Introduction to Daniel
The movie “God’s Not Dead” is a realistic portrayal of college students who are not permitted to voice their belief in God on secular campuses. In the movie the atheistic philosophy teacher demanded on the first day of class that each of the 80 student write three words on a sheet of paper: God is Dead. One student, Josh Wheaton, who was a Christian refused and was ridiculed by his teacher for the rest of the semester.
The persecution on university campus is so widespread, that The Alliance Defending Freedom ministry actually comes to the legal defense of Christian students. The Alliance Defending Freedom has won nine Supreme Court cases in the seven years.
The theme of Daniel is God’s sovereignty even in the worst of times of persecution and even in times of chastening which was the case of Israel. God’s sovereignty encouraged the returning captives to Israel, later Jews in the Maccabean persecutions, and finally, all future suffering believers (Hebrews 11:33).
1. God is sovereign over the universe (Daniel 4:34-35, 37; 7:9,18; Psalm 10:16; 103:19)
A. Daniel supernaturally predicts the future of Gentile nations in Daniel 2-7 (Babylon, Medes/Persians, Greece, and Roman empire. In that order).
B. Jesus in Luke 21:24 called this “the times of the Gentiles.” God is in control of the Gentile nations. This will last until the Second Coming of Jesus when He puts down Gentile nations and Israel once again is the Nation of nations.
2. God is sovereign over rulers (Proverbs 21:1; Daniel 1:1-2)
(2 Chronicles 36 records the three times the rulers did evil in the sight of the Lord and the three times God removed them. Nebuchadnezzar’s foreign policy was deportation, which was used by God to fulfill Jeremiah’s prophecy).
1) First Deportation in 36:5-7 (In 605, Daniel was taken as a teenager in Daniel 1:1-2. He served in the government for over 70 years until he was about 85 as a powerful and courageous witness for the Lord. 70 years later, Daniel writes 10:1.
2) Second Deportation in 36:8-10 (In 597, Ezekiel and 10,000 Jews were deported of Babylon. While Daniel ministered to Gentile officials, Ezekiel ministered to the Jewish captives.
3) Third Deportation in 36:11-21 (In 586, Jerusalem was destroyed. The Temple is burned to the ground. The walls are broken down (Daniel 2:21). The First Return in 36:22-23 (In 538, Cyrus allowed the first to Jerusalem. Cyrus’ foreign policy was repatriation to fulfill Jeremiah’s prophecy)
3. God is sovereign over our lives (Romans 8:28; Daniel 3 and 6)
A. Israel’s God seemed to be defeated by Babylon’s god: Marduk as 1:1-2 indicates.
B. This is reminiscent of the Exodus where God defeated the Egyptian gods.
C. In the first six chapters, Daniel is recording how God is defeating the Babylonian gods. There is only one God and it is not Marduk, it is Jehovah.
Chapter One: God blesses Daniel to gain weight eating only vegetables and drinking water.
Chapter Two: God reveals to Daniel the next four powerful Gentile kingdom.
Chapter Three: God delivers the three Hebrew children from the fiery furnace.
Chapter Four: God enables Daniel to interpret proud Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
Chapter Five: God enables Daniel to interpret the hand written message of judgment.
Chapter Six: God delivers Daniel out of the den of lions.