The Book of Daniel

These notes are based on a Bible Study of Daniel at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in
Greensboro, NC and my own personal study. These notes are high level notes.
Background
The type of literature is apocalyptic. In this type of literature God reveals
information about himself by using dreams and visions and by using strange figures
and symbolic numbers. Daniel wrote this book towards the end of his life. He had
been deported from Israel in the first deportation around 605 BC. When the
Babylonians defeated a country it was their policy to deport the best and brightest,
to take them away from their country and family, and to re-educate them.
Those who doubt that Daniel is the author do so because they do not believe in
predictive prophecy. But the text presents itself as exactly that. The text is also full
of old Persian words that date back to Daniels time.
Daniel wrote this book and is said to have authored 3 other books. It is possible but
these books were not in the original Hebrew Bible.
Chapter 1 - Daniel Was Exiled, Remained Faithful, and Was Gifted

with Wisdom and Understanding

1:1-4. The armies of Babylon and Egypt battled at the Necco River which was
north of Israel. Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians defeated pharaoh and the
Egyptians. Nebuchadnezzars army marched down and besieged Judah but did not
destroy it. They took king Jehoiakim to Babylon to swear allegiance to the
Babylonians. Babylon was now the leading world power.
They also took the best and smartest people of Judah to Babylon. They did this to
indoctrinate them and to give them more power. (Who would revolt when they could
kill their family members?) Daniel was probably pretty young when he was taken,
probably a teenager. So the situation that he was in was that he was a teenager
who was taken from his family, was living in a foreign land, and who was trying his
best to remain faithful to the God of Israel. He was taken to Shinar in southern
Mesopotamia. He and the other young men of Judah were under the control of the
chief eunuch. (Men were made into eunuchs so that they would remain loyal to the
king. They would not interfere with his harem and they had no children to sway their
loyalty.)
Is. 39:5-8 may predict the time and circumstances of Daniel. Eunuch may also be
a term that refers to a high official of the king, a person serving the king.
Chaldeans is basically another term for Babylonians
Notice that the description of the young men is a lot like Jesus was described.
1:5-7. They were given the same food and drink as the king. They were given the
best food. They were re-educated for three years at which time they would serve
the king. To further remove their roots to their country and their God they were

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given different names. Their original names confessed Yahweh, the one true God.
Their new names reference different Babylonian gods. They were trying to cut all
ties to their former life and make them faithful Babylonians.
1:8-16. With all of the indoctrination that was occurring, it says that Daniel
resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that
he drank (1:8a). Why did he draw the line with food and drink? One thing to
remember is that the meat that the king ate was probably meat that had blood in it.
It was normal for pagans to drink blood or eat meat that had blood in it. They did
this to get its life power. God had strictly forbidden the consumption of blood for this
very reason. Life came from God the Creator and Sustainer of life. It was also very
likely that the meat came from sacrifices to the Babylonian gods. Whatever the
case, if Daniel ate the appointed food, he would defile himself.
How did Daniel take his stand? He politely asked the chief eunuch if he could eat a
different diet. God caused the eunuch to like Daniel, but the eunuch was afraid of
the king. He was afraid of what the king would say if Daniel was not as healthy as
the rest. Daniel didnt challenge him. Instead he made a deal with the steward who
was over him and the other 3 young men of Judah. They would try a diet of
vegetables and water for 10 days and then they would be compared to other young
men under the eunuchs care. After the 10 days Daniel and his friends looked
healthier and the steward changed the diet of all of them to vegetables and water.
1:17-21. The 4 youths from Judah were far smarter than all the other youths and
they were 10 times smarter than all of the magicians and enchanters in the
kingdom. Their wisdom and understanding will be shown throughout the book. It
says that God gave them this skill and learning. Throughout the book it continually
emphasizes that all the good and predictive things that occur come from God.
Think of all of the cultures in our world that are hostile to God and his Son, Jesus.
This book gives us hope. God is with his people even in this foreign land. God is still
in control. The situation for Daniel and his friends is similar to what some Christians
in the Middle East today face from radical Islam.
Chapter 2 - Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzars Dream
2:1-11. Daniel and his three friends have finished their three years of training
and are now in the kings court. The wisdom spoken about in chapter 1 we will now
see demonstrated in chapter 2 and the chapters following. King Neb. had a dream
and the king understood that the dream was special and important. In fact he lost
sleep over it and was troubled by it. (Note the similarities between this story of
Daniel interpreting the kings dream about the future and Joseph interpreting the
kings dream in Egypt about the future.) In the dream God is telling Neb. what he is
going to do in the future.
The king calls upon the magicians, sorcerers, enchanters, and Chaldeans
(astrologers?, see 2:27) to tell him the dream and its interpretation. If they are
unable to do it, king Neb. threatens to kill all the wise men of Babylon. The king
sees that they are stalling for time and calls them on it. He knows how they act and

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does not fall for their flattery. The response of the wise men is that the king is being
unreasonable. No human being can know the dreams of another person. Only the
gods can do this. As we see Daniel step forward to interpret the dreams in the
coming verses, we see a showdown between Daniel and his friends and the wise
men of Babylon to see who is the true God.
The comment they make about the gods not dwelling with flesh gives a good point
of contrast with Israels God. He does indeed dwell with flesh. God dwelt among the
Israelites at the tabernacle and temple. In the NT he becomes flesh and dwells
among us in the person of Jesus Christ.
2:12-16. Because the wise men could not tell him the dream and interpret it, the
king gave the order that all the wise men of Babylon be killed. This included Daniel
and his three companions. When they came to kill Daniel and his companions,
Daniel responded as he always does, with prudence and discretion. After it was
explained to Daniel what was going on, Daniel asked for an audience with the king
in order that he might tell the king its interpretation.
2:17-30. Daniel immediately went home and went to his fellow believers. They
sought Gods mercy and in mercy God revealed the mystery to Daniel in a vision.
Daniel responded by praising God. His song of praise is similar to other songs of
praise in the Scriptures (the Psalms, Hannahs, Zechariahs, Marys). Daniel praises
God for his wisdom and control.
Daniel told Arioch, the captain of the kings guard and executioner, not to destroy
the wise men of Babylon because he knew the kings dream and its interpretation.
He asked that he go before the king and tell him the interpretation. Arioch hastily
went to the king and told him he had found one of the exiles who could interpret the
dream. In doing so, Arioch shows that he knows there is something special about
Daniel.
The king asked Daniel if he could interpret the dream. Daniels response was very
humble and testified to the one true God. He said that no man, including himself,
who could interpret the dream. He told the king that God was making known to him
what would happen in the future. Only the true God could reveal to the king the
mystery of his dreams.
2:31-45. Then Daniel told him the dream and its interpretation. Before what was
being revealed had happened God had determined what empires he would cause to
rise and fall. In the dream he revealed these empires through a symbolic image that
was frightening in appearance. The image had four parts. (1) It had a head of gold,
(2) chest and arms of silver, (3) stomach and thighs of bronze, and (4) legs of iron
with feet of iron and clay. A stone was cut which struck the image, breaking it to
pieces, like chaff in the wind leaving no trace of it. But the stone grew, becoming a
mountain filling the earth.
After telling the king what the dream was, Daniel told him the interpretation. (1) The
head of gold was king Neb. The God of heaven had given him his kingdom, power,
and glory. (2) The second kingdom to come after the Babylonian empire, which was

