Cyrus and Darius

As we study the books of Ezra-Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, Isaiah, and Dani’el, we encounter two kings, Cyrus and Darius. It is important to understand the differences and similarities between the two Persian kings. Cyrus was born around 590 BC, succeeded to the throne in 559 BC following his father’s death. However, Cyrus was not yet an independent ruler. Like his predecessors, Cyrus had to reorganize Median overlordship. He died in 529 BC. Darius was born in 550 BC, began to rule in 522 BC, seven years after Cyrus’ death, and died himself in 486 BC.

Cyrus was named and identified almost two hundred years before Isaiah prophesied that the Persian king would bring an end to the Babylonian Empire and give the Jews the right to return to Judah (see the commentary on Isaiah Ic – This is What the LORD says to Cyrus His Anointed).

In 539 BC, the first year of Cyrus (Dani’el 1:21) was the year in which the decree was issued that enabled the Jews to return home (see Ezra-Nehamiah Ai – The Decree of Cyrus), some seventy years after the time when Dani’el and his friends were taken into exile. Also in 539 BC, Darius, viceroy to King Cyrus, captured Babylon without a fight. King Belshazzar was killed (see Dani’el Ct – Belshazzar was Killed) and Darius ruled over the province of Babylon, while Cyrus ruled over the entire Medo-Persian Empire. The description of the reorganization of Babylon that took place at that time (see Dl – Dani’el Promoted) pertained only to that province. Later, Darius became king and endorsed the rebuilding of the Temple after construction had been stopped for many years (see Ezra-Nehemiah Bc – King Darius Endorses the Rebuilding of the Temple). Dani’el served in his role of governor of the province until he was at least about eighty-five years old.

538-515 BC First Return under Zerubbabel Ezra 1:1 to 6:22

538-537 BC Cyrus’ decree to begin construction of Temple Ezra 1:1-4

537 BC Return under Sheshbazzar Ezra 1:11

536 BC Zerubbabel returns with 49,897 Ezra 2:2

536 BC Zerubbabel began to build the altar Ezra 3:1-3

536 BC Zerubbabel begins building the Temple Ezra 3:8

536 BC Samaritan opposition during Cyrus’ reign Ezra 4:1-5a

522 BC Darius begins his reign

521 BC Opposition in the days of Darius Ezra 4:5b and 24

520 BC Haggai calls the people to build God’s House Haggai 1:1-2:9

520 BC Work resumed on the Temple Ezra 5:1-17

520 BC King Darius Endorses Rebuilding the Temple Ezra 6:1-12

518 BC Zechariah calls for obedience and observance Zechariah 7:1-8:23

515 BC The Temple is completed and dedicated Ezra 6:15

486 BC Cyrus died and was succeeded by his son Ahasuerus

486 BC Opposition in the days of Ahasuerus Ezra 4:6

A 57 year gap between the First and Second Return

480 BC Ahasuerus was defeated by the Greeks at the Battle of Hellespont

478 BC Esther becomes Queen between Ezra 6 and 7

478-474 BC Esther’s deliverance and Mordecai became Prime Minister

465 BC Accession of Artakh’shasta to the throne

458-457 BC The Second Return under Ezra Ezra 1:1 to 6:22

458 BC Artakh’shasta issues decree for Ezra to return Ezra 7:1-6

458 BC Ezra departs from Babylon Ezra 7:7

458 BC Ezra arrives in Jerusalem Ezra 7:8-9

458 BC The book of the Torah is read Nehemiah 8:1-12

458 BC Feast of Sukkot Nehemiah 8:13-18

445 BC The Israelites Confess Their Sins Nehemiah 9:1-37

458 BC The people are assembled Ezra 10:7-15

458-457 BC Ezra reforms carried out Ezra 10:16-44

A 12 year gap between the Second and Third Return

445 BC The twentieth year of King Artakh’shasta Nehemiah 1:1

445 BC Nehemiah approaches the King Artakhshasta Nehemiah 2:1

445-432 BC The Third Return under Nehemiah Nehemiah 7: 12-13

445 BC Artach’shashta issues decree for Nehemiah’s return Nehemiah 2:1

445 BC Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem Nehemiah 2:11

445 BC Nehemiah appointed governor of Judah Nehemiah 5:14

445 BC The walls around Jerusalem were completed Nehemiah 6:15

433 BC Nehemiah returned to Persia Nehemiah 13:6

445-433 BC Malachi rebuked the Jews Malachi 1:1-2:17

432 BC Nehemiah returned to Tziyon and final reforms Nehemiah 13:7

400 years of silence until the coming of John the Immerser in Mark 1:4

Structure and Unity of Dani’el

The book of Dani’el breaks down into two halves: Chapters 1 through 6 are clearly biographical in nature, tracing Dani’el’s witness in the royal court of Babylon. Chapters 7 through 12 contain a record of his visions of God’s purposes for the future. The actual structure of the book, however, is more complex. For one thing, Dani’el 2:4b-7:28 is written in Aramaic, which was the international language as early as the ninth or eighty century BC. It has therefore been suggested that this section in Dani’el would be of special significance to those who were not Jews and was written in the international language. It is important to notice that the Aramaic section does not neatly dovetail with the simplest division of the book into biography (Chapters 1-6) and visions (Chapters 7-12). In fact, rather than separate them, it links them together. It has been suggested that by doing so, it is made clear that Chapters 2-7 represent the core of the book. Chapters 2 and 7 represent the four world empires; Chapters 3 and 6 present narratives of mighty deliverance; and Chapters 4 and 5 describe the judgment of ADONAI on world rulers. The widely recognized chiastic arrangement of the Aramaic section of the book as seen below is often cited in support of a language-based approach to the structure of Dani’el.

A a dream about four world kingdoms replaced by a fifth (2:4b-49)

B three Hebrews in the fiery furnace (3:1-30)

C Dani’el interprets a dream for king Nebuchadnezzar (4:1-47)

C Dani’el interprets the handwriting on the wall for Belshazzar (5:1-31)

B Dani’el in the lion’s den (6:1-28)

A a vision about four world kingdoms replacing by a fifth (7:1-28)

If this pattern reflects the intention of the author, then we also see the significance of the opening and closing sections of the book: Chapter 1 sets the scene in Babylon for what follows, and Chapters 8-12 describe the earlier pattern of world history in detail, but especially from the viewpoint of God’s people, explaining the LORD’s purposes for them.

Many of us have a tendency to prefer things to start at the beginning, continue without interruption, and finish at the end. It is often said, with good reason, that this is a distinctively Western mind-set. We must unlearn this linear view of things if we are to feel the full force of the book of Dani’el. Here we encounter a structure that can be described in different ways. It has been called “progressive parallelism,” a style of presentation in which the author takes us from the beginning to the end of a sequence of events, and then returns to the beginning to describe them again, this time in different terms or from another perspective. One might liken the structure to a spiral staircase, turning around the same central point on more than one occasion, yet raising higher and higher at the same time.

Therefore, in the book of Dani’el we keep returning to the same general outline of world history (compare Chapters 2 and 7). Yet, we are presented with different viewpoints, or the material is presented through different imagery, or our attention is focused on a particular cross-section (for example 9:20-27). This explains what may seem to some readers a certain monotony in the message of the book. It says the same thing over and over in different ways. That is something the reader has to recognize in order to focus on each new perspective presented on the central theme.⁸

The Historical Background of Dani’el

The book of Dani’el contains eight important dates (1:1 and 21; 2:1; 5:30; 7:1; 8:1; 9:1; 10:1). The earlies date refers to the third year of Jehoiakim (see the commentary on Jeremiah Ca – Jehoiakim Ruled For 11 Years from 609/608 to 598 BC), and reports the first Babylonian invasion of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar (1:1). This means Dani’el was among the first of the Hebrews taken captive by the Babylonians and deported to Mesopotamia, a fact that has significance for his later prayer (9:2-3). The latest date places Dani’el in the Persian royal court during the third year of the Persian king Cyrus (10:1). This means the historical setting for Dani’el is the Babylonian exile in the royal courts of Babylon, Median, and Persian kings between 605 and 536 BC.

