Daniel

Daniel

Book Outhne

Key theme: God is sovereign in history

Key verses: ,

I. Daniel the Prisoner ()

II. Daniel the Interpreter ()

A. Interpreting the image dream ()

B. The golden image (Daniel absent) ()

C. Interpreting the tree dream ()

D. Interpreting the handwriting on the wall ()

E. Daniel in the lion’s den ()

III. Daniel the Seer ()

A. The vision of the four beasts ()

B. The vision of the ram, male goat, and horn ()

C. The seventy sets of seven appointed to Israel ()

D. The vision of Israel’s future and the end ()

Book Overview

The Bible is filled with examples of people who discovered, sometimes much to their surprise, that God rules the earth. Abraham called God “the Judge of all the earth” (), and King Hezekiah prayed, “You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth” (). In Daniel’s day, King Nebuchadnezzar learned the hard way that “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men” (). These are all forewarnings of the discovery that every human being will one day make, some to their eternal shame, that Jesus is Christ is Lord: “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” ().

What Jesus said about the prophet John the Baptist, we could say about the prophet Daniel: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? . . . But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet” (, ). Forced into circumstances that would have made it easy for him to become a reed in the wind, Daniel stood firm in the faith and dared to be different. Instead of bending and blending like a reed, he stood like a mighty oak, rooted in the Lord and defying the storms of change that raged about him.

Today’s society is a good deal like the one Daniel lived in centuries ago. The world still wants God’s people to conform to its standards and follow its practices, to which God’s Word responds, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (). Daniel and his friends obeyed that admonition. We should obey it today. We need Christians who have the faith and courage to be resolute—not odd, but resolute.

As we study the book Daniel wrote for us, we’ll meet Daniel’s God, the Sovereign Lord who rules in the kingdom of the world () and who confidently announces things to come. In Daniel’s life and ministry we will see how true believers live in the light of biblical prophecy—how they relate to the Sovereign Lord and accomplish His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

“Be Transformed”

Studying the prophecies that Daniel wrote is important, but we should also seek to understand the life that Daniel lived. Knowing God’s future plan and obeying God’s present will should go together. “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (). “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness” ().

The key to Daniel’s successful life and ministry is given in : “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.” He was a resolute man. He wasn’t intimidated by powerful people or frightened by difficult circumstances. But what was the source of this man’s courageous and resolute heart? Here are some of his life foundations:

He believed in a sovereign God. “The Most High rules in the kingdom of men” (, ; ) is one of the basic truths taught in the Book of Daniel. Dictators and petty politicians may have thought they were in control, but Daniel knew better. As a devoted Jew, he understood that there was but one true God, the Lord Jehovah, and that He ruled all things with wisdom and power. The Babylonians changed Daniel’s address, his name, and his education, and they tried to change his standards, but they couldn’t change his theology!

He had a disciplined prayer life. When Daniel and his friends needed to know Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and understand it, they gave themselves to prayer, and when the Lord gave them the answer, they prayed further and thanked Him (). When Daniel’s life was in danger, he went to his home and prayed, and the Lord delivered him from the lions (). Frequently, Daniel asked the Lord or His messengers for wisdom to understand the visions the Lord gave to him. Daniel depended on prayer.

He studied the Word of God and believed it. When Daniel and his friends left Jerusalem for Babylon, they carried with them some of the scrolls of the Old Testament Scriptures. We know that Daniel studied the prophecies of Jeremiah (), and we can assume that these godly young men had other portions of the Word as well.

He had an understanding of spiritual warfare. Chapter is a key chapter for prayer warriors, people who wrestle in prayer () and seek under God to tear down the strongholds that block God’s truth from getting into the minds of unbelievers ().

Daniel means “God is my judge.” Daniel lived his life before the all-seeing eyes of the Lord and did the things that pleased Him. He also gives us a great example for living.

Daniel and His Friends Obey God

2And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.

4young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.

5And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.

7To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.

9Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.

10And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king.”

11So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

13“Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.”

15And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies.

16Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

18Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

19Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

2Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

4Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”

5The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap.

6“However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.”

7They answered again and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation.”

8The king answered and said, “I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm:

12For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

13So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.

God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

14Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon;

15he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, “Why is the decree from the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel.

16So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation.

18that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

19Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,

For wisdom and might are His.

21And He changes the times and the seasons;

He removes kings and raises up kings;

He gives wisdom to the wise

And knowledge to those who have understanding.

22He reveals deep and secret things;

He knows what is in the darkness,

And light dwells with Him.

23“I thank You and praise You,

O God of my fathers;

You have given me wisdom and might,

And have now made known to me what we asked of You,

For You have made known to us the king’s demand.”

Daniel Explains the Dream

25Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, “I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation.”

26The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?”

27Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king.

28“But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:

29“As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be.

30“But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.

31“You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome.

32“This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze,

33“its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

34“You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.

35“Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

36“This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king.

37“You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory;

39“But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.

40“And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.

41“Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay.

42“And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.

43“As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.

44“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

45“Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”

Daniel and His Friends Promoted

48Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.

49Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

The Image of Gold

3So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

4Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,

6“and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

Daniel’s Friends Disobey the King

9They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever!

10“You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image;

11“and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

13Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king.

14Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?

15“Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

17“If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.

Saved in Fiery Trial

19Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.

20And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

21Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

22Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.

23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

24Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

26Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire.

27And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

29“Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”

30Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream

To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:

Peace be multiplied to you.

2I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me.

3How great are His signs,

And how mighty His wonders!

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

And His dominion is from generation to generation.

4I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace.

5I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

6Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

7Then the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in, and I told them the dream; but they did not make known to me its interpretation.

9“Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.

I was looking, and behold,

A tree in the midst of the earth,

And its height was great.

11The tree grew and became strong;

Its height reached to the heavens,

And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.

12Its leaves were lovely,

Its fruit abundant,

And in it was food for all.

The beasts of the field found shade under it,

The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches,

And all flesh was fed from it.

13“I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.

14He cried aloud and said thus:

‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,

Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.

Let the beasts get out from under it,

And the birds from its branches.

15Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth,

Bound with a band of iron and bronze,

In the tender grass of the field.

Let it be wet with the dew of heaven,

And let him graze with the beasts

On the grass of the earth.

16Let his heart be changed from that of a man,

Let him be given the heart of a beast,

And let seven times pass over him.

17‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers,

And the sentence by the word of the holy ones,

In order that the living may know

That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,

Gives it to whomever He will,

And sets over it the lowest of men.’

18“This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.”

Daniel Explains the Second Dream

Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream concern those who hate you, and its interpretation concern your enemies!

20The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth,

21whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home—

22it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth.

24this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:

25They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.

26And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation

28All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.

29At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon.

30The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”

32And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.”

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,

And His kingdom is from generation to generation.

He does according to His will in the army of heaven

And among the inhabitants of the earth.

No one can restrain His hand

Or say to Him, “What have You done?”

36At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me.

37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

Belshazzar’s Feast

3Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.

4They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

7The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

9Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished.

11“There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.

12“Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”

The Writing on the Wall Explained

13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah?

14“I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.

15“Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing.

16“And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

19“And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down.

20“But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.

21“Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.

22“But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this.

23“And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.

24“Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

26“This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it;

27“TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting;

28“PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Belshazzar’s Fall

30That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain.

The Plot Against Daniel

2and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss.

3Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.

7“All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.

8“Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.”

9Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

11Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

12And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.”

13So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”

15Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

Daniel Saved from the Lions

18Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him.

19Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions.

20And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

21Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!

22“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”

Darius Honors God

25Then King Darius wrote:

To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:

Peace be multiplied to you.

For He is the living God,

And steadfast forever;

His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,

And His dominion shall endure to the end.

27He delivers and rescues,

And He works signs and wonders

In heaven and on earth,

Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

Vision of the Four Beasts

3“And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.

4“The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

7“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

Vision of the Ancient of Days

And the Ancient of Days was seated;

His garment was white as snow,

And the hair of His head was like pure wool.

His throne was a fiery flame,

Its wheels a burning fire;

10A fiery stream issued

And came forth from before Him.

A thousand thousands ministered to Him;

Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.

The court was seated,

And the books were opened.

11“I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.

12“As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

And behold, One like the Son of Man,

Coming with the clouds of heaven!

He came to the Ancient of Days,

And they brought Him near before Him.

14Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,

That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion,

Which shall not pass away,

And His kingdom the one

Which shall not be destroyed.

Daniel’s Visions Interpreted

15“I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

16“I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:

17‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth.

18‘But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’

19“Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet;

20“and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

23“Thus he said:

‘The fourth beast shall be

A fourth kingdom on earth,

Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,

And shall devour the whole earth,

Trample it and break it in pieces.

24The ten horns are ten kings

Who shall arise from this kingdom.

And another shall rise after them;

He shall be different from the first ones,

And shall subdue three kings.

25He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,

Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,

And shall intend to change times and law.

Then the saints shall be given into his hand

For a time and times and half a time.

26‘But the court shall be seated,

And they shall take away his dominion,

To consume and destroy it forever.

27Then the kingdom and dominion,

And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,

Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’

Vision of a Ram and a Goat

2I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in Shushan, the citadel, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai.

4I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.

6Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power.

7And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.

8Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven.

10And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them.

11He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down.

12Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.

13Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”

14And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”

Gabriel Interprets the Vision

15Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.

16And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”

18Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.

19And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be.

20“The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia.

21“And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.

22“As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.

When the transgressors have reached their fullness,

A king shall arise,

Having fierce features,

Who understands sinister schemes.

24His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;

He shall destroy fearfully,

And shall prosper and thrive;

He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.

He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;

And he shall exalt himself in his heart.

He shall destroy many in their prosperity.

He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;

But he shall be broken without human means.

26“And the vision of the evenings and mornings

Which was told is true;

Therefore seal up the vision,

For it refers to many days in the future.”

Daniel’s Prayer for the People

6“Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.