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silver, was inferior to his kingdom. This would be the Persian Empire. (3) The third
kingdom, which was made of bronze, was the Greek Empire under Alexander the
Great. (4) And the fourth kingdom which was made of iron was the Roman Empire.
The Roman Empire was known for its power as it shattered and crushed all
opposition. After the Roman Empire started to decline, many attempts were made to
hold it together. But just as iron and clay cannot bond to each other, the Roman
Empire was destined to fall apart.
After these empires God would raise up a new kingdom that would last forever. It
would not fall like the other kingdoms. It would crush all other kingdoms and it
would stand forever. This of course is Jesus kingdom. He stands today as the King
of kings. Jesus is the Rock which shatters opposition and causes people to stumble.
2:46-49. The king responded by falling down before Daniel and worshipping him
as if he were a god. Yet Daniel had made it clear that it was not him but the God of
heaven who had revealed this to him. The king recognized that Daniels God was
the God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries and had revealed
this mystery. Notice that this was not a recognition that Yahweh was the only true
God but a great God above the other gods. Then the king promoted Daniel and gave
him many gifts. He put him over the entire province of Babylon and over all the wise
men of Babylon. Then Daniel made a request that his three companions also be
appointed as officials in the province of Babylon.
Chapter 3 Nebuchadnezzars Golden Image and the Rescue from

the Fiery Furnace

3:1-7. Neb. set up a golden image that all people in the empire were to bow down
to. Why did Neb. do this? The image represents the gods and king of Babylon. When
people bow down to it, they are bowing to the king. It is a loyalty oath. By bowing,
the people admit the superiority of the Babylonian gods and their king. The image
was 90 feet high. The image may have been placed on the walls of Babylon which
were even higher than 90 feet. The instruments that it lists 4 times in Dan. 3:4-15
are the instruments of the defeated nations. So when the defeated nations hear the
sound of the instruments, they are to bow down. Neb. is driving home the point that
they have been defeated and they must recognize his superiority. Notice how
everything here is focused on Neb. Neb. made the image. Neb. set the image up.
Neb. gathered the leaders. A herald pronounced Neb.s command to bow down
when they heard the music. Loyalty to Neb. is what this is all about.
Israelite worship was what might be called a thinking kind of worship. It had order to
it. But the Babylonian worship we see here is simply prompt and response. They
hear the music - they bow - they submit. It is simply an indoctrination of - youre
defeated the Babylonians rule.
The penalty for not submitting was to be thrown into the fiery furnace. This was a
favorite form of execution for the Babylonians. Jeremiah also mentions it.
3:8-15. The Chaldeans bring up the three Jews who the king had put over the
province of Babylon. They did not bow as the king ordered. They were jealous of the

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three. The Chaldeans brought up that these Jews were not loyal to king and
Babylonian gods. When he heard this, Neb. got real mad. Notice that when he
questioned them he doesnt really care what their beliefs are. He simply wants them
to bow down in submission.
Even though the king is angry, he gives the three Jewish wise men a second chance.
This would have been uncommon. Normally, if you disobey the kings order, thats
the end of you. He doesnt want to kill them. He simply wants them to submit.
The last point that the king makes is about their gods. What he is saying is this.
None of the gods have been able to stand up to the gods of Babylon. If they were
stronger, the Babylonians would not have defeated them. All of the conquered
people have weak gods, including the god of the Jews. So he is saying, You had
better submit. Your gods cant help you. And if you dont, thats the end of you.
A note about furnaces. They had all kinds of furnaces in that day, furnaces that
could be shared by people. They had baking furnaces, furnaces for making bricks,
metal refining furnaces, etc.
3:16-23. Whenever there are rebellions in an empire, the rebellions come from
outer provinces. Rebellions dont occur in the capital city where the power and
loyalty are. Thats why this command is given and to be followed in all of the
provinces.
They gave a clear answer to Neb. They will not serve false gods and they will not
bow to the image. Their God can save them. Their answer really set Neb. off. He had
the furnace stoked to be a lot hotter than normal. Since they fell bound into the
burning fiery furnace, they must have threw them down the flew of the furnace. It
was so hot that the guards that threw them in died. There was no human way to
escape death.
They had said that whether or not God saved them, they would not bow down. It
was not necessary for God to save them for them to believe and trust in him. Its
not like some say today: If you have enough faith, he will save you. Faith trusts no
matter what the outcome.
3:24-30. The king astonishingly saw 4 men in the fire, unbound, unharmed,
walking around. In the burning bush incident, God appeared in fire to Moses. Here
the same thing happens. The fourth figure is the pre-incarnate Jesus. Symbolically
the three men were in the midst of hell. And Jesus goes and protects them and
leads them out. They are not harmed. Their hair and clothes are not even singed
and do not have a smell of smoke. Jesus journey to and through the fiery furnace
looks forward to his descent into hell where he declared victory. Jesus entry into the
lives of these three believers to save them is a precursor for what he would do later
when he entered the affairs of men by becoming incarnate in order that he might
save them from the terrors of hell.
Neb.s view of the God of Israel is changing. At first he considered Yahweh as just
another defeated god. But now he calls him the Most High God. He still believes that

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other gods exist, but that no other god ... is able to rescue in this way. The decree
Neb. made was an exception for the Jews. If their God can do this, then its ok for
them to worship him.
Chapter 4 Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzars Second Dream
4:1-3. This part is told in the first person. King Neb. is the one speaking. It is a
royal decree. Since Daniel was in the royal court, he would be familiar with all that
happened and that was said and was an eye witness of it. This decree is in
reference to the dream that will soon be described. The king wishes all people
peace and in verse 4 he speaks of living in ease and prospering. So this dream
comes at a time of peace. That means it came toward the end of Neb.s reign which
ended in 562 BC. We know from history that there was a period of peace from 570
BC to 562 BC. So the dream probably occurred early during this time period. His
reign had begun in 605 BC. It is estimated that the fiery furnace event happened
around 590 BC. Much time had passed since the furnace incident, probably 20 to 25
years. Over such a long period of time ones perspective and view change. This
helps us understand better Neb.s attitude toward the God of Israel and why he
didnt call Daniel in right away to interpret his dream.
4:4-18.

This story is like the story of Joseph. It has many parallels.

Joseph
Empire Egypt
King Pharaoh
All the magicians could do nothing
7 years of feast and 7 years of famine
Joseph had wisdom/Spirit
Israel is in slavery in a foreign land
Daniel
Empire Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar
All the magicians could do nothing
7 periods of time
Daniel had the spirit of the gods
Israel is in exile in a foreign land
Daniel purposely tells the story in this way, making the connection to Joseph. The
Jews know the story of Joseph, that God worked through Joseph to save, grow, and
prosper his people. And then eventually he delivered them from their slavery and
brought them to the promised land. Daniel is giving them the same hope. He is
showing that God is using Daniel in a similar way that he used Joseph. One day God
will deliver his people and bring them back to the promised land. These stories also
have parallels and look forward to the NT. There Jesus went to a foreign land (Egypt)
and was brought back to the promised land. And in Revelation the church is pictured
as being in the wilderness making its way to the eternal promised land.

