THE BOOK OF DANIEL:

(A DETAILED HISTORICAL AND PROPHETIC STUDY WITH DATES)

The Book of Daniel is one of the most prophetic books in the Old Testament and one of the most challenged. Yet no book has been proven more through archaeology, fulfilled prophecy, and the testimony of Jesus Christ Himself. Daniel is not symbolic mythology. It is grounded in real kings, real empires, and precise dates.

WHY DANIEL IS UNIQUE:

• No other Old Testament book reveals world history from a Gentile empire perspective like Daniel

• Daniel lived under two world empires and never compromised his faith

• Scripture records no moral failure in Daniel’s life

• Daniel is called “greatly beloved” by God three separate times

• Jesus personally validated Daniel as a true prophet

• Daniel’s prophecies precisely outline the rise and fall of world empires

THE SPIRITUAL APPROACH TO DANIEL:

• Daniel cannot be understood through intellect alone

• The Holy Spirit illuminates the deeper meaning of prophecy

• Scripture must interpret Scripture

• Presuppositions must be set aside

• Daniel closely aligns with Revelation

KEY HISTORICAL EVENTS LEADING TO THE CAPTIVITY:

• 612 BC – Nineveh, capital of Assyria, falls to Babylon and Media

• 609 BC – Pharaoh Necho marches north; King Josiah confronts him and is killed at Megiddo

• 606 BC – Battle of Carchemish on the Euphrates River

– Nebuchadnezzar defeats Pharaoh Necho

– Babylon becomes the dominant world empire

• Immediately after this victory, Babylon moves against Jerusalem

THE THREE SIEGES OF JERUSALEM:

SIEGE ONE – 606 BC

• King Jehoiakim submits to Babylon

• Temple vessels are removed and taken to Babylon

• Hostages from royal and noble families are deported

• Daniel is taken captive

• This begins the 70-year servitude of the nation

SIEGE TWO – 597 BC

• Jehoiakim rebels and dies

• Jehoiachin reigns briefly

• God pronounces a blood curse on the royal line

• 10,000 captives are taken, including Ezekiel

• Ezekiel is taken to Tel-Abib near the Chebar Canal

• Zedekiah is installed as a puppet king

• Jeremiah and Ezekiel warn against rebellion

• False prophets promise peace

SIEGE THREE – 587–586 BC

• Zedekiah ignores prophetic warnings

• He rebels against Babylon

• Jerusalem is destroyed

• The Temple is burned in 586 BC

• Zedekiah is blinded and taken to Babylon

• He dies there but never sees it, exactly as prophesied

THE TWO 70-YEAR PERIODS

• 606 BC to 536 BC – 70-year servitude of the nation

• 586 BC to 516 BC – 70-year desolations of Jerusalem

• Daniel later understood these timelines by reading Jeremiah

• Scripture interprets Scripture

DANIEL’S LIFE IN CONTEXT:

• Daniel was of royal or princely descent

• Likely a teenager when taken captive in 606 BC

• Served under Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus

• Witnessed the fall of Babylon in 539 BC

• Remained faithful in a wicked culture without compromise

THE FALL OF BABYLON:

• 539 BC – Babylon falls to the Medo-Persian Empire

• Belshazzar is slain the night of the handwriting on the wall

• Darius the Mede takes the kingdom

• Archaeology later confirmed the size and location of the banquet hall

STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL:

CHAPTERS 1–6 – HISTORICAL

• 606 BC – Babylonian captivity

• 602 BC – Nebuchadnezzar’s dream

• The fiery furnace

• Nebuchadnezzar’s pride

• 539 BC – Fall of Babylon

• The lion’s den (after Persia conquers Babylon)

CHAPTERS 7–12 – PROPHETIC

• 556 BC – Vision of the four beasts

• 554 BC – Vision of the ram and the he-goat

• 538 BC – The seventy weeks prophecy

• Spiritual forces behind world powers

• Silent years written in advance

• The consummation of all things

WHY THE CAPTIVITY HAPPENED:

• God commanded Israel to give the land rest every seventh year

• For 490 years this command was ignored

• 490 ÷ 7 = 70 sabbath years owed

• God declared the land would enjoy its sabbaths

• The captivity fulfilled this judgment exactly

EZEKIEL’S PROPHETIC CLOCK:

• Ezekiel bore 430 years of judgment symbolically

• 390 years for Israel

• 40 years for Judah

• 70 years fulfilled in Babylon

• 360 years remained unfulfilled

• God declared judgment multiplied seven times

• 360 × 7 = 2,520 prophetic years

GOD’S PROPHETIC CALENDAR:

• Scripture uses a 360-day year

• 2,520 prophetic years = 907,200 days

• When calculated correctly and added forward:

• End of servitude + 907,200 days = May 14, 1948

– Israel is reborn as a nation

• End of desolations + 907,200 days = June 7, 1967

– Jerusalem is restored to Israel

These dates are exact, not symbolic.

THE MESSAGE OF DANIEL:

• Daniel refused forbidden food

• Daniel continued praying when it was illegal

• Daniel would not bow to false gods

• Daniel trusted God when obedience meant death

Daniel proves God rules history, nations, kings, calendars, and time itself. Empires rise and fall, but God’s Word never fails.

The question Daniel leaves every generation with is simple.

Who will you serve?

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

More Joy Ministries