Psalm 150 (continued, part 27)
During the first year of Darius, Daniel had learned from the book of Jeremiah that the Jewish captivity would end after seventy years, and he turned this great promise into prayer (Dan. 9:1ff.). Daniel was interceding for his people and asking God to keep His promise and deliver them. Like the plot against the Jews recorded in the book of Esther, the plot against Daniel the intercessor was an attack on the whole Jewish nation.
The king's response (vv. 5–9). King Darius must have been impressed when 122 government officials assembled in his throne room to have an audience with him. Of course, Daniel wasn't there, even though he was chief among the administrators; but the leaders
Daniel 6
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. No, a man like Daniel feared only the Lord; and when you fear the Lord, you need not fear anyone else. "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29 nkjv). Some of the leaders spied on him, heard him pray, and brought the report to the king.
God was with His exiled people and within the next twenty-four hours would vindicate His servant.
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. "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12 nkjv). The Puritan preacher Henry Smith said, "God examines with trials, the devil with temptations and the world with persecutions." Another Puritan, Richard Baxter, said that God's people should be more concerned that they deserved the persecution than that they be delivered from it, because deserving it would be evidence of their faithfulness to the Lord.
The most important part of a believer's life is the part that only God sees, our daily private time of meditation and prayer. "You pray as your face is set," said British theologian P. T. Forsythe, "towards Jerusalem or Babylon." Most of the world begins the day looking toward the world and hoping to get something from it, but the Christian believer looks to the Lord and His promises and enters each new day by faith. Outlook determines outcome, and when we look to the Lord for His guidance and help each day, we know that the outcome is in His hands and that we have nothing to fear. "Real true faith is man's weakness leaning on God's strength," said D.L. Moody, and we might add, man's weakness transformed into God's strength (Heb. 11:34).
The king distressed (vv. 14–18). 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 his death warrant. But Darius was also distressed because of the way he had acted. His 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 after the counsel of his own will" (Eph. 1:11) and He knows what He is doing.
The king made it clear that he wanted to save Daniel from execution, but all his efforts failed. The situation is similar to the one described in the book of Esther: once the law had been signed, nothing could change it. Since Darius was a "god" and the people were praying to him, how could he make any mistakes? And how could a "god" not punish someone who had broken one of his laws? Furthermore, the laws of the Medes and Persians couldn't be annulled or changed. For the entire day, Darius ignored all other matters concerning the kingdom and tried to free Daniel, but his attempts all failed. Of course, Daniel's enemies were on hand to remind the king that he had to enforce the law whether he liked it or not. At the end of the day, Darius had to call Daniel and have him put in the lions' den.
God's Power Versus Man's Authority (6:12–23) Three times a day for many years, Daniel had prayed, given thanks, and made supplication (vv. 10–11), which is the same pattern Paul instructed us to follow (Phil. 4:6–7). No wonder Daniel had such peace and courage! Ernest Wadsworth, a champion of effective prayer, said, "Pray for a faith that will not shrink when washed in the waters of affliction." Daniel had that kind of faith. He had walked with the Lord for more than eighty years and knew that his God wouldn't fail him. Hadn't the Lord helped him stand true during his time of training? Didn't the Lord save his life by giving him the wisdom he needed to interpret the king's dream, and didn't the Lord deliver his three friends out of the fiery furnace? Daniel had a copy of the prophecy of Jeremiah (Dan. 9:2), so he must have read: "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?" (Jer. 32:27). No doubt he responded with "there is nothing too hard for thee" (v. 17). A believer who knows how to kneel in prayer has no problem standing in the strength of the Lord.
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. Living at the gnawing edge of hunger didn't make them too tame!
Daniel accused (vv. 12–13). The men who had spied on Daniel hurried to inform Darius that his favorite officer had disobeyed the law and shown disrespect to the king. It's remarkable how people can work together quickly to do evil but find it difficult to get together to do anything good. "Their feet are swift to shed blood" (Rom. 3:15). They showed no respect to Daniel, who held a higher office than they did, but disdainfully called him "one of the exiles from Judah" (Dan. 6:13 niv). These proud men didn't realize that
Before Daniel was lowered into the pit and the wall lifted up, the king offered a prayer that Daniel's God would deliver him because Daniel was faithful to serve Him continually (Dan. 6:16; see v. 20; 3:17). He then had the pit covered and the rock sealed so that everything was done according to the law. Nobody would
Daniel 6
death in some miraculous way. Hebrews 11:1–35 names some great men and women of faith and describes their achievements, but verses 36–40 describe the "others" who also had great faith and yet were persecuted and martyred. These unnamed "others" had just as much faith as the people in the first group but were not granted special deliverance. James the brother of John was martyred, but Peter was delivered from prison (Acts 12), yet both men were apostles and faithful servants of the Lord. It's unwise to draw conclusions from consequences lest we end up making wrong evaluations (Acts 14:8–20; 28:1–6).5
dare break the king's official seal, so that when the pit was opened, everybody would have to confess that God had performed a great miracle. It makes us think of the stone at our Lord's tomb that was sealed by the Roman authorities, and yet Jesus came forth alive!
The king had a bad night, not unlike the night Xerxes experienced in the story of Esther (Est. 6:1ff.). Oriental kings were given all kinds of diversions to entertain them and help them relax and go to sleep, but Darius refused all of them. He spent a sleepless night and even fasted! He wondered if the Lord would deliver the old Jewish prophet from the lions' den.
The Lord victorious (Dan. 6:19–23). Darius arose with the first light of dawn and hastened to the lions' den. Even before he got to the pit and ordered the seals broken and the stone removed, he called out to Daniel in an anguished voice. In what he said, he confessed that Daniel's God was the living God, not a dead idol, and that He had the power to deliver His faithful servant. Daniel's faith brought him peace and assurance, but the king's faith was weak and wavering. "Is your God able to deliver you?"4 When Darius heard Daniel's voice saying "O king, live forever," he knew that his friend and faithful officer and been delivered (Heb. 11:33).
God's Glory Versus Man's Disgrace (24–28) Daniel's night of confinement in the lions' den ended in a morning of glory and deliverance, with the king himself setting him free. Imagine the excitement in the city as the news spread that Daniel had spent the night in the lions' den and had come out unhurt. God could have prevented Daniel from going into the lions' den, but by allowing him to go in and bringing him out unhurt, the Lord received greater honor.
