Daniel 7 - The “Times of the Gentiles”

Watch Chuck Missler's video "Daniel 7 -  The Times Of The Gentiles": www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPx10Q_7IfA

Read Daniel chapter 7 together with Revelation chapter 13 before this study.

Revelation 13:1-12: And now in my vision I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. This beast looked like a leopard, but it had bear's feet and a lion's mouth! And the dragon gave him his own power and throne and great authority. I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery -- but the fatal wound was healed! All the world marveled at this miracle and followed the beast in awe. They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they worshiped the beast. "Is there anyone as great as the beast?" they exclaimed. "Who is able to fight against him?" Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do what he wanted for forty-two months. And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and all who live in heaven, who are his temple. And the beast was allowed to wage war against God's holy people and to overcome them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life, which belongs to the Lamb who was killed before the world was made. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand. The people who are destined for prison will be arrested and taken away. Those who are destined for death will be killed. But do not be dismayed, for here is your opportunity to have endurance and faith. Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, and he spoke with the voice of a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and those who belong to this world to worship the first beast, whose death-wound had been healed.

Although its interpretation has varied widely, conservative scholars generally are agreed, with few exceptions, that Daniel traces the course of four great world empires, namely, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, concluding in the climax of world history in the second coming of Jesus Christ and the inauguration of the eternal kingdom of God, represented as a fifth and final kingdom which is from heaven. Chapter 7 views world history from God’s standpoint in its immorality, brutality and depravity.

Chapters 7 through 12 chronologically revert to the realm of Belshazzar, and the visions which Daniel received under his reign, and carry us forward to the reign of Cyrus the Persian and the revelations which came to the prophet during those days. Though it is not apparent to an English reader, there is another link which ties chapter 7 to chapter 2. The whole portion of the prophecy between these two boundaries appears in the Aramaic language rather than Hebrew. Aramaic was the language of Babylon, a Gentile language. Thus the section fittingly begins with a vision tracing the entire course of Gentile supremacy in the world; for Nebuchadnezzar's great dream image of chapter 2 covers the same general course of history as Daniel's vision of four beasts, found in chapter 7.

Key Words: Ancient One, vision(s), kings, sea, beast(s), horn(s), throne(s), kingdom(s).

This vision is still in Aramaic, not Hebrew, while chapter 8 reverts to Hebrew.

It is surprising the number of different theories there are on how to interpret Daniel and Revelation. Most authors seem to forget a Biblical principle: Ecclesiastes 1:9 (KJV): The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done : and there is no new thing under the sun. In other words, in relation to prophecy, prophecies often refer to something that happened in the past but something very similar will happen in the future, fulfilling the prophecy twice.

(1) Earlier, during the first year of King Belshazzar's reign in Babylon, Daniel had a dream and saw visions as he lay in his bed. He wrote the dream down, and this is what he saw.

• The KJV indicates that he "wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matter.", meaning a summation of the dream covering the main details. So, chapter 7 does not give us every detail of the dream.
• Daniel is in his 80's.

(2) In my vision that night, I, Daniel, saw a great *storm churning the surface of a **great sea, with ***strong winds blowing from every direction.

• *storm churning:
• May refer to civil unrest, riots or wars.
• Churning has the idea of chaos and tumult. "To the Hebrews, the sea was both dangerous and mysterious, a restless element but not beyond the Lord’s power to tame.” (Baldwin).
• **The great sea is usually, in Scripture, the Mediterranean Sea. Rome called it "Mare Nostrum" - Our Sea. Symbolically, the sea represents Gentile powers that are hostile to God and to Israel. "Sea" also often refers to humanity. The sea is sometimes used as a picture of Gentile nations (Psalm 74:13, Psalm 89:9, Isaiah 17:12 & 57:20, Revelation 17:15).
• Revelation 17:15: And the angel said to me, "The waters where the prostitute is sitting represent masses of people of every nation and language.
• ***strong winds: The four winds (or spirits) in the KJV. 
  • Winds often symbolize war - Remember the TV series, "The Winds of War" in 1983 about World War II?:
  • Revelation 7:1: And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
• Isaiah 21:1-2: This message came to me concerning the land of Babylonia: Disaster is roaring down on you from the desert, like a whirlwind sweeping in from the Negev. I see an awesome vision: I see you plundered and destroyed. Go ahead, you Elamites and Medes, take part in the siege. Babylon will fall, and the groaning of all the nations she enslaved will end.
• Jeremiah 25:32 (KJV): Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
• Jeremiah 49:36-37 (KJV): And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come . For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies , and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:

(3) Then four huge *beasts came up out of the water, each different from the others.

• *beasts: Notice how God views these Gentile rulers - not as men to be admired, but as beasts who conquer and destroy! Jesus was, of course, never call a "beast", though one who claims to be the Vicar of Christ could easily be called a "beast."
• The four beasts represented four kingdoms (verse 17).
• These seem to correspond to the four kingdoms of the great dream image of Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 2. There, the kingdoms are viewed from man's point of view as of great but decreasing value, represented by gold, silver, bronze and iron. Here they appear from the divine point of view as great snarling animals fighting and clashing with one another; but most interpreters agree that they represent the same kingdoms, those of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. The 10 horns which appeared on the fourth beast's head apparently link with the 10 toes of the fourth kingdom in the dream image. The eleventh horn, with the eyes and mouth that spoke great things, is often linked with the great beast of Revelation 13 who appears as the world dictator of the last days and is known as the Antichrist.

(4) The first beast was like a *lion with eagles' wings. As I watched, its *wings were pulled off, and it was left standing with its two hind feet on the ground, like a human being. And a human mind was given to it.

• 
  *lion with eagles' wings: Winged lion was a symbol of Babylon. Wings represent strength and swiftness. Most scholars agree that the lion here represents the Babylonian kingdom. The lion was a common motif of royal power, Solomon, for example, had 12 lions on either side of the steps leading to his throne. (1 Kings 10:20; 2 Chronicles 9:19). As gold was the most precious metal (at the time), so the lion is recognized as the king among beasts. Nebuchadnezzar is described as having hair like eagle’s feathers in Daniel 4:33. Here, the Lion has the heart of a man and stands on two feet.
• *wings were pulled off: This part might have reference to Nebuchadnezzar's insanity for a period of seven years followed by his standing back up on his own two feet and became a "human" again. After Nebuchadnezzar's death, successive rulers were weaker and the kingdom was conquered by the next beast.

(5) Then I saw a second beast, and it looked like a *bear. It was rearing up on **one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And I heard a voice saying to it, "Get up! Devour many people!"

• 
  
• *bear: Notice that it looks like a bear, not that it is a bear. The bear is less regal; ponderous; of formidable strength (Xerxes had 2.5 million men in his army!). The beast of Revelation 13 which gathers into its power the characteristics of all previous beasts is said to have feet as a bear:
• Revelation 13:2: This beast looked like a leopard, but it had bear's feet and a lion's mouth! And the dragon gave him his own power and throne and great authority.
• **one side: Media already swallowed up by Persia by 550 B.C.
• ***three ribs: The three ribs in the bear’s mouth probably refer to the three main thrusts to control the Babylonian Empire: the thrusts into Lydia (modern day Turkey), Egypt and Babylon by the armies of Cyrus the Great. He ended Babylon’s rule and set the captives free. The decree issued by Cyrus was that the Israelites were to be freed, that they could return to their homeland without cost. In the same way, Christ will overthrow spiritual Babylon at the end of time. He will set the captives free and take them to their heavenly home. Their redemption will be without cost.