The dated portions of Dani’el are as follows:

1:1 the third year of King Jehoiakim of Judah 609/608 BC

1:21 the first year of King Cyrus of Persia 539 BC

2:1 the second year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia 604 or 603 BC

5:30 the last year of King Belshazzar of Babylonia/first year of Darius the Mede 539 BC

7:1 the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylonia 553 BC

8:1 the third year of King Belshazzar of Babylonia 551 BC

9:1 the first year of Darius the Mede 539 BC

10:1 the third year of King Cyrus of Persia 537 or 536 BC

King Josiah of Judah died in battle near Megiddo (see Jeremiah Ai – Josiah Ruled For 31 Years from 640 to 609 BC). Perhaps obligations to the Babylonians motivated his attempt to intercept the Egyptian forces of Pharaoh Neco en route to Carchemish (Second Kings 23:29). Josiah was the last reformer and “good” king of Judah, and his death triggered the rapid decline of the southern Hebrew monarchy. The last twenty-plus years of the southern kingdom of Judah saw four kings ascend to the throne.

Jehoahaz Ruled For 3 Months in 609 BC

Jehoiakim Ruled For 11 Years from 609 to 598 BC

Jehoiachin Ruled For 3 Months in 598 BC

Zedekiah Ruled For 11 Years from 597 to 586 BC

After Josiah died in battle, the people then chose Jehoahaz, Josiah’s fourth son, who was only 23 years old, as the new king of Judah (see Jeremiah Bm – Jehoahaz Ruled For 3 Months in 609 BC). When Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt assumed control of the Israelite territories, he set up headquarters at Riblah. Necho II then called Jehoahaz to meet him there, but removed him from the throne and sent him in chains back to Egypt (Second Kings 23:31-35; Second Chronicles 36:1-4). Then, Jehoiakim was installed by Pharaoh Neco II (Second Kings 23:34). He later surrendered to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, but rebelled three years later (see Jeremiah Ca – Jehoiakim Ruled For 11 Years from 609/608 to 598 BC). Nebuchadnezzar was unable to resume his military campaigns in Isra’el until 598 BC, but then moved swiftly to punish the disloyal king. By the time Nebuchadnezzar reached Jerusalem, Jehoiakim had died and Jehoiachin succeeded him as king of Judah (see Jeremiah Du – Jehoiachin Ruled For 3 Months in 598 BC). As a result of the second Babylonian invasion of Judah, Jehoiachin was deposed and exiled along with ten thousand of the best and brightest of Jerusalem, including Ezeki’el (see Jeremiah Gt – In the 37^th Year, Jehoiachin Released from Prison).

Zedekiah was installed by Nebuchadnezzar as a puppet king of Babylonia after the exile of Jehoiachin (see Jeremiah Dz – Zedekiah Ruled For 11 Years from 598/597 to 586 BC). Zedekiah foolishly rebelled against the Babylonian overlord and allied Judah with Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt in 589 BC. The third Babylonian invasion of Judah was swift and decisive. Nebuchadnezzar surrounded Jerusalem in 588 BC, and after a lengthy siege the city was sacked, ADONAI’s Temple was destroyed (see Jeremiah Gb – The Destruction of Solomon’s Temple on Tisha B’Av in 586 BC), and the Davidic kingship ceased, awaiting the return of the Messiah (see the commentary on Isaiah Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah).⁷

Suggested Timeline for Dani’el:

605 BC Jerusalem taken by Nebuchadnezzar,
Dani’el and his three friends taken to Babylon

602 BC Dani’el and his friends complete their three years of training,
Nebuchadnezzar has his dream and Dani’el interprets it (Dani’el 2)

586 BC Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed by the Babylonians
(see the commentary on Jeremiah Ga – The Fall of Jerusalem)

539 BC Belshazzar’s feast (Dani’el 5)
Cyrus, king of Persia, conquers Babylon and reigns until 530 BC

538 BC Cyrus decrees that the Jews can return to Judah and rebuild the Temple
(see Ezra-Nehemiah Ah – Cyrus Decrees: Rebuild the Temple)

537 BC About 50,000 Jews returned, led by Sheshbatzar and Zerubbabel
(see Ezra-Nehemiah Ag – The First Return)
Dani’el had his prophetic vision about the end times (10:1 to 12:13)

458 BC About 2,000 Jews returned, led by Ezra the teacher of Isra’el,
purifying of the people by the reading of Deuteronomy
(see Ezra-Nehemiah Bf – The Second Return)

445 BC A small group returned, led by Nehemiah
(see Ezra-Nehemiah Bt – The Third Return)
The walls around Jerusalem were completed.

432 BC Nehemiah returned to Tziyon and final enacted his final reforms.

Abba: An Aramaic word used as an affectionate term of address to someone’s father. Yeshua used it to refer to God as His Father, and believers in Jesus also use it today to address God as Father. In modern Hebrew, this common name means Dad, Daddy, or Papa (also see Mark 14:36 and Romans 8:15).

Adar: the twelfth month of the Jewish biblical calendar.

Adonai: literally, my Lord, a word the TaNaKh uses to refer to God.

ADONAI: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay). Since its pronunciation is not known, and also out of respect for God’s name, Jews traditionally substitute the words ADONAI and Ha’Shem. ADONAI, however, is more of an affectionate name like daddy (also see Exodus 3:15; Jeremiah 1:9; Psalm 1:2; Matthew 1:22; Mark 5:19; Luke 1:5; John 1:23).

ADONAI Elohei-Tzva’ot: the LORD God of heaven’s angelic armies. God does not have many names, as seen here and below, He has only one name – YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay). All the other names in the Bible describe His characteristics and His attributes.

ADONAI Elohim: This is the Hebrew word for LORD God. This title links Isra’el’s God, the God of the Covenant, with God as Creator of the universe (also see Genesis 2:4; Isaiah 48:16; Psalm 72:18; Luke 1:32; Revelation 1:8).

ADONAI Nissi: the LORD my Banner (see Exodus 17:15; Psalm 20:1).

ADONAI Shalom: the LORD of Peace.

ADONAI, The Angel of: He is called the Angel of ADONAI 58 times and He is called the Angel of God 11 times. This is never a common angel, but the second Person of the Trinity, Yeshua. This is always a reference to the pre-incarnate Messiah. Significantly, the rabbis teach that the phrase the Angel of ADONAI is sometimes used to denote God Himself.

ADONAI Tzidkenu: the LORD our Righteousness.

ADONAI-Tzva’ot: The LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (see Joshua 5:13-15; Second Kings 19:31; Psalm 24:10; Second Corinthians 6:18).

Adversary, The: Satan, the devil, the prince of the power of the air, and the old dragon.

Afikomen: Literally, “That which comes after.” Piece of matzah that is hidden during the Seder, to be found and eaten after the third cup of redemption.

Amen: At the end of a prayer, this word means, “It is true,” or “Let it be so,” or “May it become true,” indicating that the readers or listeners agree with what has just been said. Although everything Yeshua said was true, “amen” adds special emphasis (also see Deuteronomy 27:25; Jeremiah 28:6; Psalm 41:14; Nehemiah 8:6; Matthew 5:26; Mark 10:15; Luke 23:43; John 10:1).