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The watchers and holy ones mentioned come from heaven. In this story they are in
control of what happens. This story provides a foundation for what happens in
Revelation. To understand Revelation, one must know and understand this story.
And so as God is in control here through his holy angels, his holy angels watch over
the church, guiding history for the benefit of the church by raising up and tearing
kingdoms and nations. God is in control. This is comforting.
The king said that the dreams made him afraid and alarmed In some way God got
Neb.s attention that these dreams were important, whether it was by recurring
dreams or of a dream of great intensity.
The great tree that reached to the heavens reminds us of the tower of Babel which
occurred in this same region (Babylon means between two rivers). The empire of
Neb. was gigantic and seemed immovable. All the animals came to the tree for its
shade and food. But despite these appearances, that tree (empire) was destined to
fall. In some ways it reminds us of the parable of the mustard seed. The small seed
grew to be a large tree in which the birds of the air nested. But unlike earthly
kingdoms it would not fall. Christs kingdom grows and lasts forever. This is the true
and everlasting tree. The tree image is one that is used throughout scripture, from
the garden to the cross.
4:19-27. Daniel has been part of king Neb.s court for a long time. He addresses
the king as my Lord, praises him, and is troubled by discipline that God will soon
inflict on the king. This time Daniel is not afraid to tell the truth, to tell Neb. that his
kingdom will be cut down and that he will be made low like a beast of the field. The
reason he is so bold is that he sees a chance to preach repentance to the king. Why
did the king need to repent? In the fiery furnace incident the king had begun to
recognize God as the Most High. But slowly over time (20 some years had passed
since the fiery furnace incident) he went from recognizing that the Most High was in
control to taking all the glory for himself (see 4:28-30). The Great Reversal works in
not only raising up the lowly but also in bringing down the proud. Ironically we can
see in Neb.s reversal the reversal of Jesus a great king brought low before being
raised back up.
Neb. High to Low
King of Babylon
Made low like an animal
Remained low for a period of time
Reestablished by God as king
Jesus High to Low
God in heaven
Made man on earth and died
Remained in the grave for 3 days
Raised from the dead and ascended as King of kings

The fact that there was a stump left and it was not completely destroyed was an
image of hope that the tree (kingdom) could come back. The band of iron around
the stump was like a band of iron around a beasts neck used to keep it under
control.
4:28-33. Twelve months went by after the dream and nothing happened. Over
this amount of time Neb.s fear abated. Then one day he looked out at his kingdom
and thought about how great his kingdom was. The king thought about the great
vastness of the kingdom he had built and his great majesty. He gave no credit to the
Most High; he took all the credit for himself. And immediately the ax fell and he was
cut off from his kingdom.
This story might remind one of the temptation of Jesus. It provides a contrast. Satan
took Jesus up high and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and offered them
to Jesus. But unlike Neb. Jesus refused the power that Satan offered. Even though
Jesus was King, he had come as a Servant. Where king Neb. showed great pride,
Jesus showed great humility.
The result of Gods judgment was that as soon as God withdrew his blessings king
Neb. went insane. In an instant the Neb. went from having everything to having
nothing. We have what we have only by Gods grace.
4:34-37. After God humbled the king, God restored him to the throne and Neb.
responded by recognizing God as the King of heaven, the Most High. Neb.s praise
of God sounds a lot like Ps. 8. Since by this time he had been around Daniel for 40
years, he probably heard it from Daniel. Over time and through Gods intervention
Neb. has evolved in his thinking about God. He now knows that God is the Most High
God. Was Neb. a true believer? Did he believe that God was the only true God? The
Book of Concord gives Neb. as an example of one who became a believer. But we
cannot be sure; we cannot look into his heart and know for certain. The fact that he
calls God the Most High God might still indicate that he believes there are other
gods who are just lower than the God of Israel.
Nebs story is a powerful confession and testament that God is in complete control.
The king finally realized that he had been proud and needed to be humbled.
Chapter 5 Daniel Interprets the Writing on the Wall
5:1-12. Some time has passed since Neb. was king. In fact up to 30 years has
passed and there have been a whole series of kings whose reign has been short.
Neb. is called Belshazzars father. The word that is translated as father can be
understood in several ways. In this particular place, predecessor might be a
better translation. King Neb. was the father of the empire and he was the father
of a proud and haughty attitude of the king of the empire. In that regard Bel. was
following in his fathers footsteps. One example of this is his using the gold and
silver vessels taken from the temple to drink wine out of. He was openly, in front of
1000 of his lords, showing his disregard for God. Most kings in that day were also
regarded as divine, so he was probably showing his superiority as a god over the
gods of the countries the Babylonians had defeated. It appears as if he is parading

out the spoils of war and directly rubbing them in the face of the defeated people to
show his control and power. They thought they were unconquerable. But little did
they know that what they would be drinking was the cup of Gods wrath.
It says that they praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and
stone. This may have a double meaning. It obviously refers to their handmade
human idols which were made of those materials. But since it is Daniel who is telling
us about this event, it may also refer back to the dream of Neb. where the figure
that Neb. saw was made of these materials. The materials in that dream referred to
the empires that God would raise up and then tear down. At this banquet they were
worshipping the gods of power and might and empire.
When the message was written on the wall and no one could read it, the king
offered a position of power to anyone who could read it and interpret it. He would
raise the person up to third in command. Why third and not second? It is believed
that Bel. was not the actual king. His father Nabonius was the king, but he went on
many expeditions and apparently put his son in charge while he was gone. It was a
kind of co-regency. So Nab. was number 1 and Bel. was number 2 and he offered
number 3 to the person who could figure this out.
When none of the wise men could figure it out, the queen mother joined the
banquet. This was breaking protocol. But she had been around long enough to
remember how Daniel had interpreted king Neb.s dreams. And she was certain that
Daniel could interpret the handwriting. Apparently Daniel had not been part of the
kings court since Neb. This would not be surprising since each new king probably
removed the people from his predecessors court since they were loyal to the
previous king. She told them that Daniel had great wisdom and understanding and
the spirit of the gods. Again we recall the parallels to Joseph. And again, like others
did, she speaks of Neb. as Bel.s father. He like his great predecessor acts with
great foolish pride.
5:13-16. One can read this in a very straight-forward manner where the king is
asking Daniel if he can interpret the writing. But given the circumstances one might
read it a little differently. Daniel is brought in front of the king and 1000 of his lords
who are reveling in their own greatness. The alcohol is flowing at this banquet. None
of the wise men can figure the writing out. Now Daniel is brought in. The king could
be seen as being sarcastic when he says, Now if you can read the writing and make
known to me its interpretation... . The key words in this reading are If you can.
This might help explain why Daniel answers the way that he does.
5:17-23. In earlier chapters when Daniel was in king Neb.s court Daniel spoke
with great diplomacy and respect to the king. But this time Daniel does not beat are
the bush; he speaks very directly to the king. He begins by basically saying, Keep
your gifts. Im not for sale. Ill tell you anyway because its the right thing to do. He
speaks strong Law to the king. He told how Neb. was given authority, greatness,
glory, and majesty by God. But Neb. overstepped his bounds. He became very
prideful. And as a result God brought him low. The reason Daniel pointed all this out
was that king Bel. was doing the exact same thing. He became prideful and even
taunted the God of Heaven by drinking from the vessels taken from his house. On
top of that he worships manmade gods instead of the one true God who gives him

