Daniel 1-6 is written in narrative form. This is the type of stories I like to read. There is character a story with beginning, middle, end. Literal descriptions, clear timeline.
- Daniel and friends brought to Babylon. (Ch 1)
- Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. (Ch 2)
- Three Hebrew boys tossed in Firey furnace (Ch 3)
- Nebuchadnezzar humbled (Ch 4)
- King Belshazzar and Gods on the handwriting on the wall (Ch 5)
- Daniel in the lion's den and God delivered Daniel.
Daniel 7-12 is a collection of his dreams and is different genre or style of literature it is Apocalyptic literature. So, if Narrative is a storybook, Apocalyptic are comic books full of pictures.
Guidelines for understanding Apocalyptic Literature:
- Usually has visions filled with very vivid images often not literal, but representative of something else.
- Literature doesn't always follow a strict chronological timeline and can cover spans of years quickly
- There is often a guide or interpreter needed to help explain the visions.
Daniel 6:28 (ESV) 28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.
Chronologically this chapter takes place before Daniel 5. At this time, Belshazzar had just been given a position of authority (553 BC), and Daniel was probably in his late sixties. The first six chapters of Daniel present history; the last six chapters are visions relating mainly to the future.
2 Daniel declared, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. 4 The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.
5 And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, 'Arise, devour much flesh.'
The ribs are the bears are eating likely represents the three empires the Medes and Persian empire defeated. Babylon in 539, Lydia in 546, Egypt 525.
6 After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
The lion with eagles' wings represents Babylon with its swift conquests (statues of winged lions have been recovered from Babylon's ruins). The bear that ravaged the lion represents Medo-Persia. The three ribs in its mouth represent the conquests of three major enemies. The leopard, known for its great speed, represents Greece. Its wings show the swiftness of Alexander the Great's campaign as he conquered much of the civilized world in four years (334–330 BC). The leopard's four heads represent the four divisions of the Greek Empire after Alexander's death.
The fourth beast points to both Rome and the end times. Many believe that the horns correspond to ten kings who will reign shortly before God sets up his everlasting Kingdom. These ten kings had still not come to power at the time of John's vision recorded in the book of Revelation (Revelation 17:12). The little horn refers to a future human ruler or the Antichrist (see also 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). He is arrogant and extremely evil (see Daniel 9:27; 11:40-45). God is illustrating the final end of all worldly kingdoms in contrast to his eternal Kingdom.
The Ancient of Days Reigns
9 "As I looked,
thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.
Here the prophecy shifts to the end times. This judgment scene is similar to one that the apostle John saw (Revelation 1:14-15). The Ancient One is almighty God, who assigns power to kingdoms and who will himself judge those kingdoms in the end. As horrific as these end times will be, we should take comfort knowing that Daniel's vision here is compatible with the one God gave John. God's power and wisdom are unaffected by time. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He knows what will happen in the future, so he gives all believers a plan for how to live now. When the concerns of this life weigh you down, remember that God knows the whole scope of eternity. He guards your life from beginning to end, from your time in the womb until you pass into heaven.
10 A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
The book of Revelation records a similar picture of God with angels surrounding his throne. John recorded that "thousands and millions" were present (Revelation 5:11-12). In other words, too many angels to count surround God's throne and minister to him. Created by God, angels are spiritual beings who help carry out his work by bringing messages, guarding believers, and fighting against the powers and forces of evil in the world.
The phrase "the books were opened" refers to judgment. Revelation also describes this final judgment where "the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books" (Revelation 20:12). The Book of Life is the heavenly registry of those who have accepted Jesus Christ's gift of salvation (Revelation 3:5). Everyone who believes in and follows Jesus has their name written in the Book of Life and need not fear judgment. We can rest assured that God knows our names, keeps track of us, and will bring us safely to heaven. Unbelievers, however, will be judged according to their works. And without Christ's forgiveness, their works—no matter how good—will not be able to save them.
