Make a Stand in An Alien World

Introduction
The book of Daniel is a book of prophecy. There are various types of literature in the bible and it is important to understand the type when you are reading them. Prophecy mostly consists of words given to a prophet, by God, which are then subsequently written down. Often, as in the case of Daniel, story is also included. It is important to understand the times during which the prophecy is written. This helps explains the text and the significance of the words written. “Plucking” verses from prophetic books without understanding the background can result in some strange interpretations of the bible. The following gives a little background.

Background to Daniel
The book starts at the end of the nation of Judah. God had moved his people to the promised land which is the area around the current nation state of Israel. Miracles had been performed (such as the walls of Jericho falling down) to get the people into the land. They had faced many difficulties but fundamentally they reject the rule of God in their lives. God sends prophets to them and great leaders (such as David) but the people are divided in their hearts to God. They worship God and other gods. Then God divides their land into Judah & Israel. Due to their unfaithfulness God allows Israel to be destroyed by the Assyrians. Judah remains faithful for a time but its heart also becomes too divided. God then brings judgement on Judah in the form of the latest world super power the Babylonians.

The book of Daniel starts with Judah being taught a lesson by the Babylonians. Their best young men are taken into captivity.