Monthly Archives: November 2019

Daniel 7 Article #25

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Aha Moment –

Chapter 7 is a major switch for several reasons therefore we will also switch from a verse-by-verse article discussion to an analysis of the recorded historical events that follow in the remaining chapters of Daniel.

  1. It is the last chapter in Daniel that was originally written in Aramaic (yup…not Greek or Hebrew)
  2. This is the beginning of Daniel having the visions instead of those in charge of Babylon where he is asked to interpret.
  3. We switch to a narration and prophecies designated to the world of believer but specifically to the Hebrew people; i.e. Israelis and Jerusalem.
  4. We are getting very close to the end of Judeans’ 70 year captivity in Babylon.

Introductory Note: Daniel describes four beasts coming up from the sea. What did Daniel’s vision represent, and what does it mean for us today? No, this is not a sequential chapter according to history playing out, but this is the order in which the Book of Daniel is recorded. How do we know this? Regent king Belshazzar (555B.C.?) was discussed and ended back in chapter 5. This dream or vision of Daniel came to him during the first year Belshazzar’s reign. Why isn’t it recorded back in chapter 5? Daniel 7:28 tells us that at this time Daniel “kept this matter (vision) to himself” (Daniel 7:28).

This vision of Daniel “while he lay in his bed (ESV) appears to parallel chapter 2 when King Nebuchadnezzar had his statue dream made of gold, silver, bronze, Iron legs and feet toes of Iron and clay mix. Daniel saw in chapter 7:3 “four great beasts that came out of the *sea.”

*SEA: This word has been translated differently by commentators. Two transliterations are thal’-as-sahandyawm. Without going into a deep theological discussion, the word sea can refer to a body of water OR a body of people; i.e a sea of people.

Dan 7:4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till its wings were plucked; and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon two feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

Dan 7:5 And behold, another beast, a second, like unto a bear, and it raised up itself on one side; and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and they said thus unto it: Arise, devour much flesh.

Dan 7:6 After this I saw, and behold, another, like a leopard, and it had four wings of a bird upon its back; and the beast had four heads; and dominion was given to it.

Dan 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and exceeding strong; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the rest with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

Dan 7:8 I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another, a little horn, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Take note that the 4th beast (7:7) is not given an identity, only a description.

The lion in verse 4 represents a description of an historical event which had already been prophesied in Daniel’s earlier life in Babylon. This verse (7:4) is a brief referring to King Nebuchadnezzar. He was a mighty and unchallenged KING OF BABYLON and his conquered lands. He lifted himself up above all his court and subjected peoples. Then his “wings were plucked off.” This explains when he was reduced by God to a common beast. As we studied in chapter 4, and in Nebuchadnezzar’s own Chaldean words, he became like a beast of the wild (insane). Time pasts before Nebuchadnezzar regains his sanity, stood up like a man, is restored to his throne and accepts the God of Daniel as the only true God.

Daniel 7:5 says, “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’” This event will parallel text from the next chapter of Daniel but not today. Some commentaries suggest the three ribs are conquered lands; the Lydian Empire of Asia Minor, the Chaldean Empire being Babylon itself, and Egypt (525 B.C.). This author respectfully disagrees. The bear (Persia) being turned on its side (7:5) had turned on its Mede ally after the Babylonian conquest thus uniting the two Empires into one kingdom.

Since Daniel mentions THREE RIBS in the mouth of the bear and before the bear is instructed to “rise up and devour much,” the three conquered territories or empires had already been conquered; three ribs in his mouth. At this time, Egypt had not been conquered by Persia and it didn’t happen until the rule of Darius I also known as Darius the Great.

To keep historical/biblical records straight, the Persians tried unsuccessfully to conquer Greece around 490 B.C.; i.e. parts of Macedonia. They failed. This was also an event that Alexander the Great, son of King Philip of Macedonia, was taught not only by his father but by his tutor Aristotle. Alexander had it in mind to “pay back” the aggression of the Persians; i.e. Darius I doing so in 331 B.C. Alexander is represented in Daniel’s vision as a Leopard; quick and agile. The four wings and heads of this Leopard represent the four empires that evolved out of Alexander’s empire; i.e. (1) Greece and Macedon, (2) Thrace and Asia Minor, (3) Middle East-Asia and (4) Egypt-Palestine.