7“O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.

8“O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.

9“To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.

10“We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.

11“Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him.

12“And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.

14“Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice.

15“And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly!

16“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.

17“Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.

18“O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.

The Seventy-Weeks Prophecy

21yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.

22And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.

23“At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:

For your people and for your holy city,

To finish the transgression,

To make an end of sins,

To make reconciliation for iniquity,

To bring in everlasting righteousness,

To seal up vision and prophecy,

And to anoint the Most Holy.

25“Know therefore and understand,

That from the going forth of the command

To restore and build Jerusalem

Until Messiah the Prince,

There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;

The street shall be built again, and the wall,

Even in troublesome times.

26“And after the sixty-two weeks

Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;

And the people of the prince who is to come

Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.

The end of it shall be with a flood,

And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

But in the middle of the week

He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.

And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,

Even until the consummation, which is determined,

Is poured out on the desolate.”

Vision of the Glorious Man

2In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.

6His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.

7And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

8Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength.

9Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

Prophecies Concerning Persia and Greece

11And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.

12Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.

14“Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”

15When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless.

16And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength.

17“For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.”

18Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me.

19And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

20Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come.

21“But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.

2“And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.

4“And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.

Warring Kings of North and South

6“And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times.

7“But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail.

8“And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.

9“Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land.

10“However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife.

11“And the king of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy.

12“When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail.

13“For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.

14“Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, violent men of your people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall fall.

15“So the king of the North shall come and build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist.

16“But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his power.

17“He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, or be for him.

19“Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

20“There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.

22“With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant.

23“And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people.

24“He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.

26“Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain.

27“Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time.

28“While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.

The Northern King’s Blasphemies

29“At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter.

30“For ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.

34“Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue.

35“And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.

38“But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things.

39“Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.

The Northern King’s Conquests

40“At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through.

41“He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon.

42“He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

43“He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.

44“But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.

45“And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.

Prophecy of the End Time

The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;

And there shall be a time of trouble,

Such as never was since there was a nation,

Even to that time.

And at that time your people shall be delivered,

Every one who is found written in the book.

Some to everlasting life,

Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

3Those who are wise shall shine

Like the brightness of the firmament,

And those who turn many to righteousness

Like the stars forever and ever.

6And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?”

8Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?”

9And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

11“And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.

12“Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.

Annotations for Daniel

, The fall of Jerusalem looked like the triumph of the pagan gods over the true God of Israel. Nebuchadnezzar burned the temple of God and even took the sacred furnishings and put them into the temple of his own god in Babylon. Later, Belshazzar would use some of those holy vessels to praise his gods at a pagan feast, and God would judge him (ch. ). No matter how anyone viewed the fall of Jerusalem, the idols seemed to have won; actually the Lord won the victory! He kept his covenant with Israel—he fulfilled his promises.

The king’s policy was to train the best people of the conquered nations to serve in his government. He could benefit from their knowledge of their own people and could use their skills to strengthen his own administration. Several deportations of Jews to Babylon occurred both before and after the fall of Jerusalem, and Daniel and his three friends seem to have been taken in 605 B.C., when they were probably fifteen or sixteen years old.

, Even a cursory reading of the Old Testament reveals that the majority of God’s people have not always followed the Lord and kept His commandments. Always the “faithful remnant” within the Jewish nation has come through the trials and judgments to maintain the divine covenant and make a new beginning.

, The name Daniel means “God is my judge,” but it was changed to Belteshazzar or “Bel protects his life.” Hananiah means “the Lord shows grace,” but his new name, Shadrach, means “command of Aku” (the moon-god). Mishael means “Who is like God?” and his new name, Meshach, means “Who is like Aku?” Azariah means “The Lord is my help,” but “Abed-Nego” means “Servant of Nebo (Nego).” The name of the true and living God was replaced by the names of the false gods of Babylon; but would we expect unbelievers to do anything else?

The first step for these young men in solving their problem and being transformers was giving themselves wholly to the Lord. Daniel’s heart—the totality of his being—belonged to God, as did the hearts of his friends (v. ; , ).

, The second step was to be gracious toward those in authority. The four men noticed that Ashpenaz was especially friendly and kind to them and recognized that this was the working of the Lord. Long before, Joseph had a similar experience when he was in prison (see ).

Convictions sometimes require creative negotiations. Along with Daniel and his friends are the examples of the Hebrew midwives (), the apostles (), and even Jesus himself (). All of them had to resist the law in order to obey the Lord, and God gave them success. They were courteous and didn’t try to get others into trouble. They had a meek and quiet spirit. They saw the challenge as an opportunity to prove God and glorify His name.

Unconsciously directed by the Lord, the attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion, and God did the rest. In the end, the four Jewish boys were healthier in body and better looking than all the other students. This is a vivid illustration of the promise in and the principle laid down in ; ; and . When solving the problems of life, we must ask God for the courage to face each problem humbly and honestly, the wisdom to understand it, the strength to do what He tells us to do, and the faith to trust Him to do the rest. Our motive must be to glorify God and not to find a way of escape.

By understanding the mind-set of the Babylonian people, especially the king’s “magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers” (), Daniel and his three friends were better able to show them the superiority of God’s wisdom. The Lord gave Daniel a special gift of understanding visions and dreams. In the first half of his book, Daniel interpreted the visions and dreams of others, but in the last half, he received visions of his own from the Lord.

“Magicians” dealt in the occult, while “enchanters” used incantations to accomplish their purposes. “Sorcerers” specialized in casting spells, “astrologers” studied the movements of the stars and their influence on events, and “diviners” sought to see the future by using various methods. Of course, all of these were forbidden by the Law of Moses (). Daniel and his friends had to work alongside these people, yet they remained pure and gave a powerful testimony for the Lord.

If Daniel was fifteen years old in the year 605 B.C. when he was taken to Babylon, then he would have been born in 620; so he would have been eighty-three years old when he received the revelations recorded in chapters through . Not every faithful servant of God is given the blessing of a long life. Stephen was probably a young man when he was martyred (), and Paul was in his sixties when he was killed in Rome. We number our years, not our days; however, everyone still must live one day at a time, and we don’t know when that final day will dawn.

Catalyst

The events recorded in the first chapter of Daniel should be a great encouragement to us when we experience trials and tests and become discouraged, for when God is not allowed to rule, He overrules. God is still on the throne and will never leave us nor forsake us. This is particularly true when we find ourselves in unfamiliar territory and outside our comfort zone.

Additionally, each believer is either a conformer or a transformer. We’re either being squeezed into the world’s mold or we’re transforming things in the world into which God has put us. Transformers don’t always have an easy life, but it’s an exciting one, and it gives us great delight to know that God is using us to influence others and change the world.

Go to the

When God wanted to give a message to the Gentiles, he usually sent them a Hebrew prophet ()—Jonah to Nineveh, for example, or Amos to the neighboring nations (). But here the Lord communicated directly to an unbelieving Gentile monarch. The Lord in His wisdom planned to use His faithful servant Daniel to describe and interpret the dream. In this way, God’s name would be glorified, and Daniel and his friends would be honored and rewarded.

Does God still use dreams to communicate His will? Certainly he can do so if he pleases, but this isn’t His usual approach. God guides His children today by His Holy Spirit as they pray, seek His face, meditate on His Word, and consult with their spiritual leaders. The danger is that our dreams may not come from the Lord. The human subconscious is capable of producing dreams, and indicates that demonic forces can cause dreams that are Satan’s lies and not God’s truth. Accepting dreams as messages from the Lord can be dangerous.

The king was testing his counselors. Nebuchadnezzar probably remembered the dream, pondered it, and realized that it contained a significant message concerning him and his kingdom. He must have been gripped with fear and wonder when he beheld this massive metallic image smashed to atoms by a mysterious stone that then grew into a mountain. The interpretation of this dream was too important for the king to treat it as a routine matter. He wanted to be sure that his astrologers and other advisers would give him the correct meaning, for his future was involved in that dream.

, The counselors were greatly humiliated because they couldn’t tell Nebuchadnezzar the dream. This was a great opportunity for them to receive wealth, prestige, and promotion; the fact that they stalled for time indicates that they were unable to meet the challenge. This in itself set the stage for Daniel to exalt the true and living God of Israel who alone can predict the future ().

Throughout Bible history, we find occasions when God exposed the foolishness of the world and the deceptiveness of Satan. But Jesus by His life, teaching, and sacrificial death declared the wisdom of this world “foolishness” with God, and that includes all its myths and false religions (). The statement of the advisers in wipes out astrology and other forms of human prophecy. Out of their own mouths they condemned their own practices!

Throughout this book, Daniel and his friends are presented as men of faith and prayer (chs. , ). They were far from home, but by faith they could look toward Jerusalem and the temple and claim the promise of , . The God of heaven would hear their prayers and answer them for His own glory.

Today, when God’s people face a crisis, they need to follow the example of Daniel and his friends and take the matter to the Lord in prayer. Faith is living without scheming, and faith brings glory to God. Daniel and his friends couldn’t take credit for what happened because it had come from the hand of God.

In reply to the king’s question, Daniel immediately gave all the glory to the God of heaven (vv. , ), and in this he reminds us of Joseph when he interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams (). Nebuchadnezzar must have been shocked when Daniel even told him that he knew the king had been worrying about the future of his kingdom before he had this dream. The dream was God’s answer to his concerns, for God revealed the future sequence of the Gentiles’ kingdoms and how Gentile history would climax with the appearance of an eternal kingdom.

Catalyst

First, Daniel told the king what he had seen in his dream, and then he explained its meaning.

The dream (vv. ). The king saw a large image, “whose splendor was excellent . . . and its form was awesome” (v. ), composed of five different materials: gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay. Suddenly a stone appeared and smashed the feet of the statue so that the image was completely shattered and became like chaff that was blown away. Then the stone became a huge mountain that filled the earth. On hearing this accurate description, the king knew that Daniel was telling the truth and that what he said could be trusted. Only the God of heaven who sent the dream could have helped His servant know and interpret the dream.

