Daniel’s Dream, The Four Beasts, The Ancient of Days, Daniel 7

Buckle your seatbelts.

Prophecy Ahead.

As we turn the page from Daniel chapter six to seven, rather than moving forward chronologically, we drop back about a dozen years (around 553 BC). Back to when Belshazzar was still king.

Daniel is somewhere around 70 years old.

The writing pivots from narration to end time prophecy.

This is the last chapter written in Aramaic (It was Aramaic from Dan. 2:4b). The rest of Daniel was written in Hebrew. Aramaic was toward an audience of gentiles. Hebrew toward an audience of Jews.

Daniel 7:1
 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.

Have you ever had a God given dream?

The same one more than once?

Just as Pharaoh’s dreams were repeated in, Gen. 41:32, to confirm that the thing was established by God and would surely come to pass, so too, the Lord gave Daniel this dream to confirm and expand on the dream given to Nebuchadnezzar some 50 years prior in Daniel chapter 2.  

² Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.

Four winds, north, south, east and west, stirring up the Great Sea.

Picture the great sea of humanity, stirring, and churning with tumultuous unrest.

 ³ And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.

 ⁴ The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

This dream, alongside Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2) and the benefit of history and hindsight we’re able to identify the players in the dream.  

Notice, the first beast was like a lion, the king of beasts, with eagle’s wings, the chief of birds of prey.  

Winged lions were often used on the doors of Babylonian palaces.

This first beast, like the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, reflects the Babylonian empire.

This dream would’ve helped Daniel personally, since he did not have the benefit of hindsight. He was sitting about four kings removed from Nebuchadnezzar and the dream he had, that revealed there would be four world rulers and then the glorious Rock of Ages would crush them all and fill the earth.

So, this dream helped him to know, the dream is certain, the interpretation sure, the end will come, but not right now.

Now, just to be clear, the dream revealed, the wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

When Nebuchadnezzar soared to greatness, he became proud. God humbled him, plucked his wings, and he became like a cow eating grass, for seven years, but, when he lifted his eyes to heaven, he was lifted up, made to stand, and given the heart of a man. And his last recorded words are these:

“I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.” Daniel 4:37.

God bearing witness to every king of every kingdom, if the king of wicked Babylon can turn from an animal to a man worshipping God, you can too.

⁵ “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’

As with Nebuchadnezzar’s first dream in Daniel 2, with the chest and arms made of silver, this second beast like a bear represents the Medo-Persian empire. The bear raised on one side reflects how the Persians were notably more prominent than the Medes.

The three ribs point to the three territories they encompassed, Media, Persia and Babylon.

⁶ “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

The third beast, like the bronze on Nebuchadnezzar’s image reflects Greece.

The leopard is known for its speed; Alexander the Great was known for how swiftly he expanded the Grecian empire. He was only 20 when he began his conquest and by 26, he had conquered the entire Medo-Persian Empire.

He lived fast and died young. Before he turned 33, he was dead.

With no heirs the kingdom went to four wings of a bird, his four heads, his four generals.

⁷ “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

The fourth beast was hard as iron and brutal, a picture of the Roman Empire.

The Roman Empire was the last world dominating empire, though others have tried, like Napoleon, Stalin, and Hitler.

NOTE: This is not just a history lesson but fulfilled prophecy that gives credibility and validity to God’s ability to tell the end from the beginning, so we can be sure that the prophecies yet to be fulfilled will come to pass just as He has said.

Speaking of prophecies yet to come. Rome won’t be the last world dominating empire.

As with the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, notice the ten horns, and compare that to the companion verse in Revelation 13:1-2.

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

A leopard, a bear and a lion, oh my, they are the same as in Daniel’s dream.

 ⁸ I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

Did you notice each of the first three empires were conquered by the next? However, Rome was never really destroyed, they collapsed from corruption within.

One day, a little horn, with a big mouth, will come up from among them, the antichrist, will revive a form of Roman empire, a world dominating ten nation confederation, represented by the ten toes, ten horns, ten crowns.

It’s also spoken of, in Revelation 17:12-14.

“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast [anti-Christ].

These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

Which brings us right back to our text in Daniel:

⁹ “I watched till thrones were put in place,
And the Ancient of Days was seated;
His garment was white as snow,
And the hair of His head was like pure wool.
His throne was a fiery flame,
Its wheels a burning fire;
¹⁰ A fiery stream issued
And came forth from before Him.
A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
The court was seated,
And the books were opened.