The traitors were judged (v. 24). Eastern monarchs had absolute power over their subjects (5:19), and no one dared to question their decisions, let alone try to change them. Darius didn't throw all 122 officers and their families into the den of lions but only those men and their families who had accused Daniel (6:11–13). "The righteous is delivered from trouble, but the wicked takes his place" (Prov. 11:8 nasb). The only exception to this law occurred when Jesus Christ the Righteous One took the place of guilty sinners when He died for them on the cross (1 Peter 3:18).
Daniel was always quick to give God the glory (Dan. 6:22; see 2:27–28; 4:25; 5:21–23). God could have closed the lions' mouths by simply saying the word, but He chose to send an angel to do the job. The angel not only controlled the hungry beasts but also kept Daniel company, just as the Lord had come to walk with the three Jewish men whom Nebuchadnezzar had thrown into the fiery furnace (3:24–25). The book of Daniel reveals a great deal about the work of angels in this world, not only their ministries to God's people but also their influence on nations (10:10–13, 20–21). When we think of an angel delivering Daniel, promises like Psalms 34:7 and 91:11 come to mind, and we remember the angels' ministry to Jesus (Mark 1:13; Luke 22:43). We don't know when angels are with us (Heb. 13:2), but we do know that they are present to serve us and sent by God to assist us (1:14). When Daniel was removed from the lions' den, he bore no wounds, just as the three Jewish men bore no evidence they had even been in the furnace (Dan. 3:27).
There is a law of compensation that says, "Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him" (Prov. 26:27 nkjv). For example, Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew male babies destroyed in Egypt, and at Passover, all the Egyptian firstborn died. He commanded the newborn Jewish babies to be drowned in the Nile River, and his own army was drowned in the Red Sea (Ex. 14—15). Haman tried to destroy the Jewish nation and ended up being hanged on the gallows he had made for Mordecai (Est. 7:9–10; 9:25). Even if sinners aren't judged in this present life, they will be judged after they die (Heb. 9:27), and the judgment will be just.
The Lord delivered Daniel because of his faith (6:23) and because he was innocent of any crime before the king or any sin before the Lord (v. 22). 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 disobeyed the true and living God (Ex. 20:1–6) and robbed 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.
It seems cruel to us that the families were destroyed along with the conspirators, but that was an official Persian law and the conspirators knew it. Jewish law prohibited punishing the children for the sins of the fathers (Deut. 24:16; Ezek. 18:20), 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. It was much easier to bury corpses than to keep an eye on potential assassins, and besides, the example put fear into the hearts of potential troublemakers. Another important factor is God's covenant with Abraham. The Lord promised that those who blessed the people
However, it must be pointed out that not every faithful servant of the Lord is delivered from trial and
Daniel 6—7
people played an important role in the positive attitude Cyrus had toward the Jewish people.
of Israel would themselves be blessed, but those who cursed them would be cursed (Gen. 12:1–3).6 In allowing the families to be slain, God was only being faithful to His Word.
Along with the account of the deliverance of the three men from the fiery furnace (Dan. 3), the report of Daniel's deliverance from the lions' den must have brought great encouragement to the Jews in exile. They knew about Jeremiah's prophecy and wondered if their God would really deliver them. But if He could deliver three men from a furnace and Daniel from the lions, surely He could deliver the exiles from Babylon and take them back to their own land.
The Lord was glorified (Dan. 6:25–27). But Darius did more than execute the criminals. He also issued a decree to the whole empire, commanding his subjects to show fear and reverence to the God of Daniel, the God of the Hebrew exiles (vv. 25–27). Darius' first decree in this chapter declared that he was god (vv. 7–9), but this second decree declared that the God of the Hebrews was the true and living God! In doing this, Darius joined King Nebuchadnezzar by giving public testimony to the power and glory of the true and living God (2:47; 3:28–29; 4:1–3, 34–37). God could have kept Daniel out of the lions' den, but by rescuing him from the lions, God received greater glory.
But 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 (1 Peter 1:6–8; 4:12–19) or the roaring lion (5:8–10), we are in the Lord's care and He will work out His divine purposes for His glory. "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (v. 7 nkjv).
The Jews had been humiliated by the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple because their defeat made it look as though the false gods of the Babylonians were stronger than the true God of Israel. The idolatry of the Jewish people, especially their kings and priests, had brought about the ruin of Judah, and the Lord used an idolatrous nation to defeat them. Jehovah hadn't been honored by His own people, but now He was receiving praise from pagan rulers whose decrees would be published throughout the Gentile world. These decrees were a witness to the Gentiles that there was but one true God, the God of the Jews; but the decrees were also a reminder to the Jews that Jehovah was the true and living God. The Jewish exiles were surrounded by idols and were constantly tempted to worship the gods of the conquerors. What a paradox that the Jews, who were supposed to be witnesses to the Gentiles of the true and living God, were being witnessed to by the Gentiles!
1 Daniel 6:28 can be translated, "Even in the reign of Cyrus, the Persian." This would make Darius and Cyrus the same person. However, most translators and Old Testament scholars avoid this approach and see Darius and Cyrus as two different persons. 2 Esther 1:1 and 8:9 state that there were 127 provinces in the Persian kingdom in the reign of Xerxes (486–465). No doubt the political boundaries changed from time to time. 3 In the time of Christ, pious Jews prayed at the third hour (9 a.m.), the ninth hour (3 p.m, the time of the sacrifice at the temple), and at sunset. 4 This question reminds us of the affirmation of faith given by the Daniel's three friends: "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us" (3:17). 5 The Lord so worked that King Darius obeyed his own law and yet Daniel was still delivered from death. This reminds us that God has worked in a similar way in His great plan of salvation. "The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23), so Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world and paid the debt we cannot pay. But He arose from the dead so that He might forgive all who will receive Him by faith. God obeyed His own law and is therefore "just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Rom. 3:26 nkjv). 6 Daniel's intervention in interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream saved the lives of the wise men (Dan. 2:24), and perhaps he would have saved these men and their families also; but it wasn't his decision.
