Week 32-37--Daniel

The book of Daniel contains familiar stories and unfamiliar prophecies. It covers the entire 70 year period of Israel’s exile in Babylon. I don’t see a reason to detail the stories--you probably read them in Sunday school. I will list them, just for fun.

Daniel and his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego are sent to Babylon. They eat healthy food instead of the king’s rich food. Nebuchadnezzar is impressed. He has a dream which Daniel interprets. King is doubly impressed.

Nebuchadnezzar builds a statue and demands that everyone worship it; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego are rescued from the fiery furnace.

Nebuchadnezzar’s son (or grandson) Belshazzar has a party, and literally sees the writing on the wall. Daniel interprets, and again, king is impressed. Daniel remains safe as the king’s advisor. Other jealous advisors con the king into making a foolish law which results in Daniel being thrown to the lions. God rescues Daniel, and the king has second thoughts. The lions get a second helping of jealous advisor.

After this, the weird visions begin. Getting thrown to the lions can do that to a person, I guess. The visions are full of cryptic phrases such as Ancient of Days, Kings of the North and South, “the abomination of desolation,” (I’m not even going to try to explain that one) and “time, and times, and half a time.” Kings rise and fall in a whirlwind of prophecies, which will be fulfilled over the next several hundred years. Some of his prophecies have not yet come to pass, for in Daniel we find the first reference to everlasting life and everlasting torment.

You know, Ezekiel, with all his four-faced creatures and wheels within wheels, is easier to understand than Daniel.

In the midst of all of this, Daniel prays a beautiful prayer of repentance on behalf of the nation of Israel (chapter 9). He has found a record of all the foolish things that they have done (probably the record compiled by the prophet Jeremiah) and mourns deeply over the nation’s sin. Daniel begs God to hear, to forgive, to listen, and to take action. In verse 18 Daniel changes the name he uses, from “O LORD our God” to “my God.” This is now personal. Gabriel then comes to Daniel with a comforting message: “At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued” (9:23).

Daniel 12:8 sums up the second half of the book: “As for me, I heard but could not understand...” The words are secret and sealed up until the end. Well, not literally, because we just read them. But the meaning, yes, there is a sealing, a secretness, a definite lack of understanding on my part. The book ends with a command and a blessing: “But as for you, go on your way to the end; you will rest, then rise to your destiny at the end of the days” (12:13, Holman Christian Standard Version). That is what I take from the book of Daniel. I will go and live the life God has for me; heaven waits at the end of my days.