Third Witness: Does my life and the lives of ninety nine percent of the world’s population depend on the exact date of the graduation of four child honor students some 2500 years ago? Tell me it isn’t so.
Please consider the following comments: .
Dan 1:5 KJV
And 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.
The instructions of the King was that a scholarship for certain brilliant Jewish students were to be granted. He said that he would provide for them for three years, period. Four of the students were far more brilliant than their pimply- faced classmates. Their instructor was very pleased with the four. Why would he wait for the entire three years, before presenting them to the king? Perhaps the king did an early check up to see how his investment was doing.
Dan 1:18 KJB Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
Why does the text not say, at the end of three years, but rather, days? The end result that the King wanted was that they be able to “stand” before him in the court. I maintain his instructions, paraphrasing, were: take as long as it takes, but if they can’t do it within three years then forget it. The instructor showed fear of the King when Daniel wanted to eat Kosher food. He did not want any dalliance in presenting the students to the king. There are texts where it says that
The instructor presented the best students as soon as they met the conditions. Daniel, that is, Belteshazzer, was just one of a group.
Dan 1:20 KJV And 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.
There is no reason the the King would “know” Daniel, he was part of the group that were found better than all of his own wise men.
Chap Two of Daniel:
And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
Note the “and”, a continuation of the narrative. Note that in the second year, he dreamed dreams, period. Note it says dreams, plural, note he had insomnia. All this shows a continuance of time. He had nightmares, mental disturbances, and couldn’t sleep for any numbers of days. Finally, he was so desperate that he was ready to wipe out all his “wise” men if they didn’t show him the interpretation of his dream.
In verse two, it says “commanded to call”, again time for the command to take effect is allowed. Note that the wise men spoke in Syriak, that is Aramaic, which for me indicates they had a closed shop, no ten-times-wiser Jewish smart asses were invited. (See other texts in Daniel, where the locals were hostile to the Jewish officials.)
In verse seven, it says they, (the wise men) answered again. The word again can mean a second time and can mean the wise men were allowed some time to convene a collective answer for the king. Later in the chapter, The King allows Daniel time to seek out an interpretation for his dream, why would it be different for his own wise men?
Verse 8, says, I know of certainty that ye would gain time. They were stalling for time.
Verse 9: But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, [there is but] one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
To issue an official decree and proclaim it nation wide, would take further time. was aware that his councilors, were speaking lying and corrupt words, till the time be changed. They were hoping that time and circumstance would delay the idiocy of the king.
Finally , thoroughly pissed off, orders a decree, it is published officially and the executioner gets his butt going and not relishing the job, seeks to put it into effect. It is only then that the Chaldeans bring the smart-assed Jews into the picture; if they are getting the axe so will these ten-times-smarter group, who seemingly obtained the Kings favor, get it also. It could be, also, that it was that Daniel, who knows visions and dreams, in the original discussion, precipitated misgivings in ’s subconscious that gave origin the dreams in the first place. Also it is possible that the wise men thought that the four Jews were the golden-hair boys of , and they thought that when found out that they were to be killed that he would cancel the decree.
I find no discrepancies in these chapters. Allan if in his post has calculated that two years and three months could have passed of the designated three years. The time sequence of chapter two, could very easily lasted seven months more, if you really insist that three years are necessary for your interpretations of the Bible.
belbab, of the ‘if
any man suffer as an Apostate , let him not be ashamed’
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