A brief overview of Daniel
Laindon Bible Class – 30th May 2013
Daniel 5
Our study
• The background to Daniel’s writings
• The structure of the Book of Daniel• An outline of the main dreams/visions
/prophecies and their context
• How we may use his writings
Daniel 6
Daniel timing & contemporaries
Daniel 7
Background• Daniel (God is my judge) was born
around 620BC in the reign of Josiah• Was carried away captive to Babylon
around 606/605BC during the reign of Jehoiakim
• He had a prophetic ministry of about 70 years
• He lived until the reign of Cyrus (Daniel 10:1), at least into his 90’s
Daniel 8
Key events in Daniel’s lifeTaken captive to Babylon
Separates fromKing’s table
Interprets KingNebuchadnezzar's dream
The fieryfurnace
Interprets the King’ssecond dream
The writing on the wall
In the lions’den
Vision of fourbeasts
Vision of ramand goat
Prayer and visionof 70 weeks
Vision of a certain manand time of the end
Daniel 9
External references to Daniel• The righteousness of Daniel (Ezekiel
14:14 & 20)• The wisdom of Daniel (Ezekiel 28:3)• Jesus refers explicitly to Daniel’s
prophetic words (Matthew 24:15 & Mark 13:14) and also without naming him (eg Luke 21:24 & John 5:28-29)
• “…and of the prophets: who through faith…” (Hebrews 11:32-38)
Daniel 10
Structure of Daniel (1)CHAPTERS LANGUAGE/PERSON SUBJECT
1 Hebrew 3rd person Introduction
2-6 Aramaic 3rd person Destiny of the nations of the world
7 Aramaic 1st & 3rd person
Daniel’s vision of 4 beasts & Kingdom of God
8-12 Hebrew 1st person Visions concerning the destiny of God’s people
Daniel 11
Structure of Daniel (2)DREAMS & VISIONS
Chapter(s) Given to whom? Subject
2 Nebuchadnezzar Image of the Kingdom of men
4 Nebuchadnezzar The tree chopped down
5 Belshazzar The writing on the wall
7 Daniel The four beasts & God’s Kingdom
8 Daniel The ram & the goat
9 Daniel His prayer & the 70 weeks
10-12 Daniel The future of God’s people & the time of the end
Daniel 12
Nebuchadnezzar’s 1st dream• Gold – Babylonians• Silver – Medes &
Persian• Brass – Greeks• Iron – Romans• Iron & clay – mixed
nations in latter days• Stone – coming of
Jesus Christ• Filling the earth –
God’s Kingdom
Daniel 13
Nebuchadnezzar’s 2nd dream• The great tree –
Nebuchadnezzar & his kingdom
• Cut down – removed from his throne
• Stump – roots of the tree protected
• Nebuchadnezzar to become like a beast of the field for ‘seven times’
• Band of iron & brass points forward to the Catholic church
Daniel 14
The writing on the wall• Belshazzar –
blaspheming & defiling the things of God
• God’s judgement certain Belshazzar’s kingdom finished
• He was weighed in the balance & found wanting
• His kingdom to be divided and given to the Medes & Persians
Daniel 15
The four beasts
• Again symbolising the four great empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece & Rome down to today
• The Son of Man (Jesus) received by God and given everlasting dominion over the earth destroying the beast
Daniel 16
The ram and the goat
• The dominance of the Medo-Persian Empire (ram)• Attacked and defeated by the Greeks (goat – great
horn = Alexander the great)• The emergence of Rome’s power (the little horn)
Daniel 17
The 70 weeks
• Period of 70 weeks = 490 days = 490 years• Divided into 7 (49yrs), 62 (434yrs) and 1 week (7yrs)• Precise dates a little uncertain but clearly pointed to
the advent of the Messiah – Jesus Christ and his crucifixion
JOHN THEBAPTIST
THE MESSIAH CUT OFF
3326
Daniel 18
A certain man & time of the end• Certain man a manifestation
of the multitudinous Christ• Reveals the work of the
angels bringing about God’s purpose
• God’s judgements on the enemies of Israel
• The history of Jewish revolt and the rise of Rome
• The re-emergence of the kings of the North & South
• The time of the end and the coming of Christ
Daniel 19
Daniel’s message for us
A keynote verse:
“This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.”
(4:17)
Daniel 20
How we can use Daniel
• The example of a great man of faith for us to follow
• A compelling proof that the Bible is God’s word
• The apocalypse of the Old Testament• A precious source of understanding
of God’s purpose and the events in the last days
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