A brief overview of daniel

A brief overview of Daniel

Laindon Bible Class – 30th May 2013

Daniel 2

Perhaps the most graphic…

Daniel 3

Daniel 4

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