekiah.

He initiated repairs to the temple whereupon the high priest Hilkiah rediscovered the Book of the Law which had been neglected for many years (

- Ed note: Where was the Book of the Law was lost? In the very place it should have had preeminence. Beloved, is this not what we see in pulpits across America where there is a veritable dearth of delivered doctrine that is fully "sound" = Greek in -note). Upon reading the Law, it became apparent just how far Israel had neglected her duties causing Josiah to repent of the ungodliness of the nation. But it was “too little too late”—

God confirmed through the prophetess Huldah that judgment would not be averted ( , ).

(This could also be known from the prophecy previously given to Hezekiah that Babylon would eventually cart off Israel’s treasures and some from among her people: , , , , , , ) Nevertheless Josiah continued following closely in the footsteps of his great-grandfather Hezekiah by instituting religious reforms.

Observe

(1) All of the last 4 kings after Josiah were evil.

(2) Three of those kings were sons of Josiah, the godly king.

One cannot help but wonder why they were not positively impacted by the "revival" that occurred during their father Josiah's reign!

Another young man named Daniel seems to have been at least in part the fruit from that last great revival in Josiah's day.

Daniel would have been very young, but his parents would certainly have experienced the revival associated with finding the Book of the Law.

However, where Scripture is silent we must tread lightly and not speculate too far a field! It's just good "food for thought"

.#4 - Jehoahaz (note) (Shallum-note) - After the death of king Josiah, his son Jehoahaz reigned.

He proved to be an ungodly king who reigned for only three months before being deposed by Pharaoh Necho and taken to Egypt where he eventually died ( , , , ; , , , ; ).

605BC 1st Deportation from Judah (, , , ; , ,

)#3 - Jehoiakim (note) (Eliakim-note) - After deposing of his father Jehoahaz, Eliakim was appointed as a vassal king by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt and renamed Jehoiakim.

Like his father before him, he was an evil king ( ). He reigned 11 years.

It was during his reign that Daniel was taken captive to Babylon. In his 4th year (Jewish mode of dating, the 3rd year from the Babylonian mode of dating a regal reign),

the Battle of Carchemish (Carchemish -

Wikipedia) also took place at which time Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho of Egypt which marked the beginning of Babylon’s ascendancy over Egypt in the region of Palestine ( ; ; ;

= the 4th year of Jehoiakim = the Jewish mode of dating the regal reign.

