Daniel

The book of Daniel has two major parts. The first is the story of Daniel, renamed Belteshazzar by King Nebechanezzer, and his adventures in the royal service. The second part is a prophecy concerning the wars of the kings of Greece sorrounding Daniel's time. Following is a discussion of the first part.

Because of Israel's repeated disloyalty to Jehovah, they were overtaken by the Babylonian king, Nebechanezzer. It is under this premise that we meet Daniel, an up and coming star who was clearly filled with God's power. He along with his friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, were taken into training for King Nebechanezzer's royal service. Daniel and his friends grew exceedingly wise on a diet of only vegetables and water. When Belteshazzar finally met them, they impressed him more than any of their peers. The king renamed Daniel as Belteshazzar, Hananiah as Shadrach, Mishael as Meshach, and Azariah as Abednego.

One day, King Nebechanezzer had a troublesome dream. He decided that his magicians should interpret it without being told what it was. Their knowledge of the king's dream in the first place would act like a proof that their interpretation of it was also genuine. Of coarse the magicians couldn't interpret it and they even let the king know strait up. The king got mad and declared that all of his magicians and wise men were to be put to death on a certain day unless they could recall and then interpret the dream. Sadly, this included Daniel and his friends! After asking for Jehovah's help, Daniel told the king his dream and what it meant, without first being told what the dream actually was. Daniel was elevated for the interpretation and the king honored him greatly.

On another occasion, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were made to stand in front of the king's statue of a false god. No pressure. Then the king commanded everyone there, including Daniel's three friends, to bow down and worship his new god at the band's sound. Fearing god, Daniel's three friends refused to listen to the king's command. The king called them forward and gave them one more chance to listen. The king was enraged to find them refusing again. He ordered a furnace heated up several times hotter than normal and had them thrown in. The flames were so hot that the men who threw them in were themselves burned alive. It didn't take long for the king and those with him to see Daniel's friends walking around in the flames, invincible. There was even a fourth being, algelic like in appearance, with them in the furnace. Calling them out of the blaze, the king then declared that anyone who'd badmouth their god would be destroyed!

Having already gained the king's trust, Nebechanezzer told Daniel another dream. Daniel interpreted that a big tree in the dream was the king himself. The tree being chopped down and stunted with an iron plate simbolized the king losing his domain and being thrown out of society. However, after learning humility, the king was reinstated. He even wrote a letter to others around the world declaring the greatness of God.

Belteshazzar's son, Belshazzar, eventually succeeded him as king. Together Belshazzar and his royal friends had a drinking party. God didn't like seeing the silverware from his temple being used in such a shameful and profane manner so he sent a hand to write a foreign language on the wall. Having heard of Daniel, Belteshazzar called for him and asked for an explanation. Daniel said that because of the king's sin, the kingdom would be given away. Of coarse the prophecy came to pass soon after. After all, Daniel had a knack from God for telling the future.