Hello
Friends!
Welcome
back
to our Encouraging Concepts Bible
study series focused on the powerfully PROPHETIC picture portrayed in the Old Testament book
of Daniel painted as a panoramic
landscape of World History in FIVE successions “written” in
ardent ADVANCE some 2,600 years ago…
“The Book of
Daniel: Prophecy PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE!”
The Book of Daniel: Prophecy PAST,
PRESENT & FUTURE (Chapter 1: Verses 1-2)
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 – Daniel 1:1-2
And this gospel of the kingdom
shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then
shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let
him understand:)… For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no,
nor ever shall be – Matthew 24:14-15 & 21
This particular “time”
period is known as the "times of the Gentiles" as
well as the “dispensation
of the grace of God” in kind…
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations:
and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled – Luke 21:24
If ye have heard
of the dispensation of
the grace of God which is given me to you-ward – Ephesians 3:2
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND: As the Babylonian Crown Prince “Nebuchadnezzar” was fighting in “Egypt”
he received the mournful message that his father Nabopolassar had died and was thus
subsequently PROMOTED to the NEW
corrupting "King of Babylon" as a
result. On his journey back to “Babylon”
he passed through “Jerusalem” and noticed a
strange type of “worship” unto a different “God” than his own PAGAN
pretend god. The veneration of this Glorious “God” was taking place in a “Temple” as he had never seen before.
And this man “Nebuchadnezzar” had
drastically DECIDED to take some HOSTAGES from the royal family in “Jerusalem” back home with him to “Babylon” in a concerted effort to learn
more about this “worshipful” wonder.
Therefore, knowing that he was to soon become rank RULER of
the known
world abroad, “Nebuchadnezzar”
was deeply DETERMINED to rightly “know”
something about this – RIGHTEOUS Religious Rite!
THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: At the close
of the history of “Hezekiah” the noble “king of Judah” as reported by the prophet
“Isaiah” is found a very significant
prophecy. In fact, it was 100 years promised BEFORE the powerful “prophecy”
prophesied by “Daniel” had historically
taken place in that the “Lord of hosts” had pronounced His just JUDGMENT upon
the royal “house
of David” as the “fathers” have “laid up in store” as a
woeful WARNING beforehand:
Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah,
Hear the word of the Lord of
hosts: 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. 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. 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 – Isaiah 39:5-8
Sadly, “King Hezekiah”
himself, like so many OTHER
men before
and after
him, had frightfully FALLEN
into the serious “sin” and “condemnation” of the “devil”
in kind: PRIDE!
Not a novice,
lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil – 1 Timothy 3:6
It is immensely IMPORTANT
that we ultimately “understand” the firm FACT of
the matter in that this startling PROPHECY
concerning the literal history of “Israel”
was perfectly “written” some 700 years
in ADVANCE and
was literally
fully – FULFILLED in kind!
The
book of “Daniel” thus begins with his
somber sojourn along with THREE
of his “Hebrew“ friends and “children of Judah” named “Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah”
as they are taken captive unto the mighty “Babylon”
to learn the wicked “ways”
of the sooth-saying “Chaldeans”
of fortune telling flair within the “land of Shinar”
itself – Besieged by Babylon!
With
that brief
narrative in mind – Let’s get STARTED!
Besieged by Babylon!
The OPENING
verses in the Biblical book of “Daniel” rightly INTRODUCE
us to this historical account:
In the third year of the reign of
Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and
besieged it – Daniel 1:1
The jaundice man “Jehoiakim”
(otherwise known as “Eliakim”) was piously PLACED on the torrid “throne” as the “king of
Judah” by the maniacal man “Pharaohnechoh”
to sickly succeed his brother “Jehoahaz” both
of whom were the WICKED sons of the GODLY
man “Josiah” who himself had lovingly led
the FINAL righteous
revival
of the “kings” presiding over the “Jewish” nation:
Josiah was eight years old when
he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his
mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. And he did that
which was right in the sight of the Lord,
and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the
right hand or to the left – 2 Kings 22:1-2
And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim
the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to
Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there. And
Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to
give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver
and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation,
to give it unto Pharaohnechoh. Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he
began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name
was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. And he did that which was evil
in the sight of the Lord,
according to all that his fathers had done – 2 Kings 23:34-37
And the king of Egypt made
Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to
Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.
Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of
the Lord his God.
Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters,
to carry him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the
house of the Lord to
Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. Now the rest of the acts of
Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him,
behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and
Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead – 2
Chronicles 36:4-8
And it was in his “third year of reign” when
the “Lord” Himself had gladly GIVEN this
“evil” man “Jehoiakim” into
the heinous “hand” of the pagan “Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon” as a just JUDGMENT along “with”
the vital “vessels of the house of God” as
he boldly “besieged” its bootie it for the “treasure
house” of his false “god” abroad:
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 – Daniel
1:2
CONTEXTUAL COMMENTS: God’s Divine JUDGMENT of
which had been PROPHESIED for so long by the “prophets
of God” had finally FALLEN upon “Judah”
and was executed by His Divinely CHOSEN instrument “Nebuchadnezzar”
the “king of Babylon” as promised.
