Daniel 3:1-2
Overview of Daniel Chapter 3
Daniel chapter 3 records Nebuchadnezzar constructing an image of himself
which is the direct result of Daniel’s interpretation in Daniel 2:38, which records
Daniel telling the king that he was the head of gold of the statue. There are some
commentators who suggest like Archer that the statue was not of himself but of
one of the Babylonian gods, like Nabu. However, there is an obvious connection
between the head of gold in the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel
chapter 2 and the gold statue constructed by the king in chapter 3. That the events
recorded in chapter 3 follow the events recorded in chapter 2 is indicated by the
fact Daniel’s three friends are functioning in their new positions of authority (3:12)
to which they were appointed by Nebuchadnezzar (2:49) per Daniel’s request.
Donald Campbell writes “The time of the event is not given, indicating that it is
not crucial to an understanding of the story. The fact that it followed the time of the
prophetic dream of chapter 2 and the subsequent revelation of Daniel and his
friends is indicated in chapter ‘There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the
affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’ (verse 12).
This fact, together with the general narrative, seems to indicate that little time
elapsed between chapter 2 and 3.” (Daniel: God’s Man in a Secular Society;
Discovery House Publishers; page 41;1988)
Furthermore, chapter 4 records the Lord judging Nebuchadnezzar and deposing
him for seven years and giving him a mind of an animal resulting in the king acting
like an animal for those years. This was to bring the king to the place where he
acknowledges the Lord’s sovereignty over him and that he is subordinated to the
Lord. The construction of this image of himself was due to his megalomania,
which the Lord deals with in chapter 4, which records the Lord’s response to the
arrogance of Nebuchadnezzar recorded in chapter 3.
Campbell commenting on Nebuchadnezzar’s actions in chapter 3 writes “The
fact that the image was made of gold, probably gold overlay, relates the incident to
the vision of chapter 2 and explains the motivation for the erection of this image.
As Daniel reviewed the parts of the statue in the king’s dream, Nebuchadnezzar
was told that he was the head of gold; that is, that the great kingdom of Babylon in
the person of its king was represented only by the head of gold. Impressed at first
with the magnitude and scope of what Daniel revealed, the king was content. But
as he thought about the inferior kingdoms that were to succeed his own, he reacted
vigorously. One writer reconstructs the scene: ‘In the next 30 days, while the
construction of the golden image was in progress, the evil spirit of pride and
rebellion in the heart of Nebuchadnezzar seemed to grow apace. More and more
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obsessed did he become with the determination not only to exalt himself but even
deify himself. The image was to be at the same time an object of worship and a
symbolical declaration of the perpetuity of the kingdom of Babylon and a denial of
the word that had come from the Revealer of secrets that ‘another kingdom shall
arise after thee.’ (James R. Graham, The Prophet-Statesmen [Bulter, Ind.: Higley,
1955], 78).” (Ibid, page 42)
Nebuchadnezzar’s actions in constructing an image of himself to be
worshipped, was not unusual in the ancient world. The Assyrian kings also set up
statues of themselves symbolizing their dominion. Also, the Hellenistic kings did
the same. The Roman emperors deified themselves as well.
J. Vernon McGee addresses the issue as to why Nebuchadnezzar would do such
a thing after just receiving revelation from God that He will destroy all Gentile
power and establish His kingdom on earth. He writes “What did Nebuchadnezzar
really have in mind in making this image? We can observe here three things: (1)
The making of this image shows the rebellion of Nebuchadnezzar against the God
of heaven who had given him world dominion. Instead of gratitude, this is a
definite act or rebellion. (2) This also shows his vaunted pride in making an image
which evidently was self-deification. The Roman emperors also attempted this
later on. (3) Obviously, Nebuchadnezzar was seeking a unifying principle to weld
together the tribes and tongues and peoples of his kingdom into one great
totalitarian government. In other words, he was attempting to institute a world
religion. This was nothing in the world but a repetition of the tower of Babel-a
forming of one religion for the world.” (McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible with J.
Vernon McGee, volume 3: Genesis-Deuteronomy; pages 545-544; Published in
Nashville, Tennessee by Thomas Nelson Inc. 1981)
Some commentators such as Farrar call chapter 3 “historic fiction” whereas
Montgomery who says that the author of the book of Daniel “drew its materials
from popular legends.” However, this is the result of the rejection of the
supernatural. The miracle of Daniel’s three friends not being consumed by the
flames of the furnace is rejected by those who deny the supernatural and the
immanency of God, which says that God intervenes in the affairs of men. There is
nothing in the context of chapter three or the entire book which suggests that the
events recorded in chapter three are an allegory or fiction. Rather, they make clear
that the events in chapter 3 are historical.
Gleason Archer commenting on chapter three, writes “Despite Yahweh’s
warning through the dream and interpretation that he would judge and destroy the
idol-worshipping empires, Nebuchadnezzar forgot his new religious insights and
proceeded to force on all his subjects-even the Yahweh worshipping Jews-the
worship of the patron god of the Chaldean government. This not only indicates the
superficial nature of his earlier confession of Yahweh as ‘God of god and Lord of
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kings’ (2:47), but it also suggests an egotism tending toward megalomania. Yet we
cannot be certain why he took this extraordinary step. He many have felt, like
many pagans, that multiple loyalties were permissible in worshipping the gods. He
may have seen no more conflict between worshipping several different deities than
between serving a local government and the central government. In any event, he
laid down no requirement for his subjects to renounce or to cease private worship
of their own personal gods; he simply demanded complete loyalty to the state, as
represented by this public ceremony of prostration before his patron god
(presumably Nabu). Failure tgo do this would not only amount to impiety and
irreligion, it would also be treason.” (Archer Jr., Gleason L.; The Expositor’s Bible
Commentary, volume 7: Daniel-Minor Prophets; page 50; Regency Reference
Library; Zondervan Publishing House; Grand Rapids, Michigan; 1985)
Thomas Constable has the following comment with regards to chapter 3 writes
“There is a logical connection between the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his
dream (ch. 2) and the image that he had built on the plain of Dura (ch. 3). Perhaps
he got the idea for the statue he built from the statue he saw in his dream. He
forgot, however, the lesson that he had learned about Yahweh's sovereignty (2:47).
Evidently thoughts of his position as the head of gold made him proud. We know
that this chapter describes events that followed those in chapter 2 because Daniel's
three friends had assumed their positions of administrative leadership in Babylon
(v. 12). How much later is unclear, though it seems that several years had elapsed.
What follows is the account of a ceremony designed to unify the empire under
Nebuchadnezzar's leadership, which normally would have happened fairly early in
his reign.” (Constable, Thomas L., Notes on Daniel-2007 Edition, page 37;
copyright 2007; Published by Sonic Light: http://www.soniclight.com)
John Walvoord has the following comment on chapter 3, he writes “The
account of the golden image which was erected on the plain of Dura records
Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction to the revelation of chapter 2 in which he was
symbolized by the head of gold. The astounding courage and deliverance of
Daniel’s companions, who refused to worship the image, has inspired the people of
God in similar times of trial. The chapter as a whole, however, is often regarded as
merely providing historical insight into the characteristics of this period. Works
devoted to study of the prophecies of Daniel often omit consideration of chapter 3
entirely as do S. P. Tregelles and Robert D. Culver. Others, such as Geoffrey R.
King, interpret the chapter as not only history but parable and prophecy. The
introduction of the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 3 immediately
following Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the great image depicting Gentile times,
even if its parabolic implications are ignored, obviously is intended to convey not
only spiritual truth in general, but characteristics of the times of the Gentiles. Its
study, accordingly, not only provides spiritual insights but contributes to the
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overall presentation of prophecy in Daniel.” (Daniel: The Key to Prophetic
Revelation; page 79; Moody Press; Chicago; 1971)
The outline of chapter is as follows: (1) The image is built (3:1-7) (2) The Jews
are accused (3:8-12) (3) The accused exercise faith in God (3:13-18) (4) God
delivers the accused (3:19-30).
Justified Civil Disobedience in Daniel Chapter 3
Daniel chapter 3 presents a classic case of justified civil disobedience. The
Bible does teach that there are certain circumstances in which the Christian is
justified in disobeying the governmental authorities. This is called “civil
disobedience,” which is the performance of an intentional act that is prohibited by
the civil authorities or a refusal to perform an act that is required by the civil
authority (The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Second Edition, page 263).
Christians are commanded to obey the Lord their God (Deuteronomy 13:4;
Jeremiah 7:23; John 14:15) and they are also called upon to obey the governing
authorities (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17; Titus 3:1). However, civil
disobedience becomes an issue for the Christian when these two claims upon the
Christian come into conflict meaning when God commands us to do something
like proclaim the gospel and teach the Word of God and the civil authorities
prohibit this. The solution to this conflict is that the Christian is to obey God. This
is illustrated in Acts 5:27-32 when the apostles were commanded by the Jewish
authorities to not proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and Peter told them “we must
obey God rather than men.”
In Exodus 1, the Hebrew midwives disobeyed Pharaoh of Egypt’s command to
murder infant boys who were born to the Israelite women since murder is against
the law of God (Genesis 9:5-6). There was a similar situation in contemporary
history where German Christians under Hitler’s Nazi regime rightly refused to
hand over Jews to be murdered for the same reason why the Hebrew midwives
refused to murder Jewish boys since murder is against the law of God.
In Daniel 3, Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego refused
to worship the image that Nebuchadnezzar set up and they were justified in doing
so since God prohibited the Israelites from practicing idolatry (Exodus 20:4). Also,
in Daniel 6, the civil authorities prohibited Daniel from praying to the God of
Israel and Daniel correctly disobeyed because obeying God is required if the civil
authorities contradict God or prohibit the Christian from obeying God.
The Lord’s dealing with Korah’s rebellion against Moses’ authority is an
example of the seriousness with which God takes rebellion to governing authorities
when there is no justification (Numbers 16:3, 13, 30, 32-35, 41, 49). Another
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example is the Lord’s dealing with the sister of Moses, Miriam, who rebelled
against her brother’s authority (Numbers 12).
Jude 5-9 reveals that even Michael the elect angel respects the authority of
Satan who exercises temporary authority over the earth. Now, if Michael the elect
angel respects the authority of the author of evil, Satan himself, how much more
should Christians obey the governmental authorities in their own nation, no matter
how corrupt or evil?
Richard Halverson the former chaplain of the United States Senate wrote, “To
be sure, men will abuse and misuse the institution of the State just as man because
of sin has abused and misused every other institution in history including the
Church of Jesus Christ, but this does not mean that the institution is bad or that it
should be forsaken. It simply means that men are sinners and rebels in God’s
world, and this is the way they behave with good institutions. As a matter of fact, it
is because of this very sin that there must be human government to maintain order
in history until the final and ultimate rule of Jesus Christ is established. Human
government is better than anarchy, and the Christian must recognize the ‘divine
right’ of the State.” (Halverson, R: Prologue to Prison: Cowman Publishers, 1964)
Genesis 9:5-6 records for us the establishment of the fourth and final divine
institution.
Genesis 9:5-6 “Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will
require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the
life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in
the image of God He made man.” (NASB95)
The Word of God prohibits murder according to Exodus 20:13 and is one of the
sins that God hates according to Proverbs 6:16-19 and according to Genesis 9:6 is
to be punished through capital punishment.
“I will require” is the verb darash, which is a judicial term used with reference
to both men and animals and expresses the fact God seeks “restitution” for murder
by the execution of the murderer or the animal who has taken a human life.
As a result of the total depravity of mankind, God instituted capital punishment
in order to protect both animal and human life and to curb violence and be a
deterrent to crime. The reason why this provision is given is found in the phrase
“for in the image of God, He (the Lord) made (`asah, “modeled”) (the soul of)
man.”
The emphasis of this stipulation recorded in Genesis 9:5-6 does “not” refer to
vengeance but rather justice and the careful recognition of the sacredness of the
divine image in man, though marred by sin.
Murder is a shocking affront to God and a terrible crime against one’s fellow
man. Before the Flood the lack of capital punishment led to blood vendettas (Gen.
4) and without instinctive fear, the animals corrupted their behavior.
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Genesis 9:5-6 records the institution of human government where God
delegated authority to mankind as His agents in exacting retribution by capital
punishment upon those who take a human life indicating as well that this is not a
personal matter but a social obligation. Before the Flood, there was no formal
arrangement of human government and thus no formal punishment of crime or of
crime prevention, even for the capital crime of murder, as evident in the individual
histories of Cain and Lamech (Genesis 4).
The absence of human government and the total depravity of mankind led to a
universal state of violence and anarchy, which resulted in the judgment of the
Flood. God established capital punishment and thereby human government in order
to prevent the conditions of the antediluvian period from developing again.
Numbers 35:30-34, Deuteronomy 17:6-7 and 19:15 teach that capital
punishment “cannot” take place unless there are two or more witnesses to the
crime and that they all agree in their testimony after being individually
interviewed. Capital punishment is taught in the Old Testament (Ex. 21:12, 15-17;
22:2, 18-20; Num. 35:6-34; Deut. 19:1-13; 24:7) and in the New Testament (Rom.
13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13). The fact that capital punishment was instituted does “not”
mean that there is never to be an exception to the punishment of execution for the
crime of murder.