(6) Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a *leopard. It had **four wings like birds' wings on its back, and it had **four heads. Great ***authority was ****given to this beast.

• 
• *leopard: If any kingdom is like a leopard, it would be Greece. Alexander the Great succeeded his father, Phillip of Macedon, at his death in 323 B.C. Alexander was 23 years old when he became King of Greece. Alexander set out to destroy Greece’s old enemy, Persia. Much like Hitler's blitzkrieg through Europe, with lightening speed, the armies of Greece quickly defeated Persia, first at the battle of Issus in 333 B.C. against Darius III. Alexander then defeated the Phoenicians at Tyre in 332 B.C., Palestine/Judea surrendered and he conquered Egypt in 331 B.C. In the ancient city of Nineveh, he again met Darius III and defeated him again. Alexander then continued east all the way to the borders of India where his men refused to go any further; they then began the march back. In the city of Babylon, where Alexander was proclaimed a god, he planned to establish his capital. In 323 B.C., Alexander the Great died at the age of 33. He had stretched the Greek Empire from Macedonia to India defeating the most powerful armies of the world in 10 years. After his death, his kingdom was divided between his four generals.
• Daniel 8:3-8; 8:20-22: As I looked up, I saw in front of me a ram with two long horns standing beside the river. One of the horns was longer than the other, even though it had begun to grow later than the shorter one. The ram butted everything out of its way to the west, to the north, and to the south, and no one could stand against it or help its victims. It did as it pleased and became very great. While I was watching, suddenly a male goat appeared from the west, crossing the land so swiftly that it didn't even touch the ground. This goat, which had one very large horn between its eyes, headed toward the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the river. The goat charged furiously at the ram and struck it, breaking off both its horns. Now the ram was helpless, and the goat knocked it down and trampled it. There was no one who could rescue the ram from the goat's power. The goat became very powerful. But at the height of its power, its large horn was broken off. In the large horn's place grew four prominent horns pointing in the four directions of the earth. ... The two-horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy male goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes represents the first king of the Greek Empire. The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four sections with four kings, none of them as great as the first
• **four wings and four heads: Alexander’s Successors (his four generals):
  1. Cassander - Macedonia & Greece. (Conquered by Rome 146 B.C.)
  2. Lysimacus - Thrace, Bithynia, most of Asia Minor. (Conquered by Rome 133 B.C.)
  3. Seleucus - Syria and lands to the East (including Palestine). (Conquered by Rome 64 B.C.)
  4. Ptolemy - Egypt, Cyrene, Arabia, Petraea. (Conquered by Rome 31 B.C.)
• ***authority: God is the source of these nations’ power and territory.  Territory or dominion was by God, not taken by men.
• ****given: Daniel 4:17: For this has been decreed by the messengers ; it is commanded by the holy ones. The purpose of this decree is that the whole world may understand that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses -- even to the lowliest of humans."

(7) Then in my vision that night, I saw a *fourth beast, terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge **iron teeth and trampled what was left beneath its feet. It was ***different from any of the other beasts, and it had ****ten horns.

• *fourth beast:
• Not described as being like any animal - nothing could be compared to its ferociousness!
• "Rome had no interest in raising the conquered nations to any high level of development. All her designs were imperial; let the nations be crushed and stamped underfoot." - Leupold, pp. 297-98.
• **iron: Daniel 2:33: its legs were of iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and clay.
• ***different from any of the other beasts: Different in kind from the others, could not even be compared to an earthly animal. So, this is more than simply a conquering kingdom and ruler. Most people don't notice the significance of the term.
• ***ten horns = 10 kings (verse 24):
• The fourth beast aligns with Babylon in chapter, but the ten toes are listed separately in chapter 2 from the feet and legs which are mixed with clay - which may refer to democracy or may refer to a seed of Satan, the tares sowed with the wheat. His feet part iron and part of clay -This is still future. This refers to the revived Roman Empire of the Tribulation period. The beast is Anti-Christ as evidenced by Revelation.
• Out from these ten kings there shall arise the Antichrist who will assume full responsibility and who will finally declare himself the Dictator of the World.
• Revelation 13:1-2: And now in my vision I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. This beast looked like a leopard, but it had bear's feet and a lion's mouth! And the dragon gave him his own power and throne and great authority.
• Revelation 17:7-14: Why are you so amazed?" the angel asked. "I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns. The beast you saw was alive but isn't now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life from before the world began, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died. "And now understand this: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills of the city where this woman rules. They also represent seven kings. Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief. The scarlet beast that was alive and then died is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, will go to his doom. His ten horns are ten kings who have not yet risen to power; they will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. They will all agree to give their power and authority to him. Together they will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord over all lords and King over all kings, and his people are the called and chosen and faithful ones."
• The amillennial school of thought maintains that the prophecy of the 10 kingdoms was fulfilled in the latter phase of the old Roman Empire. Is there any event in history which corresponds to a ten-kingdom confederacy overthrown by another king and which remains until it is replaced by the kingdom of heaven?
• Following the sequence of Daniel 2, the terrible beast of Daniel 7 represents Rome. Although divided into ten through the ten horns, it is still Rome that rules until the end of time. The iron does not change; it is just separated by clay. It will not be conquered until the great stone in Daniel 2 smashes it to pieces - including the ten toes of iron mixed with clay. Has this yet happened?
• I have listed separately a timeline of the Roman Empire from 241 BC to 1806 AD which is then succeeded by the "Western world" with no human head and the Roman church with a weak human ruler. Even the USA is a descendant from Rome. Note that the Roman Empire's mortal enemy was the Parthian empire (Persia, modern day Iran) and was never able to defeat it. Who is the mortal enemy today of Israel? Who wants to wipe Israel off the map? Who's trying to develop an atomic bomb? Who sponsors Hezbollah and Hamas?
• Rome defeated the four kingdoms left by Alexander the Great:
1. Cassander’s kingdom 146 B.C.
2. Lysimachus’ kingdom 133 B.C.
3. Seleucus’ kingdom 64 B.C.
4. Ptolemy’s kingdom 31 B.C.

(8) As I was looking at the horns, suddenly *another **small horn appeared among them. Three of the first horns were wrenched out, roots and all, to make room for it. This little horn had ***eyes like human eyes and a ****mouth that was boasting arrogantly.