Now in the fifth month, in the
tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of
Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of
Babylon, into Jerusalem, And burned the house of the Lord, and the king's house; and all the
houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire:
And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard,
brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about. Then Nebuzaradan the captain
of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the
residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that
fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude. But Nebuzaradan the
captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and
for husbandmen. Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brasen sea
that was in the house of the Lord,
the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon. The caldrons
also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all
the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. And the basons,
and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and
the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of
silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away. The two pillars, one sea,
and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made
in the house of the Lord: the
brass of all these vessels was without weight. And concerning the pillars, the
height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did
compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow. And a
chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits,
with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The
second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these. And there were
ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the
network were an hundred round about – Jeremiah 52:12-23
In fact, due to the deep DISOBEDIENCE of insolent “Israel”
in full, there were THREE separate campaigns of which “King Nebuchadrezzar” had
come AGAINST the
city of “Jerusalem” in kind:
606 B.C. ~ King “Nebuchadnezzar”
appeared the FIRST time and carried away “Daniel” and his three “Hebrew” companions “Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah” to begin the prophesied “70 years” of promised “Babylonian” bondage!
Therefore thus saith the Lord of
hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, Behold, I will send and take all the
families of the north, saith the Lord,
and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against
this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations
round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and
an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice
of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice
of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And
this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations
shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when
seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and
that nation, saith the Lord,
for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual
desolations. And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have
pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah
hath prophesied against all the nations – Jeremiah 25:8-13
598 B.C. ~ King “Nebuchadnezzar”
appeared the SECOND time and “carried away” some
of the “vessels of the house of the Lord”
along with many more captives to include “Ezekiel”
when “Jehoiachin” had rebelled
against “God” in kind!
And the Lord said,
I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will
cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I
said, My name shall be there. Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that
he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of
Judah? – 2 Kings 23:27-28
In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and
Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against
him. And the Lord sent
against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the
Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to
destroy it, according to the word of the Lord,
which he spake by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of
the Lord came this upon
Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to
all that he did; And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled
Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the Lord would
not pardon. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are
they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? – 2 Kings 24:1-5
Now the rest of
the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was
found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and
Judah: and Jehoiachin his
son reigned in his stead. Jehoiachin was
eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten
days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord – 2
Chronicles 36:9
And it came to
pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the
twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach
king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and
brought him forth out of prison... – Jeremiah
52:31
In the fifth day of the month,
which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity… – Ezekiel
1:2
My net also will
I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to
Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall
die there – Ezekiel 12:13
587 B.C. ~ King “Nebuchadnezzar”
appeared the THIRD time when “Zedekiah” had
rankly “rebelled” against the “King of Babylon” and thus boldly burned
the chided “city” of jaundice “Jerusalem” along with the “wall” and the “temple” itself!
And it
came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth
day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his
host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against
it round about. And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king
Zedekiah. And on the ninth day of the
fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the
people of the land. And the city was broken up, and all
the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is
by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and
the king went the way toward the plain. And the army of
the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho:
and all his army were scattered from him. So they took
the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave
judgment upon him. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah
before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters
of brass, and carried him to Babylon. And in the fifth month, on the seventh
day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of
Babylon, unto Jerusalem: And he burnt the house of
the Lord, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every
great man's house burnt he with fire. And all the army
of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls
of Jerusalem round about. Now the rest of the people
that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of
Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the
guard carry away – 2 Kings 25:1-11
And in
the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the
city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went
forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls,
which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round
about:) and they went by the way of the plain. But the
army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the
plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. Then they took the
king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of
Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him. And the king
of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the
princes of Judah in Riblah. Then he put out the eyes of
Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to
Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death – Jeremiah 52:6-11
So will I break
down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to
the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall
fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I
am the Lord. Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall,
and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto
you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; To wit, the prophets of
Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for
her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord God
– Ezekiel 13:14-16
Beloved,
with this amazing Biblical history set as a
fantastically FULFILLED backdrop, we will soon “learn”
how THREE young
faithful “Hebrew” teenagers could
powerfully “purpose in their heart” to highly HONOR the
sweet Sovereign loving “Lord of Israel”
through their willful OBEDIENCE to His PROPHETIC plan for their lives… Halleluiah!
In
closing:
REAL REFLECTIONS: The twelve chapters of “Daniel” are powerfully PROMISED prophecies depicting the unfolding
of the HISTORIC events of which will take place leading up to
the literal “time” of the SECOND awaited
physical “coming” of our loving “Lord Jesus Christ” back to the earth:
And in the days
of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be
destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall
break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever – Daniel 2:44
And
our SERIOUS study of these PROPHECIES will
rightly REVEAL to each student of God's wonderful “Word” that the events FORETOLD
some 2,600 years ago could
possibly be FULFILLED in the seemingly near future…
We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!
Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"
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