The meaning of the dream (vv. ). The large image represented four Gentile kingdoms:

• The head of gold—Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian kingdom (vv. , ). It lasted from 636 B.C. to 539 B.C. Jeremiah called Babylon “a golden cup in the LORD’s hand” ().

• The chest and arms of silver—The Medo-Persian kingdom (539–330 B.C.). Darius the Mede conquered Babylon (, ).

• The belly and thighs of bronze—The Grecian kingdom (330–63 B.C.). Alexander the Great established what was probably the largest empire in ancient times. He died in 323 B.C.

• The legs of iron and feet of iron and clay—The Roman Empire (63 B.C.–A.D. 475). Iron represents strength, but clay represents weakness. Rome was strong in law, organization, and military might; but the empire included so many different peoples that this created weakness. “As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay” ().

• The destruction of the image—The coming of Jesus Christ, the Stone, to judge His enemies and establish His universal kingdom.

As simple as this explanation appears, it carries with it some important and profound messages.

First, the dream reveals that God is in control of history. He knows the future because he plans the future. This doesn’t mean that God is to blame for the evil acts that leaders and nations do, but that He can overrule even their wickedness to accomplish His divine purposes.

Second, it reveals that human enterprises decline as time goes on. The massive and awesome image not only changed in value from head to foot—from gold to clay—but it also changed in strength, finally ending in feet made of iron mixed with clay.

Third, it reveals that it will be difficult for things to hold together at the end of the age. The feet of the image were composed of a mixture of iron and clay. Iron is strong and durable, but clay is weak and prone to crumble. The iron in the image gives the appearance of strength and endurance, but the clay announces just the opposite.

Go to the

The image Nebuchadnezzar beheld in his dream depicted what Jesus called “the period of the Gentiles” (), a period of time that began in 605 B.C. when Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army. This period will end when Christ returns to establish His kingdom (). The “period of the Gentiles,” will feature four successive kingdoms, climaxed by a fifth kingdom that will destroy the other four and fill the earth. The fifth kingdom is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Being a pagan unbeliever, Nebuchadnezzar was so overwhelmed by what Daniel did that he treated him as though he were a god! Cornelius the Roman centurion treated Peter that way (, ), and Paul and Barnabas were accepted as gods by the people of Lystra (). Being a devout Jew, Daniel must have abhorred all this adulation, but he knew that protesting the commands of the king would be useless. But in paying homage to Daniel, the king was actually acknowledging that the God of the Hebrews was greater than all other gods. Nebuchadnezzar hadn’t yet come to the place where he believed in one true and living God, but this was the first step.

Our demeanor should be one of joyful confidence, knowing that the Lord has everything under control and will one day reign on this earth. While God’s people should do everything they can to alleviate suffering and make this a safer and happier world, our hope is not in laws, political alliances, or moral crusades. Our hope is in the Lord. People’s hearts need to be changed by the grace of God, and that means God’s people must be witnesses to the ends of the earth. The only kingdom that will stand forever is Christ’s kingdom (v. ), and the only people who will be citizens of that kingdom are those who have trusted Him and been born again by the Spirit of God ().

We don’t know how much time elapsed between the night Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about the metallic image (ch. ) and the day he commanded the people to fall down before the golden image that he had made. Some students believe that the event described in chapter might have occurred twenty years after the promotion of Daniel and his friends, about the time Jerusalem was finally destroyed (586 B.C.).

, This whole enterprise definitely had an element of pride. Daniel had made it clear that no empire would last, including that of the great Nebuchadnezzar. The king’s heart was filled with pride because of all his conquests, but along with that pride were fear and concern for himself and his vast kingdom. He wanted to make sure that his people were loyal to him and wouldn’t rebel.

The gathering was more than a political assembly; it was a religious service, complete with music, and it called for total commitment on the part of the worshipers. Note that the word worship is used eight times in the chapter. Nebuchadnezzar was wise to use instrumental music because it could stir the people’s emotions and make it easy for him to manipulate them and win their submission and obedience.

This assembly of worshipers helps us better understand the plight of people in today’s world who don’t know our Lord Jesus Christ. They blindly follow the crowd and build their lives on the false and the futile. Concerned only with survival, they’ll do almost anything to escape danger and death, even to the point of selling themselves into slavery to men and the empty myths that they promote.

Three Jewish men in that great crowd stood tall when everybody else bowed low. Their faith was in the true and living God and in the word that He had spoken to their people. Knowing the history of the Jewish people, they were confident that the Lord was in control and they had nothing to fear.

These three Jewish men knew the law of God—“You shall have no other gods before Me. . . . You shall not bow down to them nor serve them” (, ). Once the Lord has spoken on a matter, the matter is settled, with no room for discussion or need for compromise. To bow before the image even once, no matter what excuse the young men might have given, would have destroyed their witness and broken their fellowship with God.

Times of adversity are usually times of opportunity, especially when God’s people are being persecuted for their faith. “You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them” (). The three courageous Jews weren’t concerned about themselves, nor were they afraid of the fury of the king. Their only concern was obeying the Lord and giving a faithful witness to all who were watching and listening. Their attitude was respectful and their words were few and carefully chosen.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were men of faith but not men of presumption. If they had affirmed that God would deliver them, that would have been presumption because they didn’t know what God had willed for their situation. Instead, they stated that their God was able to deliver them, but even if He didn’t, they still wouldn’t fall down before the king’s golden image. God always rewards faith, but He doesn’t always step in and perform special miracles. Not everyone who prays is healed, but God always gives strength to bear with pain and grace to face death without fear. The three Hebrew men believed that God could deliver them, but they would trust Him even if He didn’t. That is how faith is supposed to operate in our lives (see ).

Nebuchadnezzar saw four men in the furnace, and he thought the fourth was an angel who looked like “a god” (vv. , ). But the fourth person in the furnace was Jesus Christ in one of His pre-incarnate appearances in the Old Testament (; ).

, The officers wouldn’t dare speak up at that time, lest they offend their king. But King Nebuchadnezzar spoke out (v. )! He affirmed (1) the power of the God of Israel, (2) the effectiveness of faith in the Lord, and (3) the remarkable dedication of the three Jewish men who had given their bodies to the true God and not to the king’s false god (, ). By one act of faith, the three Jewish men became witnesses of the true and living God to the entire Babylonian Empire!

Catalyst

Encouragement for the Jews. The experience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego must have greatly encouraged the faithful Jews and brought conviction to those Jews who were compromising with the enemy. These three men sent a strong message to their people: Jehovah God is still on the throne; He hasn’t forsaken us; and He will one day fulfill His promises to His people. The Lord promised to be with them in their furnace of affliction if they would trust Him and obey His will. Later, when the remnant returned to the land, the account of the fiery furnace must have helped to sustain them in those years of difficulty and delay.

Encouragement today. Life may be fairly safe and comfortable where we live, but in many parts of the world, God’s people are paying a high price to maintain their testimony and their separation from the world. Day after day, they hear the herald shouting, “Fall down before the golden image! Everybody is doing it!” In his first epistle, Peter warned the church that the fiery trial was about to begin (; ), and surely they remembered what happened to the three Hebrew men in the days of Nebuchadnezzar. We are told that more believers have died for Christ during the twentieth century than during all the preceding centuries. Not every believer has been spared death in the furnace, but they have been spared compromising their witness for Christ and taking the easy way out. “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” ().

As we move toward the end of the age, the furnace of opposition will be heated seven times hotter, and the pressure to conform will become stronger and stronger. God’s people will need a great deal of grace, prayer, courage, and faith to stand tall for Christ while others are bowing the knee to the gods of this world. The Book of Daniel is a great source of encouragement, because it reminds us that God cares for His people and honors them when they are true to Him. “For those who honor Me I will honor” ().

Encouragement for the future. The events in chapter remind us of prophecies found in the Book of the Revelation, especially chapters and . One day a world leader like Nebuchadnezzar (“the Beast”) will arise. He will have an image of himself constructed and will force all the people of the world to worship him. The people who obey will be given a special mark on their forehead or their hand, and this mark will be the passport for staying alive and doing business. Those who refuse to obey will be persecuted and many of them slain (, , , ). But the Lord will seal to Himself 144,000 Jews whom the Beast will not be able to touch, and they will come through the tribulation time to reign in the Messiah’s kingdom.

Go to the

Nebuchadnezzar was enjoying a time of peace and security (v. ). After defeating all his enemies and completing several impressive building projects, he was able at last to rest at home and delight in what had been accomplished. Nebuchadnezzar thought that he was the builder of “Babylon the great” and the architect of its peace and prosperity, but he soon learned that all these events had been permitted by the will of the Most High God.

Nebuchadnezzar had changed Daniel’s name to Belteshazzar, which means “Bel protects his life” (vv. , ; see ). Bel (Marduk) was one of the king’s favorite gods. The fact that Nebuchadnezzar used both the Hebrew name and the new name in this document suggests that he had grown fond of Daniel over the years and wasn’t treating him like an ordinary exile. The king recognized that “the Spirit of the Holy God” was in Daniel and had given him remarkable wisdom and insight.

The king described his dream to Daniel: the vastness of the tree (note the repetition of “all” in vv. , ), the terrifying words of the angel, the transformation of a man into a beast, and the affirmation of the angel that all of this was by the decree of the Most High God. The dream was sent to teach an important lesson: the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms. The Lord gives people over to anyone He wishes and can set over them even the lowhest of men and women.

