Teachinghearts	The Fall of Ancient Babylon (Daniel 4 - 6) Daniel is Persecuted "Explore the Word. Change the World"	Lesson 4: Time: 50 minutes Print: 9 pages

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Daniel 4-6 Revelation 13

The stories in Daniel 3 to 6 help us to understand what happens when religion is enforced by the state. The experience of Daniel and his three friends parallel the experience of the people in the time of the end as we face the persecutions after the mark of the beast is enforced.

• The Great Tree. In Daniel 4 we see that the return of Nebuchadnezzar to power after seven years is also a prophecy that shows when Babylon the Great will regain power in the world. Since God prophesied that literal Babylon would never be rebuilt and would never rise again, we see that God allows the emergence of a power that would behave just like ancient Babylon. This dual power not only conquered the region of Babylon but it adopted the symbols and characteristics of Babylon.
• The Fall of Babylon. The events at the first fall will be repeated at the end of time.
• The Lion's Den. The enemies of Daniel create a law designed to make Daniel disobey his God or get himself killed by the state. The same issues and tactics will be repeated in the end of time during the mark of the beast persecution.

Daniel 4 - The Revival of Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar has another dream, that troubled him. He starts out just like he did in Chapter 2. He calls his wisemen, magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. He seeks the wisdom of men. As before, they are unable to help him. Now, even when he tells them the dream, they still cannot interpret it. Finally, Nebuchadnezzar calls Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar had not learned from his prior experience to seek God's truth first.

The Dream of The Great Tree

The Great Tree of Life
In ancient times, a tree was a symbol of the created universal world order. The top of a tree symbolized heaven. The roots represented the underworld. The tree itself represented a connection between heaven and earth. In this sense, Nebuchadnezzar was intended by heaven to be a connection for people to find a knowledge of the true God. For this reason, God had given him prophetic dreams that were meant to encourage the world. He squandered his opportunities and failed to represent God correctly.

The Great Tree. "Now these were the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed. I was looking, and then, there was a tree in the middle of the earth and its height was great. "The tree grew large and became strong and its height reached to the sky, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. "Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches, and all living creatures fed themselves from it.
The Tree is Cut Down. "I was looking in the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed, and then, an angelic watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven. "He shouted out and spoke as follows: "Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit; let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches.
The Stump. "Yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it In the new grass of the field; and let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the beasts in the grass of the earth.
The Man who is a Beast. "Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let a beast's mind be given to him,
Seven Times. And let seven periods of time pass over him.
Judgment. "This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers and the decision is a command of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind,
The Lowliest Man. and bestows it on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men." (Daniel 4: 10-17)
Nebuchadnezzar describes the dream to Daniel. The earlier dream in Daniel 2 came to Nebuchadnezzar to reveal to him that God cares about him. In verse 17 the dream is given for a different reason. It is given to show that God rules over the kingdoms of men, and He is able to remove and set up kings according to His will.

Seven Periods of Time (2520 Years)
This judgment would last for seven years. There are two fulfillments if we apply real time and prophetic time.

• Local (Real Time). From the Bible we know that Nebuchadnezzar was insane for seven years. Nebuchadnezzar is the "tree" that God cut down and removed from power. Just as a stump was left, God was showing Nebuchadnezzar that his kingdom would not be removed from him forever. The purpose for God's discipline is given in verses 25 and 26. "until you know that the most High rules ...".

  A Year for a Day The seven years of verse 23 are referred to as "days" in verse 34. This is a hint of the year for a day principle in prophetic interpretation.

• Global (Prophetic Time). But, if we used the year for a day principle, then seven prophetic years would be 2520 real years. Because a stump and roots are left Babylon will be revived at the end of this time. But this will occur after the period of the bronze and iron kingdoms. In the persecution and the wrath of God that follows, the revived Babylon will also know that the Most High rules.
  ... fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great ... Come out of her, My people, so that you do not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues. (Revelation 18: 2-4)
  and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "Babylon the Great, the Mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth". (Revelation 17: 5)
  The prophecies of Revelation confirm that a power like Babylon will be the last one.

