Article 31- The Historical Background

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Not just great stories—Bible history is part of what we refer to as secular history

 

 

As is my teaching style, it helps when one can put an event or series of events into perspective or within other historical events of secular history. Remember that the bible does not need to prove itself according to history. History needs to be placed against what the bible states. There is no revision of secular versus scriptural history but there are many who wish to revise scripture to make God what s/he wants instead of us as individuals being what God wanted upon our creation.

  1. King Pekah of Israel [700’s B.C.] along with his ally King Rezin of Aram, threatened Judah and its main city of Jerusalem. Ahaz, the king of Judah, called upon King Pul [Tiglath-Pileser III] of Assyria to intervene. He did intervene therefore defeating Israel (the Northern Kingdom) then executed King Rezin of Aram (Damascus).
    1. Assyria was a Semitic nation, but not Israeli, from the 24th century BC to 608 BC.
    1. Assyrians were offspring of Shem’s (Noah’s ark) eldest son *Elam: Genesis 10:22, Ezra 4:9. *Elam itself was once an empire called the Elamites now part of Iran. The person Elam was a son of Shem making him a grandson of Noah.
  2. At this time, Damascus was not the capital of Syria. It was a large city-state in its own rights.
  3. Assyrians attacked the Kingdom of Israel (ten northern tribes) first dispersing the East of Jordan tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh in 732 B.C. [2 Kings 16:9].
  4. 720 BC: Assyria invades the remaining tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel including a few cities within the borders of the Kingdom of Judah. All captives are exiled to unsettled lands to the north, east, and west specifically mentioned, it includes the cities of the Medes.

JIV NOTE: This plays significantly into the Babylonian captivity of the southern Kingdom of Judah 120 years later, the 70 year Babylonian captivity, and to connect the dots……the invasion of Babylon by the MEDES and Persians and eventually Queen Esther of the Book of Esther.

  • Daniel of Babylonian fame was a contemporary of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel. These men were exiled from the southern Kingdom of Judah or were born during Babylonian captivity. Interestingly, they all were in the service of the government of Babylon; Daniel also served within the Mede-Persian government of Babylon.
  • Daniel lived during the time of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, father and grandson, who were kings of Babylon, and the Mede-Persian ruler Cyrus (Darius?).
  • He lived in Babylon during the entire 70 year captivity and several years beyond.
  • Daniel never left Babylon after being exiled from Judah. He continued to serve in the service of the Persian conquerors of Babylon.
  • Sequence of nations:
    • The nation Israel of Saul, David and Solomon co-existed with Assyria
    • Israel divided into two separate kingdoms: the Kingdom of Israel to the north with ten tribes and the Kingdom of Judah to the south with 2 tribes plus many stragglers from the northern kingdom who were faithful to Judaism and Jerusalem.
    • Ten tribes to the north are dispersed in the 700 B.C. over a period of 20 plus years; first by Tiglath-Pileser III [sometimes called King Pul], then Shalmaneser V, finally by Sargon II; all were kings of Assyria. Time period around 740 B.C.E. to around 720 [?] BC.
    • Kingdom of Judah continued to exist for another 120 years; until about 606 BC.
    • Babylon rebels against and overthrows Assyria; 637 BC to around 612 BC. The overthrow of the Kingdom of Judah followed.
    • Nebuchadnezzar (606 BC) of Babylon invades the Kingdom of Judah and begins a series of dispersions bringing Judean Jews [including Daniel] to Babylon. [Daniel 1:1-4]
      • 605 BC.; 597 B.C.; 586 BC. [the three reasonably close dates of Judean dispersion and exile to Babylon]
  • Daniel becomes an advisor and dream interpreter for Nebuchadnezzar  [Daniel 2:1-49]
  • Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego face the fiery furnace [Daniel 3:1-30]
  • Nebuchadnezzar goes insane and eats grass with the wild animals of his kingdom [Daniel 4:1-37] His wings are plucked and he is made to stand up like all other men (Daniel 7:4)
  • Daniel interprets the finger of God writing on the wall to *Belshazzar

[Daniel 5:1-31]

  1. *Belshazzar is the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar; overthrown by Medo-Persians (Cyrus of overall all Persia; Darius the Mede was temporarily king of the conquered Babylon). Belshazzar was not the sole king of Babylon during this overthrow. His father made him co-regent of Babylon itself.
    1. King Cyrus, the first Persian king over the Mede-Persian conquered empire of Babylon, signs a decree releasing all Israeli captives within this conquered empire; [538 B.C. – Ezra 1:2-4; 6:2-5] Darius the Mede ruled first but for less than two years. Daniel tells us that this Darius was already 62 years old at the time of the overthrow. He was not King of Persia but a satrap king of Babylon proper.
  2. Daniel and the Lions’ den historical event occurred under the Mede-Persian ruler Darius [Daniel 6:1-28], not Nebuchadnezzar.
  3. The prophetic future according to the dreams of Daniel
    1. The 4 beasts [Daniel 7:1-28]
    1. Daniels dream of the goat and the ram [Daniel 8:1-28]
    1. Daniels 70 week or years dream [Daniel 9:1-27]
    1. Daniel views the end of times (Recall a previous study article: Are We There Yet?) [Daniel 10:1 – 12:13]