= the 4th year of Jehoiakim = the Jewish mode of dating the regal reign. Contrast the phrase in - the 3rd year of Jehoiakim = the Babylonian mode of dating the regal reign). The other notable result of the battle of Carchemish was the final defeat of Assyria which made Babylon the leading world empire at that time. Thereafter, Jehoiakim was made vassal king of Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar until late 601bc when Nebuchadnezzar suffered defeat while advancing on Egypt whereupon Jehoiakim switched allegiance to Egypt ( ). This proved to be a fatal mistake when in 598bc Babylon attacked Jerusalem and Jehoiakim was killed.As an aside John Whitcomb notes that...It was once a commonplace of negative criticism to deny that Nebuchadnezzar could have besieged Jerusalem in 605 B.C. In 1956, however, a cuneiform tablet was published that revealed that Nebuchadnezzar "conquered the whole area of the Hatti-country after the Battle of Carchemish in May-June 605. The term Hatti-country covers all of Syria, Phoenicia, and Palestine.' (Whitcomb, J. Daniel-Everyman's Bible Commentary)597BC 2nd Deportation from Judah Ezekiel and 10,000 ( , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , )#2 - Jehoiachin (note - includes some nice art work) (Jeconiah-note, Coniah-note) - Upon the death of his father Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin (also known as Jeconiah or Coniah) reigned for a period of three months before he surrendered to Babylon. After surrendering to Babylon, he was deported and his uncle, Mattaniah was installed as vassal king and renamed Zedekiah ( , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ). Treasures were carried out from the king’s house and the temple ( ) in fulfillment of the Word of the Lord given to Hezekiah by Isaiah ( , 17 , 18 , 19 ). Ten thousand captives were taken to Babylon ( ), including Ezekiel ( ) and Mordecai’s great-grandfather Kish ( , 6 ). Jehoiachin was imprisoned in Babylon until the reign of Evil Merodach (who reigned after the death of Nebuchadnezzar). He remained in Babylon and was provided for by the king ( ).586BC 3rd Deportation from Judah Razing of Jerusalem and the Temple ( , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 )#1 - Zedekiah (note) (Mattaniah-note) - The final king to reign over Judah was Zedekiah, who reigned for 11 years as a vassal king subject to Babylon. Like all the kings following Josiah’s reign, he was evil. When a new Egyptian Pharaoh (Hophra) came to the throne in 588 B.C., Zedekiah took the occasion to rebel against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar responded by the siege which led to the final downfall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the city and temple, and the deportation of the majority who were left. In fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecies that Zedekiah would be taken to Babylon but never see it, his sons were killed before him, his eyes were put out, and he was taken to Babylon where he died ( , 7 ; 52:9 , 10 , 11 ; , 7 cf. ; 17:16 ). After capturing Jerusalem, the Babylonians burned the leader‘s houses and the temple and broke down the city walls. (Daniel - Introduction Part 7 - with slight modification)Land of Shinar - In southern Mesopotamia ( ), site of the Tower of Babel ( ) and continued in Scripture to have "the nuance of a place hostile to faith...the place to which wickedness is banished" ( ).Babylon = Babel = Shinar = ChaldeaBrought the vessels into the house of his god - Symbolic gesture demonstrating Babylon's pantheon of gods was great than Judah's God.His god - Some translate gods plural which would certainly be appropriate as by some accounts there were more than 100 Babylonian gods (polytheism = literally "many gods"). The chief Babylonian god was Marduk (or Bel , related to Baal = lord, master) along with Nebo (incorporated in Nebuchadnezzar's name). It is little surprise that God inspired Daniel to specifically use His Name Adonai or Master. Not only had Isaiah predicted the sacking of Jerusalem (predicted about 702BC), but he also prophesied the fall of Bel ( ) at the hands of Cyrus the Persian in 539BC, in a sense then describing the beginning and the end of the Babylonian empire (although the final end will not occur until ).As a typical polytheist and clever diplomat, Nebuchadnezzar took no chances with Israel's God, Jehovah, and carefully en­shrined His sacred vessels in Marduk's temple in Babylon. Contrast the treatment accorded these vessels sixty-six years later by Belshazzar ( ). After the fall of Babylon, King Cyrus ( ) and King Darius ( ) encouraged the Jews to carry these vessels back to their Temple in Jerusalem.Whitcomb observes that "Nebuchadnezzar shrewdly took enough of the sacred vessels to demonstrate the superiority of his god over the God of the Jews but left enough in the Temple so the Jews would be able to carry on their ceremonies unhindered and thus be less likely to rebel against their new overlord. In 586 B.C., however, totally exasperated by the disloyalty of the Jewish kings and rulers, Nebuchadnezzar ordered all the sacred vessels to be destroyed or carried off to Babylon ( ). (Whitcomb, J. Daniel Everyman's Bible Commentary). ><>><>><>TODAY IN THE WORD ; - During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land. - :1New Year's Eve, 1999, saw the Y2K worriers stocking up on bottled water and canned goods; the turn-of-the-millennium enthusiasts planning extravagant celebrations to usher in the year 2000; and the history purists insisting there was no reason to get excited. These mathematically precise folks argued that the third millennium wouldn't begin until the two-thousandth year had ended and 2001 had begun. In other words, the year 2000 could be the turn of the millennium only if there had been a year zero.A look at the accounts in and presents a similar conundrum. Did Nebuchadnezzar lay siege to Jerusalem in the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign ( ) or the third ( )? Some scholars believe that the Babylonians didn't begin numbering a king's reign until the year after he took the throne. The ascension year would essentially be that king's “year zero,” while Hebrew writers would have referred to it as year number one. Other reasonable explanations exist, but it does make sense that Daniel was trained to use a Babylonian numbering style.Daniel didn't blindly accept everything about the Babylonian culture, most notably their pagan religion. He was caught in a peculiar situation, as the prophecy of Jeremiah describes. After the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians, Daniel's native nation of Judah had been unwilling to listen to the Word of the Lord—and judgment for their sins was sure. Daniel was taken to Babylon after the first of three major attacks on Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar's forces. He had been forcibly taken to live in exile.For Daniel, the hope of returning to his homeland wasn't good. Jeremiah foretold that the Babylonian exile would last for seventy years ( ). God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to take the people of Israel, the articles of the temple ( ), and something even more surprising: the role of God's servant ( ).TODAY ALONG THE WAY - The authenticity of Daniel is disputed by people who refuse to accept the possibility of the supernatural elements of the book: miraculous rescue, inspired wisdom, and predictive prophecy. Although we may say with our mouths that we accept those truths, believers are sometimes reluctant to open our hearts to God's supernatural intervention. As you study this month, make room for the possibility that God will use you each day as He did Daniel, miraculously and boldly in a land of doubt.

