* Historical Background
* Daniel Interpreted the King's Dream (Daniel Chapter 2)
* Nebuchadnezzar Made an Image of Gold (Daniel Chapter 3)
* Destruction of Babylon
* Daniel Was Thrown into a Lions' Den (Daniel Chapter 6)
☆ Meaning of the Name, "Daniel"
The name "Daniel" means that God is my Judge
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Daniel was taken prisoner by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and his name was changed into Belteshazzar. He was a prophet of God and the writer of Daniel, a book of the Old Testament.
☆ Historical Background
Since the people of Judah left God's law and the priests and the whole people were corrupted, God made King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquer them. Judah promised him to bring tribute to him and sent young men from the royal family and the nobility as prisoners. Among them were Daniel and his three friends (The 1st Captivity).
Afterwards, Judah allied with Egypt and refused to bring tribute to Babylon, then in B.C. 597 many Jews were taken captive by Babylon (The 2nd Captivity). And in the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar, in B.C. 587, Judah was completely destroyed by Babylon. The Jerusalem temple was destroyed and many people were killed and wounded. Everyone was taken prisoner except the poorest people (3rd Captivity).
☆ Daniel Interpreted the King's Dream (Daniel Chapter 2)
Daniel and his friends faced a great danger. King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a dream but forgot it. He wanted to know his dream and its interpretation from sorcerers and astrologers.
However the astrologers couldn't know what he had dreamed of and he bursted with anger and commanded to kill everyone of them. He hadn't asked Daniel and his friends if they could interpret his dream, but he wanted to kill all men who believed in a god.
Daniel went before the king and asked to give him more time not because he was afraid of death, but because it was an insult to God that they who believed in God were going to be executed with those who believed in false gods.
Finally Daniel and his friends received an answer for their prayer from God and interpreted the statue which the king saw in his dream. Nebuchadnezzar was very surprised at their interpretation and fell prostrate before Daniel. He paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. He praised Daniel's God, appointed Daniel to an administrator of Babylon and his three friends to a satrap of each province [provincial governor].
The dream Daniel interpreted was about what would happen in days to come. The interpretation was as follows: After Babylon which was described as gold, a kingdom like silver would rise; and the third kingdom like bronze would rise after the second kingdom; and the fourth kingdom as strong as iron would rise after the third one; and the fourth kingdom would be divided; and then a rock cut out of a mountain would smash the statue and fill the whole earth, which means that an eternal kingdom would be established by Christ.
☆ Nebuchadnezzar Made an Image of Gold (Daniel Chapter 3)
After Daniel interpreted the dream, Nebuchadnezzar had mixed feelings. He was proud that his kingdom was described as gold, the most valuable metal, but he was so worried about the interpretation that his kingdom would be destroyed by a kingdom like silver.
'Isn't Babylon the kingdom I have established with all my heart and soul? I have gained this kingdom, passing lots of crisis of death! This kingdom is my territory that I will inherit to my offsprings!'
He made a large image of gold on the plain of Dura. Maybe he didn't want to wait until Babylon got weaker as Daniel's God had told him, and he wanted his empire to last forever, depending on his god,
He made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and gathered all the officials and made them fall down and worship the image of gold.
Daniel's three friends were also officials who administrated over the provinces so they attended the inauguration ceremony but did not fall down or worship the image of gold like the others.
It was because among the Ten Commandments the first commandment was not to worship other gods, and the second commandment was not to bow down to any idol. Somebody told about them to the king and the three were thrown into a blazing furnace. The blazing furnace was so hot, seven times hotter than usual, that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took them up.
However, when King Nebuchadnezzar saw inside of the fire, he saw four men who were not burnt in the blazing furnace. An angel sent from God was with them, protecting them from the fire.
Although King Nebuchadnezzar worshiped other gods, he saw the power of God and realized that his decision was wrong. He let them come out of the blazing furnace and gave glory and praise to God.
"Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God."
☆ Destruction of Babylon
Time passed and Babylon was ruled by King Belshazzar.
King Belshazzar was addicted to sensual pleasures and neglected his work of administrating his kingdom. He didn't fear God. He drank wine from the gold and silver goblets which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. He praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. Finally God's wrath came upon him and he died at that night, and Babylon was destroyed by Media-Persia.
☆ Daniel Was Thrown into a Lions' Den (Daniel Chapter 6)
Daniel was appointed as an administrator of Media by King Darius of Media, and other officials became jealous of them.
They were dissatisfied with that Daniel, a foreigner, ruled them. They looked for Daniel's faults but they couldn't. They had no choice but to blame him for his keeping the law of God.
They urged the king and said, "King, please enforce that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, shall be thrown into the lions' den." Saying as if they had wanted to show the authority of the king by making people worship the king only, they tempted the king to put a decree in writing and seal it with his signet ring.
At that time, the law of Media-Persia didn't allow anyone even including the king to change anything which the king put in writing and sealed it with his signet ring.
Daniel knew that the decree had been published. However, he couldn't stop worshiping God. He missed Jerusalem where God's temple was located so eagerly that he prayed with the windows open which faced Jerusalem. His enemies knew very well when and where Daniel prayed. They secretly watched him praying and reported it to the king.
☆ "Daniel violates your law and prays to his God three times a day."
The king knew that something was going wrong.
However he couldn't do anything because there was a document he had already put in writing. Those who made a charge against Daniel urged the king, and the king made an order to throw him into the lions' den. However the king loved Daniel so much that his heart was torn with sorrow. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den and called to Daniel.
"Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?"
As soon as the king said this, Daniel's voice came out from the lions' den.
"O king, my God sent his angel, and He shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in His sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king."
When Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him because he had trusted in God truly. The king commanded to throw the men who had falsely accused Daniel into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
♡ Christ Ahnsahnghong & Jerusalem Mother ♡
World Mission Society Church of God(WMS COG)
Christ Ahnsahnghong came to Korea, at the ends of the earth in the east, and restored the new covenant.
The truth of the new covenant has been spreading rapidly throughout the country. As a result, over 400 branch Churches have been established nationwide in the past half century.
All the Churches celebrate the feasts of God including the Passover of the new covenant, and speedily carry out the gospel work according to the prophecy of the Bible.
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