Anti-missionaries: Today they are Orthodox Jews who champion Jews for Judaism. They do not limit their mischief to harassing missionaries; any Jewish believer is a target. It is unfortunate that so many of these anti-missionaries feel their ends justify certain unethical means. In order to “protect” Judaism, they do or encourage others to do what Judaism condemns. In Paul’s day, they were the Judaizers who wanted Gentile believers to add obedience to the 613 commandments of Moshe, circumcision, and eating kosher to Paul’s salvation equals faith-plus-nothing gospel.

Ariel: lion of God, or fireplace on God’s altar.

Aviv: the first month of the biblical year, corresponding to the modern Jewish month of Nisan.

Avraham: Abraham

Azazel: a scapegoat or goat demon sent out in the wilderness on Yom Kippur.

Ba’al: the chief male god of the Phoenicians and Canaanites. The word means lord or master.

Bar Mitzvah: Hebrew for “Son of the Commandment.” Although not specifically mentioned in the Bible, it is a Jewish coming of age ritual in which a young man, or Bat Mitzvah for a young woman, chooses to follow the commandments of their forefathers and takes responsibility for their own relationship with the God of Isra’el. This ceremony normally takes place at age 13 for boys or age 12 for girls. Afterwards, he/she is theoretically considered to be an adult, but in modern Judaism this is mostly symbolic, and a twelve-year-old is not treated like an adult.

Beit-Lechem: Bethlehem, the birthplace of David and Yeshua, meaning house of bread.

Ben-Elohim: the Son of God (also see Genesis 2:19; Isaiah 61:11; Matthew 4:3; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; John 11:4).

Bnei-Yisrael: The children of Isra’el.

B’rit Chadashah: Hebrew for the New Covenant. Christians commonly call it the New Testament.

Challah: Challah is a special bread of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions such as Shabbat and major Jewish holidays. Ritually acceptable challah is made of dough from which a small portion has been set aside as an offering.

Chesed: “mercy,” “lovingkindness,” and/or “covenant-loyalty” (see the commentary on Ruth, to see link click Af – The Concept of Chesed). It is a complex word that summarizes God’s complex and overwhelming love for His people, going beyond the concepts of love, mercy or kindness all together (also see Isaiah 63:7; Zechariah 7:1; Psalm 13:1; Psalm 86:1; Psalm 107:1; Psalm 118:1; Psalm 136:1).

Clear oil: In the oil pressing process this would have been oil from the first of three or pressings. The first pressing, most likely done by adding one stone weight to a wooden beam which then put pressure onto a bag of olives by being forced downward by the weight, was the one which produced the purest oil. This was traditionally the oil used in the Temple.

Cohen of Ha’Elyon: Priest of the God Most High.

Cohen: A priest, a man who offered sacrifices and performed other religious rituals at the Temple in Jerusalem.

Cohanim: The Cohanim were descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses. The Sadducees were from the priestly sect of Judaism.

Cohen Rosh Gadol: The Great High Priest who served as the head religious official, the only one to enter the Most Holy Place. Aaron, the brother of Moses, was the first man appointed as the Cohen Gadol. In later times, the Cohen Gadol was in charge of the Temple and its administration. The Cohen Gadol Caiaphas, played a key role in questioning Yeshua at His trial. The writer of Hebrews describes Messiah as our great Cohen Gadol, who gives us access to God’s throne in the heavenly sanctuary (also see Leviticus 21:10; Haggai 1:14; Nehemiah 3:1; Matthew 26:57ff; Mark 14:61ff; John 18:19ff; Hebrews 4:14ff and 10:19-22).

Covenant: Theologically, it speaks of the contractual relationship between God and His people. The Hebrew term is b’rit. Also see B’rit Chadashah, Hebrew for New Covenant (see Genesis 6:18 and 17:2; Jeremiah 31:30; Nehemiah 9:32; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 1:72).

Defile, or tam’ei in Hebrew: This is not a sinful condition, but a condition of life. From this we can see that being tam’ei is merely a state of being unable to participate in the Temple service until cleansed because the person has come into contact with the realm of sin and/or death, not necessarily because the person has sinned himself.

Diaspora, the Dispersion: the scattering of the Jewish people in exile throughout the world. Today almost 7 million Jews live in Isra’el, and over 8 million more Jews live in the Diaspora (also see Isaiah 11:10; John 7:35).

Diviners, Babylonian: Hebrew: gezar, primarily means to cut or divide. The term conveys a sense of separation or determination, often implying authority or finality in a decision being made. They were important in a theocratic society that was shaped by divine and royal decrees.

Drash: A drash is a long d’var.

D’var: Is a short talk on topics relating to a parashah, the weekly Torah portion.

Echad: The Hebrew word for “one” or “unity.” Echad is used in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4).

Elyon: A title for God, meaning the Most High God (see Luke 1:35 and 76; Acts 7:48). A longer form is El Elyon, God Most High (also see Deuteronomy 32:8; Isaiah 14:14; Psalm 91:1; Acts 16:17).

Elohim: “God” in general terms, or as Creator. Compared with ADONAI, God’s “covenant name” is used especially in His relationship to the Jewish people. Elohim is the plural form of El, also found in the Bible occasionally with the same meaning. Yeshua is sometimes called Ben-Elohim, the Son of God (also see Genesis 2:19; Isaiah 61:11; Matthew 4:3; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; John 11:4).

ELOHIM Adonai: The Sovereign LORD

El Shaddai: God Almighty

Emissaries: Apostles

Enchanters, Babylonian: Hebrew: ashshaph, refers to a class or wise men who were often consulted for their ability to interpret dreams, signs, and omens, and as such, were key figures in the king’s advisory team.

Gehenna: The word for “hell,” the place of perpetual misery and suffering after this life. It comes from the Greek word Genna and the Hebrew word Gei-Hinnom, which means the valley of Hinnom. There was actually such a valley by that name south of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was used as a garbage dump, and fires were always burning there, making it a suitable picture of life in hell. In Jewish sources, the term is used as the opposite of Gan-Eden, or the Garden of Eden or Paradise (Matthew 23:33; Mark 9:43).

Gentiles: A term for individuals or groups who are not Jewish. In Hebrew a common word for Gentile is goy or goyim is the plural form (see Isaiah 8:23; Matthew 10:18; Mark 10:33).

God-fearers: These were Gentiles who became convinced that ADONAI was the only true God, they abandoned their paganism and idolatry, but they did not choose to become a proselyte in any form, and hence there was no adoption of Jewish customs or practices (see the commentary on Acts Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah).

Go’el: Literally, a redeemer, used both for God and of people. In the book of Ruth, go’el means the kinsman-redeemer, a close relative obligated to defend and protect his kin. The go’el could buy back (redeem) land or someone who sold himself into slavery, and could marry a widow in the family in order to protect her future. The human go’el is a picture of God the greater Go’el who protects and redeems us, the members of His family (see Ruth 3:9-12).

Goyim: Nations, non-Jews, Gentiles

Hag ha’Matzah: The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Halakhah: are mitzvot governing Jewish life and comes from the Hebrew root to walk. The rabbis used the term to refer to the legal way to walk out the commandments of the Torah. It can also refer to the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law). A (one) halakhah is a specific ruling given regarding a particular issue, “the halakhah” being the ruling accepted and observed by the Jewish community.

Hametz or Chametz: The Hebrew word for leaven, or yeast, which makes bread rise. God commanded Isra’el not to eat hametz during Passover, Yeshua teaches that both good and evil spread, the same way hametz leavens the whole batch of dough (Also see 16:6-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1 Exodus 12:20; Leviticus 7:13; Amos 4:5; Matthew 13:33 and 13:21).

Hanukkah: Meaning dedication, the feast lasts eight days and commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes in 165 BC and the rebuilding and dedication of the Temple after its desecration by Syrian invaders.