After hearing the description of the dream, Daniel was stunned and troubled, and the king could see the perplexity on his face. Daniel’s thoughts were troubled because he saw what lay ahead for the successful monarch. He tactfully prepared the king for bad news by saying that he wished the dream applied to the king’s enemies and not to the king. (See .) Evidently, Daniel had a great personal concern for the monarch; as they had worked together in the affairs of Babylon, he had sought to introduce him to the true and living God.

The cutting down and trimming of the tree symbolized Nebuchadnezzar’s disgrace and removal from the throne, but the leaving of the stump was a promise that he would one day reign again. The banding of the stump may suggest that he was marked by God and protected by Him until His purposes for him would be fulfilled.

Daniel concluded his explanation of prophecy with an exhortation to obedience and urged the king to turn from his sins and humble himself before the Lord. Daniel had a “therefore” in his message. Daniel was calling for repentance. He wanted the king to change his mind, acknowledge his sins, turn from them, and put his faith in the true and living God, the Most High God of the Hebrews. Nebuchadnezzar knew enough about Daniel’s God to know that what Daniel spoke was the truth, but he did nothing about it. The king was passing up a gracious opportunity to make a new beginning and submit to the will of the Most High God. He made the wrong decision.

Catalyst

The grand lesson God wanted the king to learn—and that we must learn today—is that God alone is sovereign and will not permit mortals to usurp His throne or take credit for His works. We are but creatures, and God is the Creator; we are only subjects, but He is the King of kings.

When men and women, created in God’s image, refuse to submit themselves to Him, they are in grave danger of descending to the level of animals. “Do not be like the horse or like the mule,” warned King David, who was guilty of acting like both (). Like the impulsive horse, David had rushed into sin when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then like the stubborn mule, he had delayed confessing his sins and repenting (). When the Lord arrested Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus Road, He compared the pious rabbi to a stubborn ox. God’s grace is always evident in the fact that He is willing to overcome our natural resistance so we can respond to Him.

Go to the

A solemn voice from heaven interrupted the king’s egotistical meditations and announced that the time of probation had ended and judgment was about to fall. We never know when God’s voice will speak or His hand touch our lives. Whether it’s the call of Moses in Midian () or the summons to the four fishermen to leave all and follow Christ (), God has every right to break into our lives and speak to us.

God is patient with sinners, but when the time comes for Him to act, He does not delay. The words were still on Nebuchadnezzar’s lips when everything began to change. His mind became like that of an animal (v. ), and he was driven from the royal palace to live in the fields with the beasts. Since the man was beastly at heart, God allowed his brutish nature to be revealed openly.

, The first thing the king did was to praise the Lord (vv. , ). What a concise compendium of biblical theology this is, and what an exciting expression of worship! Theology and doxology belong together (), for spiritual experience that isn’t based on truth is only superstition. The God of the Hebrews is the Most High God. Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom was limited, but God’s kingdom includes everything in heaven and earth. Babylon would one day fall and give way to another empire, but God’s kingdom would remain forever. Nothing can destroy His kingdom or defeat His purposes.

God could have destroyed both the king and his kingdom, but He still had purposes to fulfill for His people and His prophet Daniel. Furthermore, God wanted the king to tell the whole empire what He had done for Him so that His name would be glorified among the nations. Israel’s privilege and responsibility was to be a light to the Gentiles (; ), but they had failed miserably and started practicing the darkness of the pagan nations. So, God used a pagan king to give glory to His name!

The king acknowledged the sovereignty of God, which was the main lesson that God wanted Him to learn through this difficult experience (vv. , , ). Unfortunately, this wonderful Bible doctrine has been maligned and misinterpreted by amateur Bible students; because an understanding of God’s sovereignty brings the believer assurance, strength, comfort, and the kind of surrender that produces faith and freedom. The Bible teaches both divine sovereignty and human responsibility, and when we accept both, we find no contradiction or conflict. No person is freer than the believer who surrenders to the sovereign will of God. To ignore God’s sovereignty is to exalt human responsibility and make a person his or her own savior, but to deny responsibility is to make people robots without accountability. The Bible preserves a beautiful balance that exalts God and enables His people to live joyously and victoriously, regardless of the circumstances (; ).

Ancient Near Eastern despots took great pleasure in hosting great banquets and displaying their wealth and splendor (see ). Archaeologists say that the city of Babylon had halls adequate for gatherings this large and larger. This feast was a microcosm of the world system and focused on “a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions” (). Belshazzar knew that the army of the Medes and Persians was encamped outside the city, but he was indifferent to the danger that they posed. After all, the city was surrounded by a complex series of walls, some of them over three hundred feet high, and the walls had numerous defense towers.

Was the king drunk when he ordered the servants to bring in the consecrated vessels that had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem? (See ; , .) His grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, had decreed that all peoples were to give respect to the God of the Jews () and had praised the Lord for His sovereignty and greatness (). But as the years passed, the great king’s words were forgotten, and his grandson Belshazzar treated the God of Israel with arrogant disrespect.

Without warning, the fingers of a human hand appeared in an area of the plastered wall that was illuminated by a lampstand, and it must have been an awesome sight. The revelry gradually ceased, and the banquet hall became deathly quiet as the king and his guests stared in amazement at words being written on the wall. Both Hebrew and Aramaic are read from right to left, and the vowels must be supplied by the reader.

, Neither his exalted position nor his arrogant self-confidence could keep Belshazzar’s face from turning pale, his heart from being overcome by terror, and his knees from knocking together. This must have been a humiliating experience for the great ruler to be so out of control before so many important people. God had turned the banquet hall into a courtroom, and the king was about to be declared guilty.

, History repeated itself (; ) as the counselors confessed their inability to interpret the message on the wall. Even if they could have read the words, they didn’t have the key to deciphering the meaning of the message. The ignorance of the wise men made the king even more terrified, and his lords were perplexed and confused and could offer him no help. The time had come when political authority, wealth, power, and human wisdom could do nothing to solve the problem. Once again, the Lord had exposed the ignorance of the world and the futility of human power to discover and explain the mind and will of God.

The queen mother’s description of Daniel certainly shows what God can do in and through dedicated people. Daniel brought “light and understanding and wisdom” (v. ) into every situation and was able to explain mysteries, solve riddles, and unravel hard problems. His interpretations always proved correct and his prophecies were always fulfilled.

The scenario wasn’t a new one for Daniel: a revelation from God, a fearful and frustrated ruler, incompetent counselors, and God’s servant to the rescue. He paid little attention to the king’s flattering speech, and he had no use for the king’s generous offer. Even if he had been younger, Daniel would have had no interest in either personal wealth or political power.

Daniel was respectful to the king but he was not afraid to tell him the truth. Even if we don’t respect the officer and the way he or she lives, we must respect the office, for “the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (). From the very beginning of their lives in Babylon (), Daniel and his friends had always exercised humility and tact when dealing with the authorities; because of this, God had blessed them.

Anyone who knew Aramaic could have read the words written on the wall, but Daniel was able to interpret their meaning and apply God’s revelation to the people in the banquet hall, especially the king. Daniel didn’t interpret the words to signify units of money (mina, shekel, half-mina, or half-shekel) but to convey a warning to the king.

At times God gives warnings in order to bring sinners to repentance, such as when He sent Jonah to Nineveh (); but at times his warnings are final, divine judgment having been determined. When God warned Nebuchadnezzar about his pride and unconcern for the poor, He gave the king a year in which to repent and seek God’s forgiveness (). The king refused to humble himself and judgment fell. But when Daniel confronted Belshazzar, he offered him no way of escape.

Many students believe that Darius was Gubaru, an important officer in the army whom Cyrus made ruler of the province of Babylon. Darius the Mede must not be confused with Darius I, who ruled from 522 to 486 B.C. and encouraged the Jewish remnant in the restoration of the temple ().

Darius must have suspected that the officers he had inherited were not doing their work faithfully but were robbing him of wealth, and his suspicions were correct. Darius couldn’t keep his hands on everything in the empire because that would have involved supervising every worker, auditing every account, and checking on every assignment. The king had to depend on his officers to see that the work was done well, and this meant he had to appoint officers he could trust.

The other leaders opposed Daniel for several reasons, including just plain envy; but their main concern was financial. They knew that with Daniel in charge, they wouldn’t be able to use their offices for personal profit and would lose their share of the graft that could go into their pockets. It’s also likely that these younger men resented an older man—and a Jewish exile at that—telling them what to do and checking on their work.

It is certainly commendable when people possess character so impeccable that they can’t be accused of doing wrong except in matters relating to their faith. The conniving officers could never tempt Daniel to do anything illegal, but they could attempt to make his faithful religious practices illegal. Daniel didn’t hide the fact that he prayed in his home three times each day with his windows opened toward Jerusalem (v. ), and his enemies knew this. If the king made prayer to other gods illegal, then Daniel was as good as in the lions’ den.

It is better to maintain our integrity and testimony than to sacrifice them just to keep a job. If we put the Lord first, he’ll care for us, even if we don’t get the promotion (). Many a faithful Christian has been bypassed for promotion or a salary increase just because somebody higher up didn’t like him or her, but the workers’ rewards will one day come from the hand of God.

The administrators were very clever in the plot they conceived and the way they presented it. They knew that Darius wanted to unify the kingdom and as quickly as possible transform the defeated Babylonians into loyal Persians. What better way than to focus on the great king himself and make him not just the supreme leader but the only god for an entire month.

, The scheming officers lost no time in proclaiming the king’s decree. Daniel probably prayed “evening and morning and at noon” (), and his enemies wanted to use the earliest opportunity to arrest him. The sooner Daniel was out of the way, the sooner they could start running the country for their own profit. When Daniel prayed toward the holy city and the temple, he was claiming the prayer promise that Solomon stated when he dedicated the temple (, , , ).

Had he not been a man of faith and courage, Daniel could have compromised and found excuses for not maintaining his faithful prayer life. He might have closed his windows and prayed silently three times a day until the month was over, or he could have left the city and prayed somewhere else. But that would have been unbelief and cowardice; he would have been scheming just like the enemy, and the Lord would have withheld His blessing. The most important aspect of a believer’s life is the part that only God sees.