The only time we see the name, “Ancient of Days” in Scripture.

A powerful picture that makes you want to fall down and worship.

But this is no worship service, it’s a day of Judgement.

¹¹ “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. 

¹² As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

This is what John was speaking of in Revelation 19:20:

Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

¹³ “I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
¹⁴ Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.

When Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream there was a fifth kingdom that came sailing on the scene, the Rock of Ages that crushed the image to powder and then became a mountain that filled the whole earth. This is that coming of the Son of Man in all His glory.

After Jesus defeated death, hell and the grave at the cross, He received glory and honor and praise and a name above every name. This Jesus will return in a blaze of glory to destroy His enemies and set up His kingdom that shall never end.

¹⁵ “I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. ¹⁶ I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: ¹⁷ ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. ¹⁸ But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’

Danny was likely thinking, “Okay, yeah, I get that, but there’s got to be more that fourth beast was really wicked and weird, different from all the others.”

¹⁹ “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; ²⁰ and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

²¹ “I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, ²² until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

²³ “Thus he said:

‘The fourth beast shall be
A fourth kingdom on earth,
Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,
And shall devour the whole earth,
Trample it and break it in pieces.
²⁴ The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
²⁵ He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.

You probably already know this is the antichrist, he ushers in a one world government, “devours the whole earth”.

Intense persecution for the saints who refuse to take his mark will begin the last half of the tribulation for a time and times and half a time; three and a half years.

Revelation 13:5 tells us the big mouthed little horn is given authority for “42 months”, that’s 3.5 years.  Daniel 4:16, 12:7 and Revelation 12:14, use the word times, referring to years. Interestingly, they are all talking about, the Tribulation.

The devil has a time limit.

So do we.

There’s no time to waste when the shadows of the Tribulation are already darkening our doors.

Some think they’ll just play with the devil until the rapture happens, then, they’ll know it’s true and they’ll just let the antichrist chop their head off instead of taking the mark of the beast, so that way they still get to go to heaven.

Foolishness!

It doesn’t work like that. It was never about works. It was always about the heart. So even if you bow and let your head get chopped off, if you haven’t bowed your heart to Jesus, you’ll still miss the mark and land in hell.

Today, if you hear His Voice, harden not your heart.

²⁶ ‘But the court shall be seated,
And they shall take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.

That court will actually show up for work and do its job.

Today, our appetites are whetted for a taste of justice. Year after year, we’ve witnessed crimes going unpunished, leaders getting away with murder. We pray for peace, stand for peace, fight for peace.

But according to the Scripture we just read, the beast will rage until the Prince of Peace, the Ancient of Days, seated on His fiery throne, calls His court to order, opens the books and commands  justice to be served.

Revelation 20:1-3
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. ² He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; ³ and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
²⁷ Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’

Jesus will set up His earthly kingdom and rule and reign over the whole earth from Jerusalem, for 1,000 years, with Your help, if You’re one of His saints.

He will give the earth a Sabbath rest and allow everyone to see how it was supposed to have been done in the first place.

Peace through Strength will reign.   

Isaiah 11:6-9. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.

²⁸ “This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart.”

So, dear Danny, dear saint, dear sinner, know for sure and certain, the dream is certain, the interpretation sure, the end will come, it might be today.

Are you ready?

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank You for telling us, the end from the beginning. Not to scare us but prepare us, to meet You face to face and hear You say, “Well done.”

However, if any of us won’t hear You say, “Well done” please have mercy, convict our hearts, make us miserable until we lift our eyes completely committed to You. Keep us from the fires of hell.

Help us Lord, to serve You and love You, forever.

Amen.

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Jesus our Compassionate High Priest, Hebrews 5

Remember, Hebrews is like a sermon, it has a natural ebb and flow.

Teaching or preaching, then personal application, or warning. Then again, more teaching, then, another warning, adding a little more to the picture each time.  

It can be read through in about an hour.

The first century listeners could’ve heard the whole sermon at one time and understood the message. However, 2,000 years later in an entirely different culture we need to divide and discuss in sections.

Up to this point in Hebrews we’ve heard that God spoke at various times in various ways through prophets, but in these last days He spoke through His Son.

