DANIEL 7-12

Background:

Daniel covers the latter half of the Babylonian Captivity

first 6 chapters are historical giving the background of the end of the exile

last 6 chapters are prophetical visions of Daniel

Timeline

Babylonian Captivity beings in 605 B.C. under Nebuchadnezzar

Daniel is taken off into captivity in 597

First vision happens 553 b.c.

538 b.c. Israel was allowed to return under Cyrus the Great of Persia

Final vision 537 b.c.

Daniel reminds us that God is faithful in his justice and his forgiveness, as Christians are called to be faithful in obedience, calling other to flee from the wrath to come. and patiently waiting for the Lord to return.

Daniel 7:1-10: The Four Beasts

Daniel 7 takes place before chp 5 and in ch 6, in 597 during the reign of Belshazzar

Daniel 7:1

these visions Daniel had was during his sleep, a vision from God

v.3-4 four winds of heaven stirred the sea, bringing up four beasts out of the sea:

four winds of the sea blowing represents the competing empires causing chaos

First beast: Lion with eagle wings: Chaldean monarchy: lion representing fierce and power, with the wings showing the fierce way Nebuchadnezzar conquests the kingdoms

Second beast: bear raised up on one side with three ribs in its mouth = Persian monarchy who slightly devoured other nations but just a vicious

Third beast: leopard with four winds of a bird and four heads = Grecian monarchy founded by Alexander the Great, wings showed the reach of Alexander’s conquest

four heads are the four chief captains that his nation was divided under: Seleicis Nicanor had Asia the Great, Perdiccas (then Antigonus) had Asia the less, Cassander had Macedonia, and Ptolemeus had Egypt

Fourth beast: terrifying and dreadful strong beast with iron teeth = not general consensus, most argue for Roman Empire consisting of 10 kingdoms

7:1-10: What are the key elements of Daniel's vision in this passage, and how do they relate to the broader narrative of the Book of Daniel?

v.9-10 Ancient of Days, God who is coming in judgment to bring comfort to those in Babylon

7:9-10 What aspects of God's character are highlighted in this passage, and how do they challenge or inspire you in your own faith journey?

—-extra——-

v.11-12 God will execute judgment on Rome, and clip the wings of the mighty nations

V.13-14 Son of Man, one in the likeness of man, known to this side of the cross Jesus Christ

he was given dominion and power over the nations, their rise and fall is given from God

this is to bring comfort to the Israelities, knowing that their exile in the babylonians

v. 15-18 Saints of the Most High will possess the kingdom forever and forever

v. 21-22 Daniel was increasingly afraid of the fourth beast asking for clarity, and he saw the horn make war on the saints until God came and brought peace to the kingdom

Daniel 8: Ram and Goat

visions and prophecies of this chapter show the events come to pass the monarchies of Persia and Greece

ram, he-goat and little horn fighting against the people of God

Angel interprets the vision for Daniel:

Ram = Persian empire

he-goat = Grecian empire

little horn = king of Grecian army who would persecute the jews - Antiochus Epiphanes

Greek ruler from 175-164 from the Seleucid dynasty, who forced Greek customs upon the jews provoking the Jewish revolt in 167

Daniel 9:3-15: Daniel’s Prayer

v.1-2 Darius the Mede new king made by Cyrus

During this year the 70 years of captivity have ended, but the decree of their release has not been let out yet

this prayer was probably before the Lions den

v.3 in face with the persecution and punishment of Israel due to their sin, Daniel pleads before the lord

his prayer is multifaceted: prayer = approaching the Lord in reverence

pleas: petitioning before the lord

fasting = abstaining from food and drink to show their reliance to the Lord

In the OT used to mollify God’s wrath and move him to act

Jeremiah 36:6 “so you are to go, and on a day of fasting in the hearing of all the people in the Lord’s house you shall read the words of the Lord from the scroll that you have written at my dictation. You shall read them also in the hearing of all the men of Judah who come out of their cities.”

