Bible Study Notes 1/13/2026

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In the new section, TEMPLE, which we begin in the next Bible study on Jan. 20th, we will visit Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, along with the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. 

King Nebuchadnezzar’s Statue.

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(Much gratitude is given to Dr. Carol Kaminski for her Old Testament Survey course at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the study materials that accompany and inform this teaching.)

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Now Daniel and his 3 friends serve in Nebuchadnezzar’s court (Dan. 1).

In 603 BC, the second year of King Nebu’s reign (Dan. 2:1), the king has a very disturbing dream.

- He calls for his court magicians, enchanters, and sorcerers to relate the content of the dream and its interpretation, but they are unable to do so (Dan. 2:1-11).

- Nebu is angry with them and gives orders that all the wise men are to be killed, including Daniel and his 3 friends (Dan. 2:12-13).

- Daniel hears about the decree and requests time so that he might be given the opportunity to interpret the king’s dream after which he returns to his house and tells his companions about the situation (Dan. 2:14-18).

- The 4 join in prayer, asking God to grant them compassion and to make known the dream and its meaning, so they might not die.

- They know wisdom belongs to God and that he grants wisdom to those who seek him in prayer.

- God reveals the dream to Daniel in a night vision (Dan. 2:19); Daniel knows that he has been shown “hidden things” in answer to prayer (Dan. 2:20-23).

- Daniel is taken before King N and he interprets the dream, but declares that there is no wisdom residing in him, only in God (Dan. 2:26-30), and testifies that his God has revealed what will take place in the future.

Daniel proceeds to explain the dream to N (Dan. 2:31-45).

- The large statue that N saw represents four kingdoms, with its head of gold representing the (1) Babylonian Empire (Dan. 2:32, 36-38); God has given N power, strength, and dominion (Dan. 2:36-38), but another kingdom will arise after him.

- This kingdom is represented by the statue’s silver chest and arms (Dan. 2:32, 39) and identified as the (2) Medo-Persian Empire.

            - This prophecy will be fulfilled when the Persian king Cyrus defeats the Babylonians in 539 BC.

- The Persian Empire will then be succeeded by another kingdom, the 3rd one, which is represented by the statue’s thighs of bronze (Dan. 2:32, 39).

- This is the (3) Greek Empire, which will arise to power under Alexander the Great, who assumes the throne in 336 BC and defeats the Persian army in 333 BC.

- After Darius III (Persian Empire) is assassinated by his own troops, Alexander is proclaimed the successor to the Persian Empire in 330 BC.

- The fourth kingdom, the (4) Roman Empire, will then arise, represented by the statue’s iron legs and its feet on iron and clay (Dan. 2:33, 40-43).

            - The Roman Empire conquers Greece in 146 BC and eventually assumes control over Judea, when the Roman general Pompey defeats Jerusalem in 63 BC.

During the time of the fourth kingdom, Daniel prophesies that God will establish his everlasting kingdom, represented by the stone (cut without human hands) that crushes and puts an end to the preceding kingdom (Dan. 2:34-35, 44-45).

            - This stone then becomes a great mountain and fills the whole earth (Dan. 2:35).

            - This image represents the worldwide expansion of God’s kingdom.

N’s dream foresees that after the rise and fall of several successive kingdoms, God will establish his everlasting kingdom, and its realm will extend to the whole earth.

When N hears the interpretation, he pays homage to Daniel and praises Daniel’s God, saying: “Truly, your God is a God of gods and LORD of kings, and a revealer of mysteries” (Dan. 2:47).

- Daniel is then given a position of authority and made ruler over the province of Babylon (Dan. 2:48-49).

The 4 kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream will be the focus of another vision given a few years later (Dan. 7), but first, we will see what takes place during the reign of N.

 

Worship of Nebuchadnezzar’s Image

 

King N builds an enormous image of gold and assembles all the officials in his kingdom for its dedication (Dan. 3:1-3).

Musical instruments sound and people from all nations and languages are to fall down and worship the statue.

