Daniel: Living a Life of Integrity (3)

Good Morning friends. We have prayer this Tuesday from 5-6 PM, so don’t forget that. On Thursday the 31st, from 5-6:30 (ish) we will be handing out goody bags here at the church. Feel free to come out if you would like. If you have any ideas of something you would like to do that night, let me know.

Today we are finishing up our series on the book of Daniel. We covered chapters 1-4, 6, 7 so far. Today I am going to combine the last 3 chapters as best as I can into one sermon. Last week we got a taste of what the 2nd half of Daniel looks like, with Daniel’s dream.

The last few chapters of Daniel are very similar in nature. Obviously we won’t be able to cover the remainder of Daniel with the amount of detail we did last week, but w will be able to get a good overview of the chapters and discuss the main ideas. On your handouts there should be an outline that will tell you how we are going to tackle the last few chapters.

The Prophetic History of Israel during the Times of the Gentiles (chaps. 8–12)

A. The vision of the ram and the goat (chap. 8)

1. The vision (8:1–14)

2. The interpretation (8:15–27)

B. The vision of the 70 “sevens” (chap. 9)

1. The occasion of the vision (9:1–2)

2. The prayer of Daniel (9:3–19)

3. The response of the Lord (9:20–27)

C. The final vision (chaps. 10–12)

1. The preparation of the prophet (10:1–11:1)

2. The details of Israel’s history under the second and third empires (11:2–35)

3. The prophetic history of the 70th seven (11:36–12:3)

4. Conclusion (12:4–13)

A. The vision of the ram and the goat (chap. 8)

We are going to start this morning by looking at Daniel’s vision in chapter 8. You will probably notice many similarities between Daniel chapter 2 (the king’s statue dream), chapter 7, the beasts, and chapter 8. With chapter 8 we also see a few cross references in the book of Luke and Revelation, but not nearly as many as we saw last week in chapter 7. I’m including all of the cross references for the chapters in your handouts.

1. The vision (8:1–14)

Daniel’s vision in chapter 8 takes place after the vision in Chapter 7. but before Babylon is defeated by the Medo-Persians. that is important to keep in mind as we move through chapter 8.

Daniel 8:3–4 “I looked up, and there was a ram standing beside the canal. He had two horns. The two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up last. I saw the ram charging to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no rescue from his power. He did whatever he wanted and became great.”

Daniel 8:3–4 “I looked up, and there was a ram standing beside the canal. He had two horns. The two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up last. I saw the ram charging to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no rescue from his power. He did whatever he wanted and became great.”

Similar to other dreams and visions in the book of Daniel, we are first presented with the details of Daniel’s dream here in Chapter 8. Daniel mentions that he is in the city of Susa, which was a large city in Babylon. Like chapter 7, the dream does involve animals, but not the hybrid beasts talked about last week.

The first thing Daniel saw was a Ram…not a dodge ram. This Ram had two horns, but one horn was longer than the other. This ram began charging various directions…Daniel says, to the west, north and south. The Ram went unchallenged in the first part of the dream, as it was very powerful and arrogant.

Unfortunately for this powerful Ram, along comes the goat version of the flash. He is charging so quick that his hooves don’t even touch the ground. This male goat attacked the Ram and overpowered it very quickly, breaking the Ram’s 2 horns. Daniel notes that this male goat acted even more arrogantly than the ram. At first, this male goat had one horn right between its eyes, but that horn broke off and in its place grew smaller horns…they were pointing to the S, E, and North. One of the very specif parts of Daniel's dream has the male goat oppressing Israel and desecrating the temple, for 2,300 evenings and mornings, then the temple will be restored. I will address this specific number, along with other instances where we are given very specific numbers at the end.

Daniel 8:8–9 “Then the male goat acted even more arrogantly, but when he became powerful, the large horn was broken. Four conspicuous horns came up in its place, pointing toward the four winds of heaven. From one of them a little horn emerged and grew extensively toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land.”

That, is, in a condensed form, Daniel’s dream in chapter 8…a battle between a ram and a male goat, with the goat being the victor and with horns pointing specific directions

2. The interpretation (8:15–27)

Moving on, beginning in verse 15 the angel Gabriel begins to interpret this dream for Daniel. In essence, this chapter is a prophetic vision of the rise and fall of empires, and it highlights God's sovereignty over history. It is intended, believe it or not, to give the people of Israel a sense of hope for the future…that even though things may get bad for a while, God will not abandon them to their enemies.

Daniel 8:20–22 “The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king. The four horns that took the place of the broken horn represent four kingdoms. They will rise from that nation, but without its power.”