The king was distressed mainly because Daniel was both his friend and his greatest help in the governing of the empire, and he didn’t want to sign Daniel’s death warrant. But Darius was also distressed because of the way he had acted. Darius’s pride had gotten the best of him—he had believed the lies of the leaders and had hastily signed the law. Had Darius taken time to consult with Daniel, he would have discovered the plot, but perhaps the Lord allowed events to proceed as they did so that Daniel’s enemies could be exposed and judged. God “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (). God knows what He is doing.

As they take their stand for what is right and what the Lord has commanded them to do, God’s people in every age have been falsely accused, cruelly persecuted, and unjustly killed. As Christians, we will face persecution ().

The lions’ den was a large pit divided by a moveable wall that could be pulled up to allow the lions to go from one side to the other. The keeper would put food in the empty side and lift up the wall so the lions would cross over and eat. He would quickly lower the wall and clean the safe side of the pit. The animals weren’t fed often or great amounts of food so that their appetites would be keen in case there was to be an execution.

The Lord delivered Daniel because of his faith and because he was innocent of any crime before the king or any sin before the Lord (v. ). This means that the king’s law about prayer was rejected in heaven and that Daniel was right in disobeying it. By suggesting such a law, the scheming officers were disobeying the true and living God () and robbing him of the glory He deserved. God saved Daniel because it brought great glory to His name and also because he still had more work to do. God’s servants are immortal until their work is done. Not every faithful servant of the Lord is delivered from trial and death in some miraculous way. names some great men and women of faith and describes their achievements, but verses through describe others who also had great faith and yet were persecuted and martyred.

We may think that destroying the families along with the conspirators would be terribly cruel, but that was an official Persian law known by the conspirators. Jewish law prohibited punishing the children for the sins of the parents (), but Eastern despots took a different view. They didn’t want any remaining member of a traitor’s family to conspire to kill the ruler who ordered the father’s execution.

, The theology expressed in the decree of Darius is as true as anything written by Moses, David, or Paul. Jehovah is the living and eternal God whose “kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed” (v. ; see ; ; ; ; ; ). He is the God who “delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders” (; see , ; ; ; ; ; ; ; , ).

Daniel has a message for God’s people today who are being attacked by the enemy and suffering because of their righteous stand for the Lord. Whether we face the fiery furnace (; ) or the roaring lion (), we are in the Lord’s care, and He will work out His divine purposes for His glory.

In this vision, Daniel learned about six different kingdoms, four of them kingdoms of this world, one of them the kingdom of Satan, and the last one the kingdom of the Messiah.

God communicated with Daniel while he was asleep by giving him disturbing visions in a dream (vv. , , ). During this vision, Daniel was also a part of the event because he was able to approach an angel and ask for an interpretation (v. ). Daniel didn’t explain how he could be asleep in his bed and yet be able to speak to an angel standing before the throne of God. Perhaps like Paul, he didn’t know if he was in the body or out of the body (see ; ).

The churning sea is a frequent biblical image for the nations of the world (, ; ; , ; ; ; ). Just as the ocean is sometimes stormy, so the nations of the world are sometimes in confusion or even at war; just as the waves and currents of the ocean are unpredictable, so the course of world history is beyond human ability to chart or predict.

The bear with three ribs in its mouth symbolized the empire of the Medes and Persians who defeated Babylon (ch. ) and parallels the arms and chest of silver in the great image (, ). The bear was raised up on one side because the Persians were stronger than the Medes. In the later vision of the ram with two horns (ch. ), the higher horn represented the Persians (, ). Interpreters don’t agree on the meaning of the three ribs that the bear carried in its mouth. The best explanation is that they stand for Libya, Egypt, and Babylon, nations that the Medes and Persians had conquered. The armies of the Medo-Persian Empire did indeed “devour the flesh” as they marched across the battlefields.

The leopard with four wings represented Alexander the Great and the swift conquests of his army, resulting in the incredible expansion of the kingdom of Greece. This beast was identified with the number four: four heads and four horns (see , , ). Alexander’s untimely death in 323 B.C. left him without a successor, and his kingdom was divided into four parts and assigned to his leaders. Palestine and Egypt went to Ptolemy I; Syria was ruled by Seleucus I; Thrace and Asia Minor were assigned to Lysimachus; and Macedon and Greece were governed by Antipater and Cassander.

The four kingdoms represented by the four beasts have already come and gone; however, verse indicates that each kingdom continues to exist in some way within the succeeding kingdom that “devoured” it. But Daniel saw in his vision something that hadn’t been revealed to Nebuchadnezzar: the last human kingdom on earth would be a frightful kingdom, unlike any of the previous kingdoms, and it would even declare war on God! This is the kingdom of Antichrist, described in through , an evil kingdom that will be destroyed when Jesus Christ returns to earth (, , ).

The “small horn” (vv. , , ) represents the last world ruler, the man called Antichrist. The Greek prefix anti-can mean “against” and “instead of.” The final world ruler will be both a counterfeit Christ and an enemy who is against Christ. The mention of his eyes suggests that he would have remarkable knowledge and skill in planning his exploits. He would also be a man skilled in using words and able to promote himself so that people follow him (vv. , ; , ). He would also blaspheme God and ultimately convince the unbelieving world that he is a god (). He would become the ruler of the world and would not only control the economy and the religion but would also seek to change the times and the laws.

“The Ancient of Days” (vv. , , ) is a name for God that emphasizes His eternality; He is the God who had existed from eternity past, has planned all things, and is working out His plan. The description of God must not be taken literally because God doesn’t have a body, wear clothes, or grow white hair. These descriptions are symbolic of His nature and character: He is eternal, holy, and sovereign.

, “Son of Man” is a familiar title for our Lord Jesus Christ and used eighty-two times in the gospels, frequently by Jesus himself. (See also ; .) The phrase “clouds of heaven” reminds us of Christ’s promise to return in glory and reign on the earth (; ; ; ; ; ). The Son of Man is presented before the throne of the Father and given dominion over all nations, an everlasting dominion that will never pass away.

, The “holy people” are mentioned in verses , , , , and , and refer to the people of God living on the earth during the tribulation period. The apostle John made it clear that there would be believing Jews and Gentiles on the earth during the seven years of the tribulation ().

Three of the texts describe the “saints” as victorious over their enemies (vv. , , ), while two texts inform us that the Lord permits them to be defeated before their enemies (vv. , ). The saints “will receive the kingdom” (vv. , ) and “possess” the kingdom (v. ). All of this would be the work of the Most High God. He would permit the Antichrist to rise to power and rule the world and even allow him to make war on the saints and temporarily win the victory (v. ). The phrase “persecute the saints” (v. ) describes the Antichrist’s continual persecution of God’s people and his blasphemous words against the Lord and His people.

How did Daniel respond to this great revelation? He was terrified and his face turned pale, but he didn’t tell anyone what the Lord had shown him. Later chapters reveal that after Daniel would receive a vision from the Lord, he often would become ill and unable to work.

, Susa was a city about two hundred miles southeast of Babylon and at that time wasn’t too important to the Babylonians. Eventually it became the capital of the Persian Empire (; ). The Ulai River (, ) was probably a canal that flowed through Susa.

, , “Ram” refers to the man who had conquered Babylon. Centuries before Cyrus appeared on the scene, the prophet Isaiah called Cyrus by name and even called him God’s “shepherd” (, ; ). God chose Cyrus to defeat the Babylonians and permit the Jews to return to their land. Just as Babylon was identified with the lion and eagle, Persia was identified with the ram. The two horns symbolize the Medes and Persians, the Persians being the longer (stronger) of the two.

In the earlier part of the book, we find Daniel explaining and interpreting others’ dreams and visions; but here he had to ask an angel for the meaning of the ram defeating a goat and the little horn becoming a mighty kingdom. The voice that commanded Gabriel may have been the voice of the Lord. Gabriel means “man of God,” and Gabriel explained to Daniel the vision given in chapter as well as the vision about the seventy weeks (, ).

Daniel saw Greece as an angry goat that runs so swiftly its feet don’t even touch the ground! The large protruding horn represents Alexander the Great, who led the armies of Greece from victory to victory and extended his empire even beyond what Cyrus had done with the Persian army. But the horn was broken, for Alexander died in Babylon in June 323, at the age of thirty-three, and his vast kingdom was divided among four of his leaders, symbolized by the four horns that grew up (see ; ).

As we have already seen, after the death of Alexander the Great (the “very large horn,” v. ), his empire was divided into four parts with four of his officers taking control (v. ). Out of one of those horns a “small horn” appeared who would become a great leader. This refers to Antiochus Epiphanes, the ruler of Syria from 175 to 163 B.C., known as one of the cruelest tyrants in history. Antiochus started small but gradually accumulated power as he magnified himself and dealt ruthlessly with the Jewish people. He attacked the Jews in their “glorious land” and put a stop to their religious practices. He even claimed to be a god.

, When Gabriel moved closer to Daniel, the prophet became very frightened and fell into a faint and a deep sleep. (See , , ; .) Gabriel called him “son of man,” which is a messianic title (), but here it was used to emphasize the weakness and humanness of the prophet.

The angel awakened Daniel from his deep sleep and told him that he had more prophetic truth to hear, and it related to the time of tribulation. The Old Testament prophets called this period “the time of Jacob’s trouble” and “the day of the Lord,” the period when God’s wrath would be poured out on an evil world.

The “Prince of princes” is Jesus Christ, who is also the “God of gods” () and the “King of all kings” (). The Antichrist would oppose Jesus Christ and seek to replace Him, but ultimately Jesus Christ defeats the Antichrist and consigns him, his false prophet, and Satan to the lake of fire ().