- The king commands that anyone who refuses to bow down and worship his image will be cast into a glazing fire, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refuse.

- N is told that these men have not served his gods, nor have they worshiped the image he has set up.

- He is furious, but gives them a chance to recant (Dan. 3:12-15), which they refuse to do, telling the king that their God is able to deliver them from the blazing furnace, and even if he does not, they proclaim boldly: “we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Dan. 3:16-18).

Daniel’s friends are bound and cast into a blazing furnace, but the king looks at the furnace and sees FOUR men in the fire, with the fourth “like a son of the gods” (Dan. 3:19-25).

- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego are brought out of the furnace unharmed, which is witnessed by N and his officials.

- Now the king blesses the Most High God whom the friends serve and ancnowledges that their God has delivered those who put their trust in him (Dan. 3:26-28).

- N then establishes a decree, prohibiting anyone from speaking against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and declaring that “there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way (Dan. 3:29).

- BUT the king quickly forgets the God of Israel and exalts himself once again.

 

Nebuchadnezzar Is Humbled

 

N has a prosperous reign, but he also has another disturbing dream (Dan. 4), so he calls for the wise men of Babylon to interpret it, but again, they are unable to do so (Dan. 4:4-7).

- Daniel is brought into the king’s presence because N esteems him; he knows God’s wisdom resides in him.

- N tells Daniel his dream: he saw a tremendous tree that reached heaven and was visible to the ends of the earth, with birds of the sky living in its branches and abundant fruit provided for all (Dan. 4:10-12).

- Then an angelic figure from heaven cut down the tree, leaving only a stump.

- The tree stump turned out to represent a human figure, and became a beast for a period of time, until it acknowledged that “the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men” (Dan. 4:17).

- Daniel tells N that the magnificent tree represents the king himself and his glorious kingdom (Dan. 4:20-22), yet he is to be humbled and become like a beast of the field for a time until he recognizes God’s sovereignty (Dan. 4:23-27).

- The prophet Ezekiel also spoke of highly exalted rulers as magnificent trees; they were also cut down and judged by God because of their pride (Ezek. 31:3-14).

12 Months later, the dream is fulfilled while N boasts about Babylon and his own accomplishments (Dan. 4:30-31).

- This great king is humbled and driven from society, acting like an animal, sleeping outside, and letting his hair and nails grow long like the birds (Dan. 4:28-33).

- N finally comes to his senses and blesses God and acknowledges that his “dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation” (Dan. 4:34).

- It is this confession that sees N’s sovereignty is restored and he praises the King of heaven, for “those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (Dan. 4:37).

It is interesting to note that we have seen a recurring pattern of kings exalting themselves, but one day God’s anointed king, Jesus, the King of kings and LORD of lords, enters Jerusalem “humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zech. 9:9; cf. Matt. 21:5; Rev. 17:14; 19:16). Thus, Jesus, the servant king, stands apart from all other kings in humility, even humbling himself to the point of death on a cross.

 

Daniel Is Given a Vision of Four Kingdoms

 

Daniel serves in N’s court from 605-562 BC.

He also serves during the reign of N’s son, Amel-Marduk (known in the Bible as Evil Merodach (2 Kgs. 25:27-30; Jer. 52:31).

Nabonidus is the last king of Babylon (556-539 BC), but during the final years of his reign he leaves Babylon while on campaigns in Arabia.

- In Nabonidus’s absence, he entrusts his kingship to his eldest son, Belshazzar, who rules as crown prince in Babylon.

During the time of Belshazzar, the final period of the Babylonian Empire, Daniel has a dream (Dan. 7) in which he sees four beasts, grotesque and terrifying, rising from the churning sea.

1.      A lion with wings, standing on two feet with a human mind;

2.      A voracious bear raised up on one side, devouring three ribs;

3.      A leopard with wings and four heads;

4.      A dreadful and boastful creature with ten horns and iron teeth (Dan. 7:4-8).

Daniel sees a vision of the LORD as the Ancient of Days (representative of and literally means “before days were”), seated upon the throne of judgment.

