Daniel 2 of 2

FOOL Psalms 14:1

Proverbs 18:2

Proverbs 18:6 - funny

Doubt of Daniel’s prophesies. God become human = supernatural

Cylinders Babylonian records with the same events occurring in Daniel.

Babylonians belief and culture (John Lennox)

World view - Answer to big questions - Cosmogony, theory of origin of universe (Gen 1)

Theogony - origin of god(s) - different waters (fresh/salt) made gods out of forces of nature - materialistic - are our scientists not the same?

Extremely intelligent, time

Many thinkers who dive into the origin of our existence account it in being superhuman, not supernatural.

Daniel and his friends were pushed into a materialistic world! Babylon worshipped material gods.

Some think Nothing created Something.

If I teach this class about nothing, what will we talk about?

So we have to choose:

Is GOD creator …or

is NOTHING creator?

“The Faithfulness of Man and the Sovereignty of God”

1. The First Half Shows Faithfulness; the Second Half Explains Why That Faithfulness Is Reasonable

Daniel 1–6 is about faithful people living in a hostile world a materialistic world:

Daniel refuses defilement

The three Hebrews refuse to bow

Daniel prays despite a death decree

Prideful kings are humbled

God honors conviction, courage, humility, and prayer

These chapters answer:

“How should God’s people live?”

Daniel 7–12 shifts to:

“Why should God’s people live this way?”

Because:

God rules kingdoms

God directs history

God brings the Messiah at exactly the right time

God prepares the world for the kingdom

The faithful will rise to everlasting life

The first half shows faithful humans.

The second half reveals the faithful God behind them.

2. Daniel’s Radical Claim That “God Gave Judah Into Babylon’s Hand” (Daniel 1:2)

This is the key hinge of the entire book.

It would make perfect sense to say Babylon took Judah, they had the latest in war tech, the were far superior in every way. It’s a no brainer. Most historians would hash this into typical historic evolution of superior forces. Had this been the other way around that would have been something.

So we have something here.

“The Lord gave…” Daniel 1:2

Why risk looking the fool? By saying the Lords behind it?

Here we see the real Daniel - here a man displays great conviction and passion believing that there is a God who is in control.

“The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand…”

This is shocking.

This is dangerous.

This is counterintuitive.

This sounds like foolishness to unbelievers.

Daniel is saying:

“Babylon didn’t conquer Judah.

God handed Judah over.”

For skeptics, this was outrageous:

“Your God lost!”

“Your temple burned!”

“Your king defeated!”

“Your people exiled!”

Yet Daniel boldly proclaims:

“Our defeat was God’s doing, not Babylon’s strength.”

And this is exactly what makes Daniel’s message so powerful.

3. This Reminds us Moses’ Argument in Exodus 32

When Israel sinned with the golden calf, God told Moses:

Exodus 32:10

“Let Me alone… that I may consume them.”

Moses responds Exodus 32:12

“Why should the Egyptians say,

‘For evil He brought them out… to consume them’?”

Moses is deeply concerned about how the nations perceive God.

He is saying:

“If You destroy Israel, the nations might misunderstand Your power, Your righteousness, Your covenant.”

Daniel does the same thing — but from the opposite direction.

4. The Connection Between Daniel and Moses

Moses feared that God’s destruction of His people could be misinterpreted as God’s weakness or inconsistency.

Daniel embraces that very perception to show the opposite:

Moses: “If You destroy Israel, nations may think You failed.”

Exiles: “Nations think God failed because Judah fell.”

Daniel: “God didn’t fail — He displays his love, mercy, and power in his control of all kingdoms”

The fall of Judah was not a sign of God’s weakness

but a sign of God’s sovereignty.

Daniel does what Moses feared the nations might think —

yet Daniel clarifies the truth:

“Our God rules even our defeat.”

This sets up the second half of the book:

If God rules the downfall of His own nation,

He also rules:

Babylon

Persia

Greece

Rome

And the arrival of the Messiah

Daniel turns what looks like the greatest embarrassment of Israel’s history into the greatest evidence of God’s sovereignty.