• *another: So, this is in addition to the first 10 kings or kingdoms for a temporary total of 11 that then becomes a total of 8 since 3 are wrenched out. Note that 8 is the number of judgment.
• **small horn
  • Many believe this refers historically to Antiochus Epiphanes who desecrated the temple and slaughtered thousands of Jews from 171-165 B.C. However, Daniel 8:9-10 (below) goes way beyond that. Therefore, Antiochus Epiphanes is a type of Anti-Christ - one of Satan's many attempts to get rid of the Jews and destroy Israel.
  •  1 Maccabees 1:10,54-61: And there came out of them a wicked root Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been an hostage at Rome, and he reigned in the hundred and thirty and seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks. ... Now the fifteenth day of the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and fifth year, they set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar, and builded idol altars throughout the cities of Juda on every side; And burnt incense at the doors of their houses, and in the streets. And when they had rent in pieces the books of the law which they found, they burnt them with fire. And whosoever was found with any the book of the testament, or if any committed to the law, the king’s commandment was, that they should put him to death. Thus did they by their authority unto the Israelites every month, to as many as were found in the cities. Now the five and twentieth day of the month they did sacrifice upon the idol altar, which was upon the altar of God. At which time according to the commandment they put to death certain women, that had caused their children to be circumcised. And they hanged the infants about their necks, and rifled their houses, and slew them that had circumcised them.
  • Daniel 8:9-10: From one of the prominent horns came a small horn whose power grew very great. It extended toward the south and the east and toward the glorious land of Israel. His power reached to the heavens where it attacked the *heavenly armies, throwing some of the heavenly beings and stars to the ground and trampling them.
• *heavenly armies ... heavenly beings: This is no normal human being or kingdom if it can even reach to the heavens attacking the heavenly armies and defeating heavenly beings!
• This is obviously the Anti-Christ.
• ***eyes ... mouth: This is not a "beast", it is a human being, but no ordinary human! It is the Anti-Christ as revealed in Revelation 13.
• ****mouth:
  • Revelation 13:5-6: Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do what he wanted for forty-two months. And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and all who live in heaven, who are his temple.
  • Daniel 7:11: I continued to watch because I could hear the little horn's boastful speech. I kept watching until the fourth beast was killed and its body was destroyed by fire.
• "As we compare the two prophecies, we see that the first beast of Revelation 13 and the little horn of Daniel 7 are one and the same, both representing papal Rome" - Professor Walter J. Veith, PhD. The final pope may well be the Anti-Christ or the false prophet.
• "Long ages ago, when Rome through the neglect of the Western emperors was left to the mercy of the barbarous hordes, the Romans turned to one figure for aid and protection. and asked him to rule them. . and thus . . commenced the temporal sovereignty of the popes. And meekly stepping to the throne of Caesar, the vicar of Christ took up the scepter to which the emperors and kings of Europe were to bow in reverence through so many ages." Catholics, Protestants, and all historians know that, after the breakup of pagan Rome, the papacy, or papal Rome, became the outstanding force among the ten kingdoms of Europe. There simply is no other power that answers to the ten points set forth by Daniel concerning the little horn. We shall briefly touch each point." (American Catholic Quarterly Review, April, 1911).
• The lack of character that will be displayed by the Antichrist is perhaps best summed up in some of the names given to him in the Scriptures:
  • The Beast (Revelation 13:1)
  • The Man of Lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
  • The Son of Destruction (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
  • The Despicable Person (Daniel 11:21)
  • The Willful King (Daniel 11:36)
  • The Worthless Shepherd (Zechariah 11:17)
  • The Insolent King (Daniel 8:23)
  • The Abomination (Matthew 24:15)

(9) I *watched as **thrones were ***put in place and the ****Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like whitest wool. He sat on a ****fiery throne with ******wheels of blazing fire,

• *watched:
• Here, the prophecy shifts to the end times. This judgment scene is similar to one that was seen by John in Revelation 1:14-15:
  • His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean wave
• **thrones:
• Plural! Who are sitting on these thrones? Daniel makes no mention of those who sit on these thrones, perhaps because the 24 elders represent the church and the church was an unrevealed mystery to Old Testament saints (Ephesians 3:1-7).
• Revelation 4:1-5: Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast. The voice said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things." And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it! The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones -- jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. And from the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven lampstands with burning flames. They are the seven spirits of God. 
• Revelation 5:1,6-8: And I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. ... I looked and I saw a Lamb that had been killed but was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that are sent out into every part of the earth. He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And as he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense -- the prayers of God's people!
• Revelation 20:4-6: Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.
  • So, who are these beheaded ones who did not take the mark of the beast? Remember, this is at least 7 years after the rapture! Where are the Christians who were raptured?
• ***put in place: Not, "cast down" as in the KJV.
• ****Ancient One (Ancient of Days in KJV): Mentioned three times in this chapter.
• *****fiery: Isaiah 66:15-15 describes the judgment of God in terms of fire: See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his swift chariots of destruction roar like a whirlwind. He will bring punishment with the fury of his anger and the flaming fire of his hot rebuke.
• ******wheels: The throne in this dream is described with the Ancient of Days seated and the throne as "fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire." In and of itself, this description wouldn't make much sense. However, in light of the historic understanding of the chariot throne, it does. It is reminiscent of the wheels in Ezekiel's vision where Ezekiel saw a moving throne that included the chariot of the cherubim and their wheels.
  • Ezekiel 1:15-21: As I looked at these beings, I saw four wheels touching the ground beside them, one wheel belonging to each. The wheels sparkled as if made of beryl. All four wheels looked alike and were made the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it. The beings could move in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved. The rims of the four wheels were tall and frightening, and they were covered with eyes all around. When the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. When they flew upward, the wheels went up, too. The spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. So wherever the spirit went, the wheels and the living beings also went. When the beings moved, the wheels moved. When the beings stopped, the wheels stopped. When the beings flew upward, the wheels rose up, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

(10) and a river of fire flowed from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him, and a hundred million stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the *books were opened.

• *books: Which books are opened? The Bible describes several books before God:
• The book of the living (Psalm 69:28)
• The book of remembrance (Malachi 3:16)
• The Book of Life (Philippians 4:3, Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27 and 22:19)

(11) I continued to watch because I could hear the little horn's boastful speech. I kept watching until the fourth beast was killed and its body was destroyed by fire.

• As Daniel was watching the little horn because of its boasting, he saw that the fourth beast was slain and consigned to blazing fire. This event will terminate “the times of the Gentiles" in Luke 12:27.
• Revelation 19:20: And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast - miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

(12) As for *the other three beasts, their authority was taken from them, but they were **allowed to live for a while longer.

• *the other three beasts: So, the fourth empire/kingdom has been destroyed but not the first three. Does this then mean that Babylon, Media-Persia and Greece still existed, though powerless, after Rome was destroyed? Has this yet happened? The kingdoms represented by the three preceding beasts had already been stripped of their power by military conquest. But the fourth beast will be relieved of its power not by being conquered militarily, but by divine judgment. Each of the three, however, had been allowed to live for a short time.
• Joel 3:1-2: “At the time of those events,” says the Lord, “when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land.
• When Medo-Persia followed Babylon, the dominion of Babylon was taken away, but in some sense the lives of the participants were prolonged. The same is true when Greece succeeded Medo-Persia and when Rome succeeded Greece. But the end of the fourth beast is to be dramatic, cataclysmic and final. Both the rulers and the people involved are to be destroyed. This interpretation agrees with Revelation 19:19-20, which records the beast as destroyed and its ruler cast in the lake of fire at the second coming of Christ, and is confirmed by Matthew 25:31-46, the judgment of the nations at the return of Christ.
• **allowed to live for a while longer: As one reads it, the natural inclination is to interpret it as if they still existed, but in an inferior state. McGuiggan thinks they “lived on” in Rome (cf. Revelation 13).