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 will never be destroyed (v. 26; see Deut. 5:26; Josh. 3:10; Ps. 42:2; Jer. 10:10; Ps. 145:13; Rev. 11:15). He is the God who saves people and rescues them from danger and death, and who performs signs and wonders (Dan. 6:27; see 3:28–29; 4:3; Deut. 6:22; Neh. 9:10; Ps. 74:9; 105:26–36; 135:9; Jer. 32:20–21). God's servant prospered (v. 28). Since Darius the Mede is a "shadowy figure" in ancient history, we aren't sure how long he ruled Babylon and exactly when Cyrus took over the throne personally. It's been suggested that since Darius was sixty-two years old when he took Babylon (5:31), he may have died within a few years and then Cyrus ascended the throne. Regardless of what transpired, Daniel was respected by Darius and Cyrus and continued to be a witness for the Lord. He lived to see Cyrus issue the edict that permitted the Jews to return to their land and rebuild their temple (2 Chron. 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4) and may have been used of God to help bring about this fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy (Dan. 9:1–2; Jer. 25:11–12). Certainly his prayers for his
III. Daniel the seer (7:1—12:13)
CHAPTER SEVEN Daniel 7 "THY KINGDOM COME" K
ing Nabonidus was monarch over the empire, but he made his son Belshazzar ruler over Babylon; and the first year of his reign was probably 553. This means that the events described in chapters 7 and
Daniel 7
49:19–22; 50:17; Ezek. 17:3, 12; see also Hab. 1:6–8). The description of the lion being lifted up to stand like a man, and then given a man's heart, reminds us of how God humbled King Nebuchadnezzar and made him live like a beast for seven years (Dan. 4:16, 28–34). God told Daniel that the Babylonian Empire would fall.
8 preceded those described in chapters 5 and 6, and Daniel was nearly seventy years old at the time these events occurred. Perhaps Daniel arranged the material in his book this way so that the records of his interpretations of the dreams and visions of others came before the visions that the Lord gave to him (7:1–2; 8:1; 9:20–27; 10:1ff.). Except for Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the great image explained in chapter 2, the other visions in Daniel 2—6 don't have the wide sweep of application as do the visions granted to Daniel. The vision explained in this chapter parallels the vision God gave to Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 2.
The bear with three ribs in its mouth (v. 5) symbolized the empire of the Medes and Persians who defeated Babylon (Dan. 5) and parallels the arms and chest of silver in the great image (2:39). 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 (Dan. 8), the higher horn represented the Persians (vv. 3, 20). Interpreters aren't agreed on the meaning of the three ribs that the bear carried in its mouth. The best explanation is that they stand for Lydia, Egypt, and Babylon, nations that the Medes and Persians had conquered. The armies of the MedoPersian Empire did indeed "devour much flesh" as they marched across the battlefields.
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 Messiah.
The Kingdoms of This World (7:1–7, 15–23) God communicated with Daniel while he was asleep by giving him disturbing visions in a dream (vv. 1–2, 15). 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. 16). Daniel doesn'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 8:2; 2 Cor. 12:1–3).
A.The vision of the four beasts—7
The leopard with four wings (v. 6) represented Alexander the Great and the swift conquests of his army, resulting in the incredible expansion of the kingdom of Greece. This beast is identified with the number four: four heads and four horns (see 8:8, 21–22). Alexander's untimely death in 323 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 restless sea is a frequent biblical image for the nations of the world (Isa. 17:12–13; 57:20; 60:5; Ezek. 26:3; Rev. 13:1; 17:15). Just as the ocean is sometimes stormy, so the nations of the world are sometimes in confusion or even at war; and just as the waves and currents of the ocean are unpredictable, so the course of world history is beyond man's ability to chart or predict. Historians like Oswald Spengler and Arnold Toynbee have attempted to find a pattern to world history, but to no avail. From the human point of view, the nations seem to work out their own destinies, but the invisible winds of God blow over the surface of the water to accomplish His will in His time. If there's one message that is emphasized in the book of Daniel it's that "the Most High rules in the kingdom of men" (Dan. 4:32 nkjv).
The "dreadful and terrible" beast (v. 7) represented the Roman Empire, as strong and enduring as iron and as uncompromising as a beast on the rampage. The Roman armies swept across the ancient world and defeated one nation after another until the empire extended from the Atlantic Ocean east to the Caspian Sea and from North Africa north to the Rhine and Danube Rivers. Egypt, Palestine, and Syria were all under Roman domination.
This beast corresponds with the legs of iron on Nebuchadnezzar's image (2:40–43), but the ten toes (ten kings, vv. 43–44) are represented by ten horns (7:7, 24). Often in Scripture, a horn is a symbol of a ruler or of royal authority (1 Sam. 2:10; Ps. 132:17). Later in this study we will have more to say about the "little horn" of Daniel 7:8.
The angel told Daniel that the four beasts represented four kingdoms (7:17), the same sequence of empires that Nebuchadnezzar had seen in his dream (chap. 2). However, the king saw a great and impressive image made of valuable metals, while Daniel saw dangerous beasts that ruthlessly devoured peoples and nations. To human eyes, the nations of the world are like Nebuchadnezzar's great image, impressive and important; but from God's viewpoint, the nations are only ferocious beasts that attack and seek to devour one another.
In the great movement of ancient history, one empire has replaced another, leading up to the establishing of the Roman Empire. The two visions (chaps. 2 and 7) make it clear that God knows the future and controls the rise and fall of nations and rulers. Daniel was then living in the Babylonian Empire, but he knew that Babylon would be taken by the Medes and Persians, and that Greece would conquer the MedoPersian Empire, and Rome would eventually conquer all. Prophecy is history written beforehand.
The lion with the wings of an eagle (v. 4) represented the empire of Babylon, which in Nebuchadnezzar's image was the head of gold (2:37–38). In Scripture, Babylon is identified with both the lion and the eagle (Jer. 4:7, 13; 48:40;
Daniel 7
The Kingdom of Satan (7:8, 11–12, 21–26) The four kingdoms represented by the four beasts have already come and gone; however, verse 12 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 wasn't 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 Revelation 13—19, an evil kingdom that will be destroyed when Jesus Christ returns to earth. This judgment was depicted in Nebuchadnezzar's vision as the "stone cut out without hands" that tumbled down the mountain and destroyed the image (Dan. 2:34–35, 44–45). The ten horns (vv. 7–8, 24; Rev. 13:1; 17:3, 7, 12, 16). These represent ten kings or kingdoms that will exist in the last days. Daniel wrote in language the people of his day could understand, and the concept of nations as we have them today would be foreign to the ancients. In Daniel's day countries were ruled by kings, but the "kingdoms" spoken of here will be nations as we know them. Some students of prophecy think that a ten-nation "United States of Europe" will emerge in the last days, and recent developments in Europe—the organization of the European Union and the use of the eurodollar—seem to point in that direction. However, there are more than ten nations in the E.U., so we had better not draw hasty conclusions.1 It is out of this confederation of ten nations, which in some way is an extension of the Roman Empire, that the Antichrist will come and the final world kingdom will be organized and actively oppose God and His people.
years, another significant time span in prophecy. We shall learn from Daniel 9:24–27 that the Antichrist will make a covenant with the Jewish nation for seven years, but in the midst of that period will break the covenant and begin to persecute God's people.
