Belteshazzar (Daniel), Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Babylon.

Belteshazzar (Daniel), Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Babylon.

About 2600 years ago, King Nebuchadnezzar had just conquered to southern kingdom of the nation of Israel. It was called the kingdom of Judah. These people became known as Jews when they were warring against the northern kingdom of the nation of Israel; called the House or Kingdom of Israel. They started to be called Judahites but that got shortened to Jews. The people of the northern kingdom, also known as the Lost Tribes, were never called Jews. When king Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem, he wanted to make sure that none of the princes to the throne would ever be king; or their children. So he killed king Zedekiah and all his sons. He also made eunuchs of the sons of the former king, Hezekiah, so they couldn't have any children that could become king of the Jews. King Nebuchadnezzar had read the prophecies that a child of the great king David (Matthew 1:6) would always reign over Israel and wanted to make sure that it never happened.

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim (BCE 606), Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among the young Jewish nobility carried off to Babylon. The four were chosen for their intellect and beauty to be trained as advisors to the Babylonian court (Daniel 1), Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar, i.e., prince of Bel, or Bel protect the king!(not to be confused with the neo-Babylonian king, Belshazzar). Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were given the Babylonian names, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, respectively. after they were given to the Captain of the eunuchs, they were taught all the high learning of Babylon for three years and put into government service for the king . At the close of his three years of discipline and training in the royal schools Daniel was also brought out into public life. Daniel soon became known for his skill in the interpretation of dreams (Daniel 1:17; Daniel 2:14). Daniel made known and interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream; as well as a later dream preceding the king's descent into animal behaviour, and many years afterwards, when he was now an old man, amid the alarm and consternation of the terrible night of Belshazzar's impious feast (in which Belshazzar and his concubines (Revelation 17:5) drank wine out of the royal Jewish ceremonial goblets of the Temple, Daniel was called in at the suggestion of the queen-mother to interpret the mysterious handwriting on the wall. Daniel's ministry as a prophet began late in life. Whereas his early exploits were a matter of common knowledge within his community, these same events, with his pious reputation, serve as the basis for his prophetic ministry. The time and circumstances of Daniel's death have not been recorded. However, tradition maintains that Daniel was still alive in the third year of Cyrus according to the Tanakh (Daniel 10:1). He would have been almost 100 years old at that point, having been brought to Babylon when he was in his teens, more than 80 years previously.

King Nebuchadnezzar wanted select men like these four to learn the language and literature of Babylon’s primary language, Chaldean. They would go through a three year training course to qualify those select to serve in the King’s Palace. Those chosen were to partake of Babylonian royal food and wine. Because Daniel (Belteshazzar) did not want to defile himself with the King’s food, he requested from his appointed guard to provide them (kosher) vegetables and water for ten days. After the ten day trial, the four appeared better nourished and healthier than all the others who partook of the royal food. Thus they were awarded the freedom to regularly have vegetables and water. Upon the King’s review, he also found them to be “ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm”. Their Hebraic names were Hananiah (חֲנַנְיָה), Mishael (מִישָׁאֵל), and Azariah (עֲזַרְיָה). The Chief Official Ashpenaz, assigned them new Chaldean names, so that Hananiah became Shadrach, Mishael became Meshach and Azariah became Abednego. Hananiah is a Hebrew name that means "Yahweh who is gracious". Mishael means "Who is like Yahweh?” and it also means "to feed" or "to provide" as in how a husband provides for his family. The Hebrew name Azariah appropriately means "Yahweh has helped". It has been asserted that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's names all pertained to pagan Babylonian gods. Shadrach may be derived from Shudur Aku "Command of the moon god". Meshach is thought to be a variation of Mi•sha•aku "Who is what Aku is?", an interesting twist from the Hebrew name Mishael “Who is like Yahweh?” Abednego is a deliberate use of Abednebo, "servant of Nebo/Nabu," or Abednergo, a variation of Abednergal, "servant of the god Nergal." Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are three young men who were very dear to Daniel, his Chaldean name being Belteshazzar, who was a peer that spoke highly of the three to the King whenever opportunity afforded itself, so that they could also have honorable positions in the Province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

