"Lesson 45: “If I Perish, I Perish”," Old Testament: Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, (2001), 211–15
"Lesson 46: “A Kingdom, Which Shall Never Be Destroyed”," Old Testament: Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, (2001), 216–19
1. Introduction
a) Combining two lessons today – 45 and 46
b) Principal personages are Daniel and Esther
i) Demonstrate faith while in captivity
ii) Work to be righteous in a world that is pagan
c) Daniel
i) Taken captive to Babylonia in about 606 B.C.
(1) This was a minor deportation of chosen Jewish children who were selected to serve in the Babylonian court.
(2) This was a way for Babylon to gain even more benefits from its colonies/tributary states
(a) Obtain and train the most talented as future leaders
(b) Use the nationalities of the Jewish officials in Babylon to keep the tributary nations under control
(3) Imagine how destructive this was to some of the most talented people in Israel
(a) Taken to Babylon while in their teens
(b) Subjected to training and influences hostile to their laws and religion
ii) Daniel was a prophet from 606-536 B.C.
(1) Came to Babylon 8 years before Ezekiel.
(a) Ezekiel was the prophet for the ordinary children of Israel in captivity and Daniel was the prophet for the rulers of Babylon
(b) Other contemporary prophets – Jeremiah and Lehi
(2) Daniel would serve in the court of Nebuchadnezzar and his successors and in the court of Cyrus, king of Persia, who would conquer Babylon.
d) Esther
i) Was captive in Persia
ii) Married to Ahasuerus is the Persian king that was probably the grandson Cyrus who freed the Jews.
(1) The Bible Dictionary dates Ahasuerus at 529 BC, after Cyrus frees the Jews. Ahasuerus was almost certainly the successor of Darius, the son of Cyrus. (See Ezra 4:6)
iii) We have spoken of how many Jews – estimated at about 80% of those taken into captivity – did not return to Israel after Cyrus allowed the Jews under his control to return to Jerusalem.
(1) Referred to as the diaspora or the dispersion
e) Babylon
i) Turn to Map 11 – Babylonian Empire and Median Empire
ii) Babylon was the largest city in the world
(1) Located in present-day Iraq, 55 miles south of Bagdad
(2) 4 miles square
(3) Walls running about 11 miles to the Euphrates river
(4) Likely the first city to ever reach a population of 200,000
(a) For comparison, Athens during its golden age, about 100 years after Babylon at its height, had a population of about 140,000
(5) Greek historian Herodotus has Babylon being much larger
(a) Walls 350 feet high
(b) Almost certainly never visited Babylon and relied only on the accounts of others
iii) Nebuchadnezzar is the great king of Babylon (604–561 B.C.)
(1) Son of the founder of the empire, who defeated the Assyrians, where the ten tribes of Israel had been taken into captivity in 721 BC, about 120 years before Daniel
(2) Nebuchadnezzar also defeats the Egyptians and drives them from Assyria
iv) For all its power, this Babylonian Empire would last only about 25 years after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, when King Cyrus of Persia would take the city I the face of almost no resistance.
v) For all of its size and magnificence, Babylon today is only a partially excavated series of mounds in the desert.
2. Daniel and his friends refuse to eat King Nebuchadnezzar’s food; they are blessed with good health and wisdom.
a) Reading 1 – Daniel 1:1-8
1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
2And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
3¶And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes;
4Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
5And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.
6Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:
7Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego.
8¶But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
i) Verse 6 - these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah
ii) Verse 7 - 7Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego
(1) Part of acculturating them to the ways of Babylon was to give them Babylonian names in place of their Jewish names
iii) Verse 8 - Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank
(1) Daniel will not eat the king’s meat or drink the king’s wine
(2) Would not “defile himself”
(3) Recall the strict dietary laws that Moses gave the children of Israel
b) Reading 2 – Daniel 1:10-15,17,20
10And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
11Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
13Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.
14So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
15And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.
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17¶As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
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20And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
i) Verse 12 – 12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
ii) Verse 17 - 17¶As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
iii) 20And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
c) Blessings similar to Word of Wisdom
d) Reading 3 - Elder Boyd K. Packer taught: “I have come to know … that a fundamental purpose of the Word of Wisdom has to do with revelation. From the time you are very little we teach you to avoid tea, coffee, liquor, tobacco, narcotics, and anything else that disturbs your health. … If someone ‘under the influence’ can hardly listen to plain talk, how can they respond to spiritual promptings that touch their most delicate feelings? As valuable as the Word of Wisdom is as a law of health, it may be much more valuable to you spiritually than it is physically” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1979, 28–29; or Ensign, Nov. 1979, 20).