- The LORD is surrounded by thousands upon thousands of angels and uncountable company of the redeemed.

- Daniel sees a human being approach the King of the Universe, who is given an everlasting kingdom, and all the peoples of the earth are to serve him (Dan. 7:9-14).

- Daniel reports that “the visions of my head alarmed me” (Dan. 7:15).

Daniel learns that these beasts represent four successive kingdoms: The Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires.

- Emphasis is given to the 4th kingdom, which is not only the most powerful, but it wages war against God’s people (Dan. 7:11, 19-26).

- As with the earlier dream in Dan. 2, the climax of the vidion comes with the arrival of the 5th kingdom, which is God’s everlasting kingdom.

- Daniel is shown God’s heavenly throne in a courtroom scene that depicts God’s final triumph over all his foes (Dan. 7:9-14, 26-27) and sees :one like a Son of Man” is given everlasting dominion and an everlasting kingdom, and people from all nations serve him.

- Unlike preceding kingdoms, God’s kingdom will not be destroyed, and all peoples will serve and obey him (Dan. 7:14).

Later, during the reign of King Cyrus, God shows Daniel that turbulent times lie ahead, as kings battle in warfare and seek to exalt themselves (Dan. 10-11), but God’s rule is certain, for he will judge the wicked and bring to life those whose names are written in his book (Dan. 12:1-13).

Daniel sees what Jesus expresses more than 500 years later, when he begins his ministry with the royal announcement that “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:14-15: cf. Matt. 9:35; 12:28).

The arrival of the kingdom of God represents the most dominant theme of Jesus’ entire teaching.

            - It is the subject of his parables and the meaning behind his symbolic actions.

- The purpose of his public miracles is to demonstrate the arrival of the kingdom: “if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matt. 12:28).

- Often the parables speak about the nature of the kingdom (Matt. 13:24, 31, 33, 44-47; 18:23; 20:1; 22:2), explaining the conditions under which a person may enter it (Matt. 18:3-4; 19:23-24).

Concisely, the prophet Daniel in the 6th century BC is given a vision of this glorious and everlasting kingdom of God.

 

The End of the Babylonian Empire

 

Now Belshazzar, the crown prince of Babylon, hosts a banquet for one thousand of his nobles (Dan. 5).

- Troubling, is the fact that the people are drinking wine from the gold and silver vessels that N had taken from the temple in Jerusalem (Dan. 5:2-3; cf. 2 Kgs. 24:13; 2 Chr. 36:7; Dan. 1:2) and praise the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone (Dan. 5:4).

            - The fingers of a man’s hand begin to write on a wall.

- Belshazzar sees only the back of the hand, but his face grows pale, his knees shake, and he calls for his enchanters and astrologers to interpret the writing.

- He said that the person who is able to interpret it will be given a special place of honor in his kingdom, but no one is able to do so (Dan. 5:5-9).

- Daniel’s great wisdom and insight came to the king’s attention and is brought to Belshazzar; Daniel is able to interpret the meaning of the writing on the wall (Dan. 5:13-28).

Daniel’s interpretation: The hand that wrote on the wall was the hand of God, who wrote, “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHAERSIN” (Dan. 5:25), which Daniel explained to Belshazzar.

            - MENE means “to number” – God has numbered Belshazzar’s days.

            - TEKEL means “to weigh,” and means that God has weighed the king and found him light, or wanting.

- UPHAERSIN means “to divide” and means that God will divide Belshazzar’s kingdom (eventually between the Medes and Persians).

- Then Daniel tells the king that his kingdom is about to be taken from him, for he has exalted himself against the God of heaven and has “praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored” (Dan. 5:23).

- Belshazzar is to be judged for his idolatrous ways! And is murdered that very night (Dan. 5:30), and Darius the Mede receives the kingdom (Dan. 5:31), ushering in the period of the Persian Empire, which begins in 539 BC.

