1. What were the characteristics of the fours beasts in

     verses 4 to 8?

2. What sense is given by the heavenly vision as seen in

      verses 9 & 10?

3. What is the sense about the one who approaches God

      on his throne in verses 13 & 14?

C. Comment :

In these chapter we find something of the spiritual dimension of Daniel's life in the years we have already covered. No revelation seems to have been given to him until after the end of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, once Belteshazzar has taken over.

There are three stages to Daniel's dream:

First there are four beasts,
then the picture of God reigning,
then the One who comes to God and who is given authority, glory and power.

The interpretation will come tomorrow so let us for the moment, simply consider the overall implications of the dream.

First, the beasts give a sense of violence in the affairs of men.

This is then contrasted by the picture of God reigning, dealing with each of the beasts. He, the Lord, IS Sovereign over all.

Then comes a being who is both heavenly and earthly, to whom God gives an everlasting kingdom, perhaps one of the clearest early pictures of the coming of Jesus. Men may rant and rage but God rules over all and will establish HIS kingdom on earth.

D. Application :

1. Do we fully understand that God reigns over ALL, over men and

nations?

2. Praise and worship Him who deals with nations and

establishes His kingdom in their midst.

Chapter: Daniel 7

Passage: Daniel 7:15-28

A. Find Out:

1. Why was Daniel disturbed? v.15,16

2. What were the beasts? v.17

3. What will happen nevertheless? v.18

4. What happened to the saints? v.21,22

5. What will the last king do? v.25

6. But what will be the outcome? v.26,27

B. Think :

1. What does this passage tell us about the ways of the world?

2. What does it tell us about the Lord?

3. What does it tell us about the Christian life?

C. Comment :

Many different applications of this interpretation of Daniel's dream have been attempted. We will restrict ourselves to general principles. Whatever else it shows, it shows the following:

First, it is that God is sovereign over history. He is the Lord who works in the midst of the affairs of men and of nations.

Second, it shows that four kingdoms will arise some time in the future from Daniel, kingdoms that will actually be ungodly, kingdoms that will progress in history and which can be observed.

Third, it shows that the saints, whether that means Israel or the Christian church, will be oppressed from time to time. We have seen previously that God doesn't promise us an easy time always.

Fourth, it shows that the saints WILL prevail, they will receive and possess God's kingdom (and this is all about life on the earth, not heaven). There will come a time when ALL will worship God. God's story is not a story of defeat, but one of victory & triumph as He deals with nations to bring in His own kingdom. Psalm 110:2 speaks of Jesus who rules in the midst of his enemies.

D. Application :

1. Have we learnt, watching history in Europe in recent years,

     that God does change nations?

2. Praise the One who rules over all and changes the shapes of

     nations to bring in HIS kingdom.

Chapter: Daniel 9

Passage: Daniel 9:1-11a

A. Find Out:

1. In whose reign does this occur? v.1,2

2. What did Daniel come to understand? v.2

3. What was his response? v.3

4. What does he note about God in his prayer? v.4,7,9

5. How does he say they have sinned? v.5,6,10,11

6. What does he say is their state now? v.7,8

B. Think :

1. What is it that has prompted Daniel to pray and fast?

2. What is the main thrust of this prayer so far?

3. Why do you think he mentions the particular characteristics of

God that he does?

C. Comment :

Having previously seen some of the revelation through dreams that Daniel received, we now come to the revelation he receives through God's word.

Jeremiah's prophecy has obviously been written down and as he reads it, he realises that it is God's intention that Israel should be in captivity for ONLY seventy years. There can be no other reason for his reaction, which was to pray and fast, other than he sensed God's desire, which may be different from what actually happens! He senses that before the captivity can come to an end there needs to be confession and repentance. God won't just take them back automatically after a set seventy years. He wants there to be a change of heart, which will probably take seventy years to come about.

Having seen that, Daniel doesn't try to get others to come to that position, he comes to it himself and acknowledges before the Lord their sin. He pours out his heart pleading for forgiveness. His is the only record in Scripture of an intercessor at that time, pleading for forgiveness in the light of their sin and the captivity. What an amazing man who truly steps into the gap and cries to God for the nation! What an example!

D. Application :

1. Ask the Lord to give you real understanding today of the truths

revealed in today's passage.