life. Because of all this the great reversal will soon take place, the mighty would be
brought down.
5:24-29. Daniel explained that the hand that wrote on the wall came from
heaven to write the message of the sovereign Gods decision on the future of Bel.s
kingdom. The question has been asked as to why the wise men of Babylon could not
read the writing. Many have speculated but in reality we just dont know. The
decision of God is that Bel.s kingdom is done. Bel. didnt measure up. His kingdom
was immediately taken away and given to the Medes and Persians. Since Daniel
read it and interpreted it, the king did for him as he had promised. He was clothed
in royal purple, given a gold chain, and made the third ruler of the nation. The king
probably didnt like the message and didnt want to reward Daniel for his
interpretation, but he had given his word in front of 1000 of his lords. So he
probably felt obligated to do so. But in any case these rewards didnt mean much as
the next verses indicate.
5:30-31. The same night of the banquet and Daniels interpretation, the king was
killed and his kingdom was taken from him and given to Darius the Mede. There is
some question as to who this person named Darius was. Some suggest that Darius
is really Cyrus. But others question that because Cyrus was a Persian and not a
Mede. Now Cyrus wife was a Mede. So he does have a connection in that way to
the Medes. It has been suggested that perhaps Darius was his real name and that
Cyrus was his kingly name. That would not be unusual.
It says that Darius was 62 years old when he conquered Babylon. This is important
because Daniel and the Israelites had been in captivity for 62 years. So from the
moment that Daniel and other Israelites were taken into captivity, God was
preparing for Israels release from captivity. Eventually after 70 years it was king
Cyrus that would allow the Israelites to return to the promised land and rebuild the
temple and Jerusalem.
Chapter 6 Faithful Daniel Thrown in to the Lions Den and Saved by

God
6:1-9. While chapter 6 speaks of king Darius, some believe this really refers to
king Cyrus. The situation in ch. 6 woud seem to fit the Persian defeat of the
Babylonians. There are also questions about the 120 satraps, being there are only
30 or 40 regions, and the 3 high officials. Usually a king of an empire takes absolute
control. But this might describe the situation immediately after the Persian takeover
of the conquered Babylonian empire. Until a permanent power structure was set up,
dividing power between 3 high officials would provide checks and balances,
preventing any one person from taking complete control.
We note that the description of Daniel here is similar to the description of him
earlier. It says he was distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps,
because an excellent spirit was in him and that the king planned to set him over
the whole kingdom. The other officials, who were probably power hungry and
jealous and who knew Daniel was a Jew and not a Persian, looked to find fault with
Daniel but they couldnt because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in

him. Just as he had been trustworthy and true to king Neb. so he was under king
Darius.
So the officials craftily set up a trap for Daniel. Everyone knew how pious he was
and how he served only one God, Yahweh the God of Israel. They would use this
against him. In those days it was common to consider kings as divine beings. People
would worship kings as gods. The officials tapped into Darius pride and urged him
to make a law that no one in the kingdom could pray to any gods except the king
for 30 days. And the king did. The officials knew that Daniel would never comply
with this law because he worshipped only Yahweh. This law served as a loyalty oath.
One was either loyal to the king or he wasnt.
6:10-15 . After the law went into effect, Daniel went home and continued to pray
toward Jerusalem 3 times a day as he always had (see Solomons prayer when he
dedicated the temple). He did not flaunt his disobedience in public but he also did
not hide it. The place where he prayed was in an upper chamber and had windows
in it. Knowing his routine, the officials came and saw him praying to Yahweh. Then
they ran to the king and told him about the exile Daniel praying to God 3 times a
day.
The king was distressed when he heard that it was his faithful official, Daniel, who
was breaking the law. He tried to figure out a way around the law. But the officials
reminded the king that the laws of the Medes and Persians were irrevocable. They
were in effect reminding the king of his own words which were put into law. In a
somewhat similar way Christians do the same thing with God. But the difference is
that they did it to trap Daniel and tie the hands of the king. Christians do it as a
matter of salvation. The Christian knows that God wants his grace to overrule his
justice. (And yet God is just even when he is merciful. This happens when God
punishes his Son instead of the sinner. Gods justice is satisfied and yet God is
gracious and saves sinners.)
We see parallels between Daniel and Jesus. Daniel was a Jesus figure. Both were
wise men. Both were upright. Both obeyed the government they lived under except
when the government overstepped the bounds that God placed on them. In that
case, both obeyed God rather than man. Both were accused and taken before the
ruler. Daniel was lowered into the pit of lions and was as good as dead. Jesus was
placed in the tomb and was dead. Daniel was raised up from the lions den and
prospered under king Darius. Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended into
heaven where he rules the universe.
6:16-24. The king was trapped by his own words; he had to punish Daniel
according to the law he signed. He hoped that Daniels God, who Daniel continually
served, would deliver him. Whether he really believed it, we dont really know. After
Daniel was put into the lions den, a stone was put over the opening and sealed with
the kings signet ring. This was done to seal Daniel in and to keep others out from
rescuing him. All that night the king fasted and could not sleep because he was
responsible for what happened to Daniel.
The king hastily went at day break to see what happened to Daniel. When he
reached the lions den he called out to Daniel. When he did, he acknowledged that

Daniels God was the living God and asked if was able to deliver Daniel. When
Daniel responded he received his answer. The Living God indeed was able to deliver
Daniel and in fact had delivered him. The story is similar to that of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. Like them Daniel was completely unscathed. And as a
result the king learned of the true God, who was indeed living and able to save.
The king was exceedingly glad that Daniel was still alive and had him brought out
of the lions den. When examined, they found no harm done to him. And then came
a great reversal. The men who had accused Daniel, along with their families, were
thrown into the lions den. This was Gods judgment against those who accused a
blameless man and it was justice for the one who trusted in his God. The entire
family was killed in typical oriental fashion in order to prevent anyone in the family
from avenging their deaths. In a sharp contrast, Daniel was completely unharmed
while every bone was broken of his accusers.
6:25-28. As a result of this incident, the king put out a proclamation, which was a
confession of faith. Like Neb. he proclaimed that the God of Daniel was the Living
God who reigns forever. He is the One who delivers, rescues, and saves. And it was
under Cyrus that Israel was treated well. They were allowed to return to their
homeland from exile. We see from other books of the Bible that only a small number
actually did return. And that is why to this day there are still Jews living in Iran and
Iraq.
Chapter 7 Daniels Vision of the Four Beasts and the Son of Man
A Transition . So far we have seen primarily historical accounts which have been
written in Aramaic, the language spoken at this time. Chapter 7 is a transition
chapter. It begins the move from narrative to apocalyptic writing. Apocalyptic
means reveal, revelation, make known. This type of writing is centered on the cross
of Christ and all of history flows to the cross and then flows from the cross.
There are usually 2 or 3 approaches that people take with apocalyptic writing.
1. First there is the critical approach. This is basically a non-Christian approach.
From this view one sees chaos. They say that Daniel did not write this book.
They would say that it was written at a later date after the events had
already happened. They do not believe in predictive prophecy, which is the
way that the text presents itself. This approach comes from unbelief.
2. Apocalyptic writing uses common imagery of glorious things. It describes
things using images that most people can relate to and understand. It
describes history in a way that uses concrete things.
3. It puts history into a giant framework. It has large leaps in logic. It doesnt try
and explain every detail. In interpreting the imagery one needs to pay close
attention to the text. Dont make any assumptions about the next logical
step. Only go as far as the text takes you. Let the text be your guide.
7:1-8. The vision that Daniel describes here took place back when Bel. was king.
So chronologically this happened somewhere between chapters 4 and 5. In this case
Daniel was not interpreting someone elses dream, but he himself had a vision. This
was not a dream. Chapter 7 describes what Daniel saw and then recorded.