(13) As my vision continued that night, I saw someone who looked like a man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence.

• Matthew 25:31: “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.
• Matthew 26:64: Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
• Luke 21:24,27: They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end. ... Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory.

(14) He was given authority, honor, and royal power over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal -- it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.

• Third major portion of this vision: the Son of Man approaching the Ancient of Days. Jesus Christ, taking the title “Son of Man” from this prophecy, frequently used it to refer to Himself (as recorded in the Gospels).
• The Son of Man will establish an everlasting dominion or kingdom. That kingdom will never be conquered by another. His reign will be established on earth.
• Revelation 11:15; 19:15: Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” ... From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.
• This great passage describes the transition from human dominion on earth to divine dominion. This happens as the Son of Man comes and exercises dominion over the earth. The Son of Man succeeds the reign of the fourth beast.
• The reign of Jesus does not last 1,000 years - it is permanent. However, Jesus will rule over this earth before it is remade, with Satan bound for 1,000 years.
• Now what kind of scene is before us in Daniel 7:13-14? It is a coronation scene. The Ancient of Days is giving all power and authority over all the nations and peoples into the hands of this one like a son of man. It is the crowning of the King of kings as His rule and Kingdom are about to begin. We have seen this time prophesied elsewhere in Psalm 2 and Isaiah 9.
• Isaiah 9:7: His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the LORD Almighty will guarantee this!

(15) I, Daniel, was troubled by all I had seen, and my visions terrified me.

(16) So I approached *one of those standing beside the throne and asked him what it all meant. He explained it to me like this:

• *one of those: Who are these - angels? Men? Notice that he's "standing", not seated on one of the thrones.
• Though he had demonstrated the ability to interpret dreams on previous occasions, he could not interpret this one or his next one (8:15).

(17) "These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that *will arise from the earth.

• *will arise: So, the use of the future tense means that the first beast may not be Babylon, but rather a future king, or a revived Babylon, or the Babylonian system of false worship!
• While there were literally thousands of kingdoms on the earth during the period of time from Babylon in 605 B.C. to the end of time, the relationship with Israel is what is being viewed.

(18) But in the end, *the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever."

• *The holy people: The Aramaic word Qaddiysh which means holy or separate. These refer to the believing Jews (also verse 25), not to believers of the Church Age. The existence of the church in the present Age was nowhere revealed in the Old Testament. The nation Israel has been set aside by divine discipline in the present “times of the Gentiles,” which began with Nebuchadnezzar. During the “times of the Gentiles”, four empires would rise and rule over the land and people of Israel. Yet God’s covenant to David (2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:14) stands and will ultimately be fulfilled.

(19) Then I wanted to know the *true meaning of the fourth beast, the one so different from the others and so terrifying. It devoured and crushed its victims with iron teeth and bronze claws, and it trampled what was left beneath its feet.

• *true meaning of the fourth beast: His request indicates that he had no problem identifying who the first kingdoms were.

(20) I also asked about the ten horns on the fourth beast's head and the little horn that came up afterward and destroyed three of the other horns. This was the horn that seemed greater than the others and had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.

(21) As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and was defeating them,

• Revelation 11:7: When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them. He will conquer them and kill them.
• Revelation 13:7, 15: And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. ... And the beast was allowed to wage war against God's holy people and to overcome them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation.
  • Is this in our future or in the distant past? Who are God's holy people? When were they defeated?
• This would appear to contradict Jesus’ promise to the Church (Matthew 16:18): they are not the church, but the remnant of Israel (Revelation 12:13-17).
•  The holy people (saints), spoken of in this passage, most likely will be the saints of the tribulation period. They are not the church saints of the present-day, because we expect the church to be completed and raptured away to be with CHRIST before Antichrist is revealed, but there will be many people saved during the tribulation period who will rightfully be called the saints of GOD. When the Antichrist arises and makes war with them, he will prevail against them and many of them will become martyrs because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Considering how many Protestants were killed by the Pope and his agents in the Middle Ages and forced the Jews to wear the same yellow star that Hitler made them wear, we can see how the popes foreshadowed this fourth beast.

(22) *until the Ancient One came and judged in favor of the holy people of the Most High. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom.

• *until: The "little horn" was defeating the holy people UNTIL Messiah comes to defeat him and set up a heavenly kingdom here on earth with Christ sitting on the throne of David.
• We see a similar scene in the book of Revelation chapters 4 and 5. John is caught up into heaven and like Daniel witnesses events taking place at the throne of God. John sees a distinction between the Father and Son. The lamb takes the scroll from Him seated on the throne and the lamb receives the glory, power and honor.

(23) Then he said to me, "This fourth beast is the fourth world power that will rule the earth. It will be different from all the others. It will devour the whole world, trampling everything in its path.

• How often has Satan tried to create a one-world government through the ages? In more modern times, we have Napoleon, Hitler, the League of Nations, the UN, Stalin, Islam with a world-wide caliphate and so many others.

(24) Its ten horns are ten kings that will rule that empire. Then another king will arise, different from the other ten, who will subdue three of them.

• The sphere of this coming ruler in the 4th kingdom will be worldwide. Daniel was told that this empire will devour the whole earth (See Revelation 13:7). And it will be a ferocious conquest, in which that kingdom will trample and crush those who oppose it; a coming one-world government under a worldwide dictator.
• They clearly are simultaneous in their reign because three of them are disrupted by the little horn which is another ruler, but not given the title of king here. He also will be different from the first, that is, from the ten horns, and shall subdue three of them.
• "When the hordes from the north conquered the Roman Empire in the fifth century A.D., they did not unite to form another empire. Instead individual nations emerged out of the old Roman Empire. Some of those nations and others stemming from them have continued till the present day. The present Age, then, is the 10-horned era of the fourth beast. (Other premillenarians, however, hold that the time of the 10 horns is yet future, that the present Church Age is not seen in this vision, and that 10 kings will coexist over a future revived [or realigned] Roman Empire.)" - Pentecost, p. 1354.
• "The ten-nation confederacy of the future anticipated in these prophecies would naturally be considered a revival of the Roman Empire if for no other reason than that it is portrayed as an integral part of the fourth empire." - John F. Walvoord, "Revival of Rome".
• These ten kings do not have a literal fulfillment in the Roman Empire of history. If they are literal, they are still in the future. The only way to say this has been fulfilled is to spiritualize this prophecy and take away its plain sense.

(25) He will defy the Most High and wear down the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time.