From this we get the two dominant kingdoms back then and in prophecy representing the King of the North and the King of the South; Ptolemy’s of Egyptian fame and the Seleucids of Assyrian/Syrian fame. We would roughly identify Seleucus’ kingdom as modern day Iraq, Persia, and Afghanistan. The Ptolemy’s and Seleucids battled each other over and over. We have discussed this in other articles written for ahabiblemoments.com so will only touch upon it at this time due to space limitations.

JIV NOTE: For the aha wonderers and New Testament buffs, the capital of the Seleucid empire was the Antiochus of New Testament Apostle Paul fame.

The 4th beast of unknown name or identity is a two-fold prophecy. First it is the Romans. They swept through all of the territories of Alexander’s divided empire.

ANTICHRIST

Second, it represents a picture of the yet to come antichrist of End Time and the battles between him (Norther Kingdom Europe?) and the Southern Kingdom (Arabs and Muslims). A simple consideration is that the antichrist will demand he be worshipped and Muslims will not easily, if at all bow to a non-Muslim “king.” The antichrist is represented by the “little horn” that sprouts up amongst the ten original horns of the unidentified 4th beast.

THE ANCIENT OF DAYS (Daniel 7:9-14) https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gray

“While these events are culminating on the earth others are transpiring in heaven. A great judgment scene is before us (compare Psalms 2; Matthew 25:31-46, and Revelation 19:19-21). “The Ancient of Days” is identified by some as the first and by others as the second person of the Godhead (Revelation 1:12-14; John 5:22). The slaying of the “beast” (Daniel 7:11) means the destruction of the world-powers are represented in their final form of the revived Roman Empire”…but there is no peace on earth. I believe the northern nations and ¼ of the earth’s land mass dominated by the king of the south are still at battle with each other.

In verses 21-22 and 25, this little horn makes war against the saints, speaks pompous words against God, intends to change times and law, and persecutes the saints for a “time and times and half a time” (literally three and a half years, but using the day-for-a-year principle of Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6, 1,260 years); https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy

Article #24 – Daniel Series

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The deal is sealed! The appointed King of Babylon, King Darius, has followed his decree and the rules of the Medes and Persians. The pit or den of Lions was sealed with Daniel in it. It is a bit of encouragement to Darius, one might conclude, that Daniel is in with the lions, a stone is brought to seal it, and Daniel is still alive. This is in a huge contrast to what happened the next day with those that deceived Darius.

Daniel 6:17-18

17 And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep went from him.

There are few mental traumas worse than remorse, for there is nothing that can be done to change the circumstances – unless of course one knows the one true God who, being outside of time, entered into His creation at a specific point in history and paid once and for all for every wrong thing we have ever done, said or thought thus wiping the slate clean. Here is no need or gain to keep reminding one’s self of his or her transgression.

“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1John 2:2)

Daniel 6:19-20

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?

It is a curiosity of how long a pause Daniel may have left before answering?! How anxious Darius must have been waiting for the other shoe to drop or the climax of anxiety at the steepest part of the roller coaster.

Daniel 6:21-22

21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever.

22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

How incredible it must have been for Daniel to have spent a night in safety knowing that God had sent His angel and that the loins couldn’t harm him.

How incredible also for us to know that our adversary, who roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, cannot harm us because we too are protected by the angel of the Lord (Hebrews 1:14 and 13:5). Was it the same for the three in the furnace? Throughout the Old Testament the Angel of the Lord is no mere angel but the commander of the armies of the Lord – i.e. possibly Jesus Christ himself although he is not an angel, but part God.

Why would or might Jesus be identified as “the angel of the Lord” in the Old Testament? Simple! He had not yet taken on an earthly body to go to the cross in bodily form; half human and half God head. He was not yet the Christ Messiah. He had a role and it may be that of “the angel of the Lord God.”

Jesus said in Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Daniel 6:23

Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

There is someone else who was faultless yet betrayed, handed over to death, went down into a pit, a stone was rolled into place and sealed to stop someone from taking him out, yet He was taken ‘up out of the den and *no manner of hurt was found upon Him, because He believed in His God’ * Except for the nail prints in His hands & feet, which will serve as an eternal reminder of His love and sacrifice for you and I.

Daniel 6:24

And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at [to] the bottom of the den.

We should not be envious of the workers of iniquity for their day is coming. David wrote: “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb…… fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

This is exactly what happened to the wicked ones who plotted against Daniel; their ‘sword’ did indeed enter their own heart.

