Bible reading & studying in one year Daniel 1-12
by Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel Music
Bible reading & studying in one year on 12/13/2021 Daniel 1-3
“All
this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar twelve months later, as the king was
walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, “Is not this the
great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for
the glory of my majesty?” (vv.28-30). the
words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King
Nebuchadnezzar: your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be
driven away from people and will live with wild animals; you will eat grass
like cattle, seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the
Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he
wishes.” (vv.31-32).
Immediately what
had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from
people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven
until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws
of a bird. (vv.33).
At the
end of that time, I Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity
was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who
lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; His kingdom endures from
generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand or say to him “what have you done?” (vv.34-35).
At the same time
that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the
glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored
to my throne and became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of
heaven, because everything He does is right and all His ways are just, and
those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
(vv.36-37)
Bible reading & studying in one year on 12/14/2021 Daniel 4-6
Chapter 5 Belshazzar’s feast, God’s contribution to the feast:
handwriting on the wall: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. Daniel interpreted and
announced King Belshazzar’s doom. Mene means, God has numbered the days of your
reign and brought it to an end. Tekel means, you have been weighed on the
scales and found wanting. Peres means, your kingdom is divided and given to the
Medes and Persians. That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was
slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two (v.
30).
Chapter 6
Daniel in the Lions’ den 6:1-28.
The plot against Daniel (6:4-9)
The administrators’ and the satraps tried to
find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs,
but they were unable to do so. Finally these men said “we will never find any
basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with
the law of his God.(vv.4-5).
“So the administrators and the satraps went
as a group to the king and said, “ O king Darius, live forever! The royal
administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that
the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to
any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be
thrown into the lions’ den. Now the King issues the decree and put it in
writing so that it cannot be altered in accordance with the laws of the Medes
and Persians, which cannot be repealed. So King Darius put the decree in
writing. (vv.6-9)
The prayer of Daniel (6:10-11);
Now
when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his
upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he
got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done
before. (v.10)
The prosecution of Daniel (vv.11-17)
Then these men went as a group and found
Daniel praying and asking God for help. So they went the king and spoke to him
about his royal decree… (vv.11-12)
So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him
into the lion’s den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve
continually rescue you.” (v.16)
At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the
lions’ den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “ Daniel, servant of the
living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you
from the lions?” (vv.19-20)
The protection of Daniel (vv.18-28)
Daniel answered, “O king, live forever. My God sent His angel and He
shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found
innocent in His sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you. O, king.”
(v.21)
At the king’s command, the men who had
falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along
with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den,
the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. (v.24)
Then King Darius wrote to all the people, nations and men of every language throughout the land. “May you prosper greatly! I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will never end. He rescues and He saves; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” (vv.25-27) So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. (v.28)
Chapter 7 Daniel’s vision of the four beasts and the ancient of days
7:1 in the
first year of Belshazzar I.e., 553 B.C.,
fourteen years before the fall of Babylon described in Chapter 5.
Four great
beasts- representing the rulers of the four world
empires previously described in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter 2.
“Like a lion …eagle” (v.4) both symbols
(of strength and speed, respectively) were used of Babylon.
“Like a bear” (v.5) is a
symbol of the Medo-Persian Empire, known for its strength and fierceness in
battle.
“Like a leopard” (v.6)
representing the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great. After his death the
empire had four heads; i.e., Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and Macedonia.
“A fourth
beast” Rome. The ten horns are explained in verse
24, and the little horn (Anti- Christ) in verses 24-25.
“Ancient of Days” (v.9) a
reference to God as judge (Isa.57:15).
Antichrist will march to power by subduing
three of the ten nations (v.24), will blaspheme God(v.25), will try in some way
to change times and laws in order to promote his anti-Christian program(v.25)
for the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation period. (vv.24-27). the
final form of the Roman world power will be a confederation of ten nations who
will arise simultaneously in the Tribulation days.
Bible reading & studying in one year on 12/15/2021 Daniel 7-9
Chapter 8 Daniel’s vision of the ram, goat, and little horn
A vision
(v.1) concerning the second and third world empires, Medo-Persia (vv.3-4,20)
and Greece (vv.5-7,21). A ram (v.3)
Medo-Persia (v.20) longer…grew up later. Lit., the higher one. Though Persia
was the younger kingdom, under Cyrus it became the dominant one in 550. Goat (v.5) Greece, a prominent horn.
Alexander the Great, whose army wept through Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt and
Mesopotamia from 334-331.
his large horn was broken(v.8) The death of Alexander, after which his kingdom was
divided among his four generals. Cassander took Macedonia; Lysimachus, Thrace
and much of Asia Minor; Seleucus, Syria; and Prolemy, Egypt.
Another horn (v.9) not the same as the horn of 7:8, which will arise
out of the restored Roman Empire. This little horn came out of Greece and
refers to Antiochus Epiphanes, who came to the throne in 175 B.C. and plundered
the Temple in Jerusalem, desecrating it by offering pig’s flesh on the altar.