The scenario seems to look like this. Antichrist will be leading one of ten confederated nations in Europe. He will overcome three other nations and, with the help of Satan, move into becoming a world dictator. At first he will appear to be friendly to the Jews and will sign a seven-year covenant to protect them (v. 27).3 The signing of that covenant is the signal for the start of the last seven years of Daniel's seventy weeks outlined in verses 24–27. This period is generally known as "the tribulation" and is described in Matthew 24:1–14; Mark 13:1–13; and Revelation 6—19. After three and a half years, the Antichrist will break the covenant and set up his own image in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, forcing the world to worship him and the devil, who is energizing him. Using the language of Daniel, Jesus called this "the abomination of desolation" (Dan. 11:31; Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14; 2 Thess. 2:1–4). This signals the last half of the tribulation, a period that is known as "the wrath of God" (Rev. 14:10, 19; 15:1, 7; and see Matt. 24:15–28; Mark 13:14–23). It will climax with the return of Jesus Christ to the earth and the defeat of Antichrist and his army (Matt. 24:29–44; Mark 13:24–27; Rev. 19:11–21). Jesus Christ will then establish His kingdom on earth (Dan. 7:13–14, 26–27; Rev. 20:1–6).4
Daniel doesn't go into all the details that John shares in the book of Revelation, but he does assure us that the kingdom of Satan and his counterfeit Christ will be defeated and destroyed by Jesus Christ (Dan. 7:22, 26; see 2 Thess. 1:7–2:10). War on the saints (vv. 21–23, 25). The "saints" are mentioned in verses 18, 21–22, 25, and 27, and refer to the people of God living on the earth during the tribulation period. The apostle John makes it clear that there will be believing Jews and Gentiles on the earth during the seven years of the tribulation (Rev. 7). If the church is raptured before the tribulation, then these will be Jews and Gentiles who believe on Jesus Christ after the church departs. If the church goes through either part or all of the tribulation, then they will be the "saints" mentioned by Daniel. In either case, some of them will die for their faith (14:9–13).
The "little horn" (vv. 8, 11, 24–26). This 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. John described the appearance of this "man of sin" (2 Thess. 2:3) in Revelation 13:1–10.2 According to Daniel, the Antichrist has to overcome the power of three other rulers to be able to do what he wants to do and what Satan has planned for him to do (Dan. 7:24). The mention of his eyes suggests that he has remarkable knowledge and skill in planning his exploits. He will also be a man skilled in using words and able to promote himself so that people follow him (vv. 11, 25; Rev. 13:5–6). He will also blaspheme God and ultimately convince the unbelieving world that he is a god (2 Thess. 2:1–12). He will become the ruler of the world, and will control not only the economy and the religion, but also seek to change the times and the laws.
Three of the texts describe the saints as victorious over their enemies (Dan. 7:18, 22, 27), while two texts inform us that the Lord permits them to be defeated before their enemies (vv. 21, 25). The saints "receive" the kingdom (not "take" as in v. 18), "possess" the kingdom (v. 22), and the kingdom is "given" to them (v. 27). All of this is the work of the Most High God. He permits Antichrist to rise to power and rule the world, and even allows him to make war on the saints and temporarily win the victory (v. 21). The phrase "wear out the saints" (v. 25) describes Antichrist's continual
According to Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 13:5, his dictatorship will last for three and a half years, a significant period of time in the prophetic Scriptures. It's stated as "time, times and half a time" (Dan. 7:25 niv; Rev. 12:14), "forty-two months" (11:2; 13:5) and "1,260 days" (11:3; 12:6). This period is half of seven
Daniel 7
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. This is the prelude to the stone being cut out of the mountain and coming down to destroy the kingdoms of the world (Dan. 2:34–35, 44–45), and it parallels Revelation 5:1–7. The Father promised the Son, "Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession" (Ps. 2:8 nkjv). Unlike the previous four kingdoms, and the kingdom of Antichrist, the kingdom of Jesus Christ can never be removed or destroyed. This is the kingdom that God had in mind when He told David that his throne would never end (2 Sam. 7:13, 16). He will share this kingdom with His people (Dan. 7:27) and they shall reign with Him (Rev. 5:10; 11:15; 20:4).
oppression of God's people and his blasphemous words against the Lord and His people.
John wrote the book of Revelation at a time when Rome was persecuting the church and trying to force Christians to worship the emperor. To confess "Jesus Christ is Lord" could mean imprisonment and even death. Both the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation brought encouragement and strength to the early church, just as they bring encouragement to suffering believers today.
The Kingdom of Christ (7:9–14, 27–28) Daniel has seen the rise and fall of five kingdoms: the Babylonians, the Medes and Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, and the kingdom of Satan headed by the Antichrist. But the most important kingdom of all is the kingdom that Christ shall establish on earth to the glory of God, the kingdom that Christians long for each time they pray, "Thy kingdom come" (Matt. 6:10). Two aspects of the kingdom are seen in Scripture: "The kingdom of God," which is the spiritual reign of Christ over all who belong to Him (John 3:1–8; Col. 1:13) and the glorious kingdom on earth, prepared for God's people (Matt. 16:28; 25:34; 26:29; Luke 22:29).5
The kingdom covenant that God made with David (2 Sam. 7) will one day be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. God's promise that David's seed would have a throne and a kingdom forever (2 Sam. 7:12–13) was certainly not fulfilled in Solomon or any of his successors, but it will be fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Luke 1:30–33, 68–79).6 In Revelation 20:1–8, we are told six times that the kingdom will last for a thousand years, which is why it is called "the millennium," which is Latin for "thousand years." During that time, the Lord will fulfill the many kingdom promises made in the Old Testament Scriptures. Nature will be delivered from the bondage of sin and decay (Isa. 35; Rom. 8:18–25) and there will be peace in the world (Isa. 2:1–5; 9:1–7).
The heavenly throne of the Father (vv. 9–12). The thrones were put into place and not "cast down" as in the King James Version. This event takes place before the kingdom of Antichrist is destroyed, so it probably parallels Revelation 4—5, where John describes the throne room of God. "Ancient of Days" (Dan. 7:9, 13, 22) 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 things are symbolic of His nature and character: He is eternal, holy, and sovereign. In Revelation 1:12–20, these same characteristics are applied to Jesus Christ, thus proving that He is the eternal Son of God.
