Daniel
I. Introduction
A. Daniel
B. A prophet of visions
1. High stature in Babylonian, Persian empires
2. Visionary
3. A cause for great controversy and dispute through the ages
4. Nevertheless, spoke much regarding the coming Christ
C. Let us consider the book
II. Daniel: The Details
A. Authorship
1. Daniel seems to be responsible for much of the material
2. Court records, etc. also present
3. Jesus affirms Daniel's inspiration (Matthew 24:15)
4. Greek Septuagint contains some expansions to Daniel-- such
will be indicated in the narrative; no basis to believe in
inspiration of that material
B. Dating
1. Highly controversial
2. Book purports to come from Daniel, living in days of Babylon
and Persia (ca. 605-536 BCE)
3. The material in the prophecies refer to events from his time
to the Roman Empire (ca. 600 BCE - 70 CE)
4. Many scholars date the book to the Hellenistic period because
of prophecies relating to Seleucid rule (ca. 170 BCE)
5. If we accept inspiration of prophet, no need to have such a
late date (cf. 2 Peter 1:20-21)
C. Audience
1. Babylonian and Persian kings, post-exilic Israel
2. Much we can gain also
D. Purpose
1. To tell the story of Daniel and his associates and their
position in the Babylonian and Persian empires
2. To prepare Israel with knowledge of what would come to pass
during the "intertestamental" period (ca. 420 BCE - 5 BCE)
3. To set forth the time and nature of the Christ, destruction
of Jerusalem
III. Daniel: The Story
A. Main Sections
1. Narratives (Daniel 1-6)
2. Visions (Daniel 7-12)
B. Exile and Growth (Daniel 1)
1. 605 BCE: Nebuchadnezzar comes and exiles Jehoiachin, nobles,
others, including Daniel and associates; trained in Chaldean;
educated; names changed (Daniel 1:1-7)
2. Daniel, others would not eat king's food; talk to eunuch;
eunuch concerned about welfare, but gives them vegetables and
water for 10 days; appearance better than other youths after
that time, vegetables continued (Daniel 1:8-16)
3. Daniel, other youths gain great knowledge and skill; Daniel
given understanding of visions and dreams; stood before the
king, their superiority manifest; there during whole of
Babylonian empire (Daniel 1:17-21)
C. Nebuchadnezzar's Dream (Daniel 2)
1. 603 BCE: Nebuchadnezzar dreams dream; all magicians summoned,
unable to tell king dream or interpretation; king orders all
wise men to be killed in his anger; Daniel learns of it,
requested appointment to make it known to king (Daniel 2:1-16)
2. Daniel makes matter known to associates; they pray to God;
God makes mystery known to Daniel; Daniel's blessing of God
(Daniel 2:17-23)
3. Daniel has Arioch bring him before king; Daniel makes clear
that it is God who makes the dream known to Nebuchadnezzar
(Daniel 2:24-30)
4. The dream: king saw a statue, head of gold, chest of silver,
middle of bronze, legs of iron, feet of iron and clay; rock
cut without hands strikes image on its feet, broke it into
pieces; rock becomes great mountain (Daniel 2:31-35)
5. Interpretation: Babylon as gold; chest, middle, legs
succeeding empires; fourth kingdom as divided, partly strong
and partly brittle; in those days, God will establish
permanent kingdom, breaking rule of others in pieces
(Daniel 2:36-45)
6. Daniel honored, made ruler over Babylon; honors given to
associates also (Daniel 2:46-49)
D. Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego, and the Statue (Daniel 3)
1. Nebuchadnezzar builds such an image of gold, erects it,
demands everyone come and bow down to it or be cast into
furnace (Daniel 3:1-7)
2. King is informed that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego do not
bow down to image; in anger, demands that they be brought
forth, asks them (Daniel 3:8-15)
3. Three men affirm that they will never bow down to image,
whether their God will save them from furnace or not
(Daniel 3:16-18)
4. Nebuchadnezzar, quite angry, orders furnace heated seven times
hotter than normal; men who cast the three men in die because
of heat (Daniel 3:19-23)
5. Nebuchadnezzar sees four persons in furnace, one like a son of
the gods; orders the three to come out; they do, not even the
smell of fire is upon them; Nebuchadnezzar makes decree that
God of the young men is to be honored by all; three men
promoted (Daniel 3:24-30)
6. [apocryphal addition: prayer of Azariah on account of their
deliverance (3:24-91)]
E. Nebuchadnezzar's Humiliation (Daniel 4)
1. Nebuchadnezzar's message to all nations regarding what the
