LESSON 28 THE BOOK OF DANIEL

 

Daniel's life and ministry took place during the seventy years of  Babylonian captivity.  Daniel was a young man when taken to Babylon along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  Daniel became the greatest mouthpiece for God during his day.  Daniel is commonly referred to as the Old Testament "Apocalypse".   Revelation is the New Testament "Apocalypse." The word "Apocalypse"  means ‑ "an unveiling of the secret purposes of God." Daniel did this through visions, a word which appears thirty‑two times in the book.

 

The Author

Daniel was most likely born into a Judean family and identified as one of the "children in whom was no blemish, but cunning in knowledge, and understanding science." (1:4)   He was given three years of training in the best of Babylonian schools and went through a re-identification program.  Daniel is one of the few men of the Bible that God chooses to say only good things about.  His life reflected faith, prayer, courage, consistency, and a lack of compromise.  Three times he is referred to as "the greatly beloved" (9:23; 10:11, 19).  The name Daniel means "God Is Judge."

 

Christ of Daniel

Christ is the Great Stone who will crush the kingdoms of this world, the Son of Man who is given dominion by the Ancient of Days, and the coming Messiah who will be cut off.  The vision of the sixty‑nine weeks in 9:25-26 pinpoints the coming of the Messiah.

 

Daniel 2:34                                                                                     

                                                                                                        

                                                                                                       

 

Daniel 7:13                                                                                     

                                                                                                       

                                                                                                       

 

Key Word: God's Plan

 Daniel encourages the exiled Jews by revealing God's sovereign program for Israel during and after the period of Gentile domination.  Their situation was not permanent and the time would come when the Church Kingdom would be established forever.  God's plan included preserving and ultimate restoration for Israel as sure as the coming Messiah.

 

 

Survey Of Daniel

Note that the first chapter is penned in Hebrew and then Daniel switches to Aramaic in chapters 2‑7 as he describes the future course of the Gentile's power.  Then in chapters 8‑12, Daniel reverts to his native language to survey the future of the Jewish people.  We clearly see included in God's plan a sovereign control over the world.  The Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans will come and go, but God will establish His Kingdom forever, through saved people.

 

The Three Divisions:

           The Personal History of Daniel            Chapter       1

           The Prophetic Plan for the Gentiles      Chapters   2‑7

           The Prophetic Plan for Israel               Chapters   8‑12

 

THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DANIEL

 Chapter 1 gives us information on how Daniel and other Jewish children that were put through a school to de-program their religious beliefs.  The de-programming started in verse six when the eunuch changed the children's names.  Daniel was give the name Belteshazzar which means Bel's prince.  Bel was the principal deity worshiped in Babylon.  Note also that the three Hebrew children (known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) are known by their Babylonian names rather than their Hebrew names.  Daniel remained faithful to God and refused to eat and drink that which was unlawful or unclean.

 

Daniel 1:17                                                                                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                  

THE PROPHETIC PLAN FOR THE GENTILES


 

The dream of Nebuchadnezzar glorified God.  Keep in mind Jehovah God controls the world powers and leaders in every age.  The king wanted a true interpretation of his dream so he required not only the interpretation of the dream be told, but also the dream itself.  The wise Chaldeans were unable to tell the dream of Nebuchadnezzar so the king ordered all wise men to be killed including Daniel and his companions. A prayer group was formed in verses 17 & 18 between Daniel and his companions.  God revealed the dream and interpretation to Daniel, showing the future kingdoms that would reign and fall before the ushering in of the Kingdom of God.  In the seventh chapter Daniel had his own dream in which most feel revealed these same world powers.  Looking at History we may recognize the four main world powers being spoken of in these dreams.

 

 

 

   NEBUCHADNEZZAR                                                        DANIEL

 

 

   Nebuchadnezzar's       Dream  -  IMAGE

 

       Fulfillment

 

 

    Daniel's  Vision

         4 BEASTS

 

 

    Daniel 2:31-35   "What shall come to pass hereafter."

 

     WORLD-                    POWERS

 

     Daniel 7:1-27

"The saint's shall take the Kingdom forever."

 

 

  Head - (v. 38) Gold

 

      BABYLON

 

         Lion  (v. 4)

 

    Breasts & Arms

 

     MEDOPERSIA

 

         Bear  (v. 5) 

 

    Belly & Thighs

 

       GREECE

 

       Leopard  (v. 6)

 

     Legs & Feet

     (v. 40) Iron

 

        ROME

 

       Divers Beast

        (v. 7 & 19)   

 

      10 Toes

     (v. 41-42)

 

    OLD ROMAN        

       EMPIRE

 

       10 Horns

      (v. 7 & 20)

 

     The Stone

    (v. 34 & 44)

 

      CHRIST'S      

      KINGDOM

 

   Ancient of Days

          (v. 22)

 

St. John 3:3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Chapter 3

We read  a great story of courage and  the faithfulness of the friends of Daniel.  These men were thrown in to the fiery furnace.  Notice their attitude and acceptance of God's will (Read verse 16 & 17).