His Son? You mean an angel? (that’s what some might’ve thought back then; and even today in some cults).

No, not an angel. Much better than an angel.

God never said to an angel, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.”

However, He did say of His Son, “Let all the angels worship Him.”

Jesus is better than angels, He created the angels, He created the worlds with His Word. He’s the exact essence of His Father. He and His Father are One.

Then we heard our first warning: “Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we’ve heard, lest we drift away.” Hebrews 2:1.

Then, the Son, greater than the angels, willingly became lower than the angels.

As Moses was a faithful as a servant, Jesus was faithful as a Son, taking on the nature of man to face the same temptations, same sufferings, so He could be a compassionate, merciful High Priest between God and man.

Then we were given a second warning.

“Today if you hear His Voice, harden not your hearts.” Heb. 3:7.

Okay, this is important. Pause and glance back over the ground we just covered, and notice the theme.

God spoke.

Earnestly heed what we heard.

Today, if you hear His Voice.

His theme is clear. We must earnestly and urgently heed His Word.

Jesus is the Word.

John 1:1, 14. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God... and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

Heb. 4:12, For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

After the Today, hear, harden not, warning the preacher returned (Heb. 4:14) to the topic of High Priest, which is where he will camp through chapter 10.

Hebrews 4:14, Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. (our words) ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly (not proudly, or arrogantly, but humbly, yet confidently, like family) to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Those three verses (Heb. 4:14-16) gave a snapshot of Jesus as our High Priest in heaven. The next three give a snapshot of the high priest on earth.

That’s where we drop into chapter 5.  

Hebrews 5:1

For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

The earthly priest offered gifts and sacrifices for sin.

Jesus offered Himself, the ultimate Gift and Sacrifice for sin.

 ² He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. ³ Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. 

The earthly priest could have compassion on those ignorant and going astray, because he too was ignorant and going astray. Subject to the same weakness.

Thus, he was required to offer sacrifices not only for the people, but also for himself.

Likewise, Jesus has compassion on us in our weakness because He too felt every sting and temptation. However, He was without sin. Therefore, there was no need for Him to offer a sacrifice for Himself.

Nevertheless, He offered a Sacrifice for sin. Not for Himself and not from animals. The blood of animals could never take away sin, but just temporarily cover it. He was looking for something better. He offered Himself, the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

By so doing He was both our great High Priest and the Perfect Sacrifice that met all the Divine demands of Divine Justice, making a Way for the forgiveness of sin for all mankind.

This week someone asked: “I’ve always heard that Jesus died for our sins. But how does that apply to you and I? I don’t see the connection.”

This is what we said:

God is Love.

God is just.

The Cross is Divine Justice filled with Perfect Love

It all began where everything begins, the beginning.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and it was good, very good. He put man in the perfect paradise with a perfect wife.

Everything was great.

God is Love and love allows liberty, so there had to be opportunity to choose. God put two trees in the midst of the perfect garden for that purpose.

One was the Tree of Life, the other, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

God said, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Gen. 2:16-17.

Man ate. Man died. In the day he ate thereof. Just as God had said.

His body was still walking, but he was a dead man walking.

You see, when God breathed the Breath of Life into him, he became a living spirit, in the image of God, clothed from the inside out with the glory of God.

When he sinned, the glory left, man was naked, and dead.

God is Love.

God is just.

He just wanted His family back.

So, He found the naked couple hiding behind some fig leaves and handed them two things.

A new wardrobe and an eviction notice.

The eviction notice said you’ve got to leave Paradise. From now on, whether making a living or birthing a life, labor will be hard and painful.

The wardrobe was of animal skins and that set the precedent for Divine Justice.

How?

Blood was shed to cover sin.

The clothes were temporary, and not for everybody.

So, it wasn’t perfect, but it was the precedent set by God.

After that (especially after the law) the blood of animals was shed to temporarily cover sin, until the day Perfect Love filled with Divine Justice was nailed to an old, rugged cross.

That’s why when Jesus died, He cried, Tetelestai, which means Paid in Full.

Divine Justice paid in full by Perfect Love.

Greater Love has no Man than this, but that He lay down His life for His friends. John 15:13.

He just wants to gather with family, in His Perfect Paradise. One day, He will. And for a bonus, He has new wardrobe for those who join Him.  

⁴ And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.

