Paragraph # 1 Study # 2
August 14, 2022
Broadlands, Louisiana
(Download Audio)
Thesis: The Book of Daniel was set in a specific historical time frame and had a "message" for both Judah and the Gentiles.
Introduction: In our introductory study last week, we considered that the Book of Daniel was "birthed" in prophecy (establishing Omniscience) and "rooted" in the legal history of the nation regarding the disregard of the mandates of the Sabbath Years by the nation for over 400 years so that the nation had taken from the land its "Sabbath rests". At issue was the fact that the "Sabbaths" of the nation were
the signs of the issue of "loyalty to Yahweh within the terms of the Covenant of Moses". To ignore these "Sabbath" years was an overt declaration of "no intention to be loyal to Yahweh".
This evening we are going to look into the issues involved in the action of "the Lord" ("Adonay"; meaning "Yahweh, God Of Israel") in "giving Jehoiakim into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar" (Daniel 2:2) and beginning to avenge the losses of the Land which had 70 Sabbath Years owed to it.
- I. The Historical Backdrop.
- A. Jehoiakim, King of Judah. He was originally Eliakim, but Pharaoh-nechoh renamed him Jehoiakim (2 Chronicles 36:4).
- 1. Eliakim is a compound Hebrew name; a combination of "El" (as "The Executor of Power") and "Quwm" (as "the rising up to establish so that it cannot be disestablished"): "The Executor of Sufficient Power to Firmly Establish".
- 2. Jehoiakim is also a compound Hebrew name; a combination of "Yah" (as the personal name "I Am" Who is infinite in His Existence: "The One Who Is, Was, and Shall Be"; Revelation 1:8, "The Almighty" -- pantokrator) and "Quwm" (The One of Sufficient Power to Firmly Establish).
- 3. The reason for the change of name is not particularly specified.
- a. However, Necho had warned Josiah (whose name meant "The Foundations Are Established By Yah") that "God" [the "El" in Eliakim] had told him to go against the king of Assyria and for Josiah to not get involved or "El" would destroy him (2 Chronicles 35:21).
- b. This warning was attributed to "Elohim".
- 1) It may well be that Necho considered Josiah a "rebel" against "Elohim" so he changed the son's name from "Eliakim" (referring to "Elohim" as The One Who Is Pantokrator) to "Jehoiakim" because Josiah was a worshipper of "Yah" and Necho wanted Josiah's son to be identified with "Yah" (the God of the Jews) rather than "Elohim" (the God of All Creation) [probably a case of your God is "Yah", but I serve "Elohim"].
- 2) In any case "Eliakim" is a name associated with "He Who establishes and no man can stay His hand" (Daniel 4:35) and "Jehoiakim" is a name associated with "Yahweh" Who is particularly associated with Judah and not Egypt.
- 3) The name change may have actually been a "put down" because Necho's "Jehoiakim" was consistently defeated in his efforts in war and was not known as an arm of "Elohim".
- B. The Book of Daniel is intentionally an "apologetic" for "Yahweh" being "The God Of All Creation".
- 1. Daniel's declaration to Nebuchadnezzar in 2:28 is "...there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, what shall be in the latter days".
- a. This is the Omniscient God of Prophecy that leaves all men without excuse.
- b. This is Daniel's "parry and thrust" against the Babylonian boast that their "god(s)" were more powerful than "Yahweh", God of the Jews, and that their boast is established in history by the fall of Judah.
- 1) Omnipotence is "the ultimate characteristic" simply because the final victory will go to the Most Powerful One.
- 2) But omniscience gives proof that The Omniscient One is the actual Omnipotent One even though the testimony of the history of the Jews was that they were, in fact, defeated in the most obvious theater of evidence: warfare. This gives the "believer" the ability to see that divine discipline is the reason for the defeats (first established by the defeat at Ai because of the sin of Achan ((Joshua 7)), and not the failure of the Power of Yahweh).
- 2. After Omniscience is established to be the characteristic of Daniel's "Eternal God", Omnipotence follows in the declaration of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in 3:17 in answer to Nebuchadnezzar's boast that there was no "god" who could "deliver". This is, then, followed up in both the "unbelieving boast" of Darius in 6:16 and his subsequent question in 6:20 as to whether his earlier "boast" was true. This was the final demonstration to "all the earth" that Yahweh, God of Judah, is, in fact, Elohim in His Selective Use of Power.
- C. The "third year" sits in the context of an "eleven year rule" and constant military defeats. The year was 606/605 B.C. and "The Lord" [Adonai] gave Jehoiakim into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. Thus is the word "besieged" given its content: no actual fighting, but strong intimidation.
- D. Daniel produced this Book over the time frame that included the events of 606/605 B.C. to the reign of Cyrus the Persian (6:28), approximately 536 B.C.
- II. The Literary Backdrop.
- A. The book is divided linguistically.
- 1. Chapters 1 and 8-12 are written in Hebrew.
- 2. Chapters 2-7 are written in the language of the Chaldeans.
- B. The chapters written "for" the Babylonians are set up chiasticly.
- 1. Chapters 2 and 7 both deal with the development of history through consecutive "empires".
- 2. Chapters 3 and 6 both deal with God's deliverance of "faithful" Hebrews who are accused by Chaldean competitors.
- 3. Chapters 4 and 5 both deal with God's confrontation of "arrogant" Chaldean kings as they reject God's right to sovereignty over them.
- C. The chapters written "for" the Hebrews are set up thematically.
- 1. Chapter 8 is a record of a vision given in the third year of Belshazzar regarding the general development of Gentile "empire" development.
- 2. Chapter 9 is a record of revelation given in the first year of Darius the Mede regarding the short and long term issues of Israel's dominion over their land.
- 3. Chapters 10, 11, and 12 are a record of a revelation given during the first year of Cyrus the Persian that pretty much "tied everything together" as he "understood".
- a. Chapter 10 is a "prelude" of sorts wherein Daniel is introduced to a significant heavenly messenger who is a "warrior" in the warfares of the heavenlies as they affect the earth's national developments.
- b. Chapter 11 is a record of special developments that lead up to the final Gentile world ruler.
- c. Chapter 12 is a record of the final outcomes and some "timing" issues involved.