With God, justice may be tempered with mercy, in response to repentance. For
example, David was guilty of the capital crimes of murder and adultery in the case
of Uriah and Bathsheba respectively and God forgave David when he confessed
his sin and thus David instead of dying by stoning or the sword as he deserved,
“died in a good old age, full of days, riches and honor (1 Chron. 29:28). Also, the
woman caught in the act of adultery was guilty by the Mosaic Law of a crime
punishable by death (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22) and the Lord Jesus seeing her heart
of repentance, was moved to forgive her and to see that she was set free (Jn. 8:311). In like manner, a judge or a governor is warranted in taking such mitigating
factors as may exist in a given situation into consideration in determining a
sentence, legal penalty of capital punishment.
The essential point is that man was delegated authority and responsibility of
human government by God and that this responsibility first entails the recognition
of the sacredness of human life and that man is created in the image of God and the
recognition of capital punishment as the just and legal penalty for murder. It is
clear that the authority for capital punishment implies also the authority to
establish laws governing human activities and personal relationships, which if
unregulated would lead to murder, robbery, adultery, thus this instruction to Noah
is the fundamental basis for all human legal and governmental institutions.
Human government was designed by God to protect the freedom of the
individual, both believers and unbelievers as well. It was instituted by God and was
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designed for the protection of the freedom of individuals. Capital punishment was
to be employed by nations as a protection for the freedom of its citizens and was
designed by God as an instrument of justice. It was designed to be a deterrent in a
nation.
If the human race, which is enslaved to the sin nature, does not have restraints
put on it, it will destroy itself. The government has the responsibility to practice
capital punishment in order to protect the freedom its citizens. The force of what
Paul writes in Romans 13:1-7 is greatly increased as a result of understanding that
Nero was ruling Rome at the time. The force of his request in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 is
also greatly increased if we realize he requested in this passage that the Ephesian
church intercede in prayer to the Father on behalf of kings and all those in
authority and Nero was the Emperor.
The Great Faith and Courage of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
Daniel chapter 3 also records the great courage of Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego in the face of great adversity and life threatening circumstances, which
was the direct result of their great faith in the Lord. Faith produces courage
whereas unbelief produces cowardice and so we see that the faith of Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego produced courage in their souls. Faith honors the Lord
whereas unbelief dishonors the Lord because it calls into question His integrity and
ability to deliver on His promises. Faith is obedience to God’s commands and is
the positive response to God’s commands and acting upon those directions.
Unbelief on the other hand is disobedient and is the negative response to God’s
commands and as a result the failure to act upon God’s commands. Unbelief not
only occupies itself with difficulties but also magnifies and exaggerates them so
that spiritual defeat (Rm. 7) rules out experiencing victory (Rm. 8). Fear is a result
of unbelief and unbelief is failure to trust that God will protect and provide for us.
So we see quite clearly that Daniel rested in the promise that the Lord would
protect him and is therefore, operated in faith rather than unbelief and was not
occupied with this life threatening situation or magnifying it or exaggerating it.
There are three forms of perception: (1) Empiricism: Trusting in one’s
experiences in life to make decisions. (2) Rationalism: Trusting in one’s intellect
to make decisions in life. (3) Faith: Trusting in the authority of another to make
decisions in life.
Faith is the only system of perception that God will accept because it is
compatible with His grace policy (Ephesians 2:8-9). The object of the Christian’s
faith at the moment of salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ and the object of his faith
after conversion is the written Word of God.
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Faith for the Christian is trusting in the authority of the Word of God in order to
govern one’s life. Faith is obedience to God’s commands and is the positive
response to God’s commands and acting upon those directions.
The Bible never separates faith from obedience (cf. Hebrews 11:8). Unbelief on
the other hand is disobedient and is the negative response to God’s commands and
as a result the failure to act upon God’s commands (Hebrews 3:12).
After conversion the believer is to walk by means of faith in the Word of God
(2 Corinthians 5:7; Galatians 2:20; Romans 1:16-17; Hebrews 10:37-38). Just as
the Christian received the Lord Jesus as his Savior by exercising faith in Him for
eternal salvation, so after conversion he is to live by the same principle of faith
(Compare Ephesians 2:8-9 with Colossians 2:5-7).
The principle of faith operates quite simply: (1) God speaks and we hear His
Word. (2) We trust His Word and act on it no matter what the circumstances are or
what the consequences may be.
The circumstances may be impossible, and the consequences frightening and
unknown but we obey God’s Word just the same and believe Him to do what is
right and what is best.
Hebrews 11:1-3 gives a definition of faith and also a description of the nature of
faith or in other words, what faith does and how it works.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction
of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval. 3 By faith we
understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is
seen was not made out of things which are visible. (NASB95)
Faith is the positive response and obedience to God’s commands and
prohibitions and acting upon those directions whereas unbelief on the other hand is
disobedient and is the negative response to God’s commands and as a result the
failure to act upon God’s commands.
A Christian’s faith is based upon trusting in the authority of the Scriptures in
order to govern his life and is a non-meritorious system of perception. The object
of the sinner’s faith for eternal salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ and the object of
his faith after conversion is the written Word of God. In order for the Christian to
please God and gain His approval he must trust in the authority of the Scriptures to
govern his life (See Hebrews 11:6).
Fellowship with God is based upon a moment-by-moment walk of faith in the
Lord.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who
live, but Christ lives in me; and the {life} which I now live in the flesh I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (NASB95)
Faith in the Word of God is the way to victory over the enemy, Satan.
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1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is
the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith. (NASB95)
In fact, the believer is commanded to take up for himself the shield of faith.
Ephesians 6:16 In addition to everything, I solemnly charge all of you to
take up for yourselves your shield, which is your faith because that will enable
all of you to extinguish all the flaming arrows originating from the evil one.
(Author’s translation)
The believer acquires faith through hearing the communication of the Word of
Christ.
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of
Christ. (NASB95)
Answered prayer requires faith and is thus an expression of confidence in God’s
ability to meet one’s need (Matt. 8:10; Luke 7:9; Matt. 9:22; Mark 5:34; Luke
8:48; Matt. 9:29; 17:20; Luke 17:5; Mark 9:29; Matt. 21:22; Mark 11:24; 1 John
3:21-22; James 1:5-8; 5:15).
True faith regards what has been requested as one’s own possession even
though the request has not been received. Faith is an attitude toward God, in which
the believer considers God to be faithful who will perform all that which He is
promised in His Word. This attitude is illustrated in Philippians 1:6.
The great Old Testament saints were men and women who lived by this
principle of faith. Hebrews 11:1-3 gives a definition of faith and also a description
of the nature of faith or in other words, what faith does and how it works. Hebrews
11 lists many individuals who express faith in God by being obedient to His Word,
thus God bears witness to them in His Word…what an honor. They honored God
by trusting in His promises, thus God honors them. These individuals are
summarized in Hebrews 12:1 as the “so great a cloud of witnesses.”
Hebrews 11:4-40 is devoted to a summary of the lives and labors of great men
and women of faith who lived in Old Testament dispensations, Abraham. In each
instance, you will find the same elements of faith: (1) God spoke to them through
His Word. (2) They responded to His Word and obeyed God. (3) God bore witness
about them.
The Lord will test the believer’s faith after conversion in order to produce
endurance in them.
James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various
trials, 2 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance 3 and let
endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking in nothing. (NASB95)
The Lord rewards the believer after his faith has been tested.
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James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has
been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised
to those who love Him. (NASB95)
Persecution of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
Daniel chapter three records the persecution of Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego. Persecution is the suffering or pressure, mental, moral, or physical,
which authorities, individuals, or crowds inflict on others, especially for opinions
or beliefs, with a view to their subjection by recantation, silencing, or, as a last
resort, execution.
That persecution of believers took place in Old Testament dispensations is
clearly attested to by what Jesus said to the Pharisees. He specially referred to the
innocent blood which had been shed in those times, and told them that they were
showing themselves heirs in a legal sense to their fathers who had persecuted the
righteous, “from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah”
(Mt 23:35).
In the period between the close of the Old Testament and the coming of Christ,
there was much and protracted suffering endured by the Jews, because of their
refusal to embrace idolatry, and of their fidelity to the Mosaic Law and the worship
of God. During that time there were many patriots who were true martyrs, and
those heroes of faith, the Maccabees, were among those who “know their God ....
and do exploits” (Dan 11:32).
Hebrews 11 lists a number of Old Testament believers that suffered
persecution. The nation of Israel suffered persecution throughout her history. She
will face her greatest persecution during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s
Seventieth Week.
The following is a chronology of events during the first three and a half years of
this period: (1) The rise of the Ten Nation Confederacy called the Revived Roman
Empire at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week (Dan. 2; 7). (2) Antichrist rises to
power as the King of the Western Confederacy in Europe (Dan. 7:20, 24; 9:27;
Rev. 13:1-10). (3) The rise of the revived form of the Roman Empire under
Antichrist during the first three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week will
be accompanied by the formulation of a false religious system under the false
prophet (Rev. 13:11-18). (4) Antichrist’s peace treaty with the leadership of Israel,
which takes place after the rapture of the church and actually begins Daniel’s
Seventieth Week.
Toward the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week, Michael the archangel and his
legions of elect-angels will expel Satan and his legions from heaven (Rev. 12:7).
Once Satan is thrown down permanently on the earth, he will inspire the leader of
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Russia and her allies to invade Israel during the midway point of Daniel’s
Seventieth Week according to Ezekiel 38-39.
Ezekiel chapters thirty eight and thirty nine reveals that the Lord Himself will
destroy this invasion by Russia who will be accompanied by Georgia, Ukraine,
Turkey, Iran, Ethiopia, Sudan and Libya.
The next major event will be Antichrist breaking his treaty with the Israel. The
Russian led invasion of Israel will cause the Antichrist to break his treaty with
Israel and occupy Israel according to Daniel 11:41. As a result as a result of the
power vacuum in the world caused by the destruction of Russia’s military, the
Antichrist will become a world ruler (Rev. 6:1-2; 13:5, 7; 17:12-13).
Antichrist will receive will be worshipped world-wide (Daniel 11:36; 2
Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:14-15) and during this time Jerusalem will be
occupied by Gentile armies. The prophet Daniel predicts that Antichrist will enter
Israel and occupy it during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth
Week.
The prophet Zechariah speaks of the occupation of Israel during the last three
and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
Zechariah 14:1 Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken
from you will be divided among you. 2 For I will gather all the nations against
Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the
women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not
be cut off from the city. (NASB95)
The occupation of Jerusalem during the last three and half years of Daniel’s
Seventieth Week is predicted in Revelation 11:1-2.
Accompanying this occupation of Israel and her capital Jerusalem will be a
great world-wise persecution of the Jews inspired by Satan himself.
Anti-Semitism will be at its height. “Anti-Semitism” is opposition to, prejudice
against, or intolerance of the Jewish people. However, as we noted in our studies in
the book of Genesis, the term “Semite” encompasses much more than just the
Jews.
The term “Semite” refers to those peoples that are descended from one of
Noah’s three sons, “Shem” the other two sons were “Japheth” and “Ham.” In the
book of Genesis and 1 Chronicles 1-2, the names of children are listed in the order
in which they were born, thus, the phrase “Shem, Ham and Japheth” appears in
Genesis 5:32, 6:10, 7:13, 9:18, 10:1 and 1 Chronicles 1:4, indicating that Shem
was the oldest followed by Ham and then Japheth as the youngest.
The fact that Shem is the older brother of Japheth is confirmed in Genesis
10:21. 1 Chronicles 1:5-7 lists the descendants of Japheth and then 1 Chronicles
1:8-16 lists the descendants of Ham and lastly 1 Chronicles 1:17-27 lists the
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descendants of Shem up to Abraham and then only the line of Shem continues
forward.
1 Chronicles 1:28 records that Abraham had two sons Isaac and Ishmael. 1
Chronicles 1:34 records that Isaac had a son called Israel who is also known as
Jacob. 1 Chronicles 2:1-2 records the twelve sons of Israel from whom the nation
of Israel originates. The descendants of Shem are recorded in Genesis 10:22-31,
and 1 Chronicles 1:17-27.
Noah’s prophecy in Genesis 9:26 records that God elected the line of Shem to
rule the earth and that the line of Shem would produce the promised “Seed” and
fulfill the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 to crush the head of the serpent, Satan.
In His human nature, Jesus Christ is descended from Shem and Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob and is from the tribe of Judah. Therefore, the Jews are but one branch of
the Semitic peoples, which include the Arabs, Syrians, Assyrians, Babylonians and
Persians.
Revelation 12 predicts that Israel will the face the worst persecution in her
history during the last three and half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week. This
chapter also teaches that “Anti-Semitism” is Satanic in origin since it teaches that
Satan has persecuted the nation of Israel throughout her history because the
Messiah would be a Jew.
Revelation 12:1-5 refers to the history of the nation of Israel from its inception
to the ascension and session of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman (Nation of
Israel) clothed with the sun (Represents Jacob), and the moon (Represents
Rachel and Leah) under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars
(Represents 12 Sons of Jacob) 2 and she was with child (Represents Jesus
Christ); and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. 3 Then
another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon (Represents
Satan) having seven heads (Represents 7 great Gentile world empires: (1) Egypt
(2) Assyria (3) Babylon (4) Medo-Persia (5) Graeco-Macedonia (6) Rome (7)
Future Revived Roman Empire) and ten horns (10 Ten European Confederacy,
i.e. Revived Roman Empire), and on his heads were seven diadems. 4 And his
tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven (Represents fallen angels) and
threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was
about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 6
And she gave birth to a son, a male child (Jesus Christ), who is to rule all the
nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His
throne (Ascension and Session of Jesus Christ). (NASB95)
Revelation 12:6-17 refers to the last three and half years of Daniel’s Seventieth
Week.
