Old Testament Survey

Lesson 30 w/AnswersDaniel (Part 1)

We continue our Old Testament survey with a look at the book of Daniel. I have always found that John Walvoord’s Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament and New Testament and his book Every Prophecy of the Bible are great resources for studying the book of Daniel, and I highly recommend them to you.

As John Walvoord writes:

"Among the great prophetic books of Scripture, none provides a more comprehensive and chronological prophetic view of the broad movement of history than the book of Daniel. Of the three prophetic programs revealed in Scripture, outlining the course of the nations, Israel, and the church, Daniel alone reveals the details of God’s plan for both the nations and Israel."

Bible

In this lesson and in a few that will follow, we will take a closer look at "the times of the Gentiles," God’s prophetic picture of the future of Israel, and the application of Daniel’s writing to all of End-Time Prophecy.

We will observe, for example, that many of Daniel’s prophecies contain symbols that are also explained within his book, allowing us to better understand the symbols also found in the book of Revelation. We will also discover that all of the prophecies from Daniel’s time up to the time of Christ have been literally fulfilled in exacting detail, from which we can conclude that the remaining prophecies regarding the future will also all be literally and exactly fulfilled.

To support your understanding regarding the geographical relationships of the various empires mentioned below, I have included a map of the ancient world, courtesy of Rose Publishing.

Let’s begin our study of Daniel by considering the following questions:

  1. Read Luke 21:20-28. What period of time is Daniel referring to as it relates to the "Gentiles"? Who is in power during this time: the Jews or the Gentiles?
    1. ANSWER: Jesus is referring to the "times of the Gentiles" and the fulfillment of that time. When it is completed, He will return again. During this period, the Gentiles have the authority and are in power, not the Jews.
  2. Based on our findings related to the previous question, we know that the period referenced above will end upon Christ’s return. When did this period begin? (see Daniel 1:1-2)
    1. ANSWER: It began when God turned over the Southern Kingdom of Judah to Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BC.
  3. In Deuteronomy Chapter 28, God makes two promises. What are they, and how do they apply to the time of Daniel’s writing?
    1. ANSWER: God promised to set Israel high above all the nations of the earth if they would obey Him. However, if they disobeyed Him, He also promised to bring them to ruin, i.e., to allow foreign Kings to take them captive and enslave them, to occupy their land, and to disperse them. This second promise, or warning, was manifested in the results of the siege that Jeremiah witnessed before the fall of Jerusalem and the total destruction of their country; all of this occurring because they did not follow God as their Lord.
  4. Daniel became a prophet to both the Jews and the Gentiles. To the Gentiles he prophesied concerning the events that would happen during the previously-cited "times of the Gentiles". What period of time is covered by his prophecy to Jews?
    1. ANSWER: This period is comprised by the coming kingdom of the Messiah and the Millennial Reign of Christ that will follow the "times of the Gentiles".
  5. Three ruling powers emerged during Daniel’s career. Their leaders are listed below. Can you identify the kingdom that they each represented?
    1. Nebuchadnezzar
      1. ANSWER: The Babylonian Empire
    2. Darius
      1. ANSWER: The Median Empire
    3. Cyrus
      1. ANSWER: The Persian Empire
  6. What did Daniel specifically do at the beginning of his exile that allowed God to use him as a pure vessel for revealing His prophetic word? (see Daniel 1:6-17)
    1. ANSWER: Daniel refused to eat food that would cause him to be defiled and asked for permission to only eat a vegetarian diet. Because of this, Daniel could "understand visions and dreams of all kinds".
  7. Because of Daniel’s courage, great faith, and wisdom; three times in the book of Daniel, heavenly beings refer to him in visions as a man "___________". (see Daniel 9:23, 10:11 and 10:19)
    1. ANSWER: Highly esteemed.

My prayer is that our study of Daniel will not only add to our understanding of God’s eternal plan for man and for the nation of Israel, but also that through studying the life of Daniel, we will become more courageous in our faith. Can you imagine the God of the universe referring to you or I as "highly esteemed"? We can only imagine the kind of man that Daniel must have been in order for God to give him that honor. Oh that we could live our lives in such a way that God would say that of each of us!

May our faith, courage, and commitment be as strong as Daniel’s, and may God use us today during "the times of the Gentiles" as He used Daniel in his day.

Thanks for studying with us, and have a great week everyone.

In Christ,

Wes

[2021]

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