Prophetic Palm Sunday and Daniel

  

 

24 Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.

25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.

26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.

27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.

Daniel 9:24-27

A prophecy which has been partly fulfilled is found in our verses above. It is important to note from verse 24 to whom this prophecy is given. Since the person hearing this is Daniel, we know this prophecy is about Israel – Daniel’s people.

Verse 25 gives us the starting date for this prophecy to be fulfilled – the date of the order given for Jerusalem to be restored. This was fulfilled, and the date is given, in Nehemiah 2:1-5. The prince named in this verse is Nehemiah who, by the king’s orders, became the governor of Israel and brought the people back to God’s way.

Verse 26 says after this first period of seven weeks (49 years), when Nehemiah was in charge, will come an additional 62 weeks (434 years). At the close of this time the “Anointed One” would be cut off. Counting, then, the 483 years from the king’s decree for Nehemiah to restore the city of Jerusalem, we come to the year of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem – the event we today call Palm Sunday. That was the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey’s colt, offering Himself as the King of the Jews. His offer was refused, and a few days later He was crucified – cut off.

Verse 27 gives one additional week as the closing of this prophecy – a final seven years which is broken into two parts. This “week” or seven years begins with a covenant between “Daniel’s people” – Israel, and ends with the return of Jesus to earth. In Daniel 12:11, God tells us the exact number of days from the middle event of this seven-year period – the abomination of desolation – until Jesus steps onto the Mount of Olives, and puts an end to the “desolator” (the antichrist).

Prayer: Father, help us to understand Your faithfulness in completing everything You have prophesied in complete agreement with all You have said. Thank you for warning us ahead of time about things to come. May we keep our eyes always on You Lord Jesus. In Your name we pray, Amen. 

From Global Media Outreach 

Prophecies of Israel

 

We move into prophecies now which have been fulfilled in the lifetimes of people who are still alive today. First, we need to understand something about prophecies. While God has a plan for all our lives, He chose one nation, one people, to be His for the purpose of bringing salvation to all the world. This nation is Israel. And though God knows – has already planned – what will happen to all the other nations and peoples of this earth, the Bible gives us prophecies only as they concern the nation Israel because it was, and continues to be, Israel through which He will accomplish everything else He has planned for all the world.

Many years ago a famous queen of England asked one of her advisors how he knew God existed. He answered, Israel. Surprised, she asked why he said this. He said that if Israel still existed after all the attempts the rest of the world had made to erase it from existence, it could only be because God was/is protecting her.

In Ezekiel 36 we can read a prophecy of God’s protection and restoration of the people. Throughout history there have been other nations which have determined to kill all these people, to wipe them from the face of the earth. We could name Hitler and Stalin and most recently Iran and Hamas, as examples of this. And we see this same hatred gaining ground once more in our world in many other countries, including the United States.

In Ezekiel 36:8, God speaking to the mountains of Israel to begin producing vegetation again in preparation for the return of the people. "But you, mountains of Israel, you will sprout your branches and bear your fruit for my people Israel, who will soon return." For many hundreds of years the land had been barren. Rome destroyed everything they could of civilization in 70 AD, and in the 1100s, during the times of the Crusades, the land itself was destroyed as trees were used for fire and weapons. Then God prophesied the land would again become lush and green as the people of Israel would return to it.

God had prophesied against Israel thousands of years earlier that He would disperse them among the nations if they continued to reject Him. This happened several times, and yet God brought them back again so they had the opportunity again to be faithful. After the nation demanded the death of Jesus, Messiah and Son of God, the Lord dispersed them again until the time would come for the end of what He had called the time of the Gentiles (see Romans 11:25 and Luke 21:24). This time essentially began when Israel was taken captive to Babylon. Then God gave Daniel at least two prophecies about this time – the golden statue and the Seventy Weeks prophecy from Daniel 9:24-27. 

Prayer: Father, we thank You for the mysteries of the prophecies You have given to us – mysteries we can unlock and understand only as we see Your purpose for all people and hear Your explanations through Your Word. Teach us Your Truth. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. 

From Global Media Outreach 

Daniel's Seventy Weeks

  

 

24 Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.

25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.

26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.

27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.

Daniel 9:24-27

A prophecy which has been partly fulfilled is found in our verses above. It is important to note from verse 24 to whom this prophecy is given. Since the person hearing this is Daniel, we know this prophecy is about Israel – Daniel’s people.

Verse 25 gives us the starting date for this prophecy to be fulfilled – the date of the order given for Jerusalem to be restored. This was fulfilled, and the date is given, in Nehemiah 2:1-5. The prince named in this verse is Nehemiah who, by the king’s orders, became the governor of Israel and brought the people back to God’s way.