The Great Tree		Tree Cut Down for Seven Periods of Time							The Stump with Roots
Babylon		Medo-Persia		Greece	Pagan Rome	Papal Rome	Communism		-	-	Babylon the Great
Nebuchadnezzar		He loses his mind for Seven Years and Lives with Wild Beasts							Nebuchadnezzar Returns
Babylon	539 B.C.	Babylon loses power for Seven Times (2520 Years)						1981	Babylon the Great

The Wild Man After Nebuchadnezzar refused to repent and acknowledge God, judgment could no longer be delayed, and the prophecy is fulfilled. Nebuchadnezzar becomes like a wild animal and is driven out of his court. Lycanthropy: Nebuchadnezzar apparently experienced lycanthropy. This is a strange disease that most standard medical dictionaries list as a form of insanity. In this disorder people imagine themselves to be a wolf or some other wild animal. The disease seems to attack suddenly and disappear just as quickly. It is characterized by a total neglect of personal appearance. Hair and nails grow long. Sanitation and hygiene are neglected. The individual crawls around on all fours grunting and growling like a wild beast. Conversion: It took 35 years of Daniel's witness, several revelations of God's power, and finally a judgment of insanity before Nebuchadnezzar is finally converted.

The Wild Beasts
During the seven years, Nebuchadnezzar acted like a wild animal. During the years after the fall of Babylon a series of wild beasts would rule the world. Daniel 7 uses the symbols of wild beasts to describe the other kingdoms.
» Share with the Beasts. This prophecy portrays the territory of Babylon as a world that is "shared" with other powers throughout history until Babylon can rise again to reclaim its empire.
» New Grass. The people of each new generation.
» Dew of Heaven. The influence of God is still poured out.

The Beast Master. In this picture of a man who became a beast, we see the same picture of a beast who became a man at the end of time. The beast power at the end of time would have a man as a dominant power.
Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man. And his number is six hundred and sixty six. (Revelation 13: 18)

The Stump and Roots
Here we find that the stump had bands of iron and bronze. This is similar to the prophecy in Daniel 7: 19. The beast had claws of bronze and teeth of Iron. This represented the Papal Roman empire which had the elements of Rome and the Greek culture. This stump had the elements of the Roman empire and the Greek culture. This is Babylon the Great, which is a revival of the Papal Roman empire after its wound was healed.

Roots. The stump and roots are also the foot of the tree. The image is similar to the feet and toes of iron and clay. Both the toes and the roots are subdivided and mixed with the earth and will die and return to dust.

The prophecies of Revelation predict that the seventh and last empire would be a power that would behave like Babylon. Revelation actually called it Babylon the Great. In the sixth plague they actually fell in the same way that ancient Babylon came to an end.

According to the prophecy of the Great Tree, Babylon would return 2520 years after it fell. Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians in 539 B.C. 2520 years later, the two powers that would form Babylon the Great, the seventh head, joined forces in 1981 to defeat the sixth power.

What Happened in 1981?
This is the year several amazing signs and coincidences started to occur. These signs pointed to that year as an important time in prophecy. Although the sixth power, communism, finally fell ten years later, in 1981 the two powers who would form Babylon the Great combined their efforts as one single power to end communism.

• Seventh Head Forms (Babylon the Great). The two leaders of the seventh head joined forces (United States and the Catholic church).
• Seven Heads and Ten Horns. On January 1, Greece became the tenth nation to join the European Union.
• Wounded and Healed. The wound inflicted in 1798 totally healed in this year. As a sign that it was wounded and healed, both leaders of the new Babylon the Great, President Reagan and Pope John Paul II were healed after they were wounded in failed assassination attempts.
• The Next Pope Heads the Old Office of Inquisition. Joseph Ratzinger, the German cardinal who will become the next pope, Benedict XVI, on April 19, 2005 became the head of the office for the congregation of the faith on November 25, 1981. This is the office of Inquisition. So for twenty four years he has been in charge of protecting and elevating the doctrines of the church. He is the conservative who believes that Catholicism is the only true religion. For his ferocity in defending the church against heresy, he is called "the panzer cardinal" and "the pope's rottweiler".
• The Iranian Revolution and the Islamic Awakening. The period ends just as it began 2520 years ago with a war between Babylon and Persia or Iraq and Iran. The Iranian revolution against their Shah created animosity with America, the new Babylon the Great when 52 hostages were held for 444 days and released January 20, 1981 at the moment the president was inaugurated. We identify this specific president as one who of two men who formed the seventh head. It probably also provided an opportunity for Iraq to attack. Over a million people died. The point is that at the end of this period Persia was at war with both ancient Babylon and Babylon the Great! And the history of the United States became entangled with the fate of Iraq when it had to switch loyalties as it also became the enemy of Iran.
  The current hostilities over nuclear weapons show that the world might end when there is conflict between Iran and Babylon the Great. One other coincidence is the fact that former Iranian hostage takers are now ruling Iran since November 2005. President Ahmadinejad and at least one female vice-president have been identified as former hostage takers. We are symbolically back to 1981, back to 1798 and back to 539 BC.
• Israel. On June 7, Israel destroyed the nuclear facility at Osiraq in Iraq. This seals the prophecy that Ancient Babylon will not rise again. The death blow to their weapons of mass destruction program was delivered by the ancient people of God. So the ancient hostilities symbolically end here. However, the political situation at that time allowed Babylon the Great to switch from allegiance to Iran after the fall of the Shah and it is now allied with Iraq as it assumes the title of the Babylon that will rule the world.

