Daniel 14 – This Daniel story is about Daniel’s closeness with king Cyrus of Persia and the king’s belief in the deity Bel [one of the names of the god Marduk in Babylonia]. The king asks Daniel why he does not worship Bel, and Daniel tells him he worships “the living God who made heaven and earth”. Cyrus says Bel lives too because the god consumes all the food offerings given to him. Daniel shows that it is merely people going into the sanctuary who are eating the offerings. The king…

Daniel 13 –A note tells us that this is where the Hebrew text ends and the Greek additions begin. That means the story is not in Protestant versions of the Bible. It is a pretty well-known story. It is quite a change of direction.

The story of Susanna and the elders.  Two elders and judges of the people who meet at Joakim and Susanna’s house, develop a passion for Susanna.  “They suppressed their consciences; they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven,…

Daniel 11 – Three more kings will rise and challenge the prince of Javan [Greece]. A mighty ruler will rise but even his empire will not last. The king of the South – Ptolemy I Soter – will rise and then a whole series of events are predicted that reflect the history of the time and the region. A lot of this is lost on me. The two Hellenistic empires – Seleucids and Ptolemies – that arose after Alexander’s death have a lot of history that we don’t really study any more. This book…

Daniel 10 – Another vision in the days of Cyrus – a vision of a “great conflict” that comes to Daniel in a time when he is doing sustained acts of penance. By the banks of the Tigris he sees a “man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people”(10:5-6). There…

Daniel 9 – In the first year of Darius, Daniel begs God to forgive his people and restore them, smile on them and on his desolate sanctuary. “O our God, hear your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary. O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair . . . We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but =because of your mercy” (9:17-18).

The angel Gabriel comes to him to “teach…

Daniel 7 – This chapter starts with a retelling of the vision told of in chapter 2 but is connected with king Belshazzar (the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar).

In the dream, he sees the four winds of heaven stirring up the “great sea” and four beasts emerge from the sea – the first like a lion with eagle’s wings. His wings are torn off and he is lifted from the ground and set standing on feet like a man, given a human heart…

Daniel 6 – The king they talk about here is not historical according to a Jerusalem Bible note. It is probably supposed to be the first Persian king, Cyrus, but he is called Darius. Daniel is granted an important position in the king’s court. Other satraps and “state presidents” try to discredit him but despair of it.

They go to the king and suggest he institute a requirement that every local leader be required to NOT…

Daniel 5 – Years later, King Belshazzar [possibly the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, possibly just another name for the high king of the Chaldaeans], gets everyone together for a big feast, using the gold vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar from the Temple in Jerusalem. “While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone” (5:4).

He has a vision of a human hand, writing on the wall and seeks magicians or seers who…

Daniel 4 – This part of the book is written by Nebuchadnezzar in the first person. He tells of a dream he has that terrified him. He dreamed that he saw a tree in the middle of the world. Its top reached the sky and it could be seen from everywhere. It provided food and shelter for all the birds and animals. A “watcher” [messenger/angel] came down and shouted, “Cut down the tree and lop off its branches. Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Chase the wild animals from its shade…

Daniel 3 – After Nebuchadnezzar subdues the large empire he was to conquer, he creates a huge golden statue and demands that everyone prostrate themselves before it or be “thrown into a blazing furnace” (3:6). Everyone obeys the king – everyone except the Jews Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, whom he had put in charge of the province of Babylon (3:12).

Furious with them, the king orders that they be brought to him. He tells them he’ll give them “one more chance to bow…

Daniel 2 – Two years into service for Nebuchadnezzar, the king has a terrifying dream and he “called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed” (2:2). They assure him that if he tells them what he dreamed they will be able to interpret it, tell him what it means; but he thinks they should be able to tell him what it was he dreamed, not just its meaning.

He threatens the sages [wise men] to tell him…

Daniel 2 – Two years into service for Nebuchadnezzar, the king has a terrifying dream and he “called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed” (2:2). They assure him that if he tells them what he dreamed they will be able to interpret it, tell him what it means; but he thinks they should be able to tell him what it was he dreamed, not just its meaning.

He threatens the sages [wise men] to tell him…

Introduction to the Book of Daniel: The following information comes from Lawrence Boadt’s Reading the Old Testament (Paulist Press, NY, 1984. The text claims to take place in 6^th c. BC but there are mistakes in identifying king’s names. The consensus of scholars is that the author is probably from the 2^nd c. BC, but that he “creates a character of long ago and puts into his mouth as predictions all the important events that have already happened right up…

Obadiah

There is just one chapter to this book. It contains a vision and a message from Yahweh concerning the land of Edom, the land Esau, Jacob’s brother, was given in the southern Dead Sea region and Jordan.

The message is addressed to Edom, which has become too proud: “I will cut you down to size among the nations; you will be greatly despised. You have been deceived by your own pride because you live in a rock fortress and make your…

Zechariah 13 – Some words here I fear have been taken too seriously – “I will also rid the country of the prophets, and of the spirit of impurity” (13:2). The prophets uttered too many lies to have enduring respect. It says in the note that the ancient prophets used to gash their bodies and scar them. Why? But they got too caught up in ignorance and false prophesy. There follows a messianic prophesy! God will “strike the shepherd so that the sheep may be scattered. . .turn my hand…

Zechariah 11 – Fire and devastation will bring down the mighty trees of Lebanon and Bashan. There is an allegory here about bad shepherds; it isn’t easy to follow, and I’d by lying if I said I understood it completely. (11:7). The Prophet takes the shepherds’ staffs and names one of them “Favor” and the other “Union.” He breaks the staffs, showing that the Lord has “revoked the covenant . . . made with all the nations” (11:10). The Lord sends the prophet to “play the part of a…

Zechariah 9 – The prophet foresees doom on all the great cities of the region – Damascus, Hamath, Tyre, Sidon and the Philistine cities of Gaza and Ashdod. Those who survive will turn to the worship of Yahweh. “I will guard my Temple and protect it from invading armies” (9:8).

The people of Zion should rejoice! “Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion. Shout with gladness, daughter of Jerusalem. See now, your king comes to you; he is victorious, he is triumphant,…

Zechariah 6 – The eighth vision is four chariots emerging from between two mountains of bronze. The first chariot has red horses, the second has black horses, the third has white horses and the fourth has dappled-gray horses (6:1). The angel says they “are the four spirits of heaven who stand before the Lord of all the earth. They are going out to do his work” (6:5). The red ones are going to the East; the black ones to the North; the white ones to the West and the dappled to…

Zechariah 5 – The sixth vision is a flying scroll 20 cubits long and 10 cubits wide. It is the “curse sweeping across the face of the whole country” (5:3) banishing every thief and everyone who swears falsely.

Then the seventh vision – a bushel basket with a heavy lead cover. A woman in the basket represents wickedness. The angel forces her back in and puts the lead cover on it. Two women with “wings like a stork . . . picked up the basket and flew into the sky” (5:9).…

Introduction – This prophetic work originates in the same year as Haggai – two or three months after in 520 BC. Zechariah is a priest and a prophet, grandson of Iddo who was head of the priestly families returning from the exile. He is writing to encourage the returning remnant to repent and renew the relationship with Yahweh.

Zechariah 3 - In a fourth vision, the prophet sees a court of justice at heaven’s gate presided over by God.…