- The important Persian kings in this period are: Cyrus II (559-530 BC), Cambyses II (530-522 BC), Darius I (Hystaspes) (522-486 BC), Xerxes I (Ahasuerus) (486-465 BC), and Artaxerxes I (465-424 BC).

 

Daniel Is Thrown into a Lion’s Den, but He Is Unharmed

 

After Belshazzar’s murder, Daniel is given great authority in the kingdom (Dan. 6).

Darius the Mede, probably another name for King Cyrus, consolidates his rule (Dan. 6:1-3) and plans to appoint Daniel over the entire kingdom because he has distinguished himself (Dan. 6:3).

- The king’s officials are jealous and try to find fault against him ut cannot find any reasons for accusations because Daniel has been faithful.

- They contrive a way for Daniel to be attacked on the matter of prayer (Dan. 6:4-5).

- The officials convince Darius to establish a law saying no one may petition any god or man besides Darius or they will be put in a lion’s den.

- Daniel hears that the king has signed the law so he enters his house and prays, maintaining what he had done previously by kneeling 3 times a day and prayed and gave thanks to God (Dan. 6:10).

- He knows God is the only one who can help him, so keeps praying.

- The officials of King Darius find Daniel praying and tell Darius, so Daniel is placed in a lion’s den (Dan. 6:16-18).

- God sends an angel to protect him and Daniel is released unharmed.

- Honor is given to the God of Israel, and even Darius declares that Daniel’s God is the living God (Dan. 6:26-27).

 

Daniel’s Prayer of Confession

 

In the first year of King Darius in 539 BC, Daniel reads from the prophet Jeremiah.

- He understands from his prophecy that the exile will last for 70 years (Dan. 9:2; cf. Jer. 25:11-12; 29:10).

- The desolation is about to come to an end so Daniel begins to pray because of God’s promise made many years ago.

- Remember during the days of Moses, God told the Israelites that if they disobeyed his laws, the curses of the covenant would come upon them (Lev. 26:14-39).

- God would remove the Israelites from their land and the land would then have a Sabbath rest (Lev. 26:34-35, 43).

- BUT God also promised that when his people were in exile, if they confessed their sin, he would restore them from their captivity. READ Lev. 26:40-43.

Now, in reading Jeremiah, Daniel sees that the time of exile is coming to an end and then begins to pray and confess the sins of his people. READ Dan. 4-19.

- Daniel acknowledges that God is righteous in all his actions (Dan. 9:14, 16) but his people have sinned and acted wickedly (Dan. 9:14-15) – even the remnant have acted wickedly.

- Daniel asks God to incline his ear and hear, to open his eyes and see and understand that Daniel is not presenting his supplication on account of their own righteousness, but because of God’s great mercy (Dan. 9:18) (which he has shown throughout the OT from the beginning).

- While praying, an angel named Gabriel comes to Daniel with an answer to his prayer.

- Gabriel tells Daniel that at the beginning of his prayer, a decree had been issued so the angel reveals to him what will take place in the years to follow, for he says that from the time of the decree: READ Dan. 9:24.

            - This marks the period prior to the arrival of the Anointed One, or Messiah (Dan. 9:25).

- Israel’s sin will reach its full measure in the coming years, yet atonement will be made and everlasting righteousness will be established – this vision will be completed and the most holy place will be anointed.

God reveals to Daniel that He will deal with the problem of sin, but not immediately.

- Gabriel tells him that toward the end of this period of “seventy sevens,” the anointed one will suffer and be cut off (Dan. 9:26); he will make a covenant with many and end sacrifice (Dan. 9:27).

Understand that these are some of the most difficult scriptures in the Bible and there are many varied interpretations of them!

Nonetheless, it is important to bear in mind that Gabriel is giving Daniel insight into future events, revealing to him that there will be a set period of time before sin is dealt with and everlasting righteousness is established through the messianic king.

At this time, a portion of God’s people will shortly return from exile and will begin rebuilding the temple, but the full restoration anticipated by the prophets will not be realized until a later time.