2. Ask Him to inspire you in prayer.

Chapter: Daniel 9

Passage: Daniel 9:11-19

A. Find Out:

1. What was the basis of what has happened? v.11b,12a

2. What ought they to have done? v.13b

3. How does he describe the Lord? v.15

4. To what does he appeal? v.16

5. Why does he ask the Lord to act? v.17,19

6. To what does he appeal? v.18

B. Think :

1. How was the past linked with the present?

2. What does Daniel acknowledge about the nation?

3. How does he appeal to the Lord?

C. Comment :

This is one of those great prayers of the Bible that teaches so much.

First, it reminds us that God acts according to His character and His declared word. He is holy and righteous and He has declared the way of life through obedience and the way of destruction through disobedience. This is obedience or disobedience to the truth which is the way He has made the world to be (see Deuteronomy 28).

Second, it reminds us that the way of reconciliation to God and restoration of life comes through repentance which is a turning AWAY FROM sin and turning back TO God. For there to be repentance there has to be an honest facing up to the true situation and acknowledgement of our failure and need.

Third, it shows us that the true ground for intercession is not to appeal on the basis of personal goodness and righteousness, but to appeal to the Lord on the basis of His own name, His own righteousness and His own mercy. He has made Himself known as a God of creation and redemption. He is righteous in all His ways and mercy allows Him to redeem. He wants us to appeal to and understand these gems in the crown of truth.

D. Application :

1. As you pray, have you ensured that you have repented of all

known wrongs in your life?

2. As you pray, are you concerned for the Lord's name, for who He

is and what He is known as.

Chapter: Daniel 9

Passage: Daniel 9:20-27

A. Find Out:

1. When did Gabriel come? v.21

2. What had he come to do? v.22

3. How was Daniel considered in heaven? v.23

4. Why is there to be a special period? v.24

5. What will be the beginning of it? v.25a

6. Who will come at the end of it? v.25b

B. Think :

1. What had concerned Daniel in prayer before Gabriel came?

2. How would Gabriel's message have encouraged him?

3. What does it tell us about the Lord?

C. Comment :

This passage has promoted more speculation and calculation by commentators that almost any other. Rather than join in with further speculation (that might be wrong), we will simply view it from Daniel's position, and try to sense what it might have said to him at that moment of time. First Daniel will be comforted in that he is given an angelic visitation (which is special in itself), then he is told he is highly esteemed in heaven, then he is told Jerusalem WILL be rebuilt, and finally he is told an "Anointed One" is going to come to his people, all of which would have thrilled him greatly.

First and foremost this is the message of this passage: comfort and reassurance for the future.

Second, behind the passage is the SOVEREIGNTY of God, who has set times in His plans for set things to happen. The destruction of Jerusalem was not a mistake, and its rebuilding will not be by accident either.

Third, behind the passage is the MYSTERIOUS WISDOM of God. Not only is there mystery in the times given, but from Daniel's viewpoint there would be mystery as to why the Anointed One should be cut off. Possibly referring to other things, it at least refers to the coming and rejection of Jesus.

D. Application :

1. Thank the Lord that He is a God of comfort (see also

2 Cor 1:3,4)

2. Worship Him as THE one & only Sovereign Lord today.

Chapter: Daniel 10

Passage: Daniel 10:1-14

A. Find Out:

1. How long had Daniel been mourning? v.2

2. How did the vision of the man affect Daniel? v.8

3. How did he refer to Daniel? v.11

4. When had Daniel's words been heard? v.12

5. Why had the man not come earlier? v.13

6. Why had he now come? v.14

B. Think :

1. What does this passage teach us about prayer?

2. What does it teach us about spiritual warfare?

3. What closing picture do we get of Daniel?

C. Comment :

The closing chapters of the book of Daniel recount the vision shared with Daniel which was about, and caused within him, great strife. But before it came (for v.1 merely tells what was about to come) Daniel is mourning, probably for his people who had returned to Jerusalem with many problems.

Whatever the cause, he prays and holds that attitude for three weeks! At the end of the three weeks an angel arrives (NOT Jesus because he wouldn't be hindered by other angels) and conveys heaven's appreciation of Daniel.