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Revelation 12:6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a
place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand
two hundred and sixty days (Last 3 ½ years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week).
(NASB95)
Revelation 12:7-9 refers to Satan being tossed out of heaven during the midway
point of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels
waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and
they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them
in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is
called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown
down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (NASB95)
Revelation 12:10-17 refers to Satan’s persecution of the nation of Israel during
the last three and half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the
salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of
His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down,
he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame
him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their
testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12 For
this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth
and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath,
knowing that he has only a short time.’ 13 And when the dragon saw that he
was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the
male child. 14 But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman,
so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished
for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 And
the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so
that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16 But the earth
helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river
which the dragon poured out of his mouth. 17 So the dragon was enraged with
the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep
the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” (NASB95)
The prophet Jeremiah speaks of this greatest persecution in Israel’s history.
Jeremiah 30:5 For thus says the LORD, “I have heard a sound of terror, of
dread, and there is no peace. 6 Ask now, and see if a male can give birth. Why
do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth? And
why have all faces turned pale? 7 Alas! for that day is great, there is none like
it; And it is the time of Jacob's distress, but he will be saved from it.”
(NASB95)
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In His great Olivet Discourse, in Matthew 24:9, the Lord Jesus Christ predicts
this great persecution of the nation of Israel.
Matthew 24:9 Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you,
and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. (NASB95)
In the Greek New Testament, diogmos, which is related to dioko and dioktes is
used always of Christians suffering “persecution” in relation to their identification
with the Word of God in the form of the gospel (Matthew 13:21; Mark 4:7; 10:30;
Acts 8:1; 13:50; Romans 8:35; 2 Corinthians 12:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; 2
Timothy 3:11 twice). In the case of Christ Himself, persecution took the form of
attempts to entrap Him in His speech (Mt 22:15); the questioning of His authority
(Mk 11:28); illegal arrest; the heaping of every insult upon Him as a prisoner; false
accusation; and a violent and most cruel death.
After our Lord’s resurrection the first attacks against His disciples came from
the high priest and his party. The high-priesthood was then in the hands of the
Sadducees, and one reason which moved them to take action of this kind was their
“sore trouble,” because the apostles “proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from
the dead” (Acts 4:2; 5:17).
The gospel based upon the resurrection of Christ was evidence of the untruth of
the chief doctrines held by the Sadducees, for they held that there is no
resurrection. But instead of yielding to the evidence of the fact that the resurrection
had taken place, they opposed and denied it, and persecuted His disciples.
For a time the Pharisees were more moderate in their attitude toward the
Christian faith, as is shown in the case of Gamaliel (Acts 5:34). On one occasion
they were willing even to defend the apostle Paul (Acts 23:9) on the doctrine of the
resurrection. But gradually the whole of the Jewish people became bitter
persecutors of the Christians. Thus, in the earliest of the Pauline Epistles, Paul
mentioned the Jews persecution of Christians.
1 Thessalonians 2:14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches
of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same
sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the
Jews, 15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out.
They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, 16 hindering us from
speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they
always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the
utmost. (NASB95)
Coming now to New Testament times, persecution was frequently foretold by
Christ, as certain to come to those who were His true disciples and followers.
The Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples to not be afraid of persecution from
the authorities as a result of proclaiming the Gospel but rather, He told them to fear
God (Luke 11:53-54; 12:1-12).
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The Lord Jesus forewarned them again and again that it was inevitable and said
that He Himself must suffer it (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; Mark 8:31). It would be
a test of true discipleship.
In the parable of the Sower, He mentions this as one of the causes of defection
among those who are Christians in outward appearance only (Mark 4:17). It would
be a sure means of gaining a blessing, whenever it came to His loyal followers
when they were in the way of well-doing; and He thus speaks of it in two of the
Beatitudes (Matthew 5:10-11).
Persecution would take different forms, ranging through every possible variety,
from false accusation to the infliction of death, beyond which, He pointed out
(Matthew 10:28; Lk 12:4), persecutors are unable to go.
There were several methods of persecution which were employed by the Jews,
and also by the heathen against the followers of Christ. Men would revile them and
would say all manner of evil against them falsely, for Christ’s sake (Matthew
5:11). There would be contempt and disparagement (John 8:48; Matthew 10:25).
Christians would be forcibly separated from the company and society of others and
expelled from synagogues or other assemblies for the worship of God due to their
loyalty to Christ (Luke 6:22; John 16:2). They would be illegally arrested and be
executed.
It was the fear of apprehension and death that led the eleven disciples to forsake
Jesus in Gethsemane and to flee for their lives. Jesus often forewarned them of the
severity of the persecution which they would need to encounter if they were loyal
to Him (John 16:2; Matthew 23:34).
Serious persecution of the Christian church began with the case of Stephen
(Acts 7:1-60); and his lawless execution was followed by “a great persecution”
directed against the Christians in Jerusalem. This “great persecution” (Acts 8:1)
scattered the members of the church, who fled in order to avoid bonds and
imprisonment and death. At this time Saul signalized himself by his great activity,
persecuting “this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both
men and women” (Acts 22:4).
James the brother of John, who was slain with the sword by Herod Agrippa
(Acts 12:2). Peter also was imprisoned, and was delivered only by an angel (12:711).
Three of the books of the New Testament bear the marks of that most cruel
persecution under Nero, the Second Epistle to Timothy, the First Epistle of Peter
and the Revelation of John.
In 2 Timothy, Paul speaks of his impending condemnation to death, and the
terror inspired by the persecution causes “all” to forsake him when he is brought to
public trial (2 Tim 4:16).
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The “fiery trial” is spoken of in 1 Peter, and Christians are exhorted to
maintain their faith with patience. This important epistle proves a general
persecution (1:6; 4:12, 16) in Asia Minor North of the Taurus (11; note especially
Bithynia) and elsewhere (5:9). The Christians suffer “for the name,” but not the
name alone (4:14). They are the objects of vile slanders (2:12, 15; 3:14-16; 4:4,
15), as well as of considerable zeal on the part of officials. As regards the slanders,
the Christians should be circumspect (2:15-16; 3:16-17; 4:15). The persecution will
be short, for the end of all things is at hand (4:7, 13; 5:4).
During the period covered by the Acts there was not much purely Gentile
persecution: at that time the persecution suffered by the Christian church was
chiefly Jewish. There were, however, great dangers and risks encountered by the
apostles and by all who proclaimed the gospel then. Thus, at Philippi, Paul and
Silas were most cruelly persecuted (Acts 16:19-40); and, even before that time,
Paul and Barnabas had suffered much at Iconium and at Lystra (Acts 14: 5, 19).
On the whole the Roman authorities were not actively hostile during the greater
part of Paul's lifetime. Gallio, for instance, the deputy of Achaia, declined to go
into the charge brought by the Jews at Corinth against Paul (Acts 18:14-15-16).
When Paul had pleaded in his own defense before King Herod Agrippa and the
Roman governor Festus, these two judges were agreed in the opinion, “This man
doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds” (Acts 26:31). Indeed it is evident
(see Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen, 308) that the purpose
of Paul’s trial being recorded at length in the Acts is to establish the fact that the
preaching of the gospel was not forbidden by the laws of the Roman empire, but
that Christianity was a religio licita, a lawful religion. This legality of the Christian
faith was illustrated and enforced by the fact that when Paul’s case was heard and
decided by the supreme court of appeal at Rome, he was set free and resumed his
missionary labors, as these are recorded or referred to in the Pastoral Epistles.
There had been in the interval a complete change in the policy toward
Christianity of the Roman government. This change was due to the great fire of
Rome (July, 64). As part of the persecution which then broke out, orders were
given for the imprisonment of the Christian leaders. Poppaea, Tigellinus and their
Jewish friends were not likely to forget the prisoner of two years before. At the
time Paul was away from Rome, but steps were instantly taken for his arrest.
The legal decisions which were favorable to the Christian faith were soon
overturned on the occasion of the great fire in Rome, which occurred in July, 64.
The public feeling of resentment broke out against the emperor to such a degree
that, to avoid the stigma, just or unjust, of being himself guilty of setting the city
on fire, he made the Christians the scapegoats which he thought he needed.
Tacitus (Annals xv. 44) relates all that occurred at that time, and what he says is
most interesting, as being one of the very earliest notices found in any profane
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author, both of the Christian faith, and of Christ Himself. What Tacitus says is that
nothing that Nero could do, either in the way of gifts to the populace or in that of
sacrifice the Roman deities, could make the people believe that he was innocent of
causing the great fire which had consumed their dwellings. Hence, to relieve
himself of this infamy he falsely accused the Christians of being guilty of the crime
of setting the city on fire.
Tacitus uses the strange expression “the persons commonly called Christians
who were hated for their enormities.” This is an instance of the saying of all
manner of evil against them falsely, for Christ’s sake. The Christians, whose lives
were pure and virtuous and beneficent, were spoken of as being the offscouring of
the earth.
The first epistle of Peter is one of the parts of the New Testament which seem
to make direct reference to the Neronic persecution, and he uses words (1 Peter
4:12) ff) which may be compared with the narrative of Tacitus.
In Revelation the apostle John is in “Patmos for the word of God and the
testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 1:9). Persecution has broken out among the
Christians in the province of Asia. At Smyrna, there is suffering, imprisonment and
prolonged tribulation; but the sufferers are cheered when they are told that if they
are faithful unto death, Christ will give them the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).
At Pergamum, persecution has already resulted in Antipas, Christ’s faithful martyr,
being slain (2:13). At Ephesus and at Thyatira the Christians are commended for
their patience, evidently indicating that there had been persecution (2:2, 19). At
Philadelphia there has been the attempt made to cause the members of the church
to deny Christ’s name (3:8). Their patience is also commended, and the hour of
temptation is spoken of, which comes to try all the world, but from which Christ
promised to keep the faithful Christians in Philadelphia.
Strangely enough, there is no distinct mention of persecution having taken place
in Sardis or in Laodicea. As the book proceeds, evidences of persecution are
multiplied.
In Revelation 6:9, the apostle sees under the altar the souls of them that were
slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held; and those souls
are bidden to rest yet for a little season “until their fellow-servants also and their
brethren, who should be killed even as they were, should have fulfilled their
course” (6:11). The meaning is that there is not yet to be an end of suffering for
Christ’s sake; persecution may continue to be as severe as ever.
Revelation 20:4 I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the
testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the
beast. (NASB95)
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It is to these that reference is made in the words “had been beheaded,”
decapitation being reserved as the most honorable form of execution, for Roman
citizens only.
So terrible does the persecution of Christians by the imperial authorities
become, that Rome is “drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood
of the martyrs of Jesus” (17:6; 16:6; see also 18:24; 19:2).
Paul’s martyrdom is implied in 2 Timothy, throughout the whole epistle, and
especially in 4:6-8. The martyrdom of Peter is also implied in (John 21:18-19), and
in (2 Peter 1:14). The abiding impression made by these times of persecution upon
the mind of the apostle John is also seen in the defiance of the world found
throughout his first epistle (1 John 2:17; 5:19), and in the rejoicing over the fall of
Babylon, the great persecuting power, as that fall is described in such passages as
(Revelation 14:8; 15:2-3; 17:14; 18:24).
Undeserved Suffering of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
In Daniel chapter 3, we see that as a result of being persecuted, Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego were suffering undeservedly in order to bring glory to
God. The Bible teaches that God uses undeserved suffering to advance His
children to greater spiritual growth. The believer must experience undeserved
suffering since it is through undeserved suffering that the believer is conformed to
the image of Christ.
Underserved suffering is designed to get us to exchange our old pre-salvation
Adamic life for the new post-salvation Christ life. It is designed to draw us closer
to the Lord by leading us to appropriate by faith our union and identification with
Christ in His death, resurrection and session. It is designed to get us to rest in our
position in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:17-4:18).
There are three agencies that God employs to bring about suffering: (1) Old sin
nature (2) Cosmic system (3) Satan.
Now there are different categories of suffering: (1) Self-induced misery (2)
Divine discipline (3) Undeserved Suffering for Blessing.
The power of God in our lives is never more noticeable or conspicuous as when
we are suffering, going through adversities and even going through the process of
dying. When self has been crucified then the life of Jesus can be manifested in the
believer.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 illustrates this Biblical principle that divine power is
manifested in human weakness. This passage deals with the apostle Paul’s thorn in
the flesh.
2 Corinthians 12:1 Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I
will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who
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fourteen years ago -- whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I
do not know, God knows -- such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3
And I know how such a man -- whether in the body or apart from the body I
do not know, God knows – 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard
inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. 5 On behalf of
such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in
regard to my weaknesses. 6 For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I
will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit
me with more than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 Because of the
surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from
exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan
to torment me -- to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I
implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to
me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most
gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power
of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses,
with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's
sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (NASB95)
The Lord gave Paul this thorn in the flesh in order to prevent him from getting
too puffed up and arrogant because of his trip to the third heaven. His trip to
heaven took place when he was stoned in Lystra. The account of this is found in
Acts 14. The principle of God’s grace being sufficient to handle the storms of life
is mentioned in several passages.
Jeremiah 1:6 Then I said, “Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to
speak, because I am a youth.” 7 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am
a youth,’ because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command
you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver
you,” declares the LORD. 9 Then the LORD stretched out His hand and
touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put My words
in your mouth.” (NASB95)
Matthew 10:19 “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or
what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say.