Regarding this verse, Robert Wilson says the following:

“The possibility of the destruction of the one hundred and twenty satraps and their families by lions is shown from the fact that the monuments of the kings of Assyria say that they had menageries containing “all the animals of the mountains and of the plains,” including elephants, panthers, and lions. Further, it is shown that lions at that time were the pest of the Euphrates Valley, hundreds of them being killed in a single hunting expedition, and that in one case mentioned by Ashurnasirapal, king of Assyria, fifty young lions were captured alive and shut up by him in the city of *Calach.” (Robert D Wilson – Studies In Daniel) Once again, the Bible is not a collection of quaint stories; it really is His-story. So why do we continue to say “the Bible stories?”

Historical JIV NOTE: Another name for Calach, sometimes spelled Kalhu is the ancient City of Nimrud (Nimrod), a son of Ham who was a son of Noah on the Ark.

Daniel 6:25-27

25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.

Male a Decree

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 forever, 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.

So just as with Nebuchadnezzar, Darius now acknowledges and gives glory to the God of Daniel, who is steadfast and whose kingdom is without end! This may have also been a JIT…just in time event. He did not reign in Babylon for very long. Recall that he was 62 years old when appointed king over the realm of Babylon by King Cyrus of Persia.

Daniel 6:28

So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

JIV NOTE: Darius was a Mede and Cyrus was Persian; i.e. Medo-Persians. The Persians of then are the Iranians of today. They are NOT Arabs. What changed their attitude about the Jews since it was their ancestors who set them free from 70 years of Babylonia captivity?

Just as Joseph had prospered because he trusted his God regardless of the circumstances, so Daniel did prosper. Both also paid a price for that commitment. Jesus said in Luke 16:11“If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” He also told us to be as wise as serpents but as harmless as doves (Matt 10:16). Paul tells us that Christians should work even harder for their employers than the world does because we should work as unto the Lord (see 1Tim 6:1; 2 Tim 4:9-10; Titus 2:7-10)

And so ends the first (historical) section of the book. Chapters 7-12 will see Daniel having breathtaking visions that foretell the future of the Medo-Persian, Greek, Roman and final world empire influence on the Jews and Israel proper. We will be introduced to the ‘little horn’ speaking great things, and we will see some of the most incredible prophecies in the Bible that help to unravel the days that we are living in right now and prove beyond doubt that Jesus Christ is the Messiah of Israel who is destined to return and rule on the throne of David and establish an everlasting kingdom.

Article #23 of Daniel Series

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They were not known for their religious and theological insights but Sonny and Cher, pop music artists, often sang a song…”And the Beat goes on.” In this article we see that the inner man and evil continue since the historical event of Cain and Able (Old Testament, Genesis 4)

Daniel 6:5

Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

What a testimony this is. It was clear to all, that Daniel was unwavering in his relationship with his God. If this may be the only chink in our life’s armor we need not worry! This also is a perfect example of the “full armor of God as found in the New Testament…Ephesians 6:10-18.

Daniel 6:6

Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live forever.

As an aside, Chuck Missler points out that the idea of kings and rulers being immortal continues to this day but has its root in Genesis 6 with the Nephilim! Note one person is missing in this assembly…DANIEL.

Daniel 6:7

*All the presidents of the kingdom, the *governors, and the princes, the counselors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

As we saw in chapter three with the Chaldeans trying to entrap Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, so we see here. Do you notice the lie in their speech?

*JIV NOTE: ‘All the presidents…’ – no it wasn’t! Do not be put off by people who try to unsettle you with ‘everyone knows….’ Or ‘all scholars agree…’ type statements. Usually, the bolder the statement the shakier the foundation. Governors are also identified as Satraps.

Their petition is calculated to appeal to the king’s ego; yet as is so often the case, behind the things that puff us up is a unwavering in his relationship with his God. One of deceit.

These men started with jealousy, moved onto hatred, then onto scheming, then onto lying and deceit. Sin will always take one further than s/he wants to go, keep one longer than s/he want to stay, and costs one more than s/he wants to pay.

Daniel 6:8

Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

As mentioned earlier in our study, whatever king Nebuchadnezzar said went, He was the Law! And hence was represented as the head of gold in chapter two. But now in the Medo-Persian kingdom, the king is now bound by the law. Although Medo-Persian was physically larger than Babylon, its power was not as great so was represented by silver and not gold. Check our motives. Paul warned Timothy in 1 Tim 3:1-6 “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless…….Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.”

Daniel 6:9

Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.

