Daniel – Page 2 – Be Still…

Daniel 9:20-27 – A Glimpse into the Future

Read Daniel 9:20-27

I was impressed by how Daniel goes from earnestly praying for himself and his people to having the angel Gabriel appear suddenly in his presence. God had heard Daniel’s prayer and how he was wrestling with the seventy-year issue part of Jeremiah’s prophecy. Daniel had an inquiring mind, and God came to the rescue.

Daniel was probably startled by Gabriel’s arrival as well as the message he brought. Daniel’s prayer had caused quite a stir in the heavenly realm. Can you imagine hearing Gabriel’s words, “The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God.” Hearing that I was precious to God would have stopped me in my tracks. Continue reading “Daniel 9:20-27 – A Glimpse into the Future”

Daniel 9:1-19 – Daniel’s Prayer

Read Daniel 9:1-19

Daniel’s prayer may have been a cry out on behalf of his people, but it could be a prayer for us, too. Daniel prayed this prayer in the first year of King Darius’ rule, could this have actually been King Cyrus? Historically, King Cyrus follows King Belshazzar.

Another observation that has been made about this prayer is how it beautifully knits together many different prayer fragments found elsewhere in Scripture. We’ve probably seen a similar thing and not even known. Continue reading “Daniel 9:1-19 – Daniel’s Prayer”

Daniel 8:15-27 – Hey Gabriel!

Read Daniel 8:15-27

I think I would have fainted, too, in the presence of the angel, Gabriel. It’s probably the appropriate human response to a visible appearance of God or his messenger. I understand this may be Gabriel’s first appearance in the Old Testament. You may recall Gabriel announced the births of John the Baptist and the Messiah in Luke’s gospel account.

Gabriel tells Daniel, “you must understand that the events you have seen in your vision relate to the time of the end.” It’s helpful to remember this reference to “time of the end” encompasses the years between the end of the exile and Jesus’ second coming. That’s a lot of years! Gabriel makes it sound like these events won’t be happening any time soon. Daniel doesn’t need to fear for he will not likely be alive. Continue reading “Daniel 8:15-27 – Hey Gabriel!”

Daniel 8:1-14 – What Bullies!

Read Daniel 8:1-14

A couple years later, Daniel has another vision. This one is all about a ram and a goat and lots of horns. Daniel also gives us a location for where he witnesses these animal skirmishes. Daniel reports, “In this vision I was at the fortress of Susa, in the province of Elam, standing beside the Ulai River.”

The city of Susa is not unfamiliar to us. You may recall it’s where Esther became the new Queen of Persia. It’s where Nehemiah served as cupbearer to the king before receiving permission to return to the land of Judah to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Continue reading “Daniel 8:1-14 – What Bullies!”

Daniel 7:15-28 – God’s Intentions

Read Daniel 7:15-28

Daniel gets to interact with his vision. I suppose we do the same in our dreams, too. But Daniel’s dream was an apocalyptic prophecy that scared him to his core. That was a lot of information to see and process. We’ve all had dreams that disturb us, but Daniel’s takes the cake!

The explanation Daniel was given leaves us with more questions. Who are these rulers? When will this all come to pass? It’s not a pretty sight, however, the ending is victorious for God’s holy people. There is hope to cling to for the oppressed. Continue reading “Daniel 7:15-28 – God’s Intentions”