Contrast the phrase in

- the 3rd year of Jehoiakim = the Babylonian mode of dating the regal reign).

The other notable result of the battle of Carchemish was the final defeat of Assyria which made Babylon the leading world empire at that time.

Thereafter, Jehoiakim was made vassal king of Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar until late 601bc when Nebuchadnezzar suffered defeat while advancing on Egypt whereupon Jehoiakim switched allegiance to Egypt ( ).

This proved to be a fatal mistake when in 598bc Babylon attacked Jerusalem and Jehoiakim was killed.

As an aside John Whitcomb notes that...It was once a commonplace of negative criticism to deny that Nebuchadnezzar could have besieged Jerusalem in 605 B.C.

In 1956, however, a cuneiform tablet was published that revealed that Nebuchadnezzar "conquered the whole area of the Hatti-country after the Battle of Carchemish in May-June 605.

The term Hatti-country covers all of Syria, Phoenicia, and Palestine.' (Whitcomb, J. Daniel-Everyman's Bible Commentary)

597BC 2nd Deportation from Judah Ezekiel and 10,000 ( , , , , , , , , , , )

#2 - Jehoiachin (note - includes some nice art work) (Jeconiah-note, Coniah-note) -

Upon the death of his father Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin (also known as Jeconiah or Coniah) reigned for a period of three months before he surrendered to Babylon.

After surrendering to Babylon, he was deported and his uncle, Mattaniah was installed as vassal king and renamed Zedekiah ( , , , , ).

Treasures were carried out from the king’s house and the temple ( ) in fulfillment of the Word of the Lord given to Hezekiah by Isaiah ( , , , ).

Ten thousand captives were taken to Babylon ( ), including Ezekiel ( ) and Mordecai’s great-grandfather Kish ( , ). Jehoiachin was imprisoned in Babylon until the reign of Evil Merodach (who reigned after the death of Nebuchadnezzar). He remained in Babylon and was provided for by the king ( )

.586BC 3rd Deportation from Judah Razing of Jerusalem and the Temple ( , , , , , , , , , , , )

#1 - Zedekiah (note) (Mattaniah-note) -

The final king to reign over Judah was Zedekiah, who reigned for 11 years as a vassal king subject to Babylon. Like all the kings following Josiah’s reign, he was evil.

When a new Egyptian Pharaoh (Hophra) came to the throne in 588 B.C., Zedekiah took the occasion to rebel against Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar responded by the siege which led to the final downfall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the city and temple, and the deportation of the majority who were left.

In fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecies that Zedekiah would be taken to Babylon but never see it, his sons were killed before him, his eyes were put out, and he was taken to Babylon where he died ( , ; , , ; , cf. ; ).

After capturing Jerusalem, the Babylonians burned the leader‘s houses and the temple and broke down the city walls.