In Daniel Chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar, to show his riches and power, made a great gold image/statue that was 60 cubits (ninety feet) high and 6 cubits (eighteen feet) wide, erected in the plain of Dura (The region around present day Karbala, Iraq). (This image can be compared to the Colossus of Rhodes which was a huge bronze statue of Apollo that stood at the entrance to the seaport at Rhodes, an Island in the Mediterranean Sea. The statue was so large that sailing vessels rigged to the mast could easily pass underneath its legs.) When the project was complete, Nebuchadnezzar said, "Whenever the people shall hear the sound of the cornet and other instruments, they shall bow down and worship the golden statue." (Daniel 3:6). The consequence for not worshiping the idol, upon hearing the queue of instruments, was execution into a fiery furnace. (Notice the numbers 60 and 6 and compare them to the 666 mark of the beast.) G-d had clearly said long ago to the people of Israel that they should worship no other G-d than Him, so Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego could not and did not disobey their true G-d. When they defied Nebuchanezzar's decree, certain officials noticed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego not bowing down to the golden idol. Thus, Nebuchadnezzar was immediately notified and he demanded that these three men come before him. Nebuchadnezzar knew of these very men, because Daniel had petitioned the King to assign Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. Daniel was also very special to the King because he was able to interpret his dreams unlike any of his Chaldean wise men. Now the King offers them one last opportunity to show their patriotism to Babylon. But, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego still refused to worship the statue - and said to him: "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the G-d we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." , Nebuchadnezzar angrily demanded that the execution furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. Valiant soldiers of the King’s army were ordered to firmly bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fully clothed, and cast them in the blazing furnace. Upon approaching the mouth of the furnace, the King’s soldiers were burned alive and they perished, and the three Jews who were tightly bound, had fallen in. In Daniel 3:25 we read about a fourth man (whose form was like the Son of G-d) who came immediately to deliver the three bound (666) men from the furnace releasing them from their ties. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men (666) bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the SON OF G-D." Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High G-d, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the G-d of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own G-d! "Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the G-d of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a manure heap; because there is no other G-d who can deliver after this sort." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.(Daniel 3:16-30) JESUS - THE SON OF G-D WILL DELIVER YOU (EVEN 666) FROM THE FIERY FURNACE OF HELL EVEN IN BABYLON IF YOU BELIEVE IN HIM! "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of G-d." John 3:18 and "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of G-d, G-d abides in him, and he in G-d." 1 John 4:15 - (In the "Prayer of Azariah", an apocryphal passage of the Septuagint, Azariah (Abednego) confesses their sins and the sins of Israel, and asks their G-d to save them in order to demonstrate G-d’s power to the Babylonians. It is followed by an account of an angel who came to make the inside of the furnace feel like a cool breeze over dew. An extended hymn of praise to their G-d for deliverance is found in the "Song of the Three Young Men".)

