According to the Book of Daniel, it was written by Daniel himself in the 6^th century BC. In chapter 8 verse 1 we find, “In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me…” In chapter 9 verses 1 – 2 we read, “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, in the first year of his reign, I Daniel…”

So the Book establishes itself as being authored by Daniel. Now, that is not without controversy but the arguments against Daniel’s authorship, I find less than compelling. Folks argue that the book is too accurate and so it must have been written at a later date by someone other than Daniel…um, ok. True it’s very accurate; in fact one scholar notes that this Book has more specifically fulfilled prophecies than any other book in the Old Testament! Which is also interesting as “Daniel” literally means, “God is judge.”

Some folks argue that the dates are wrong such as when Jehoiakim was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar however a thorough study of Jewish history will overrule that objection. And really, I’m encouraged by the Author of all truth Himself as Jesus makes a statement recorded for us in Matt 24:15 and Mark 13:14 where he mentions the writings of Daniel (specifically the abomination of desolation) and states very clearly that Daniel himself is the author of that prophecy.

You’ll also find throughout the New Testament, the Book of Daniel referenced some 220 times!

So without overdeveloping the controversial concourse of the creator of this wondrous Book, suffice it to say that Daniel himself is the author and it was written sometime within his life which he lived out in the 6^th Century BC.

Now to set you up with a little chronological context, the 6^th century BC is about 1,500 years after Noah’s death, about 1,100 years after Abraham’s death and about 800 years after the death of Moses (and Chin was in 2^nd grade – just a little joke).

During this time the Acropolis was being built. Aesop was writing his comic books (or his fables) and some other fables were also being written. Confucius and Buddha were on the scene…

Confucius say, “man who run in front of car get tired!” “Man who run behind car get exhausted!” J

Confucius says that man is god, Buddha says that the universe is god, Daniel says that Elohim is God and with his life he says, I’ll show you. He’s probably a teenager as he pens Chapter 1 and so I can’t help but feel his energy as he writes with absolute precision what will take place between 175 and 164 BC…all the way from the 6^th century BC!!

Daniel Chapter 1 Verse 1

• Chapter 1 verse 1. A fulfillment of prophecy already and we’ll get into that in a minute. But what’s also interesting, something that has stirred controversy regarding the validity of this Book, you find this account also in Jeremiah Chapter 46 verse 2 however Jeremiah says that Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakim in the fourth year of his reign. Inconsistency? Proof of plagiarism? Not so much.
• They’re both right! How? Jeremiah uses the Jewish method of dating a king’s rule while Daniel uses the Babylonian method which counts the first year as “the year of ascension.” So within the fourth year as recorded by Jeremiah is right as literally it was the fourth year of Johoiakim’s reign but stated in Babylonian terms, which is where Daniel spent most of his life, “the third year” is culturally correct.
• So Babylon under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar, comes down and besieges Israel carrying away the king…but why? Look at the next verse…

Daniel Chapter 1 Verses 2 - 3

• So what was old Nebbie after? What are these articles? And how on earth does Nebbie know about them? Isaiah 39 tells us. About a hundred years before this, King Hezekiah made a grave mistake. The king of Babylon sent letters and presents to Hezekiah. “Hey, I heard you were sick, nearly dead…and your God healed you…congratulations…” And Hezekiah brought the messengers of Babylon to the temple man…and showed them the treasures of the Lord….the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment and all of the armory!
• What are you thinking man! These are your enemies. Give them something to eat, give them something to wear, clothe them but man walk in wisdom! We do the same thing, don’t we? We are called to love our enemies and to serve them…as gentle as doves man…but guard that which is precious!
• We so often “buddy up” with the world and our ministry becomes less about sharing the truth and more about sharing our lives and our trust, our affection, our hope becomes buried in a person or a group or an office of folks and they don’t even know the Lord! And so often, what happens, our treasures are taken!
• Isaiah says to Hezekiah in Isaiah 39, “Hear the word of the Lord, all this stuff will be taken to Babylon, nothing shall be left and they’ll take your sons and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” Many marriages have ended because she had a friend…not a romantic one but one that would listen, one that would understand. Many marriages suffer because he has a friend, most often of the opposite sex, that appreciates him, compliments him and tells him that she sees all that he does…I know this may sound odd but you must flee from him, wife…that friend of yours that is close as a brother…it’s not so…it doesn’t work that way…all of that sharing and laughing and understanding and comforting, that is not for him, it’s for your husband!
• I know it sounds terrible but you must flee from her, husband. I know that so often wives forget how studly their husbands are after 5 or 10 years, they forget how men need to hear that they are good and they are wanted, but listen man your sons, they will become servants in the courts of the world man…guard your treasures!
• You know what Hezekiah said to Isaiah after receiving that news? “Oh well, at least there will be peace and truth in my days.” What? The treasures of God will be plundered? Your sons will become impotent weaklings bowing to the king of crud? What horrific tragedy man! What stupidity and lack of wisdom! And so as for me and my house, ALL my affection will be saved for April. All of my attention will be for her. All of my sharing of my day, sharing of my heart, sharing of my life…her ONLY!
• And that is a clear type, a solid line to my walk with Jesus man. All my trust, all my hope, all my faith and all my obedience, reserved for Jesus alone man…the treasures of my heart man…lest I find myself and my family and my house and my everything…taken by the world…
• Precisely what happens here in these two verses. A precision fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy!

