Should Daniel's Prophecy concern us today?

Prophecies: History written in advanced. Many wonder what the book of Daniel means. Some think it is a good read. But much that is written in Daniel is indeed fact and deserve our careful attention. In this posting, we'll look over some of the prophecies that not only concerned ones then, but also concern us today. (So you know and so it won't be ungodly long, this discussion will be broke up into sections on each chapter of Daniel.) First off, the Book Of Daniel Covered the time of 618-536 B.C.E. and was completed in 536 B.C.E. There are actually two parts to the book. The first of these, chapters 1 to 6, gives in chronological order the experiences of Daniel and his companions in government service from 617 B.C.E. to 538 B.C.E. The second part, comprising chapters 7 to 12, is written in the first person by Daniel himself as recorder and describes private visions and angelic interviews that Daniel had from about 553 B.C.E. to about 536 B.C.E. ( As Mentioned, these other chapters will be added to their own post for easier reading.) In Daniel 1:1&2, He speaks of King Nebuchadnezzer coming and laying siege to Jerusalem and that Jehoiakim, along with some of the temple utensils, was given into the Babylonian king’s hand. However, the account at 2 Kings 24:10-15 describes the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and shows that Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin, whose reign lasted only 3 months and 10 days, was the one who finally capitulated and went out to the Babylonians. It therefore appears that Jehoiakim died during the siege of the city, perhaps in the early part thereof. Just in what way Jehoiakim was ‘given into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar is not revealed. It may have been in the sense of his dying under siege and of his son’s thereafter having to go out into captivity, so that Jehoiakim’s line suffered the loss of the kingship at Nebuchadnezzar’s hands. There is no way to confirm that Nebuchadnezzar killed Jehoiakim. Not much is known about Daniel's early life, but he tells of coming to Babylon, likely as a teenage prince. This was in Jehoiakim's third year, which started in the spring of 618 B.C.E. Staying with Chapter one, In 617 B.C.E. Daniel comes to Babylon with the captive Jews. The sacred utensils from Jerusalem’s temple come also, to be stored in a pagan treasure-house. Daniel and his three Hebrew companions, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, are among the royal Judean youths chosen for a three-year course of training in the king’s palace. Daniel resolved in his heart to not pollute himself with the king’s pagan delicacies and wine, Daniel proposes a ten-day test of a vegetable diet. The test turns out in favor of Daniel and his companions, and God gives them knowledge and wisdom. Nebuchadnezzar appoints the four to stand before him as counselors. The last verse of chapter 1, which may have been added long after the preceding portion was written, indicates that Daniel was still in royal service some 80 years after his going into exile, which would be in about 538 B.C.E. While in Babylon, the 4 received new names: Daniel was Belteshazzar; Hananiah, Shadrach; Mishael, Meshach; and Azariah, Abednego. The name changes were significant for these four. Their Hebrew names: Daniel means “My Judge Is God.” “Hananiah” is “Jehovah Has Shown Favor.” “Mishael” possibly means “Who Is Like God?” and “Azariah” means “Jehovah Has Helped.” Now with these changes, their Babylon names: Daniel’s was Belteshazzar, meaning “Protect the Life of the King". This was a shortened form of an invocation to Bel, or Marduk, the principal god of Babylon. Hananiah was renamed Shadrach, which some believe to mean “Command of Aku." Aku was the name of a Sumerian god. Mishael was renamed Meshach apparently twist to “Who Is What Aku Is?" Azariah’s name was Abednego, meaning “Servant of Nego.” And “Nego” is a variant of “Nebo,” the name of a deity after which a number of Babylonian rulers were also named. Going back to not receiving the King's food, This was because it might have been against the Mosaic Law. The Babylonians ate unclean animals, forbidden to the Israelites under the Law. Also in accord with the Law to "Abstain from Blood" at Acts 15:20 as well as other points in Genesis 9:3&4 and Leviticus 17:10-12, The Babylonians were not in the habit of bleeding slaughtered animals before eating their flesh. Eating unbled meat would be in direct violation of God’s law on blood. Because of their Faith in the True God, Daniel 1:17 says "The four of them, to them the true God gave knowledge and insight in all writing and wisdom; and Daniel himself had understanding in all sorts of visions and dreams.” Now on to the 3 year training course. Three years of reeducation and grooming. At the end of it, they had to render an account with the King. But By being faithful in what might have seemed to be least, Daniel and his friends were blessed with greater things. The privilege “to stand before the king” was the objective sought by all the young people in the training program. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were chosen by Nebuchadnezzar to stand before the king, to be a part of the royal court. Now with the closing verse again, “Daniel continued on until the first year of Cyrus the king.” History reveals that Cyrus overthrew Babylon in one night, in 539 B.C.E. Evidently owing to his reputation and stature, Daniel continued to serve in the court of Cyrus. In fact, Daniel 10:1 speaks of “the third year of Cyrus the king of Persia”