Preview Full Disclosure: Ancient Prophecies Reveal the Future, Vol. 1 Daniel 1-12
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Summary of each chapter of Daniel:
In Daniel Chapter 1, Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, have been taken captive, into Babylon, by Nebuchadnezzar. As a part of the Babylonian indoctrination program, they have been given Babylonian names (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), that rather than point to the God of Heaven, as their Hebrew names do, refer to pagan deities. Even as captives, they are honored by Nebuchadnezzar in that he serves them food and wine from the king's table. At the risk of their lives they purpose to follow God, and refuse the king's unwholesome dainties, instead asking for "pulse" and water. The king's servant is afraid that granting this request might endanger his life, because he thought they might get sick on such a diet. Perhaps he thought they would become protein deficient! Daniel proposes the famous "Daniel's diet" of "pulse" and water for ten days. Actually, this is the oldest recorded clinical trial, complete with control group, study group, and variable. At the end of the trial, Daniel and his three friends are found to be healthier, wiser, and ten times better on the test, than all the wise men in the realm. In fact, this wisdom helps Daniel to interpret the kings vision in Chapter 2, which saves the lives of Daniel and his friends. Discover the amazing details, of this story, including what "pulse" is, and why it might give Daniel wisdom.
In Daniel Chapter 2, Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, have been sentenced to death along with all the other wise men in Babylon for failure to tell the King Nebuchadnezzar the dream he could not remember and its meaning. The king had dreamed about an image with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet part of clay and part of iron. The astonishing interpretation that Daniel gives, is a detailed view of the world's empires covering thousands of years, and an outline of the future that predicted exactly what is now history. Watch history come alive as the meaning of this dream unfolds.
As Nebuchadnezzar thought about the implications of the dream of Daniel 2, he decided that he didn't like the idea that an inferior kingdom would succeed the mighty empire of Babylon. So, in defiance of God, he commissioned a statue to be made out of pure gold, the metal from the dream that had symbolized Babylon. Not only did he create this image, but he legislated that all the important people and officers of the kingdom must come and bow down and worship the image. Additionally, there was a death penalty for any who would not bow down. The dimensions of the image were 60 cubits by 6 cubits by 6 cubits. This is an allusion to the famous 666 of the book of Revelation, which also is complicit with a future image which will also include legislation for worshipping this image, including a death penalty for those who will not bow. Nebuchadnezzar's law posed a problem for Daniel's three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, as they would not bow to anyone other than the God of Heaven. As a result they were throne in the fiery furnace, from which God delivered them, because they had honored Him.
In Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar is given a second dream from God. This time he can remembers the dream, but still calls all the magicians, sorcerers, and astrologers, to interpret it. He probably wasn't too sure he would like Daniel's interpretation. Finally, after the magicians, sorcerers, and astrologers are unable to give an interpretation, Daniel is at last called.
After hearing the dream, Daniel tells the king that the interpretation is for his enemies - not good news, in other words. He is told that because of his pride and iniquity he will be punished by having to eat grass like an ox, and live with the beasts of the earth for seven years, until his pride is humbled. Just as Daniel predicted, one year later, as Nebuchadnezzar was walking in his palace saying to himself, "is this not the great Babylon that I have built for the honor of my majesty," the sentence came from heaven, that he would live with the beasts. God puts him on a total vegetarian or vegan diet, like Daniel had requested in chapter (only for Nebuchadnezzar, it is only grass). Seven years later Nebuchadnezzar is a humble and converted man who gives the honor and glory to the creator of heaven and earth. Writing to his entire empire about his experience, he declares, "Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works [are] truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase."
In Daniel chapter 5 King Belshazzar, grandson of Nebuchadnezzar (son of Nabonidus, who was Nebuchadnezzar's son-in-law), calls an impious feast for all the Lord's of his realm. He calls for the sacred vessels taken from the temple at Jerusalem to be brought to his feast for use in the drunken revelry. Suddenly in the midst of the merrymaking, a bloodless hand appears and begins writing a mysterious phrase on the wall. Terrified, Belshazzar calls the magicians and astrologers, but they are unable to explain the meaning. The queen mother suggests that Daniel, who had interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dreams over a half century earlier, would be able to interpret the writings. Daniel is summoned and tells Belshazzar that the cryptic Mene, Mene, Tekek Upharsin means that God hath numbered his kingdom, and finished it. He is weighed in the balances, and found wanting, and his kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. That very night the Persians, under the commanded of Cyrus, invaded Babylon exactly as predicted by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 44:24 - 45:5).
In Daniel chapter 6, the Princes of Medo-Persia, jealous that Daniel has been set above them, plot to overthrow him. Since they cannot find anything to accuse in his character, they decide a plot to create legislation against Daniel's religion. Flattering the King Darius, they propose that no one may pray to any god except to the king for 30 days, knowing that Daniel will not compromise his faith.
As they suspect, Daniel still prays to his God just as before. The punishment for violation of this law is that the violator will be thrown into a den of lions. The king realizes that he has been tricked and labors till sundown to deliver Daniel. But, the law of the Medes and Persians cannot be altered. So, Daniel is thrown to the lions, while Darius expresses his faith that God can deliver Daniel. Next morning, the king goes to the sealed den to see if Daniel is alive. Daniel is pulled from the den unharmed. The conspirators, by order of the King are then thrown into the den, and are overpowered by the lions before they hit the ground.