Daniel Chapter 1 Verses 4 – 5

• Notice, Nebuchadnezzar didn’t take them all, just the best. He didn’t take all of the treasures, just from the house of God. This king of Babylon, shrewd and tactful…cruel and calculated, I wonder if you consider that the enemy you and I face today, is no less strategic?
• Remember, he exalted himself above the Most High God. God proclaims several times throughout His Word, His very nature as God Almighty shouts that second best is not good enough. God desires the best of us, our firstfruits, and He’s not into sharing…because he knows that if you are divided, you’ll end up devastated…and man He loves you too much. Well the enemy man, Satan, guess what he wants? Same thing…just for different reasons.
• God gives life. He gives stability. He gives power. He gives hope. He gives love. He gives pleasure man, sweetness and kindness. He restores and rescues. When He is worshipped…when you place your faith in Him. The enemy takes life…he has come only to steal, kill and destroy. Don’t miss that last word, man. God gives power to the humble, Satan takes power from the proud. God gives hope, Satan strips hope away. God gives love, softness, quietness of heart…Satan breeds aggression and “me mentality.” The desire for quietness of heart and softness is not found. God restores and rescues, Satan rapes and traps…locks you down into addiction man and teaches you to hate…and the horrific part, you don’t even have to go after him…he’ll come for you man…
• Just like Nebster here…he has been allowed into places he should not have been and now the decay arrives…and Neb-nezzar is tactful man. He goes right for the gullet. He steals the future!
• He feeds them his food, and not only that, his delicacies. He teaches them his ways. His language and his literature. So that at the end of this process, they would…be different.
• I remember my third year of college. One night specifically. Haunts me really. I don’t know why I remember it so well. I had been up for about 20 hours. A day given to drugs…all kinds of drugs and at the end of night I began to black out. I was standing in the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror. I hadn’t eaten anything but the delicacies of the king of hell for the last 20 hours…only pills and mushrooms and whatever else I could put into my body to get me higher. I hadn’t drank anything for the last 20 hours except for Absynth laced alcohol…and I did not recognize the skeleton staring back at me.
• My eyes were dark. My skin was pale. My teeth were clenched and cheeks were sucked into my mouth like a skeleton’s and I remember…hating what I saw. What has come of me? So very strong. So very confident as a young man. No blemishes like this. But good-looking, gifted, smart, quick…filled with abilities. But who I had become, after my satanic indoctrination into the world…partying, drinking, drugging, living for the day…I didn’t just look like death, man I wreaked of it. It dwelt in my eyes man…and then, lights out.
• I fell flat. I remember this like yesterday. I popped right back up. What happened? Then bam! Lights out again! I found myself on the floor…I ran out of the bathroom and into the living room filled with people and slid in like a Red Sox player gunning to steal second. What a fool. Everyone laughed and sneered. All I said, “I think I’m dying.” What happened? No one placed their hand on me. No one. You’d think that would wake me up. It only fed my hate…oh how this world will lead you further and further into serving its temporary ruler…
• Just as after three years of this indoctrination of, this young, full of life and power, this future of Israel…would be ready to serve before the king of Babylon…
• Could the plan have been three and a half years? Daniel tells us three but interesting thought. Three and a half years of peace and then what? The king of the earth demands service….much like what we saw in our verse by verse study through Revelation…we’ll see much more of that as we continue our study next week…
• But before we break, have you allowed the world into areas of your heart that you shouldn’t have? Time to kick it out man…before your heart is besieged and your future carried away.