Four is the earth number. The wind blew in all 4 directions. Since this is written by
Daniel who once lived in Israel, the great sea is probably the Mediterranean Sea.
The sea that was whipped up represented the nations of the world which were
stirred into chaos by their constant struggles with each other. These struggles can
be seen in the 4 beasts that are described as coming up out of the sea.
1. First there is the lion which had eagles wings. This describes Babylon under
king Neb. When it was an empire its army moved swiftly like an eagle in
devouring its enemies. But its wings were plucked. Neb.s power was taken
from him when he became insane and lived like an animal (see chpt. 4). Later
he was restored to a man and was given back the mind of a sane person.
2. The Medes and Persians arose and defeated the Babylonians. They are
represented by the second beast, the bear. It was raised up on one side. It
was the Persians who took the lead role in this empire. They were raised
higher than the Medes. They united the Medes and Persians and became the
dominant force in the world. They devoured nations like a bear devours flesh.
3. After this would arise the Greeks. They are represented by the Leopard. It had
4 heads and 4 wings. Under Alexander the Great, the Greeks quickly moved
in all 4 directions and quickly conquered the world in 10 years.
4. The fourth empire was the Romans. It was represented by the beast that had
iron teeth. It was terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong [and] had
great iron teeth. It used great power to completely dominate its enemies.
The Romans displayed their power by using iron swords. It was different from
previous empires which were always under the control and power of one
man. The Romans had many generals. The Romans were different also in the
fact that their empire lasted for hundreds of years. This beast had 10 horns. A
horn is an image for power. 10 is the number for completeness. Therefore this
empire had full, complete power and strength. Another horn, a little horn,
came up among the 10 horns. When it did 3 of the horns were plucked away.
This means it lost some of its power. This horn had eyes and a mouth.
Ultimately then its power would come from its perception and words.
7:9-14. The 4 beasts represent 4 empires that would have power over the earth.
God would raise them up and knock them down whenever he determined. God (the
Ancient of Days) is the true power over all powers. This is conveyed in the next
scene. The next scene is Gods courtroom. People and nations think they are in
control but in actuality it is God who is in control. He allows them to be in a position
of power for a season and a time and then he takes their dominion away. The One
called the Ancient of Days is God the Father Almighty. He sits on his throne and
judges the nations. The little horn opposed God and spoke great words against God.
His power was in his words. But then God killed the beast and took away the
dominion of the nations and turned it over to the Son of Man. Jesus favorite
designation for himself was Son of Man. By doing this, Jesus claims to fulfill this
vision. He is the One who is King over the kings of this earth. And his kingdom will
not pass away and never be destroyed. He will have everlasting dominion over
all peoples, nations, and languages. It was the Ancient of Days (the Father) who
gave dominion and glory and a kingdom to the One like a son of man. This
kingdom was handed over to him and inaugurated with his suffering, death, and
resurrection. When Jesus ascended in the clouds of heaven all power and
dominion was given to him. Because of this section about power and rule being
given to the son of man, the Jews looks for a Messiah who is powerful. They dont

see Gods power demonstrated and carried out on the cross as he defeated mans
enemies of sin, death, and the devil.
7:15-28. Daniels vision was explained. The four beasts stood for four kings. They
came from the earth. That is, they arose out of the plain, mundane world (as
opposed to the son of man who came from heaven in the clouds). The kings will
only rule for a period of time, but the kingdom of the Most High will last forever. This
gives Gods people hope to know that God is in control and will ultimately prevail
and reign forever.
The fourth beast that was exceedingly terrifying was then elaborated upon. It would
use its power to war against and defeat the saints. But at the end in his court the
Ancient of Days would rule in judgment against the nations and for the saints who
would be given them the kingdom. For a time, the fourth beast would conquer the
whole world, smashing any opposition. Ten kings would arise and rule from the
fourth beast. But then a king would arise that was different from the rest. His power
came from his words and he spoke against the Most High God. He would defeat the
saints and they would be given over to him for a period of time. But then the
heavenly court would rule, taking away his dominion forever. And then the kingdom
would be given to the saints of the Most High.
Chapter 8 Daniels Vision of the Ram, the Goat, and the Little Horn
8:1-14. Chronologically this chapter occurs before chapter 5. Daniel had this
vision while Belshazzar was king of the Babylonian empire. This happened before
the Medo-Persian empire had come into power. In the vision at the banks of the Ulai
Canal in Susa Daniel saw a ram. The ram (Medo-Persian empire) had two high
horns, although one horn was higher than the other (Persians higher than the
Medes). Standing in the east, the ram charged in three directions, the west, north,
and south (the empire spread from the east in all these directions). No other beast
(country) could stand up to the ram.
Then Daniel saw a male goat (Greek empire) coming from the west. He came so fast
that his feet did not touch the ground (the Greeks conquered very swiftly). The goat
had one horn between its eyes (Alexander the Great). In wrath (angry that many
times the Medes and Persians had tried to defeat the Greeks) the goat ran directly
at the dominating ram. He struck the ram and broke his two horns (the Greeks
would defeat the Medes and Persians). After that the ram had no more power and
was trampled by the goat. The goat became exceeding great and powerful. But at
the peak of his power, the goats horn was broken (Alexander died). When this
happened four more horns appeared on the goat (the empire was split into four
pieces, each run by one of Alexanders generals).
Out of one of the four horns grew a little horn (Antiochus Epiphanes). (Note that this
is not the same little horn of chapter 7. It arose out of the 10 horns of the fourth
beast [Roman empire]. This one arises out of the goat [Greek empire] which
corresponds to the third beast, the four winged leopard, in chapter 7). This little
horn grew exceedingly great in the south and east, in the area of the promised land
(the Seleucids ruled this area). It reached up to the stars of heaven (Gods people)
and threw some of them down and trampled them. The horn (Antiochus declared