5. This Theme Explodes in the New Testament:

“Fools for Christ” (1 Corinthians 4:10)**

Paul says:

1 Corinthians 4:10

“We are fools for Christ’s sake…”

Why?

Because the gospel looks foolish:

A crucified Messiah (1 Corinthians 1:23)

A kingdom without swords (John 18:36)

Strength in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)

Victory through death (Hebrews 2:14–15)

Conquest through suffering (Romans 8:36–39)

Like Daniel, Paul embraces what the world sees as foolish to reveal God’s wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:27

“God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise…”

Daniel’s message:

“God used the fall of Judah.”

Paul’s message:

“God used the death of Christ.”

Both appear foolish from a materialistic standpoint.

But Both are the ultimate displays of God’s wisdom and power.

6. How Daniel’s Perspective Magnifies God’s Power

Daniel looks Babylon in the face and says:

“Your victory was arranged by Israel’s God.”

He tells Nebuchadnezzar:

Daniel 2:21

“He removes kings and sets up kings.”

And again:

Daniel 4:32

“The Most High rules the kingdom of men.”

This is not the god of a defeated people.

This is the sovereign God of heaven.

Daniel risks being misunderstood

but truth demands that he say it.

***God displays the most powerful king in the world to the dust of the ground. Like an animal untamed and filthy.

7. The Unified Message for Us Today

Daniel is a book for those living in a culture that misunderstands, mocks, or doubts their faith.

Daniel shows:

God is sovereign even when His people seem weak.

Faithfulness may look foolish, but it is wisdom.

God uses suffering to refine and prepare His people.

God directs history toward Christ and His kingdom.

God’s people must be willing to be “fools for Christ.”

Daniel 1–6 shows a faithful people.

Daniel 7–12 shows a faithful God.

The first half asks:

“Will you trust Him in exile?”

The second half answers:

“You can trust Him — because He rules the future.”

Moses feared the nations might misunderstand God’s judgment.

Daniel embraced it and proclaimed God’s control.

The New Testament continues the theme:

We appear foolish for Christ

We trust God’s wisdom above the world’s

We live by faith in a kingdom not seen

We declare Christ is King even when the world doubts

And all of Daniel comes together in this truth:

The God who rules defeat, rules history.

The God who rules history, rules kings.

The God who rules kings, rules kingdoms.

And the God who rules kingdoms has given all dominion to the Son of Man — Jesus Christ — whose kingdom will never be destroyed.

This is the God we trust.

This is the God we follow.

This is the God we proclaim in a world that thinks faith is foolish.

Why risk looking the fool to say God is behind Judahs fall - John Lennox

DANIEL 1 — Conviction in Captivity

Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself.

Holiness begins with decisions made before the crisis.

God honors those who honor Him (Daniel 1:8–9, 17, 20).

Core Point: Conviction must be formed before the test arrives.

DANIEL 2 — God Reveals History & Establishes His Kingdom

Four world empires: Babylon → Medo-Persia → Greece → Rome.

In the days of Rome, God would set up His eternal kingdom (Daniel 2:44).

The “stone cut without hands” is the Messianic kingdom (the church).

Core Point: Earthly kingdoms fall—Christ’s kingdom endures forever.

DANIEL 3— Faith That Won’t Bow

The three Hebrews stand firm before the furnace.

“But if not… we will not serve your gods.”

God walks with His people even in the fire (Daniel 3:25).

Core Point: True faith obeys God regardless of outcome.

DANIEL 4 — The Humbling of Nebuchadnezzar

Pride brings a king low; humility brings restoration.

God rules the kingdoms of men (4:17, 25, 35).

Nebuchadnezzar ends praising the Most High.

Core Point: God humbles the proud and exalts the humble.

DANIEL 5 — The Handwriting on the Wall

Belshazzar mocks God by defiling holy things.

God weighs him, finds him lacking, and Babylon falls that night.

The Medo-Persian empire rises.

Core Point: Irreverence toward God leads to swift judgment.

DANIEL 6 — The Lion’s Den & the Power of Prayer

Daniel prays “as he had always done” (6:10).

Consistent devotion produces consistent courage.