In this dramatic vision, Daniel had seen the vast sweep of history, beginning with the Babylonian kingdom and closing with the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. What comfort and strength it must have given to him and to his people in exile that the prophecies would one day be fulfilled and their Messiah would reign on the throne of David. The church of Jesus Christ today looks for the Savior to return, and then we will be caught up to meet Him in the air (1 Thess. 4:13–18). We shall return with Him to earth, reign with Him, and serve Him. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20 nkjv).
The vision of God's throne parallels Ezekiel 1:15–21, 26–27. The fire speaks of His holiness and judgment against sin and the wheels symbolize His providential working in the world in ways we can't understand. "Our God is a consuming fire" (Deut. 4:24; Heb. 12:29; see Ps. 97:1–4). He is praised by a multitude of saints and angels (Deut. 33:2; Rev. 5:11) as the books are opened and the Lord prepares to judge evil on the earth. No matter what Satan and the Antichrist do on earth, God is still on the throne and He executes judgment.
How did Daniel respond to this great revelation? He was deeply troubled and his face turned pale (Dan. 7:28 niv), but he didn't tell anyone what the Lord had shown him. We shall learn in later chapters that after he had received a vision from the Lord, Daniel often became ill and was unable to work. This is quite unlike some "prophetic students" today who, when they think they've discovered a great truth, go on radio or television and tell everybody what they think they know. It's a dangerous thing to study prophecy just to satisfy our curiosity or to give people the impression that we are "great Bible students." If divine truth doesn't touch our own hearts and affect our conduct, then our Bible study is only an intellectual exercise to inflate our own ego.
The earthly throne of the Son of God (vv. 13–14, 27). "Son of Man" is a familiar title for our Lord Jesus Christ; it is used eighty-two times in the gospels, frequently by Jesus Himself. (See also Rev. 1:13; 14:14.) The phrase "clouds of heaven" reminds us of His promise to return in glory and reign on the earth (Matt. 24:30; 25:31; 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Rev. 1:7).
Said A. W. Tozer: "The Bible doesn't approve of
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7 A. W. Tozer, I Call It Heresy (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, 1974), 144–145.
this modern curiosity that plays with the Scriptures and which seeks only to impress credulous and gullible audiences with the 'amazing' prophetic knowledge possessed by the brother who is preaching or teaching!"7
CHAPTER EIGHT Daniel 8 BEASTS, ANGELS, AND THE END TIMES F
To this, I say a hearty "Amen!"
B.The vision of the ram and he-goat—8
1 During the years between the two world wars, some prophetic students went out on a limb and named Mussolini as the Antichrist and began counting how many nations allied with Italy. Over the centuries, the chief candidate for Antichrist has been the pope, and each time a new pope is elected, prophecy addicts try to make his name fit in with the number 666 (Rev. 13:18). One man calculated that Napoleon Bonaparte was the Antichrist, but you had to write his name in Arabic and leave out two letters! All sorts of numerical gymnastics have been used to identify "the little horn," but they aren't very convincing. 2 First John 2:18–23 states that "many antichrists" were already in the world at the end of the first century, in the days of the apostle John. These were false teachers who denied the deity and eternal sonship of Jesus Christ. These heretics were not taught by the Holy Spirit but by the spirit of Antichrist, which has its origin in Satan (4:1–4). Satan is a counterfeiter and his agents, posing as authentic Christian teachers, invaded the churches of the first century and attempted to change the apostolic doctrine (2 Peter 2; Jude). 3 It is possible that the covenant guarantees protection for Israel so they can rebuild their temple in Jerusalem and restore their worship. Of course, Antichrist plans to use the temple for the world to worship him. 4 In the traditional premillennial dispensational interpretation of prophetic Scripture, which is what I have outlined here, the church will be "raptured" and taken to heaven before the final week in Daniel's prophecy occurs (1 Thess. 4:13—5:11). How much time elapses between the rapture of the church and the signing of the covenant hasn't been revealed in Scripture. However, there are those of the dispensational persuasion who believe that the church will be raptured in the middle of the tribulation (Rev. 11:3–19) or at the very end—caught up to be with Christ and then returning with Him in glory (Rev. 19:11–21). All three schools believe that at His glorious return, Christ will establish a literal kingdom on earth in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. 5 There appears to be no distinction between "the kingdom of God" and "the kingdom of heaven." The Jews were afraid to use God's name lest they be guilty of blasphemy, so they substituted "heaven." Writing especially to the Jews, Matthew uses primarily "kingdom of heaven," while the other writers prefer "kingdom of God." 6 Those who believe that Christ will return before the millennium are called "premillennialists." Those who think that man through the preaching of the gospel will establish the kingdom on earth, and then Christ will return, are called "postmillennialists." Amillennialists are those who do not believe there will be a literal Jewish kingdom on earth, but that the Old Testament's prophecies given to the Jews should be applied spiritually to the church.
rom chapter 8 to the end of the book of Daniel, the text is written in Hebrew, for the major emphasis of these chapters is God's plan for the nation of Israel in the end times. From 2:4—7:28, the book is written in Aramaic because the emphasis in those chapters is on the Gentile kingdoms in history and prophecy. It was the nation of Israel that God chose to be the vehicle of His revelation and redemption in the world. Through the Jewish people came the knowledge of the one true and living God, the written Scriptures and, most important of all, the Savior, Jesus Christ. "Salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22). In this chapter, five persons move across the great stage of prophecy and history.
Daniel the Prophet (8:1–2, 15–19, 26–27) King Belshazzar's third year was 551, so this vision came to Daniel before the fateful banquet described in chapter 5. This explains why the Babylonian Empire isn't mentioned, for within a dozen years Babylon would be taken by Cyrus, who would usher in the rule of the Medes and Persians. In terms of Nebuchadnezzar's great image (Dan. 2), the era of the head of gold would end and the era of the silver arms and chest would begin. The lion with the eagle's wings would be defeated by the bear with the ribs in its mouth (7:4–5).
Receiving the vision (vv. 1–2). Shushan (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 (Neh. 1:1; Est. 1:2). The River Ulai (Dan. 8:2, 16) was probably a canal that flowed through Susa.
It's unlikely that Daniel left Babylon and traveled to Susa to receive the vision.1 It's more likely that God transported him to Susa just as He transported Ezekiel to Jerusalem (Ezek. 8; 40) and the apostle John to the wilderness (Rev. 17:3) and to the high mountain (21:10). Since Daniel was about to describe the victory of the Medes and Persians over the Babylonians, God put him into the future capital of the Persian Empire.