Verse 26 says after this first period of seven weeks (49 years), when Nehemiah was in charge, will come an additional 62 weeks (434 years). At the close of this time the “Anointed One” would be cut off. Counting, then, the 483 years from the king’s decree for Nehemiah to restore the city of Jerusalem, we come to the year of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem – the event we today call Palm Sunday. That was the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey’s colt, offering Himself as the King of the Jews. His offer was refused, and a few days later He was crucified – cut off.

Verse 27 gives one additional week as the closing of this prophecy – a final seven years which is broken into two parts. This “week” or seven years begins with a covenant between “Daniel’s people” – Israel, and ends with the return of Jesus to earth. In Daniel 12:11, God tells us the exact number of days from the middle event of this seven-year period – the abomination of desolation – until Jesus steps onto the Mount of Olives, and puts an end to the “desolator” (the antichrist).

Prayer: Father, help us to understand Your faithfulness in completing everything You have prophesied in complete agreement with all You have said. Thank you for warning us ahead of time about things to come. May we keep our eyes always on You Lord Jesus. In Your name we pray, Amen. 

From Global Media Outreach 

The Seventieth Week - Daniel 9:26-27

And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.

And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”  Daniel 9:26-27

 

In our last lesson we read about the timing of the Seventieth Week of Daniel. For details on this special seven years of earth’s history we need to go to the book of Revelation. To understand all of this as God wrote it, we need to state some things that have been misunderstood or misinterpreted from the Bible.

First, this seventieth week is about Israel, not about the Church. Remember, the decree from God was made to Daniel about “your people” – Israel. The Church (true believers in Jesus from all over the world) began on Pentecost Sunday in Acts 2. The Church did not replace Israel in God’s plan – He has specific plans for both! The purpose for Israel was for bringing Jesus into the world – He would be born from that nation. The purpose for the Church is to be Jesus’ body on this earth until His plan is completed; then the Church goes to Jesus’ side to become His Bride and to always be with Him. Israel is pictured as God’s “wife” in many Old Testament scriptures (read Hosea as an example). The “covenant” God made with Israel is pictured in the Tabernacle/Temple. The “covenant” He made with the Church is the Holy Spirit as a special helper to the Church, and a “contract of marriage” which is pictured in all Jesus told His disciples in John chapters 13-17. Ephesians 1:13 pictures the Holy Spirit as a kind of “engagement ring” for the Church.

Second, this seventieth week is God’s way of bringing Israel back to Himself. When Jesus came the first time, the religious leaders understood exactly who He claimed to be – but they did not want to lose their positions of power over the people, so they conspired to kill him. God’s prophecies in Deuteronomy promised Israel exactly what would happen to them if/when they walked away from Him. Another difference in how God promised to work in each group is that Israel was promised God’s anger and wrath (Deuteronomy 11:17 for example) when they walked away from Him. His promise to the Church is that we will be delivered or protected from His wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

Lastly, God’s promise to Israel is that when His “wrath” has been completed, “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26-27). When they finally acknowledge who Jesus truly is – their Messiah and God – they will never again walk away from Him.

*When was the last time you prayed for the people of Israel to recognize Jesus as their Messiah?

Seventy Weeks of History Foretold - Daniel 9:20-27

While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the LORD my God for the holy hill of my God, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision. 

“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”  Daniel 9:20-27

Notice that Daniel prayed at the time of day that God had commanded His people to pray – at the time of the evening sacrifice. Even though the temple was destroyed, Daniel still honored the “time for prayer” as God had commanded. When does God ask us to pray? The answer is found in such verses as 1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “pray without ceasing.”

God now gives Daniel a prophetic map of the history of Israel from his day until the end of history as we know it. Where Daniel had been reading about “70 years”, God now maps history in “70 weeks.” Each “week” is seven years. Notice that the purpose of the seventy weeks is to “finish the transgression” – complete the time of Israel’s rebellion against God.

The first period of seven weeks began with the king’s command to Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2). The city and the place of the Temple again belonged to Israel. The prophecy of sixty-two weeks gives us the exact day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, offering them the Kingdom (Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12). Within days “after that” Jesus was crucified – “cut off” from His people. (For further explanation of this fulfillment go to https://www.gotquestions.org/seventy-weeks.html)

Jesus spoke of the “times of the Gentiles” in Luke 21:24, a period of time between the “cutting off” of the Messiah until the time of the last “week” for Daniel’s people, Israel. This is the time in which we live now. Daniel’s seventieth week will begin when a “prince” makes a covenant with Israel (Daniel’s people) for one week – seven years. This is known as the Great Tribulation.

