Daniel

TRANSGRESSION THAT DESOLATES

/ David R Maas / 4 Comments

Daniel received a vision of a “ram” that was overthrown by a “goat” with a prominent horn, representing Greece – Daniel 8:1-14.

In the third year of Belshazzar, Daniel received a vision of a “ram” and “goat,” with the ram representing the “Medes and Persians,” and the goat representing Greece and its first great king. The vision is followed by its interpretation by an angelic figure. The focus of the vision is the “little horn,” which symbolizes a malevolent king who would descend from Greece and persecute the saints.

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DOWNFALL AND RESTORATION

/ David R Maas / 3 Comments

The King has another troubling dream that leads to his downfall but only after his display of imperial hubris – Daniel 4:1-34.

In chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar had another dream, and as before, one that only Daniel could interpret. Yahweh would remove the king from power until he learned, once again, that the “Most-High God” alone is sovereign over the affairs of men. The chapter begins and ends with the Babylonian ruler acknowledging the sovereignty of Yahweh.

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GOLDEN IMAGE OF THE KING

/ David R Maas / 14 Comments

Nebuchadnezzar implemented his dream by “setting up” the great golden image to glorify his majesty and sovereignty – Daniel 3:1-7.

The King invested great effort to make his dream a reality. First, he “set up” an enormous image to represent his majesty and the irresistible power of his empire. Then, he commanded all the “peoples and nations and tongues” of his realm to render homage to his image or face certain death in the “burning fiery furnace.”

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IN THE IMPERIAL COURT

/ David R Maas / 8 Comments

God gave the kingdom of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, but He also equipped Daniel and his companions for service in the court of Babylon.

In its opening paragraph, Daniel labels Babylon the “land of Shinar,” which links it to the “tower of Babel” in Genesis. The Neo-Babylonian Empire had an ancient pedigree, and like his ancient forbears, Nebuchadnezzar had determined to unite all men under one language and one government, where all would render homage to his high image.

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INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL

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An introduction to the Book of Daniel with a brief overview of how the Book of Revelation applies it.

The book of Daniel is a well-structured literary work, not a collection of folk stories or random and unrelated visions. At the very beginning, the key themes of the book are presented in brief, then worked out in detail in the subsequent chapters, and each new vision builds on the preceding ones.

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