The Lowliest (Basest) Man
When Babylon was revived, God placed in its leadership the lowest of men. This could be interpreted in two ways.

• A Humbled Person. God sets over wicked men the person that He has rejected. God chooses a person like Nebuchadnezzar, who fell from the lofty heights through pride or some defect of character. For this reason, Satan was set as ruler over the wicked people of earth. He fell from the best position in heaven because his beauty and pride made him believe that he could rule on the throne of God.
  » A Crude Person. God sends the fallen, idiot, fool, immoral, wicked, uneducated, drunkard and uncouth.
  » A Lower Class Person. God sends a ruler from the most despised of people.
  When a wicked nation is about to fall, God sends the ruler they deserve.
• A Humble Servant (A Despised and Rejected Person). God chooses the person that we have rejected, one whom we would never have chosen. Because God looks at the heart not the outward appearance. When a righteous nation is about to rise, God sends the humble ruler that He chooses.
  but God has chosen the foolish things of this world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. (1 Corinthians 1: 27-29)
  » David. David was a young shepherd boy even his family did not believe could be chosen.
  » Moses. Moses was raised in the palace of Egypt but he was retrained by God as a poor shepherd.
  » Jesus Christ. When Christ returns during the revival of Babylon the Great, the world will see that God has chosen the most despised and rejected of men to be King of kings for ever.

Daniel 5 - The Fall of Babylon
This chapter reveals the overthrow and ultimate fall of Babylon by the army of the Medo-Persian empire around October 539 B.C. Daniel is approximately 80 years old. Nebuchadnezzar's grandson, Belshazzar, is in power. He rejects the witness and legacy of his grandfather and leads Babylon to rebel against the true God. The fall of Babylon parallels the fall of end time Babylon in many ways.

1. Corrupted with wine. In the end Babylon corrupts the whole world with the "wine of her fornication".
2. Judgment. The handwriting on the wall announced the outcome of a judgment against Babylon. End time Babylon is punished by the seven last plagues and this is preceded by a judgment which started in 1844.
3. Euphrates. The river protecting the city is dried up so that the conquering forces from the east can enter the city.

Babylonian Kings The Kings of the Neo-Babylon Empire (Relationship to Nebuchadnezzar) 1 Nebopolassar Father 626-605 2 Nebuchadnezzar II 605-562 3 Evil-Merodach (Amel Marduk) Son 562-560 4 Neriglissar Son-in-law 560-556 5 Labashi Marduk Grandson 556 6 Nabonidus Son-in-law 556-539 7 Belshazzar (Nabonidus's co-regent) Grandson 553-539 The Fall of Babylon (October) 539 B.C. Daughters of Nebuchadnezzar. He had either one or two daughters. » Kashaya. She married Neriglissar. Their son was Labashi Marduk. He was assassinated after 2 months. » Niticris. Her mother was Nitocris of Egypt. She married Nabonidus. Her son was Beltshazzar. Nitocris may be the queen mother of Daniel 5:10. Some sources named Niticris as the mother of the two boys by Neriglissar before she married Nabonidus. See the History of Babylon

The Abomination in the Sanctuary.
Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. (Daniel 5: 1-4)
In Belshazzar's wild orgy, irreverence and blasphemy raise their ugly head to defy the living God. Belshazzar defiantly profanes the articles of God's sanctuary by using them in his pagan party. This is the abomination that brought desolation.