• Three additional facts are now revealed:
  1. He will oppose God’s authority. He will speak against the Most High as in Revelation 13:6.
  2. He will oppress His saints (i.e., Israel; cf. comments on 7:21).
  3. He will introduce an entirely new era in which he will abandon all previous laws and institute his own system - "A New World Order"!
• He will appear as Israel’s friend, but will become Israel’s persecutor (the saints will be handed over to him) and he will occupy Jerusalem as a (“tabernacle”) of his empire (11:45) for three and one-half years (Revelation 12:6; 13:5). “Time, times, and half a time” (cf. Daniel 12:7; Revelation 12:14) refers to the three and one-half years of the Great Tribulation, with “a time” meaning one year, “times” two years, and “half a time” six months. This equals the 1,260 days in Revelation 12:6 and the 42 months in Revelation 11:2; 13:5
• “Times” = dual, later lost in Aramaic: 1 + 2 + 1/2 = 3 1/2
  • 3 1/2years Daniel 9:27; 12:7
  • 42 months Revelation 11:2; 13:5
  • 1260 days Revelation 11:3; Daniel 12:6
  • 1/2 “week” Daniel 9:27
• Critics relate this to Antiochus Epiphanes. While Antiochus may foreshadow the activities of the little horn of Daniel 7, the complete fulfillment will be much more severe and extensive.
• "Our Lord ministered on earth three and a half years, and the Antichrist shall enact his Satanic ministry for the same length of time." - Joseph A. Seiss, Voices from Babylon: Or the Records of Daniel the Prophet, p. 311. 
• 

(26) "But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed.

• God the Judge takes His seat, the court is convened and the books are opened. God, who assigns power to kingdoms, will judge those kingdoms. (Cf. Revelation 20:12: I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done.).

(27) Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. They will rule forever, and all rulers will serve and obey them."

• When the Judge, God the Father, convenes the court, that is when He judges the little horn, his power will be removed and he will be destroyed. This will occur at the Second Advent of Christ. At the beginning of the Millennium, the Son of Man will be given authority to rule (verse 14). This kingdom will not be overthrown and superseded by another. It will continue in the Millennium and on forever (Daniel 4:34; 6:26; 7:14).

(28) That was the end of the vision. I, Daniel, was terrified by my thoughts and my face was pale with fear, but I kept these things to myself.

• The text now changes from Aramaic back to Hebrew. Distinguishes the two major programs of God in the Old Testament.
• The message of this prophecy may be summed up this way - Before the kingdom of God is established on the earth, four earthly kingdoms will rise and fall. These kingdoms go from bad to worse. Arrogant, boastful and even blasphemous kings will reign over the nations, opposing God and oppressing His saints. All of this is by divine design. During times of oppression, it may appear the saints are being defeated and that God’s kingdom is but wishful thinking. When the sin and oppression of evil men reaches a predetermined point, God will remove them and establish His promised eternal kingdom. Then the saints will receive the kingdom which will never end.
• There appear to be two specific sets of prophecies of the future in chapter 7, in addition to what would happen within Daniel's lifetime. First, there are prophecies that deal with coming world empires that appeared (to Daniel) as regular nations. Then there are the predictions about the end of the fourth kingdom and the beginning of the fifth kingdom, which are still future events from our standpoint in history. The gap between these times was undoubtedly unclear to Daniel (cf. Isaiah 61:1-2; 1 Peter 1:10-11).

NOTES:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois.
• Disclaimer: Source material for this study has been gleaned from many different sources. If you want further study, I have attempted to acknowledge these sources at http://studyingdaniel.blogspot.com/2013/08/references-for-book-of-daniel.html
• Index to all our studies are at http://oakview-bible-fellowship.blogspot.com/

Daniel 6

Remember that there are no chapter breaks in the original story. In each chapter, we read of Daniel's encounter with a different king and in each story, we learn of how Daniel and his three friends witness to that king.

Remember that the main plan of Satan is to stop God's redemptive game plan. God was working on sending the Messiah though the nation of Israel; so, the best way to prevent the coming of the Messiah was to cut off the descendants of Jacob (Israel).

The book of Daniel is primarily known for its prophecies, so why do we have to traverse six chapters before getting to the "good stuff?" We need to fully understand Daniel himself (his character, his faith and his own prophetic gift) and we need to fully understand the historical background of the empires of the day and their cultures and religions before we can even begin to understand the visions of the future given to Daniel by God and where the Israelites and Israel fit into the future. Thus far, the book of Daniel has been sequential in time, but the next chapter goes all the way back to the reign of Belshazzar.

The story of Daniel in the lions' den in chapter 6 is similar to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. David Syme Russell notes a number of parallels between the two chapters, including the trials suffered, the jealousy of conspirators, rescue by an angel, accusers meeting the same fate they had intended for the protagonists, and the fact that the king praises God and issues a royal decree protecting Jewish worship. (Russell, D. S. (1981). 1. Bible. O. T. Daniel - Commentaries. Philadelphia: Westminster Press. ISBN 978-0-664-24567-2.)

(1) *Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a **prince to rule over ***each province.

• *Darius the Mede: Secular history of this period has no record of a ruler named Darius. There are several possible explanations for the Darius of Daniel 6:
  1. It may be that Darius is simply another name for Cyrus, who ruled of the Medo-Persian Empire during this period.
  2. It may be that Darius was actually Cambyses, son of Cyrus, who served under his father as a ruler of Babylon and later inherited the throne of the entire empire.
  3. It may be that Darius is an ancient official known as Gubaru in ancient documents, whom Cyrus appointed as ruler over Babylon immediately after its capture. This Gubaru is most likely the same person as Darius. Ancient documents show that the man Gubaru had the power to make appointments, to assemble an army, to levy taxes, and to possess palaces. Gubaru (Darius) was, in a very real sense, the king over Babylon.
  4. “Darius” may be an honorable title, meaning “holder of the scepter.” Used of five later Persian rulers.
• **prince: Literally "satrap." “The word undoubtedly refers to the Persian satraps, or governors or viceroys in the large provinces of the empire, possessing both civil and military powers” (Barnes, E-Sword).
• ***each province: So, there would have been 120 "princes".
• The historical record in the Nabonidus Chronicle, was that Babylon was conquered by Ugbaru, governor of Gutium, who entered the city of Babylon the night of Belshazzar’s feast. After Ugbaru conquered Babylon on October 12, 539 B.C., Cyrus entered the conquered city on 17 days later. Ugbaru was then appointed by Cyrus to rule on his behalf in Babylon. Eight days after Cyrus’ arrival, Ugbaru died.
  

(2) The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the princes and to watch out for the king's interests.

(3) Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and princes. Because of his great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.