himself a god and) elevated himself to the height of the Prince (God) and took from
the Prince his burnt offerings and sanctuary. Then some of the host of stars was
given to worship the horn. (Antiochus did away with worship of Yahweh and
replaced it with worship of himself.) This desolated the holy sanctuary for a period
of time (2300 evening [sacrifices] and morning [sacrifices], 1150 days, around 3
years. Not a full and complete period of time [7 years], but a shorter time.) After
that time the sanctuary and the offerings were to be restored.
8:15-27. The angel Gabriel was commanded to explain the vision to Daniel by a
voice of one standing near (God?). In going through the vision Daniel, who is
frightened by the whole event, is to understand that the vision goes through what
God will do in time until the end of time.
Gabriel spells out some of the details of the vision. The ram with the two horns
represents the kings of the Medo-Persian empire. The goat is the Greek empire and
the great horn between his eyes is the first king of the Greek empire (who was
Alexander the Great). When the great horn is broken (Alexander dies), the empire
will be divided into four parts. Towards the end of the Greek empire will arise a bold
king. Later in history we see that this is Antiochus Epiphanes. He attempted to unite
the people of his kingdom under the Greek culture and the Greek religion. In doing
so he replaced the sacrificial system at the temple with worship of himself
(Epiphanes = revelation of god) and threatened anyone who refused to do so. In
claiming to be God, Antiochus opposed the Prince of princes (God). No one opposes
God and gets away with it. God would bring him to an end.
Even though the vision had been explained to Daniel, he was appalled by it and did
not fully understand it.
Chapter 9 Daniels Prayer of Confession for Himself and Israel and
Gods Answer
9:1-3. Darius may be the ruling name or title of king Cyrus or it maybe someone
Cyrus appointed (made king) to rule the region of Babylon for Cyrus. In any case,
during Cyrus first year, during the first year of rule of the Persian empire, Daniel
studied the book of Jeremiah who had said that Jerusalem would remain desolate
and Israel would be in exile for 70 years.
9:3-15. At this time the 70 years was just about up. But there has been no hint
that the desolation of Jerusalem and Israels exile would be lifted. Daniel worries
that the reason for this is that despite the fact that Jerusalem had been sacked and
the people had been exiled, Israel had not looked for the Lords favor and turned
from its iniquity (9:13b). And so now Daniel turns to the God of Israel in prayer,
confessing the sins of the nation.
The posture of Daniel in his prayer is one of repentance. He sought the Lords mercy
with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. In his prayer there is a great contrast
between God and the people. God is described as the great and awesome God,
who keeps covenant and steadfast love. And the people are described as one who
have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from
your commandments and rules. Daniel says further that Israel has not listened to

your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and
our fathers, and to all the people of the land. Daniel prays for and includes in his
prayer all of Israel, those near and far, those in Judah, those in Babylon, and those
people of the northern kingdom who had been scattered many years before. For
their rebellion and refusal to listen to Gods voice expressed in the Law of Moses
and in the prophets, Israel has received the covenant curses, which were threatened
in the book of Deuteronomy. The Lord was righteous in bringing this calamity on
Israel, for he simply was enacting his Word, keeping his promises.
9:16-19. Having confessed the truth of Israels sin and the righteousness of God
in enacting the covenant curses, Daniel then sought Gods mercy. He recognized
that mercy was not something that Israel deserved, that it was not based on Israels
righteousness. So he appealed for mercy based on Gods reputation. He had been
known as the powerful God who had delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. He was
known by the city of Jerusalem because that was the place where he dwelled with
his people. The fact that it now lay desolate sullied Gods reputation. His reputation
was closely attached to the people of Israel. Now that they are scattered, some ask
where the God of Israel is. Based on this, Daniel pleaded that God would hear his
prayer and act quickly.
9:20-23. While Daniel was still confessing Israels sins and pleading for mercy,
the angel Gabriel was sent with a word from God. As in this case, when true
confession is made with a repentant heart, Gods response is quick and immediate.
Daniel had been praying at the time of the evening sacrifice. Since the temple and
Jerusalem had been destroyed, the sacrifices had ceased. Yet the Word that Gabriel
brought to Daniel from God revealed when those sacrifices would be reinstated.
Even though Gabriel was an angel, when he appeared to Daniel he appeared in the
form of a man and spoke like a man so that Daniel could understand the message.
9:24-27. There are as many interpretations of this section as there are
commentators. But there has been one interpretation that has been around for
2000 years. This interpretation views the vision as explaining that the end of the
sacrificial system in Jerusalem was part of Gods overall plan. This interpretation
falls in line with the rest of Scripture as it is centered on Jesus Christ.
The word that Gabriel brought from God to Daniel was an answer to his prayer. God
would indeed forgive his people and give them the opportunity to return to the
promised land. But their return and rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem were a
part of a much bigger plan. This plan would be completed in 70 weeks (or 70
sevens). 70 is obtained by multiplying 7 x 10. 7 is the number for successful
completion of divine action (think of the 7 days of creation). And 10 is the biblical
number for completeness. So in this plan 70 weeks is symbolic of the certainty that
God will successfully and fully complete his plan of salvation for sinful humankind.
This plan would begin with a decree. This would be the decree from Cyrus that
would allow the Israelites to return to the promised land to rebuild the temple. This
decree would kick off Gods plan which would result in (see 9:24) the end of sin, the
atonement of iniquity, the bringing of an everlasting righteousness, the fulfillment
of these OT visions of the Messiah and salvation, and the anointing of The Most Holy
Place (who is Jesus Christ and by extension his holy body, the church). All of these

things Jesus would do. Gods plan centered on and would be carried out by Jesus.
Jesus is the Anointed One; he is the Prince who would bring all of these wonderful
gifts.
Gods plan of salvation would not happen all at once or even in the immediate
future. Therefore the 70 weeks is broken down into three unequal stages of 7
weeks, 62 weeks, and 1 week. The first 7 weeks corresponded to the time that
Jerusalem and the temple would be rebuilt. This is the time from the decree given
by Cyrus to the time of Nehemiah when the temple was rebuilt and the high priest
was anointed (9:25, an anointed one, prince). After that, during the 62 weeks,
Jerusalem would once again be the religious center of Israel up until the Messiah
(9:26, anointed one) came. This time, from the rebuilding of the temple until the
coming of the Messiah, would not be an easy time but a troubled time. First the
Persians would rule over Israel. Then the Greeks would rule under Alexander. Then
as the Greek empire split into four pieces, the Ptolemies ruled Israel and later the
Seleucids ruled. After that the Roman empire began and Israel fell under its rule.The
first 69 weeks prepared for and led up to the final week which would be to the
consummation of Gods plan of salvation.
The Anointed One would come in the 70th week. Half way through this time period
he would be cut off, that is, he would die on the cross, making available all of the
blessings that were promised through the Anointed One (see 9:24). On the night
before his death, Jesus made a new covenant at the Lords Supper. His death came
half way through this week and put an end to the sacrifices and offerings of the
OT because he fulfilled them. All OT worship forms pointed forward to Christ. All
worship now centers on Christ and his sacrifice on the cross. The prince who came
in the 70th week to destroy Jerusalem and the sanctuary was the Roman Titus. God
used Titus and the Romans to desolate Jerusalem, putting to an end to the OT
worship system. It was no longer necessary because all worship now centered on
and in Christ. In 70 AD Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. And at the
appointed time God brought the one though whom he brought desolation to
Jerusalem (the Roman Empire) to an end.
Chapter 10 - Introduction to the Final Vision; Daniel Sees a Man
10:1-4. Daniel had a vision in the third year of king Cyrus (539 BC). Cyrus had
already given the decree for the Israelites to go back to Judah and rebuild the
temple. We dont know why Daniel didnt go, although he was getting very old.
When he had this vision, Daniel had been in mourning for 21 days. We are not told
what he was mourning about, but some speculate that he was mourning because of
the opposition and difficult times that those who did return were having.
10:5-7. In his vision Daniel saw someone who looked like a man. Daniel described
what the man looked like. He looked very similar to the person described in Rev.
1:13-14. The son of man described in Revelation was the Lord Jesus Christ. The
man Daniel saw was described like the high priest (linen, belt of gold). And he was
described in terms of glory and power and judgment (beryl, lightning, flaming
torches, burnished bronze, sound of a multitude). Some people believe the man to
be the pre-incarnate Son of God and others believe him to be an angel sent by God.
There were some other men with Daniel when he saw the vision. They did not see