The angel mentions some specific kingdom’s this time, specifically the Medo-Persian empire and Greece. The idea is that each succeeding kingdom will rise to power than be defeated

B. The vision of the 70 “sevens” (chap. 9)

As we now move into Chapter 9, we quickly learn that Daniel is not only a man uniquely dedicated to God, which we already new, but he is also a man who loves to study God’s word. Additionally, we are going to see probably the very best O.T. prophecies concerning the Messiah.

1. The occasion of the vision (9:1–2)

Daniel 9:1–2 “In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, a Mede by birth, who was made king over the Chaldean kingdom—in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books according to the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be seventy.”

Daniel’s vision here in Chapter 9 takes place shortly after Babylon was defeated by the Medo-Persians. As I said, it turns out that Daniel is a student of former prophets, especially the prophet Jeremiah. There was a reason that Daniel was drawn to Jeremiah. I’ll be totally honest here, before I began studying for this series, I did not know an ounce of what I’m about to share with you. I’m normally already pretty familiar with my topics, but I was truly learning new things, especially with Daniel Chapter 9.

2. The prayer of Daniel (9:3–19)

Why would Daniel be so focused on the prophecies of Jeremiah?

TIMELINE OF PROPHETS IN THE O.T.

The reason that Daniel focused on the book of Jeremiah was because of

Jeremiah 29:10–12 “For this is what the Lord says: “When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

I finally got to use this verse in a sermon…in a proper way. The book of Jeremiah is all about Israel being punished for turning their backs on the Lord…for marrying pagans and idolatry. Jeremiah had predicted that the people would be taken into captivity for 70 years. When that 70 year period was up, God would restore the people of Israel and the temple, which was the center of worship. Turns out, Jeremiah was correct, at least about the first part of his prophecy. Daniel was part of the people who were taken by King Nebuchadnezzar and forced to live in Babylon. Remember, this happened when Daniel was a teenager. By the time Daniel was old, he knew that Jeremiah prophesied that after 70 years, worship in the temple would be restored. The prophecy in Jeremiah was intended to give the people hope.

Daniel took this seriously, knowing the time was approaching that God promised to restore Israel. As a result, Daniel launched into a prayer…one of the most moving and insightful prayers in scripture.

Daniel 9:3–6 (CSB)So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: Ah, Lord—the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands—we have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from your commands and ordinances. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, ancestors, and all the people of the land.

This was not an ordinary prayer by an stretch. Daniel went into (what the Jews call) mourning…this is where they do not eat, they put ashes on their foreheads and they wear sackcloth…which is basically a burlap sack. All of these things let people know that Daniel was mourning.

If you’ve never read Daniel’s prayer, I would highly suggest you take time to do that later today. Daniel’s prayer consisted of 4 main ideas

Adoration (expressing reverence)

Confession (we have sinned)

Thanksgiving and Praise

Petition or supplication (asking God for something)

Interestingly, this is the same 4 things we see in the Lord’s prayer in Matthew chapter 6. As Daniel prays, his emphasis is not so much on himself, rather, Daniel is petitioning the Lord on behalf of Israel.

Why would Daniel go into mourning? Why wouldn’t he rejoice over the fact that the 70 years were almost up…that his people were going to be allowed to return to Israel? It’s clear that he had faith in the prophet Jeremiah’s words. Was Daniel was worried that God wasn’t going to keep his word? No, Daniel knew that God’s word always comes true. I think Daniel went into mourning because he sensed that Israel’s time in exile had not produced the type of repentance it should have.

Daniel 9:13–14 “Just as it is written in the law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our iniquities and paying attention to your truth. So the Lord kept the disaster in mind and brought it on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all he has done. But we have not obeyed him.”

Daniel was not doubting that the Lord would keep his promise, as he knew, even back then, long before Christ, that God’s word and promises do not hinge upon our own righteousness. The last couple verse of Daniel’s prayer is very reminiscent of something we would see in the N.T.

Daniel 9:18 “Listen closely, my God, and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that bears your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before you based on our righteous acts, but based on your abundant compassion.”

It’s clear that Daniel had a very deep understanding of the character of God.

3. The response of the Lord (9:20–27)

As Daniel was praying to the Lord he began to see a vision

Daniel 9:20 “While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the Lord my God concerning the holy mountain of my God—”

The vision of Daniel, here in chapter 9 is complicated. We do not have time to read it through, so I’m going to give you the best cliff note version I can. Remember, the reason that Daniel began to pray was because of Jeremiah’s prophecy about the 70 years of Israel being in exile. The best way to describe Daniel’s vision here in chapter 9 is that the Lord was allowing Daniel to peer into what the future of Israel will be, after they return from exile. In the prayer there are a few important terms and numbers.

