Babylon the Great: Daniel 1-6... just some ideas...
james.wa...@elf.mcgill.ca
just some observations I have made...
James
Ch. 1: Test of Food
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God's people sent into Babylon = ditto
because of disobedience
king of Babylon = Satan (Isaiah 14:4,12-...)
king's food and wine = false doctrine (1 Corinthians 6:13-16?)
testing of 10 days = testing of 10 Commandments
Ch. 2: Prophecy of the Second Coming
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Peter Gregory relates this chapter to the Great Advent Awakening and
the Millerite Movement. One Christian appeared not any different then
another just as Daniel did not stand out from other Babylonians, but
then God used prophecy to signify who really were his. I believe it is
not by coincidence that both the prophecy of Daniel 2 and the Millerite
movement were about Christ second coming.
Ch. 3: The Image of Gold
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image that is 60x6(x6) = image and 666 of Revelation 13 (Sunday law)
seven times and a furnace = perfecting of Gods people (Psalm 12:6?)
Ch. 4: Punishment of Nebuchadnezzar
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All though in this chapter Nebuchadnezzar repents it should be noted
that this did not have to happen... Read the following (Ezekiel 31)
which uses the same symbolism as used in Nebuchadnezzars dream...
Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches
overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick
foliage. (vs. 3)
So it towered higher than all the trees of the field; its boughs
increased and its branches grew long, spreading because of abundant
waters. All the birds of the air nested in its boughs, all the beasts
of the field gave birth under its branches; all the great nations lived
in its shade. (vs. 5-6)
"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because it towered on
high, lifting its top above the thick foliage, and because it was proud
of its height, I handed it over to the ruler of the nations, for him to
deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside, and the most
ruthless of foreign nations cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on
the mountains and in all the valleys; its branches lay broken in all
the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from
under its shade and left it. All the birds of the air settled on the
fallen tree, and all the beasts of the field were among its branches.
(vs. 10-13)
Compare this to the following texts from Revelation...
...for her [Babylon's] sins are piled up to heaven... (18:5)
The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and
its water was dried [people supporting Babylon disappear] up to prepare
the way for the kings from the East. (16:12)
...all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. (19:21)
Ch. 5: Fall of Babylon
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drinking from the cup from God's Temple = drinking from the cup of
God's wrath (Revelation 16:19)