the vision, but they knew something unusual was happening, for they became
afraid and fled. This was the same reaction that the men who were with Paul had
when Jesus appeared to Paul.
10:8-14. When the man began to speak, Daniel became weak and fell to the
ground. The man tried to revive Daniel and to reassure him that he had not come to
harm him but had come for good purposes. As Daniel got up trembling, the man
continued to reassure him, telling him not to fear, that his humble prayer had been
heard and that he had come to Daniel as a result of it. He explained how he had
battled the prince of Persia for 21 days and that Michael, the great guardian angel
of the saints, had come to help him. This prince of Persia was the evil counterpart of
Michael. He sought to use the Persians to prevent God from carrying out his plan of
salvation. The man therefore fought for the saints and the message that he had
brought to Daniel was given to help Daniel understand what would happen to Gods
people in the future. (Note that the future of Gods people and all people is
determined not by men and by what they do, but by the results of spiritual warfare
between God and his faithful angels and Satan and his rebellious angels. The words
that the man would give to Daniel would be of great comfort because they showed
that in spite of outward appearances God was in control, would defeat the forces of
evil, and was taking care of his people.)
10:15-21. Having heard this, Daniel was still overcome with trauma and could
barely carry on a conversation. The man continued to encourage Daniel by touching
him and giving him words of encouragement. Then Daniel, having regained some
strength, listened to the man. The man explained that what he was about to tell
Daniel was the truth concerning Gods people and the future. He was fighting for
Gods people in the Persian Empire and he would do the same in the next empire,
the Greek Empire.
Chapter 11 - The Vision of the Kings of the North and the South
Daniel was taken into exile as a teenager in 605 BC. The third year after Cyrus
conquest of Babylon was when Daniel had this vision which would be dated as 539
BC. So at the time of this last vision Daniel was very old (in his eighties). Cyrus had
given the order to allow the Israelites to return to their homeland. This vision then
addresses the issue of how the Israelites will fare in the coming centuries after they
return home. They will be ruled by foreign rulers and will be caught in the middle of
power struggles between the kingdom of the north and the kingdom of the
south.
[I will go into more detail in this chapter since it is so complicated, as it skips
through the future very quickly, switching from one king to another in the two
kingdoms.]
11:1-4. Having strengthened and reassured Daniel, the man then began to
explain to Daniel what would happen to Gods people in the future. At this time the
Persians were the dominant world empire. The fourth king of the Persian Empire was
Xerxes (485 465 BC). He was rich and he was determined to conquer Greece. He
was somewhat but not fully successful as the Greeks united and pushed the
Persians out. His incursions into Greece stirred up the Greeks in opposition to the

Persians and years later a mighty king arose in Greece named Alexander the Great.
He conquered the Persians but at the height of his power and glory he died (in 323
BC). His kingdom was divided into four parts, each going to one of his generals. This
sets the stage for the events described in 11:5-35.
11:5-6. Ptolemy I (323 285 BC), a general under Alexander was the first king of
Egypt. One of his princes arose and established himself as king of Syria. He ruled in
the north as Seleucus I (312 280 BC). Because of this a rivalry arose between the
north and the south. Later, in an attempt to keep the peace between the two, an
alliance was made when the king of the south (now Ptolemy II, 285 246 BC) gave
his daughter Berenice to the king of the north (now Antiochus II, 261 246 C) in
marriage. The problem was that Antiochus II was already married to Laodice and
had had two boys. When Ptolemy II died, Berenice lost her strategic importance and
Laodice was elevated back to queen. Laodice was ruthless and in order to secure
the throne for her son, she poisoned her husband Antiochus II and engineered the
death of her rival Berenice and her child.
11:7-9. In the south, when Ptolemy II died, Berenices brother, Ptolemy III (246
221 BC) became king. He raided the kingdom of the north, which was now ruled by
Seleucus II (246 226 BC), and prevailed, carrying off the idols of their gods and
precious vessels. After some years, Seleucus II attacked the south in retaliation, but
returned home unsuccessful.
11:10-13. The sons of Seleucus II were Seleucus III (226 223 BC) and Antiochus
III (223 187 BC). They assembled a great army and took the fight to Ptolemy III in
the south. They got as far as his fortress in Raphia in southern Palestine. When
Ptolemy IV (221 203 BC) became king in the south, he waged war against
Antiochus III, the king of the north, and defeated him at Raphia in 217 BC. In victory
Ptolemy IV slaughtered thousands, but his victory would be short-lived, as Antiochus
III would raise an even bigger army.
11:14-19. The next king of the south was Ptolemy V (203 181 BC). Many would
rise up against him, including some Jews who joined forces with Antiochus III. But a
Ptolemaic general named Scopas crushed the rebellion. Then Antiochus III set siege
to the fortified city of Sidon and captured it. Antiochus III took full control of
Palestine (the Beautiful Land) by 197 BC. Then in another attempt of a political
alliance by marriage, Antiochus III gave his daughter, Cleopatra I, in marriage to
Ptolemy V in 194 BC. He did this in an attempt to overthrow the king of the south,
but it did not work. Then Antiochus III turned his attention toward the coastlands of
Asia Minor and possibly even Greece and took many of them. But a Roman
commander named Scipio stopped and defeated Antiochus III at Magnesia in Asia
Minor in 190 BC. Antiochus III died in 187 BC while plundering a temple.
11:20-28. The successor to Antiochus III was his son Seleucus IV (187 175 BC).
Because the Romans defeated Antiochus III, the Romans forced the kingdom of the
north to pay heavy tribute. In order to raise the money, Seleucus IV sent out a
special tax collector, his finance minister, Heliodorus. But Seleucus IV became a
victim of a conspiracy by this same Heliodorus.

