A Tale of Two Cities

The Historical Section of Daniel

The book of Daniel is in 2 parts:

1. The Historical Section (chapters 1-6).

2. The Prophetic Section (chapts 7-12).

The historical events are also typologies - i.e. illustrations - of what is prophetically forecasted in successive, future events.

The Jewish Captivity

“In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord let King Jehoiakim of Judah fall into his power, as well as some of the vessels of the house of God. These he brought to the land of Shinar, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his gods.” (Daniel 1:1,2)

The Chronology of the Captivity

• 1st Captivity - 605 BC; Time of King Jehoiakim. Prophet Daniel taken captive.

• 2nd Captivity - 598/597 BC; Time of King Jehoiachin. Prophet Ezekiel taken captive

• 3rd Captivity - 586 BC; Time of King Zedekiah. Jerusalem & the Temple destroyed

God remains in total control, but He allowed the Babylonians, as a punitive instrument, to capture the Jewish nation & destroy their city because of their rebellion, idolatry & immorality.

The Fall of Babylon

Later on, God also punished the Babylonians for their wickedness. Darius the Mede took the throne (Daniel 5:30,31) but he died about one year later. Babylon was then ruled by Cyrus the Persian. Successive rebellions against the Persian rule led to Xerxes punishing the city by destroying its palaces, temples & walls. During the time of the Greek Empire, Alexander the Great intended to rebuild Babylon as his new capital but never did. After his death, his kingdom was divided between his 4 generals and one of them, Seleucus I (312 BC), used much material from the ruins of Babylon to build Seleucia on the banks of the River Tigris.

On the night when the Kingdom of Babylon fell to the Medes & Persians, King Belshazzar held a feast during which he mocked the God of Heaven while desecrating the sacred vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The prophet Daniel interpreted the divine handwriting on the wall and declared: “’Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians’ . . . . That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom.” (Daniel 5:28,30)

Around 200 years before, through the prophet Isaiah, God had declared that Babylon would fall into the hands of Cyrus by drying up the river while the gates of the city would be left open: Isa.44:27-45:1. In the British Museum is an artefact called The Cyrus Cylinder recorded by Cyrus who diverted the waters of the River Euphrates, so as to march his troops up the dry river bed. They entered through the sluice gates that had been carelessly left open.

Isaiah also prophesied that God would stir up the Medes against Babylon, that the city would eventually be destroyed and “never be inhabited” again: Isaiah 13:17-21.

The ruins & dust heaps of ancient Babylon stand today as a testimony to the accurate fulfilment of the Word of God: “You shall be a perpetual waste, says the Lord . . . . Babylon shall become heaps of ruins . . . .” (Jeremiah 51:26,37. c.f. Jeremiah 50:39,40)

The Restoration of God’s People & Jerusalem

God not only promised to destroy Babylon but also to eventually restore His people & the city of Jerusalem. Their captivity in Babylon was to continue for 70 years (see in Jeremiah 25:11,12).

NB. This historical event is also a typology of the great conflict between good & evil, between Christ & Satan. In order to understand this typology more clearly, compare the following Biblical references & notice the parallels with what happened historically & what God has foretold He will accomplish on behalf of all His true & faithful people:

Jeremiah 32:37-41. “They shall be my people, and I will be their God.”
Revelation 21:1-4. “They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them.”

Jeremiah 33:14-16. “A righteous Branch”
Acts 13:22,23 & Revelation 22:16. “A righteous Branch”. Jesus Christ is referred to as “the Branch” Who was taking the throne of David (c.f. Jeremiah 23:5). A Messianic prophecy: Isaiah 11:1, c.f. Isaiah 53:2.

Jeremiah 33:14-16. “The Lord is our righteousness”
2 Corinthians 5:21 & 1 John 2:1. c.f. 1 Cor.1:30 - Jesus is our righteousness.

Jeremiah 51:7-10. “Making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of the wine.”
Revelation 18:1-5. “All nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

Jeremiah 51:7-10. “Babylon has fallen.”
Revelation 18:1-5. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.”

Jeremiah 51:7-10. “Forsake her, and let each of us go to our country.”
Revelation 18:1-5. “Come out of her my people so that you do not take part in her sins.”

Jeremiah 51:7-10. “Her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.”
Revelation 18:1-5. “Her judgment has reached up to heaven.”

A Tale of Two Cities                                 

The opening verses of Daniel contain the seeds of the entire book:

• The prophecies reveal a great controversy between Christ & Satan.

• The opening verses name two cities, Jerusalem & Babylon as a clue to the contest between the true and the false religion.

• Both cities are featured prominently in the books of both Daniel & Revelation:

• They are both first mentioned in Genesis & finally in Revelation: Jerusalem in Genesis 14:18; Revelation 3:12; 21:2,10; Babylon in Genesis 10:10; 11:9; Revelation 14:8; 18:2; 16:19; 17:5.

Babylon’s name in Hebrew is ‘Babel’ that means “confusion”.  The Babylonians referred to their city as ‘Babilu’, meaning “gate of the gods”.  Babylon was founded by Nimrod who revolted against the Lord (see Genesis 10:8-10). NB. The Septuagint (LXX) renders the phrase “against the Lord” indicating defiance - hence, the building of the Tower of Babel.

Jerusalem was known as ‘Salem’ in the days of Abram and it meant “peace” or “security”. The city of Jerusalem is first attested to in the Egyptian records of the 19th century BC, when it was ruled by an Amorite King. During the time of King David, the city was called ‘Jebus’ after its inhabitants, the Jebusites. Jerusalem means “City of Peace”.

The Composition & Typology of the Book of Daniel

Notice the parallels in the typology (i.e. spiritual illustrations) between the two cities: -

Jerusalem: City of Peace
Babylon: City of Rebellion and Confusion

Jerusalem: [city] Of the Most High God
Babylon: [city] Of Nimrod against the Lord

Jerusalem: Kingdom of God
Babylon: Kingdom of Satan

Jerusalem: The Lamb of God
Babylon: The Serpent or Dragon

Jerusalem: Allegiance to God
Babylon: Allegiance to Satan

Jerusalem: True Religion
Babylon: False Religion

Jerusalem: Worship of God
Babylon: Worship of Satan

Jerusalem: God’s Sanctuary in Heaven
Babylon: Counterfeit Sanctuary on Earth

The opening verses of the Book of Daniel illustrate the entire book; and since the prophecies in the Book of Revelation are built upon those in Daniel, we have in these opening verses a preview of the end-time prophecies.

·  They speak of the conflict between Babylon & Jerusalem.

·  They speak of the conflict between false worship & true worship.

·  They speak of the conflict between the Kingdom of Satan & the Kingdom of God.

·  And all that follows in the prophecies in both Daniel & Revelation enlarges upon these themes.

God’s Lamp For Our Path

Remember: God foresees what will happen in the future & discloses this to us. God reveals His plans & purposes by informing us before they take place. Therefore: Let us prayerfully seek to understand what God tells us. Let us believe what God says. Let us take heed of God’s message in the Bible seriously enough to follow what He says. Let us be careful not to rebel against what He discloses to us because it is given for our benefit to know what is to happen, so that we can be safeguarded from deception, & our faith be strengthened & encouraged.

“So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (2 Peter 1:19). “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105)

This article serves as the script for presentation #2 in "The Book of Daniel" series, delivered by Pastor Michael I. Walker. If you're interested in downloading a printable PDF version, just click here.

You can also find the video presentation recorded during the Zoom meeting on Wednesday, 5 February 2025, below.