“The decree of Darius the Mede with regard to the den of lions was easy of execution, inasmuch as at that time lions were common in all that part[s] of the world. The Assyrian kings were wont to hunt lions as a pastime. Thus Tiglath–Pileser I says that he killed 920 lions in one hunting expedition; and Ashurnasirpal says that he killed at one time 120 lions and that at another time he captured 50 young lions and shut them up in Calah and in the palaces of his land in cages and let them produce their young. At another time he killed 370 strong lions. In his menagerie [zoo], he says, also, that he had herds of wild oxen, elephants, lions, birds, wild asses, gazelles, dogs, panthers, and all animals of the mountains and of the plains, to show to his people. Moreover, the Hebrew poets and prophets were familiar with lions; the people, also, made proverbs concerning them; and their heroes, such as Samson and David, are said to have slain them.” (Robert D Wilson – Studies In Daniel)

Daniel 6:10

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled [as was his custom for many years] upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

This is another significant verse. Jerusalem lay in ruins, Daniel had not seen it for almost 70 years, and yet he prays towards it in accordance to Solomon’s petition as recorded in 2 Chronicles 6:34-39: “If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name; Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause… and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.”

This is where Mohammed decreed that all Muslims must pray toward Mecca.

Daniel’s prayer life was habitual and it was the easiest thing in the world for him to pray when trouble arose. How often do we stumble at the first hurdle when trials come simply because we are not in the habit of taking everything to God in prayer? As the song goes… “all because we do not carry; everything to God in prayer.”

“he kneeled upon his knees..”. There are many ways to pray, and limitless places to pray, but shutting yourself away and praying on your knees seems to make our physical body more in tune with the spiritual. Pray in closets as instructed by Jesus three versus before he examples the Lord’s Pray…not in auditorium or sanctuaries. It blocks out distratcions around us. Peter made the error of being distracted by the roaring and raging seas or environment around him when he sank into it. Jesus said: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matt 6:6). In probably Jesus’ most intense prayer in the garden of Gethsemane we read “he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,” (Luke 22:41)

In the book of Acts we read of Peter when he prayed for Tabitha (also called Dorcas) after she had become sick and died; we read: “But Peter put them all forth,

and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.” (Acts 9:40)

(JIV NOTE): It is said that Peter was known as ‘old camel knees’ because of the calluses on his knees. He spent in many hours in prayer while on his knees.

When we address the Creator God of the Universe we should do so with humility and privacy of heart. Not as the Pharisees on a street corner.

Now we get to the real meat of this verse:

he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his
God, as he did aforetime.

Many of us, if we are honest, struggle to pray once a day ‘on our knees’ or in our prayer closet i.e. actually putting time aside specifically to pray. It is of course right and proper that we pray ‘on the go’, Paul said that we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thes 5:17), “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Eph 6:18); However, this is not to be a substitute for going into our room, shutting the door and spending some quality time with God. For Daniel on the other hand, this was a way of life, …as he did aforetime. Daniels prayer should embody our prayers.

Paul said: “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12)

It is also important to notice how Daniel behaves in this situation, for the days are coming where those who would accuse us will be watching our every move, looking for an opportunity to entrap us.

SPECIAL NOTE: In Canada it is an offence to declare that Jesus is the only way under their ‘hate crimes’ laws. In various European countries pastors have been arrested for taking a Biblical stand against homosexuality. It is most likely theologically true that the church won’t go through the Great Tribulation, but we would be naive if we thought we would escape persecution altogether. Jesus said that in this world we would be persecuted, and that the world would hate us (John 16:1-3).

Death Camp in WWII

Daniel 6:11

Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

The whole thing was such an obvious set-up. If ‘these men’ refers to the same crowd mentioned in verses 4 & 5, it may have been all 120 satraps and the other two presidents.

Daniel 6:12

Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

They had no need to ask if the king had signed such a decree because they had written it and taken it to him to sign in the first place. Their sole purpose was to REMIND HIM of the decree. During Neb’s time he was the law. Now the king was under the law of ruler-ship.

Daniel 6:13

Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

Now their plan comes to light, as does the fact that they had been watching him. Notice how they try to insult Daniel and put him down: ‘That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah’ – INSINUATING: ‘this guy is only a slave and from Judah at that’.

Daniel 6:14

Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

Notice that the king is not cross with Daniel. He is cross with himself for being so naive. How quick we are to try and undo what has been done when we realize the error of our ways. How was 62 year old Darius going to explain this to Cyrus next time he was in town and asks to speak to that incredible old Jewish man? Hmmm? I fed him to the lions?

Daniel 6:15-16

15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.

