DANIEL and REVELATION PROPHECY STUDY

thecountrydoc · Sep 2, 2009

For those who may be joining this study for the first time, the original homework assignment was to read the entire book of Daniel. This will establish the sequience of events for you as well as lay a foundation for the study of the book of Revelation.

If you haven't already read the first six studies, may I suggest that you do so now.

Your brother in Christ,
Doc

NEXT: Study #7

thecountrydoc · Sep 2, 2009

The Unsealing of Daniel

Study Number 7 Part 1

Atonement through Intercession

For many of us today, politicsis adirtyword full of broken campaign promises, shady contributions and questionable practices. It probably wasnt much different in the Media-Persian Empire around 460 B.C. Back then in Babylon, Daniel, in his early eighties, was appointed to the highest position in the new government next to the king. While faithfully performing his new civil duties, Daniel found himself the target of a smear campaign aimed at getting him out of political officefor good. And thats when the actio9n started. His every move was watched, every aspect of his work closely scrutinized. With a determination worthy of a better cause, the princes and governors of Meadia-Persia bent all the rules and finally deceived the king and unwittingly challenged the King of the universe in their efforts to destroy this man of God.

Daniels Excellent Spirit
At the commencement of the new Media-Persian rule in Babylon, we find that Daniel has ascended to the very top of the political pinnacle in very short order. The record says that "it pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom. And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage" (Dan. 6:1-2).

Why was Daniel first? Darius was trying to run the kingdom of 120 provinces in a business-like manner, with proper accounts for the collection of taxes and distribution of state funds. He was looking for a trustworthy man that he could appoint over his affairs. When it came to appointing men over his business affairs, the king was concerned that he would receive damage or "suffer loss." It seemed that government waste and misuse of funds was as big a concern then as it is now. Therefore, Darius wanted the most honest man he could find to whom all his governors would give full financial account. Due to his integrity, which came from his faith in god, Daniel was that man.

"Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents And princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm" (Dan. 6:3).

Just how honest and true to principal was Daniel in administrating governments affairs? "Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him" (Dan. 6"4).

Most of us today would have a hard time standing before our friends without fault, never mind our enemies. Yet Daniels political enemies could find no fault with which to accuse him to the king. Daniel exemplified the character of true Christianity.

In Rev. 14 we catch a glimpse of the redeemed standing on Mount Zion with Jesus Christ. They, too, are described as standing "without fault," only this time its "before the throne of God" and they have "no guile" in their mouths (see Rev. 14:5). From the Scripture record we know that Daniel was in that crowd. But Daniel did not stand alone. This is to be the experience of everyone who receives by faith the righteousness of Christ and follows Jesus (1 John 1:7,9; 1 Peter 2:1, 21-22; 3:10).

In the heathen courts of Babylon, Daniels faith in Christs righteousness was exhibited by his conduct. It is the same with everyone who is saved by the grace of God through faith. While we cannot boast in our works for salvation, we are His workmanship (see Eph. 2: 8-10). God works through us to create His image within us that it might be reflected to the world (see Gal. 2: 20).

It was this that brought Daniel to the forefront, even when the very government he once served was taken over by another. "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean [or obscure] men" (Prov. 22:29). Daniel was not lost to obscurity when the Medes took over the kingdom of Babylon, because good, honest people are always needed in leadership.

Getting Something On Daniel
Not everyone in the kingdom felt as good about Daniel as did the king. It may have been jealousy, though most likely it was just plain greed that embittered the rest of the presidents and princes against Daniel. He was just too honest. No bribes. No hefty campaign contributions. Not even an occasional lobby meeting, exchanging promises for gifts. Daniel had no interest in playing politics. He was there to see that the king had no financial loss and nothing could turn him from integrity. Try as they might to dig up something against Daniel, they could not. His past was spotless. His present conduct irreproachable. He was the kind of guy wed love to vote into office; the kind of leader we need so desperately today. No wonder he was still sought after by a new government at such an old age. In evil desperation there was only one course they could pursue:
"Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God"(Dan. 6:5). Note: Is not this not the very thing that will be used against the people of God in these last days?

Flattering the King
"Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live forever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counselors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree" (Dan. 6:6-9).