In Daniel chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had a dream that troubled him. So he again called in the prophet Daniel to interpret his dream. Daniel told him that the following would happen to the king because of his pride: "This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen . . . ,and seven times (seasons) shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses . . . your kingdom shall be returned to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules." Daniel 4:24-26 One year later as Nebuchadnezzar was walking about his royal palace the dream became reality: The Bible records in Daniel 4:30 that the king spoke with great pride saying: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?" While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! . . . and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses." That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar." A similar quote of Nebuchadnezzar has been found outside the Bible that is almost identical to his statement in Daniel 4:30. The inscription known as The East India House inscription, records Nebuchadnezzar's building activities in Babylon and states the following: "My name will be remembered throughout history for all time because I turned Babylon and Esagila into a mighty fortress."The greatness of Babylon was also mentioned by the Greek historian Herodotus, who traveled to Babylon some ninety years after the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. In his writings he said that he was overwhelmed by the large quantity of gold amassed in Babylon (Revelation 17:4). He said many of the walls of Babylon were covered with gold overlay. (As is Saint Peter's Basilica today.) Nebuchadnezzar believed that it was by his own hand that he created such a magnificent city and that he reigned supreme. But G-d caused this mighty ruler to go insane for seven seasons (Revelation 1:20). Seven seasons to teach him the lesson that HaShem reigns Supreme. Actual Babylonian records from Nebuchadnezzar himself, also record the seven seasons period of his insanity: "For four years my kingdom gave me no joy. During this time, not one building of any importance did I issue to be built. And in Babylon itself, no building was erected to pay tribute to my name or to give me glory. I did not sing praises to Merodach, my god, nor did I provide his sacrificial table with offerings, nor did I clean any of the waterways." Note: In Babylon they counted only two seasons, Summer and Winter. Thus (seven seasons) equals 3 1/2 years. And Nebuchadnezzar stated he did not delight in his kingdom for 4 years. Nebuchadnezzar finally learned to humble himself before G-d, as his dad, Nabopolassar, had learned before him. Nabopolassar, speaking on his humble beginnings recorded: "As to my origins, I was born the son of a nobody . . . In my opinion, I was considered to be the least desirable among men, being held as unimportant in the eyes of others." Listen then to the king of Babylon: "And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?". . . Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down." Daniel 4:34-37

In Daniel chapter 5, Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the Holy golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein (Revelation 17:6). Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of G-d which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation. Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing: And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, (Matthew 10:8) and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. O thou king, the most high G-d gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high G-d ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the G-d in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; G-d hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

Belshazzar’s name is found in archaeology, and he is the son of King Nabonidus, making him a crown prince in the kingdom of Babylon. And although some translations of the Bible state that Nebuchadnezzar was his father, the Hebrew word for father can also be interpreted as meaning grandfather or ancestor. Belshazzar was a blood line descendent of Nebuchadnezzar. The Hebrew word for king can also be rendered as governor or royal prince. History records that Belshazzar was both. Belshazzar speaking to Daniel in chapter 5 verse 16 indicates he was the second highest ruler in Babylon and not the first. We also know that at the time the Medes and Persians captured the Babylon, Nabonidus was not living in the city of Babylon, but was staying in a place called Teima in the northern part of Arabia. Leaving his son back home in charge of governing the city of Babylon. King Cyrus of Persia also refers to Belshazzar when he conquered Babylon in his writings: "A coward was put in charge as the king of this country . . . With evil intents he did away with the regular offerings to the gods . . . and desecrated the worship of the king of his gods, Marduk." Cyrus's statement that Belshazzar desecrated the worship of his god Marduk matches very closely to the story in the book of Daniel. Although it wasn't Marduk whose handwriting appeared on the wall, but the one true G-d of Israel. The fall of Babylon as recorded by the ancient historians Herodutus, Berosus and Xenophon verifies this: "Cyrus then dug a trench and diverted the flow of the Euphrates river into the new channel which led to an existing swamp. The level of the river then dropped to such a level that it became like a stream. His army was then able to take the city by marching through the shallow waters . . . The Babylonians at the time were drunk and celebrating intensely at a feast to one of their gods and they were taken totally by surprise."

The "Babylonian Chronicles" tell us the exact date which Babylon fell. October 13, 539 BCE. According to historical records a man named Gubaru, a Mede, was appointed by King Cyrus to be ruler in Babylon at this time. Gubaru was born in 601 BCE. which would make him 62 years old when he invaded Babylon. Exactly the age found Daniel 5:31. The Babylonian record of Darius the Mede's conquest of Babylon is given below: "In the month of Tashritu, at the time when Cyrus battled the forces of Akkad in Opis on the Tigris river, the citizens of Akkad revolted against him, but Nabonidus scattered his opposition with a great slaughter. On the 14th day, Sippar was taken without a fight. Nabonidus then fled for his life. On the 16th day, Gubaru (Darius the Mede) the leader of Gutium along with the army of Cyrus entered Babylon without any opposition. Later they arrested Nabonidus when he returned to Babylon.” On the third day of the month of Arahshamnu, Cyrus marched into Babylon, and they laid down green branches in front of him. The city was no longer at war, Peace being restored. Cyrus then sent his best wishes to the residents living there. His governor, Gubaru, then installed leaders to govern over all Babylon.” This account says that Darius the Mede installed sub governors in Babylon. The Bible says the same thing, and the prophet Daniel was one of them: “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss. Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.” Daniel 6:1-4