God delivers His faithful servant and glorifies His name.

Core Point: Daily prayer builds lion-den faith.

DANIEL 7 — The Son of Man Receives the Kingdom

Main Picture: Four beasts (four empires) → Ancient of Days → Son of Man enthroned.

Key Points:

Beasts = Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome (Daniel 7:3–7, 17).

Ancient of Days sits in judgment (Daniel 7:9–10).

Son of Man comes with the clouds and receives eternal dominion (Daniel 7:13–14).

The saints share in His kingdom (Daniel 7:18, 27).

Why It Matters: This is the moment Christ ascends (Acts 1:9) and receives the kingdom (Acts 2:30–36). Daniel saw it centuries before it happened.

Core Takeaway: Christ’s kingdom is eternal — and His people share in it.

DANIEL 8 — Greece, Persecution, and God’s Preparation

Main Picture: A ram (Medo-Persia), a goat (Greece), and a little horn (Antiochus IV).

Key Points:

Ram = Medo-Persia (Daniel 8:20).

Goat = Greece under Alexander (Daniel 8:21).

After the empire divides, a cruel king (Antiochus IV) persecutes the Jews.

God says he will be “broken without hand” (Daniel 8:25).

Why It Matters: God is preparing Israel for the coming Messiah (Galatians 4:4).

Core Takeaway: God uses history — even persecution — to prepare the world for Christ.

DANIEL 9 — The Prayer & the Seventy Weeks

Main Picture: Daniel prays → God gives the timeline to the Messiah.

Key Points:

Daniel confesses Israel’s sins (Daniel 9:4–19).

Gabriel reveals the 70 weeks (490 years): ✓ Messiah comes ✓ Messiah is “cut off” (Daniel 9:26) ✓ He ends sacrifice (Daniel 9:27; Hebrews 10:9–12) ✓ Jerusalem & the temple destroyed (Daniel 9:26–27; A.D. 70)

Why It Matters: This prophecy nails the exact window of Christ’s ministry and death.

Core Takeaway: Daniel 9 is the roadmap to the cross, the New Covenant, and the fall of Jerusalem.

DANIEL 10 — The Unseen Spiritual War

Main Picture: Daniel prays → an angel is delayed → spiritual conflict is revealed.

Key Points:

Daniel fasts for 3 weeks (Daniel 10:2–3).

A heavenly messenger says: “Your words were heard” (Daniel 10:12).

But “the prince of Persia” resisted the angel (Daniel 10:13).

Michael, the archangel, helps (Daniel 10:13, 21).

Why It Matters: Behind kingdoms is a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12).

Core Takeaway: Prayer shakes the unseen realm, and God strengthens His people.

DANIEL 11 — Political Chaos & God’s Providence

Main Picture: Persia → Greece → Wars between North/South → Antiochus IV’s persecution.

Key Points:

Persia’s kings rise (Daniel 11:2).

Alexander’s empire splits four ways (Daniel 11:4).

Seleucid (North) vs. Ptolemy (South) constant conflict.

Antiochus IV persecutes the Jews (Daniel 11:31).

But: “The people who know their God shall be strong” (Daniel 11:32).

Trials refine God’s people (Daniel 11:35).

Why It Matters: This covers Intertestamental history exactly as it happened.

Core Takeaway: Even in political upheaval, God’s faithful stand strong.

DANIEL 12 — Resurrection & Final Deliverance

Main Picture: Trouble → Deliverance → Resurrection → Glory.

Key Points:

A time of distress (Daniel 12:1).

Bodily resurrection: “Some to everlasting life, some to shame” (Daniel 12:2).

The faithful “shine like stars forever” (Daniel 12:3).

Daniel will “rest, and arise” at the end (Daniel 12:13).

Why It Matters: This is one of the clearest OT passages on resurrection and eternal life.

Core Takeaway: God’s faithful will rise and shine forever.

Tying the Entire Book Together

Daniel begins with faithfulness in exile and ends with faithfulness rewarded in eternity.

Daniel shows us:

Earthly kingdoms rise and fall — but God rules them all.