The high priests generally descended from the eldest sons of Aaron, the brother of Moses. Thus, the priesthood was not something a person chose for himself or elected by man but was appointed by God.

Today is the same, regarding the ministry. It is not something a person chooses as a career, but something they are called to by God.

It’s an inner knowing, yearning, compelling, calling.

Several years ago, I had a desire to start a Church in our Clubhouse. At the time the “religious pharisees” rejected the idea. I put the idea on ice and watched and waited and prayed. For about twelve years.

Then, suddenly the Church a few blocks down the street decided to ask their Pastor to leave. The very next Sunday, we had a Church in our Clubhouse.

A year or so later, the still small inner Voice, said, “Pastor is leaving and will ask you to take over, be ready.”

Three months later he asked. I said, “I don’t need to pray about this, Jesus told me three months ago to be ready.”

I didn’t ask for it. God called. It was confirmed by man, appointed by God.

Okay, back to Hebrews.

The comparison of Jesus as our High Priest continues.

⁵ So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:

“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.”

Did you notice, we’ve come full circle, back to these same words, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” (Psalm 2:7, Heb. 1:5).

God continuously confirmed His approval of His Son, through signs and wonders, and His Word.

As Jesus raised from being baptized the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22.

At the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus was glowing, talking to Elijah and Moses. Peter, interrupted saying, awesome let’s set up camp! God interrupted saying, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him.” Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7, Luke 9:35.

⁶ As He also says in another place:

“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek”;

Quoted from Psalm 110:4.

Jesus did not make Himself High Priest by self-promotion, He was declared to be by the Word of God.

Notice the earthly High Priest comparison separates here.

Jesus is not compared to the temporary Levitical line, but after the eternal order of Melchizedek.

⁷ who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement (fervent, passionate, intense) cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly (reverential) fear, ⁸ though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 

Some rich parents give their kids top positions in their company not because they earned it, or learned it, but just because they’re their kids.

Other rich parents give their kids jobs in their company starting at the bottom, and they must learn obedience through suffering, and work their way up the ladder.  

Which parent is God like?

Jesus, the second member of the trinity, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, learned obedience through suffering.

Jesus had to be fed as a baby, had to have his diaper changed. He cried as a baby, and as an adult. He felt tired, hungry, angry, troubled, stressed to the point of hematidrosis (sweating blood). He learned obedience through suffering.    

Some erroneously believe Jesus was half God and half man. Called Docetism, which states Jesus only seemed to be human; that His suffering was only an illusion.

The Truth is that Jesus was fully God and fully man.

He fully tasted sorrow, pain, death.

To understand this, consider:

You are a spirit. You have a soul. You live in a body. 

You are fully human and fully spirit.

Jesus showed us how it’s supposed to be done, to live and walk in the Spirit. 

We too often live and walk in the flesh.

⁹ And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 

Jesus wasn’t made perfect, He always was perfect, but He perfected the Perfect Plan of God, through His Perfect Sacrifice on the Cross, thus becoming the Author of so great an eternal Salvation.

Then, what does it say? To all who... believe? Say the sinner’s prayer? God to Church? Be good?

NO.

For all who obey Him.  

¹⁰ called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” 

The preacher of Hebrews had much more to say about Melchizedek (and will in chapter 7). However, the congregation had become dull of hearing, they were yawning, not paying attention, falling asleep, playing on their phones, looking at their watch.

They were thinking about bailing on Jesus, since persecution was rising. They were entertaining foolish superstitions. They were not holding fast and disciplined in His Word.

So, he needed to take a discipline detour.

¹¹ of whom we have much to say, (about Melchizedek) and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

¹² For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. ¹⁴ But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

So, we want to ask ourselves, “Lord have I become dull of hearing?”

Today, He calls with passion and compassion for us to earnestly and urgently heed His Word which is sharp, not dull, not lukewarm like the last, lukewarm, Laodicean Church in Revelation 3.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, our Compassionate High Priest, have we become dull of hearing? Have we drifted from You, our faithful compassionate High Priest? Do we take for granted so great a Salvation? Lord, we pray for Your Word, like a two-edged sword to pierce our soul and spirit, and discern the thoughts and intents of our hearts, laying bare our motives, so we can see the need to heed, and not become slothful in our walk with You. Wake us up, and help us walk, with fervency, blazing a trail for others to follow, straight to You.