Our fate is at the mercy of God, we conform to His will not our own.

 


 

Chapters 4 - 7

Nebuchadnezzar is humbled until he acknowledges the supremacy of God and the foolishness of his pride.  The feast of Belshazzar marks the end of the Babylonian kingdom.  The arrogant defiance of God brought judgement and death.  Under the reign of Darius a plot against Daniel backfires when he is divinely delivered from the lion's den. Daniel sees the vision of the four beasts already described.

 

Daniel 7:18                                                                                                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                     

 

THE PROPHETIC PLAN FOR ISRAEL

The visions of Daniel are full of prophecy with understanding granted by the angel Gabriel.  Note the effect this had on Daniel physically.

 

Daniel 8:27                                                                                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                             

In  Chapter 9, verse 2 Daniel received understanding from the Lord concerning the prophesy of Jeremiah relating to the seventy years of captivity. The prayer for forgiveness in this chapter is worthy our attention. Please look very closely at this prayer.  While in prayer Gabriel touched the prophet and he was given the vision of the Seventy Weeks. This revelation is considered one of the most remarkable prophecies of the Old Testament.

 

Daniel 9:25                                                                                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                      

 

Daniel saw the future restoration of Israel (which included the rebuilding of the Temple) and the public unveiling of Jesus.  God confirmed this prophecy by providing the exact dates of both of these future events.   Each day in  Daniel's  prophecy equals 1 year.   The Temple in Israel would be restored  7 weeks from the time of their release from captivity.                    The end of seven weeks  pinpoints  the completion of the Temple restoration.  The restoration task took them 49 years  (note 7x7=49years) from their release.   The adding of the seven weeks and sixty two weeks gives us the exact date from the decree of Artaxerxes, 457 B.C. (Ezra 7:11‑26) to the baptism of the Messiah (69x7=483years).

 


 

In verse 26 two more events are disclosed and took place after the sixty two weeks.  First, Jesus or the Messiah dies not for himself but for us. Secondly Jerusalem and the temple are destroyed by the people of the prince or Titus in 70 AD (read Matthew 24:15).

 

The one week or seven years in verse 27 divided in the middle immediately follow the 483 years.  The first half of the seven years commenced with Christ's baptism.  The public ministry of Christ lasted three and one‑half years and He did confirm the covenant with many Jews (read Matthew 23:34‑38).  The death of Christ caused the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.  MAT 27:51  "And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom." The confirming of the New Covenant with many Jews continued three and one‑half more years.  In that three and one‑half years many Jews were converted from the day of Pentecost to the persecution under Saul of Tarsus.  When the Gentiles (Acts 10) were ushered in to the Kingdom the seven years had ended.

 

 

 

 

 

                                            70 WEEKS OR

490 YEARS OF PROPHECY OF ISRAEL SEEN BY DANIEL:

 

7 WEEKS = 49 YEARS FROM THE DECREE

TO THE COMPLETION OF JERUSALEM

 

62 WEEKS = 434 YEARS FROM COMPLETION OF JERUSALEM

TO THE BAPTISM OF JESUS.

 

3 1/2 DAYS = 3 1/2  YEARS FROM THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

(1 WEEK)                TO THE DEATH ON THE CROSS.

 

3 1/2 DAYS = 3 1/2 YEARS FROM THE DEATH ON THE CROSS

TO THE SALVATION OF THE GENTILES.

 

 

The last three chapters reveal Israel's future concerning a great war which is introduced as Spiritual warfare (Chapter 10).  The details of this war on earth are revealed in Chapter 11.  The conclusion of all matters is set forth in Chapter 12 with the resurrection of the just and unjust ending all things.

 

QUESTIONS:

 

1.     Revelation and Daniel are alike in what way?

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2.   What are the three main divisions in Daniel?

 

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3.   How would you describe the prayer life of Daniel?

     

                                                                                                               

 

4.   Can you describe the main meaning in the dream of the image?

    

                                                                                                            

 

5.   What does 70 weeks mean in years?

 

                                                                                                                                                                          

FOR NEXT TIME:

Read the books of Hosea, Joel, and Amos.