Hanukkiah: a candelabra specifically designed to hold the nine candles on Hanukkah, one candle for each night and an extra candle in the middle, with which to light the other candles. The candles are lit from right to left.

Ha’Shem: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH. Since its pronunciation is not known, and also out of respect for God’s name, Jews traditionally substitute the words ADONAI and Ha’Shem. While ADONAI is more of an affectionate name like daddy, Ha’Shem is a more formal name like sir (also see Exodus 3:15; Jeremiah 1:9; Psalm 1:2, Matthew 1:22; Mark 5:19; Luke 1:5; John 1:23).

Hellenist: In the B’rit Chadashah, it refers to Jews who lived in the Diaspora, or had moved to Isra’el from the Diaspora, spoke Greek, and were more Greek in their culture, than traditional Jewish people brought up in Isra’el (Acts 6:1, 9:29, 11:20).

Immerse: To dip the whole body under water as an act of dedication to the LORD, or as a profession of faith in Yeshua. The word is often seen in other translations as “baptize.” The ceremony of dipping is called “immersion” or “baptism.” Yeshua’s cousin was known as John the Immerser (Matthew 3:1; Mark 6:14; Luke 7:20).

Imputation: To reckon or charge to one’s account. When the Spirit gives life (John 6:63a), that means that all the righteousness of Christ is transferred to your spiritual account at the moment of faith. What is true of Messiah is true of you, minus His deity.

Incarnation, The: The divine revelation (Hebrews 1:1-2) of YHVH becoming one with humanity as an ordinary human being in the person of Yeshua Messiah. He was one-hundred percent man and one-hundred present God. The Triune God knew that the Second Person would come to earth to be subject to numerous evils: hunger, ridicule, rejection, and death. He did this in order to negate sin, and therefore, its evil effects.

Judaizers: Jewish false teachers, who taught that obedience to the 613 commandments of the Torah were necessary to have a relationship with God, and opposed Paul at every turn. Everywhere Paul went, the Judaizers were sure to follow. Once Paul established a church in Galatia, as soon as he left, they would come in and distort the gospel of Messiah (1:7).

Justification: The act of God whereby, negatively, He forgives the sins of believers and, positively, He declares them righteous by imputing the obedience and righteousness of Messiah to them through faith (Luke 18:9-14). It is not a reward for anything good we have done. It is not something we cooperate with God in (in other words, it is not sanctification). It is an utterly undeserved free gift of the mercy of ADONAI (Romans 3:24; Titus 3:7). It is entirely accomplished by God, once and for all, at the moment of salvation. It results in good deeds (James 2:14-26) and sanctification over our lifetime.

Kadosh: The Hebrew word for ‘holy.” This term describes the people set apart for God. ADONAI Himself is kodosh (Leviticus 19:1-2). Many letters to Christ’s newly formed communities (churches) address Yeshua’s followers as the Kedoshim (also see Jeremiah 2:3; Nehemiah 8:10; First Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:2).

Kedoshim: The holy ones

Kippah: Known as a yarmulke or skullcap, a kippah is a head covering for Jews. The tradition to wear a kippah does not come from any biblical passage. Rather, it is a custom which evolved as a sign of recognition that there is Someone “above” who watches our every act.

Korban: The root of the word korban, can be translated to bring near. A korban, then, should be defined as something brought near. The reason it is so named is that the person bringing an offering did so in order to be brought near to God. It was a sacrifice or offering dedicated to God, especially to fulfill a vow. If something was to be dedicated to God, it generally could not be used for other purposes. Some Pharisees and teachers of the Torah wrongly used this as an excuse not to provide for their parents in their old age, even though Jewish teaching insisted that the commandment to honor one’s father and mother extended to providing for their physical needs (see Mark 7:11).

Kosher: Kosher foods are those that conform to the Jewish dietary regulations of kashrut, primarily derived from Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Food that may be consumed according to halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér, meaning “fit”.

Levite: Descendants of the tribe of Levi, who served in the Tabernacle and Temple as gatekeepers, musicians, teachers, and assistants to the priests. The scribes, or Torah-teachers, originally came only from among the Levites and were the forerunners of the Pharisees. They later expanded to include members who were from all tribes, with no affiliation with Levi required. (Also see Exodus 4:14; Ezeki’el 48:12; Ezra 1:5; John 1:19).

LORD: When the translators of the King James Bible in the 1600’s came to the Hebrew word YHVH, they needed to distinguish it from the word Lord, meaning master. So, they capitalized it. Therefore, LORD is actually the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH.

LXX (Septuagint): The “official” Greek translation of the TaNaKh, dating from the third century BC through the fourth century AD. The original translation was of the Torah (the five books of Moshe), which the Letter of Aristeas records was allegedly made by seventy Jewish scholars in Alexandria (Egypt) from which it gained its name (Septuaginta). It is commonly referred to by the abbreviation, LXX (70).

Midrash: An ancient commentary on part of the TaNaKh, attached to the biblical text. It also offers existing and potential interpretations of Jewish halacha.

Magi, Babylonian: Hebrew: chartom, refers to a magician or wise man, often associated with the practice of interpreting dreams, or performing magic.

Malki-Tzedek: Melchizedek.

Mashiach (Hebrew): Messiah, the Anointed One (Matthew 26:63; Mark 1:1; John 20:31).

Matzah (singular) or Matzot (plural): Unleavened bread, which is made without yeast, eaten especially during the feast of Passover. Also see hametz (also see Exodus 13:6; Leviticus 2:5; Ezeki’el 45:21; Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; John 13:26).

Masoretic Text: The official text of the TaNaKh edited by the Massoretes, or Jewish grammarians, during the sixth to tenth centuries AD. This text is “pointed” with various vowel signs and accents which were lacking in the previous texts.

M’chitzah, the: The middle wall of separation (see the commentary on Acts Cn – Paul’s Advice from Jacob and the Elders at Tziyon).

Megillah (singular) or Megillot (plural): The five books in the Writings used for special readings during the holidays: Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther.

Menorah (singular) or Menorot (plural): It is simply the Hebrew word for “lamp.” The seven branched lampstand(s) designed and commanded by God for service in the Tabernacle/Temple (Exodus 25:32; First Kings 7:49; Zechariah 4:2).

Messiah (Greek): Christ, the Anointed One, often used in speaking of a Redeemer sent from God to free His people from exile and oppression (also see Matthew 1:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 2:11 and John 1:41).

Midrash (singular) or Midrashim (plural): allegorical interpretation or application of a text. The listener is expected to understand that the writer of the midrash is not expounding the plain meaning of the text, but introducing his own ideas.

Mikveh: a bath or pool with a flow of fresh water; used in Orthodox Judaism to this day for ritual purification or ceremonial cleansing, performed at various times in a person’s life (see Matthew 3:13 and Titus 3:5).

Mishnah, The: is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions that are known as the Oral Law (see below). 

Mitzvah (singular) or mitzvot (plural): Primarily a commandment from God in the Torah. (Deuteronomy 11:22; Second Kings 17:37; Proverbs 6:20; Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:6). Today, a more modern meaning would be “a good deed,” more broadly, a general principle for living.

Moshe: Moses.

Olam haba: “The age to come,” or “the world to come.” It describes a time after the world is perfected under the rulership of Messiah. This term also refers to the afterlife, where the soul passes after death. It can be contrasted with olam ha-zeh, “this world” (Matthew 12:32; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30 and 20:35; Ephesians 1:21; Hebrews 6:5; Revelation 20-21).

Omer: Meaning “sheaf,” the bundle of barley used in the Firstfruits offering. After the Temple period it came to be identified with Sefirat ha’Omer, or the counting of the omer, the counting of the days from Firstfruits to Shavu’ot.