Thank You, Lord.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

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Daniel in the Lion’s Den, Daniel 6

 

Location: Babylon, about 50 miles south of Bagdad, Iraq.

 Time: Shortly after 539 BC. As prophesied in Isaiah 44:28-45:2, about 150 years prior, Cyrus of Persia defeated Babylon, and appointed Darius the Mede as king.

Daniel, probably in his early 80s, has been serving in Babylon since he was taken captive as a teenager.

Daniel 6:1-2

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, (princes) to be over the whole kingdom; ² and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss. 

Some claim Cyrus and Darius are the same person, because of no archeological evidence of a man named Darius at that time.

However, Darius, by definition, is a title meaning: the one who bears the scepter. 

There is archeological evidence of a ruler by the name of Gubaru, who was 62 years old at this time, and the last verse in chapter 5 makes a point to tell us Darius was 62.

So, most likely Darius, the one who bore the scepter was a man named Gubaru. (Subaru with a G).  

Okay, so Darius set 3 governors over 120 princes.  

³ Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.

Like Daniel, the people of God ought to be the best workers on the planet. Colossians 3:23, And whatever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord and not to men.

Daniel followed Psalm 1:1-3. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper...

Daniel sought God first. Daniel was blessed. Daniel had favor. Daniel was up for promotion.

Daniel had enemies. 

Some folks were jealous...

 ⁴ So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom...

Daniel sought God, they sought dirt on Daniel.

We ought not be surprised:

2 Timothy 3:12, Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

We shouldn’t be sad:

Matthew 5:10-12, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

1 Peter 3:14, But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed...

1 Peter 4:14, If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

We’re in Good Company:

John 15:18-20, If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.

With your eyes on Jesus, there’s no trial too tough to tackle.

⁴...but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. 

⁵ Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”

Isn’t that amazing, somebody in government... no corruption.

But surely they searched, no holds barred, no expense spared, find dirt on Danny witch hunt on steroids.

But they came up empty, no dirt on Danny.

No unpaid parking tickets. Daniel didn’t take kickbacks, make backroom deals, become part of the swamp.

He didn’t sing on Sunday, then curse on Monday.

Daniel was the same day in day out.

He irritated you on Brunns road because he only drove 25, the speed limit. You rode his bumper until you could fly by. Christian music blaring. Jesus bumper sticker all a blur. He just smiled, waved and said a prayer for you.    

Danny never cheated on his taxes.

He’ll talk as long as you need, but soon as the gossip starts, he’ll just walk away.

That’s our Mr. Danny.

The world might not pay attention to our Christianity, our Christ likeness, our day in day out continuous faithfulness, but they can spot sin a mile away, they’ll see the smallest spot of selfishness, arrogance, dishonesty, rudeness, gluttony, gossip ... slip up one time and BOOM everybody knows.

But they couldn’t find any dirt on Danny.    

So, since they couldn’t find any, they figured they’d make some.

An elaborate hoax.

Could anything like that ever happen in our day?

⁶ So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: “King Darius, live forever! 

Buttery words of flattery, make the knife of deception, slide in more easily.

⁷ All the governors of the kingdom .the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. ⁸ Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.”  

All the governors...? Liars.

Danny definitely was not a part of this deal. There’s the first stab of deception.

Darius should’ve said, “Everybody?” Where’s Danny? I don’t see Danny’s name.

When anybody says “everybody’s doing it, everybody says...” That’s a red flag.

Trust but verify.

Darius didn’t.

⁹ Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.

His ego blinded his good sense and dumb, duped Darius, signed the decree. Or was it autopen?

They started with a lie and went downhill from there.

They were jealous.

Jealousy is a sin.

Sin is never satisfied.

Sin couldn’t just sit back and let Daniel worship God in peace and keep doing his job making Babylon great again.

No, it had to cross the line and attack his relationship with God.

You can only pray to the king. You can only petition the king. The government is your god.

The decrees of a Persian king were unchangeable because he was thought to speak for the gods, who could never be wrong and thus never needed to change their minds.

So, now it’s the law of the land. No prayer but to the king or, you’re a lion’s lunch.

Question: If that becomes law of the land, would you show up for Prayer Meeting?

¹⁰ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed...

He ran screaming to the king, ranted on his facebook page, started a petition, filed an appeal, hired the best lawyer money could buy.

Nope.