Requesting the meaning of the vision (vv. 5–19). In the earlier part of the book, Daniel was able to interpret and explain the dreams and visions of others; 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
Daniel 8
(45:1) before whom He would go and open the way. Even the great gates of Babylon couldn't stand before his victorious march!
of God," and it was he who explained to Daniel the vision given in chapter 8 as well as the vision about the seventy weeks (9:21–22). Centuries later, Gabriel would be sent to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:11–20), and to Mary to announce that she would give birth to the Messiah (vv. 26–38). The only other angel who is named in Scripture is Michael ("Who is like God?"), who has been especially assigned to care for the nation of Israel (Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev. 12:7).
Why did God call Cyrus? "For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen" (v. 4 niv). No matter how brutally the Gentile nations may treat the people of Israel, God uses the nations to accomplish His ordained purposes. His plans for Israel will be fulfilled no matter how much the Gentile nations may oppose His chosen people.
When Gabriel moved closer to Daniel, the prophet became very frightened and fell into a faint and a deep sleep. (See Dan. 10:9, 15, 17; Rev. 1:17.) Gabriel called him "son of man," which is a messianic title (Dan. 7:13); but here it was used to emphasize the weakness and humanness of the prophet. Gabriel's touch awakened Daniel (10:10–11, 16, 18), and the angel explained to him that the vision applied to the latter days of Jewish history. "The indignation" refers to God's displeasure with His people and the times of intense suffering Israel would endure before the coming of the end and the establishing of the promised kingdom.
Alexander the Great of Greece (8:5–8, 21–22) In Nebuchadnezzar's image, Greece was depicted as the thigh of brass (2:32, 39), and in Daniel's vision described in chapter 7, Greece was a swift leopard with four heads. Now Daniel sees Greece as an angry goat who runs so swiftly his 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 7:4–7; 11:4). However, the remarkable conquests of Alexander were more than battle trophies, for they accomplished God's purposes in the world and helped to prepare the world for the coming of Christ and the spread of the gospel. For one thing, Alexander put an end to the Oriental influence that threatened to take over the Western world. At the same time, he "shook the ancient world to its very foundations" and "compelled the old world to think afresh."3 By extending Greek culture and language, he helped to bring peoples together; and eventually the common (koine) Greek became the language of the New Testament. Even though his empire divided four ways after his death, Alexander brought nations together so they could interact with each other. His policy of kindness toward conquered peoples introduced a powerful example of brotherhood into the world. He literally "wedded East to West" when nine thousand of his soldiers and officers (some historians say ten thousand) married Eastern women in one mass wedding.
Cyrus, King of Persia (8:3–4, 20) This is the man who conquered Babylon. Centuries before Cyrus appeared on the scene, the prophet Isaiah called him by name and even called him God's "shepherd"2 (Isa. 41:2, 25; 44:28–45:4). It was Cyrus whom God chose 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 higher (stronger) of the two.
Cyrus and his armies did indeed "push westward and northward and southward" and defeat their enemies, taking Libya, Egypt, all of Asia Minor and moving as far as India, creating the largest empire ever in the ancient east until the time of Alexander the Great. Once his conquests were consolidated, he attacked Babylon and took it in 539. Cyrus was kind to those he took captive and permitted the Jews to return to their land to rebuild the temple and restore the nation (Isa. 44:28; 2 Chron. 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–3; 6:2–5). He also allowed them to take with them the sacred vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple (Ezra 1:5–11).
What Alexander and the Greeks began, the Romans completed, helping to prepare the ancient world for the coming of Christ. They are represented by the legs of iron (2:33, 40) and the "dreadful beast" (7:7). Roman roads and bridges enabled people to travel and share their ideas; Roman law kept nations under control; Roman legions enforced that law with an iron fist; and the Roman peace (Pax Romana) gave people the opportunity to experience more security than they had known before. All of this contributed to the taking of the Christian message throughout the Roman Empire, and sometimes, as in the case of Paul, Rome paid the bill for the missionaries to travel!
The imagery used in connection with Cyrus is fascinating. He is called "the righteous man" (Isa. 41:2), or as the NIV puts it, "calling him in righteousness." This means that he was called to fulfill God's righteous purposes in freeing Israel from their Babylonian yoke and allowing them to return to their land. Our sovereign Lord can use even a pagan king to accomplish His purposes! Isaiah 41:25 pictures his victorious conquest as a man walking on mortar or on soft clay, because these materials can't resist him. The prophet Isaiah also called Cyrus the Lord's anointed
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Antiochus IV Epiphanes (8:9–14)4 As we have already seen, after the death of Alexander the Great (the "notable horn," v. 5), his empire was divided into four parts with four of his officers taking control (v. 8). Out of one of those horns a "little horn" appears who becomes a great leader, and this is Antiochus Epiphanes, the ruler of Syria from 175 to 163 BC and known as one of the cruelest tyrants in history.
Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14. What Antiochus did was a foreshadowing of what the Antichrist will do when he puts his image in the temple and commands the world to worship him (2 Thess. 2; Rev. 13). Daniel 8:13 and 11:31 refer to Antiochus, and the other references to Antichrist, of whom Antiochus is a picture.
The two angels (8:13–14; "saints") spoke together about this matter and from their conversation, Daniel learned the prophetic timetable. Between the desecration of the temple and its cleansing and restoration 2,300 days would pass. The Hebrew text reads "2,300 evenings and mornings," because burnt offerings were sacrificed at the temple each morning and each evening of every day. But does this mean 2,300 days or 1,150 days, 2,300 divided by two? And what date or event signals the beginning of the countdown? Some students opt for 2,300 days, that is, about six years, if you use 360 days for the year. Others prefer 1,150 days, which give us slightly over three years.
Antiochus gave himself the name "Epiphanes," which means "illustrious, manifestation," for he claimed to be a revelation (epiphany) of the gods. He even had the word theos (god) put on the coins minted with his features on it, and his features on the coins came to look more and more like the Greek god Zeus. He had a passionate desire to turn the Jews into good Greeks. One of his first acts was to drive out the high priest Onias, an ardent Jew, and replace him with Jason, a patron of the Greeks. But Jason was replaced by Menelaus, who actually purchased the priesthood. Believing a rumor that the king was dead, Jason attacked Jerusalem only to learn that Antiochus was very much alive. The angry king attacked Jerusalem and plundered the temple. In 168 he sent an army of twenty thousand men under Apollonius to level Jersualem. They entered the city on the Sabbath, murdered most of the men, and took the women and children as slaves. The remaining men fled to the army of the Jewish leader Judas Maccabeus.