Oral Law: The Oral Law refers to the Talmud, which is a compilation of rabbinic commentaries on the first five books of Moses, called the Torah. The Talmud, completed around 500 AD, consists of the Mishnah as well as a commentary on the Mishnah called Gemara (Mishnah + Gemara = Talmud). The tradition grew to include a further compendium called Midrash until about the 12^th century. The rabbis taught that when the Messiah came, He would not only believe in the Oral Law, but He would participate in the making of new Oral Laws (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law).

Pesach: Passover. The Jewish festival commemorating deliverance from Egyptian bondage. In Biblical times Jews used to journey to the Temple, sacrifice lambs there, and eat a special meal commemorating the departure of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. It was one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim. Today, Passover is celebrated at home with a special meal called a seder. Yeshua celebrated Passover with His apostles (Matthew 26:18; Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7; John 13:1).

Pharisees: One of the sects of Judaism in the first century. The Pharisees had their own views of how exactly to keep Torah. They were especially concerned with ritual impurity and (unlike the Sadducees) they believed in the resurrection of the dead. While the Sadducees were more involved with the Temple, the Pharisees were concerned more with home and synagogue life.

Progressive revelation: Is the idea that ADONAI reveals the various aspects of His will and overall plan for humanity in different periods of time, or stages. For example, the cone of Isaiah (see Isaiah Hl – The Cone of Isaiah) and the suffering Servant (see Isaiah Iy – The Death of the Suffering Servant) are examples of progressive revelation.

Propitiation: The averting of God’s wrath by means of the substitutionary and efficacious (producing the desired effect) sacrifice (death) of Yeshua Messiah (the atonement). It is the work of Messiah that satisfies every claim of God’s holiness and justice so that Ha’Shem is free to act on behalf of sinners.

Proselytes at the Gate: There were three levels of Gentile relationship to Judaism. After God-fearers and proselytes of the Gate were the second level. The Gate was the middle wall of separation (Ephesians 2:14) in the Temple compound that Gentiles were not allowed to go beyond under penalty of death (see the commentary on Acts Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah 53). These were Gentiles who adopted many Jewish practices like celebrating Shabbat and the feast of Isra’el, but did not become a full proselyte. Most of these were men because it didn’t require circumcision.

Proselytes of the Covenant: In the third level of Gentile relationship to Judaism (see above), there were proselytes of the Covenant. They entered into the Covenant of Sinai as a full Jew, so to speak. Most of these were women because this level required circumcision.

Purim: Meaning “lots,” is the holiday based on the story of Esther.

Qumran: A site overlooking the Dead Sea where Jewish sects lived in religious communities from 135 BC to 70 AD and from which we have numerous documents which are frequently referred to as the Dead Sea Scrolls. These texts include partial copies and fragments of most of the biblical books (the only whole copy is Isaiah), apocryphal writings such as Enoch, and texts produced by the community itself (the manual of Discipline and the Thanksgiving Hymns). The texts are referred to according to the number of the cave in which they were discovered (for example, 1Qs [Community Rule], 11Q Temp [Temple Scroll]).

Rasheet: One of several names for the Festival of First Fruits.

Redeemed: Setting free from slavery, buying back something lost, for a price.

Righteous of the TaNaKh: Old Testament believers.

Rosh Ha’Shanah: Hebrew for “Head of the Year.” Known as the Jewish New Year, or the Feast of Trumpets.

Ruach: The Hebrew word for “spirit,” “breath,” or “wind.” Yeshua explains wind and Spirit to Nicodemus in John 3:5-8. Scripture frequently refers to the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, the Holy Spirit (Exodus 35:31; Numbers 11:25; Malachi 2:15; Acts 2:2 and 10:44; Romans 8:4-17).

Ruach Ha’Kodesh: The Hebrew name for the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 63:11; Psalm 51:13; Matthew 1:20; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:16; John 14:26).

Sadducees: One of the sects of Judaism in the first century. From the Sadducees came the leading priests who managed the affairs of the Temple. In contrast to the Pharisees, they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead (Matthew 16:12; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27).

Sanhedrin: Literally, the gathering of the seated, like being a judge seated on a bench – a legal term for an officiating judge. This was the Supreme Court of ancient Isra’el. It exercised legislative and judicial authority (Matthew 26:59; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66; John 11:47).

Sanctification: To be set apart, specifically, to the holy use and purposes of God. It is a process that takes a whole lifetime. It is the work of God in which you cooperate (Romans 12:1-2; First Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 12:3-4; First Peter 5:8-9); and is a process Ephesians 4:11-16), trusting in God, apart from whom we can do nothing (John 15:5; Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:11; Hebrews 2:18 and 4:14). He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6).

Septuagint: The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures and was presumably made for the Jewish community in Egypt when Greek was the common language throughout the region. It is also called the translation of the Seventy because tradition states that the Septuagint was translated by seventy rabbis. In academia, the Septuagint is often abbreviated as LXX (the Roman numeral for seventy) in honor of this translation.

Shabbat: The Sabbath Day, the seventh day of the week, when work ceases. On this day God’s people are beckoned to rest and renew our relationship with our Creator, who also rested on the seventh day. Shabbat begins on Friday evening at sundown and ends Saturday evening after three stars appear (Exodus 20:10; Nehemiah 9:14; Matthew 12:10; Mark 1:21; Luke 23:56; John 9:14).

Shaddai: A common name for God in the TaNaKh, usually translated as Almighty. The name is often used in a combination such as El Shaddai, or God Almighty (Genesis 17:1; Ezeki’el 1:24; Job 11:7).

Shall be cut off: This phrase may mean that the person is stoned to death, or that he is barred from returning to the Tabernacle or Temple to offer sacrifices. This person would be cherem, literally set apart for destruction, either physically or culturally.

Shaliach: A legal representative, meaning one who is sent.

Shalom: The Hebrew word for peace, wholeness, wellness and true happiness; it is a greeting used when meeting or departing (Genesis 26:31; First Samuel 16:4; Second Chronicles 18:16; Matthew 10:13; Mark 9:50; Luke 1:28; John 14:27).

Sh’khinah glory: The visual manifestation of the glory of God.

Shavu’ot: the festival of Weeks (Hebrew) or Pentecost (Greek), since it comes seven weeks after Pesach; also called Pentecost, from the Greek word for fifty because one counts fifty days after Passover. It is one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim. It originally celebrated the harvest, but later commemorated the day God gave the Torah to Isra’el. After Yeshua’s resurrection, the disciples waited for God’s gift of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, which also came on Shavu’ot (Exodus 34:22; Second Chronicles 8:13; Acts 2:1 and 20:16; First Corinthians 16:8).

Sh’ol: The Hebrew equivalent of the Greek “Hades,” the place where the dead exist.

Shofar: A ram’s horn, used in the Bible for summoning armies, calling to repentance, and in other situations. Blasts of various lengths and numbers signified different instructions. Metal trumpets were also used for similar purposes, but exclusively by the cohanim. Today, the shofar is used on Rosh ha-Shanah of Yom Kippur, the Jewish High Holy Days. The shofar also ushers in the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:9-10; Zechariah 9:14; Matthew 24:31; First Corinthians 15:52; First Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Sinai: the mountain in the desert between Egypt and the land of Isra’el.

Shuwb: turn, turning, and the big idea of Jeremiah.

Son of Man: A name that Yeshua commonly used to refer to Himself. It comes from Dani’el 7:13-14, in which the Son of Man is given all authority. This name sometimes emphasizes Yeshua’s humanity and sometimes His deity (Matthew 9:6; Mark 9:31; Luke 21:36; John 6:27).

Sorcerers: Hebrew: kashaph, refers to the use of drugs, potions, or spells and is associated with “sorcery” or “witchcraft.”