For the next thirty days he hid shivering in the shadows, didn’t mention God out loud and only prayed silently, in the dark, in his closet.

NO WAY! 

¹⁰...he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

Even though Acts 5:29 wouldn’t be written for over 500 years he understood it perfectly. We ought to obey God rather than man.

Daniel took prayer seriously, his prayers had purpose, pattern and power

PURPOSE.

He flung open his windows toward Jerusalem (about 500 miles west) and even though in his eighties, he got on his knees as Solomon had done some 400 years prior.  

In 1 Kings 8, Solomon prayed for the future Israel in case they sinned and were taken captive to a foreign land. That if they repented and returned to God and prayed toward Jerusalem and the temple, that God would hear them and forgive them and bring them back into their land.

So, Daniel, even though he’d been in Babylon for 65 years or so, was still purposefully praying for his people to be delivered.

Do you pray with Scripturally based purpose and endurance like that?

POWER.

Daniel’s prayers were not only purposeful, but powerful.

During these prayer times came the wisdom to interpret dreams, and writings on walls.

During these prayer times he was given dreams and visions of the future, the coming of the Messiah, our future, and the end of the age.

During these prayer times he was given courage to face the mouths of lions.

Oh, and that prayer for his people to be delivered? God never forgets. Within the year King Cyrus will issue a decree to free the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. He even funds the rebuild. More about that when we get to Daniel 9.

Are our prayers powerful and effective like that?

Umm, well, like, yeah, no, that’s Daniel, he had some kind of Superhero Saint Prophet like faith stuff.

Umm, well, like, James 5:16-17 says: Confess your trespasses one to another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of the righteous avails much. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. ¹⁸ And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.  

PATTERN.

Daniel had a pattern to his prayer life. Not a mindless religious routine, but scheduled appointments with God that were so important Daniel never missed them.

The pattern of prayer was so obvious in Danny’s life that his enemies knew about it and used it to trap him.

He prayed three times a day, as was his custom. Probably prayed 3,000 times a day, praying without ceasing, but three times a day, he made a hard stop, a standing appointment with his God.

Could you do that? How about just once a day? God, I’m yours from 6-7 am. Or 9-10 pm. Or 12-1, something, anything?

Is God important enough to purposefully pattern your life to include Him?

Or does He just get the leftovers...if there are any.  

Now, back to Daniel, notice just because things went sideways, he didn’t change his pattern of behavior. He just went right on doing what he’d always done.

That’s the steadfast, stable, peace filled, joy saturated, awesomeness of simply living a Godly Christian lifestyle. You’re not shaken, changing, flip-flopping, wishy washy, but like a tree planted by the rivers of living water, bringing forth fruit in season and out, not withering and fading but growing and glowing and going from glory to glory.

Did you know, Prayer is the number one subject in Christian bookstores, but the least attended service in Churches?

A couple weeks ago for our Thursday night prayer meeting, Jesus was the only one to show up. It was Jesus, Roxy and I. That’s it.

He cried the whole hour, or so it seemed. About five minutes after the start, the sky went black, the thunder rolled, the lightning struck, the rain poured. As we talked and prayed our way through the hour of prayer, about halfway through I said, “It will storm until the hour is over.”

Sure enough, when the hour had ended, all went quiet, the sky cleared, and I took a picture out the window of the blue sky. 

¹¹ Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. 

They knew just where he’d be and what he’d be doing.

Like a tree by the waters, he was there, planted, praying, unmoved by the new law of the land.

Would that be true of you?

¹² And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?”

Wait, what happened to the “long live the king” buttery flattery nonsense?

Bunch of slimy hypocrites.

The king answered and said, “The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.”

Yes, of course, you know it’s true, what are you sleaze balls up to?

¹³ So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”

There are times, when rebellion to man is obedience to God.

If they made a decree, you must not meet, we’d rebel against man in obedience to God. Hebrews 10:25, Forsake not the assembling...

If they made a decree, you can no longer preach in Jesus’ name, we’d rebel against man in obedience to God. Mark 16:15, Go into all the world and preach...

If they made a decree that Biblical Truth is hate speech, we’d rebel against man in obedience to God. John 17:17, Your Word is Truth...

¹⁴ And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 

Darius kicked himself all over the kingdom. He was mad at himself for being duped by those dopes.

He labored till the going down of the sun. Looking for a loophole. If he had a legal team they searched the law right up to the last minute.