But what is the starting point for the countdown? The six-year advocates begin with 171 BC, when Antiochus deposed the true high priest. Subtract six years and this takes you to 165 when Judas Maccabeus defeated the enemy and reconsecrated the temple. However, the three-year advocates begin with the establishment of the pagan altar in the temple on 25 Kislev, 168, and this takes us to 165. Either approach meets the requirements of the prophecy.
We'll meet Antiochus Epiphanes again before we complete our study of the book of Daniel.
But the king wasn't satisfied, so he issued an edict that there would be one religion in his realm and it wouldn't be the Jewish religion. He prohibited the Jews from honoring the Sabbath, practicing circumcision, and obeying the Levitical dietary laws, and he climaxed his campaign on December 14, 168, by replacing the Jewish altar with an altar to Zeus—and sacrificing a pig on it! Any Jew found possessing a copy of the law of Moses was slain. Jerusalem was eventually delivered by the courageous exploits of Judas Maccabeus and his followers, and on December 14, 165, the temple was purified, the altar of burnt offering restored, and Jewish worship once again restored. It is this event that the Jewish people celebrate as "The Feast of Lights" or Hanukkah (see John 10:22). Antiochus went mad while in Persia, where he died in 163.
The Antichrist (8:23–27) The angel awakened Daniel from his deep sleep and told him there was yet more prophetic truth for him to hear, and it related to "the time of wrath" (v. 19 niv) and the "time of the end" (vv. 17, 19, 23), which is 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 (Jer. 30:7; Isa. 2:11–12; 13:6, 9; Joel 2:1ff.; Zeph. 1). In other words, what Daniel learns in Daniel 8:23–27 relates to the end times when Antichrist will oppose God and God's people.
The "king of fierce countenance" is the Antichrist, not Antiochus Epiphanes; but if you compare verses 23–27 with verses 9–14, you will see that the characteristics and career of Antiochus parallel those of Antichrist.
Knowing these facts about Antiochus helps us better understand the text of Daniel's prophecy. Antiochus started in a small way but gradually accumulated power as he magnified himself and dealt ruthlessly with the Jewish people. He attacked the Jews in their "pleasant [beautiful]" land and put a stop to their religious practices. He even claimed that he was a god. In verse 10, the Jews are described as "the host of heaven" (i.e., "godly people") and "stars" (Gen. 15:5; 22:17). When Antiochus stopped the daily sacrifices in the temple and substituted pagan worship, this was called "the abomination that makes desolate" ("the transgression of desolation," Dan. 8:13). This concept is found in 9:27; 11:31; and 12:11, and is used by Jesus in
• Both begin modestly but increase in power and influence. • Both blaspheme God with mouths that speak great things. • Both persecute the Jewish people. • Both claim to be gods and put images in the temple. • Both impose their own religion on the people.
Daniel 8—9
• Both are opposed by a believing remnant that knows God. • Both are energized by the devil and are great deceivers. • Both appear to succeed marvelously and seem to be invincible. • Both are finally defeated by the coming of a redeemer (Judas Maccabeus and Jesus Christ).
mission when he received this vision, but Daniel 5:13 indicates that Belshazzar didn't know Daniel and therefore wasn't likely to send him anywhere. 2 "Shepherd" in the Old Testament was the title of a king or royal officer. In the New Testament, it referred to spiritual leaders in the church. The word pastor comes from the Latin word for "shepherd." 3 S. Angus in The Environment of Early Christianity (London: Duckworth and Co., 1914), 8. In this discussion, I have borrowed a number of helpful thoughts from this excellent book. 4 His name is pronounced "An-TY-i-cus E-PIPH-uh-nees."
Many other parallels exist, which you will discover as you study the relevant Scriptures.
The "Prince of princes" (v. 25) is Jesus Christ, who is also the "God of gods" (11:36) and the "King of Kings" (Rev. 19:16). Antichrist opposes Jesus Christ and seeks to replace Him, but ultimately Jesus Christ defeats Antichrist and consigns him, his false prophet, and Satan to the lake of fire (20:1–3).
CHAPTER NINE Daniel 9 THE PROPHETIC CALENDAR W
As a result of this experience of receiving the vision and communing with angels, Daniel became ill. One cause of his physical and emotional collapse was his inability to understand where this vision of the "king of fierce countenance," prefigured by "the little horn," fit into the prophetic scheme for Israel. He knew that the "little horn" would appear in the last days, but what would occur between his day and that day? He would learn from Jeremiah's prophecy that his people would be released from bondage and allowed to return to their land and rebuild their temple, but Daniel knew nothing about God's "mystery" concerning the church (Eph. 3:1–13) or the "mystery" concerning the partial blinding and hardening of Israel (Rom. 11:25–36). And who was the "king of fierce countenance" and why would he attack the Jewish people? Daniel felt the burden of the suffering his people would experience, and he knew the awful consequences of truth being cast to the ground (Dan. 8:12; Isa. 59:14–15).
hen speaking at a press conference in Cairo on February 1, 1943 Sir Winston Churchill said, "I always avoid prophesying beforehand, because it is a much better policy to prophesy after the event has already taken place."
C.The seventy weeks appointed to Israel—9
Among the Jewish people, that kind of "prophetic" activity could have resulted in the death of the so-called prophet (Deut. 18:20–22). Worshipping false gods and listening to false prophets had led to Israel's spiritual decay and ultimate collapse as a nation. The people hadn't obeyed what the prophets commanded, so Israel was exiled in Babylon; and there they learned to take the prophetic word very seriously, because it was the only hope they possessed. The church today needs to heed the word of prophecy because it's the light of certainty in a world of darkness and uncertainty (2 Peter 1:19–21).
Note three stages in Daniel's experience with the prophetic message that spoke concerning his people and the city of Jerusalem.
Daniel is a good example for students of prophecy to follow. He asked the Lord for the explanation (Dan. 8:15) 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. He so identified with what he learned that it made him ill! Too many "prophetic students" don't wait before God for instruction and insight, nor do they feel burdened when they learn God's truth about the future. Instead, they try to display their "knowledge" and impress people with what they think they know. The whole exercise is purely academic; it's all in the head and never changes the hearts.
Insight: Learning God's Plan (9:1–2) The first year of Darius was 539 BC, the year that Babylon fell to the Medes and the Persians.1 This great victory was no surprise to Daniel, because God had already told him that the Medo-Persian Empire would conquer Babylon. In Nebuchadnezzar's great "dream image," the head of gold would be replaced by the chest and arms of silver (chap. 2); and later visions revealed that the bear would conquer the lion (chap. 7). But long before Daniel's day, both Isaiah and Jeremiah had predicted the fall of Babylon, so it's no surprise that Daniel started studying afresh the scroll of the prophet Jeremiah.