Kings boast — but God humbles them.

Fires burn — but God walks with His people.

Lions roar — but God shuts their mouths.

Empires clash — but God directs history.

Persecution comes — but God refines His people.

The Messiah is cut off — but He rises and reigns (Daniel 9:26; Acts 2:32–36).

The saints suffer — but they shine like stars forever (Daniel 12:3).

The message of Daniel: God is sovereign. Christ is King. His kingdom endures forever. And His faithful people will share in His glory.

“That the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men.” — Daniel 4:17

Full class below:

Faithfulness in exile. Courage in a culture of compromise. God’s sovereignty over kings, nations, and history. The rise and fall of empires preparing the world for Christ’s kingdom.

DANIEL 7

1. The Four Beasts (Daniel 7:1–7)

Parallel to Daniel 2, but from God’s perspective (wild beasts vs. human statue).

Lion — Babylon

Bear — Medo-Persia

Leopard — Greece

Terrifying Beast — Rome

Key Verses:

Daniel 7:3 — “Four great beasts came up out of the sea.”

Daniel 7:17 — “These great beasts… are four kings.”

NT Support:

Rev. 13:1–2 — John sees the same beasts as one creature

Shows Revelation is built on Daniel’s imagery

2. The Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9–10)

God seated on His throne, judging the nations.

Key Verses:

Daniel 7:9 — “The Ancient of Days did sit…”

Daniel 7:10 — “The judgment was set…”

NT Support:

Rev. 20:11–12 — The final judgment scene mirrors this imagery

3. The Son of Man Receives the Dominion (Daniel 7:13–14)

This is one of the greatest Messianic prophecies in the Bible.

Key Verses:

Daniel 7:13 — “One like the Son of Man came with the clouds…”

Daniel 7:14 — “There was given Him dominion, glory, and a kingdom…”

NT Support:

Matt. 26:64 — Jesus quotes Daniel 7 on trial

Acts 1:9 — Jesus ascends “in the clouds”

Acts 2:30–36 — Jesus receives the kingdom

Col. 1:13 — We are transferred to His kingdom

Core Point: Daniel sees Christ ascending and enthroned long before it happens.

4. The Saints Receive the Kingdom (Daniel 7:18, 27)

The church shares in the reign of Christ.

Key Verses:

Daniel 7:18 — “The saints… shall take the kingdom.”

Daniel 7:27 — “The kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the saints…”

NT Support:

Eph. 1:22–23 — Christ’s body participates in His rule

1 Pet. 2:9 — “A royal priesthood”

Core Point: Christ receives the kingdom, then shares it with His people.

What Happens:

Daniel sees a vision of four beasts (representing four world empires).

He sees the Ancient of Days judge them.

He sees One like the Son of Man come with the clouds and receive an eternal kingdom.

The saints receive the kingdom with Him.

What It Means:

This vision parallels Daniel 2 but shows the kingdoms as beasts — from God’s heavenly perspective (cruel, brutal, temporary).

Major Takeaway:

Christ (the Son of Man) receives an everlasting kingdom, and His people share in it. This is the foundational prophecy of the Messiah’s reign.

DANIEL 8 (THE RAM, THE GOAT, AND THE LITTLE HORN)

BIG IDEA: God reveals the rise of Greece and the persecution of His people before the Messiah comes.

1. The Ram = Medo-Persia (Daniel 8:3–4, 20)

Two horns = the dual kingdom

Expands west, north, and south

2. The Goat = Greece (Daniel 8:5–8, 21)

Swift, powerful (Alexander the Great)

Great horn breaks → kingdom divides into four parts

3. The Little Horn = A Northern Greek King (Antiochus IV)

Persecutes the Jews

Defiles the temple

Foreshadows later persecution

Not the Antichrist, not Rome — a specific pre-Messiah persecutor

Died of a fever, not in war, not assassinated.

Key Verses:

Daniel 8:17 — “The vision concerns the time of the end.” (The end of the OT era, NOT the end of the world)

Daniel 8:25 — “He shall be broken without hand” (No human ends him; God does)

NT Support:

Heb. 9:1–14 — Temple themes fulfilled in Christ

Gal. 4:4 — God prepares the world for Christ “in the fullness of time”

Core Point: God prepares Israel for the coming Messiah, even through suffering.