But, according to ancient eastern custom, the execution was to be carried out on the evening of the day that the accusation was made and found valid.

¹⁵ Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

The king’s probably thinking, as soon as this is over, I’ll have their heads for deceiving me into thinking Daniel had any part in this foolish wicked scheme.

But the law was the law.

¹⁶ So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” 

What did Daniel say?

Nothing.

Everything.

We hear no plea, no argument. But his Godly character gave Darius cause to say, “Your God whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.”

Without Daniel uttering a word, Darius, testifies that Daniel serves the Lord, continually, day in day out, faithful, steady, stable, like a tree.

What a testimony.

“Hey Danny boy,” says the king, “you’re the real deal. If your God makes you the way you are, then I believe. I know, He will deliver you, from the mouths of lions.”

Awesome.

Because of the way you serve your God continually, I believe. It doesn’t make sense. I don’t know why, but I just do. No matter what happens, I believe your God is real, alive and well and will deliver.

Because of you.

I believe.

I just do.                                                 

Perhaps in that moment, God gave Darius the gift of faith.

Perhaps eternal, soul saving faith.

¹⁷ Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.

Documented and sealed with witnesses.

So, no one could say Darius failed to follow through with his command.

And, a statement of faith, so, like Christ, when the sealed stone is rolled away and Danny is found alive, the slimy scumbag governors and satraps will have to shut their trap and not be able to say it didn’t happen. 

¹⁸ Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him. 

The king did not lose sleep over every person thrown in the lion’s den.

But obviously Danny was different, the king cared for and respected him, evidenced by his misery over the fate of his faithful friend.  

¹⁹ Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. 

With no sleep, nothing to eat, no coffee, at the crack of dawn he was back at the den to see the fate of his friend.

²⁰ And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

Notice, this is the second time Darius says Daniel continually, serves his God.

What a powerful, steadfast impression Danny made.

Do we do that in this ever changing, moving, shifting, shaking, transitioning, world? Are we like trees planted by rivers of living water, bearing His fruit, continually?

Could we show a video of your life for Sunday service as an example of serving God continually?

Has your continual Godly behavior rubbed off on those around you so much that without even knowing it, they believe God will deliver?

²¹ Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 

Same words as slimeballs but this is not buttery flattery, but “O’ king live forever, in Eternity, for believing My God, who can be your God, and give you eternal Life.

²²My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, (soon the liars mouths) so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”

Make no mistake, Divine intervention protected Daniel from being devoured by man eating lions.

Some delusional critics say the lions just weren’t hungry, or Danny hid in a crevice or under some hay.  

That’s ridiculous.

Daniel said God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths. That is exactly what happened.

²³ Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.

No injury was found on him. There’s more than just the miracle of closing the mouths of the lions.

Throwing an 80 plus year old man into a pit of stone so deep that lions couldn’t leap out, would probably break some bones just from the fall.

But Danny came out unharmed.

Maybe he landed on a nice soft lion’s mane. Or, angel’s wings? 😊

²⁴ And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.

The accuser of the brethren, and his family, (followers) will one day be cast into the bottomless pit, and then the lake of fire, forever.

According to Medo-Persian laws and customs, “on account of the guilt of one, shall all his kindred perish.” Thus, all the families suffered the same punishment for the sin of their fathers.

God established a sort of similar law for His people back in Deuteronomy 19, called the Law of Retaliation. If someone made a false accusation, the punishment they intended for the accused, fell back on the accuser.

Spiritually speaking, there’s a law that applies to us all, a law we all know. The law of sowing and reaping.

Galatians 6:8, For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

²⁵ Then King Darius wrote:

To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:

Peace be multiplied to you.

²⁶ I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.

For He is the living God,
And steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
²⁷ He delivers and rescues,
And He works signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

²⁸ So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Throughout this entire chapter we read less than 40 words spoken by Daniel, yet his continual Godly character spoke volumes and caused God’s Goodness to be proclaimed by the king throughout all the world.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, we pray You’ll speak to us and through us, every day in every way to every one You send us, and sometimes, Lord, let us use words. Mostly, please help us to simply shine, Your Love, Your Light, steady, steadfast, stable, like a tree planted by You, the Living Water, bearing Your fruit, in season and out. So that of all those You’ve given us, none are lost.

Thank You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

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This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

Thank you for sharing.