(God calls Jeremiah to call Judah to repent in fasting, that they may turn from their sin)

2 Samuel 12:16–20 “David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.” But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.” Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.” (David’s child with Bathsheba)

sackcloth and ashes

sackcloth = sack made of goats hair that caused constant irritation

ashes = symbolizes repentance and morality, from ash we came nad to ash we shall retrn

v.4 Daniel begins his prayer:

begins his prayer by:

Reverence:

great and awesome God

covenant keeper

steadfast love to those who love him by keeping his commandments

(this is in light of the 70 years of captivity, and the destruction of jerusalem under nebachanezzar)

v. 5-6 Repentance:

confessed sin

acknowledged wrong

ignored prophets

sin repented was not individual but communal

as a prophet in the OT the covenant was made as a group to the people of Israel = it was their communal obedience that allowed for their flourishing, and their communal sin that

2 Chronicles 36:16 “But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.”

9:3-6 What is the meaning behind Daniel’s prayer and petition on behalf of Israel? What is his position of repentance? When faced with our sin, how should we respond?

v.7

comparison of God’s righteousness compared to Israel’s sinfulness

God is the essence of righteousness, the definition of purity, light, and holiness, and it is the open shame of Judah, Jerusalem and Israel that they have been punished

v.8

The sin of Judah was not one-sided, but it overflowed from every level of society, from the kings who were to represent God to the people, to the heads of each household

v.9

mercy, kindness, forgiveness, retribution and punishment all belong to the Lord

Israel and ourselves are not justified in demanding forgiveness

Exodus 34:6–7 “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.””

v.10

Israel has not obeyed the voice of the Lord, they have rejected his laws and commandments, pursing pagan gods, gentile women

v.11

all of Israel sinned against God by turning aside from his law - the people of God who should of known better = that is what sin is, the conscious decision to turn away from what God calls us to to do what we feel is better for us

Lev 26:14-45

the Abrahamic Covenant had a stipulation that if Israel kept their end of the treaty by following the command of God with their heart and mind then he will bless them and multiple their nation. If they disobeyed God, turned away from his commandments and followed other Gods then he will bring disaster upon their nation, he will use their enemies to consume them, v.17 those who hate them shall rule over them

despite his utter destruction v.44-45 God promises to not utterly destroy them and break their end of the covenant with God - but for the sake of the covenant God will remember their treaty

v. 12

God has confirmed and fulfilled his end of the covenant, he has brought calamity upon their wickedness

v.13

the pride of Israel has kept them from acknowledging their sin, repenting, and seeking the face of their God

v.14

God is righteous and just, his punishment against israel is not unlawful or unfair, he has kept his end of the covenant and Israel has disobeyed, thus Israel’s punishment is justified

v.15

Here Daniel on behalf of Israel is pleading before God, they hav recognized their sin against their God, the one who rescued them from captivity before and will rescue them now

9:3-15 As Christians we are called to pray to our heavenly Father in all circumstances. How can we emulate Daniel’s physical actions and prayer in our own life? Give an example.

Daniel 10: Vision of the Son of Man

chps 10-11 are one vision and prophecy

two years after vision of chp 8

Daniel is fasting and praying to God in humiliation and eventually had a vision:

Son of God came to Daniel, who showed great love and kindness to Daniel

v.16 similar experience to Ezekiel and Jeremiah, where the Lord or Angel touched the lips of their prophet

FOr Daniel, he was made mute in humble response to the words of the Son of Man

Son of man touches the lips of Daniel, opening up his lips to proclaim the prophecy

Angel Gabriel will explain all things to Daniel give him insight into the coming times

Daniel 11: Struggle of Kingdoms and Rise of Antiochus

angel Gabriel appears to Daniel showing him what will befal Israel in the latter days

he foretells the succession of hte kings of Persia and Grecia, the evil of Antiochus

v.1-4 shows prediction of the upcoming Grecian monarchy on taking over the Persian monarchy

v.5-20 affair of two kingdoms of Egypt and Syria

v.21-29 rise of Antochus

v.30-39 great evil Antiochus will ahve of Israel and his hatred to all religion

v.40-45 fall and ruin of Antiochus in the heat of pursuit

after his defeat attacking the Maccabees in 164 either from a disease or drowning himself

Daniel 12: A River, the Son of Man, and the End

v.1

Michael will arise, the archangel in charge of God’s forces and the keeper of the people of Israel

There will be a time of great trouble, suffering and tribulation at the end of the ages that has never been seen since the nation

Matthew 24:21 “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.”

Revelation 16:18 “And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.”

yet during this time of suffering the Church will be delivered - everyone name who is written in the book

book of life, those who have been bought by the lamb Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.”

referring to the rapture, seems to imply a mid-trib and possibly a pre-trib rapture

v.2

all those who are dead will rise to th great judgement

Revelation 20:12–13 “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.”

there are only two judgements that will be given from the righteous faithful Lord: one to everlasting life with the Lord in heaven, the other to everlasting shame and contempt

v.3

it is the wise and the righteous who will receive everlasting life, glorified like the beauty of the stars

Matt 13:36-43

Parable of the weeds

at the end of the age the Son of Man will send his angels to separate the wheat from the tares.

