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After leaving Egypt, the nation of Israel entered Canaan about B.C. 1460 and was ruled by Judges for roughly 400 years until B.C. 1053 at which point Israel demanded and received a king.For the next 120 year Israel lived under the monarchy of 3 kings, Saul, David, and Solomon, each who reigned for 40 years. This was called the United Kingdom because all of Israel lived under one king.

In B.C. 733 after the death of Solomon the kingdom divided. Rehoboam, Solomon's son rejected the advise of the elders of the land and put a heavy burden of labor and taxes on the people of Israel.In response a portion of the nation rebelled against Rehoboam and ten of the 12 tribes who lived in the northern part of the country separated themselves, pronounced Jeroboam, who had been the head of Solomon's (labor union) as king. This northern kingdom which after this was called Israel set up it's capital in the northern city of Shechem.The Southern kingdom, which came to be called Judah, continued under the leadership of Rehoboam and consisted of he tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

Both of these kingdoms continued for several years each under a succession of kings.Israel, under several dynasties was characterized by a steady downgrade both morally and spiritual.Judah, according to God's divine plan and promise continued through several kings but only one dynasty, that of Judah, and the line of David (which God had promised would remain unbroken, and the line through which the promised messiah would come. Judah was characterized by decline with a 3 or four periods of spiritual revival especially under the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah.

For centuries Egypt was the dominant world empire but in B.C. 833 Assyria came to power under Ashurnasirpal II.His son Shalmaneser III continued the Assyrian expansion but it didn't reached its zenith as a world power until the reign of Tiglath‑pileser III (744‑727 B.C.)Then in B.C. 722 the northern kingdom of Israel fell to Tiglath‑pileser's successor, Shalmaneser V.The wealthy and skilled laborers of those 10 tribes of Israel he took captive into Assyria.He Brought Assyrians to live in the conquered land and intermarry with the lower class Israelites who were left.Those who were taken captive intermarried and were eventually absorbed into the Assyrian people, culture and religion and ceased to exist at a distinct people.

In B.C. 626 Babylon (Modern Iraq), began to rise under Nabopolassar.In B.C. 612 Nineveh the capitol city of Assyria fell to Babylon which at that point became the leading world empire. Seven years later in B.C. 605 Pharaoh Neco of Egypt which was now the second most powerful nation tried to come along side of Assyria against Babylon but was defeated at the battle of Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar, Nabopolassar's son.It was in this same year that Nebuchadnezzar conquered the southern kingdom of Judah.

When he did he deported a number of the leading Jews, (that is those who were wealthy, educated or skilled), back to Babylon. That deportation was followed by a second in B.C. 597 and a third in B.C. 586.In that year Zedekiah the "puppet king" of Judah who earlier had been placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar rebelled against Babylon, who then retaliated by destroying Jerusalem and the temple and taking all of the consecrated temple vessels to Babylon along with the captives.

Introduction to the Book of Daniel

A. It's Author:

The author of the book of Daniel is the character after whom it is named.Daniel was a young man probably of about 15 years of age, and of a family of nobility because he was taken in the first deportation of Jews from Judah in B.C. 605. God blessed Daniel and put him in placed of political influence for the entire time of the captivity.He was made ruler over the whole province of Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.He was made the third ruler in the kingdom by Belshazzar.And he was made one of the three presidents over the whole Medo-Persian Empire.

B. Its Date:

Daniel was written around B.C 536, during the latter years of Daniel's life. It spans the entire 70-year of the "Babylonian captivity" and its prophecies span a period of at least 2500 years.

C. Its Value:

The book of Daniel stands atop of the apocalyptic (prophetic) literature of the Bible.Much of our understanding of the book of the Revelation depends on a proper understanding of the Book of Daniel.Because it is so important to our comprehension of the plan of God, Daniel has many critics. Because of their unbelief of prophetic revelation, so called "higher critics" deny the early date of Daniel.

They like to say that it was written during the Intertestament Period, (the 400 years between the writing of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament and the birth of Christ. Specifically they say it was written around B.C. 170.They say that the "prophesies" in Daniel had already been fulfilled by this time and were therefore not prophecies at all. They were simply a record of historic events written in the form of prophecies.Of course what this position does is make Daniel a lie and an attempted deception.

The problem is that at least one of the prophesy in Daniel 9, predicts the exact day that the messiah would present himself as messiah in Jerusalem which happened some 200 years later than even the higher critics date the book. Therefore their denial of Daniel's early date is nullified. Also the Lord Jesus himself in Matt. 24:15 attributed the authorship of the book of Daniel to the prophet himself. "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel‑‑let the reader understand‑‑"

Not only that but the Septuagint, which was the Greek translation of the Old Testament, which was translated around B.C 250, contained the Book of Daniel.That means that not only was it already written, but it had been around long enough for it to be recognized as a canonical book and included in the Old Testament.

"Also Josephus the Jewish historian records an incident during the time Alexander the Great around B.C. 330 which support the early authorship of Daniel.When Alexander's invasion reached the Near East, Jaddua, the high priest went out to meet Alexander and showed him a copy of the book of Daniel in which, as we shall see Alexander is clearly mentioned. He was so impressed by this that instead of destroying Jerusalem, he entered the city peaceably and worshiped at the temple". (McGee P. 8) Ezekiel, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, and Zephaniah were Daniel's contemporaries.

D. Its Purpose:

John MacArthur said, "Daniel was written to encourage the exiled Jews by revealing God's program for them...Prominent above every other theme in the book is God's sovereign control over the affairs of all rulers and nations, and their final replacement with the True King". And that, "God had not suffered defeat in allowing Israel's fall but was providentially working His purposes..."

E. Its Divisions:

Chapters 1:1-2:4 Written in Hebrew to the Jews

Chapters 2:4-7:28 Written in Aramaic to the Gentiles

Chapters 8-12 Written in Hebrew to the Jews

Aramaic was the "lingua franca" (universal language) of the ancient world. The Aramaic section was written to the Gentiles to reveal the uninterrupted political supremacy of the Gentiles over Israel during a period of time called by Jesus, "The times of he Gentiles",

Luke 21:24 "They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled".

The times of the gentiles will last from B.C. 605 until the beginning of the millennial at which time political supremacy will be restored to Israel represented by the Christ who will occupy the throne of David in Jerusalem.(We are still living in the "times of the gentiles".

E. Its Outline

1. The historical introduction. Chapter 1

2. The temporary dominion and the final destiny of the Gentile world. Chapters 2-7.

3. The temporary subjection and the final destiny of the nation of Israel Chapters 8-12.