*What makes you certain that you will not have to face the Great Tribulation?

Seek for His Kingdom - Jeremiah 25:11-12

Jeremiah 25:11-12 – “This whole land [Israel] shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste.”

In our last lesson we see Daniel doing exactly what we must do to understand what God wants to tell us or show us in His prophecies. He was reading the “book” – in this case the book of Jeremiah. The Bible as we know it today was not yet complete for Daniel, and each of the individual books (Book of Moses, Book of the Kings, probably the Book of Isaiah, and certainly the Book of Jeremiah) were separate scrolls. Since each was hand-written, they were expensive and therefore great treasures for those who could afford such “books.” Daniel spent time reading and learning from God through them, and then He spent time in prayer talking with God about what he had read.

As we often do when we also read the Bible and pray, Daniel suddenly became aware that a wonderful prophecy was about to be fulfilled for the people of Israel. He could count the years he had been in captivity in Babylon – and here the word of God said he and his people were about to be released! Daniel could have gone to his people to shout the good news, but instead he turned to God in prayer.

Daniel’s prayer was, first, one of confession of sin. Praying in “sackcloth and ashes” was the outward sign that the person knew they deserved nothing from God, that they put aside every bit of pride to put on humility and repentance before God.

Second, Daniel’s prayer was for God to do exactly what He had promised – to turn His wrath away from Jerusalem – verses 16-19. Why would Daniel need to ask God to do what He had promised to do anyway? He did so because what he truly wanted was the same thing God wanted: he was praying for the will of God to be done. How often do we only pray for what we want, rather than seek to know what He wants to do and ask Him to do His will? Jesus’ command to us in Matthew 6:33 is that we seek His kingdom and His will first, and then He will supply all our needs.

We want to work and spend our life here on earth doing what pleases us. God wants us to work and spend our life here doing what He asks of us. We understand our earthly employers caring for us by giving us wages for what we do; but God goes much further. He gives us what we need for life here and trains us for our eternity with Him!

Third, God answered Daniel’s prayer by sending Gabriel to give Daniel far more than he had asked for! We continue this in our next lesson.

*How have you seen God answer your prayers differently than you expected?

A Powerful Prayer - Daniel 9:1-19

 Daniel 9:1-19  
1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—
2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.
3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
4 I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.
6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you.
8 To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.
9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him
10 and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him.
12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem.
13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth.
14 Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and 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 have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
16 “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us.
17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.
18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.
19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

The Antichrist - Daniel 8:15-27

 Daniel 8:15-27  
15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.
16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”
17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”
18 And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up.
19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end.
20 As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia.
21 And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.
22 As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power.
23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise.
24 His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints.
25 By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand.
26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”
27 And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.

The events explained in verses 15-22 can be verified as true in any history book telling events from Cyrus through the end of the Grecian Empire when Rome came into power. From verse 23 on we see prophecy for “the latter end of their kingdom”, the part that told about the ten toes of iron and clay in Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. This prophecy now becomes personal about one man – the Antichrist. He is described here as cunning, deceitful, and destructive. He will “even rise up against the Prince of princes” – Jesus Christ Himself.

This vision was powerfully disturbing for Daniel, so much that it made him physically ill for several days. We, who now live in the last days do not truly understand the evil of the man who is about to come into power in our world – he will have great ability to deceive; and will mislead a great many of our world. Those who see him for who he really is will be hunted for destruction.

*Read 1 Peter 1:10-11 – How well did the prophets of the Old Testament understand the things they were writing?

The Ram and the Goat - Daniel 8:1-14

 Daniel 8:1-14  
1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first.
2 And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal.
3 I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.
4 I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.
5 As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.
6 He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath.
7 I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power.
8 Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land.
10 It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them.
11 It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown.
12 And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?”
14 And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”

This vision came to Daniel about nine years before the events given in chapter 5. The ram with two horns in this vision is the Medo-Persian Empire, and the goat is Greece, with the great horn being Alexander the Great. The four horns replacing the great horn were Alexander’s four generals who took over his kingdom when he died.

We will read more of the interpretation in our next lesson.

*What gives you confidence today that Jesus is still in control of all that is happening in our world?

Alarming Explanations - Daniel 7:15-28

 

 Daniel 7:15-28  
15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me.
16 I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things.
17 ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’
19 “Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet,
20 and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions.
21 As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them,
22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
24 As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings.
25 He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

26 But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
27 And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’
28 “Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.”