With Seleucus IV gone, the kingdom should have gone to his son, later known as
Demetrius I. But instead the brother of Seleucus IV, a contemptible person named
Antiochus IV (also known as Antiochus Epiphanies, 175 164 BC) seized power by
flattery and intrigue. Antiochus IV made alliances and covenants, but he broke them
when it proved to be his advantage. Antiochus IV launched a large scale campaign
against the king of the south who was now Ptolemy VI (181 145 BC). Ptolemy
could not stand because he was undermined by treasonous plots from within. The
two kings then sat down at the table to together to make an agreement. But both
kings had evil intentions and spoke lies. In spite the appearance of a peaceful
settlement, the conflict would continue because the time appointed by God for its
termination had not yet arrived. Antiochus IV also set his heart against the holy
covenant, that is, against the land and the people set apart by God through whom
he would carry out his promises. In 169 BC he plundered the temple and massacred
many Jews in Jerusalem.
11:29-35. At the time appointed by God, Antiochus IV made another incursion
into the south. But this time Roman ships that patrolled the coastlands (Kittim)
came up against him and he became afraid and had to withdraw. This enraged him
and he took it out on the people of Israel. He showed favor to those who broke the
holy covenant. His army desecrated the temple and stopped the daily offerings.
Instead he set up an altar to the pagan god Zeus in 168 BC. With flattery he brought
those over to his side that broke the covenant, while the faithful firmly resisted him
and took action. Those who were wise stood firm and had to face great persecution.
They were taken captive, plundered, and put to death. God allowed this to happen
for some days. Gods purpose in allowing it was to refine, purify, and make
spotless his people. Some relief (a little help) from the persecution came when the
Maccabees revolted against Antiochus IV. The tyrants power was broken and in 165
BC the temple was rededicated.
The phrase until the time of the end (see 11:35b, 40a; 12:4a, 9) alerted Daniel
and it alerts the reader that from this point forward the vision looks beyond the
immediate future of the Ptolemies, Seleucids, and Antiochus IV to the conflict that
the people of God will endure until the very end of time. Other evidence of this shift
is that from this point through the end of the chapter, the kings will be spoken of in
a generic sense and the vision will speak of certain nations only in a symbolical
sense because they no longer exist. The focus for the rest of chapter 11 is on the
king of the north. For the rest of the chapter we need to look at all of the other
things and people mentioned as they relate to him.
11:36-39. The last king of the north that was last referred to was Antiochus
Epiphanies. The text continues as if continuing to talk about him, but in reality this
king is the one referred to in the NT as the Antichrist (see 2 Thess. 2:3 ff where
the description of the man of lawlessness is similar to the description of the king
here). Since the vision now looks at the end, that is, the time between Christs
first and second coming, this refers to all the evil forces that surface in opposition to
God and his church at various times and places in the end times until Christ comes
on the Last Day. This king will at the same time exalt himself as God and attempt
to tear down the one true God by speaking against him. He pays no attention to any
other gods because he elevates himself over all. His god, that is, what he puts his
trust in and takes delight in, is the raw power (his idol was the defeat of all the

strong fortresses of those who oppose him) that brings eternal death and carnage to
the people of the world and especially to the church. He worships this god by
offering it the great wealth it plundered in its victory. To those who recognize him as
one who has power and influence over them, he heaps honor and rewards them
with power and wealth.
11:40-45. These verses depict the final onslaught on Gods kingdom at the end
as if they were a continuation of the battles between the Ptolemies and the
Seleucids (king of the north and king of the south). When the Antichrist (the king of
the north) is challenged by anyone, he responds by overwhelming his opposition. He
comes barreling through the glorious land (the promised land - the church),
destroying anything in his path and killing tens of thousands of Gods people. This
depicts the Antichrist defeating and plundering the nations and the church during
the end times. He does not harm Edom, Moab, or the Ammonites (the ancient
enemies of Israel) because they are his allies in opposing the church. The nations of
the world (represented by the king of the south, Egypt, Libya, Cush) will easily fall to
the Antichrist as he takes their gold, silver, and precious things as plunder. As a
result the nations denigrate Christianity and the one true God. When rumors of an
uprising come from the north and east (from the promised land which represents
the church), the Antichrist is alarmed and goes back north to set up camp in the
midst of where the rumors come from, between the Mediterranean Sea and the
glorious holy mountain (Jerusalem where the temple is). So all of this means that in
the end times the Antichrist will conquer the world and church and he will wipe out
thousands of Christians. He will even set up shop right in the midst of the church to
control her and to make sure there are no uprisings against him. Yet when all looks
hopeless for the church and it looks like it will be eradicated, God will put an end to
the Antichrist. The appointed time in which God had allowed him to prosper and
control the nations and persecute the church will suddenly come to an end. God had
used him and his persecution of the church to refine and purify his people and to
call the nations to repentance. And when that goal has been accomplished, God will
simply put an end to the Antichrist.
Chapter 12 The Time of the End: Trouble, Deliverance,
Resurrection, and Rest
12:1-4. Chapter 12:1-4 continues and concludes the final vision of Daniel (Dan.
10 12). In the end times the Antichrist will defeat the nations and turn them
against God. He will defeat the church and many of the faithful will go down in
martyrdom (11:36-45). The vision then concludes by revealing how this challenge to
Gods reign in the end times turns out. At the very end the persecution of the
church will be so bad that had it not been stopped the church would not survive. But
Michael, the guardian angel of the church will come to her aide. And on the Last Day
the Lord Jesus Christ will come and permanently deliver his people. The names of
those who will be saved are sure as they are written in the book of life. The
resurrection of the dead will happen on the Last Day when he comes again. All who
have died will be raised bodily, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting
contempt. Those who are wise are those who put their trust in Jesus. He gives them
his righteousness and therefore they shine like the stars. They turn others to Christ
and they too shine with his righteousness. Daniel is then instructed to seal up these
prophecies until the time of the end. The end is that time after Jesus death,

resurrection, and ascension until he returns on the Last Day. During the time of the
end Jesus, the Lamb who was slain but who is alive, opens up the seven seals,
revealing the prophecies (see Rev. 6:1 8:5).
12:5-13. Then Daniel saw two others (probably angels) and one of them asked
the man clothed in linen who was above the waters (Jesus) how long it would be
till the end. Swearing by the eternal God of heaven, the highest and completely
dependable source of truth, he said it would be for a time, times, and half a time.
Seven is the complete number. Seven would represent all time. This period of time
is 3 1/2, a time that is much less than the full time. So the time of suffering for the
holy people (the church) will last a long time, but it will not be allowed to go the
full time where the entire church is wiped out. When the churchs power is shattered
and all looks bleak for her, the end will come and the Lord Jesus will deliver her.
The words of this prophecy were to be shut up until the end times. After Jesus
ascension Jesus will break the seals and make the prophecy known (See Rev. 4 5).
The prophecy will give comfort to the faithful because they will know that even
though they suffer, if they remain faithful to the end, they will purify themselves, be
refined, and be raised to eternal life. Those who believe and trust in God through
Jesus are wise and will understand these prophecies. The wicked on the other hand,
will not understand and will continue to be wicked right up to the end.
The time given to Daniel before the daily burnt offering is taken away and the
abomination is set up in the temple is 1290 days, which is a little over 3 years. So
this represents the period of time from Daniel to Antiochus Epiphanies. The amount
of time is not literal but it shows that God knows exactly what will happen and that
he has allotted a certain period of time for this to happen. Then another amount of
days is given. 1335 days is 45 days longer than 1290 days. One who is blessed will
arrive 45 days later. This refers to the time from Antiochus Epiphanies to the
coming of the Christ. So from the time when Daniel received this vision (539 BC) to
the time of the abomination of Antiochus Epiphanies (168 BC) was 371 years. This is
symbolically represented by 1290 days. And the time from Daniel (539 BC) to the
time of Christ (5 BC) was about 534 years. This is symbolically represented by the
1335 days. Therefore the faithful who see the abomination will know that,
comparatively speaking, it will be a short time before the blessed One comes. The
main thing that Daniel and all believers need to know is that when they continue on
the way of faith and trust in God and the Blessed One, they will be given rest and
shall stand in a place set up and set aside for them in the end. No matter what it
seems like God is in control. He has a plan of salvation that he is carrying out.
Follow the way that he has given and it will lead to eternal rest and joy.