Most High God did to him; blessing of God (Daniel 4:1-3)
2. Nebuchadnezzar saw dream; none could make it known save Daniel:
tree in midst of earth, great, visible to all, shade and food
from it; men come and decide to chop it down; stump to be left,
made wet with dew of heaven, mind of animal, decreed by God
(Daniel 4:4-18)
3. Daniel dismayed; king wants to know interpretation; Daniel
provides it: king is the tree, Most High saying that he will
be driven from men and will dwell with beasts of field;
counsels king to end sin, do righteousness (Daniel 4:19-27)
4. Things came upon Nebuchadnezzar when he glorified himself;
driven from men, ate as an ox (Daniel 4:28-33)
5. Reason then restored to Nebuchadnezzar; praised God Most High;
now he honors God (Daniel 4:34-37)
F. Belshazzar and the Writing on the Wall (Daniel 5)
1. 539 BCE: Belshazzar hosts a feast; commands that vessels taken
from Temple in Jerusalem to be brought out; lords, wives,
concubines drink from them, praise idols (Daniel 5:1-4)
2. Human hand begins writing on the plaster wall; king alarmed,
calls for magicians; unable to understand it; queen comes in,
informs king of Daniel; he will provide interpretation
(Daniel 5:5-12)
3. Daniel brought before king; king wants to know interpretation,
will give gifts; Daniel does not want gifts but will provide
interpretation (Daniel 5:13-17)
4. Daniel reminds Belshazzar about how Nebuchadnezzar was driven
from men when he exalted himself; all this matter because king
has lifted up heart, used vessels of Temple (Daniel 5:18-23)
5. Interpretation: mene, mene, tekel, parsin: God has numbered
kingdom, brought it to end; king weighed, found wanting;
kingdom to Persians (Daniel 5:24-28)
6. Daniel given honors; that very night the king killed, kingdom
to Persians (Daniel 5:29-31)
G. Daniel and the Lion's Den (Daniel 6)
1. Satraps over kingdom; Daniel one of the presidents of satraps;
others try to find ground against him, but he was entirely
faithful; only difficulty would be in his observance of laws
of his God (Daniel 6:1-5)
2. They persuade Darius to make decree against any who petitions
any other god than Darius for 30 days (Daniel 6:6-9)
3. Daniel knows of document, goes home, prays to God; accusation
against him brought before Darius; king distressed on account
of decree, result (Daniel 6:10-15)
4. Daniel cast into lion's den; king fasts all night; in morning,
returns; God of Daniel shut lions' mouths, king glad; king
commands those who plotted against Daniel to be cast into den
along with families-- all immediately consumed
(Daniel 6:16-24)
5. Darius writes to all nations to fear God of Daniel
(Daniel 6:25-28)
H. Vision of Four Beasts (Daniel 7)
1. 552 BCE: Daniel sees vision, writes it down (Daniel 7:1)
2. Vision: four winds stir up sea; four great beasts out of sea;
first as lion with eagles' wings; wings removed, stood like
man, mind of man given to it; second like a bear; told to
devour flesh; third like a leopard with wings; rule given to
it; fourth beast, terrible and strong, had ten horns; one
horn came up, plucked out 3 horns by roots; eyes in horn like
eyes of man, mouth speaking great things (Daniel 7:2-8)
3. Daniel then sees thrones, Ancient of Days; description of Him,
throne, servants; court of judgment; books opened; fourth
beast killed, body handed over to be burned with fire; other
beasts lost dominion but remained for a time; son of man
comes before Ancient of Days, kingdom given to Him, all
nations to serve Him; kingdom not to be destroyed
(Daniel 7:9-14)
4. Daniel approaches one standing there, asking regarding these
things: beasts as kings, saints to receive kingdom forever;
Daniel wants to know more about fourth beast; kingdom
different from previous kingdoms, devour the earth; speak
against God, His saints; dominion will be taken away; new
kingdom established; Daniel alarmed, but keeps it to himself
(Daniel 7:15-28)
I. Vision of Ram and Goat
1. 550 BCE: Daniel sees vision of a ram and a goat; goat defeats
ram; goat as great, but great horn broken; little horn came
out, became great, trampled on stars; sanctuary overthrown;
holy ones speak regarding transgression of desolation, 2300
days; restoration of sanctuary (Daniel 8:1-14)
2. Gabriel to make vision understood: ram as Persia, goat as
Greece; four kingdoms out of the one, one will rise up, vaunt
self, stand against God, but will be broken; Daniel appalled,