20 For it is not you who speak, but {it is} the Spirit of your Father who speaks
in you.” (NASB95)
Luke 21:15 “for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your
opponents will be able to resist or refute.” (NASB95)
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is
common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of
escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (NASB95)
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1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace
toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet
not I, but the grace of God with me. (NASB95)
2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider
anything as {coming} from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who
also made us adequate {as} servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of
the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (NASB95)
Colossians 1:28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching
every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in
Christ. 29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power,
which mightily works within me. (NASB95)
1 Timothy 1:14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with
the faith and love which are {found} in Christ Jesus. (NASB95)
Tribulation and undeserved suffering will be the lot of God’s people while
living in enemy territory. The problems, difficulties and adversities which take
place in a believer’s life were already decreed by God the Father in eternity past to
occur and are now controlled in time by the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the
believer should have confidence and comfort in the midst of these things.
Romans 8:35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword? (NASB95)
John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have
peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome
the world.” (NASB95)
2 Corinthians 4:17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an
eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the
things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things
which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
(NASB95)
1 Thessalonians 1:6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord,
having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7
so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in
Achaia. (NASB95)
God’s will, purpose and plan will be accomplished regardless of a believer’s
difficult circumstances or seemingly insurmountable problems because God
ordained them to take place in eternity past under the divine decree. Therefore, He
has already provided a solution for every problem, difficulty and adversity in life
through the appropriation by faith of the promises in the Word of God.
The decree of God is His eternal, holy, wise and sovereign purpose,
comprehending at once all things that ever were or will be in their causes, courses,
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conditions, successions, and relations and determining their certain futurition (i.e.,
that they will certainly take place). When I say comprehending I mean that the
omniscience of God is the source of the divine decrees. When I say determining I
mean that the sovereignty of God choosing before anything has existed which
things would actually become historical events.
The decree of God is His eternal and immutable will, regarding the future
existence of events, which will happen in time and regarding the precise order and
manner of their occurrence. The decree of God is the chosen and adopted plan of
all God’s works. The decree of God is His eternal purpose according to the
counsels of His own will, whereby for His own glory He has foreordained
whatever comes to pass.
The decree of God is the sovereign choice of the divine will (His attribute of
sovereignty) and mentality (His omniscience) by which all things are brought into
being and controlled, made subject to His pleasure, and producing His glorification
(Isa. 46:10; Eph. 1:9).
“The will of God” refers here to His sovereign decision as to what would come
into existence; in other words, the divine decrees. This will and purpose of God
originated within Himself long before any creature of any kind existed. His will is
always consistent with His perfect essence.
The will and purpose of God-that is, the divine decree-was objectively designed
for His own glory, pleasure, and satisfaction. The decree of God is His eternal
purpose, according to the counsels of His own will, whereby for His own glory He
has foreordained whatever comes to pass.
The decree of God is the sovereign choice of the divine will (His attribute of
sovereignty) and mentality (His omniscience) by which all things are brought into
being and controlled, made subject to His pleasure, and producing His glorification
(Proverbs 8:15-16; Job 23:13-14).
God the Father in eternity past decreed every circumstance and adversity and
prosperity in the believer’s life.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of
adversity consider -- God has made the one as well as the other so that man
will not discover anything that will be after him. (NASB95)
The believer’s awareness of the Lord Jesus Christ controlling human history
will provide the believer with confidence and will anchor his soul (cf. Hebrews
6:17-19; Isaiah 40). Therefore, no matter how adverse the circumstances, a
believer can accomplish the Father’s will. In fact, the worse the circumstances, the
more God can be glorified. This principle that no matter how adverse the
circumstances, a person can accomplish the Father’s will was realized at the Cross
when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ suffered as an innocent Man, undeservedly
and unjustly as a common criminal.
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The worst and most terrible adversity ever suffered by a human being was when
our Lord was crucified and voluntarily died a substitutionary spiritual and physical
death for all mankind in order to accomplish the Father’s will that mankind be
reconciled to Himself. Other men in history have suffered nobly and undeservedly
such as in time of war but their suffering cannot compare to the suffering of our
Lord since our Lord was “impeccable” and all mankind are sinners (Rm. 3:10).
Therefore, our Lord’s underserved suffering was superior to the undeserved
suffering of any person in history by virtue of the fact that our Lord was “sinless.”
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the
unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the
flesh, but made alive in the spirit. (NASB95)
Thus, our Lord was the only human being in history whose undeserved
suffering had merit with the Father.
In eternity past, the Father ordained the undeserved suffering of our Lord, and
which undeserved suffering was to accomplish the Father’s will of reconciling the
entire human race to Himself (Acts 2:22-24). Therefore, there is no circumstance
or adversity or situation or person or angel that can stop God from accomplishing
His purpose in the world and in history (Isaiah 46:3-11).
Not only is there no circumstance or adversity or situation or person or angel
that can stop God from accomplishing His purpose in the world and in history but
also there is there no circumstance or adversity or situation or person or angel that
can separate the believer from the love of God (Romans 8:28-39).
Every instance of suffering has a reason and an explanation. Christian suffering
can be understood most clearly in relation to the individual believer’s spiritual
growth.
The believer who is executing the plan of God and learning Bible doctrine will
go through suffering which is undeserved (1 Thess. 3:4). It is called undeserved
because they did not bring this suffering upon themselves (1 Pet. 2:19-20; 2 Cor.
1:6). It is a privilege to suffer undeservedly for Christ’s sake.
Philippians 1:29 It has been graciously granted (the privilege) because of
Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also, to suffer (hardship) because of
Him. (Author’s translation)
God never permits us to undergo any testing that we don’t have the capacity for.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is
common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of
escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (NASB95)
Just as the Father’s plan for the Lord Jesus Christ involved undeserved
suffering so the plan of God for our lives involves undeserved suffering.
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In 2 Corinthians 3:17-4:18, Paul writes to the Corinthians regarding his
experience with undeserved suffering and his attitude regarding it.
The believer’s sole ambition in life must be to become like Christ in His death
in order to grow to spiritual maturity. Paul’s sole ambition in life was to become
like Christ by experiencing identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.
Philippians 3:10 that I come to know Him experientially and the power
from His resurrection and the participation in His sufferings by my becoming
like Him with respect to His death. (Author’s translation)
The order of thought in Philippians 3:10: (1) The believer must come to know
Christ experientially in order to attain Christ-like character and as a result to be
identified with Christ as expressed by tou gnonai auton, “that I come to know
Christ experientially.” (2) To come to know Christ experientially, the believer
must come to know experientially the power made available to him from Christ’s
resurrection and session as expressed by the phrase ten dunamin tes anastaseos
autou, “the power from His resurrection.” (3) Then the believer must experience
underserved suffering in order to experience the power made available to him from
Christ’s resurrection, as expressed by the phrase koinonian pathematon autou, “the
participation in His sufferings.” (4) The manner that must be adopted by the
believer in order for him to know Christ experientially and the power from His
resurrection and the participation in His sufferings is by becoming like Christ with
reference to His unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death and appropriating
what Christ accomplished on the cross as expressed by the phrase
summorphizomenos to thanato autou, “by my becoming like Him with respect to
His death.”
Philippians 3:11 If somehow (by becoming like Him with respect to His
death), I may attain to the exit-resurrection, namely, the one out from the
(spiritually) dead ones. (Author’s translation)
“That I come to know Him experientially” refers to experiencing fellowship
with Christ after salvation by being obedient to the Lord’s command to selfsacrificially love his fellow believer as Christ self-sacrificially loved the believer.
The believer who experiences fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ is enabling
God the Holy Spirit to reproduce in him the life and character of Christ (Galatians.
5:22-23).
“The power from His resurrection” refers to experiencing divine
omnipotence by appropriating by faith the Spirit’s revelation in the Word of God
of the believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection,
which results in experiencing identification with Christ in His resurrection.
“The participation in His sufferings by my becoming like Him with respect
to His death” refers to experiencing identification with Christ in His death by
means of underserved suffering.
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The enclitic particle of indefinite manner pos, “somehow” indicates Paul’s
uncertainty of what manner of undeserved suffering that the Lord will employ in
his life to identify him with Christ experientially in His death in order that he may
be identified with Christ experientially in His resurrection. It indicates an
unspecified form of undeserved suffering that will identify Paul with Christ
experientially in His death in order that he may attain the exit-resurrection life of
Christ, or in other words, maximum identification with Christ experientially in His
resurrection.
Undeserved suffering is the means that the Lord employs in the believer’s life
in order to identify the believer with Christ experientially in His death.
“I may attain to the exit-resurrection, namely, the one out from the
(spiritually) dead ones” refers to experiencing identification with Christ in His
resurrection, which is accomplished by applying the Word of life, which enables
the Spirit of life to reproduce the character and life of Christ in the believer.
Identification with Christ in His resurrection experientially is appropriating and
experiencing the eternal life that was imputed to the believer at the moment of
salvation through regeneration. Resurrection life is eternal life or the life of God.
The phrase “namely, the one out from the dead ones” refers to two categories
of spiritual death: (1) Real spiritual death: unregenerate people (2) Temporal
spiritual death: regenerate people who our consistently out of fellowship with God.
It was the death of Christ, which saved us from sin in the past; it is the life of
Christ, which delivers us from sin in the present and future. The teaching of the
New Testament is that the Christian life is one in which Jesus Christ lives His life
out in us. The believer cannot experience identification with Christ in His
resurrection until he first denies himself the function of his old Adamic nature,
which is experiential identification with Christ in His death.
The believer cannot appropriate and experience eternal life in time prior to his
death or the rapture until he denies himself the function of his old Adamic nature.
Thus, the believer cannot appropriate and experience eternal life in time prior to
his death or the rapture until he first experiences identification with Christ in His
death.
The believer must die to self before Christ can live out His life through the
believer. Identification with Christ experientially in His resurrection is
appropriating and experiencing eternal life in time, prior to death or the rapture.
Experiential sanctification, knowing Christ experientially, identification with
Christ experientially and gaining Christ-likeness are all synonymous terms for the
process that God puts the believer through who is positive towards His Word.
The process of experiential sanctification, identification with Christ
experientially, knowing Christ experientially or gaining Christ-likeness is two-fold:
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(1) Identification with Christ in His death experientially (2) Identification with
Christ in His resurrection experientially.
Ultimate sanctification is the perfection of the church age believer’s spiritual
life at the Rapture, i.e. resurrection of the church, which is the completion of the
plan of God for the church age believer (1 Cor. 15:53-54; Galatians. 6:8; 1 Pet.
5:10; John 6:40).
Undeserved suffering gives the believer an opportunity to appropriate by faith
his union and identification with Christ where all the believer’s spiritual blessings
and infinite wealth reside and which wealth is superior to “temporal” wealth and
riches. It is also the means by which God employs so that the believer might gain
rewards that will be given to the believer at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the
church, which will be conducted by the Lord Jesus Christ subsequent to the
Rapture of the church (2 Corinthians 4:5-18).
Advancement, promotion, spiritual growth and prosperity in the spiritual life
can only be achieved through undeserved suffering, which is experiencing
identification with Christ in His death (1 Pet. 4:12-13).
Adversity is the means that God employs to enable the believer to experience
his union and identification with Christ and all the spiritual assets and provisions
and privileges that are the result of this union and identification with Christ. The
believer who appropriates by faith his union and identification with Christ in His
death, resurrection and session will enable the Holy Spirit to develop more of the
character of Christ in his life. The apostle Paul prayed for the spiritual growth of
his disciples.
Philippians 1:9 Now, this I make it a habit to pray that your divine-love
might continue to flourish yet more and more by means of a total discerning
experiential knowledge. (Author’s translation)
In Philippians 1:9, “experiential knowledge” is the noun epignosis and refers
to an “experiential knowledge” of God’s love in Christ in the sense of personally
encountering through the process of fellowship, the love of God in Christ as it is
revealed by the Holy Spirit in the pages of Scripture and prayer and being affected
by this encounter with the love of God in Christ resulting in the gaining of practical
spiritual wisdom and more of the character of Christ.
Philippians 1:10 so that all of you might continue to choose the essentials in
order that all of you might be sincere and without offense for the day of Christ
11 by all of you being filled with the fruit produced by righteousness, which is
by means of the nature of Jesus who is the Christ for the ultimate purpose of
glorifying and praising God. (Author’s translation)
The believer can only interpret his cross by our Lord’s cross since the believer’s
spiritual life is an extension of His and finds its source in His spiritual life
(Philippians 2:5-8).
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The cross is the chief mark of the Christian since the Holy Spirit states in the
Word of God that the believer has been crucified, died and buried with Christ
(Romans 6:4-8).
The believer applies the Word of the Cross by appropriating by faith the Spirit’s
revelation in the Word of God that he has been crucified, died and buried with
Christ (Galatians 2:20).
It is only when the believer appropriates by faith the Spirit’s revelation in the
Word of God that he has been crucified, died and buried with Christ that he can
live in the life of Christ and experience the power of God in his life. Applying the
Word of the Cross refers to becoming His disciple and imitating the Lord Jesus
Christ and carrying one’s own cross (Matthew 10:24-39).
Taking up one’s cross means acquiring God’s viewpoint of ourselves, namely
that the following has been crucified with Christ at the Cross: (1) Self (Ga. 2:20).
(2) Flesh (Rm. 6:6, 11; Ga. 5:24). (3) World (Ga. 6:14). (4) Rudiments of the world
(Col. 2:20). Taking up one’s cross is being willing to experience identification with
Christ in His death on a daily basis.
Luke 9:23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after
Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For
whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My
sake, he is the one who will save it. 25 For what is a man profited if he gains
the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?” (NASB95)
The believer must deny self in order to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ and carry
his own cross.
