Daniel is a story of four men and their stand for God against the power of a godless society trying conform them into something that they aren’t.
Daniel is more than just a book that shows how God is saving these young men from countless dangers, it has a prophetic look to it. It tells what is going to happen in the future to the country and people of Israel. Not only that, the same way that God saves Daniel, he is going to save his people in the future.
1. The Statue
Lord = Most common usage of the term Lord in the Old Testament is word Jehovah (I Am)
Here it is Adonai which means the Lord who is in control
Important when we attempt to talk about what the future holds, we remember God is Adonai the one who is in control
The first picture of this we have of this is the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had in Daniel 2: 31- 45
The dream is true and its meaning is certain.
2. Four Kingdoms
Four kingdoms are represented and each time the kingdom is made up of an inferior material than the kingdom before it. MANKIND IS BECOMING MORE CORRUPT INSTEAD OF STARTING AS DUST AND ASCENDING TO GOLD, THEY START AS GOLD AND FALL TO DUST.
These descriptions of the kingdoms are so accurate that many people believe that they were written about 500 years later than they were. How could anyone know what is going to happen with such accuracy?
Gold = Babylon that is your kingdom but another kingdom is going to come after you.
THOUGHT why did Nebuchadnezzar build a solid gold statue? He may have been saying, i am the only Kingdom and none are going to take me over.
Silver = Medes and Persians which will take over Babylon in chapter 5 of Daniel. Daniel is predicting an event that will take place 65 years later.
Names this empire in Daniel 5: 28
Bronze = Greeks will start repelling the Persian invasions and will finally become a power in 300 years under Alexander the Great
Daniel names them also in Daniel 11: 2
Iron = Rome. 600 years later. Two legs because there were two capitals Rome and Constantinople
Daniel then talks about a break in the succession of these kingdoms with the last one coming at the end of time.
Luke 21: 24 talks about a time of the Gentiles taking over Jerusalem
They will be brutally killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be conquered and trampled down by the Gentiles until the age of the Gentiles comes to an end
Daniel 12: 9 Go now Daniel for what I have said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the end
Not many study books on Daniel until the last 60 years
Event is Jewish people returning to Israel This ushered in a time when we can begin to understand the secrets of this fifth kingdom.
3. The Fifth Kingdom
Vs 41 the kingdom will consist of 10 kingdoms that come together they will be strong like iron, but they will be very unstable and crumble easily.
It is called:
- Jacob’s Trouble
- 70th week
- The Tribulation
- Time like never before on earth
A revelation that came to one of the apostles John will give us a few more details about this.
Revelation 15 a little explanation of this kingdom
Vs 1 10 horns and against God
Vs 2 leader will emerge
Vs 3 will receive a head wound and come back to life
Vs 7 World will worship the beast
Vs 11 another one comes out of the sea
Vs 13- 15 statue made (Sound Familiar?)
This will last for seven years
4. Eternal Kingdom
Daniel 2: 34 Rock not cut by human hands came down and struck the feet smashing it to pieces
Psalm 118: 22 the stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone
Isaiah 28: 16 16 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem. It is firm, a tested and precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never run away again.
Matthew 16: 18 upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
This leader (antichrist) is going to control the whole world. He is going to wage war against Jesus Christ.
The rock meets the kingdoms of this world. Smashes them and destroys them never to rise again.
Daniel was extremely accurate with the first four kingdoms, you can trust him with the last two
Which kingdom are you a part of? We will either be a part of the kingdom of God or the kingdom that will be destroyed never to be heard from again.
Matthew 7 house built of rock will stand in any storm