Beware of flattering lips! Thats the warning message here. While these presidents and princes appeared to be honoring the king with their decree, their real motive was to bring honor and gain to themselves. By getting rid of Daniel, they could run the government to their own advantage. The hidden agenda of these flattering rulers was taken up by Jude as he prophesied of the last days: "These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lust; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having mens persons in admiration because of advantage" (Jude 1:16).

This describes well the situation Daniel was faced with. The presidents and princes complained about Daniel to fulfill their own lustful desires, speaking great flattering words to the king in order to advantage themselves. This says Jude, will be the very same atmosphere pervading the world just before Christ returns the second time (see Jude 1:14).

Next: Study #7, Part 2; Rejoicing in the Lord

Respectfully, your brother in Christ,
Doc

thecountrydoc · Sep 21, 2009

The Unsealing of Daniel
Study 7 part 2

Rejoicing in the Lord

Now comes the incredible part: "When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and grace thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." (Daniel 6:10) Did you catch it?

It’s not that Daniel knew he'd get in trouble for praying, but prayed anyway. It’s not that he prayed openly, rather than closing his windows and praying in secret. Neither is it that he prayed as often as before, three times a day.

Yes, all of this took courage. But the truly incredible point is Daniel's prayer itself. Daniel didn't just pray. he "gave thanks"! Can you imagine? Here was a man who was just about to be reported to the king for breaking the law that carried a sentence of death and he was giving thanks to God.

"Rejoice in the Lord always," says the apostle Paul, "and again I say Rejoice." (Philippians 4:4) Daniel seemed to understand the principal underlying this injunction. It is not just that we should look for the good in the bad to give thanks fore. It is not just "In everything give thanks." 1 Thessalonians 5:18, KJV. "I could understand that no situation was so bad but what we could find something in it for which to thank God," says one Christian writer commenting on these verses. "Then I discovered Ephesians 5:20, where Paul says, 'for everything give thanks'! In order to pray like that, a person must firmly believe that God will make, everything, absolutely everything, work to our good and to His glory. And that is exactly what He promises to do in Romans 8:28 ['We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose']" (God Cares, vol. 1, p. 103, C. Mervyn Maxwell). That is exactly what Daniel believed. Therefore he gave thanks to God just before being arrested and thrown into a den of hungry, carnivorous lions. Incredible! We're inclined to give thanks for the good and curse the bad. But through God's grace we can, like Daniel, give thanks for everything.

It is also significant to recognize that Daniel esteemed his prayer life with God o0f more importance than life itself. This kept Daniel's perspective in the right place. It would have been easy for Daniel to become bitter at this point. He could have blamed those evil presidents and princes for scheming against him, and spying on his private life, but he didn't. He could have blamed the king for being hoodwinked by his dishonest governors and not seeing past their flattery, but he refused.

When our first parents sinned and God questioned Adam as to why he disobeyed Him, Adam blamed the woman. As God began to question the woman, she blamed the snake. (See Gen. 3:11-13) In reality they were blaming God. He made the snake. He placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden. And if Daniel had cast the blame for his situation on anyone, he would have, like Adam and Eve, ultimately been blaming God.

Likewise, when we start pointing at other people or circumstances as the cause of our problems we are actually pointing at God. Life's trials, whether from "in-laws" or "out-laws" as permitted by God to develop our chartectors and to glorify Him. (See 1 Peter 4:12-14; Heb. 12:5-11)

"My brethren," James encourages us, "count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." How? "knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. . . . Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him." (James 1:2-4, 12)

Daniel understood this. But because he was an upright citizen who obeyed all the civil laws, he needed wisdom to know what he should do. (See Rom. 13:1-7) Should he obey this new law and compromise his worship of God? Given his present need, there was one thing he could not do, especially not now. He could not neglect to pray, for Daniel sensed his need for prayer even more than before. "If any of you lack wisdom," James continues, "let him ask God, that giveth to all men liberally, and unbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." (James 1:5-6)

As Daniel talked with God, he understood that this was no time to waver in his allegiance to the Lords, for this was a test that would bring glory to His name. He would cooperate with God by continuing his practice of prayer as he had done before and let God work out the consequences.

Daniel Reported to the King

"then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth. Then answers they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day." (Daniel 6:11-13)

Under the pretext of honoring the king, these men had come up with a decree that made him god for a month. Now, under the same pretext, they sought to accuse Daniel before him. Yet Daniel was the one person the king knew he could trust above all his governors and princes. The king recognized, no matter what the accusations were against Daniel, that this man was one of the few in his kingdom that really did honor him. Now, when it was too late, the king saw through the mischievous plan of those who pretended to venerate him.