Following about 150 years of absolute dominance over the known world, Babylon (Iraq) was conquered by a coalition of Persia (Iran) and Media (the Kurds). Thus began the rule of the Medo-Persian Empire, which lasted for 200 years or so until Alexander the Great conquered them. In Daniel 5:12 we read how Daniel, now an old man, had been called out of retirement to decipher the “handwriting on the wall.” This mysterious writing appeared supernaturally on the wall of the Great Banquet Hall where the Babylonians were celebrating in defiance of the Persian armies camped outside their city walls. The writing alone was enough to scare the daylights out of the Babylonians, but the message Daniel deciphered was even scarier. In essence it said G-d had had enough of the Babylonians and that very night He was sending the Persians to conquer them. And that’s exactly what happened. When the Persian King Cyrus rode into Babylon a few days later, Daniel greeted him and read to him from the scroll of Isaiah (44:24 – 45:25). This passage foretold in great detail how Cyrus would conquer Babylon, even calling Cyrus by name, and had been written by Isaiah 150 years earlier. This so impressed Cyrus that he released the Jews from their 70 year captivity and returned the Temple artifacts the Babylonians had taken when they destroyed Jerusalem. Which now brings us to Daniel in the Lions Den. In 2 Chronicles 16:9 we read: "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of them whose hearts are perfect toward Him." Daniel had enjoyed G-d’s favor all his life, and when Darius, the new King of Persia and son-in-law of Cyrus, appointed Daniel as one of 3 administrators to oversee the kingdom he so distinguished himself that Darius thought to give him sole administrative authority over all the kingdom. This of course made the others jealous and they sought to discredit him, but Daniel was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent (Daniel 6:4). (When HaShem blesses someone like He did here with Daniel and earlier to Joseph and later to Jesus - those who are so blessed - are hated especially by their own brothers and religious authorities!) Finally they devised a scheme to trap Daniel by making it illegal for him to worship YHWH. They then convinced Darius to make it mandatory for all his subjects to worship him for the next 30 days and anyone caught worshipping anyone else must be thrown into a den of hungry lions (Daniel 6:6-9). (In 1 Peter 5:8 we read "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:") Daniel remained faithful to his G-d and made no attempt to hide this so, he was caught praying to HaShem a few days later. When Darius was told, he was greatly distressed because he liked Daniel and made every effort to save him. But even he had to obey the law and so at sundown Darius was forced to give the order to have Daniel arrested. As he watched Daniel being lowered into the lions’ den he said to him, “Your G-d whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” Then he sealed up the den, went home and, refusing to eat, spent a sleepless night alone (Daniel 6:16-18). At dawn’s first light, Darius hurried back to the lions’ den and called out to Daniel “Has your G-d whom you serve continually been able to save you?” Daniel answered. “O King live forever. My G-d sent His angel, and he shut the lions’ mouths. They have not hurt me because I was found innocent in His sight. Nor have I done anything wrong before you, O King” (Daniel 6:19-22). Darius was overjoyed and gave the order to have Daniel lifted out of the lions’ den. There was no wound or scratch on him because he had trusted G-d. Darius then had the men who had falsely accused Daniel rounded up and thrown into the lions’ den along with their wives and children. Before they reached the floor of the den, the lions over powered them and crushed all their bones (Daniel 6:23-24). (G-d warns us not to touch his anointed and do His prophets no harm in Psalm 105:15 and 1 Chronicles 16:22) Historians believe that the name Darius was not a proper name at all, but a title of honor meaning "Holder of the Scepter.” In other words "The Scepter Holder (King) of the Medes." The Jewish historian Josephus also recorded that: "Darius the Mede, who along with his relative, Cyrus the King of Persia, brought an end to the Babylonian empire. Darius was the son of Astyages." "Then King Darius wrote: To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the G-d of Daniel. For He is the living G-d, And steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, And His dominion shall endure to the end. He delivers and rescues, And He works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the lions." Daniel 6:25-27 So Daniel prospered both during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus King of Persia. After the Persian conquest of Babylon, Daniel held the office of the first of the "three presidents" of the empire under the reign of Darius the Mede, and was thus practically at the head of state affairs, with the ability to influence the prospects of the captive Jews (Daniel 9), whom he saw restored to their own land (536 BCE); although he did not return with them, but remained still in Babylon. (Deuteronomy 23:1 expels castrated men from the assembly of Israel, Isaiah 56:3, gives a much more accepting view of eunuchs, and in Acts 8:34-8:39, a eunuch is baptized.) In the Deuterocanonical portion of Daniel known as Bel and the Dragon, the prophet Habakkuk is miraculously transported by an angel to take a meal to Daniel while he is in the lions' den. In response, Daniel prays, "Thou hast remembered me, O G-d; neither hast thou forsaken them that seek Thee and love Thee". JESUS WILL NEVER FORSAKE YOU OR LEAVE YOU EITHER AND HE WILL EVEN DELIVER YOU - EVEN IF YOU ARE IN BABYLON - IF YOU ASK!