Then the angel reveals the most amazing thing: he had been sent three weeks earlier but had been hindered for that time from getting through to Daniel by the angelic being who presided over that nation. We get a glimpse of spiritual warfare which leaves us gasping. We see angelic forces in conflict, (apparently energised by the man of prayer) with God's angels battling on through to bring Daniel the answer to his prayer and revelation!

Within this passage there is much to encourage us when we pray. We need to learn from this that we should pray on through, even when answers seem to be slow in coming. What an example this man Daniel is to us, that he prayed on for three weeks with the same topic. What amazing revelation he received because of it! And us?

D. Application :

1. Do I want to be such a prayer warrior?

2. Share your heart on this with the Lord today.

RECAP - "Daniel's Spiritual Life" - Daniel 7,9, & 10

SUMMARY :

In these 6 studies we have seen:

- Daniel dreaming about 4 beasts & the Son of Man

- The interpretation being given

- Daniel praying fervently about the exile

- Daniel interceding for Israel with God

- The angel Gabriel bringing revelation

- Daniel praying for 3 weeks

- Revelation of spiritual warfare being given

COMMENT :

In these closing studies we have seen something of the spiritual side of Daniel's life: the revelations he received and the life of prayer he maintained.

We have many lessons about prayer and intercession: to keep on praying, to acknowledge sin, to plead on the basis of the Lord's name. As we see these in Daniel's life we see also the acclaim of heaven: a man "highly esteemed". What a testimony!

LESSONS :

1. The Lord rules over all history and has an unfolding plan

2. That plan involves the bringing down of nations and the raising up of His

own kingdom

3. It involves the coming of His "Anointed One" as well as opposition to Him

4. Prayer should be prevailing, repenting and pleading on the basis of the

Lord's name

5. The Lord wants to bring comfort in understanding for those who will seek

Him

6. The enemy sometimes seeks to hinder our hearing from God, but that

shouldn't put us off.

PRAY :

1. Ask the Lord to help you enlarge your vision of Him as the one who

oversees all history.

2. Ask Him to help you learn these lessons, especially in respect of prayer.

SUMMARY

In these studies we have seen :

1. Daniel

a) In the reigns of :

- Nebuchadnezzar

- Belshazzar

- Darius

- Cyrus



  b) Being tested with his friends:

- in being able to stand out

- coping with Nebuchadnezzar's dream

- refusing to worship the idol

- interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream

- interpreting writing on the wall

- refusing to pray to the king

  c) Receiving revelation:

- of Nebuchadnezzar's dreams

- of Belshazzar's writing

- of coming kingdoms in his own dreams & visions

- of end times, from angels

2. Kings :

- learning that God is sovereign

3. God :

- protecting his servants

- blessing their activities

- raising them up in the nation

- dealing with rulers of nations

- revealing He has plans for the world

4. Ourselves :

- loyalty to God above all else

- the likelihood of persecution

- trusting in God's protection

- to be His representatives in an ungodly world

- learning to listen to God.

CONCLUSION

In these studies on Daniel, we should observe the following lessons:

1. From Daniel:

      First of all this man COMMITTED HIMSELF TO GOD'S PURPOSES and resolved that somehow he would remain true to God in an alien environment.

      Second, to achieve that he used GRACE, TACT AND WISDOM to win over those who were in authority over him, and that in turn BROUGHT SUCCESS.

      Third, when adverse circumstances arose he TURNED TO GOD IN PRAYER and put his trust in the Lord.

      Fourth, he was a man who HEARD THE LORD and received REVELATION FROM GOD because of the relationship he had with Him.

   Fifth, he received the SALVATION OF THE LORD from the circumstances that threatened to destroy him.

2. About God:

   First, He allows His people to go into captivity IF IT IS PART OF HIS PURPOSES.

   Second, He PROVOKES THE WORLD to bring about His purposes, seeking for their blessing that comes through knowing Him.

   Third, He PROVIDES FOR HIS SERVANTS all they need to deal with the circumstances.

   Fourth, in grace and mercy He holds back His hand of judgement and DEALS WITH THE UNBELIEVER who He can bring to his senses.

   Fifth, He deals swiftly with those He knows will not respond and BRINGS SWIFT JUDGEMENT when it is appropriate.

3. For Ourselves?

Can we ever remain the same after having seen these things in the life of this man of God living in an alien environment, just like us? Can we learn more fully to look to the Lord for wisdom and revelation and grace to cope with that environment and to bring God's blessing to it?