3. Will have to skip the story of the Lord saving Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from death in the fiery furnace
4. Daniel receives a revelation in which he is shown King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and given its interpretation.
a) Reading 4 – Daniel 2:1-5
1And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
2Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
3And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
4Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.
5The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
i) Since the psychic hotline had not been invented yet, Nebuchadnezzar kept all sorts of people around him to provide advice and guidance
ii) Here, he has a dream that disturbs him greatly, but is unable to remember the dream.
iii) He asks his psychics to tell him the dream and the interpretation of the dream upon pain of death.
b) Reading 5 – Daniel 2:16-19
16Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
17Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19 ¶Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
i) Daniel asks for time
ii) Asks Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to pray with him for an answer
(1) Daniel goes to a different source for answers than his king does
(2) ASK – Do we ever seek wisdom from the magicians and astrologers of our day instead of going to the Lord for direction and answers?
iii) Daniel receives the secret in a vision
iv) Acknowledges that God has given him the answer to his prayers
(1) READ – Daniel 2:20-23
20Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
22He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.
c) Daniel appears before Nebuchadnezzar and tells him that God has given him the king’s dream and the interpretation thereof
i) Daniel takes no glory for himself
d) Reading 6 – Daniel 2:31-35, 44-45
31¶Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
32This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
34Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
35Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
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44And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
e) Interpretation
i) Daniel saw an immense swath of history, beginning with the reign of Nebuchadnezzar and continuing for more than 2600 years.
ii) Daniel gives an interpretation that Nebuchadnezzar could understand
iii) We have a modern prophetic interpretation that describes the symbolism of the dream in terms we can understand
iv) President Spencer W. Kimball in a talk entitled, “The Stone Cut without Hands,” in General Conference, April 1976 ( In Conference Report, Apr. 1976, 10; or Ensign, May 1976, 8)
(1) The head of gold represented Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom of Babylon.
(2) The breast and arms of silver represented Cyrus and his kingdom of Media and Persia.
(3) The belly and thighs of brass represented Philip and Alexander and the Greek or Macedonian kingdom.
(4) The legs of iron represented the Roman Empire.
(5) The feet of iron and clay represented a group of European nations.
v) Pres. Kimball says the vision describes the history of the world, with one nation supersedes the prior one until numerous smaller kingdoms will share control of the earth.
vi) At this point, Daniel 2:44-45 comes into play:
vii) READ – President Kimball said:
And it was in the days of these kings that power would not be given to men, but the God of heaven would set up a kingdom—the kingdom of God upon the earth, which should never be destroyed nor left to other people.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored in 1830 after numerous revelations from the divine source; and this is the kingdom, set up by the God of heaven, that would never be destroyed nor superseded, and the stone cut out of the mountain without hands that would become a great mountain and would fill the whole earth.
History unfolded and the world powers came and went after ruling the world for a little season, but in the early nineteenth century the day had come. The new world of America had been discovered and colonized and was being settled. Independence had been gained and a constitution approved and freedom given to men, and people were now enlightened to permit truth to be established and to reign.
No king or set of rulers could divine this history; but a young, pure, and worthy prophet could receive a revelation from God.
[after describing the events in the Sacred Grove and the appearance of additional heavenly messengers to Joseph Smith, Pres. Kimball continues:]
These were the beginnings of accomplishment; and the gospel was revealed, line upon line and precept upon precept, and truths were restored, and power was given and authority was revealed, and gradually enough light and enough people were there for the organization of this kingdom of God which Daniel saw two and a half millennia ago.
The Church was organized. Small it was, with only six members, compared to the stone cut out of the mountain without hands which would break in pieces other nations and which would roll forth and fill the whole earth.
f) Meanings
i) Be “cut out without hands” (Daniel 2:34).
ii) Become “a great mountain, and [fill] the whole earth” (Daniel 2:35).
iii) “Never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44).
iv) “Not be left [given] to other people” (Daniel 2:44).
v) “Consume all [other] kingdoms” (Daniel 2:44).
vi) “Stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44).
5. Will skip Daniel being thrown into the lions’ den
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