Wine. He provides the wine for a drunken party using God's vessels.

• Genesis 3: 6-7,14. The fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil brought nakedness and a curse.
• Genesis 9: 20-21,25. Like the forbidden fruit of Eden, wine brings nakedness and a curse to Noah and Ham.
• Leviticus 10: 9. Intoxicating wine was forbidden in the sanctuary.
• Proverbs 20: 1. Wine brings deception to the foolish.
• Psalm 75: 8. Wine is a symbol of condemnation and judgement.
• Revelation 17: 2-5. End time Babylon drinks wine and corrupts the nations.
• Revelation 18: 2-3. The fall of end time Babylon is linked to wine.

The Concubines. Belshazzar is involved in illicit sexual relationships. In Revelation 17, Babylon is the woman with wine who is the mother of harlots and makes the kings drunk with wine of her fornication. Isaiah's condemnation of the last watchmen is that they are drunk, love to party, blind, sleeping and their watchdogs cannot bark! (Isaiah 56: 10-12)

Idolatry: The Gods of Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron, Wood and Stone.
He prophetically praises the human kingdoms and gives tribute to man's ingenuity and pagan beliefs about time.

Judgment: The Handwriting on the Wall.

Belshazzar For many years scholars have discounted the validity of Daniel because there were no records of Belshazzar in historical writings. But in the nineteenth century, archeological records verified his existence when they discovered the Nabonidus Chronicles. As the true king, Nabonidus was referenced in historical records. But it was his son who ruled. Scholars believe that Belshazzar was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar by his daughter, and Nabonidus was his step father. History and archeology have revealed that Belshazzar's father, Nabonidus, was alive but was more interested in natural history than ruling Babylon. He made war in Arabia and was in Tema of Arabia worshipping the moon God named Sin. So, Nabonidus allowed Belshazzar to rule in his place, making Belshazzar the "second" ruler of Babylon. That is why Belshazzar offered to make Daniel the third ruler after himself. (verse 16)

Suddenly the fingers of a man's hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. 6 Then the king's face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together. (Daniel 5: 5-6)
Here we have a picture of the sanctuary. The lamp is on one wall and the table of bread on the opposite wall. The handwriting or Word of God appears opposite the sacred lamp stand used in the Holy Place.

  » Exodus 25: 30-31. The lamp stand faced the table of shewbread.
  » Deuteronomy 8: 3. The bread is a symbol of the word of God.

Daniel interprets the meaning. It duplicates the issues at the end of time.
"Now this is the inscription that was written out: "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN." "This is the interpretation of the message: "MENE" God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. "TEKEL" you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. "PERES" your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians. (Daniel 5: 25-28)
( מן מן  תכל  אופרשן ) "counted and counted, weighed and divided."

MENE ( מן ). This comes from the Aramaic word to count or to number. He has been numbered. This reminds us of the number of the man in Revelation 13. His number is 666. As the head of his house or kingdom, he has been counted and is found deficient. In contrast, the righteous are counted and their number is a perfect 144,000. One wonders if the repetition of this word coincides with the double fall of Babylon and the repetition in Revelation 18, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen".

TEKEL ( תכל ). This comes from the word "to weigh". Ancient Babylon has been judged and condemned. Babylon the Great has been weighed in the judgment that began in 1844.

UPHARSIN (PERES) ( אופרשן ). Peres means share or portion. Upharsin is the plural and it means pieces. The kingdom will be shattered. Those without the mark of God will be shattered by the executioners from God.
... six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his shattering weapon in his hand ... (Ezekiel 9: 2)

Judged. If we look at the poetic pattern of the words we see that they have the same structure as the time given to evil Babylon. "Two counts, weigh and divide" sounds very similar to "time, two times and the dividing of time". Both are judgments. One is the length of time given to operate and be judged. The other is the number of times and methods used to judge. From our study of the coverings on the sanctuary, we find that evil is given this period.

The Pattern of Judgment. It is no coincidence that Babylon fell on Tishri 16, 539 BC. That is the period of God's judgment which follows the same pattern as the handwriting on the wall.