Luke 14:25 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned
and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father
and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his
own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross
and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (NASB95)
Self-denial is the root from which self-sacrifice springs. In self-denial, selfsacrifice is tested. It will cost us something to be the Lord’s disciple (Luke 14:2835). Self-denial and carrying one’s own cross means that the believer must
surrender his will for the will of God (Luke 22:39-43).
The experience of the humanity of Christ in hypostatic union in the Garden of
Gethsemane teaches us that prayer is not necessarily unanswered when it is not
answered exactly as we would wish, which is clearly stated in Hebrews 5:7 that our
Lord’s prayers were answered.
Hebrews 5:7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and
supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from
death, and He was heard because of His reverence. (NASB95)
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In our experience, as in our Lord’s, sometimes it is only through tears and
heartbreak that we reach the place where we can say with all our hearts, “Not my
will Father, but Yours be done.” The Father is attempting to conform us into the
image of the Lord Jesus Christ so that we might adopt our Lord’s attitude towards
the Father’s will no matter how uncomfortable that might be for us.
The Lord Jesus Christ became a human being to bring us back to the happiness
and joy of doing God’s will. The great purpose of redemption was to make us and
our wills free from the power of sin and to lead us again to live and do the will of
God.
In His life on earth, He demonstrated to us what it is to live only for the will of
God. In His death and resurrection, He won for us the power to live and do the will
of God as He had done.
In Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice of His own will reached its height but
what took place took place there was only the perfect expression of what had
rendered His entire life acceptable to the Father. That man has a will other than
God’s is not sin. It is when man clings to His own will when it is seen to be
contrary to the will of the Creator that sin occurs.
As a human being, the Lord Jesus had a human will, the natural, though not
sinful, desires that belong to human nature. As a man, He did not always know
beforehand what the will of God was. He had to wait, be taught of God, and learn
from time to time what that will was. But when the will of His Father was known
to Him, then He was always ready to give up His own human will and do the will
of the Father.
It was this obedience that constituted the perfection and the value of His selfsacrifice. He had once and for all surrendered Himself as a man, to live only in and
for the will of God. He was always ready, even to the sacrifice of Gethsemane and
Calvary, to do that will alone.
We must give up our lives in order to win others to God and it is a death in
which all thought of saving self is lost in that of saving others. It is only when we
die to self meaning we surrender our will in order to do the will of God, that we
produce fruit in our lives for God.
Bearing fruit is the production of Christ-like character by the Holy Spirit in the
believer who is obedient to the Word of God (John 12:20-26). Undeserved
suffering acts as a bridge to experiencing identification with Christ in His
resurrection or in other words, it gives the believer an opportunity to apply the
Word of the Cross, which in turn enables the believer to experience identification
with Christ in His resurrection.
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are being delivered it is the power of God. (NASB95)
If our Master, the Lord suffered undeservedly, so we, His servants will as well.
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John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater
than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they
kept My word, they will keep yours also.” (NASB95)
Those who desire to love spiritually will be persecuted.
2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live spiritually in fellowship with
Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (Author’s translation)
Suffering challenges the believer to rely upon the invisible assets that God has
provided rather than our human resources and it confronts us with our total
dependence on the grace of God. Suffering impresses upon us our need to conform
to His plan.
So in Daniel chapter 3, we see Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego suffering
undeservedly and unjustly. However, God will intervene in this situation and
deliver them from death.
Daniel’s Absence in Daniel Chapter 3
Daniel is conspicuously absent in Daniel chapter 3.
The IVP Bible Background Commentary-Old Testament writes “Daniel’s
absence could be explained easily by the occasion’s setting in only a single
province.”1
The NET Bible has the following comment “Daniel’s absence from this scene
has sparked the imagination of commentators, some of whom have suggested that
perhaps he was unable to attend the dedication due to sickness or due to being
away on business. Hippolytus supposed that Daniel may have been watching from
a distance.”2
Gleason Archer has the following comment “Before passing on to verse 19, we
need to face the puzzling question of why Daniel did not join his three companions
in disobeying the king’s decree. Several answers may be given. 1. Since Daniel is
not mentioned in this chapter, he may have been absent from Babylon at the time,
perhaps on government business in some other part of the kingdom. 2. He may
have been closeted with other members of the king’s cabinet, working on
legislative or military plans. 3. He may have been (as Wood, p. 78, suggests) too ill
to attend the public ceremony; we know from 8:27 that sickness occasionally
interfered with his carrying on with government business (cf. also 7:28; 10:8). 4. It
may simply have been assumed that as the king’s vizier (prime minister, for his
responsibilities amounted to that high status; cf. 2:48), he was not required to make
public demonstration of his loyalty by worshipping the image of his god. After all,
1
Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary : Old Testament (electronic ed.) (Da 3:1).
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
2
Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Da 3:10–12). Biblical Studies Press.
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there is no indication that Nebuchadnezzar himself bowed down to the image. It
may have been that he simply sat on his royal dais surveying the scene, with his
closest friends and advisers at his side. 5. It is true that Daniel’s office as ruler over
the capital province of Babylon 2:48) was not specifically listed in the seven
categories of public officials (cf. 3:3, though, of course, the rulers of subordinate
provinces were required to be on hand); and none of the ‘wise men’ over whom
Daniel had been made chief, were included in the call for this public ceremony. As
a type of accredited clergy serving under the state, they may have been exempted
from this act of allegiance; their religious commitment would be presumed to be
beyond question. In other words, Daniel did not belong to any of the special groups
of jurists, advisors, financial experts or political leaders included in the terms of the
call. 6. Perhaps Daniel’s reputation as a diviner was so formidable that even the
jealous Chaldeans did not dare attack him before the king. Ford (p. 108) makes the
following observation: ‘Had the story been the invention that many have
suggested; had it originated in the days of the Maccabees to nerve the faithful
against Gentile oppression, it is unlikely that the chief hero would have been
omitted. Reality transcends fiction, and the very “incompleteness” of this account
testifies to its fidelity.’ It is hard to see how the force of this deduction can be
successfully evaded. There is no psychological reason for an idealizing romancer
to leave Daniel out of this exciting episode. The only way to account for this
omission is that in point of fact he was not personally in attendance at this
important function.” (Archer Jr., Gleason L.; The Expositor’s Bible Commentary,
volume 7: Daniel-Minor Prophets; pages 55-56; Regency Reference Library;
Zondervan Publishing House; Grand Rapids, Michigan; 1985)
Daniel’s absence could also be explained another way. If you recall, in Daniel
2:49, Daniel served at the king’s court and specifically as the chief of the king’s
wise men. On the other hand, Daniel’s three friends at Daniel’s request were
assigned the administration over the province of the city of Babylon. The fact that
Daniel was serving in the king’s court while his friends governed the province of
the city of Babylon indicates that Daniel did not take part in governing the
province of the city of Babylon. Thus, Daniel would not be in a position to have a
confrontation with Nebuchadnezzar as his three friends since the latter served the
king in the province of Babylon. However, this solution creates another problem,
namely, even this was the case, why would didn’t Daniel intervene on behalf of his
friends since he would have direct access to Nebuchadnezzar?
It is hard to believe that he would have stood by and not intervene on behalf of
his friends or even join his friends in their justified civil disobedience. Daniel’s
character as portrayed in this book makes clear he would have intervened on behalf
of his friends and even suffered along with them. It is clear that Daniel was not
present in the city of Babylon and was not present in the king’s court for whatever
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reason or reasons which the Scriptures do not present to the reader otherwise he
would have joined his friends in their justified civil disobedience if his intervention
with the king on their behalf was unsuccessful. Furthermore, those Babylonians
who brought charges against Daniel’s three friends would have not done so while
Daniel was present in the king’s court since Daniel was a favorite of
Nebuchadnezzar as a result of fulfilling the king’s demand to tell him the content
of his dream and its interpretation. Thus, these Chaldeans were emboldened to
bring charges against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, which is another
indication that Daniel was not in the king’s court. Daniel was probably away on the
king’s business in some other province or kingdom.
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Daniel 3:1- Nebuchadnezzar Erects A Gold Statue, Ninety Foot Tall, Nine
Foot Wide On The Plain Of Dura In The Province Of Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar Makes an Image of Gold
Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of
which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of
Dura in the province of Babylon. (NASB95)
“Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold” is composed of the
masculine singular form of the proper name neḇû·ḵǎḏ·ně(ʾ)ṣ·ṣǎr (‫( )נְבוּכַדְ נֶאצַּר‬neboo-kad-nets-tsar), “Nebuchadnezzar” and then we have the masculine singular
form of the noun mě·lěḵ ( ‫( ) ֶמ ֶל‬meh´-lek), “king” which is followed by the third
person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb ʿǎḇǎḏ
(‫( ) ֲעבַד‬ab-ad´), “made” and then we have the masculine singular form of the noun
ṣelēm (‫( ) ְצלֵם‬tseh´-lem), “an image” which is followed by the particle dî (‫( )דִּ י‬dee),
“of” and then we have the masculine singular noun dehǎḇ (‫( )דְּ הַב‬deh-hab´), “gold.”
neḇû·ḵǎḏ·ně(ʾ)ṣ·ṣǎr
The proper name neḇû·ḵǎḏ·ně(ʾ)ṣ·ṣǎr, “Nebuchadnezzar” refers to the second
ruler of the Chaldean dynasty of Babylon.
mě·lěḵ
The noun mě·lěḵ means “king” and of course is used with reference to
Nebuchadnezzar referring to the fact that he was governmental head of Babylon.
ʿǎḇǎḏ
The verb ʾǎḇǎḏ means “to sculpture” and is used with Nebuchadnezzar as its
subject and a gold statue as its object indicating that the king “sculptured” an
image composed of gold. Of course, he commissioned someone to perform this
task. It denotes forming an image or representation from a solid material which in
our context is gold.
The peʿal (Hebrew: qal) stem is fientive expressing an action. Here it is
expressing the action of Nebuchadnezzar “sculptured” an image or statue
composed of gold. The perfect tense of the verb is constative describes in summary
fashion this action taken by Nebuchadnezzar. We will render this verb
“sculptured.”
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ṣelēm
The noun ṣelēm means “statue, a sculpted image to be worshipped as a god”
indicating that Nebuchadnezzar sculptured a “statue” or “image.”
dî
The particle dî should be translated “of” and it is a marker to show the genitive
relationship between the noun ṣelēm, “statue” and the noun dehǎḇ, “gold.” It is a
material genitive which denotes the substance out of which the noun ṣelēm,
“statue” is constructed indicating that the particle dî is marking gold as the type of
substance which the statue was composed of.
dehǎḇ
The noun dehǎḇ means “gold” indicating that Nebuchadnezzar’s statue of
himself was made of this material. Gold was the most valuable of all metals and in
the ancient world was indicative of wealth and prosperity in biblical times. It had a
wide variety of uses and was employed extensively in both the tabernacle and the
temple. Gold was of great value (cf. Isaiah 60:17; See also Joshua 6:18-19,24; 1
Kings 20:1-6; 2 Kings 7:8; 14:14; 2 Chronicles 21:3; Job 28:12-19). The Scriptures
teach that wisdom cannot be bought with gold (Psalm 45:9,13; 72:15; 105:37;
Proverbs 20:15; Ezekiel 28:13; Daniel 11:8,38; Joel 3:4-5; 2 Timothy 2:20;
Revelation 21:18, 21). The book of Revelation teaches that the streets of the new
Jerusalem are to be paved with gold.
Gold was indicative of wealth (Genesis 13:2; 24:35; Deuteronomy 8:12-14;
17:17; Joshua 22:8; 2 Kings 20:13; Isaiah 39:2; 2 Chronicles 1:15; 32:27; Job 3:15;
31:24-28; Ecclesiastes 2:8; Isaiah 2:7; Ezekiel 16:13; Ezekiel 28:4; Zephaniah
1:18; Zechariah 9:3; 14:14; James 2:2; Revelation 18:16). It was relatively rare
(Isaiah 13:12) and was mined from the earth (Job 28:5-6; cf. Genesis 2:11-12). It
was refined by fire (Revelation 3:18; cf. Numberds 31:21-23; Job 28:1; Proverbs
17:3; 27:21; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:3; 1 Peter 1:7).
Gold was obtained through trade (1 Kings 10:22; 2 Chronicles 9:21; 1 Kings
9:26-28; 2 Chronicles 8:17-18; 1 Kings 10:11; 2 Chronicles 9:9; 1 Kings 22:48;
Isaiah 60:6; Jeremiah 10:9; Ezekiel 27:22; Revelation 18:11-13). Gold was worked
by goldsmiths (Isaiah 46:6; 1 Chronicles 29:4-5; 2 Chronicles 2:7, 13-14; Jeremiah
10:9). Gold was presented as offerings to God (Exodus 35:22; 25:1-7; 35:5;
Numbers 7:84-86; 31:50-54; 2 Samuel 8:11; Ezra 1:1-11; 2:69; 7:12-18; 8:24-34;
Nehemiah 7:70-72).