Sukkot: the festival of Booths or Tabernacles, celebrating the forty years when the people of Isra’el lived in booths, tents, shacks, in the desert between Egypt and the land of Isra’el. The Hebrew word sukkah means booth and sukkot is the plural and means booths. Sukkot is one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim (Leviticus 23:34; Zechariah 14:16; Second Chronicles 8:13; Matthew 17:4; Mark 9:5; Luke 9:33).

Synagogue: A place of assembly for Jews for hearing the Torah, praying and worshipping God. There were many synagogues throughout Isra’el and the Greco-Roman world (Matthew 4:23; Mark 5:22; Luke 4:16; John 9:22).

Tabernacle: A temporary dwelling, such as the booths constructed during Sukkot. It is also used in the TaNaKh of the tent in which God dwelt among the Jewish people, both in the wilderness and in the land of Isra’el. When the word is used as a verb, it refers to Yeshua coming to dwell among His people (John 1:14), reminding us of the wilderness Tabernacle and also of the Feast of Tabernacles (Exodus 25:9; First Chronicles 6:17; John 1:14 and 7:2).

Talmid (singular) or Talmudim (plural): Student or students.

Talmud: The codified body of Jewish Oral Law; includes literary creations, legends, scriptural interpretations, comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemara.

TaNaKh: The Hebrew word TaNaKh is an acronym, based on the letters T for “Torah”,N for “Nevi’im” (Prophets), and K for “Ketuv’im” (Sacred Writings). It is a collection of the teachings of God to human beings in document form. This term is used instead of the phrase, “the Old Testament,” which sounds “old” and outdated.

Torah: Literally, this Hebrew word means teaching or instruction (Exodus 13:9; Isaiah 2:3; Psalm 1:2; Matthew 5:17; Mark 1:22; Luke 24:44; John 7:19; Romans 7:1ff; First Corinthians 9:20-21; Galatians 3:21). It can be used for the five books of Moshe, or more generally to God’s commandments, or the whole TaNaKh (John 10:34). Uncapitalized, torah can be understood generally as a law or principle (Romans 7:21-8:2).

Torah-Teacher: A Torah scribe engaged in interpreting and transmitting the Torah. They wrote Torah scrolls, bills of divorce, and other legal documents. The Hebrew term is sofer.

Tree of Life: The tree at the center of the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9, 3:24), the source of eternal life. Scripture points to a future in the B’rit Chadashah, with access to the Tree of Life. In the meantime, the Torah is like the Tree of Life to those who embrace her, and blessed will be all who hold firmly to her (Proverbs 3:18 also see Revelation 2:7, 22:2 and 14).

Tzedakah: Is a Hebrew word meaning righteousness, but commonly used to signify an ethical obligation to do what is right, and is commonly used to signify charity.

Tzitzit: A fringe that was put on a garment in accordance with Numbers 15:37-41.

Tziyon: Zion, Mount Zion, was originally the City of David, south of the modern Old City of Yerushalayim. Later the name Tziyon came to refer metaphorically to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, or the people of Isra’el. The hill now called Mount Tziyon was given its name in the fourth century AD (Isaiah 1:27; Psalm 65:2; Matthew 21:5; John 12:15).

Yarmelkes: see Kippah.

Yeshivah: The Hebrew word yeshivah comes from the word that means sit and it signifies a place for learning Torah. The Greek word schole, which gives us the English word school, means lecture hall. No English word really comes close to the real meaning of yeshivah, but the Yiddish word shul, or school, comes the closest.

Yeshua: The Hebrew name for our Messiah, known in English as Jesus, and is a masculine form, and a word play on yeshu’ah (salvation) (Matthew 1:21; Mark 6:14; Luke 2:21; John 19:19).

Yerushalayim: Jerusalem.

Y’hudah: Judah.

YHVH: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the Name, the four-letter name of God. Therefore, God does not have many names, He has only one name – YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay). All the other names in the Bible describe His characteristics and His attributes.

Yisra’el: Isra’el.

Yochanan: John.

Yom ha’Bikkurim: One of several names for The Feast of Firstfruits.

Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement, the close of the High Holy Days, and considered the holiest day of the year in traditional Judaism.

Dani’el from a Messianic Jewish Perspective

To my great granddaughter Olivia, may she grow up strong in ADONAI, and like Queen Esther, stand up for herself and her Lord. May she grow up to be wise and a wife of noble character (Proverbs 31:10-31), like her mother.

Author and Date: Several verses indicate that Dani’el, whose name means God is my Judge, wrote this book (8:15 and 27, 9:2, 10:2 and 7, and 12:4-5). He wrote in the autobiographical first person from 7:2 on and should be distinguished from the three other Dani’el’s in the TaNaKh (First Chronicles 3:1; Ezra 8:2; and Nehemiah 10:6). As a teenager, possibly around fifteen years old, Dani’el was taken captive, virtually kidnapped, from his noble family in Judah (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Gt – In the 37^th Year, Jehoiachin Released from Prison). He and other young Jewish men were deported to Babylon to be brainwashed into the Babylonian culture for the task of assisting in dealing with other imported Jews. There, Dani’el spent the rest of his life (eighty-five years or more) and made the most of his exile, successfully praising ADONAI by his character and service. Dani’el quickly rose to the role of statesman by official royal appointment and served as a confidante of kings as well as a prophet in two world empires – the Babylonian Empire (2:48) and the Medo-Persian Empire (6:1-2). Dani’el lived beyond the time described in 10:1 (536 BC). It seems more probable that he wrote the book shortly after this date, but before 530 BC in the sixth century.¹

Purpose: Three main purposes of Dani’el may be listed. First, the book describes how Jews should live in a Gentile world, particularly while the Torah is still a blueprint for living (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Bk – The Ten Words). Second, the book gives us a valuable lesson about YHVH, the God of Isra’el. He was, by pagan standards, a defeated god. In general, Gentiles viewed the wars he fought with other nations as wars between national gods. If one nation triumphed over another, its god triumphed over the other god. Therefore, in the minds of the Babylonians, the God of Isra’el had been defeated by their god, but Dani’el showed them that the opposite was true. Third, the book demonstrates ADONAI’s provision for His people. Ha’Shem placed Dani’el in a unique position. The prophet spent all of the Babylonian Captivity in Babylon (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule). His prominent position at the court of both Nebuchadnezzar and his successor, allowed him to consider the welfare of the captive Jews. This, in turn, proves that the LORD does not forsake His people.²

Theme: The primary theme of the book of Dani’el is the period known as the Times of the Gentiles. The book also deals with God’s program for Isra’el during this period. It’s focus, however, is on the development of world history from the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian Captivity in 586 BC to the Second Coming of Messiah – from the dethronement of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, to the enthronement of Yeshua Messiah, the last King of Isra’el.³ To see a short video summarizing the book of Dani’el click here.

The Chronology: Dani’el is one of the most significant books in the Bible in terms of the chronology of future events because it contains essential information concerning the key figures and time sequences of the far eschatological future. It is difficult to understand prophetic chronology without consulting the book of Dani’el. There are visions in Dani’el that detail what YHVH would do beginning in the sixth century BC until the Messianic Kingdom. Thus, Dani’el can be seen as the foundation for the key themes of biblical prophecy. Dani’el did not attempt to write history when he wrote his book; rather, he was developing a theme. Therefore, the book was not written in chronological order. The fact that Dani’el dated his prophecies, provides insight into the order in which the events took place, but they were not written in that order. So I have written this commentary in this order: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 5, 9, 6, and 10-12.⁴

Languages: An unusual feature of the book is that it is written in two languages. From Chapter 2 verse 4 to Chapter 7 verse 28, the book is written in Aramaic because the focus is on the Gentile nations. But Dani’el Chapter 1 verse 1 to Chapter 2 verse 3 and Chapter 8 verse 1 to Chapter 12 verse 13 are written in Hebrew. It seems that this was a deliberate device on Dani’el’s part. The sections of the book written in Aaramaic include the majority of Dani’el’s personal history (Chapters 2-3 and 5-6), the fall and rise of Nebuchadnezzar, and the prophecy about the four kingdoms (Chapter 7).

