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Daniel
Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Oct 18, 2000 (message contributor)
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1. The Making Of A Character
Contributed on Oct 18, 2000
God had chosen Daniel for special serive but before being entrusted with responsibility his spiritual character was tested.
DANIEL 1 - THE MAKING OF A CHARACTER Three times in the book Daniel is referred to as a man "highly esteemed", or as the Authorised Version puts it, "a man greatly beloved". He was truly a noble character, but how did it come about? Was he born with this built into his genes? No, spiritual ...read more
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2. Nebuchadnezzar's Dream Revealed
Contributed on Oct 18, 2000
Daniel lived in Babylon in a culture steeped in superstition but by keeping to God’s principles he was able to bring glory to his God which serving Nebuchadnezzar in revealing future events.
DANIEL 2 - NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM REVEALED In the first chapter, Daniel establishes his credentials as a young man whom God could trust - he had proved faithful to God’s laws in refusing to defile himself by accepting a diet of unclean food which would have compromised his Hebrew faith. Three ...read more
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3. The Reward Of Faithfulness
Contributed on Oct 18, 2000
Daniel’s colleagues faced a dilemma - compromise their faith in God or die - but refusing to do so, God stood by them in their hour of peril.
The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the burning, fiery furnace is a favourite in the Old Testament and it has enjoyed its popularity since the earliest days in the Christian church when the first generation of Christians in Rome were being persecuted for their faith. The story was ...read more
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4. The Conversion Of Nebuchadnezzar
Contributed on Oct 18, 2000
Daniel was faithful to God in interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream foretelling his illness in punishment of his arrogance but it ended in the king’s conversion.
DANIEL 4 - THE CONVERSION OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR The book of Daniel, in its early chapters, tells us as much about Nebuchadnezzar as it does about Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar was a man given to dreams. He had a whole range of wise men on his payroll in the different disciplines of magicians, enchanters, ...read more
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5. Belshazzar's Feast
Contributed on Oct 18, 2000
Belshazzar’s drunken feasting turned into sacrilege resulting in God’s judgement and Daniel courageously delivered God’s verdict to the doomed king.
DANIEL 5 - BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST This chapter deals with Belshazzar’s feast and makes a striking contrast with the previous chapter which described Nebuchadnezzar’s conversion. Both kings heard the Word of God - and for them it was a final word - but what a difference in their response. The ...read more
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6. In The Lion's Den
Contributed on Oct 18, 2000
Daniel’s faith was tested again in his refusal to compromise on his worship of God contrasting with the corruption of King Darius’ court.
DANIEL 6 - IN THE LION’S DEN The title to this chapter is symbolic of the situation in which Daniel found himself. Here we have a character study of three types of people, the Good, the Bad and the Indifferent - as symbolised by Daniel, his enemies and King Darius. All three types are met in ...read more
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7. The Vision Of The Four Beasts
Contributed on Oct 18, 2000
Belshazzar had a strange dream of frightening images telling of coming world empires but Daniel’s interpretation looks forward to God’s eternal kingdom
DANIEL 7 - THE VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTS This chapter goes back in time from where chapter 6 had reached in Daniel’s life. He had served three kings, Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar and Darius, and this vision is dated at the beginning of Belshazzar’s reign. Daniel was established as a leading ...read more
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8. The Vision Of The Ram And The Goat
Contributed on Oct 18, 2000
Daniel’s vision prepared his people - and Christians too - of coming evil rulers leading to the Antichrist who would be ultimately destroyed.
DANIEL 8 - THE VISION OF THE RAM AND THE GOAT This vision took place two years after the vision of the four beasts. It enlarges on the understanding of the future already given, but with a different emphasis. In the first place the language in which it is written changes from Aramaic to ...read more
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9. A Prayer And A Prophecy
Contributed on Oct 18, 2000
Daniel is shown to be a man who depended on the Scriptures and prayer, the secret of his relationship with God, equiping him for a prophetic ministry.
DANIEL 9 - A PRAYER AND A PROPHECY There are two themes in this chapter - prayer and prophecy. The setting of the narrative is in the reign of King Darius of the Chaldeans. Daniel was a thinking person and he began to wonder what lay ahead for his nation, and as he did this, he revealed the ...read more
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10. A Vision Of Heavenly Things
Contributed on Oct 18, 2000
In a time of crisis Daniel spent time in prayer and fasting and God met his need in a theophany reassuring him of God’s provision for his people unto the end of the age.
DANIEL 10 - A VISION OF HEAVENLY THINGS The final three chapters of Daniel are the account of God’s last word to his servant. Chapter 10 gives us the circumstances by which the vision came to Daniel. This final encounter was a traumatic experience for the servant of Jehovah. If you read the ...read more
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11. The Time Of The End
Contributed on Oct 18, 2000
An angel reveals to Daniel the struggles that are ahead for God’s people in his own time and unto the end of the age.
DANIEL 11 THE TIME OF THE END We have come to the closing section of the prophecy of Daniel. He had faithfully recorded the visions he had seen and the interpretation of many strange symbols. But now they give way to a straightforward narrative from the lips of the angel who had given him the ...read more
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12. Faithful To The End
Contributed on Oct 18, 2000
Daniel is given an insight into the turbulent End Times for believers but is assured of God’s ultimate triumph over evil.
DANIEL 12 FAITHFUL TO THE END Chapter 12 is a continuation of the story of the climax of the ages. Daniel’s visions have not brought easy answers. He was told, “The wicked will continue to be wicked” (10) and distress continues to be the lot of the God’s people. The previous visions looked ...read more