As Alexander the Great marched aggressively towards Jerusalem, a procession dressed in dazzling white led by the high priest greeted his army, encircling his officers. Alexander bowed low before the Name of God inscribed on the high priest's head piece. His officers thought he had gone insane.
He explained that he had seen Jaddua the high priest in a vision in which God promised success in his campaign against the Persians. As Alexander was escorted into the city, Jaddua showed him the book of Daniel, in which the Greek empire had been specifically identified 200 years earlier as the instrument that would overthrow the Persians.
As he saw his military success described in advance of it happening, Alexander was so amazed and delighted that he not only spared the city. but agreed to many requests made by the Jewish people.
A unique book
The book of Daniel is unlike any other book in the Bible. The first half includes narrative stories of historical events that show us how we are to demonstrate real faith in God when the world around us presses in with demands to conform. The fourth chapter of Daniel was written by the Gentile king of a pagan nation, a remarkable fact when you consider how carefully the Jews regard the contents of their holy Scriptures. The last half of Daniel is filled with prophecies of the future so detailed that critics have no choice but to claim that the book must have been written after the history it describes took place.
About this site
This web site is a detailed study to help you better understand the book of Daniel. It represents hundreds of hours of study and careful research while I prepared to teach this material to an adult Sunday school class. It is written in a way that will help ordinary people better understand what's going on behind the scenes.
More information about this study, including details about the Bible translation used, is available here.
I hope you enjoy this study as much as my spiritual journey was blessed by preparing it.
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