• It is amazing to think about Daniel at this point in his life. He is now approximately 80 years old. He served most of his adult life as an administrator in the Babylonian Empire under King Nebuchadnezzar. He rose to power to be the #2 man It is rare, or downright impossible for a top official for a conquered kingdom to also be a top official for the next kingdom. Any king would be suspicious of Daniel's loyalty. Daniel spent his whole life serving in the Babylonian kingdom, and now he is trusted enough to serve as a top official in the kingdom that overthrew Babylon That alone says a lot for Daniel's character. Daniel didn't serve in the Babylonian kingdom because it was a "good place to be". Daniel served there because it is what God called him to do! Daniel's loyalty was to God and God alone. It is because of that loyalty and dedication that Daniel had the character to be a good servant. That should be something for Christians to learn as well. As Christians, we should be outstanding at whatever role or function we are in, assuming you are doing what God called you to do! The secret is that our strength and abilities come from God himself. Once we realize and acknowledge that, we then have the ability to be an outstanding citizen in the world itself.
• The reputation of Daniel was well known throughout Babylon and those whom he served with clearly knew his character, beliefs and behavior patterns which are why they will later exploit that character in an attempt to have him removed from office evidencing their own jealousy and envy toward Daniel.

(4) Then the other administrators and princes began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling his affairs, but they couldn't find anything to criticize. He was faithful and honest and always responsible.

• Simply, there were no skeletons in Daniel’s closet. His enemies examined his life and found nothing to attack - they had to make up something.
• Wow! Wouldn't we be shocked if a politician's enemies could find absolutely no dirt on a candidate! So, why not make up something false?
• The world may not know the intricacies of doctrine or the intimacies of worship with God but they can tell a bad temper, selfishness, conceitedness or dishonesty when they see it. “The world is a very poor critic of my Christianity, but it is a very sufficient one of my conduct.” (Maclaren)
• Daniel’s shining testimony of his faith in God had obviously attracted the attention of God’s archenemy Satan, who decided to destroy this man.
• As a Jew, Daniel cannot have loved life at the Babylonian or Persian court. His heart was in Jerusalem. But, he understood that his being led into captivity had been an act of God. Instead of pouting over the injustice done to him and blaming God for his fate, he accepted God’s will for his life and decided to glorify God in his circumstances. This made the light of God shine through him in the darkness of these pagan palaces. It was this light that had attracted the attention of the king and the hatred of his colleagues.
• When anyone lives a righteous and godly life there will always be those who are offended. Paul states this in 2 Timothy 3:12 saying "Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." A life of godliness will stand in sharp contrast to the lives of those who live worldly lives. A worldly man will resent having his sins exposed and often will seek to silence or destroy that which exposes him. This was the case with Daniel. His godly character, and God's blessings on his life, had elevated him to a position above all others in Babylon. His subordinates then hatched a plan to bring him down.
• One human tendency is to drag someone down who is doing better than they are - to bring them down to their level.

(5) So they concluded, "Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the requirements of his religion."

(6) So the administrators and princes went to the king and said, "Long live King Darius!

• Flattery!

(7) We administrators, prefects, princes, advisers, and other officials have *unanimously agreed that Your Majesty should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human -- except to Your Majesty -- will be thrown to the lions.

• *unanimously: Flattery and then a lie! Of course, they lied when they said all the governors, because Daniel was one of the governors and he was not consulted.
• If the enemies of Daniel knew him, they also knew Darius. They knew they could appeal to his pride and his desire for a unified kingdom.
• "What pretence could they urge for so silly an ordinance? Probably to flatter the ambition of the king, they pretend to make him a god for thirty days; so that the whole empire should make prayer and supplication to him and pay him Divine honours! This was the bait; but their real object was to destroy Daniel." (Clarke)
• Esther 3:8-9: Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, "There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire. Their laws are different from those of any other nation, and they refuse to obey even the laws of the king. So it is not in the king's interest to let them live. If it please Your Majesty, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 375 tons of silver to the government administrators so they can put it into the royal treasury."
• The proposition brought by the satraps must have been presented in the guise of a measure to find a solution for the religious tensions that were plaguing the nation at that time. The Pulpit Commentary gives us a possible reason for Darius’ reason to accept this proposal. We read: “To understand the point of this decree, that seems to us so absurd, and comprehend how any one with sufficient mental vigor left to be placed by Cyrus as governor in Babylon could be led to yield to confirm it, we must recognize the state of matters in Babylon. During the reign of Nabunahid there had been many religious changes. The seclusion of the monarch had led to the neglect of many of the regular rites of the gods of Babel. The policy he pursued of bringing the gods of various provinces to Babylon tended, as did the similar policy in Rome, to draw off from the importance of the national religion by forming rival cults. One of the first acts of Cyrus’s reign was to order the replacing of these deities in their ancient shrines. This would necessarily be most distasteful to the worshippers of these imported deities. There would be much murmuring among the huge heterogeneous population; and there would be thus a well-grounded fear of a religious riot. A bold soldier as Gobryas (Darius) was, he probably was but a timid ruler, and nothing would he dread more than a religious riot. Would it not be a plausible way of meeting this difficulty to order for one month all worship to cease?”
• It was not until the proposition had been signed into law, that Darius understood that the purpose of it was not to ease the religious climate of the empire but to remove Daniel from office.

(8) And let Your Majesty issue and sign this law so it *cannot be changed, a law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked."

• *cannot be changed: The decrees of a Persian king were unchangeable because he was thought to speak for the gods, who could never be wrong and never needed to change their minds. Babylonian kings did not have this, or any other, restriction.
• When King Xerxes in the Book of Esther chapter 8 changed his mind about the law, which he had signed, that ordered the extermination of the Jews, he could not revoke that law. Instead he permitted Esther to issue another edict that allowed the Jews to defend themselves. Esther 8:8: Now go ahead and send a message to the Jews in the king's name, telling them whatever you want, and seal it with the king's signet ring. But remember that whatever is written in the king's name and sealed with his ring can never be revoked."

(9) So King Darius signed the law.

• The plotters got their law on the statute books, and then argued that because it was law, it must be enforced, right or wrong. That was the argument of those who crucified Jesus. “We have a law” said the plotters, “and by our law He ought to die” (John 19:7 KJV). Religious persecution has usually wrought its iniquities in the name of law.

(10) But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open *toward Jerusalem. He prayed **three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.