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Gold was given to rulers as tribute and bribes (1 Kings 10:14-15; 2 Chronicles
9:13-14; cf. 1 Kings 10:24-25; 2 Chronicles 9:23-24; 2 Kings 12:18; 16:7-9; 18:1316; 23:33-35; 2 Chronicles 36:3; 2 Chronicles 16:2-3). Gold was given as gifts
(Job 42:11; Genesis 24:53; 2 Samuel 8:9-10; 1 Chronicles 18:9-10; 1 Kings 10:10;
2 Chronicles 9:9; 2 Kings 5:5; Matthew 2:11).
The use of gold in the tabernacle (Exodus 38:21-24; 25:11-13,17-18), the
atonement cover and cherubim (Exodus 25:28-29, 31, 36, 38; 26:6, 29, 32, 37;
30:1-5), the altar (Exodus 39:37-38; 40:5; Leviticus 24:4; Numbers 8:4). The use
of gold in priestly vestments (Exodus 28:4-5; cf. Exodus 28:11-15, 22-27, 33-38;
39:15-20, 25-26, 30-31). The use of gold in the temple (1 Chronicles 22:14; cf. 1
Kings 6:28, 30, 32, 35; 7:48-51; 2 Kings 18:16; 1 Chronicles 28:14-18; 29:1-7; 2
Chronicles 3:4-10; 4:7-8, 19-22).
Ninety Feet Tall and Nine Feet Wide Image
Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of
which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of
Dura in the province of Babylon. (NASB95)
“The height of which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits” is composed
of the masculine singular construct form of the noun rûm (‫( )רוּם‬room), “the height
of” which is followed by the third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hî(ʾ)
(‫( )הִיא‬he), “which” and then we have the feminine plural form of the noun
ʾǎm·mā(h) (‫( ) ַאמָּה‬am-maw´), “cubits” which is modified by the masculine plural
cardinal number šit·tîn (‫( )שִׁתִּ ין‬shit-teen´), “sixty” and then we have the masculine
singular construct form of the noun peṯāy (‫( )פְּתָ י‬peth-ah´ee), “width” which is
modified by the third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hî(ʾ) (‫( )הִיא‬he),
“which” and then we have the feminine plural form of the noun ʾǎm·mā(h) (‫) ַאמָּה‬
(am-maw´), “cubits” which is modified by the noun šēṯ (‫( )שֵׁת‬shayth), “six.”
rûm
The noun rûm means “height” referring to the tallness of a spatial object. Here
it refers to the “height” of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. The word is modified by the
third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hî(ʾ) means “its” referring to the
gold statue and is used as a possessive pronoun.
peṯāy
The noun peṯāy means “width” as a spatial dimension and refers to the “width”
of this gold statue. The word is modified by the third person feminine singular
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pronominal suffix hî(ʾ) means “its” referring to the gold statue and is used as a
possessive pronoun.
ʾǎm·mā(h)
The noun ʾǎm·mā(h) appears twice in Daniel 3:1 and in each instance, the word
means “cubit” which was the distance from the tip of a man’s middle finger to the
end of his elbow when his hand was held flat and straight in the plane of his
forearm, which is about 18 inches.
The first time the word appears it is modified by the cardinal number šit·tîn,
which means “sixty.” Thus, assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard cubit,
this gold image stood ninety feet tall.
The second time the noun ʾǎm·mā(h) occurs, it is modified by the noun šēṯ,
which means “six.” Thus, again assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard
cubit, this gold image was nine feet wide.
Nebuchadnezzar Erects Image on the Plain of Dura in the Province of Babylon
Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of
which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of
Dura in the province of Babylon. (NASB95)
“He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon” is composed
of the third person masculine singular hafʿel (Hebrew: hiphil) active perfect form
of the verb qûm (‫( )קוּם‬koom), “he set up” which is followed by the third person
masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (‫( )הוּא‬who), “it” and then we have the
preposition b- (‫( )בְּ־‬beh), “on” and its object is the feminine singular construct
form of the noun biq·ʿā(h) (‫( ) ִבּ ְקעָה‬bik-aw´), “the plain of” which is modified by
ָ
(do-raw), “Dura” and then we
the masculine singular proper noun dû·rā(ʾ) (‫)דּוּרא‬
have the preposition b- (‫( )בְּ־‬beh), “in” and its object is the feminine singular
construct form of the noun meḏî·nā(h) (‫( )מְדִ ינָה‬med-ee-naw´), “the province of”
which is modified by the feminine singular proper noun bā·ḇěl (‫( ) ָבּבֶל‬baw-bel´),
“Babylon.”
qûm
The verb qûm means “to cause to stand up, to erect, to set up” and is used with
Nebuchadnezzar as its subject and the ninety foot tall and nine foot wide gold
image as its object. Thus, the word refers to the king “erecting” or “setting up” this
gold statue in the plain of Dura.
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The hafʿel (Hebrew: hiphil stem) stem is causative meaning that the subject
causes its direct object to do the action described by this verb in the peʿal (Hebrew:
qal). Here the subject is Nebuchadnezzar and the direct object is the gold statue.
Thus, this stem denotes Nebuchadnezzar causing this gold statue to undergo the
process of being constructed to a height of ninety feet tall and a width of nine feet.
The perfect tense of the verb is constative describing in summary fashion this
action. We will translate the verb qûm, “he erected.”
hû(ʾ)
The pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) means “it” referring to the gold statue and is the
object of the verb qûm, “he erected.”
biq·ʿā(h)
The noun biq·ʿā(h) means “plain” referring to an extensive area of level or
rolling treeless country. The word is the object of the preposition b-, which means
“on” since it functions as a marker to show the location on the surface of an area.
Here it marks the surface of the plain of Dura as the location in which
Nebuchadnezzar erected his gold statue.
dû·rā(ʾ)
The noun biq·ʿā(h) is modified by the proper noun dû·rā(ʾ), “Dura” which is a
name which is still common today in Mesopotamia and means “walled place.”
Pentecost writes “Dura was a common name in Mesopotamia for any place that
was enclosed by mountains or a wall. ‘The province of Babylon’ (cf. 2:48) seems
to require a location close to the city of Babylon itself from which Nebuchadnezzar
ruled his kingdom. Archeologists have uncovered a large square made of brick
some six miles southeast of Babylon, which may have been the base for this image.
Since this base is in the center of a wide plain, the image’s height would have been
impressive. Also its proximity to Babylon would have served as a suitable rallying
point for the king’s officials.”3
Eerdman’s Bible Dictionary writes “A plain in the province of Babylon where
Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden image (Dan. 3:1). Among those sites proposed for
its location are Dura-Europos, where the Habor and Euphrates rivers meet; a site
near Apollonia in the province of Sittakene; and, more probably, Tulul Dura, just
south of Babylon. A common element in Mesopotamian place names (cf. Akk.
3
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Da
3:1). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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35
dûru “circuit, walled place”), the term may not have been intended as a reference
to a specific fortified place (cf. LXX períbolos “enclosure”).”4
D. J. Wiseman writes “The place in the administrative district of Babylon where
King Nebuchadrezzar set up an image for all to worship (Dn. 3:1). Possibly Tell
Dēr (27 km SW of Baghdad), though there are several Bab. places named Dūru.
Oppert reported structures SSE of Babylon at ‘Doura’ (Expidition scientifique en
Misopotamie, 1, 1862, pp. 238–240). Pinches (ISBE) proposed the general
interpretation of the plain of the ‘Wall’ (Bab. dūru), part of the outer defences of
the city. For the name Dura, cf. Dura (Europos); Old Bab. Da-mara (Orientalia 21,
1952, p. 275, n. 1).”5
meḏî·nā(h)
The noun meḏî·nā(h) means “province” referring to a governmental
administrative district. Here it refers to the province of the city of Babylon. This
word is the object of the preposition b-, which means “in” since it functions as a
marker of location. Here it marks the province of the city of Babylon on the plain
of Dura in which Nebuchadnezzar erected his gold statue.
bā·ḇěl
The proper noun bā·ḇěl refers to the province of Babylon as indicated by the
noun meḏî·nā(h), “province,” which is modifying it. The Babylonian empire was
divided into provinces or satrapies, of which Babylon was one. Thus, this proper
noun refers to the province of the city of Babylon.
Translation of Daniel 3:1
Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king sculptured an image composed of
gold, its height ninety feet, its width nine feet. He erected it on the plain of
Dura in the province of the city of Babylon.
Exposition of Daniel 3:1
Daniel 3:1 records Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon sculpturing an image
composed of gold, which was ninety feet tall and nine feet wide. It was erected on
the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon. This action taken by the
king is the direct result of Daniel’s interpretation in Daniel 2:38, which records
4
5
Myers, A. C. (1987). The Eerdmans Bible dictionary (296). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.
Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed.) (284). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.
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36
Daniel telling him that he was the head of gold of the statue. There are some
commentators who suggest like Archer that the statue was not of himself but of
one of the Babylonian gods, like Nabu. However, there is an obvious connection
between the head of gold in the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel
chapter 2 and the gold statue constructed by the king in chapter 3. That the events
recorded in chapter 3 follow the events recorded in chapter 2 is indicated by the
fact Daniel’s three friends are functioning in their new positions of authority (3:12)
to which they were appointed by Nebuchadnezzar (2:49) per Daniel’s request.
Furthermore, chapter 4 records the Lord judging Nebuchadnezzar and deposing
him for seven years and giving a mind of an animal resulting like the king acting
like an animal for those years. This was to bring the king to the place where he
acknowledges the Lord’s sovereignty over him and that he is subordinated to the
Lord. Lastly, Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2:38 that wherever members
of the human race, wild animals of the field or birds of the sky live, the God ruling
the heavens has given them into his power. Consequently, God has caused him to
rule over each and every one of them.
Thus, we see Nebuchadnezzar, an unregenerate man interpreting this revelation
from Daniel as giving him authority to demand their worship, which of course was
not the response God wanted from him. He wanted the king to worship Him rather
than demand the worship of himself. The construction of this image of himself was
due to his megalomania, which the Lord deals with in chapter 4, which records the
Lord’s response to the arrogance of Nebuchadnezzar as recorded in chapter 3.
Nebuchadnezzar’s actions in constructing an image of himself to be worshipped,
was not unusual in the ancient world. The Assyrian kings also set up statues of
themselves symbolizing their dominion. Also, the Hellenistic kings did the same.
The Roman emperors deified themselves as well.
J. Vernon McGee addresses the issue as to why Nebuchadnezzar would do such
a thing after just receiving revelation from God that He will destroy all Gentile
power and establish His kingdom on earth. He writes “What did Nebuchadnezzar
really have in mind in making this image? We can observe here three things: (1)
The making of this image shows the rebellion of Nebuchadnezzar against the God
of heaven who had given him world dominion. Instead of gratitude, this is a
definite act or rebellion. (2) This also shows his vaunted pride in making an image
which evidently was self-deification. The Roman emperors also attempted this
later on. (3) Obviously, Nebuchadnezzar was seeking a unifying principle to weld
together the tribes and tongues and peoples of his kingdom into one great
totalitarian government. In other words, he was attempting to institute a world
religion. This was nothing in the world but a repetition of the tower of Babel-a
forming of one religion for the world.” (McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible with J.
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37
Vernon McGee, volume 3: Genesis-Deuteronomy; pages 545-544; Published in
Nashville, Tennessee by Thomas Nelson Inc. 1981)
Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue is surpassed by the Colossus at Rhodes, which
was reported to be just over one hundred feet tall. The unusual thing about the gold
image built by Nebuchadnezzar is that the width is only ten percent of the height.
The width of a properly proportioned human figure would normally be about
twenty-five percent of the height. If this statue is human shaped and nine feet wide,
we would expect the statue to be thirty-five or forty feet tall. This would then
require a pedestal of fifty-plus feet. Thus, this structure which stood ten stories tall
and only nine feet wide would be unstable. However, as Leupold points out
monumental figures were primarily pillars and maybe square having feet and at the
top a human bust (Leupold, H.C. Exposition of Daniel; page 137; Baker Book
House; Grand Rapids, Michigan; 1949; Reprinted 1969 by Baker Book House
Company)
Many commentators argue that the statue was not composed of solid gold but
rather was composed of wood overlaid with gold since it was make common to
make idols in the ancient in this fashion (See Isaiah 40:19; Jeremiah 10:3-9). Also,
the Ark of the Covenant and many of articles in the tabernacle were composed of
acacia wood overlaid with gold (Exodus 25-27; 37:25; 39:38; 40:5). Some like
Archer contend that there was not enough gold in Babylon to make a statue ninety
feet tall and nine feet wide which was composed of solid gold. However, there is
no authoritative evidence which indicates that Nebuchadnezzar did not have such
fabulous wealth or not. In fact, Herodotus describes two large statues in Marduk’s
temple in Babylon, which were both of solid gold. Furthermore, the text of Daniel
3:1 does not say it was made of wood overlaid with gold but simply gold. If it were
made of wood overlaid with gold, the text would have said this just as it does when
describing the articles in the tabernacle such as the Ark of the Covenant.
Herodotus writes “In the Babylonian temple there is another shrine below,
where there is a great golden image of Zeus, sitting at a great golden table, and the
footstool and the chair are also gold; the gold of the whole was said by the
Chaldeans to be eight hundred talents' weight. [2] Outside the temple is a golden
altar. There is also another great altar, on which are sacrificed the full-grown of the
flocks; only nurslings may be sacrificed on the golden altar, but on the greater altar
the Chaldeans even offer a thousand talents' weight of frankincense yearly, when
they keep the festival of this god; and in the days of Cyrus there was still in this
sacred enclosure a statue of solid gold twenty feet high. [3] I myself have not seen
it, but I relate what is told by the Chaldeans. Darius son of Hystaspes proposed to
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take this statue but dared not; Xerxes his son took it, and killed the priest who
warned him not to move the statue.”6
The IVP Bible Background Commentary-Old Testament has the following
comment, they write “Herodotus describes two large statues in Marduk’s temple in
Babylon, both of solid gold. One is Bel seated on a golden throne. The image and
the golden table next to it were reported to have used twenty-two tons of gold. The
second is described as the statue of a man. Herodotus says it is fifteen feet high,
though other accounts put it at eighteen feet. The Persian king, Xerxes, melted it
down in 482 B.C., and the resulting bullion weighed eight hundred pounds.”7
Based upon the proportions given by Daniel that the statue was ninety feet tall
and nine feet wide, we find the volume to be 3,645 cubic feet or 4,400,000 pounds.