Daniel provides a good example for students of prophecy to follow. He asked God for the explanation (v. ) and allowed the Lord to instruct him. But his investigation into God’s prophetic program wasn’t a matter of satisfying curiosity or trying to appear very knowledgeable before others. He was concerned about his people and the work they had to do on earth.

, Long before Daniel’s day, both Isaiah and Jeremiah had predicted the fall of Babylon, so we shouldn’t be surprised that Daniel started studying afresh the scroll of the prophet Jeremiah. One of the beautiful characteristics about the inspired Word of God is its constant freshness; no matter how often we read it, we can always find something new to learn or something familiar to see in a new light.

Holy Scripture is the only dependable source of truth about God, human beings, sin, salvation, and the future events God has in His great plan (). In these days of rapidly changing ideas, events, and situations, the unchanging Word of God is our dependable light and unshakable foundation.

Catalyst

From what date do we begin to count off the seventy years, and when did the captivity officially end? To answer these important questions, we must highlight the key dates in Jewish history at that time. Babylon began to attack the kingdom of Judah in 606 B.C., and Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 586 B.C. The first Jewish captives were taken to Babylon in 605 B.C., Daniel and his three friends being among them. In 538 B.C., Cyrus issued the decree that permitted the Jews to return to their land and rebuild the temple (), and in 537 B.C. about fifty thousand Jews returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Jeshua the high priest ().

If we decide that the captivity officially began in 606–605 B.C. with the attack on Jerusalem and the deporting of the first captives, then seventy years later would take us to 537–536 B.C., when the first exiles returned to their land and the foundations of the temple were laid. In other words, the first captives left Judah in 605 B.C., and the liberated exiles returned to the land in 537 B.C., a time period of roughly seventy years. But some scholars believe that the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple should be the starting point (586 B.C.), with the captivity not officially ending until the second temple had been built and dedicated (515 B.C.), another period of approximately seventy years. Since both interpretations make sense, debating the issue shouldn’t be necessary.

We need to be aware of three important facts. First, in sending His people into captivity, the Lord was keeping His covenant promise, for He had warned them that they would be punished if they persisted in disobeying Him (). Apparently, Israel’s years of captivity in Babylon helped to cure the Jewish people of their detestable sin of idol worship.

Second, the captivity brought blessing to the land, for the land had been abused by farmers who would not let it enjoy its sabbatical rests. The land belonged to the Lord (; see , ), and He would not permit His people to defile it by sin and idolatry and waste it by not giving it times of rest. For every sabbatical year the Jews failed to honor, they added one more year to their own bondage in Babylon.

Third, when Daniel made this discovery about the seventy years, the period of captivity was about to end! If Daniel was taken to Babylon in 605 B.C. and he discovered Jeremiah’s prophecy in 539 B.C., then he had been in Babylon sixty-six or sixty-seven years. The next year (538 B.C.), Cyrus would make his decree permitting the Jews to return to their land. The prophet was probably eighty-one years old at this time. He would not be able to return to the land, but he rejoiced that others could return.

Go to the

Daniel gives a wonderful example of balance in the spiritual life, for he devoted himself to both the ministry of the word and prayer (). Some believers are so wrapped up in prophetic studies that they have little concern for the practical outworking of God’s will. All they want to do is satisfy their curiosity and then proudly share their insights with anyone who will listen. When Daniel learned God’s truth, the experience humbled him and moved him to worship and to pray.

Daniel prepared himself to pray, because he knew that his prayer would affect the future of the Jewish nation and the lives of the Jewish captives in Babylon. His holy task would be to confess the sins of the Jewish nation, asking God to forgive His people and receive them back again. He humbled himself in sackcloth and ashes; he fasted; he directed his heart and mind to the Lord.

Too often we rush into God’s presence and make our requests without first pausing to worship him. Daniel prepared himself for prayer, as did Ezra () and the Levites (Neh. , ). We should focus on God’s character and not become too preoccupied with ourselves and our burdens.

While Daniel’s prayer was certainly personal, he so identified with the people of Israel that his prayer involved national concerns. The pronoun he uses is “we” rather than “they” or “I.” He confessed that he and the people had sinned greatly against the Lord and broken the terms of His gracious covenant. According to verses , , the Jews had sinned, rebelled, turned away from His law, disobeyed His commands, done wrong, and refused to listen to the messengers God had sent to them.

Something was even worse than the sins that brought divine punishment to Israel: the refusal of the Jews to repent and confess their sins even after being taken captive. They had spent their time praying for judgment against Babylon () rather than seeking God’s face and asking for His forgiveness.

God answered Daniel’s prayer. The next year, Cyrus issued a decree that permitted the Jews to return to their land, take the temple treasures with them, rebuild the temple, and restore the worship. What a remarkable ministry Daniel had in Babylon! He was counselor to four kings, intercessor for the people of Israel, a faithful witness to the true and living God, and the author of one of the basic books of prophecy in the Old Testament.

We don’t know at what time of day Daniel began to pray, but he was still praying at the time of the evening burnt offering, which was about three o’clock in the afternoon. He was living in Babylon but was still measuring time by Jewish religious practices! Daniel’s body was in Babylon, but his mind and heart were in Jerusalem.

This passage refers to “seventy weeks.” The word sometimes translated “weeks” means “sevens,” so Gabriel was speaking about seventy periods of 7 years, or 490 years. Keep in mind that these years relate specifically to Daniel’s people, the Jews, and their Holy City, Jerusalem. In his prayer, Daniel’s great concern was that his people be forgiven for their sins against the Lord, the city be rebuilt, and the temple be restored (vv. ); Gabriel would discuss these matters. To apply this important prophecy to any other people or place is to rob it of its intended meaning.

Catalyst

In answer to Daniel’s prayers, Gabriel explained that during a period of “seventy sets of seven” (), the Lord would accomplish six specific purposes for the Jewish people. The first three have to do with sin and the last three with righteousness. The Lord would “finish their rebellion,” that is, the transgression of the Jewish people, and “put an end to their sin”—Israel’s national sins (). The last three divine purposes focus on righteousness and the future kingdom of the Messiah. When Jesus returns, He will establish His righteous kingdom (, ; ) and rule in righteousness (). All of these wonderful accomplishments would be fulfilled during seventy sevens—490 years—that Gabriel divided into three significant periods: 49 years, 434 years, and 7 years.

Period #1–49 years (v. ). During this period, the Jews would rebuild the city of Jerusalem in troubled times. The key issue here is the date of the decree. This is not the decree of Cyrus in 538 B.C., permitting the Jews to return to their land and rebuild their temple (; ), because the emphasis of this decree is on the city of Jerusalem. While some scholars opt for the decree of Artaxerxes in 457 B.C., sending Ezra to Jerusalem (), that decree also emphasized the temple and its ministry. The decree of is probably that of Artaxerxes in 445 B.C., authorizing Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls and restore the gates ().

Period #2–434 years (v. ). Gabriel affirmed that 483 years are involved from the giving of the decree to the coming of “the Anointed One,” the ruler (7 x 7 = 49; 7 x 62 = 434; total = 483). When we count 483 solar years from the year 445 B.C., we end up with A.D. 29/30, which brings us to the time of Christ’s ministry on earth. But this Anointed One, the Christ, would not be permitted to rule; for His people would cry out, “We will not have this man to reign over us” (). The Messiah would be “cut off, but not for Himself.” This speaks of His rejection by the Jewish nation (; ) and His crucifixion as a criminal, turned over to the Roman authorities by one of His own disciples. But He would die for the sins of the world, including the Jewish nation.

That same nation that asked for Jesus to be crucified went on to persecute the church and kill Stephen (). In A.D. 70, the prophecy in was fulfilled when the Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, and the Jewish nation was scattered. “And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings,” and that prince is the future Antichrist that Daniel described as the “small horn” and the blasphemous king (, , ; ). This takes us to the third period.

Period #3–7 years (v. ). “The prince” refers to “the Antichrist” (v. ), who will rule in the final seven years of the prophetic calendar that Gabriel gave Daniel, the period that we know as “the tribulation” or “the day of the LORD.” While the world has always known wars and desolations (), the end of the age will introduce a time of terrible suffering that will climax with the return of Jesus Christ (; ).

The event that triggers this last seven-year period will be the signing of a covenant between the Antichrist and the Jewish nation. At this time, the Antichrist will be a key political figure in Europe—one of the ten toes of the image in , and the “small horn” who emerges from the ten horns in , , —and he will have the authority and ability to end the Middle East problem. He will covenant to protect the Jews from their enemies, probably so they can build their temple and restore their sacrifices. The spiritually blind Jewish leaders, ignorant of their own Scriptures, will gladly enter into the covenant. “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me,” Jesus told the Jewish leaders of his day; “if another comes in his own name, him you will receive” ().

After three and a half years, the Antichrist will break the covenant, seize the temple, and put his own image there, and he will force the world to worship him (; ). This is the “abomination of desolation” (; ) about which Jesus spoke and that marks the midpoint of the tribulation period (; ). The “man of sin,” “son of perdition” (), who up until now has deceived the world by playing a shrewd political game, will reveal himself as a tool of Satan and a cruel world dictator. Christ will defeat him when He returns to establish His kingdom ().

Go to the

Parts of this prophecy have already been fulfilled, and the rest will be fulfilled in the end times. We are today living in the age of the church, when Israel has been partially blinded and temporarily set aside (). Like Paul, we must have a heart concern for the Jewish people, pray for them, and seek to share the Gospel with them. Gentile believers have a debt to the people of Israel () because they gave us the knowledge of the true and living God, the inspired written Scriptures, and the Savior, Jesus Christ.