• Daniel was confronted with a test of loyalties. He wanted to render unto Caesar things that rightfully belonged to Caesar but he would not give to the government that which belonged to God alone.
• It isn’t hard to see why people are men-pleasers; it seems as if people have the power to hire or fire us; to break our hearts; to slander us; to make our live generally miserable. The power to obey God and stand for Him comes from a settled understanding that God is really in control.
• "Unless you are prepared to be in the minority, and now and then to be called 'narrow,' 'fanatic,' and to be laughed at by men because you will not do what they do, but abstain and resist, then there is little chance of your ever making much of your Christian profession." (Maclaren)
• It would have been compromise or pride to change in either direction. “This was not the act of a person courting martyrdom but the continuation of a faithful ministry in prayer which had characterized his long life.” (Walvoord)
• What was Daniel's custom in prayer?
  • He prayed in his upper room - this was private prayer, made with no intention to impress others
  • He prayed with his windows open toward Jerusalem, remembering the place of sacrifice even when there was no sacrifice
  • He prayed according to Scripture, because in 1 Kings 8, Solomon asked God to give special notice to the prayers of His people when they prayed towards Jerusalem and the temple: And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place.
  • He prayed three times that day, knowing that though a little prayer is good, much prayer is far better. We also remember that Daniel was one of three governors over an empire - yet still had time to pray. "That does not tell you how often he prayed, but how often he was in the posture of prayer. Doubtless he prayed 300 times a day if necessary-his heart was always having commerce with the skies; but thrice a day he prayed formally." (Spurgeon)
  • He prayed and gave thanks, because great prayer is filled with thanksgiving. "Prayer and praise should always go up to heaven arm in arm, like twin angels walking up Jacob’s ladder, or like kindred aspirations soaring up to the Most High." (Spurgeon)
• Cornelius was a man that prayed in his own house (Acts 10:30) and Daniel went into his house, kneeled and prayed three times a day. Watch and pray.
• *toward Jerusalem: The principle of praying in the direction of Jerusalem, the place where God had revealed Himself, the place where the altar had stood and the sins of men had been atoned for, was based upon the prayer King Solomon had pronounced at the dedication of the temple: 2 Chronicles 6:36-39: "If they sin against you -- and who has never sinned? -- you may become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to a foreign land far or near. But in that land of exile, they may turn to you again in repentance and pray, 'We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.' Then if they turn to you with their whole heart and soul and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors, toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name, then hear their prayers from heaven where you live. Uphold their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you.
• **three times a day: Psalm 55:17: Morning, noon, and night I plead aloud in my distress, and the LORD hears my voice.
• Daniel was a man of prayer, before, during and after this event. It was part of his character - and they knew it!
• Daniel was focused on the hope of the coming Messiah. Even though Jerusalem was in ruins during this time period, Daniel trusted and believed in the literal promises of God and he directed his prayers accordingly. Facing toward Jerusalem was Daniel expressing his faith in that promise.
• The temple Solomon had dedicated had been filled with the glory of God. In the days Daniel kneeled before his open window, that temple did no longer exist. The glory of God had left the temple, as Ezekiel had witnessed in some of the visions God had given to him. After the glory of God departed, all that was left was an empty hull. When the Spirit left, the temple died. The building King Nebuchadnezzar sacked was merely a structure of stone, wood and precious metals. In a way, Daniel’s prayer was also a statement of faith; it expressed the hope of the resurrection. Daniel knew that God was not dead, even though the place in which He had lived had returned to ashes. Daniel had experienced God during the years of his captivity.
• He knew the law. He knew the penalty. And he went to pray.
• There are several things worth noting here:
• Daniel was aware of the decree
• Daniel was not consulted on this decree and apparently did not advise the king, otherwise Daniel would have made his position clear.
• Daniel’s prayer life was no secret to his enemies and his pattern of worship was also well known to his enemies.
• Neither this decree nor anything else disrupted Daniel’s prayer life or his dedication to God and His ways. (Daniel 1:8, 2:17-18, 3:8-12, 16-18)
• Philippians 4:6–7: Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
• What did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego do? Probably, the same thing but they weren't the target and they may have been less open about their prayer time. They're not mentioned here, just as Daniel is not mentioned in chapter 3.

(11) The officials went together to Daniel's house and found him praying and asking for *God's help.

• *God's help for what - to prevent what's next, his help to live a Godly life, his help to serve the kingdom in the name of the Lord?

(12) So they went back to the king and reminded him about his law. "Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human -- except to Your Majesty -- will be thrown to the lions?" "Yes," the king replied, "that decision stands; it is a law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked."

(13) Then they told the king, "That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is paying no attention to you or your law. He still prays to his God three times a day."

(14) Hearing this, the king was very *angry with himself for signing the law, and he tried to find a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament.

• *angry with himself: There is a lot to like about King Darius, and one of the admirable things about him is that he is displeased with himself. Instead of blaming others, he knew that he was at fault. We can be sure that he wasn't happy with Daniel's enemies, but he knew that ultimately he was responsible. I love Harry Truman's "The Buck Stops Here" sign on his desk - I wish our modern presidents had the same attitude.

(15) In the evening the men went together to the king and said, "Your Majesty knows that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed."

• They recognized that the king was dragging his feet on carrying out his own order - so, they made sure it was carried out!

(16) So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, "May your God, whom *you worship continually, rescue you."

• Darius had faith, and it was faith born out of Daniel’s faith in the Lord. The idea is, "I tried my best to save you Daniel, but I failed, Now it is up to your God."
• *you serve continually: This made Daniel's testimony. Many of us occasionally display godly character and wisdom before the world, but we then counter-act our good by then being bad. Daniel didn't just worship when others were watching, he wasn't on his best behavior just in the public, his record and his testimony were impeccable. He was a REAL man!
• Note the king states Daniel served the Lord "continually." Daniel's testimony was well established which was the reason the plot against him was foolproof. Daniel lived his life for the Lord and everyone knew it. Darius too, recognized where Daniel's character came from.

(17) A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel from the lions.

• Christ's tomb was sealed too. Peter's cell doors were locked. So were Paul's.
  • Matthew 27:64-66: So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he came back to life! If that happens, we'll be worse off than we were at first." Pilate replied, "Take guards and secure it the best you can." So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.
  • Acts 12:1-10: About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. He had the apostle James (John's brother) killed with a sword. When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish leaders, he arrested Peter during the Passover celebration and imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod's intention was to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, chained between two soldiers, with others standing guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel tapped him on the side to awaken him and said, "Quick! Get up!" And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." And he did. "Now put on your coat and follow me," the angel ordered. So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn't realize it was really happening. They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate to the street, and this opened to them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him
  • Acts 16:23-26: They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape. So he took no chances but put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!

(18) Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn't sleep at all that night.

• Undoubtedly, Daniel had a better night’s rest than Darius.

(19) Very early the next morning, the king hurried out to the lions' den.

• It is remarkable that the king went personally to the lions’ den to check on Daniel’s condition. It indicates how deeply he felt himself involved in this. He realized that he had been used as a pawn by his advisors for the destruction of his beloved servant.

(20) When he got there, he called out in anguish, "Daniel, *servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you **worship continually, able to rescue you from the lions?"

• *servant of the living God: Darius’ use of the words “servant of the living God” is unusual. This constitutes a confession that God is the source of all life and the Supreme Being over all other deities. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary observes: “The king’s Zoroastrian faith was the nearest that paganism ever came to Jewish ethical monotheism. God was glorified by the destruction of His enemies, by the king’s confession, and by His servant’s reward.”
• **worship continually: Can it be said of you that you worship God “continually”? “Continually” is all the time. How often we sin against our loving Lord by the harsh word, by the unkind thought, by the overt act, or by the neglected duty! A heathen king could say of Daniel that he served his God “continually.” May the Lord Jesus help us to be such witnesses to His love and grace! 1 Thessalonians 5:17: Pray without ceasing.

(21) Daniel answered, "Long live the king!

(22) My God sent his angel to shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty."