The Word of God. One of the beautiful things about the inspired Word of God is its constant freshness; no matter how often we read it, there is always something new to learn or something familiar to see in a new light. Had Jeremiah's scrolls of the Old Testament been organized like our modern Bibles, he would have read Jeremiah 24 and been reassured that the Lord would care for His people no matter what
When he got over his weakness and sickness, the prophet went back to work for the king and didn't tell anybody what he had learned. But God still had more truth to teach him, and he was ready to receive it.
1 Some have suggested that Daniel was in Susa on a diplomatic
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ruler was on the throne. From 25:1–14, he would learn the reason for the exile as well as the length of the exile—seventy years—and this would be corroborated in 29:10–14. The exile of the Jews in Babylon was no accident; it was a divine appointment, and they would not be released until the very time that God had ordained.
ple to give the land a "sabbath rest" every seven years and a "Year of Jubilee" every fifty years (Lev. 25). Both the forty-ninth and the fiftieth years would be "sabbatic years" when the people were not allowed to sow seed or cultivate their orchards. They had to trust God to make the food grow to meet their daily needs. This law was not only good for the land, helping to restore its fertility, but it was also good for the spiritual life of the nation. However, it was not until the nation's captivity in Babylon that the land enjoyed its sabbath rests (2 Chron. 36:20–21).
Daniel called Jeremiah's writings "the word of the Lord." King Jehoiakim had tried to burn up Jeremiah's prophecies, but the Lord preserved them because they were His very words (Jer. 36). "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away" (Matt. 24:35 niv). "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever" (Isa. 40:8 niv). "Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever" (Ps. 119:152 niv). Over the centuries, people have ignored, denied, attacked, and sought to destroy the Holy Scriptures, but the Word of God is still here! God especially protected the scrolls written by Jeremiah because He wanted Daniel to have a copy to take with him to Babylon.
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 BC, and Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 586. The first Jewish captives were taken to Babylon in 605, Daniel and his three friends being among them. In 538, Cyrus issued the decree that permitted the Jews to return to their land and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1–4), and in 537 about fifty thousand Jews returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest (Ezra 1—2). If we decide that the captivity officially began in 606–605 with the attack on Jerusalem and the deporting of the first captives, then seventy years later would take us to 537–536, 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 and the liberated exiles returned to the land in 537–36, a time period of roughly seventy years. However, some students feel that the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple should be the starting point (586), with the captivity not officially ending until the second temple had been built and dedicated (515), another period of approximately seventy years. Since both interpretations make sense, it shouldn't be necessary to debate the issue.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Tim. 3:16), the Old Testament as well as the New, and Holy Scripture is the only dependable source of truth about God, man, 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.
The God of the Word. This is the first time that Jehovah, the covenant name of God, is used in the book of Daniel, and it is used only in this chapter (vv. 2–3, 10, 13–14, 20). But we must remember that, at that time, the Lord was calling the nation of Israel "LoRuhama—not loved" and "Lo-Ammi—not my people" (Hos. 1) because Israel had broken His holy covenant. When you are outside the covenant, you can't sincerely use His covenant name and expect to receive covenant blessings.
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 (Lev. 26). It appears that Israel's years of captivity in Babylon helped to cure the Jewish people of their detestable sin of idol worship.
However, Daniel came to God pleading for mercy and forgiveness for himself and his people, and that's the kind of praying the Lord Jehovah wants to hear. In fact, the promise of God's forgiveness was written right into the covenant. "But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me … then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land" (Lev. 26:40–42 nkjv). Certainly as Daniel studied the Scriptures and prayed to Jehovah, he had in his mind and heart both the holy covenant (Lev. 26; Deut. 27—28) and Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:33–36). God's plan for His people. God revealed to Jeremiah that the people of Israel would be taken to Babylon and be exiled from their land for seventy years (Jer. 25:11–12; 29:10). God had commanded His peo-
Second, the captivity brought blessing to the land, for the land had been abused by farmers who would not let the land enjoy its sabbatical rests. The land belonged to the Lord (25:23; see Deut. 11:12), 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, and he discovered Jeremiah's prophecy in 539, then he had been in Babylon sixty-six or sixty-seven years. The next year
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burdens and needs in proper perspective. By exercising even little faith in a great God, we can move the hand of God to accomplish wonders that will glorify His name. Dr. Robert A. Cook used to say, "If you can explain what's going on in your ministry, God didn't do it."
(538), 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 himself would not be able to return to the land, but he rejoiced that others could return.
Intercession: Praying for God's Mercy (9:3–19) Daniel is a wonderful example of balance in the spiritual life, for he devoted himself to both the Word of God and prayer (Acts 6:4). 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 others. When Daniel learned God's truth, the experience humbled him and moved him to worship and to pray.
Confessing sin (vv. 5–15). Several times in Israel's ministry, the intercession of one person brought about the nation's deliverance from judgment. On two occasions, God was ready to wipe out the entire Jewish nation, but the intercession of Moses stayed His hand (Ex. 32:7–14; Num. 14:10–25). God answered Elijah's prayer and sent the rain that was so desperately needed (1 Kings 18), and He heard Jehoshaphat's prayer and gave Israel victory over the large invading army of Moabites and Ammonites (2 Chron. 20). King Hezekiah cried out to God when the Assyrian army surrounded Jerusalem, and the Lord sent His angel to slay 185,000 enemy soldiers (Isa. 37; 2 Kings 19). "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16 niv). God doesn't have to wait for the entire nation to repent and cry out for mercy; He will start to work when He hears the believing prayers of one faithful intercessor.
Preparing for prayer (v. 3). You don't have to read very far in the book of Daniel before you discover that he was a man of prayer. Daniel and his three friends sought the face of God when Nebuchadnezzar threatened to slay all the magicians and counselors (2:16–23). It was Daniel's habit to pray to the Lord three times each day (6:10–11), a practice he continued even when it was illegal to pray to anyone except the king. When God showed Daniel visions of future events, the prophet wasn't satisfied until he had asked for an explanation (7:15ff.; 8:15ff.). Prayer was a vital part of Daniel's life.
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 Daniel 9:5–6, 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. "And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy" (2 Chron. 36:15–16 nkjv). God had been longsuffering with His covenant people, but the time came when He had to act.