It is the same with Satan's accusations against God. He has so misrepresented God's character as to make us believe that we cannot fully trust Him. (see Gen. 3:4-5) In actuality God is to us as Daniel was to Darius, the one Person we can really trust to bring us no harm or loss. Like the presidents and princes who accused Daniel, Satan is "the thief" that comes to "steal, and to kill, and to destroy," but Christ has come that we "might have life, and that . . . more abundantly." (John 10:10)

Like Darius, however, mankind realized too late the serpent's real objective in the garden of Eden. Yet there is still hope as we trust by faith in God, as the king was about to discover.

Next Study 7 Part 2: The King Tries to Save Daniel

JohnMarsten · Jul 20, 2011

one small thing that makes wonder about the four beast of Daniel (maybe someone can help with this problem that shouldnt be one)

in Daniel 7 we have those four beast (and we know that the book was to be sealed up in one way or another) now, SDAs know that these four beast represent the four kindomgs of babylon, medopersia, greece and finally rome with its european offspring lateron, everything fits neatly and ties it alltogether.

Now I have become a person who started to read the bible more carefuly with more attention to detail. Personally I dont believe that the knowledge that you gain in regard to prophecies is really that important when it comes to salvation but still

now here is my question

Daniel has this vision in the first year of the reign of Belzhazzar, we all know, that the babylonian kingdom is coming to an end and probably didnt last longer than a year after that vision.

Now the angel is giving an interpretation of the vision to Daniel stating that these four beast represent four kingdoms that WILL ARISE on earth. and that makes me wonder, babylon is already there and in decline. yet the kingdoms WILL arise. the literal approach would naturally exclude Babylon from the list. Maybe someone who knows the ancient languages and has access to the original texts can help and tell me if the original also uses the future tense with reference to the four beasts.

OntheDL · Aug 16, 2011

JohnMarsten said:
one small thing that makes wonder about the four beast of Daniel (maybe someone can help with this problem that shouldnt be one)

in Daniel 7 we have those four beast (and we know that the book was to be sealed up in one way or another) now, SDAs know that these four beast represent the four kindomgs of babylon, medopersia, greece and finally rome with its european offspring lateron, everything fits neatly and ties it alltogether.

Now I have become a person who started to read the bible more carefuly with more attention to detail. Personally I dont believe that the knowledge that you gain in regard to prophecies is really that important when it comes to salvation but still

now here is my question

Daniel has this vision in the first year of the reign of Belzhazzar, we all know, that the babylonian kingdom is coming to an end and probably didnt last longer than a year after that vision.

Now the angel is giving an interpretation of the vision to Daniel stating that these four beast represent four kingdoms that WILL ARISE on earth. and that makes me wonder, babylon is already there and in decline. yet the kingdoms WILL arise. the literal approach would naturally exclude Babylon from the list. Maybe someone who knows the ancient languages and has access to the original texts can help and tell me if the original also uses the future tense with reference to the four beasts.

Daniel was first given the vision in Daniel 7 in the 1st year of [FONT=&quot]Belshazzar in 553BC. In 551BC, his second vision was given in Daniel 8. In the 539BC, the city of Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians and that was the first year of Darius . So that is 13-14 years since the vision was given in Daniel 7. [/FONT]

More importantly, the visions in Daniel 7, 8 & 9 are one continuous vision that focuses on the last days' prophecy of judgment against the Little Horn power.

We see in Daniel 7, there are wild beasts. In Daniel 8 there are in contrast domesticated beasts. The wild beasts in Daniel 7 paint the political and military roots of the Little Horn power and the domesticated animals in Daniel 8 depict the theological and philosophical roots of the Little Horn power.

So these visions emphasize more on the roots and source of power and thoughts the Little Horn power derives, rather than the chronological order of its rise.

Hope this helps,

JohnMarsten · Aug 17, 2011

OntheDL said:
Daniel was first given the vision in Daniel 7 in the 1st year of [FONT=&quot]Belshazzar in 553BC. In 551BC, his second vision was given in Daniel 8. In the 539BC, the city of Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians and that was the first year of Darius . So that is 13-14 years since the vision was given in Daniel 7. [/FONT]

More importantly, the visions in Daniel 7, 8 & 9 are one continuous vision that focuses on the last days' prophecy of judgment against the Little Horn power.