• Psalm 22:21-22: Snatch me from the lions' jaws, and from the horns of these wild oxen. Then I will declare the wonder of your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among all your people.
• Hebrews 11:33-34: By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.
• But, didn't Daniel break the king's law? Yes, but he did not go against the king nor against the king's best interests.
• Daniel was preserved through faith. Though his cause was righteous and he was unjustly accused, those things in themselves did not protect him before the lions. Daniel needed a living, abiding faith in God, even in the most difficult circumstances.
• The disobedience of Daniel was not because of any contempt for the king, but because of his regard to the King of Kings. To disobey kings, presidents and governors may sometimes become the duty of Christians for the Christian’s first duty is to Obey God and then honor the king.

(23) The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him because he had trusted in his God.

(24) Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions' den, *along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den.

• This is obviously severe, but it was also according to ancient customs among the Persians. An ancient writer named Ammianus Marcellinus wrote of the Persians, “The laws among them are formidable . . . by which, on account of the guilt of one, all the kindred perish.” This was contrary to the Law of Moses. It was not God's law; it was pagan man's terrible law.
• Darius probably would have cast these accusers to the lions even if Daniel had perished in the lion's den.
• This proved that it genuinely was angelic protection that saved Daniel. Daniel's accusers perished in the same trap they set for Daniel.
• *along with their wives and children: Darius’ act of vengeance was not unusual among the Persians. The king may have been afraid that the offspring of those condemned to death would later plot to take revenge upon the king. Wiping out the whole family would take care of that threat.
• Deuteronomy 24:16: "Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor the children for the sins of their parents. Those worthy of death must be executed for their own crimes.
• Esther 7:9-10: Then Harbona, one of the king's eunuchs, said, "Haman has set up a gallows that stands seventy-five feet tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use it to hang Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination." "Then hang Haman on it!" the king ordered. So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had set up for Mordecai, and the king's anger was pacified.
• Although it is possible that all 120 plus officials could have been tossed to the lions; it is more probable that it was the primary or principle accusers (the other two commissioners) and their families that were cast to the lions.

(25) Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: "Peace and prosperity to you!

• Much like Nebuchadnezzar's proclamation.
• The Book of Daniel follows a familiar pattern. God's people stand firm in their convictions, God honors and protects them and the testimony of God's work makes the ungodly see and tell of the greatness of God.
  1. Daniel and his four friends stood firm and Nebuchadnezzar saw the fruit of it (Daniel 1:20)
  2. Daniel boldly and wisely interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream and king honored Daniel and his God (Daniel 2:46-47)
  3. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego stood firm and Nebuchadnezzar gave glory to God (Daniel 3:28-30)
  4. Daniel boldly told Nebuchadnezzar the truth and the king humbled himself and gave glory to God (Daniel 4:34-37)
  5. Daniel stood firm and boldly told Belshazzar the truth and the king honored Daniel (Daniel 5:29)

(26) "I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end.

• Darius is not saying that God is the only God, just that Daniel's God is one to be respected.

(27) He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."

(28) So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

• Verse 28 may have been written by another inspired writer who compiled the writings of Daniel - possibly Ezra.

PERSONAL APPLICATION

• Daniel was a man of upright character. That is what the world cannot stand. This is why Satan attacks so hard people like Daniel. When Billy Graham was active, there were constant attempts to compromise his testimony. Satan is well-aware that God uses people to witness to the world. An upstanding role model like Daniel is an outstanding witness for God, and thus, Satan uses whatever forces at his disposal to stop Daniel. Ephesians 6:12: For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
• Can you think for a moment about what many have lost at not being faithful. To some family, children, a job, hobbies, a home, and a thousand other things are more important to them than being faithful to the Lord. The test comes not as dynamic as was Daniel's, but just as critical and important. Many people in the crisis show their lack of faith. At a restaurant in a public place some are ashamed to pray. Spouses with unsaved wives and husbands do not pray at meals at home. On the job, people hide their being a Christian afraid of offending or subjecting themselves to ridicule. Many refuse to witness to others because they feel it is too embarrassing. The world (and our government) wants us to hide our Christianity. Of course, the world and our government have no problem with false religions, even those calling themselves "Christian."
• We will not be cast into a lion's den, but the world around us is full of intimidating vicious lions who will rail on us with their mouths and abuse us personally when we take a stand for the Lord Jesus.
• I saw on the web a tombstone with a name, a date of birth and a date of death, and this simple five-word epitaph: “A man of unquestioned integrity." Five words to sum up an entire life. Sixty-plus years distilled into five words.
• For showing us to survive and thrive in a pagan world, there is no better example than Daniel.  He spent almost his whole life serving God in a pagan land under pagan kings in a totally pagan culture. And he never compromised his faith. Not even once.
• Daniel’s enemies envied him, but they couldn’t deny the reality of his faith.
• Here are three lessons for modern-day Daniels who find themselves facing the lions every day:
  1. It is possible to live a pure life in the midst of a thoroughly pagan world.
  2. God can use us to touch unlikely people when we are faithful to him.
  3. God is able to deliver his people from any danger they face.
• God did not save Daniel from the lion's den. He saved him in the lion's den. God will not remove all trouble from you either, but He will be there to help you through those problems.
• We started with Daniel as a teenager and have seen glimpses of his faith and of God working through him all the way into his 80's.
• The only really safe place is in the will of God. While it is not always God’s will to deliver every believer from danger, and many have given their lives for Christ, what a reward God promises even in that circumstance!
• How did Daniel manage to rise above the rest? Was he a man that scrambled his way up the top using politics and maneuverings? By trying to buddy up to the right people? Climbing the corporate ladder by any means necessary? No. Scripture tells us that he advanced in the ranks because he possessed an extraordinary spirit. What is an extraordinary spirit? In this day and age, it wouldn't be hard to recognize in a man. An extraordinary spirit manifests itself like it did in Daniel in intelligence, wisdom, understanding, and a servant's heart (1:4). When someone has an extraordinary spirit, He Is bold enough to stand on godly principles (1:8), and has discretion and discernment (2:14). It is someone who prays when he or she doesn't have the answers (2:18), and who gives thanks when God answers (2:23). It is someone who watches out for his or her friends (2:49). Someone who is courteous, but no respecter of persons, and doesn't give in to greed or worldly temptation (5:17). This is what an extraordinary spirit looks like in a person, and this is how Daniel advanced so highly in both the Babylonian and the Medo-Persian empires.
• Satan hates God and all the people of God. He is ever on the alert to make a stroke at the Almighty, by whatever means he can. Furthermore, the closer one lives to the Lord, the more vehement is Satan's anger against him. To everyone who reads the book of Daniel, it becomes apparent that Daniel was a God-fearing man. Such a person is an immediate target for Satan.
• Like Darius, our foolish decisions often haunt us. Often all we can do is pray and ask God to mercifully and miraculously intervene when we make foolish decisions.
• Philippians 2:15: so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them.
• 1 Peter 2:11-12: Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls. Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world.

NOTES:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois.
• Disclaimer: Source material for this study has been gleaned from many different sources. If you want further study, I have attempted to acknowledge these sources at http://studyingdaniel.blogspot.com/2013/08/references-for-book-of-daniel.html
• Index to all our studies are at http://oakview-bible-fellowship.blogspot.com/