The tares will be thrown into the fiery furnace, into hell where they will be punished for all eternity, taking the punishment we deserve.

The wheat will be made to shine like the sun, brought into the everlasting kingdom of heaven

v.4

Gabriel calls Daniel to seal the words of this prophecy until the end of time

must seal it for Israel was not ready for this prophecy, it must be laid up for future generations, for the church who would come for it

Israel was called to mediate upon it, to know it and search the scriptures for it, just as we are called to treasure God’s word, praying for the return of our savior

Mark 13:32–37 ““But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.””

12:1-4 At the end of times the antichrist will be destroyed, the prince who is Jesus will come to conquer, and every knee will bow and confess that Jesus is lord (Phil 2:10-11). How should this fact dictate our lives? Our interaction and pursuit of unbelievers?

v.5

two beings in the likeness of man stood on the separate banks of the stream

Man clothed in linen = being from 10:5, Son of Man, preincarnate Jesus

Gabriel was there with Daniel explaining to him all things

two new angels were standing upon the banks of the river

Jesus was standing in white linen on the waters

Psalm 29:10 “The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.”

waters/flood represent God’s people and his dominion over them, his control over creation, mankind, and the universe

Matthew 14:25 “And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.” = Jesus walked on the water to his disciples to show his dominion

v.6 The angels asked Jesus: how long?

how long until the end of times, how long until the righteous are redeemed and the unrighteous receive their punishment

v.7 Jesus responded by raising his right hand and left towards heaven and swore: time, times and half a time

usually defined as a undefined definite time = a time that is granted to us to know, yet a time for certain prescribed in the history of mankind by God the Father.

some argue that it is 3 years and 1/2

Jesus’ oath was a promise to the people of Israel, one that will stand the test of time until it has been fulfilled

just as God is faithful in covenant now in their punishment, he will in God’s deliverance at the end of age

It is when the shattering of his people that the lord will deliver him

God will allow Satan to torture and his people until the end, and at the last extremity he will rescue them

There are a few fulfillments that may claim this prophecy to fulfill:

Antiochus surprised Jerusalem held it for 3 years and 6 months and then cast out by the Maccabees

Jesus public ministry was 3 years and 6 months, he live poverty and disgrace, died the cruelest death and took the wrath of God on our behalf, yet triumphed over death and his enemies, for it is finished

End of times, where if the church remains faithful through suffering, God will bring them home to eternal peace

v.8

when hearing this Daniel was confused, did not understand the full sayings of this prophecy -

Daniel calls this “angel” lord a-don, another sign that this angel is the incarnate Jesus

v.9

Jesus commands Daniel to shut up the words of this prophecy for they are for the end times

there is no need for further explanation to Daniel and the people of Israel - John will reveal the rest years later

v.10

it is the wise who will find their refuge and cleansing in Jesus, the blood of the lamb will wash away the sins of the saints, and in them they will made white as snow

Daniel 7:9 ““As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.” = ancient of days

Revelation 7:14 “I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” = matryed saints

the wicked will continue in their sin and ignorance, and will find their just punishment

v.11

taking away of the altar refers to the when Antiochus destroys the temple and places the image of jupiter upon hte altar

their trouble and persecution will last 1290 days, 3 years and 7 months

the trouble began 145th year of Seleciade and the end of the 148th year

v.12

1335 days

some point this to the death of Antichous, 13335 days after his profaning the temple

these days could aslo refer to when the Maccabees recovered the temple and the city, removing the profanity fro the temple

Some argue these days are prophetical days or yeears form the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans

Some interpret them to the corruption of the anti-christ: the apocalypse is 1260 years, and 30 years later the reign of Christ

Answer? We dont know, but what do we know:

The end, the apocalypse, will happen, it is a fixed date

We dont know when this time is coming, all Christians need to wait upon the Lord patiently, teaching their families to do the same

When it comes, it will be more than we could dream of: justice will be served, the church will be saved, and those who refused to believe will receive the punishment we all deserve, everlasting hell

Daniel reminds us that God is faithful in his justice and his forgiveness, as Christians are called to be faithful in obedience, calling other to flee from the wrath to come. and patiently waiting for the Lord to return

v. 13 “But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”