For three weeks, Daniel had fasted, prayed, and used no ointments as he sought the face of the Lord. Why? One reason was probably his concern for the nearly fifty thousand Jews who a year before had left Babylon and traveled to their native land to rebuild the temple. Because Daniel had access to official reports, he no doubt heard that the remnant had arrived safely in Jerusalem. He knew that his people were suffering hardship in the ruined city of Jerusalem, and he wondered if God would fail to fulfill the promises He made to Jeremiah (, ; ). A second reason why Daniel was fasting and praying may be because he wanted to understand more about the visions and prophecies he had already received, and he longed for the Lord to reveal additional truth to him about the future of Israel. Daniel was an aged man, and before he went to his grave, he wanted to leave behind a prophetic message that would encourage and strengthen his people.

God laid a burden on Daniel’s heart, and because Daniel fasted and prayed, we are studying his prophecies today. May God help us to leave something behind in the journey of life so that those who come after us will be encouraged and helped!

This vision was during the first month of the Hebrew year, during which the Jews celebrated Passover, the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and the Festival of Harvest (). Daniel couldn’t celebrate these special events in Babylon, but certainly his heart was meditating on them. Passover spoke of Israel’s release from Egyptian bondage, and now the Jews were being permitted to leave Babylon for their own land.

Who was this man? Was he an angel sent to assure Daniel that God’s heavenly armies would care for the Jewish people and see to it God’s will was accomplished? Was it Gabriel, who had already visited Daniel? Or was it a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ, the Son of God? Students of the Scriptures have ably defended each of these three views, and so we shouldn’t be dogmatic. The being who touched Daniel and spoke to him seems to be different from the glorious man who appeared in the vision, and most students think it was Gabriel.

We get the impression that the glorious man clothed in linen vanished from the scene and one of the angels, perhaps Gabriel, touched Daniel. The old prophet was on his face on the ground, but the ministry of the angel enabled him to lift himself to his hands and knees. Then the angel spoke to him, and this gave him the strength to stand upright.

, The description of the glorious man resembles the description of the glorified Christ given in —and John’s response was the same as Daniel’s. Daniel had already seen the Son of Man at the throne of God in heaven (), but this man was on the earth and very near to Daniel. This probably was a vision of the glorious Son of God, and the angel who spoke to Daniel probably was Gabriel.

Apart from the prophetic significance, in a sense Daniel’s experience by the Tigris River conveys a lesson to all Christian leaders. Spiritual leaders often see what others can’t see and hear what they fail to hear. They must stand when others flee and must receive God’s message even if it makes them feel weak and helpless. By seeing the greatness and glory of God, Daniel was prepared to accept and record the prophetic message the angels brought.

Daniel’s conversation with the angel reveals to us the important fact that an invisible war is raging in the spiritual realm between the forces of evil and the forces of God. Well-meaning people may scoff at the idea of demonic forces and good and evil angels, and they may caricature Satan, but the fact remains that this is biblical theology. When Lucifer rebelled against God and was judged, some of the angels fell with him and became the demonic evil angels that oppose Christ and obey Satan (). The believer’s responsibility is to put on the whole armor of God by faith and use the Word of God and believing prayer to oppose and defeat the wicked one ().

While God is not responsible for the evil that people have done in the name of government and religion, He is still the Lord of history and continues to work out His plans for humankind. Studying the evil deeds of past rulers could make us cynical, but we must remember that one day “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” ().

The prophecy given in chapters and is long and complex. The first thirty-five verses of chapter were prophecy in Daniel’s day but are now history. They deal with important but, for the most part, forgotten historical characters with difficult names and complicated relationships. The chapters may be outhned as follows:

• Prophecies already fulfilled ()

About Persia (, )

About Greece (, )

About Egypt and Syria ()

About Antiochus Epiphanes and Syria ()

• Prophecies yet to be fulfilled ()

About the tribulation and Antichrist ()

About the promised kingdom (, )

Final instructions to Daniel ()

These prophecies fill in the details of previous prophecies the Lord had given to Daniel and were the answer to his prayer for greater understanding of God’s plans for Israel. The focus is on Israel in the last days.

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, The “mighty king” refers to Alexander the Great, who was determined to punish the Persians for Xerxes’ invasion. We have already met Alexander and know about his vast army and his lightning-like conquest of the nations. Indeed, he did what he pleased and nobody could stand in his way. In 332 B.C., Alexander defeated the Persians and in 323 B.C. he died, and his kingdom was divided among four of his generals. Once again, Alexander’s incredible conquests were part of the sovereign plan of God. The spread of the Greek language and Greek culture assisted in the eventual spread of the gospel and the Greek New Testament.

The nations here are Egypt (south) and Syria (north), and the rulers change regularly. The little nation of Israel was caught between these two great powers and was affected by their conflicts. All these people and events may not be that interesting, but the prophecies Daniel recorded tally with the record of history, thus proving that God’s Word can be trusted.

As we review the history of the relationship between Egypt and Syria and the family relationships among the Seleucids, we can’t help but realize that human nature hasn’t changed over these thousands of years. The ancient world had its share of intrigue, political deception, violence, greed, and war. The lust for power and wealth drove men and women to violate human rights and break divine laws, to go to any length to get what they wanted. They slaughtered thousands of innocent people, plundered the helpless, and even killed their own relatives, just to wear a crown or sit on a throne.

We have already met this wicked man Antiochus () who in his character and activities is a picture of the future Antichrist. He gave himself the name “Epiphanes,” which means “glorious one,” but Gabriel calls him “a vile person” (). Antiochus wasn’t the heir to the throne, but he obtained it by guile. The true heir was Demetrius Soter, who was very young, so Antiochus claimed to be his lawful protector and seized the throne.

Antiochus was very successful in his military endeavors and knew how to combine deceptive strategy with brute force. In his first campaign against Egypt, he won the battle even though he failed to take all of Egypt. He sat down at the bargaining table with the Egyptian leaders, never intending to keep any agreements. Despite deception on both sides, the Lord was still in control and was watching the calendar.

On December 14, 168 B.C., Antiochus desecrated the temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and by offering a pig as a sacrifice. Gabriel called this “the abomination of desolation.” The future Antichrist would put his own image in the Jewish temple when he breaks his covenant with the Jews in the middle of the seven-year tribulation period, Daniel’s final set of seven ().

Daniel knew that his people would endure great suffering for their faith, that some would apostatize and join the enemy, and that others would trust the Lord and “be strong,” resisting the enemy. No matter how difficult the times, God has always had His faithful remnant, and He will keep His covenant with His people to the very end.

A small group of faithful Jews opposed the godlessness of Antiochus and trusted God to enable them to resist. A Jewish priest named Mattathias, with his five sons, gathered an army and were able to fight back. His son Judas, nicknamed Maccabeus (“the hammerer”), was one of the heroes of this revolt. Many Jews laid down their lives for their city, their temple, and their faith, and finally they won. On December 14, 165 B.C., the temple was purified and the altar dedicated (see , ). The Jews celebrate this occasion annually as the Festival of Dedication (Lights, or Hanukkah).

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament teach that a time of great tribulation will one day come to the world, and our interpretation of Daniel’s seventy sets of seven () locates this period in the last “set” of his prophecy. The tribulation period will end with the return of Christ and the confinement of the Antichrist and Satan in the lake of fire ().

Gabriel described this evil ruler (king) as a selfish and willful person, a spellbinding orator who would arrogantly exalt himself. He would be a man with no religious faith. He would have a successful career until the tribulation ends with the return of Jesus Christ to set up His kingdom.

Not only would the Antichrist reject all religion in general, but he would oppose the Jewish religion in particular, especially the hope their Messiah will return and deliver them from their enemies. His god would be the god of might and of military power. When the people of the world would worship the man of sin, they would be worshiping Satan, the one who empowers the Antichrist. Like Antiochus centuries before him, the Antichrist will also reward those who worship him and his manufactured god.

The Father has promised a kingdom to His Son (; ), and He will keep His promise. One day Jesus will deliver that promised kingdom up to the Father (). Knowing the Father’s promise, Satan tempted Jesus by offering Him all the kingdoms of the world in return for His worship (); and Jesus refused. Jesus affirmed the kingdom promise to His disciples (, ). When they asked Him when it would be fulfilled (), He only told them not to speculate about the times but to get busy doing the work He had left them to do.

, Six times in we find the words “thousand years.” The Latin for “thousand years” (mille, annum) gives us the English word millennium, the word we use for the time when Christ will reign on earth. Those Christians who believe that the Old Testament prophecies of a kingdom on earth will be fulfilled literally are called “millennialists”; those who reject this view are called “amillennialists,” meaning “not millennialists.” Amillennialists usually spiritualize the Old Testament prophecies of the Jewish kingdom and apply them to the church today. Certainly Old Testament kingdom prophecies have spiritual applications to the church, but the basic interpretation seems to be that there will be a literal kingdom on earth with Jesus Christ as King and His people reigning with Him (see ; ; ; ; ; ).

The doctrine of the resurrection of the human body is hinted at in the Old Testament but isn’t presented with the clarity found in the New Testament. Jesus “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” () and clearly taught the fact of His own resurrection as well as what the resurrection meant to His followers (; ). is the great resurrection chapter in the Bible.

Resurrection is not “reconstruction”; the Lord doesn’t put back together the body that has turned to dust (), for that dust has become a part of other bodies as people eat food grown in the soil. The resurrection body is a new and glorious body. The relationship between the body that’s buried and the body that’s raised is like that of a seed to the mature plant (). There is continuity (the plant comes from the seed) but not identity (the plant is not identical to the seed). The burial of a body is like the planting of a seed, and the resurrection is the harvest.

The servant of the Lord never has to fret over what to do next, for the Lord always has a word of encouragement and instruction for him at the right time. During all of his long life, Daniel prayed faithfully, studied the Scriptures, and sought to serve God, and the Lord always guided him, protected him, and used him for His glory. We today are able to study prophecy because Daniel was faithful in his day.