did not truly understand (Daniel 8:15-27)
J. Prayer for People, Vision (Daniel 9)
1. ca. 539 BCE: seventy years coming to an end; prayer to God of
contrition, confession of sin, prayer for restoration;
Jerusalem a desolation, prayer for forgiveness (Daniel 9:1-19)
2. Gabriel comes during this to give Daniel insight,
understanding regarding Jerusalem and Jews: 70 weeks decreed;
7 weeks to Temple, 62 to cutting off of Messiah, half week of
desolation, destruction; half week of abomination of
desolation (Daniel 9:20-27)
K. Vision of a Man (Daniel 10)
1. 536 BCE: Daniel mourning three weeks; sees vision of a man,
man described; others with him did not see vision, but
trembling upon them; man's words to Daniel; Daniel made to
sleep (Daniel 10:1-10)
2. Man sent to comfort Daniel, let him know that he is loved,
humbling heard; Daniel to understand what will happen to his
people; pains upon Daniel because of visions; man comforts
him, says he is here to fight with Persian prince, and then
the prince of Greece will come (Daniel 10:11-21)
L. Kings of the North and South (Daniel 11)
1. 539 BCE: Daniel confirms Darius and strengthens him; speaks
about future of Persian monarchy; speaks of one king of
Greece, then kingdom divided into four; king of north
(Seleucids) and king of south (Ptolemies); early strength of
king of south; later strength of king of north
(Daniel 11:1-19)
2. King of north ascendant; great power, might, victories;
magnify himself against God; abomination of desolation;
resistance to that king (Daniel 11:20-45)
3. [Daniel 11 as reference to future of powers, especially those
relating to Israel: Persian kings, Alexander, Ptolemies,
Seleucids, and especially Antiochus IV]
M. Time of End (Daniel 12)
1. Michael will then arise; great time of trouble; deliverance
for Israelites whose names are in book; resurrection to life
or condemnation; righteous will shine; Daniel to seal up book
(Daniel 12:1-4)
2. Two others standing; one asking regarding end of wonders;
time, time, and half a time; Daniel wishes to understand, but
not granted; words to be sealed up until the end; many to be
holy, others wicked; burnt offering taken away to abomination
of desolation is 1290 days; blessings for those who wait the
1335 days; Daniel to go, will stand in allotted place at the
end of time (Daniel 12:5-12)
N. Apocryphal stories: Susanna, Bel and Dragon
1. [Story of Susanna: wicked elders who desired her, Susanna
refuses their advances; elders slander her, accuse her of
indecency; condemned to death; she cries out to God; God hears
her; Daniel sent, challenges elders; separates them, their
stories disagree; elders condemned for bearing false witness,
stoned; Susanna vindicated, Daniel honored (13:1-64)]
2. [Daniel honored in days of Cyrus; Babylonians served Bel,
Daniel God; king inquires of Daniel why it is so; Daniel
indicates that he only serves the real God and not idols; king
believes Bel eats and drinks; Daniel mocks the idea; if Daniel
right, priests will die; if Daniel wrong, Daniel will die;
priests attempt to deceive king by having other way into
temple than entrance, but Daniel has ashes strewn on floor of
temple; door unbroken in morning, king praises Bel, but Daniel
shows him the footprints on floor; priests brought in, show
king the other door; king has them all killed; Daniel has Bel
and temple destroyed; king shows Daniel a dragon that is a
god; Daniel says he will slay it without club or sword; given
permission; makes a kind of cake, feeds it to dragon, which
bursts open; people indignant that king being made Jew,
compel king to hand Daniel over; Daniel cast into lion's den;
Habakkuk in Judea, is told to take food and bring it to
Daniel in Babylon; angel takes him there, food provided for
Daniel; Habakkuk returned to own place; seventh day, king
mourns for Daniel, yet Daniel still there; those who had
plotted against him cast in den, immediately devoured
(14:1-42)]
IV. Daniel: Important Passages
A. Daniel 2:31-45
B. Daniel 7-8 / Revelation 4-19
C. Daniel 9:20-27 / Matthew 24:1-36
V. Conclusion
A. Daniel a prophet of visions
1. Highly exalted in Babylon and Persia
2. Given visions of the future
B. Information for Persian, Ptolemaic, Seleucid, Hasmonean, and
Roman periods
1. From his own time until the days of Christ
2. Jesus as son of man
3. John sees similar images in Revelation
C. Let us take comfort from Daniel and serve the living God!
D. Invitation/songbook