The four horns that sprouted after it was broken off are the four kings that come after him, but without his power. I said, Go ahead, let my master speak. There are many such individuals in the Scriptures -- most often notable public figures such as kings and prophets. Everyonerace, color, and creedhad to serve him. He told these Babylonian magi, Anyone who can read this writing on the wall and tell me what it means will be famous and richpurple robe, the great gold chainand be third-in-command in the kingdom.. He saved Daniel from the power of the lions. With a few henchmen, hell take total control. 15While I, Daniel, was trying to make sense of what I was seeing, suddenly there was a humanlike figure standing before me. The first half is primarily narrative, and concerns Daniels life in Babylon under foreign kings. The Master handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with some of the furnishings from the Temple of God. When the death warrant was issued, Daniel and his companions were included. Daniel interprets visions for foreign kings. 1 1-2 It was the third year of King Jehoiakim's reign in Judah when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon declared war on Jerusalem and besieged the city. He was totally exemplary and trustworthy. But the second invasion wont compare to the first. We kept at our sinning, never giving you a second thought, oblivious to your clear warning, and so you had no choice but to let the disaster loose on us in full force. He performs astonishing miracles in heaven and on earth. This vision of the 2,300 sacrifices, evening and morning. It crunched and swallowed its victims. The book was written in two languages, and Daniels ministry seems more weighted toward supporting the government in Babylon than leading the Jewish community. In 605 B.C., the dynasty was in its twilight years. He was probably on the edge of his seat as Daniel explained what it meant: "That was your dream. Hell slip out of history quietly, without even a fight. I cant sleep until I know what it means., 4The fortunetellers, speaking in the Aramaic language, said, Long live the king! He then ordered all the important leaders in the province, everybody who was anybody, to the dedication ceremony of the statue. Daniel is the only one who can interpret the message: God will repay Belshazzar by handing over his kingdom to the Medes and Persians. Chop down the tree, lop off its branches. 13-14I saw a human form, a son of man,arriving in a whirl of clouds.He came to The Old Oneand was presented to him.He was given power to ruleall the glory of royalty. I told him my dream. He runs away to the desert where he finds God in a "burning" bush calling out to him. Ive been found innocent before God and also before you, O king. Im giving you a second chancebut from now on, when the big band strikes up you must go to your knees and worship the statue I have made. "Daniel's faith in his God had kept him from being harmed." Daniel 6:23(b) (CEV). His kingdom. Daniel Was Gifted by God. He is the one who assigned this diet and if he sees that you are not as healthy as the rest, hell have my head!, 11-13But Daniel appealed to a steward who had been assigned by the head of the palace staff to be in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Try us out for ten days on a simple diet of vegetables and water. Quit your wicked life and look after the needs of the down-and-out. The head of the statue was pure gold, the chest and arms were silver, the belly and hips were bronze, the legs were iron, and the feet were an iron-ceramic mixture. The implication is that these two men normally had special influence, although in this case, even they would not prevail. No way! But as he passes through the country, he will be filled with anger at the holy covenant. Daniel's Prayer and Gabriel's Proclamation (Daniel 9:1-27) Introduction A friend and neighbor called recently to say she had suffered a stroke in one eye. He was thrown out of human company, lost his mind, and lived like a wild animal. He appointed one hundred twenty governors to administer all the parts of his realm. Daniel puts Gods sovereignty is on display. 