• Tishri 1-10: Counted and Counted ("Numbering the People"). God begins to count and seal His people. The double reference to counting points to the two groups of people that are separated at the end. As God counts the righteous, the wicked are automatically separated or counted in another pile.
• Tishri 10: Weighed ("Judgment Sealed"). Judgment is confirmed on Yom Kippur because it is the last day to change the outcome. Having rejected the atonement of Jesus Christ, the wicked are judged by their own standards. They are weighed on the basis of their works and found deficient.
• Tishri 21: Divided ("Judgment Delivered"). God separates the righteous from the wicked. Judgment is delivered on Hosannah Raba to both groups. As God rescues the righteous, the kingdom of the wicked is also divided and scattered by mutiny, conquest and destruction.

The Desolation (The Euphrates Dried Up).
That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two. (Daniel 5: 30-31)
The prophecy was fulfilled that very night. The Medes under Darius and the Persians under Cyrus attacked Babylon and overthrew it on October 12, 539 BC (Tishri 16). They "dried up" the Euphrates by stopping the flow of the water. Then at night they entered the city by going under the unguarded gates that were above the river. In the night of the wild party, the head of gold falls in a blood bath as the silver empire takes its place.
A similar drying of the Euphrates occurs in the sixth plague to prepare for the kings from the east (Revelation 16: 12).

Judgment for 2520 Years Begins.
I found the following interpretation of this prophecy that seemed to also indicate that the fall of Babylon would last for 2520 year. However, I found several problems which I cannot resolve. If I could, then it is another example of prophetic repetition that confirms the prophecy of the Great Tree. The three words, mene, tekel and upharsis, were converted to their weight in gerahs, which is 2520.

Aramaic Hebrew Meaning Hebrew Shekels Gerahs Mene בְךבָא Counted Maneh (Mina) 50 1000 Mene - Counted 50 1000 Tekel חקל Weighed Shekel 1 20 Upharsin (Peres) כְדפ Divided Half Maneh 25 500 Total 126 2520 One shekel is twenty gerahs. (Ezekiel 45: 12)

• Units of Measurement. How or why did they substitute these words from currency to weights? In the ancient trading systems, weights were often equivalent to money. So the assumption that these could be related to money is reasonable. And, the switch from Hebrew to Aramaic to Chaldean words is probably also acceptable if the words have the same meanings.
  • Mene or Maneh. Apparently, both have a similar meaning and come from the same root word.
  • Tekel or Shekel. Tekel means to be weighed or to balance. Shekel, a type of currency, also means to weigh.
  Assuming that the switch is reasonable, I then looked at the value placed on each currency.
• Maneh (Mina). My first objection is the value of the maneh in shekels.
  » 50 Shekels. Some sources say that the maneh was equal to fifty shekels in Babylon. So that value was used because the prophecy was given to Babylon. It appears to be a fact that different civilizations had different valuations for weights and money. But the biblical references do not support this value.
  » 60 Shekels (20 + 25 + 15). In a just balance, it is equal to sixty shekels.
  The shekel shall be twenty gerahs. Twenty shekels, twenty five shekels, and fifteen shekels shall be your maneh. (Ezekiel 45: 12)
  » 100 Shekels. A comparison of two bible verses also show that the minah was 100 shekels.
  He made 300 shields of beaten gold using 300 shekels of gold on each shield ... (2 Chronicles 9: 16)
  He made 300 shields of beaten gold using 3 minas of gold on each shield ... (1 Kings 10: 17)
  The King James version says "three pounds of gold". But the translated word is the one that means mina or maneh.
  Whichever value is correct, sixty or one hundred, it is not fifty. This indicates a possible problem with our understanding of the usage of the word. However, since Ezekiel is teaching about fair weights we could choose that as the most likely value. But the conclusion that the Babylonian value should be used because it was a prophecy to Babylon is just as valid. Because God used their own symbols to communicate prophecy in the metallic image and the great tree of life.
• Peres. My biggest problem is with this word. The claim that it is a Hebrew unit of weight is not documented in scripture. The correct value seems to be an even bigger problem. The word means "to divide or to break apart in pieces". However, I cannot tell how they decided what was divided. The selection of the word maneh as the thing divided seems to be an arbitrary decision with no clear basis.
  • Maneh. The consistent argument is that it is half a maneh. But I can find no proof of this.
  • Tekel. Since the shekel was the standard, why was it not half a shekel? (Leviticus 27: 25)
  • Sum of Mene, Mene and Tekel. Why was the division not applied to this sum?
• Gerah. This is a minor point, but the conversion to gerahs does not follow the strict usage of prophetic symbols that I have come to trust. The shekel was used for evaluation, not the gerah.
  Every valuation of yours, moreover, shall be after the shekel of the sanctuary. The shekel shall be twenty gerahs. (Leviticus 27: 25)

I cannot go beyond my two major objections. But, if there is no basis for my objections, then the implications are interesting and support the previous interpretation that the fall of Babylon would continue for 2520 years.