(Daniel - Introduction Part 7 - with slight modification)

Land of Shinar - In southern Mesopotamia ( ), site of the Tower of Babel ( ) and continued in Scripture to have "the nuance of a place hostile to faith...the place to which wickedness is banished" ( ).

Babylon = Babel = Shinar = Chaldea Brought the vessels into the house of his god -

Symbolic gesture demonstrating Babylon's pantheon of gods was great than Judah's God.

His god - Some translate gods plural which would certainly be appropriate as by some accounts there were more than 100 Babylonian gods (polytheism = literally "many gods").

The chief Babylonian god was Marduk (or Bel , related to Baal = lord, master) along with Nebo (incorporated in Nebuchadnezzar's name).

It is little surprise that God inspired Daniel to specifically use His Name Adonai or Master. Not only had Isaiah predicted the sacking of Jerusalem (predicted about 702BC), but he also prophesied the fall of Bel ( ) at the hands of Cyrus the Persian in 539BC, in a sense then describing the beginning and the end of the Babylonian empire (although the final end will not occur until ).

As a typical polytheist and clever diplomat, Nebuchadnezzar took no chances with Israel's God, Jehovah, and carefully en­shrined His sacred vessels in Marduk's temple in Babylon.

Contrast the treatment accorded these vessels sixty-six years later by Belshazzar ( ). After the fall of Babylon, King Cyrus ( ) and King Darius ( ) encouraged the Jews to carry these vessels back to their Temple in Jerusalem.

Whitcomb observes that "Nebuchadnezzar shrewdly took enough of the sacred vessels to demonstrate the superiority of his god over the God of the Jews but left enough in the Temple so the Jews would be able to carry on their ceremonies unhindered and thus be less likely to rebel against their new overlord. In 586 B.C., however, totally exasperated by the disloyalty of the Jewish kings and rulers, Nebuchadnezzar ordered all the sacred vessels to be destroyed or carried off to Babylon ( ). (Whitcomb, J. Daniel Everyman's Bible Commentary). ><>><>><>

TODAY IN THE WORD ; - During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land. - :1New Year's Eve, 1999, saw the Y2K worriers stocking up on bottled water and canned goods; the turn-of-the-millennium enthusiasts planning extravagant celebrations to usher in the year 2000; and the history purists insisting there was no reason to get excited. These mathematically precise folks argued that the third millennium wouldn't begin until the two-thousandth year had ended and 2001 had begun. In other words, the year 2000 could be the turn of the millennium only if there had been a year zero.A look at the accounts in and presents a similar conundrum. Did Nebuchadnezzar lay siege to Jerusalem in the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign ( ) or the third ( )? Some scholars believe that the Babylonians didn't begin numbering a king's reign until the year after he took the throne. The ascension year would essentially be that king's “year zero,” while Hebrew writers would have referred to it as year number one. Other reasonable explanations exist, but it does make sense that Daniel was trained to use a Babylonian numbering style.Daniel didn't blindly accept everything about the Babylonian culture, most notably their pagan religion. He was caught in a peculiar situation, as the prophecy of Jeremiah describes. After the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians, Daniel's native nation of Judah had been unwilling to listen to the Word of the Lord—and judgment for their sins was sure. Daniel was taken to Babylon after the first of three major attacks on Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar's forces. He had been forcibly taken to live in exile.For Daniel, the hope of returning to his homeland wasn't good. Jeremiah foretold that the Babylonian exile would last for seventy years ( ). God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to take the people of Israel, the articles of the temple ( ), and something even more surprising: the role of God's servant ( ).TODAY ALONG THE WAY - The authenticity of Daniel is disputed by people who refuse to accept the possibility of the supernatural elements of the book: miraculous rescue, inspired wisdom, and predictive prophecy. Although we may say with our mouths that we accept those truths, believers are sometimes reluctant to open our hearts to God's supernatural intervention. As you study this month, make room for the possibility that God will use you each day as He did Daniel, miraculously and boldly in a land of doubt.