In Daniel chapter 7 some of the most amazing details of Bible Prophecy unfold. This time Daniel has a dream rather than Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel sees first a lion with eagle's wings, then a bear with three ribs in its mouth, followed by a leopard with four wings, and finally a terrible beast with great iron teeth and ten horns. As he watches a little horn comes up in the middle of the ten, and uproots three of the ten horns. The little horn has eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great words against God. As the angel gives the interpretation, Daniel discovers that he has seen far into the future through four major world empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, down through a power that would reign for 1260 years, past the judgment, all the way to the second coming of Jesus. Ten identifying marks, in this chapter alone, show exactly who this little horn power is - a power that would "think to change times and laws."
In Daniel chapter 8, Daniel has another vision. This time he sees a ram with two horns, and one horn higher than the other, followed by a goat, with a notable horn, which attacks the ram, throwing him to the ground and stamping on him, with no able to deliver the ram. The goat's horn is then broken and four horns come up, in its place, toward the four winds. Then a little horn appears (like in Daniel chapter 7), and magnifies himself against God. This power takes away the daily sacrifice and sets up the transgression of desolation. When the question is asked, "How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice], and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?," the angel replies, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed!"
In symbolic Bible prophecy, and day represents a year (see Ezekiel 4:6; Number 14:34). This means twenty-three hundred years are here outline!
The angel tells Daniel exactly what world powers are represented by the ram and the goat: Medo-Persia and Greece, even referring to the first king of Greece - Alexander the Great.
However, Daniel is so overwhelmed by this time period, that he faints and was sick certain days. Unfortunately he fainted in the middle of the angel's explanation, so he does not understand the vision. The angel has to return later (chapter 9) to finish giving him the explanation.
In Daniel chapter 9, Daniel is fasting a praying for wisdom to understand the vision of chapter 8. Even as a prophet of God, he turns to other of God's prophet to try to understand, and he reads where the prophet Jeremiah speaks of seventy years of captivity as punishment for the Jewish nation. Being almost at the end of those seventy years, he is certainly worried that the 2300 (of Daniel 8) years are an extension of the punishment. He prays for forgiveness of his sins and the sins of his nation. Suddenly, during his prayer, the angel Gabriel returns to give him understanding of the previous vision.
The angel gives the beginning point for the vision and then explains in detail the first part of the time period - seventy weeks (490 years). This is one of the most astonishing of all Bible prophecies pinpointing the very year of the Messiah's anointing and the very year of his death! The time prophecy also identifies the year of the beginning of the investigative judgment - "the judgment was set, and the books were opened." Daniel 7:10
Daniel chapter 10 gives us an unusual glimpse into the realm of unseen realities. The angel tells Daniel of his struggle against the prince of Persia, and that he needed to call for help from the Prince Michael.
Daniel also outlines some of the physical manifestations he experienced while being in vision, which serve as a springboard for identifying the Biblical marks of a true prophet. God assures us that at the end of time He will pour out His "spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions." Joel 2:28 We are also admonished to "Despise not prophesyings" (1 Thessalonians 5:10), yet warned of false prophets (Matthew 7:15). Has God given the gift of the Spirit of Prophecy in these last days?
How would one determine from the Bible the difference between the true and the false? Daniel 10 offers some amazing identifying marks of a true prophet. A true prophet, for example, does not breathe while in vision. This would be rather difficult to counterfeit!
Many of the story chapters of the Book of Daniel also have prophetic implications. This is particularly the case with Daniel chapter 4, to the extent that we have made it a separate section.
Daniel 4 uses the phrase "seven times" to outline the literal punishment period of seven years that Nebuchadnezzar would spend eating grass like with the beasts of the field. Does this chapter deeper layers of prophetic meaning? Is there a Spiritual Israel in these last days? Why so many denominations? Does God have one remnant church that he has preserved? What church would Jesus attend if he were on this earth now? Daniel 4b explores these questions, and more.
Daniel chapter 11 is the most detailed prophetic outline of the history of our world (given in advance), in all of Scripture. This chapter seems to be highly confusing to most people including pastors and theologians. However, with a few simple tools, and allowing the Bible to interpret itself, this chapter becomes simple enough for a child to understand, and profound enough to keep historians busy for a long time!
This chapter identifies such historical figures as: Alexander the Great, Seleucus, Ptolomy, Berenice, Laodice, Cassander, Lysimachus, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Augustus, and Tiberius. It even identifies that the Messiah would be born under the reign of Augustus, and die under the reign of Tiberius.
The events outlined in Chapter 11 continue chronologically down through the ages all the way to events that have happened in the lifetimes of those living today, and into events predicted for our near future.
Daniel chapter 12 outlines the events surrounding the "close of probation." The great time of trouble, the special resurrection, and the sealing of the book of Daniel are delineated. It contains additional cryptic time prophecies: 1290 and 1335 day (year) periods. The taking away of the daily [sacrifice], and the setting up of the abomination of desolation are pivotal events that are outlined in several chapters of Daniel, but are the climax of Daniel chapter 12.