 Daniel asked God for an explanation of this fourth beast or kingdom that was so different. God answered his questions and the answers he received alarmed him (verse 28). The description we have in verse 23 above, that this kingdom will “devour the whole earth”, might well alarm us too, if we who are believers in Jesus Christ today did not know that we have His promise that He will save us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

*Memorize 1 Thessalonians 1:10 – “And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

The Fourth Beast - Daniel 7:7-14

 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

8 I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
11 “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.
12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
14 And 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 one that shall not be destroyed.
Daniel 7:7-14

The beast described here is like nothing Daniel could describe. It is the Antichrist, a ruler like no other in earth’s history because this ruler will be backed up and possibly possessed by Satan himself.

The iron legs and feet (iron and clay mixed) from Nebuchadnezzar’s statue are pictured here as a single animal that has no earthly comparison. That is because there has never been a human ruler in earth’s history like this one – the Antichrist. The destruction foretold here will be greater than at any other time. The ten horns, of which 3 are replaced by a little horn, are ten kingdoms on the earth. Three of them will be replaced by the Antichrist. But his time to rule will be very short as Daniel sees in the next verse that the “Ancient of Days” comes to rule. This is God Himself and He gives the kingdom to be ruled by “one like the Son of Man” which is Jesus who will reign on the earth for one thousand years. The judgement that is seen in verse 10 is the judgement we also see in Matthew 25:31-40, determining who will enter this Millennial Kingdom.

*Read other descriptions of the Millennial Kingdom in Zechariah 14, Isaiah 2:2-4, Ezekiel 34:17-24, Micah 4:1-5, and Revelation 20:1-6.

From Global Media Outreach 

Daniel's First Vision - Daniel 7:1-6

Daniel 7:1-6  

1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.
2 Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.
4 The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.
5 And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’
6 After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

The first six chapters of Daniel have been history. With this chapter we begin to study Daniel’s visions from God through which He would give us information about the future. A first important question is: why would God tell us the future? One answer is that God does so to prove that He truly is God. Another reason is that He wants us, who are His children, to know what is coming so that when bad things happen, we can remain calm in the certain knowledge that He is still in control.

The first image in this vision is the four winds stirring up the great sea. This great sea is a symbol of the Gentile nations that are stirred up by the evil one against God and His people, Israel. All through scripture we find that Satan hates both God and Israel and, since he cannot destroy God, he does everything he can to destroy Israel. History is full of these attempts, and each one has failed.

The four beasts that come up from the sea are the same nations as represented by Nebuchadnezzar’s statue in Chapter 2. The difference is that Nebuchadnezzar’s statue presented man’s view of the governments of the world, while in Daniel’s dream, the animals presented God’s view of these governments. Dr. Strauss suggests that the lion standing up might be a reference to Nebuchadnezzar becoming a man of God.

The bear, raising itself on one side, showed that the Persian side of the Medo-Persian Empire would become the stronger of the two. A bear might be slower and less regal than a lion, but it is more powerful.

The leopard showed the speed with which Alexander the Great would conquer the world, and the four heads showed the four leaders of this empire who would follow Alexander after his death – his four generals.

Again, Dr. Strauss suggests that showing the governments as animals shows the bloodthirsty passion for dominance that man’s kingdoms prove to be.

*How do you see history with different eyes when you see it from God’s point of view?

From Global Media Outreach 

Faith in the Face of Death - Daniel 6:16-28

 

16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”
17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.
20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!
22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”
23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
24 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you.
26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.

27 He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”
28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.  Daniel 6:16-28

Every believer in God will face attacks from God’s enemy, Satan, and Daniel was not an exception. Those who wanted the influence with the king that Daniel had, found a way to use Darius’ pride to get rid of Daniel. But God is never caught off guard! He can make even hungry lions wait for a meal! 

Ephesians 6:16 tells us that our faith in God is our shield against danger. This does not mean we will never be hurt or sick or even killed. Our faith in God is that He can keep, for eternity, our soul and life which we have given into His care (2 Timothy 1:12). We must live with the full awareness that this world is not our home: we are only here for a short moment when compared to eternity.

*Memorize 2 Timothy 1:12 – “…But I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard until that Day what I have entrusted to Him.”

A King's Pride - Daniel 6:1-15

 

1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom;
2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.
3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.
5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever!
7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.”
9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.
10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.

12 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”
13 Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.
15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.” Daniel 6:1-15

*When have you made a decision based on pride which ended up being a bad decision?