Now, the price of gold as of April 21, 2012 is $ 1,641 a troy ounce. There are 16
ounces in a pound. Thus, today this statue would have cost Nebuchadnezzar
$115,526,400,000.
6
Herodotus. (1920). Herodotus, with an English translation by A. D. Godley (A. D. Godley, Ed.). Medford, MA: Harvard University Press.
Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary : Old Testament (electronic ed.) (Da 3:1).
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
7
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Daniel 3:2-Nebuchadnezzar Summons Each And Every One Of The
Dignitaries In The Various Provinces Of His Kingdom To The Dedication Of
The Image Of Himself
Nebuchadnezzar’s Summons His Dignitaries
Daniel 3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the
satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the
judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the
dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. (NASB95)
“Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word” is composed of the conjunction
wa (‫( ) ְו‬waw), “then” which is followed by the masculine singular form of the
(‫)נְבוּכַדְ נֶאצַּר‬
(neb-oo-kad-nets-tsar),
proper
name
neḇû·ḵǎḏ·ně(ʾ)ṣ·ṣǎr
“Nebuchadnezzar” and then we have the masculine singular form of the noun
mě·lěḵ ( ‫( ) ֶמ ֶל‬meh´-lek), “king” which is followed by the third person masculine
ְ ) (shel-akh´),
singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb šelǎḥ (‫שׁלַח‬
“sent”
wa
The conjunction wa is a marker of a sequence of closely related events meaning
that it is introducing a statement that marks the next event that took place after
Nebuchadnezzar sculptured an image of gold and erected it on the plain of Dura in
the province of the city of Babylon. This word introduces a statement which
records the king summoning eight classes of officials to the dedication of this
image. Thus, this conjunction denotes that Nebuchadnezzar sculptured an image of
gold and erected it on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon and
“then” summoned eight classes of his officials to the dedication of this image.
šelǎḥ
The verb šelǎḥ means “to send out or issue an order or command” and is used
with Nebuchadnezzar as its subject and its thought is completed by the infinitive
construct form of the verb kenǎš, “to assemble.” Thus, the verb šelǎḥ denotes
Nebuchadnezzar “issuing an order” to his officials throughout the various
provinces of his kingdom to assemble for the dedication of the statue that he had
erected on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon.
The peʿal (Hebrew: qal) stem is fientive expressing an action. Here it is
expressing the action of Nebuchadnezzar “issuing an order” for the purpose of
assembling his officials throughout the various provinces of his kingdom to
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assemble for the dedication of the gold statue he had erected on the plain of Dura
in the province of the city of Babylon. The perfect tense of the verb is constative
describes in summary fashion this action taken by Nebuchadnezzar.
The King Assembles Eight Classes of Officials
Daniel 3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the
satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the
judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the
dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. (NASB95)
“To assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors,
the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces”
is composed of the preposition lĕ (‫( ) ְל‬leh) “to” and its object is the peʿal (Hebrew:
qal) active infinitive construct form of the verb kenǎš (‫( ) ְכּנַשׁ‬kaw-nash´),
“assemble” which is followed by the preposition lĕ (‫( ) ְל‬leh) “to” and its object is
the masculine plural noun ʾǎḥǎš·dǎr·pǎn (‫( ) ֲא ַחשְׁדַּ ְרפַּן‬akh-ash-dar-pan´), “the
satraps” and then we have the masculine plural noun seḡǎn (‫( ) ְסגַן‬seg-an´), “the
prefects” which is followed by the conjunction wa (‫( ) ְו‬waw), “and” which is
followed by the masculine plural noun pě·ḥā(h) (‫( ) ֶפּחָה‬peh-khaw´), “the
governors” and then we have the masculine plural noun ʾǎḏǎr·gā·zǎr (‫( )אֲדַ ְר ָגּזַר‬adar´´-gaw-zare´), “the counselors” which is followed by the masculine plural noun
geḏā·ḇǎr (‫( )גְּדָ בַר‬ghed-aw-bawr´), “the treasurers” and then we have the
masculine plural noun deṯā·ḇǎr (‫( )דְּ תָ בַר‬deth-aw-bawr´), “the judges” which is
followed by the masculine plural noun tip̄ ·tāy (‫( )תִּ פְתָּ י‬tif-tah´ee), “the magistrates”
and then we have the conjunction wa (‫( ) ְו‬waw), “and” which is followed by the
singular construct form of the noun kōl (‫( )כּ ֹל‬kole), “all” which is modifying the
masculine plural construct form of the noun šil·ṭōn (‫שׁלְט ֹן‬
ִ ) (shil-tone´), “the rulers
of” and then we have the feminine singular form of the noun meḏî·nā(h) (‫)מְדִ ינָה‬
(med-ee-naw´), “the provinces.”
kenǎš
The verb kenǎš means “to assemble” and denotes Nebuchadnezzar issuing an
order for the purpose of “assembling” his officials from the various provinces of
his kingdom for the dedication of the gold statue he erected on the plain of Dura in
the province of the city of Babylon.
The peʿal (Hebrew: qal) stem is fientive expressing an action. Here it is
expressing the action of Nebuchadnezzar’s officials from the various provinces in
his kingdom “assembling” for the dedication of the gold statue he erected on the
plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon.
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The preposition lĕ is prefixed to the infinitive construct form of the verb kenǎš
indicating the purpose for Nebuchadnezzar issuing this order. The purpose of the
order was to assemble his officials from the various provinces of his kingdom for
the dedication of the gold statue he erected on the plain of Dura in the province of
the city of Babylon.
lĕ
The verb kenǎš is then followed by the preposition lĕ, which is used to mark
nouns ʾǎḥǎš·dǎr·pǎn, “the satraps,” seḡǎn, “the prefects,” pě·ḥā(h), “the
governors,” ǎḏǎr·gā·zǎr, “the counselors,” geḏā·ḇǎr, “the treasurers,” deṯā·ḇǎr,
“the judges,” tip̄ ·tāy, “the magistrates,” šil·ṭōn, “the rulers” as the direct objects
of this verb and is to be left untranslated.
Persian Loan Words
In Daniel 3:2, the noun ʾǎḥǎš·dǎr·pǎn, “the satraps,” seḡǎn, “the prefects,”
pě·ḥā(h), “the governors,” and deṯā·ḇǎr, “the judges” are all Persian loan words.
This has caused many scholars to argue against a sixth century B.C. date of
composition for the book of Daniel. With regards to the words which are Persian in
origin, it must be remembered that Daniel served in the Persian government
towards the end of his life. Almost half of the twenty Persian loan words found in
the book of Daniel are related to government officials in some fashion.
Waltke responds to this argument, he writes “Speaking of the language in
Daniel, S. R. Driver once delivered a famous dictum: ‘The Persian words
presuppose a period after the Persian empire had been well established; the Greek
words demand, the Hebrew supports, and the Aramaic permits, a date after the
conquest of Palestine by Alexander the Great (332 B.C.).’ From Driver’s classic
statement of the linguistic evidence in 1897 to the commentary by Porteous in
1965, 9 there has been no reappraisal of the evidence by literary critics of Daniel
in spite of the increasing mass of evidence that the language of Daniel can no
longer be regarded as belonging to the second century B.C. Scholars have divided
the Aramaic language into the following periods: old Aramaic, official Aramaic,
and, of interest here, western Aramaic. The studies of Rosenthal have shown that
the kind of Aramaic employed in Daniel was that which grew up in the courts and
chancelleries from the seventh century B.C. on and subsequently became
widespread in the Near East. Therefore, it cannot be employed as evidence for a
late date of the book, and in fact it constitutes a strong argument for a sixth-century
B.C. period of composition. Kitchen, professor of Egyptology at the University of
Liverpool, concludes that the Aramaic sections of Daniel (2:4b–7:28) are by nature
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closely akin to the language of the fifth-century B.C. Elephantine papyri and that
of Ezra about 450 B.C. While the Aramaic of Daniel fits comfortably into the
period of official Aramaic, it does not comport well with the Aramaic of the
Genesis Apocryphon discovered in Qumran Cave One and dated in the first
century B.C. From the standpoint of spelling, grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, it
is now possible to determine within quite narrow limits what would have been
likely or possible back in 168 B.C., so far as literary Aramaic is concerned. Archer,
professor of Old Testament at the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, made a
detailed linguistic analysis of the five columns of this text and concluded, ‘By way
of summary it may be said that the Genesis Apocryphon furnishes very powerful
evidence that the Aramaic of Daniel comes from a considerably earlier period than
the second century B.C.’ Kitchen concluded that the Persian loan words in Daniel
are consistent with an earlier rather than a later date for the composition of the
book. His conclusion rests on at least three lines of evidence. First, he notes that it
need not be as surprising as Driver supposed that Persian words should be used of
Babylonian institutions prior to the conquest of Cyrus, since the work was written
in the Persian rather than the Neo-Babylonian period. After considering the scope
of Persian words borrowed into Aramaic during the Persian Empire, he concludes,
‘The almost unconscious assumption that Persian words would take time to
penetrate into Aramaic (i.e., well after 539 B.C.) is erroneous.’ He continues: …if
a putative Daniel in Babylon under the Persians (and who had briefly served them)
were to write a book some time after the third year of Cyrus (Dn. 10:1), then a
series of Persian words is no surprise. Such a person in the position of close
contact with Persian administration that is accorded to him in the book would have
to acquire—and use in his Aramaic—many terms and words from his new Persian
colleagues (just like the Elamite scribes of Persepolis), from the conquest by Cyrus
onwards.’ Second, Kitchen notes that in four of the nineteen words in question, the
old Greek renderings made about 100 B.C. are hopelessly mere guesswork. He
reasons: If the first important Greek translation of Daniel was made sometime
within 100 B.C. to A.D. 100, roughly speaking, and the translator could not (or
took no trouble to) reproduce the proper meaning of these terms, then one
conclusion imposes itself: their meaning was already lost and forgotten (or, at
least, drastically changed) long before he set to work. Now if Daniel were wholly a
product of 165 B.C., then just a century or so in a continuous tradition is surely
embarrassingly inadequate as a sufficient interval for that loss (or change) of
meaning to occur by Near Eastern standards. Third, in the interest of objectivity, he
notes that the Persian terms found in Daniel are specifically old Persian words, that
is, they occurred within the history of the language to about 300 B.C. One can no
longer echo the dictum that the three Greek words depicting the musical
instruments in Daniel 3 demand a date after 330 B.C. Greek words are now
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attested in the Aramaic documents of Elephantine dated to the fifth century B.C.
For example, one document refers to a ‘stater’ as the ksp jwn, meaning ‘silver of
Greece.’ Rabinowitz has pointed up an additional three other words that are
possibly Greek words in the Elephantine papyri. Montgomery recognized in his
great commentary on Daniel the weakness of Driver’s argument. He wrote: ‘The
rebuttal of this evidence for a low date lies in stressing the potentialities of Greek
influence in the Orient from the sixth century and onward.’ Yamauchi, who
teaches in the Department of History at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio,
convincingly demonstrated this context with an overwhelming evidence in his
book. As a result of his investigation he concluded, ‘The only element of surprise
to this writer is that there are not more Greek words in such documents.’”
(Bibliotheca Sacra volume 133, number 532; October 1976; page 323)
ʾǎḥǎš·dǎr·pǎn
The noun ʾǎḥǎš·dǎr·pǎn is a Persian loan word which means “protector of the
kingdom.” In the Septuagint, the word in Daniel 3:2 is translated with the Greek
noun σᾰτράπης which means “satrap.” This group of officials was the chief
representatives of Nebuchadnezzar. They were governors of certain types of
provinces. They were the highest officials in his kingdom, which is supported by
the statement in Daniel 6:1, which records that Darius appointed 120 satraps over
his kingdom who would be in charge of the entire kingdom.
seḡǎn
The noun seḡǎn means “prefect” and were the military commanders of the
various provinces throughout Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.
wa
The conjunction wa is used in an adjunctive sense meaning that it is introducing
several more classes of officials in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom which were “in
addition to” the satraps and prefects ordered to come to the dedication of the statue
erected by the king on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon.
pě·ḥā(h)
The noun pě·ḥā(h) means “governor” and is used here of the civil
administrators or governors of civil government in the various provinces
throughout Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.
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ʾǎḏǎr·gā·zǎr
The noun ʾǎḏǎr·gā·zǎr means “minister of information” referring to those
individuals who give counsel or advise those in governmental authority.
geḏā·ḇǎr
The noun geḏā·ḇǎr means “treasurer” referring to those individuals in
Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom who were in charge of the finances of the various
provinces throughout the kingdom. They were the superintendents of the treasuries
in the various provinces throughout the empire.
deṯā·ḇǎr
The noun deṯā·ḇǎr means “lawyer, guardian of the law” and were those
individuals who were administrators of the law in the various provinces throughout
Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.
tip̄ ·tāy
The noun tip̄ ·tāy means “magistrate, judge” referring to judges in the various
provinces throughout the Babylonian kingdom who passed judgment in keeping
with the law.
wa
This time the conjunction wa is used in an explicative sense meaning that the
word is introducing an expression, which clarifies the list of officials who were
ordered by Nebuchadnezzar to assemble for the dedication of the gold statue. It is
introducing an expression which defines in summary fashion the list of seven
classes of officials who were ordered by Nebuchadnezzar to assemble for the
dedication of the gold statue. This expression ḵōl šil·ṭō·nê meḏî·nā·ṯā(ʾ) ( ‫שׁלְט ֵֹנ֣י‬
ִ ‫֖כ ֹל‬
‫)מְדִ ֽינ ָ ָ֑תא‬, “all the rulers of the provinces” is a summary title for the list of seven
classes of officials mentioned by Daniel.