Regarding the book that was sealed (v. ), in the ancient world, official transactions were ratified with two documents, one that was sealed and kept in a safe place and one that was kept available (). God looked upon Daniel’s book as the “deed” that guaranteed that He would faithfully keep His promises to the people of Israel. To close up the book and seal it didn’t mean to hide it away forever, because God’s message was given so His people would know the future. The book was to be treasured and protected and shared with the Jewish people at the time appointed by God.

Two more angels arrived on the scene, one on each side of the Tigris River. The man clothed in linen refers to the awesome person Daniel saw at the beginning (, ), probably Jesus Christ.

The key to God’s timing is the purpose He fulfills for “the holy people,” the nation of Israel. Throughout the Book of Daniel, the emphasis is on the nation of Israel, and the only reason other nations are mentioned is because of their relationship to the Jews. While the tribulation period will be a time for punishing the Gentile nations for the way they have sinned against the Jews (), it also will be a time for sifting and purging Israel and preparing the Jews for the return of their Messiah ().

The Lord did reveal that in the end times, as trials come to the people on the earth, these trials will make the believers purer and wiser, but the wicked will only become more wicked. The unbelievers will be ignorant of the truth, but the believers will have their eyes opened to the truths of the Word. The Word of prophecy is our light when things get dark ().

Though the Lord had taught Daniel many things and revealed to him many mysteries, he was not told everything before he died. As the end of his life drew near, it was enough to know that he had been faithful to the Lord and would one day rest from his labors (). He will one day be raised from the dead and receive the reward the Lord has allotted for him (). “Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied” (; see ; ).

Catalyst

How we have lived and served will determine the rewards the Lord will give us at the judgment seat of Christ (; ). Every cup will be full in heaven, but some cups will be larger than others. We will share in the glory of Christ, and those who have sought to win others to Christ will shine like the stars in the heavens. Our Lord emphasized the truth that faithfulness to Him today will lead to reward and ministry in the future kingdom (; , ; ; ; , ; , ). During His reign on earth, we will share in whatever work He has for us to do, according to how we have lived for Him and served Him here on earth. Believers who have suffered in their service for Christ will be more than compensated as they share in His glory (; ).

Go to the

Daniel 1

1:1 ,

1:2 ,

1:2

1:2

1:3

1:4 ,

1:4

1:5

1:7

1:7 ; ;

1:8

1:9

1:11 Hebrew Melzar, also in verse

1:17 []

1:17

1:17

1:19

1:19 Literally talked with them

1:20

1:21 ;

Daniel 2

2:1 ; ,

2:1

2:2

2:4 ; ; ,

2:4 The original language of through is Aramaic.

2:5

2:6

2:11

2:13 ,

2:18 []

2:19

2:20

2:20 []

2:21

2:21 [, ]

2:21 []

2:22

2:22 []

2:22 ,

2:23 , ,

2:25 Literally of the sons of the captivity

2:28

2:28

2:29 [, ]

2:30

2:30

2:32 ,

2:32 Or sides

2:33 Or baked clay, and so in verses , , and

2:34 []

2:35 []

2:35

2:35 ,

2:35 [, ]

2:35

2:37 ,

2:37

2:38 ,

2:38

2:39 ,

2:39

2:40 ,

2:42

2:44 ,

2:44 [, ]

2:44

2:45

2:46 ;

2:46

2:47 , ;

2:47 []

2:48 [; ]

2:48

2:48 ;

2:49 ;

2:49 , ;

2:49 That is, the king’s court

Daniel 3

3:4 ;

3:6

3:8 ,

3:9 ; ; ,

3:12

3:12 ; ,

3:13 ;

3:15

3:15

3:16 []

3:17 [, ]

3:17

3:18

3:25

3:25 []

3:25 Or a son of the gods

3:26 [, , , , ]

3:27

3:28 [, ]

3:28 Or angel

3:29

3:29 , ;

3:29

3:29

Daniel 4

4:1 ;

4:2

4:3

4:3 [; ; ]

4:5 ,

4:5

4:7

4:8

4:8 ; ; ,

4:9 ;

4:10

4:12

4:13 [, ]

4:13

4:14

4:14 ,

4:16 ;

4:16 Possibly seven years, and so in verses , , and

4:17 ;

4:17 ; , ;

4:17

4:17

4:18 ,

4:18 , ; ,

4:19

4:19 , ;

4:19

4:20

4:22 ,

4:22

4:23

4:23

4:25 ;

4:25

4:25 , ,

4:25

4:26

4:27 []

4:27 []

4:27

4:30

4:31

4:31

4:32 []

4:34

4:34 []

4:34 []

4:34 Literally days

4:35 ,

4:35 ;

4:35

4:35

4:36

4:36

4:36 []

4:37 , ; ,

4:37 []

4:37

Daniel 5

5:1

5:2

5:3

5:4

5:5

5:6 ;

5:7 , ; ,

5:7

5:7 ,

5:8 ; ;

5:9 ;

5:11 ; , ,

5:12 ;

5:12 Literally untying knots, and so in verse

5:13 Literally of the sons of the captivity

5:14 , , ; ,

5:15 ,

5:16 ,

5:18 , ; , ,

5:19

5:19 , ;

5:20 ,

5:21 ,

5:21

5:22 ;

5:23 ,

5:23

5:23 ,

5:23 []

5:24 Literally palm

5:25 Literally a mina (50 shekels) from the verb “to number”

5:25 Literally a shekel from the verb “to weigh”

5:25 Literally and half-shekels from the verb “to divide”

5:27

5:28 ;

5:28

5:28 Aramaic Paras, consonant with Peres

5:29 ,

5:30 , ,

5:31 ;

Daniel 6

6:3

6:4

6:6

6:7 ; ;

6:8 ,

6:10

6:10

6:12

6:12 ,

6:13 ;

6:13

6:13 Literally of the sons of the captivity

6:14

6:15 ,

6:17

6:17

6:18

6:18 Exact meaning unknown

6:19

6:20

6:21 ;

6:22

6:22

6:23

6:24 ,

6:24

6:25

6:26

6:26

6:26 ;

6:26 ; ; ,

6:27 ,

6:28

6:28 ,

Daniel 7

7:1 []

7:1 []

7:1 Literally the head (or chief) of the words

7:3 ;

7:4

7:4 ,

7:5

7:6 ,

7:7

7:7 ;

7:8

7:8

7:8 ,

7:9 []

7:9

7:9

7:9

7:10 ;

7:10

7:10 []

7:10 Or judgment

7:11 [; ]

7:13 [; ; ; ; ; , ; ]

7:14 [; , ; ; ; ; ; ]

7:14

7:14 []; ;

7:17 Representing their kingdoms (compare verse )

7:18

7:21 ; ;

7:22 []

7:23

7:24 ;

7:25

7:25

7:25

7:25 ;

7:25

7:25 Literally wear out

7:26 [; , ]

7:26

7:27 , ,

7:27 [, ]

7:27

7:28

7:28 ,

7:28 Literally the word

Daniel 8

8:1

8:2 ,

8:3

8:4

8:5 , ;

8:8 ; ;

8:9

8:9

8:9

8:10

8:10

8:10

8:11 ; ,

8:11

8:11 ;

8:11

8:12

8:12

8:12 ;

8:13 ,

8:14 Literally evening-mornings

8:15

8:15

8:16 ,

8:16 ,

8:17

8:18

8:18

8:19

8:21

8:21 Literally king, representing his kingdom (compare , )

8:22

8:23

8:24

8:24

8:24

8:25

8:25 ; ;

8:25 ,

8:25

8:25 Literally hand

8:25 Literally hand

8:26

8:27 ;

Daniel 9

9:1

9:2

9:3

9:4

9:5 ,

9:6

9:7

9:9 [, ]

9:11

9:11

9:12

9:12 ;

9:13

9:13

9:14 ;

9:14

9:15

9:15

9:16

9:16

9:16

9:16

9:16

9:17

9:17

9:17 []

9:18

9:18

9:18

9:21

9:23 ,

9:23

9:24 []

9:24

9:24

9:24 Literally sevens, and so throughout the chapter

9:24 Following Qere, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate; Kethib and Theodotion read To seal up.

9:25 ;

9:25

9:25 Or open square

9:25 Or moat

9:26 []; ; ; ; [; ]; ;

9:26 []

9:26

9:26 ; ; ,

9:27

9:27 []

9:27

Daniel 10

10:1

10:1 Or and of great conflict

10:4 Hebrew Hiddekel

10:5 ;

10:5 ;

10:6 []

10:10

10:11

10:12

10:12

10:13

10:13 ;

10:14

10:14 ;

10:15 ;

10:16

10:16

10:16 ,

10:16 Theodotion and Vulgate read the son; Septuagint reads a hand.

10:19

10:19

10:20

10:21 []

Daniel 11

11:1

11:1

11:3 ;

11:3 ; ,

11:4

11:4

11:6 Literally arm

11:8 Or molded images

11:10

11:10

11:11

11:11 [, ]

11:14

11:14 Or robbers, literally sons of breakage

11:15 ;

11:15 Literally arms

11:16 ,

11:16

11:16 Literally hand

11:17

11:17

11:17 Or bring equitable terms

11:19

11:19

11:21

11:22

11:22 ,

11:22 Literally arms

11:23

11:27

11:30

11:30 Hebrew Kittim, western lands, especially Cyprus

11:31 ;

11:31 Literally arms

11:35

11:36 ,

11:37

11:37 Or gods

11:40 , ; ,

11:40

11:40

11:41

11:42

11:43

11:45

11:45

Daniel 12

12:1

12:1

12:1

12:2 [, ]

12:2 []

12:3

12:3 [, ]

12:3

12:4

12:4

12:5

12:6

12:6 ;

12:7

12:7

12:7

12:7

12:7

12:10

12:10 ,

12:10 ;

12:13

12:13

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