DANIEL 8 — THE RAM, THE GOAT & THE LITTLE HORN

What Happens:

The ram = Medo-Persia.

The goat = Greece, led by a great horn (Alexander the Great).

The horn breaks; four horns arise (Alexander’s empire divided).

A “little horn” (Antiochus IV) arises from the north and persecutes God’s people.

What It Means:

This vision zooms in on the second and third kingdoms and shows the intense persecution the Jews will face before the Messiah comes.

Major Takeaway:

God prepares His people through persecution, and He controls every empire leading up to Christ.

DANIEL 9 (THE PRAYER & THE SEVENTY WEEKS)

BIG IDEA: Daniel prays for restoration, and God reveals the timeline leading to the Messiah.

Daniel's seventy-week period (490 years) is divided into three segments: seven weeks, sixty-two weeks, and one final week. During this prophetic period, transgression, sin, and iniquity would be "finished," "ended," and "reconciliation provided for," which is referring to Christ's sacrifice on the cross. The prophecy foretells that after sixty-nine weeks (483 years), the Messiah would come and then be "cut off". This prophecy "pinpoints the very time of Jesus' crucifixion". The sixty-nine weeks began with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and extended until Christ's ministry and death. The seventieth week includes Christ's death in its middle, when He "will put an end to sacrifice and offering". The prophecy also predicted the Roman invasion of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 by Titus, whom is identified as "the prince that shall come" who would "destroy the city and the sanctuary". Jesus referenced this prophecy in Matthew 24:15 when He spoke of "the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet". All of the events described in the prophecy were literally fulfilled over 1,900 years ago.

1. Daniel’s Prayer (Daniel 9:1–19)

A model of confession, humility, and covenant faith.

Key Verses:

Daniel 9:4 — “We have sinned…”

Daniel 9:18 — “We do not present our supplications because of our righteousness…”

NT Support:

Luke 18:13 — The tax collector’s prayer of humility

James 5:16 — “The effectual fervent prayer…”

Hebrews 9:26

Core Point: True restoration begins in repentance.

2. The Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks (Daniel 9:24–27)

One of the most important Messianic prophecies.

What the 70 Weeks Point To:

The coming of the Messiah

The end of the Old Covenant system

The establishment of the New Covenant

The destruction of Jerusalem (70 A.D.)

Key Phrases:

Daniel 9:24 — “To make an end of sins… bring in everlasting righteousness.”

Daniel 9:26 — “The Messiah shall be cut off.”

Daniel 9:27 — “He shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease.”

NT Support:

Matt. 26–27 — The Messiah is “cut off”

Heb. 10:9–12 — Christ ends sacrifice by His own

Matt. 24:15 — Jesus applies Daniel to the fall of Jerusalem

Core Point: Daniel 9 reveals the cross, the end of the Law, and the dawn of the kingdom.

DANIEL 9 — THE PRAYER & THE SEVENTY WEEKS

What Happens:

Daniel prays for forgiveness and restoration for Israel.

Gabriel reveals the “seventy weeks” prophecy:

The coming of the Messiah

His being “cut off” (crucifixion)

The end of the sacrificial system

The judgment on Jerusalem (70 A.D.)

What It Means:

This is one of the clearest OT prophecies of Jesus’ death and the end of the Old Covenant.

Major Takeaway:

God gives Daniel the exact roadmap to the Messiah, the cross, the new covenant, and the fall of Jerusalem.

DANIEL 10–11 (THE UNSEEN WAR & THE KINGS OF THE NORTH/SOUTH)

BIG IDEA: Spiritual conflict stands behind earthly conflict.

DANIEL 10 — Behind the Curtain

Daniel fasts & prays

A heavenly messenger appears

A spiritual battle delays the message

Key Verses:

Daniel 10:12 — “Your words were heard…”

Daniel 10:13 — “The prince of Persia withstood me…”

Daniel 10:19 — “Be strong, yes, be strong.”