We see in Daniel 7, there are wild beasts. In Daniel 8 there are in contrast domesticated beasts. The wild beasts in Daniel 7 paint the political and military roots of the Little Horn power and the domesticated animals in Daniel 8 depict the theological and philosophical roots of the Little Horn power.

So these visions emphasize more on the roots and source of power and thoughts the Little Horn power derives, rather than the chronological order of its rise.

Hope this helps,

you are right, I kind of overlooked the years of their reign, thanks for that!

you know I was just wondering, how scriptures can be interpreted, like I said, if the angel said they will arise, one would suspect that they WILL and not that one of them is already there, maybe this was one way of sealing the whole thing up (I think Daniel was given the order to do so) but then he would have altered the vision or at least parts of it, which in effect well...

stinsonmarri · Sep 1, 2011

Doc

I would like to comment briefly on Daniel Chapter two if you don't mind. Icedtea also provided the truth that all of the illustrations of the Bible are consistent pointing to the last days. As a Biblical Historian I would also like to add that you cannot understand the Bible until you understand history because the two goes together!

Yahweh knows the minds of men and wanted Israel to preach the gospel to those who knew Him not. Going back a little in time during Hezekiah reign Yahweh had restored the king's life for fifteen more years. Yahweh also had a plan and on the request of the king he moved the sun ten degrees backward to prove that the king health would be restored. However, Yahweh wanted something of greater importance of Hezekiah to lift up praise and honor to the Most High.

The Babylonian skilled in Astrology and the Zodiac of Satan was amazed at this unusual advent in the sky! Nothing from their deities have ever produce anything like this which was planned by Yahweh. The Almighty was showing the difference between Astronomy and His constellation that He created and control over Satan's false science Astrology! He also wanted Israel to tell these gifted people about the true Supreme Beings of Heaven the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The word was out that Yahweh that dwell in the Heavens held the secret to this amazing event and ambassadors were sent to gain the knowledge of the Heavenly Creator. Sad to say Hezekiah instead gave praises to himself and his wealth including the holy vessels of gold in the Temple. Yahweh sign the fate of Israel but spare it in Hezekiah's day to the very people who could have learn the gospel of truth!

Daniel would have been king of Israel but Yahweh brought him to witness because He saw that this man would champion His cause. Yahweh also knew the mind and concern of king Nebuchadnezzar who was worry about his kingdom due to his son lack of leadership. That proved right in history because neither Nebuchadnezzar son rule long and also his grandson Belshazzar. As he worried he slept and now the Most High presented to him who will rule on earth in chronological sessions using metal. Metal during this time was use for monetary purpose of both trade and commerce which again was a powerful sign. The school of wise men were not something to be ignored and why Nebuchadnezzar chose not to call Daniel and his companions just only his top educated men which is of great spiritual importance. Satan knew that Yahweh had presented to Nebuchadnezzar something of great importance but he did not know what it was because he cannot read the minds of men! Again this was Yahweh's plan so that this king would see that his learned men was teaching a false science and they needed to know what he had dreamed. Yahweh had removed the dream from the king's mind to show the weakness of Satan the Father of lies!

But Yahweh used Satan men to tell the truth about all three Supreme Beings and they did using the plural that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwell in Heavens are the only Ones who can read the mind! Nebuchadnezzar realize that they were liars and deceivers and felt that all the wise men were the same. He summon all of them throughout his kingdom to be killed including their families and estates. Now comes the Omnificent work of the Most High because of the obedience of Daniel. He refuse to eat unclean food and eat the original diet of Adam and Yahweh bless Him. Because of the humble spirit that Daniel and his companions showed to the guards he was loved and respected. Learning of his fate he asked for a short reprieve to pray to Yahweh to show Him the way. We all know the rest of the story but one more important point needs to be mention. Daniel praised Yahweh's name and not a title and he told Nebuchadnezzar that the Most High of the Three Elohim in Heaven, which is the Father- He is the One who reveals the secret things. The truth of that is found in Rev 1:1 and Yashua Himself admitted that only the Father knows when He will return!!!

In conclusion Yahweh word will not be made void and He will find a way that all make seek Him and learn of His way which is just and righteous!

Blessings,

stinsonmarri

DANIEL and REVELATION PROPHECY STUDY

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