16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

With no way out the king does what he had to do. Did Darius have faith that God would deliver Daniel, or was he just hoping? Probably more of a hopeless way of excusing himself from the decree. In short, he puts the responsibility of the outcome in the God of Daniel. Similar to trying to “wash his hands” of the whole deal (Matthew 27:24).

Article #22 of the Daniel Series

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Belshazzar is slain by the Medes (Persians) and Darius is set to rule of the conquered Babylon. Do not confuse bible facts with nay-sayer historians who claim Cyrus was the ruler. Yes he was at this time; Asian ruler along with the more loosely knit confederation (of sort) Medes. Cyrus ruled the empire. Darius, for a very short time, ruled Babylon. The Bible gives us facts we often miss the reason for why. Things like proper names and places; in this case the Bible specifically gives us the age of Darius in the very last verse of chapter 5. He was 62 years old.

We should ask ourselves since such information is seldom given if it is given for a reason? Darius ruled for a short time then either died or stepped down into retirement. He is NOT the King Darius on the throne of Babylon 40 years later. However, the Book of Esther comes within the next 40 years.

CHAPTER 6
Daniel 6:1

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;

As mentioned at the end of our study of chapter 5, there is some debate over the identity of Darius. Critics have pointed to Daniel’s assertion that Darius the Mede was king of Babylon as proof that the book of Daniel was not an eyewitness account, but rather the work of a much later author who was confused about the details of this period. Critics are quick to make bold assertions that are based on biased opinions rather than objective facts. Professor Robert Dick Wilson who spent a lifetime studying these things states: “This confusion is a matter of evidence. With all due deference to the opinion of other scholars, I am firmly convinced that no man today has sufficient evidence to prove that the author of Daniel was confused. There are no records to substantiate the assertions of confusion. Neither is it clear to the critics nor can they make it clear to others, that the author of Daniel either did not understand the facts with regard to Darius the Mede, or clearly express himself about them.” (Studies in Daniel)

Among the various opinions put forward, the ones favored by most scholars are as follows:

  1. Darius was not the name of a person but simply a title meaning “holder of the scepter”. Certainly there are five later Persian rulers with the same name, which lends some support to this argument.
  2. Donald J Wiseman of the British Museum puts forward the idea that Darius was indeed a title and our character in question was in fact Cyrus himself. Scholars have noted that the closing verse of this chapter could also be translated in such a way as to imply that Darius is Cyrus. (JIV: It is translated this way in the footnotes of the N.I.V.)
  3. Another view is that Darius was Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, although his age as revealed at the end of chapter 5 would seem to discount this; as would the fact that this would then leave a gap of approximately four months with no king over Babylon from the death of Belshazzar until Cambyses was eventually appointed as king of Babylon in 538 BC. However, it is wise to take note that Daniel even mentions his age at his ascension to the throne of Babylon. There is often a reason why God leads writers of scripture to make such statements.
  4. Finally, the view that seems most consistent with what we know from the Bible and history is that Darius the Mede was Gubaru, the general of Cyrus’ Mede army who had taken Babylon on the night of Belshazzar’s feast, aged about 62. Cyrus rewarded Gubaru with a regional governorship for capturing the capital of the Babylonian Empire. What we do know from the ‘Nabonidus Chronicle’ and Josephus is that on October 12th 539BC, Gubaru entered Babylon at night, killing Belshazzar and conquering the city without a fight since the Babylonian army was not even there.

On October 29th Cyrus entered the city, being met at the gates by Daniel with a scroll of Isaiah in his hand. Over 150 years earlier Isaiah had prophesied:

“Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: *That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: **even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of (Belshazzar) kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel….” (Isaiah 44:24 – 45:6)

Note that Isaiah even mentions the access of the Medes and Persians into Babyloon; the river that has been dried up (diverted) so the troops simply walked in under the water gates of the river that flowed into Babylon.

**This is the prophecy of Isaiah almost 200 years earlier that the “captive” Judeans would be released to return to Jerusalem by a king named Cyrus.


Only a few weeks before, Cyrus had instructed Gubaru to take the ‘impenetrable’ city of Babylon by diverting the river Euphrates into a canal upriver so that the water level dropped “to the height of the middle of a man’s thigh” (Herodotus). Thus the city’s flood defenses were rendered useless and the Persian army was able to march right into the city through the river bed. As Cyrus is now reading this portion of Isaiah he must have been ‘blown away’. Not only does this Jewish prophet, who had been dead for 150 years, mention him by name, but the passage describes how the city would be taken and the fact that Belshazzar’s loins were loosened – something that was no doubt common knowledge by now.