In Daniel 7:9-14 we see a vision where thrones were set in place and one of great age took his seat...a court was held and the books were opened (See Revelation Chapter 5). I (Daniel) gazed into the visions of the night, and I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man.He came to the one of great age and was led into his presence. On him was conferred sovereignty, glory and kingship, and men of all peoples...became his servants. his sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed... In his vision of the night, The prophet Daniel saw the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ returning in power and glory with all the angels of heaven to take His place as the everlasting King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

In Daniel 10:10 - 21 we read: "And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy G-d, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days. And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me. Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, (Angels also strengthened Jesus after His temptation (Matthew 4:11) and while He was praying on the Mount of Olives shortly before His betrayal and arrest (Luke 22:39-43). encouraged the apostles to keep preaching after releasing them from prison (Acts 5:19-20), and told Paul that everyone on his ship would survive the impending shipwreck (Acts 27:23-25).) And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me. Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. But I will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince." This Chapter clearly shows you there are demonic territories - in Ephesians 6:12 we read: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]." (John 12:31; Acts 26:18) “In this world ye shall have tribulations, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)."Then I said, 'My lord, what is to be the outcome?' 'Daniel,' he replied, 'go away: these words are to remain secret and sealed until the time of the End."Daniel 12:8-10

In the Book of Esther we see another story of G-d's saving grace and the destruction of those who would touch G-d's anointed. King Ahasuerus held a 180-day feast in Susa (Shoushan). He ordered his queen, Vashti, to appear before him and his guests wearing no veil, which was dishonorable, to display her beauty. But when the attendants delivered the king's command to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. Furious at her refusal to obey, the king asked his wise men what should be done. One of them said that all the women in the empire would hear that "The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not." Then the women of the empire would despise their husbands. And this would cause many problems in the kingdom. Therefore it would be good to depose her. To find a new queen suitable to King Ahasuerus, it was decreed that beautiful young virgins be gathered to the palace from every province of his kingdom. Each woman underwent twelve months of beautification in his harem, after which she would go to the king. When the woman's turn came, she was given anything she wanted to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. She would then go to the king in the evening, and in the morning go to the harem where the concubines stayed. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased enough with her to summon her again by name. For his wife and queen, King Ahasuerus chose Esther, whose parents died so her cousin Mordecai had to raise her, to replace the recalcitrant queen Vashti. Esther was originally named Hadassah, meaning myrtle, and received her name of Esther—a form of the Persian name Satarah, meaning star—when she entered the royal harem. “Esther 2:7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.” Esther was the daughter of a Benjamite, Abihail. When Cyrus gave permission for the exiles to return unto Jerusalem she stayed with Mordecai. Shortly, when Mordecai was sitting at the king's gates, he overheard two of the king's officers guarding the gates plotting to assassinate the king. Mordecai let Esther know, and she warned the king about it, and Mordecai was given credit. The two officials were hanged on a gallows. Soon after this, the king granted Haman the Agagite, one of the most