Since Aramaic was the common language of that period, it seems logical that Dani’el would have recorded most of his personal history in that language. In fact, Aramaic was probably the language that he spoke. Official decrees were issued in Aramaic so that people from all parts of the empire could read them. So, it is not surprising that Chapter 4 was written in Aramaic. Not only that, but Chapters 2-6 concern Gentile kings whose activities would have been of interest to a world audience, so that material was written in a language that non-Jews could understand. Finally, the messages concerning the four Gentile kingdoms of Chapter 7 involved not only Isra’el, but the whole world and thus were written in Aramaic.

Regarding the Hebrew in Dani’el, the introduction in Chapter 1 was likely written in the prophet’s native language because it reports the fate of three Jewish youths sent to Babylon in the final days of the southern kingdom of Judah, an account that would have been of little interest to a Gentile audience. Likewise, Chapters 8-12 speak primarily of the fate of the Jews under tyrannical rulers, like Antiochus IV and the eschatological Antichrist, and would not have been relevant to the Gentile world of Dani’el’s time. Dani’el, therefore, wrote this section in Hebrew, the language of the Jews.⁴

Literary Form: The prophecy of Dani’el is the first great book of apocalyptic literature in the Bible. The Greek word apokalypsis, from which comes the English word “apocalypse,” means an unveiling, a disclosing, or a revelation. Though all Scripture is revelation from ADONAI, certain portions are unique in the form by which their revelations were given and in the means by which they were transmitted. Apocalyptic literature in the Bible has several characteristics: (1) In apocalyptic literature a person who received God’s truths in visions and recorded what he saw. (2) Apocalyptic literature makes extensive use of symbols or signs (see the commentary on Revelation Ae – The Use of Symbols in the book of Revelation). (3) Such literature normally gives revelation concerning God’s program for the future of His people Isra’el. (4) Prose is usually employed in apocalyptic literature, rather than the poetic style which was normal in most prophetic literature.⁶

Key verse: Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place (Dani’el 9:24).

The use of ADONAI: Long before Yeshua’s day, the word ADONAI had, out of respect, been substituted in speaking and in reading aloud for God’s personal name, the four Hebrew letters yod-heh-vav-heh, variously written in English as YHVH. The Talmud (Pesachim 50a) made it a requirement not to pronounce the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of the LORD, Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey, since the ancient manuscripts do not give any vowel sounds, and this remains the rule in most modern Jewish settings. In deference to this tradition, which is unnecessary but harmless, I will be using ADONAI where YHVH is meant. In ancient times when the scribes were translating the Hebrew Scriptures, they revered the name of YHVH so much that they would use a quill to make one stroke of the name and then throw it away. Then they would make another stroke and throw that quill away until the name was completed. His name became so sacred to them that they started to substitute the phrase the Name, instead of writing or pronouncing His Name. Over centuries of doing this, the actual letters and pronunciation of His Name were lost. The closest we can come is YHVH, with no vowels. The pronunciation has been totally lost. Therefore, the name Yahweh is only a guess of what the original name sounded like. Both ADONAI and Ha’Shem are substitute names for YHVH. ADONAI is more of an affectionate name like daddy, while Ha’Shem is a more formal name like sir. Therefore, Jews, being respectful of the Third Commandment, use these words as replacements. The Talmud explains, “In the Sanctuary, the Name was pronounced as written; but beyond its confines a substitute Name was employed (Tractate Sotah VII.6). God has only one name, YHVH. All His other “names” like ADONAI Elohei-Tzva’ot, ADONAI Elohim, ADONAI Nissi, ADONAI Tzidkenu, and ADONAI-Tzva’ot, merely reflect His attributes.

Contrary to what some religious groups say today, no one can say with confidence how to pronounce God’s Name. The “name” Jehovah, for example, is a made-up word by a Franciscan monk in the dark ages. He took YHVH, and inserted vowels between the known letters to invent a new word: YeHoVaH. Jews never, NEVER, use this made-up word. The last book of the B’rit Chadashah tells us that when Yeshua returns to the earth, He will reveal the Name that no one knew but Himself (Revelation 19:12). It seems best to leave this lost pronunciation unresolved until the Messiah comes.

The use of TaNaKh: The Hebrew word TaNaKh is an acronym, based on the letters T (for ”Torah”),N (for “Nevi’im,” the Prophets), and K (for “Ketuvim,” the Sacred Writings). It is the collection of the teachings of God to human beings in document form. The term “Old Covenant” implies that it is no longer valid, or at the very least outdated. Something old, to be either ignored or discarded. But Jesus Himself said: Don’t think I have come to abolish the Torah and the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to complete (Matthew 5:17 CJB). I will be using the Hebrew acronym TaNaKh instead of the phrase the Old Testament, throughout this devotional commentary.

The Use of the phrase, “the righteous of the TaNaKh,” rather than using Old Testament saints: Messianic synagogues, and the Jewish messianic community in general, never use the phrase Old Testament saints. From a Jewish perspective, they prefer to use the phrase, “righteous of the TaNaKh.” Therefore, I will be using “the righteous of the TaNaKh,” rather than Old Testament saints throughout this devotional commentary.

Outline of the Book of Dani’el

Introduction of Dani’el from a Messianic Jewish Perspective (Ac)

Glossary (Ad)

The Historical Background of Dani’el (Ae)

Structure and Unity of Dani’el (Af)

Cyrus and Darius (Ag)

The Testimony of Messiah, and Writers of the Gospels (Ah)

Ha’Shem (Ai)

I. The Personal History of Dani’el – 1:1-21 (Aj)

A. Dani’el’s Deportation to Babylon – 1:1-7 (Ak)

B. Dani’el’s Devotion to God – 1:8-16 (Al)

C. The Blessing of Dani’el – 1:17-21 (Am)

D. The Significance of Dani’el Chapter 1 to the Times of the Gentiles (An)

II. The Times of the Gentiles – 2:1 to 7:28 (Ao)

III. Dani’el’s Interpretations of Dreams – 2:1 to 4:37 (Ap)

A. Nebuchadnezzar’s First Dream – 2:1-49 (Aq)

1. The Demand of Nebuchadnezzar – 2:1-35 (Ar)

a. The Challenge to the Magi – 2:1-13 (As)

b. Dani’el’s Plea – 2:14-16 (At)

c. Dani’el’s Prayer – 2:17-23 (Au)

d. Dani’el’s Witness – 2:24-30 (Av)

e. The King’s Dream – 2:31-35 (Aw)

2. Dani’el Interprets the King’s Dream – 2:36-45 (Ax)

a. The First Empire: A Head of Gold – 2:36-38 (Ay)

b. The Second Empire: Chest and Arms of Silver – 2:39a (Az)

c. The Third Empire: Belly and Thighs of Bronze – 2:39b (Ba)

d. The Fourth Empire: Imperialism – 2:40-43 (Bb)

(1) The United Stage – 2:40 (Bc)

(2) The Divided Kingdom Stage – 2:41 (Bd)

(3) The One World Government Stage – 2:42-43 (Be)

(4) Summary Statement about the Fourth Empire (Bf)

e. The Fifth Empire: The Kingdom of God 2:44-45 (Bg)

f. The Dispensational View of the Kingdom of God (Bh)