Cyrus, approximately one and a half years later in 537 BC, went on to sign a decree allowing the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple all by Daniel’s beckoning of him. This decree is recorded at the end of 2 Chronicles and at the beginning of Ezra: “Now in the first year of *Cyrus king of Persia [NB: 539 to 538 = Ascension year, therefore 538 to 537 = first year of reign], that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled [see Jer 29:10], the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourned, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:1-4)

*King of the Persian Empire therefore over the appointed King Darius of Babylon.

In addition to this decree recorded in the Bible the above is a cylinder, now known as the ‘Stele of Cyrus’, which now resides in the British Museum. On the cylinder are the words:

“…without any battle, he entered the town, sparing any calamity:…I returned to sacred cities on the other side of the Tigris [river], the sanctuaries of which have been ruins for a long time… and established for them permanent sanctuaries. I also gathered all their former inhabitants and returned to them their habitations”

The ‘Stele of Cyrus’ – British Museum, London

Returning to the ‘who is Darius?’ question: From archaeological discoveries we know that Cyrus was known as ‘king of lands’ (i.e. ruler of the empire), and because the empire was so vast, it was normal to appoint kings over districts or regions. Thus it is reasonable that Cyrus would have appointed someone he trusted to be king of Babylon, and who better than his trusted general Gubaru who had just taken the city for his king? This starts out as a plausible theory but is soon confirmed by rereading the closing verse of chapter 5:“And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.” Initially we read ‘and Darius became king…’ but that is not what this verse states. What we are told is that ‘Darius the Median took the kingdom…’ The word translated ‘took’ is ‘qebal’ (Aramaic) meaning ‘to acquire’, also translated elsewhere as ‘receive’ or ‘take’. As we have already mentioned, it was Gubaru (AKA: Darius) who acquired the kingdom on behalf of Cyrus, thus this verse would seem to identify Darius the Mede as Gubaru. This is also consistent with Daniel 9:1 where we are told that Darius was ‘made king over the realm of the Chaldeans’ (made = ‘malak’ (Aramaic) ‘to induct into royalty’).

(Gubaru is also sometimes written as Ugbaru or Gobryas [Greek])

Daniel 6:2

And over these, three governors of whom Daniel was first: that the satraps might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.

Continuing from verse one, Darius had 120 governors with three presidents or governors overseeing everything. Daniel was the chief president, second to the king himself.

Daniel 6:3

Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes….

Not only did Daniel outrank all the other government officials, we are told that he was preferred above them all. Now, human nature being what it is, you can almost hear the murmuring in the background already ‘who does he think he is…?. He was just a captive Jew from Judah.’ Daniel continued his government ranking from Nebuchadnezzar to Darius.

…because an excellent spirit was in him;

Daniel’s whole life seems to be an example of what God can do in a life that is yielded to Him. We are called to be salt and light in this world, that men may see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven (Matt 5:13-16). We are to be an example in word, conversation, charity (love), spirit, faith, purity and work (1 Tim 4:12). We are to work hard for our employers (Colossians 3:23) so that the name of our God and His doctrine are not blasphemed (1 Tim 6:1). We are to allow no corrupt communication to proceed from our mouths, but only that which is helpful and will build others up (Ephesians 4:29).

…..and the king thought to set him (Daniel) over the whole realm.

This did not go down well with the other non-Judean [Jews] officials. No doubt Darius had enlisted some of the best men of Babylon and added them to his own Persian staff, probably people that had served with him in the army. Now this ageing Jewish exile is almost being made king! This hate for the local, once captive Judeans reveals itself once again in the Book of Esther some 40 years later. Mordecai was set up for death as he was a Jew hated by the royal court; Haman. (King Ahasuerus, commonly identified as Xerxes I, reined 486–465 BCE). Esther was his queen.

Daniel 6:4

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

Jealousy is a powerful motivator. It overrides common sense and logical thought.

Proverbs 6:34-35 says: “For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.”

Once the ‘ball of jealousy’ is rolling, nothing will stop it. But notice again, despite trying to find fault in Daniel there was nothing in his life that he had to hide, no secret sins, nothing to regret.

Next article we discover the events that followed. It picks up in verse 5 of Daniel 6. This reminds me of a gospel Chorus/Song back in the 60’ with words that go something like this…

IF YOU WERE ARRESTED FOR BEING A CHRISTIAN;

WOULD THERE BE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO CONVICT YOU?