NT Support:

Eph. 6:12 — “We wrestle not against flesh and blood.”

Heb. 1:14 — Angels minister to the saints

Core Point: There is an unseen spiritual battle around us, but God empowers His people.

DANIEL 10 — THE UNSEEN SPIRITUAL WAR

What Happens:

Daniel mourns and fasts for three weeks.

An angelic being appears, explaining that spiritual forces (“the prince of Persia”) resisted him.

Daniel is strengthened and prepared to receive the next vision.

What It Means:

Behind human kingdoms and earthly events is a spiritual conflict involving angels and demonic forces — but God is sovereign over all.

Major Takeaway:

Spiritual battles are real, but God hears prayer, responds, and strengthens His people.

DANIEL 11 — Detailed Prophecy (Persia → Greece → Syria vs. Egypt)

This chapter contains amazingly accurate predictions of historical events:

Persian kings

Alexander the Great

The breakup of his kingdom

Wars between the Seleucids (“north”) and Ptolemies (“south”)

The rise of Antiochus IV (“abomination of desolation”)

Persecution of the faithful

God’s deliverance

Key Verses:

Daniel 11:32 — “The people that know their God shall be strong.”

Daniel 11:35 — Trials refine God’s people.

NT Support:

Matt. 24:15 — Jesus references Daniel’s “abomination of desolation”

1 Pet. 1:6–7 — Trials refine faith

Core Point: God’s people can remain faithful even amidst political chaos and persecution.

DANIEL 11 — EARTHLY CONFLICT AND GOD’S PROVIDENCE

What Happens:

A detailed prophecy of:

Persian kings

Alexander the Great

His empire dividing into four

Ongoing wars between the kings of the North (Seleucids) and South (Egypt)

The rise of Antiochus IV—a brutal persecutor

The trials that refine God’s people

What It Means:

God knows and directs the entire course of history between the testaments—preparing the world for the coming Messiah.

Major Takeaway:

Even when nations rage and persecutions rise, God’s people who “know their God” will be strong and faithful. (Dan. 11:32)

DANIEL 12 (THE RESURRECTION & FINAL VICTORY)

BIG IDEA: God’s faithful people will triumph through resurrection and eternal life.

1. Unprecedented Trouble (Daniel 12:1)

But God’s people are delivered.

2. The Resurrection (Daniel 12:2–3)

One of the clearest OT prophecies of the resurrection.

Key Verses:

Daniel 12:2 — “Many… shall awake, some to everlasting life…”

Daniel 12:3 — “They that turn many to righteousness shine as stars…”

NT Support:

John 5:28–29 — Direct parallel

Acts 24:15 — Resurrection of just & unjust

1 Cor. 15 — The hope of resurrection

Core Point: The faithful will rise, shine, and dwell forever with God.

DANIEL 12 — THE RESURRECTION & FINAL DELIVERANCE

What Happens:

A time of great trouble (fulfilled in the turmoil surrounding Jerusalem’s fall).

Clear prophecy of the bodily resurrection:

Some to everlasting life

Some to everlasting shame

The faithful will shine like stars forever.

Daniel is told to rest and rise at the end of the age.

What It Means:

This chapter takes the reader from the near-term events (persecution, earthly conflict) to the ultimate hope of God’s people — resurrection and eternal glory.

Major Takeaway:

The final victory of God’s people is resurrection, eternal life, and shining with God forever.

MAJOR THEMES OF DANIEL 7–12 (PROJECT THIS)

God knows the future because He rules the future.

Christ receives the everlasting kingdom.

The saints share in His kingdom (the church).

Suffering is temporary; glory is eternal.

Spiritual warfare lies behind earthly events.

God prepares history for the coming of Christ.

The faithful will rise to everlasting life.

In Daniel 1–6, we saw faithfulness in exile. In Daniel 7–12, we saw why that faithfulness is worth it.

Because:

Christ reigns

His kingdom is eternal

His saints will triumph

History cannot stop God’s plan

Death cannot stop God’s people

“The kingdom and dominion… shall be given to the saints.” — Daniel 7:27