šil·ṭōn
The noun šil·ṭōn means “official, ruler, dignitary” referring to an official of high
standing or provincial administrator. It refers to an individual who possesses an
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exalted rank or position of dignity and honor in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. Thus
it does not refer to lesser officials who were subordinate to the satraps or
governors. It is used to define the seven classes of officials previously listed by
Daniel. The noun describes in summary fashion that the satraps, military
commanders, governors, advisers, treasurers, lawyers, judges were all officials of
high standing or dignitaries in Nebuchadnezzar’s government.
Furthering supporting this interpretation is the noun kōl, “all,” which is
modifying the noun šil·ṭōn and speaking of these seven classes of officials in their
entirety. If the noun šil·ṭōn referred to an eighth class of official in
Nebuchadnezzar’s government, Daniel would not have employed the noun kōl,
“all” since it is clear that the king wanted all the individuals belonging to each
class of official to attend the dedication of the statue. Thus, if the noun šil·ṭōn
referred to an eighth class of official, kōl, “all” would have been redundant.
The noun kōl denotes totality and is used in a distributive meaning “each and
every” indicating that Nebuchadnezzar issued an order to assemble “each and
every one” of the dignitaries from the various provinces in his kingdom for the
dedication of the statue he erected in the plain of Dura in the province of the city of
Babylon.
meḏî·nā(h)
The noun meḏî·nā(h) means “province” referring to a governmental
administrative district. Here it refers to the province of the city of Babylon. The
word is a genitive of source meaning it denotes that these high governmental
officials or dignitaries were “from” the various provinces of Nebuchadnezzar’s
kingdom.
The Dedication of the Image
Daniel 3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the
satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the
judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the
dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. (NASB95)
“To come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had
set up” is composed of the preposition lĕ (‫( ) ְל‬leh) “to” and its object is the peʿal
(Hebrew: qal) active infinitive construct form of the verb ʾǎṯā(h) (‫( )אֲתָ ה‬aw-thaw´),
“come” which is followed by the preposition lĕ (‫( ) ְל‬leh) “to” and its object is the
feminine singular construct form of the noun ḥǎnǔk·kā(h) (‫( ) ֲחנֻכָּה‬chan-ook-kaw´),
“the dedication of” and then we have the masculine singular form of the noun
ṣelēm (‫( ) ְצלֵם‬tseh´-lem), “an image” which is followed by the particle dî (‫( )דִּ י‬dee),
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“that” and then we have the third person masculine singular hafʿel (Hebrew:
hiphil) active perfect form of the verb qûm (‫( )קוּם‬koom), “set up” which is
followed masculine singular form of the proper name neḇû·ḵǎḏ·ně(ʾ)ṣ·ṣǎr
(‫( )נְבוּכַדְ נֶאצַּר‬neb-oo-kad-nets-tsar), “Nebuchadnezzar” which is followed by the
masculine singular form of the noun mě·lěḵ ( ‫( ) ֶמ ֶל‬meh´-lek), “king.”
ʾǎṯā(h)
The verb ʾǎṯā(h) means “to attend” and denotes each and every one of
Nebuchadnezzar’s dignitaries from the various provinces in his kingdom
“attending” the dedication of the statue he erected on the plain of Dura in the
province of the city of Babylon.
The peʿal (Hebrew: qal) stem is fientive expressing an action. Here it is
expressing the action of each and every one of the dignitaries attending the
dedication of the gold statue Nebuchadnezzar erected on the plain of Dura in the
province of the city of Babylon in response to the king’s order.
The preposition lĕ is prefixed to the infinitive construct form of the verb ʾǎṯā(h)
indicating the purpose for Nebuchadnezzar issuing this order for all his dignitaries
to assemble. The purpose of the order was to assemble them for the dedication of
the gold statue he erected on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of
Babylon. We will translate the expression l mē·ṯē(ʾ) (‫) ְלמֵתֵ א‬, “to attend.”
lĕ
The verb ʾǎṯā(h) is then followed by the preposition lĕ, which is used to mark
noun ḥǎnǔk·kā(h), “the dedication of” as the direct object of this verb and is to be
left untranslated.
ḥǎnǔk·kā(h)
The noun ḥǎnǔk·kā(h) means “dedication” of the gold statue that
Nebuchadnezzar erected on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of
Babylon. It refers to a ceremony, which is both political and religious. It denotes a
solemn ceremony in which Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue was consecrated as the
symbol of world-wide worship and power of himself as a divine being. Politically,
this dedication was intended to symbolize the unity of the various provinces under
Nebuchadnezzar’s authority. Religiously, this dedication was an act of
worshipping the gold statue, which represented Nebuchadnezzar. That this
dedication is religious is clearly indicated by verses 3-7.
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Daniel 3:3 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors,
the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces
were assembled for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king
had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed: “To you the command is given, O
peoples, nations and men of every language, 5 that at the moment you hear
the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of
music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. 6 But whoever does not fall down and
worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 7
Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute,
lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations
and men of every language fell down and worshiped the golden image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.” (NASB95)
Keil and Delitzsch have the following comment with regards to this word, they
write it was “used of the dedication of a house (Deuteronomy 20:5) as well as of
the temple (1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chronicles 7:5; Ezra 6:16), and here undoubtedly
denotes an act connected with religious usages, by means of which the image,
when the great officers of the kingdom fell down before it, was solemnly
consecrated as the symbol of the world-power and (in the heathen sense) of the
divine glory.” (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, volume 9:
Ezekiel and Daniel; page 121; Hendrickson Publishers; Peabody, Massachusetts;
1989)
Therefore, this dedication is an attempt by Nebuchadnezzar to join religion with
politics, which has been attempted throughout history by various rulers and will be
successfully attempted by the Antichrist during Daniel’s Seventieth Week who will
demand worship from the inhabitants of the earth as symbolized by the
abomination of desolation in the rebuilt Jewish temple in the midway point of
Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
The noun ḥǎnǔk·kā(h) is in the construct state meaning that it is governing the
noun ṣelēm, which follows it indicating the latter has a genitive relationship, which
is that the noun ṣelēm is an objective genitive. This means that the word functions
semantically as the direct object of the verbal idea implicit in the head noun
ḥǎnǔk·kā(h).
ṣelēm
The noun ṣelēm means “statue, a sculpted image to be worshipped as a god”
indicating that Nebuchadnezzar summoned all of his dignitaries throughout the
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various provinces in his kingdom to the dedication of the gold “statue” he erected
on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon.
dî
The particle dî means “which” since it functions as a relative pronoun and refers
to the noun ṣelēm, which refers to Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue.
qûm
The verb qûm means “to cause to stand up, to erect, to set up” and is used with
Nebuchadnezzar as its subject and the ninety foot tall and nine foot wide gold
image as its object. Thus, the word refers to the king “erecting” or “setting up” this
gold statue in the plain of Dura.
The hafʿel (Hebrew: hiphil stem) stem is causative meaning that the subject
causes its direct object to do the action described by this verb in the peʿal (Hebrew:
qal). Here the subject is Nebuchadnezzar and the direct object is the gold statue.
Thus, this stem denotes Nebuchadnezzar causing this gold statue to undergo the
process of being constructed to a height of ninety feet tall and a width of nine feet.
The perfect tense of the verb is constative describing in summary fashion this
action. We will translate the verb qûm, “he erected.”
Translation of Daniel 3:2
Daniel 3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar, the king issued an order to assemble the
satraps, military commanders as well as the governors, advisers, treasurers,
lawyers, judges in other words, each and every one of the dignitaries from the
provinces to attend the dedication of the statue, which Nebuchadnezzar
erected.
Exposition of Daniel 3:2
Daniel 3:2 describes the next event that took place after Nebuchadnezzar
sculptured an image of gold and erected it on the plain of Dura in the province of
the city of Babylon. Thus, it continues to describe Nebuchadnezzar’s response to
Daniel interpreting his dream and specifically telling him that he is the head of
gold on the statue in his dream.
In Daniel 3:1, if you recall, we read that the king of Babylon sculptured an
image composed of gold, which was ninety feet tall and nine feet wide. It was
erected on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon. This action
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taken by the king is the direct result of Daniel’s interpretation in Daniel 2:38,
which records Daniel telling him that he was the head of gold of the statue. Some
suggest that the statue was not of himself but of one of the Babylonian gods, like
Nabu. However, there is an obvious connection between the head of gold in the
statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter 2 and the gold statue
constructed by the king in chapter 3. That the events recorded in chapter 3 follow
the events recorded in chapter 2 is indicated by the fact Daniel’s three friends are
functioning in their new positions of authority (3:12) to which they were appointed
by Nebuchadnezzar (2:49) per Daniel’s request. Furthermore, chapter 4 records the
Lord judging Nebuchadnezzar and deposing him for seven years and giving a mind
of an animal resulting like the king acting like an animal for those years. This was
to bring the king to the place where he acknowledges the Lord’s sovereignty over
him and that he is subordinated to the Lord. Lastly, Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar in
Daniel 2:38 that wherever members of the human race, wild animals of the field or
birds of the sky live, the God ruling the heavens has given them into his power.
Consequently, God has caused him to rule over each and every one of them.
Thus, we see Nebuchadnezzar, an unregenerate man interpreting this revelation
from Daniel as giving him authority to demand their worship, which of course was
not the response God wanted from him. He wanted the king to worship Him rather
than demand the worship of himself. The construction of this image of himself was
due to his megalomania, which the Lord deals with in chapter 4, which records the
Lord’s response to the arrogance of Nebuchadnezzar as recorded in chapter 3.
Nebuchadnezzar’s actions in constructing an image of himself to be worshipped,
was not unusual in the ancient world. The Assyrian kings also set up statues of
themselves symbolizing their dominion. Also, the Hellenistic kings did the same.
The Roman emperors deified themselves as well.
Therefore, in Daniel 3:2, we have Nebuchadnezzar issuing an order to assemble
each and every one of the dignitaries in the various provinces of his kingdom to
attend the dedication of the gold statue he erected.
“The satraps” is the noun ʾǎḥǎš·dǎr·pǎn which refers to group of officials who
were the chief representatives of Nebuchadnezzar. They were governors of certain
types of provinces. They were the highest officials in his kingdom, which is
supported by the statement in Daniel 6:1, which records that Darius appointed 120
satraps over his kingdom who would be in charge of the entire kingdom.
“The military commanders” is the noun seḡǎn, which refers to the military
commanders of the various provinces throughout Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.
“The governors” is the noun pě·ḥā(h), which refers to the civil administrators
or governors of civil government in the various provinces throughout
Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.
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“The advisers” is the noun ʾǎḏǎr·gā·zǎr, which refers to those individuals who
give counsel or advise those in governmental authority.
“The treasurers” is the noun geḏā·ḇǎr, which refers to those individuals in
Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom who were in charge of the finances of the various
provinces throughout the kingdom. They administered the funds in the various
provinces throughout Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. They were the superintendents
of the treasuries in the various provinces throughout the empire.
“The lawyers” is the noun deṯā·ḇǎr, which refers to those individuals who were
administrators of the law in the various provinces throughout Nebuchadnezzar’s
kingdom.
“The judges” is the noun tip̄ ·tāy, which refers to the judges in the various
provinces throughout the Babylonian kingdom who passed judgment in keeping
with the law.
“Each and every one of the dignitaries from the provinces” is an explicative
clause meaning that it clarifies the list of seven classes of officials who were
ordered by Nebuchadnezzar to assemble for the dedication of the gold statue which
he erected on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon. It is
describing in summary fashion the list of seven classes of officials who were
ordered by Nebuchadnezzar to assemble for the dedication of the gold statue which
he erected on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon. It refers to to
those individuals who possesses an exalted rank or position of dignity and honor in
Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. Thus it does not refer to lesser officials who were
subordinate to the satraps or governors. It is used to define the seven classes of
officials previously listed by Daniel. It describes in summary fashion that the
satraps, military commanders, governors, advisers, treasurers, lawyers, judges were
all officials of high standing or dignitaries in Nebuchadnezzar’s government. This
explicative clause emphasizes that there were no exceptions with the order
meaning every one had to attend.
“The dedication” is the noun ḥǎnǔk·kā(h), which denotes solemn ceremony in
which Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue was consecrated as the symbol of world-wide
worship and power of himself as a divine being. Politically, this dedication was
intended to symbolize the unity of the various provinces under Nebuchadnezzar’s
authority. Religiously, this dedication was an act of worshipping the gold statue,
which represented Nebuchadnezzar. That this dedication is religious is clearly
indicated by verses 3-7. Therefore, this dedication is an attempt by
Nebuchadnezzar to join religion with politics, which has been attempted
throughout history by various rulers and will be successfully attempted by the
Antichrist during Daniel’s Seventieth Week who will demand worship from the
inhabitants of the earth as symbolized by the abomination of desolation in the
rebuilt Jewish temple in the midway point of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
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