The beautiful Land. I.e., Palestine.
The host of the heavens
(vv.10-11) God’s people, the Jews who were horribly persecuted by Antiochus.
Antiochus’ persecution of the Jews would last for 2,300 days the period from
171 B.C. (when peaceful relations between Antiochus and the Jews came to an
end) to Dec.25,165 B.C. ( When Judas Maccabeus restored the Temple for its
proper worship).
Daniel’s prophecy of seventy weeks of years
Seventy sevens or weeks (v.9) obviously years are meant, for Daniel had been
thinking of the years of the captivity (9:2). Furthermore, weeks of days are so
specified in10:2-3, where the Hebrew adds “days.” This period of 490 years
concerns your people (the Jews) and your holy city (Jerusalem) to finish transgression. To end the apostasy of the Jews. To put an end to sin may mean either to
atone for sin or to seal up sin in the sense of judging it finally. To atone
for wickedness. Refers to the death of Christ on the cross, which is the basis
for Israel’s future forgiveness (Zech.12:10; Rom.11:26-27), to bring in
everlasting righteousness. In the millennial kingdom of Messiah (Jer.23:5-6).
To seal up vision and prophecy. To set God’s seal of fulfillment on all the
prophecies concerning the Jewish people and Jerusalem. To anoint the most holy.
The anointing of the Holy of Holies in the millennial Temple.
In 9:25
The seventy sevens begin with the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, the
commandment of Artaxerxes Longimanus given in 445 B.C. (Neh.2:5) Earlier, Cyrus
had authorized the rebuilding of the Temple(in 538; 2 Chron.36:22-23;
Ezra1:1-4), with streets and a trench. The public square and moat were rebuilt
by the time the first seven weeks (forty-nine years) were completed.
In 9;26
Contain important events were to happen after the sixty-two sevens (plus the
seven weeks, or a total of sixty-nine weeks); the crucifixion of the Anointed
One and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D.70 by the Romans who are the people
of the ruler who will come. Because these events were to occur after the sixth
nine weeks had run their course and before the seventieth week began, there
must be a space of time between the conclusion of the sixty ninth weeks and the
beginning of the seventieth.
He (v.27)
The prince of verse 26, the Antichrist previously introduced in 7:8, 24-26, who
will make a pact with many (of the Jewish people)at the beginning of the
Tribulation period. But in the middle of the ‘seven’ (i.e. 3 ½ years later)
antichrist will break his covenant and desecrate the Temple by demanding
worship of himself in it. (Matt.24:15; 2 Thess.2:4)
Daniel’s prophetic panorama
Chapter
10 Obviously Daniel was not among those who returned to build the Temple in
Jerusalem in connection with Cyrus’ decree (9:25). His age middle eighties and
governmental duties prevented him. Daniel’s prayer was heard on the first day
of the three –week period, but the answer was delayed because of angelic
warfare (v.12).
The prince of the Persian kingdom (v.13). A supernatural creature who tried to direct the
human rulers of Persia to oppose God’s plan. Evil angels seek to influence the
affairs of nations. Michael, which
means “who is like God?(v.21;12:1;Jude9;Rev.12:7), is the special guardian of
the affairs of Israel (12:1) and is designated the archangel (Jude9). I was detained there with the king of
Persia. The good angel (vv.5-6) which Michael’s help, was left in a place
of preeminence in influencing Persia. But the battle between good and evil
angels over the control of nations continues. (v.20). In the future. Future days culminating in the events surrounding
the second coming of Christ (Gen49:1;Dan.2:28).
Bible reading & studying in one year on 12/16/2021 Daniel 10-12
Chapter 11 Prophecies concerning the nations, Persia, Greece, Egypt,
Syria, Antiochus Epiphanes, and Antichrist.
11: 2 here begins a remarkable section of detailed prophecy, first about Persia (v.2), then Alexander the Great (vv.3-4), the Ptolemies and Seleucids until Antiochus Epiphanes(vv.5-20), Antiochus Epiphanes (vv.21-35). All the details of these predictions have since been fulfilled accurately. Next Daniel gives a prophecy about Antichrist yet to be fulfilled (vv.36-45). Three more kings. Cambyses (529-522), Pseudo-Smerdis(522-521), Darius I Hystaspes (also called Darius the Great,521-486; cf. Ezra5-6). A fourth. Xerxes(486-465), in some translations of the book of Esther known as Ahasuerus.
Chapter 12 Prophecies concerning Israel
12: 2
predicts the resurrection of the righteous at the second coming of Christ (Rev.20:4-6),
and also of the wicked (though this resurrection does not occur at the same
time, but after the Millennium (Rev.20:5) those who are wise. Those who will
see through Antichrist’s deception. They will also lead others to the truth
during the Tribulation period. (v.3)
Bibliography,
Ryrie, Charles C. The
Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
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