4-7I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home taking it easy in my palace, without a care in the world. Hell puff himself up and posture himself as greater than any god. The fiery furnace story involves Daniels friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. But the stone that hit the statue became a huge mountain, dominating the horizon. (Dan 3). The great God has let the king know what will happen in the years to come. And deservedly so, because of our sin. They had seen an act of sublime loyalty to God in their king and this object-lesson must have made a deep and impera- He will load up their tin gods and all the gold and silver trinkets that go with them and cart them off to Egypt. He said, Dont be afraid, friend. The king of the north will play up to those who betray the holy covenant, corrupting them even further with his seductive talk, but those who stay courageously loyal to their God will take a strong stand. And terrifying. You never waver in your covenant commitment, never give up on those who love you and do what you say. You did to us and our rulers what you said you would do: You brought this catastrophic disaster on us, the worst disaster on recordand in Jerusalem! Daniel the Prophet by Bill Swanson Who was Daniel the prophet? Our appeal is to your compassion. But I kept it all to myself.. Soon after Daniel entered into the civil service of King Nebuchadnezzar, the king had puzzling dreams that awakened him from his sleep ( Daniel 2:1 ). The High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar a great kingdom and a glorious reputation. He performs astonishing miracles in heaven and on earth. In the visions of chapters 7-12, the arrogance of future world leaders is the enemy of God and his people. So listen, God, to this determined prayer of your servant. Listen to this dream that I had and interpret it for me. Youre full of the divine Holy Spirit.. Then he wrote out his dream: 2-3In my dream that night I saw the four winds of heaven whipping up a great storm on the sea. 14At this, the king was very upset and tried his best to get Daniel out of the fix hed put him in. And now youve shown us what we asked for. This one was a grisly horrorhideous. There are some striking similarities between the life of Daniel and that of Jacob's son Joseph. When he senses that he is powerful enough as a result of his wealth, he will go to war against the entire kingdom of Greece. He is letting King Nebuchadnezzar in on what is going to happen in the days ahead. We confess that we have sinned, that we have lived bad lives. Daniels peers are jealous, and trick the king into making prayer to God illegal. Left alone after the appearance, abandoned by my friends, I went weak in the knees, the blood drained from my face. He will confiscate the treasuries of Egyptian gold and silver and other valuables. 11. 19-22But I wanted to know more. His Babylonian name is Belteshazzar, named after my god, a man full of the divine Holy Spirit. 4-5The vice-regents and governors got together to find some old scandal or skeleton in Daniels life that they could use against him, but they couldnt dig up anything. 18Turn your ears our way, God, and listen. The second half is mostly a record of Daniels visions concerning Israel and world empires. Jesus Christ references Daniel when He describes the future to his apostles (Mt 24:15). But your rule will be taken over by another kingdom, inferior to yours, and that one by a third, a bronze kingdom, but still ruling the whole land, and after that by a fourth kingdom, ironlike in strength. The billy goat stands for the kingdom of the Greeks. and get rid of anyone who gets in his way. Go about your business without fretting or worrying. It even dared to challenge the power of God, Prince of the Celestial Army! You made me wise and strong.And now youve shown us what we asked for. Because some see Daniel 7:22 as referring to Jesus returning in judgment, the Ancient of Days is here often viewed as a reference to Jesus. He asked them to pray to the God of heaven for mercy in solving this mystery so that the four of them wouldnt be killed along with the whole company of Babylonian wise men. All are featured in books from the Bible, and Jeremiah may have written two. He is a savior and rescuer. While I watched, its wings were pulled off. He is the one who establishes new world empires. When the testing is intense, theyll get some help, but not much. In the Bible, there are four major prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. And then it threw out daily worship and desecrated the Sanctuary. When the king saw the disembodied hand writing away, he went white as a ghost, scared out of his wits. In particular, Daniel 9:24-27 gives a meticulous timeline of when Israel's Messiah would appear and the events that would follow. He is the Ancient of Days on the throne (Dan 7:9). The God of Israel is consistently called the Most High God in the book of Daniel. But he said to Daniel, Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.. Born a Levite and raised an Egyptian he is a "misfit" in both cultures. 15-16After Arioch filled in the background, Daniel went to the king and asked for a little time so that he could interpret the dream. 4The first animal looked like a lion, but it had the wings of an eagle. Called by God and filled with God's Spirit, a prophet spoke God's word to people who had in one way or another distanced themselves from God. Daniel does not stop praying, and so he is is thrown to the lions. 51-4King Belshazzar held a great feast for his one thousand nobles. Wait There Were How Many Herods?! Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, bound hand and foot, fully dressed from head to toe, were pitched into the roaring fire. Moses answers God's call by saying "Here I am" (Exodus 3:4). Then the Sanctuary will be set right again.. You will graze on grass like an ox. belted with a strap of iron and bronze in the grassy meadow. He was given power to ruleall the glory of royalty. Moses: The Old Testaments Greatest Prophet, Gods wisdom is pervasive in the book of Daniel. 8And then Daniel came in. Anointed People. If you had, then you would already have answers to your question. If you dont worship it, you will be pitched into a roaring furnace, no questions asked. Each of these three views has its supporters. 21-24His place will be taken by a reject, a man spurned and passed over for advancement. At the sound of it I fainted, fell flat on the ground, face in the dirt. We still wouldnt serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.. 19-23Nebuchadnezzar, his face purple with anger, cut off Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In chapters 1-6 human pride is the subsurface issue behind the problem that introduces each chapter. He spent the night fasting. Answer We can read about the life of Daniel in his own writings in the book of Daniel and also in Ezekiel 14:14, 20 and 28:3. There were human eyes in this little horn, and a big mouth speaking arrogantly. Weve turned a deaf ear to your servants the prophets, who preached your Word to our kings and leaders, our parents, and all the people in the land. 23-25But the part about the holy angel descending from heaven and proclaiming, Chop down the tree, destroy it, but leave stump and roots in the ground belted with a strap of iron and bronze in the grassy meadow; let him be soaked with heavens dew and take his meals with the grazing animals for seven seasonsthis, O king, also refers to you. So the steward continued to exempt them from the royal menu of food and drink and served them only vegetables. In the lions den episode, Daniel obeys God rather than men. Because the king was in such a hurry and the furnace was so hot, flames from the furnace killed the men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to it, while the fire raged around Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But I continued to be upset by the vision. As she poured from the coffee pot, we both noticed the coffee was missing the cup. 4-6A herald then proclaimed in a loud voice: Attention, everyone! These cookies do not store any personal information. And thats why Im singingI, Nebuchadnezzarsinging and praising the King of Heaven: Everything he does is right,and he does it the right way.He knows how to turn a proud personinto a humble man or woman.. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Daniel has been awarded a position of power in Babylon after the Medes and Persians overthrew the Babylonian king Belshazzar. 11-12The conspirators came and found him praying, asking God for help. 11-2It was the third year of King Jehoiakims reign in Judah when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon declared war on Jerusalem and besieged the city. My God sent his angel, who closed the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me. When he had said this, I stood up, but I was still shaking. 33It happened at once. And then from one of these big horns another horn sprouted. I saw a holy watchman descend from heaven, and call out: Chop down the tree, lop off its branches,strip its leaves and scatter its fruit. Ive heard about youthat youre full of the Holy Spirit, that youve got a brilliant mind, that you are incredibly wise. What youre asking is impossible unless some god or goddess should reveal itand they dont hang around with people like us.. He killed or spared people on whim. And now were paying for it: The solemn curse written out plainly in the revelation to Gods servant Moses is now doing its work among us, the wages of our sin against you. 3-4Then a powerful king will show up and take over a huge territory and run things just as he pleases. He raises up kings and also brings them down. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire. He is loyal to his God. but Gods heavenly army keeps everything going. Even the Prince of the Covenant will be crushed. Through Daniel, God promises a full restoration of Israel. Towering in rage, hell rush to stamp out the threat. You had no sooner started your prayer when the answer was given. While you were looking at this statue, a stone cut out of a mountain by an invisible hand hit the statue, smashing its iron-ceramic feet. Theyll be put to severe testing for a season: some killed, some burned, some exiled, some robbed. The men who were with me, although they didnt see it, were overcome with fear and ran off and hid, fearing the worst.