Comparison of The Fall of Ancient Babylon and Babylon the Great

Crime and Punishment			Ancient Babylon	Modern (End Time) Babylon
1	Corrupts People	Drunk	Belshazzar made his subjects drunk. Daniel 5: 1	End time Babylon makes the kings of the earth drunk. Revelation 17: 2
2		Immoral	Belshazzar induced his nobles and subjects to immorality. Daniel 5: 2,23	Induces the kings of the earth to commit spiritual fornication. Revelation 17: 2
3		Unholy	Belshazzar and his guests drink from golden goblets. Daniel 5: 3	Mystery Babylon in Revelation 17 drinks from the golden cup. Revelation 17: 4
4	Destroys Religion	People	Babylon Persecuted God's people. Daniel 1:1-4	Babylon will persecute God's people. Revelation 17: 5,6
5		Temple	Ancient Babylon attacked God's Sanctuary and people. Daniel 1:2	End time Babylon will attack God's Sanctuary and people. Revelation 13: 6, 17: 6
6		Idolatry	Belshazzar dishonored God in the worship of false gods. Daniel 5: 4,23	Blasphemes God and challenges his authority. Revelation 17: 3
7		Pagan Ideas	Babylon mixed the treasures of God's sanctuary with pagan revelry. Daniel 5: 1-4	Babylon mixes worship with paganism and spiritualism. Revelation 18: 2-3, 9: 14,20-21
8	Governs and Controls	Euphrates (People)	Ancient Babylon was built over the river Euphrates. Isaiah 44: 27,28	End time Babylon will be built over the symbolic river Euphrates. Revelation 16: 12; 17: 6,15
9		City (Property)	Ancient Babylon's power revolved around a mighty city. Daniel 4: 29-30	End time Babylon's power will revolve around a mighty city. Revelation 17:18
10		Kings	Ancient Babylon ruled the kings of the earth. Daniel 2:37-38; 4: 22	End time Babylon will also control the kings of the earth. Revelation 17: 5,18
11	Punished	Judged	Judgment was pronounced upon ancient Babylon. Daniel 5: 26-28	Judgment will be pronounced upon end time Babylon. Revelation 17: 1
12		3½ Times	It was measured 3½ times (Weigh, two counts and divide) (Daniel 5: 25)	Babylon was judged during 3½ times (Time, times and dividing times) Revelation 12: 14-15
13	Destroyed	From the East	Ancient Babylon was defeated by the Kings of the East - Darius and Cyrus. Isaiah 45: 1-5, Daniel 5: 30; 6: 28	End time Babylon will be defeated by the heavenly Kings of the East. Revelation 16: 12, Matthew 24: 27
14		One Night	Ancient Babylon fell in a single night. Daniel 5: 30-31	End time Babylon will fall in a single hour. Revelation 18: 10,20
15		Wicked	Ancient Babylon fell when the river Euphrates was dried up. Isaiah 44: 27,28	End time Babylon will fall when the symbolic river Euphrates dries up. Revelation 16:12,19
16		Sealed	Ancient Babylon fell because of God's prophetic word written by a bloodless hand. Daniel 5: 24-30	Babylon will fall because of God's Prophetic word as found in Daniel and Revelation. Daniel 12: 4,7; Revelation 18: 1-2; 14: 8

Daniel 6 - In the Lion's Den
This chapter is a story that contrasts the tension that will exist at the end of time between the claims of God and the law of the land. It is a story that reveals a conspiracy to trap the people of God by a law designed to put them to death. Daniel faced the decision of obeying God or saving His life. It is a story that reveals the end time issue of political correctness versus conscience. In this issue, Daniel openly invited death by refusing to worship his God in private. Anyone could argue that by closing his windows and worshiping in secret that he would satisfy the claims of God and State. But Daniel realized that being politically correct and appearing to go along would ultimately cause the forces of evil to win.
We ought to obey God rather than men. (Acts 5: 29)

The Conspiracy: Divide and Conquer.
The problems began when Daniel was appointed ruler over all the other Persians. Jealousy drove them to design a plot that would destroy Daniel. But they could not find any corruption in Him so they turned to his religion.
Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. Then these men said, "We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God." (Daniel 6: 4-5)

The Temporary Worship Law.