The vision is called:

The Vision of the 70 sevens (70 x 7 or 490 )

The Anointed One (the Prince or the Ruler)

Abomination of Desolation

In essence, the vision told Daniel that a period of time was coming where the temple (that had been destroyed) would be rebuilt, after that the Anointed One (Messiah) would come, but he would be “cut off.” After this, the Abomination of Desolation will arrive, make a deal with God’s people, but end up betraying them. That is a very simplistic version of the vision.

There are 3 main ways this vision has been interpreted…but pretty much all of them agree on 4 things:

The Anointed One is the Messiah

To put an end to sin

To atone for iniquity

To bring in everlasting righteousness

Even Jews believe this, they just do not believe these things have happend yet. As I said, there are 3 views on how to interpret this dream:

Preterist Interpretation: This view suggests that the prophecy was fulfilled in the first century AD with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Preterists believe that most or all biblical prophecies about the end times, including the Second Coming of Christ, the Tribulation, and the Millennium, were fulfilled in the 1st century AD, particularly with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Historicist Interpretation: This interpretation sees the prophecy as a historical timeline that stretches across centuries, with each week representing a period of years. So, some of the events have been fulfilled, but some haven’t.

Historicism is about seeing the past not as a series of isolated events, but as a connected story that unfolds over time.

Futurist Interpretation: This view believes that the final week of the prophecy is yet to be fulfilled in the future, during the end times.

Futurism is a Christian eschatological interpretation that views the majority of the prophecies in the Book of Revelation, the Book of Ezekiel, and the Book of Daniel as literal, future events. This view believes that these prophesies are about the N.T. church primarily.

I know that was a bit academic, but there is just no easy way to describe the various view. The truth is, there are problems with any interpretation that takes the numbers and tries to fit them into some chart to prove that they are right…we can trust that Daniel’s vision is true and that it’s from the Lord, 100 Percent, but there are so many variables when it comes to specific numbers…the first one being the difference between the Jewish calendar and the Gregorian calendar, which is what we go by. Gregorian years are typically 365 days, with an extra day every 4 years (leap year).Jewish years are typically 354 days, but an extra month is added 7 times in 19 years to keep them aligned with the solar year. On top of that, we have no idea how Daniel measured time. I say all of that to tell you that anyone who claims they know for sure what Daniel was trying to say is either lying or has become so deceived, they shouldn’t be listened to.

So, that was Daniel’s prayer and vision in chapter 9. Let’s now look at an overview of the last 3 chapters, 10 to 12.

C. The final vision (chaps. 10–12)

1. The preparation of the prophet (10:1–11:1)

Starting in chapter 10, Daniel has a vision of a mighty angel who reveals to him what will happen in the future, concerning Israel, Persia and Greece. The angel also tells Daniel that there will be a time of great distress for the people of God, but that ultimately, God will vindicate his people.

Daniel 10:12–14 “Don’t be afraid, Daniel,” he said to me, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me after I had been left there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the last days, for the vision refers to those days.””

2. The details of Israel’s history under the second and third empires (11:2–35)

In Daniel 11, the angel continues his vision, revealing the rise and fall of various world powers.

Four Kings of Persia:

The prophecy describes four powerful Persian kings, with the third king (Xerxes I) being particularly notable for his great wealth and conquests.

Rise of the Seleucid Empire:

After the fourth Persian king (Artaxerxes III), a "vile person" (Antiochus IV Epiphanes) will gain power and establish a vast empire.

Antiochus IV's Oppression:

This king will persecute the Jewish people, desecrating their temple and forbidding Jewish practices.

Deliverance and Restoration:

Despite the persecution, there will be a time of deliverance for the Jewish people. A "man of renown" (possibly referring to the Maccabees) will arise to lead them to victory and restore the temple.

Final Conflict:

The prophecy concludes with a vision of a final conflict between the "vile person" and a "mighty king of the north" (possibly referring to the Roman Empire). The "vile person" will ultimately be defeated, and his kingdom will be divided.

This vision, is remarkably detailed, compared to previous dreams and visions. In Chapter 11 we hear from the Archangel Michael, which is very unique. There are many who believe all of Daniel’s prophecies are interconnected and are talking about the same events, only in different details. There is almost universal agreement about one particular part of this vision.

Daniel 11:3–4 “Then a warrior king will arise; he will rule a vast realm and do whatever he wants. But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and divided to the four winds of heaven, but not to his descendants; it will not be the same kingdom that he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and will go to others besides them.”

It is widely agreed upon that this is talking about Alexander the great. What the angel describes here is exactly what happens. Alexander died at the height of his power. Instead of diving up his vast kingdom and giving it to his children, he gave each of his 4 best commanders 1 part…dividing the kingdom into 4 new nations. These 4 nations then went to war with each other. As you can see, you can’t get much more accurate than that.