prominent princes of the realm, special honors. All the people were to bow down to Haman when he rode his horse through the streets. All complied except for Mordecai, a Jew, who would not bow to Haman. This enraged Haman, who, with his wife and advisers, plotted against the Jews, making a plan to kill and extirpate all Jews throughout the Persian empire, selecting the date for this act by the drawing of lots (Esther 3:7). He gained the king's approval. He offered ten thousand silver talents to the king for approval of this plan, but the king refused to take them (Esther 3:9-11). Mordecai tore his robes and put ash on his head (signs of mourning or grieving/anguish) on hearing this news. Esther sent clean clothes to him, but he refused them, explaining that deliverance for the Jews would come from some other place, but that Esther would be killed if she did not do what she could to stop this genocide - by talking to the king. Esther was not permitted to see the king unless he had asked for her, otherwise she could be put to death. Esther was terrified of this (she had not been called to the king in 30 days), so she and her maid-servants and her people the Jews of Persia fasted earnestly for three days before she built up the courage to enter the king's presence. He held out his scepter to her, showing that he accepted her visit. Esther requested a banquet with the king and Haman. During the banquet, she requested another banquet with the king and Haman the following day. After the banquet Haman ordered a gallows constructed, 50 cubits (75 feet) high, on which to hang Mordecai. (The number fifty is the number of jubilee or deliverance.) Meanwhile, the king was having trouble sleeping, and had some histories read to him. He was reminded that Mordecai had saved him from an assassination attempt, and had received no reward in return. Early the next morning, Haman came to the king to ask permission to hang Mordecai, but before he could, the king asked him "What should be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?" Haman thought the king meant himself, so he said that the man should wear a royal robe and be led on one of the king's horses through the city streets proclaiming before him, "This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!" The king thought this well, then asked Haman to lead Mordecai through the streets in this way, to honor him for previously telling the king of a plot against him. After doing this, Haman rushed home, full of grief. His wife said to him, "You will surely come to ruin!" That night, during the banquet, Esther told the king of Haman's plan to massacre all Jews in the Persian Empire, and acknowledged her own Jewish ethnicity. Haman threw himself upon Esther and asked for mercy - this looked very bad to the king who became enraged and ordered Haman to be hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai. Esther appealed to the king, "I request that Haman's sons be hanged upon the same gallows on which Haman was hanged. You yourself left his body hanging, and now it would be fitting to hang his sons next to him" (Megillat Setarim). So, Haman's 10 sons were hung along with him. Haman had boasted of his ten sons (Esther 9:10) Then the king appointed Mordecai as his prime minister, and gave the Jews the right to defend themselves against any enemy. The king also issued a second edict allowing the Jews to arm themselves, and kill not only their enemies but also their enemies' wives and children, as well as partake of the plunder (Esther 8:11). This precipitated a series of reprisals by the Jews against their enemies. This fight began on the 13th of Adar, the date the Jews were originally slated to be exterminated. The Jews went on to kill only their would-be executioners, and not their wives and children, altogether eight hundred killed in Susa alone, 75,000 in the rest of the empire. The Jews also took no plunder (Esther 9:10,9:15-16).The Jews remember their deliverance from Haman each year during their feast of Purim. The expression the whole Megillah is from the fact that during the feast of Purim the entire book of Esther is read aloud. IT IS INTERESTING THAT THE NAME OF G-D DOES NOT APPEAR A SINGLE TIME IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER!