The Time For Worship In Daniel 3 the laws that were broken were the first and second commandments. The government made an image and they forced the people to worship another god. In this incidence, Daniel was being forced to break the third and fourth commandments. He could not call on the name of the Lord. He could not worship at the time he wanted.

They used flattery to make the king sign a law that would later be used to trap Daniel into civil disobedience. In the end of time, fear and terrorism has been used to design laws that remove the civil rights of people who are labeled as terrorists. We now find that terrorism or the goals of reducing the chances of terrorism are being used to justify religious suppression.
Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: "King Darius, live forever! "All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions' den. "Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.' Therefore King Darius signed the document, that is, the injunction. (Daniel 6: 6-9)

• Name. The third commandment reminds us to honor the name of God. In fact it reminds us that we are children of God who will take His name. In creating this law, they wanted to force Daniel to reject God and rely on the king. In the last days, the people honor the name of the beast and blaspheme the name of God.
• Time. The law was meant to last for thirty days. This meant that Daniel could not only have daily worship, but the Jews could not keep Sabbath. They could not go to the synagogue to worship the Lord. So the law was forcing them to violate the fourth commandment.

Faithfulness.
What impresses me about Daniel's behavior is that he did not follow conventional wisdom regarding creating unnecessary trouble or finding a compromise that would reduce danger to himself. He neither closed his window or moved out of the line of sight of prying eyes through the open window. Even tacit consent sends the message that you honor the false god because nobody can tell that you are honoring the true God.
Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. (Daniel 6: 10)

Therefore, if it had been a national Sunday Law, I believe that Daniel would have stopped mowing his lawn on Sunday. However, He would not have kept the Sabbath in secret. He would not change His public worship of God.

The Death Penalty.
Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. Then they approached and spoke before the king about the king's injunction, "Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions' den?" The king replied, "The statement is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked." Then they answered and spoke before the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day." Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him. Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, "Recognize, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed." (Daniel 6: 11-15)

At the end of time, God will have a people like Daniel who will be characterized by their faithfulness to Him. Through the power of the indwelling Christ, these people will keep the commandments of God. Because they will refuse to worship the beast's power, like Daniel they will eventually face persecution and the threat of death. Whoever the beast is, or whatever the mark of the beast is, the principle is clear.

• The issue will be over loyalty. You cannot demonstrate loyalty by keeping your loyalty secret.
• The issue will be involve worship to God and obedience to His law. You cannot pretend to be obedient to a law designed to dishonor God.
• The issue will involve sacred time for worship. While you can worship God at anytime, you have to keep Sabbath.

Destruction.
Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions' den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. (Daniel 6: 23-24)
In the end, Daniel's enemies are destroyed. Likewise, at the end of time the enemies of God's people will be destroyed. In Daniel Chapter 4, we saw Nebuchadnezzar uses a similar acknowledgment of God's power after his conversion. It appears that King Darius has also come to believe in Daniel's God.
The Last Ruler of Babylon the Great. The story of Darius shows that even if the principal ruler is sympathetic to the plight of the people of God, he will be powerless to help them if the majority in the legislature beneath him are determined to destroy them. So the last king, prime minister or president of Babylon the Great could be a good man with bad choices and no legal power and no moral support.
The Last Citizens of Babylon the Great. It is also possible that if the last ruler and a slim majority of the legislature are sympathetic to the plight of the righteous and holy people, that if the final events occur within a particular phase of an election cycle they will bow to the unrighteous will of the masses of the people in order to ensure their election.

Summary: Comparison of Daniel 6 and the Mark of the Beast
The issues are related to the law (a decree was issued) and worship. In Daniels' day it centered around breaking two commandments concerning our relationship to God. In the last days, one of the ten commandments will again be the basic test question. Again, a dominant world ruler will issue "decrees" supposedly for the good of the world which will force false worship. To comply with these decrees, God's people will be encouraged to sever their relationship for safety's sake. Once again, the focus will be on true worship versus false worship.