3. The prophetic history of the 70th seven (11:36–12:3)

This last section of Daniel’s vision talks about a massive final battle, where the king of the North will march against Israel. The passage describes the end times and the ultimate victory of God's people. The "king of the north" (likely referring to a future superpower) will become increasingly arrogant and blasphemous, persecuting God's saints. However, God will intervene on behalf of His people, and the "king of the north" will eventually be defeated. The passage then concludes with a vision of the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment, when God will reward the righteous and punish the wicked.

4. Conclusion (12:4–13)

The final few passages of the book of Daniel concern Daniel himself. I want to read it to you as it’s written

Daniel 12:4–13 (CSB)“But you, Daniel, keep these words secret and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam about, and knowledge will increase.” Then I, Daniel, looked, and two others were standing there, one on this bank of the river and one on the other. One of them said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the water of the river, “How long until the end of these wondrous things?” Then I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the water of the river. He raised both his hands toward heaven and swore by him who lives eternally that it would be for a time, times, and half a time. When the power of the holy people is shattered, all these things will be completed. I heard but did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?” He said, “Go on your way, Daniel, for the words are secret and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. From the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Happy is the one who waits for and reaches 1,335 days. But as for you, go on your way to the end; you will rest, and then you will stand to receive your allotted inheritance at the end of the days.”

These men are often viewed as witness to confirm Daniel’s story. Back then, in order for something to be considered legal there had to be witnesses. We aren’t sure who these figures are. Naturally, they want to know when all of this will happen. The Lord replies: A time, times and half a time. We can pretend to know what that means to sound smart, but the fact is, we do not know. Not only that, but the Lord also mentions a specific number of days, which equals 3 1/2 years, while the second number totals 3.6 years. Of course, there are all sorts of ideas out there about this.

OK, I do not have a traditional closing today, but I do want to take a couple minutes and determine how you and I can apply or what we can really take home from the book of Daniel.

Key themes and meanings in the Book of Daniel include:

The sovereignty of God:

Throughout the book, God is portrayed as the ultimate ruler over all nations and empires. He is the one who controls history and ultimately brings about his divine purposes. Naturally, we can take this too far and check out or have the type of attitude where nothing I do matters. It is certain that no one from either the O.T. or the N.T. believed or lived like that.

Continuing in faith and fulfilling the great commission is what God has instructed us to do, His sovereign plan is always working as we continue living in Him.

Daniel's story is one of perseverance in the face of adversity. Despite the challenges he faces, he remains faithful to God and ultimately witnesses the downfall of of those opposed to God and the restoration of God's people. This did not happen overnight though. Daniel waited his entire life and ended up dying before his people were allowed to return to Israel. Despite this, Daniel had the faith to know that ultimately, God wins.

in the book of 1st Timothy we are told to Fight the good fight of faith

1 Timothy 6:11–12 “But you, man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called and about which you have made a good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

The hope of a future messianic kingdom:

In one way we share the same future hope as Daniel…that one day the Messiah will reign supreme Of course, for Daniel it was all about the Messiah freeing Israel and ushering in a time where Israel would be free from enemies. As Christians, we still believe that God is going to establish His kingdom here on earth and that we will rule and reign with Christ. The book of Revelation talks about a period of 1000 years where Satan will be “locked up.” This is supposed to take place after the events in Daniel…before the Lord creates a new heavens and a new earth.

Revelation 21:1–3 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.”

The 1000 year period is refereed to as the Millennial Reign, followed by the New Heavens and New Earth. I point all of that out because that is our hope as followers of Christ....even though we know little about the details.

The importance of faith and obedience:

Lastly, and I would say for practical purposes and equally as important takeaway as the sovereignty of God is the importance of faith and obedience…both in good times and in times of adversity. As Daniel was receiving his last visions from he Lord, he was told why he is the one who was chosen to see these things.

Daniel 9:22–23 “He gave me this explanation: “Daniel, I’ve come now to give you understanding. At the beginning of your petitions an answer went out, and I have come to give it, for you are treasured by God. So consider the message and understand the vision:”

Daniel 10:12 ““Don’t be afraid, Daniel,” he said to me, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers.”

Over and over again in the book of Daniel we see how much Daniel’s faith, humility, and obedience served him well. It gave him favor from both God and man. While I’m not suggesting that any of us are going to receive the next great godly vision or be promoted to some political office, just because we are so great…we shouldn't need those things to live a life of faithful obedience. Daniel was not faithful and obedient because he was favored, he was favored because he was faithful and obedient. We can get those things reversed.

If only I could have their kind of money, I would be go generous, if only my kid would behave, I would never lose my temper. If I only had that house, I would take such good care of it.

Looking back on the life of Daniel should challenge us, it should spur us to to take what God has given us and be faithful with it, then, and only then, might we discover the type of favor that Daniel had on his life.

PRAY