3. Nebuchadnezzar Promotes Dani’el – 2:46-49 (Bi)

4. The Significance of Dani’el Chapter 2 to the Times of the Gentiles (Bj)

B. Nebuchadnezzar’s Statue of Gold and the Fiery Furnace – 3:1-30 (Bk)

1. Nebuchadnezzar’s Decree to Worship the Statue – 3:1-7 (Bl)

2. The Accusation Against the Jews – 3:8-12 (Bm)

3. Dani’el’s Friends Questioned – 3:13-15 (Bn)

4. The Jews Confess Their Faith – 3:16-18 (Bo)

5. Dani’el’s Friends Punished – 3:19-23 (Bp)

6. The Vindication of the Jews – 3:24-27 (Bq)

7. Nebuchadnezzar’s Decree Honoring the Jews and Their God – 3:28-30 (Br)

8. The Significance of Dani’el Chapter 3 to Times of the Gentiles (Bs)

C. The Dream of the Great Tree – 4:1-37 (Bt)

1. Agitation: The King’s Dream – 4:4-18 (Bu)

2. Interpretation: The King’s Danger – 4:19-26 (Bv)

3. Exhortation: The King’s Decision – 4:27 (Bw)

4. Humiliation: The King’s Discipline – 4:28-33 (Bx)

5. Restoration: The King’s Deliverance – 4:34-37 and 1-3 (By)

IV. Dani’el’s Vision of Four Beasts – 7:1-28 (Bz)

A. Understanding Apocalyptic Literature – 7:1 to 12:13 (Ca)

B. Dani’el’s Visions – 7:1-14 (Cb)

1. The Kingdoms of This World – 7:1-6 (Cc)

2. The Kingdom of Satan – 7:7-8 (Cd)

3. A Vision of the Heavenly Court – 7:9-12 (Ce)

4. The Kingdom of Messiah – 7:13-14 (Cf)

5. The Second Exodus (Cg)

C. The Interpretation of Dani’el’s Visions – 7:15-28 (Ch)

D. The Significance of Dani’el Chapter 7 to the Times of the Gentiles (Ci)

V. Dani’el’s Vision of the Ram and Male Goat – 8:1-17 (Cj)

A. The Ram and the Male Goat – 8:1-14 (Ck)

B. Living in the Valley of Darkness – 8:15-26 (Cl)

C. How to Wait for God – 8:27 (Cm)

D. The Significance of Dani’el Chapter 8 to the Times of the Gentiles (Cn)

VI. The Great Banquet of Belshazzar and the Fall of Babylon – 5:1-31 (Co)

A. Belshazzar’s Great Banquet – 5:1-4 (Cp)

B. The Handwriting on the Wall – 5:5-9 (Cq)

C. The Advice of the Queen Mother – 5:10-12 (Cr)

D. Dani’el Interpreted the Handwriting on the Wall – 5:13-28 (Cs)

E. Belshazzar was Killed – 5:29-31 (Ct)

F. The Significance of Dani’el Chapter 5 to the Times of the Gentiles (Cu)

VII. Dani’el’s Vision of the Seventy Sevens – 9:1-27 (Cv)

A. ADONAI’s Word – 9:1-2 (Cw)

B. Dani’el’s Prayer – 9:3-19 (Cx)

C. Gabri’el’s Intervention – 9:20-23 (Cy)

VIII. The Great Tribulation and the Second Coming (Cz)

A. The Seventy-Sevens – 9:24-27 (Da)

B. Events in the First Half of the Great Tribulation (Db)

C. Events in the Middle of the Great Tribulation (Dc)

D. Events in the Second Half of the Great Tribulation (Dd)

E. The Basis of the Second Coming of Yeshua Messiah (De)

F. The Second Coming of Yeshua Messiah to Bozrah (Df)

G. The Eight Stage Campaign of Armageddon (Dg)

H. The Seventy-five Day Interval (Dh)

I. The Government of the Messianic Kingdom – Isaiah 9:6-7 (Di)

J. The Nine Missing Articles in the Messiah’s Coming Temple (Dj)

IX. Dani’el Saved in the Lion’s Den – 6:1-28 (Dk)

A. Dani’el is Promoted – 6:1-3 (Dl)

B. The Conspiracy of the Royal Administrators – 6:4-9 (Dm)

C. Dani’el’s Prayer in the Lion’s Den – 6:10-15 (Dn)

D. Dani’el Saved by the Angel of ADONAI – 6:16-24 (Do)

E. Darius’ Wise Decree – 6:25-28 (Dp)

F. The Significance of Dani’el Chapter 6 to the Times of the Gentiles (Dq)

X. Dani’el’s Vision of Isra’el’s Future – 10:1 to 12:13 (Dr)

A. The Vision of a Man – 10:1 to 11:1 (Ds)

B. The Revelation of the Sixty-Nine Weeks – 11:2-35 (Dt)

1. Alexander the Great – 11:2-20 (Du)

2. Antiochus Epiphanes – 11:21-35 (Dv)

C. The Mystery of the Olive Tree (Dw)

D. The Antichrist – 11:36-45 (Dx)

E. The Future of Isra’el – 12: 1-13 (Dy)

End Notes (Dz)

Bibliography (Ea)

Dani’el, Where Life and the Bible Meet . . .

1. Look at the outline (Ab), and the Introduction (Ac) before starting on the commentary itself.

2. The DIG and REFLECT questions are in bold green and will help to give you a deeper understanding of the book and make it more personal to you. Go slowly and give yourself time to answer these questions. They really strike at the heart of the commentary. What are the DIG questions for? To dig into the Scripture “story.” To find out what’s going on, to figure out the main idea, the plot, the argument, the spiritual principle, and so on. What are the REFLECT questions for? To apply the “story” in the Scripture to your own life; to take personal inventory and to decide what you are going to do about it! Many of the DIG and REFLECT questions are taken from the Serendipity Bible.

3. I would strongly suggest that you look up the references that are given in each section. Many times, this will greatly enhance the background, and hence, your understanding of the Scriptures that you are reading on a particular day. Take your time, read only as much as you can digest.

There are times when I refer you to either another file in Romans, or a file in another book of the Bible, to give you more detail on a particular person, topic, concept or theology. An example might be something like the Great Sanhedrin (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Lg – The Great Sanhedrin). If you feel you already know enough about the Great Sanhedrin, you can skip the reference and continue reading. But if it interests you, or if you don’t know what the Great Sanhedrin is, you can go to that file and read it first before continuing. It’s your choice. 

4. All Scripture is in bold print. The NIV is used unless indicated otherwise. However, sometimes the purpose of the bold print is merely for emphasizing a certain point. When bold maroon is used, it is for special emphasis. The words of Yeshua are bolded in red.

5. When bold teal is used in the text, it is quoted from one of the two Jewish commentaries listed in the bibliography. This will give you the moderate Orthodox Jewish interpretation. It is useful for word studies, but it’s Christology is obviously entirely wrong. Where rabbinical interpretation is cited, I will add, “The rabbis teach. . .” in front of the passage. Although it is not a Christian interpretation, I think it is interesting to see how the rabbis interpret these passages.

6. Read the Scriptures for a particular day first, then skim the DIG or REFLECT questions, read the commentary and reflect on it; answer the DIG or REFLECT questions, then read your Bible again. Hopefully, it will have greater meaning for you the second time you read it. Then live it out.

7. We have added two new features to our site. First, at the top of the page you can choose to “Save This Pages as a PDF” by simply clicking on the red rectangle; secondly, at the bottom of the page we have added a “text to speech” feature. Just click on the triangle in the middle of the black circle and you can hear the entire file. To go to the next paragraph, either forward, or backwards, click on the double arrows.

8. If you come to a Jewish word or phrase you do not understand, see the Glossary at the beginning of the book (see Ad – Glossary).

9. To download a pdf file, click on the red rectangle on the top of the page.

10. To hear the file read to you from the Ttsreader click on the triangle at the bottom of the page.

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