DANIEL

THE STUDY OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL IS THE STUDY OF PROPHECY, AND AS SUCH, DEALS WITH THE FUTURE. IN STUDYING THESE, WE, AS CHRISTIANS, CAN GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE AND OF GOD. THROUGH THIS STUDY AN UNDERSTANDING IS OBTAINED OF THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE FORCES OF GOOD AND EVIL, AND THE ULTIMATE TRIUMPH OF JESUS.

THE PROPHETIC SYMBOLS OF DANIEL MUST BE INTERPRETED BY THE BIBLE ITSELF. MAN-MADE INTERPRETATIONS HAVE NO VALIDITY AT ALL. THE COMPREHENSION OF THE PROPHECIES OF DANIEL GIVE US A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF JESUS.

DANIEL, ALTHOUGH WRITING IN THE THIRD PERSON, GAVE A PERSONAL HISTORY, AS HE LIVED IT, IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL. JESUS ATTESTED TO DANIEL'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WORDS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL, AS HIS THIRD POINT, WHEN HE TOLD HIS FOLLOWERS TO UNDERSTAND THE PROPHECIES OF DANIEL, THE FIRST TWO BEING: TO STUDY THE PROPHECIES, AND THEY COULD BE UNDERSTOOD.

DANIEL IS SET DURING THE REIGN OF KING NEBUCHDREZZAR OF BABYLON, WHICH BEGAN IN 605 B.C., A

MUCH OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL IS WRITTEN IN SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE. THE FORM THAT DANIEL USES IS CALLED 'OUTLINE PROPHECY', IN WHICH HISTORY IS OUTLINED FROM DANIEL'S DAY TO THE END TIME. WE CAN SEE THAT WE ARE LIVING IN THE STREAM OF HISTORY BECAUSE DANIEL BEGINS HIS PROPHECIES IN HIS OWN DAY, CONTINUES THROUGH HISTORY AS THEY UNFOLD, AND THEN FOCUSES ON THE END TIME. WE SEE THE PROPHECIES OF DANIEL ARE CONSISTENT WITH BIBLICAL EVIDENCE, THEY SPAN THE AGES, ROOTED IN HISTORY BUT FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE.

GOD IS AS PATIENT WITH US AS HE WAS WITH HIM. EVEN THOUGH WE STRAY FROM THE PATH AND FALL, GOD LOVES US STILL, AND IS RIGHT THERE TO PICK US UP. HE IS VITALLY INTERESTED IN PEOPLE. HE WANTS THEM TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AS THEIR PERSONAL LORD AND DEVELOP A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. MANY PEOPLE FEEL THAT GOD CANNOT SAVE THEM BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN THE PAST. THIS STORY OF

EACH OF DANIEL'S PROPHETIC VISIONS GO OVER THE SAME HISTORY, BUT EACH ADDS FURTHER DETAILS. THIS IS THE LONGEST TIME PROPHECY IN THE BIBLE. MUCH HAS ALREADY COME TO PASS AND PROVED EXACTLY AS DANIEL SAID IT WOULD. WE GAIN CONFIDENCE IN GOD'S WORD WHEN WE SEE THAT GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES. BUT EVENTUALLY, WE BECOME FEARFUL AS WE REALIZE THAT THE END TIME STILL APPROACHES. PEOPLE TODAY WOULD DO WELL TO BE LOOKING FOR CHRIST, NOT THE ANTICHRIST. WE, WHO TRUST IN CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR NEED NOT BE AFRAID BECAUSE HE WILL REMOVE US IN THE RAPTURE BEFORE THE ANTICHRIST COMES TO POWER; WHEN FALSE RELIGIONS ARISE AND GOD'S PEOPLE ARE PERSECUTED FOR THEIR REFUSAL TO WORSHIP ANY BUT THE ONE TRUE GOD.

DANIEL MAKES SURE WE UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO BE CONVERTED TO GOD. GOD WAS PATIENT WITH NEBUCHADREZZAR AND OVER A PERIOD OF THIRTY YEARS HE TRIED TO REACH HIM. IT SEEMED THE KING MADE PROGRESS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND THEN BACKSLID. NEBUCHADREZZAR HAD TO LOOSE HIS MIND (ALL HE KNEW) TO FIND THE GOSPEL TRUTH. HE REALIZED THAT IT WAS GOD WHO SET UP AND REMOVED KINGS AND EVEN KINGS HAD TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GOD WAS THE RULER OF THEIR LIVES.

OUR SUCCESS IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY AND PERSECUTION IS BASED ON DANIEL'S SECRET FOR SUCCESS. DANIEL PRAYED BOLDLY BUT WITH AN ATTITUDE OF HUMILITY. HE EXPRESSED ADORATION, WORTH AND HONOR TO GOD. HE OPENED HIS HEART AND CONFESSED HIS SIN BEFORE THE LORD. HE ACKNOWLEDGED HIS GRATITUDE TO GOD FOR HIS BLESSINGS AND PROTECTION, AND HE UNSELFISHLY PETITIONED FOR THE NEEDS OF OTHERS IN HIS PRAYERS. WE HAVE TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, JUST AS DANIEL DID, AND THE WAY WE DEVELOP THIS RELATIONSHIP IS TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM. PRAYER AND BIBLE STUDY ARE THE ESSENTIAL BUILDING BLOCKS OF THIS RELATIONSHIP. THESE HELP US DISCOVER CORRECT DOCTRINE, REBUKE US OF OUR SINS, CORRECT US WHERE WE GO WRONG, LET US KNOW THE WAY WE SHOULD GO, AND ENABLE US TO OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. GROWING FROM THIS FOUNDATION, THE CHRISTIAN, FOLLOWING THE PRINCIPLES OF THE BIBLE, ENGAGES IN THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE WHICH WILL GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE IN THE KNOWING OF JESUS. THIS IS WHAT WILL PROTECT US, AS DANIEL WAS PROTECTED THEN, IN THE END TIMES.