Revelation 20:12 (ESV) 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
Daniel saw God judging millions of people as they stood before him. We all must stand before almighty God and give an account of our lives. If God were to open the record of your life today, what would it look like? How would it measure up against the standard of his Word and his will for you? We should live each day with the full awareness that we must appear before God to give an account for how we used our lives. As we strive to follow God with all our hearts and honor him in all we do, we should also realize that we cannot fully measure up to God's perfect standards on our own. However, there is a way to meet his standards: We must simply call upon him to be saved from the consequences of our sins and rely on Jesus to intercede for us before God's throne (Hebrews 7:25). God will reconcile us to himself through Jesus' sacrifice for us; because of this, we will be made righteous (Colossians 1:20-23).
11 "I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
The slaying of the beast represents the fall of Rome. While this beast was destroyed, the other beasts were allowed to live for a period of time. The kingdoms (or their cultures) continued to be recognizable in some form; history did not end when God intervened with his judgment.
The Son of Man Is Given Dominion
13 "I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And 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 one that shall not be destroyed.
This one "like a son of man" is the Messiah. Jesus used this to refer to himself (Matthew 26:64; Luke 21:27; John 1:51). The phrase translated "son of man" could also be "son of Adam" and identifies this figure with all humanity. To the Jews in Jesus day, Jesus' claim that he would be "coming with the clouds of heaven" was one of the strongest claims to deity that he could make. It was considered blasphemy for anyone to claim to be divine. Throughout the Bible, clouds represent God's majesty and awesome presence. God's glory appeared in a cloud in Exodus 16:10 and 19:9 at the giving of the law at Sinai. Revelation also records Christ coming with the clouds of heaven (Revelation 1:7).
Mark 14:61-62 (ESV) 61But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" 62 And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."
Daniel's Vision Interpreted
15 "As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. 16 I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. 17 'These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.'
His coming ushered in the beginning of the Kingdom of God, and all those who believe in him are its citizens (see also 7:22, 27). Although God may allow persecution to continue for a while, he will one day rule in power and bring perfect justice. Our destiny as his followers will be to rule the Kingdom with him and be with him forever.
19 "Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, 20 and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. 21 As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.
This "horn" that wages war against God's people is also described in Revelation as the beast who is "allowed to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them" (Revelation 13:7). For a while, the "horn" will defeat God's people. But in reality, those who die for the faith will be the ultimate overcomers, for they will receive great rewards and eternal life with the almighty God. In the end, the horn will be defeated by the Ancient One himself. This vision brought great comfort to Daniel's readers and reassures us today of God's final victory.
23 "Thus he said: 'As for the fourth beast,
there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. 24 As for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings.
The ten horns, or ten kings, are also mentioned in Revelation 17:12. There were also ten toes in Nebuchadnezzar's vision (Daniel 2:41-42). While all interpreters do not agree on the identity of these ten kings, we are told in Revelation 17:12-14 that these kings will make war against Christ, but as the King of kings, he will conquer them. During his reign, Christ will replace chaos and warfare with peace, security, and safety. The other king mentioned in this verse is the future Antichrist (the "man of lawlessness") of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
25 He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.
The exact meaning of "a time, times, and half a time" is debated. Many believe that a time means one year, times means two years, and half a time means half a year. If this is the case, the phrase refers to three and a half years. But this could be a literal or figurative time frame. God's people will be placed under this king's control, and the persecution will continue for only a relatively short time. God has promised to give his Kingdom to his holy people, the saints.
26 But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. 27 And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.'
Revelation 5:13 (ESV) 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" 14 And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.
28 "Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart."
Daniel had a vision of four great beasts, each representing a world empire. This was similar to Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 2. Nebuchadnezzar's dream covered the political aspects of the empires; Daniel's dream depicted their moral characteristics. These nations, which would reign over Israel, were evil and cruel. But Daniel also saw God's everlasting, indestructible Kingdom arrive and conquer them all.