Repetition and Enlargement	The Persecution
# Power Daniel 2 Daniel 4 Metal Man Tree 1 Babylon 609 Head of gold Leaves, fruit 2 Medo-Persia 539 Chest of silver Axe, stump 2520 Years (7 Years) Two Arms 3 Greece 331 Belly and thighs of brass Brass band 4 Pagan Rome 197 B.C. Legs of iron Iron Band 5 Papal Rome 538 A.D. Europe Ten toes Roots in clay 6 Atheism 1798 Broken clay 7 Babylon the Great 1981 USA (Clay) Tree Revives after 7 Years Papacy (Iron) The feet and toes of iron and clay can be compared to the branched root system in the clay of the earth. Enlargement. We learn that Babylon will return at the end of time. Christ. He was the Tree of Life that was cut down.	#	Daniel	Revelation
	1	Faithful. He was persecuted because he chose to obey God's law. Daniel 6:5	The Remnant will be persecuted for keeping God's law as Christ did. Revelation 12:17
	2	Forced Worship. The king of Persia made a law which commanded false worship. Daniel 6:6-9	The Beast Power will lead the world to make a law that commands false worship. Revelation 13:15
	3	False God. The Persian law led people to worship a man - Darius the Mede. Daniel 6:7	The Mark of the Beast issue brings the world to worship a man with the number 666. Revelation 13:18
	4	Death. The penalty in Daniel 6 involved the death decree. Daniel 6:7	The penalty in the Mark of the Beast issue involves the death decree. Revelation 13:15
	5	Deliverance. Daniel was saved by the intervention of God. Daniel 6:19-23	God's people are delivered by the coming of Christ. Revelation 19:11
	6	Third Curse ("Wild Beasts"). Daniel's persecutors were thrown to the lions. Daniel 6:24	Fifth Curse ("Wrath"). Those who worship the Beast will receive the seven last plagues. Revelation 18:4; Revelation 16:6

The Issues
Issue	Daniel 3	Daniel 6	Revelation
The Decree	In each case, a decree is passed to force false worship. This involves disobedience to God and the breaking of one or more of God's commandments which define allegiance to God. All three involved a death decree passed by a dominant world ruler resulting in persecution for God's people
The Nature of the Decree	Second Commandment. The test of faith revolved around the second commandment against idolatry and images (Exodus 20:4-5)	First, Third and Fourth Commandments. The test centers around the first commandment - the exclusive worship of God. (Exodus 20: 3). It also centers on the third commandment to call on the name of the Lord or Darius. It interfered with his time for worship	First Four Commandments. The mark of the beast issue involves worship and the breaking of the first four of God's commandments. (Revelation 13:14-18)
The Issue is Worship	Do we worship God or the state?	It was an attack against Daniel's personal worship and prayer life	The total worship and honor of God
Who conspired against God's people?	A single ruler conspired.	Close counselors of the King did the conspiring. Here we see that both a powerful world leader and various political leaders unite to persecute Daniel	Revelation 13 and 17 reveal the same will occur at the end of time. This time, nations and business men will conspire
Death Penalty	Fiery Furnace	Eaten by Lions	Killed by the Beast
The Lesson for the Last Days	In the last days, one or more of the ten commandments will again be the basic test question. Again, a dominant world ruler will issue "decrees" supposedly for the good of the world which will force false worship. To comply with these decrees, God's people will be encouraged to sever their relationship for safety's sake. Once again, the focus will be on true worship versus false worship

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Study to show yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2: 15 Copyright    Updated : February 24, 2005. December 2005 Credits: Author: Laverna Patterson. Editor: Patterson (January 2008) On February 13, 2005 the Holy Spirit allowed me to understand the time prophecy in the great tree. Although this is in the book of Daniel, it is not one of Daniel's prophecies and it is not about the future of the people of God. It is a prophecy about Nebuchadnezzar and the future of Babylon. Since it was explained 24 years after it was fulfilled, it was not a prophecy about time that we should preach about and wait for. On December 12, 2005 I found several sites that teach the 2520 year theory of the seven years with some variation. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible The graphics were created by Laverna Patterson and are the property of teachinghearts. 1. See our reference page for comparisons in our summary.