Ever since Babylon, the "leaders" of all the denominational "churches" have suggested that they are specially chosen ("anointed") of G-d to rule over you and be your authorities. In Daniel 7:25 he prophesizes that "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws..." That is what truly happened to the Feasts of the Lord and the Jewish calendar and many commandments of the most High - the denominational churches starting in Rome have told you not to hear G-d but to only hear their priests and ministers and to give them G-d's tithes and offerings and to prefer all their pagan celebrations and doctrines of men to those of G-d and they continue to build millions of temples and "man-made churches"! We see this beginning in Babylon (ancient Bavel) and permeating through all of the denominational "churches" today! In John 4:21-24 Jesus said: "Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem...the hour will come -- in fact it is here already -- when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth (not in buildings): that is the kind of worshipper the Father wants. G-d is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth." Jesus said in Luke 22;24-27: " And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye [shall] not [be] so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether [is] greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? [is] not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. And again in Mark 10:42-44 we read: "But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

When Daniel wrote that the beast will "throw truth to the ground" (Daniel.8:12), there is only one 'truth' that his words could possibly describe -- the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no truth on earth outside of this Gospel. That is what the denominational churches have clearly done and have instead given us the doctrines of men that create divisions/Babylon (confusion). Our G-d is not the author of confusion! The Great whore Babylon and her harlot daughters do not care what the Lord G-d wants and they sit drunken awaiting G-d's Holy Judgment! Revelation 18:4.
....................................................................

When the Jews returned home from Babylon, they took some of Babylon home with them. Zoroastrianism is the oldest monotheistic religion and its precusor faith was called Mazdaism.It originated with Iranian speaking tribes (Aryans) who dominated a vast expanse of landmass that stretched from the shores North of the Black Sea all the way to plains of Northern India, Central Asia and Western China. Around the 700 BCE the Persians(with the Egyptians and Babylonians) were one of the most advanced civilisations ever known to mankind and their influence in the Middle East and Central Asia was to last for hundreds of years. Morever, they left a legacy of their religion and culture. They were the first to develop the concept of the original sin, baptisim, heaven and hell (paradise is a word Persian origins wich means 'enclose garden'), angels and demonology, a sacrificial saviour god(messiah), resurrection, final judgement and the apocalyptic battle between good and evil. Thousands of Jew were subjects of the Persian empire of Cyrus the Great and Persian themselves were benevolent to those who were loyal to their rule. It was during this period (around 600 BCE) that the Jews were directly influence by Persian religious ideas to the extent that Judaic religion split various major sects: The Pharisees, Essenes, Saducees, Zealots, Sicarii etc....

This split came about the post Babylonian era (many Jews were slaves in Babylonia untill the Persians took over power and liberated them) and then came a conflict of tradition and power struggle. There those learned Jewish Rabbis and leaders who welcomed the foreign ideas on their religion and those who wanted to maintain pure Judaic ones. Many hundreds of years later when Rome was the dominant power, sects like the zealots sought to user their power to overthrow the Romans. But that came to a very heavy price with the sack of the great temple of Jerusalem, their people sold into slavery and many of their people were dispersed to all corners of Europe and Asia. The Essene group were the most influential on the nascent Christian movement within Judaism as it was very radical in its ideas with Jewish, Iranian (Mithraic/Mazdaic), Egyptian and Hellenic(Platonic)thought. They were the influential group who then evolved as Christians in the strongly Mithraic ( an Iranian religious movement) area where Paul of Tarsul (later St.Paul) was born.

Now it was from this very creed of Zoroaster that the Jews derived all the angelology of their religion...the belief in a future state; of rewards and punishments, ...the soul's immortality, and the Last Judgment - all of them essential parts of the Zoroastrian scheme." From The Gnostics and Their Remains (London 1887) by King and Moore quoted at 607a in Peake's Bible Commentary.