Daniel Lesson #4

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January 5, 2010

Daniel Lesson #2

January 5, 2010

RETURN TO SYLLABUS
DANIEL 2
LESSON #04
THE IMAGE OF GENTILE NATIONS

• MEMORY VERSE: 2COR 5:1
• IN DANIEL 2 WE WILL SEE THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN EVEN OVER GENTILE NATIONS. IN OTHER WORDS, GOD HAS THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS, NOT JUST THE LITTLE NATION OF ISRAEL, AND NOT JUST HIS OWN PEOPLE, THE JEWS.
• READ DANIEL 2:1-13 THE DREAM (ABOUT 601-2 BC)
• FROM DAN 2:4 TO DAN 7:28 THE TEXT IS WRITTEN IN ARAMAIC BECAUSE THIS SECTION OF DANIEL DEALS WITH GENTILE KINGDOMS.
• ARAMAIC WAS THE GENTILE DIPLOMATIC LANGUAGE OF THAT DAY, MUCH LIKE ENGLISH IS TODAY.
• IT IS AS THOUGH GOD NOT ONLY WANTS THE JEWS TO UNDERSTAND HIS PLAN FOR THE NATIONS, BUT HE WANTS THE PAGAN GENTILE NATIONS TO UNDERSTAND THAT HE IS THE GOD WHO IS SOVEREIGN.
• THE MAGICIANS, ASTROLOGERS, SORCERERS, AND CHALDEANS (2)
• THE WORD, MAGICIANS, CAN REFER TO FORTUNE TELLERS OR SCHOLARS OR BOTH. THE FIELDS OF STUDY WERE NOT SEPARATED AND AS NARROWLY DEFINED AS THEY ARE NOW.
• ASTROLOGERS AND SORCERERS REFERS TO MEDIUMS, ENCHANTERS, AND SPIRITUALISTS.
• THE WORD “CHALDEANS” IN A BROAD SENSE IS SOMETIMES USED INTERCHANGEABLY WITH THE WORD “BABYLONIANS”. HOWEVER, MORE SPECIFICALLY THEY WERE THE SEMI-SCIENTISTS OF THE TIME.
• THEY WOULD CHART DREAMS AND FOLLOW AN EMPIRICAL LAW WHICH WOULD LEAD ONE TO THE INTERPRETATION OF THE DREAM, BASED ON THE LIFE OF ANOTHER PERSON IN THE PAST WHO HAD THE SAME DREAM. THEY USED SCROLLS OF CHARTS TO ARRIVE AT AN INTERPRETATION OF A DREAM OR VISION.
• ALL THESE PRACTICES ARE FORBIDDEN TO GOD’S PEOPLE.
• READ DEU 18:9-14 (LEV 19:26,31 EXO 22:18)
• “YOUR HOUSES SHALL BE MADE A DUNGHILL.” (5) = THE PRACTICE WAS TO TEAR DOWN AN ENEMY’S HOUSE AND BUILD AN OUTHOUSE ON THE RUBBLE AS A CURSE. (2KIN 10:27)
• READ DANIEL 2:14-30 DANIEL RECEIVES GOD’S WISDOM.
• WHY COULDN’T THE CHALDEANS INTERPRET THE KING’S DREAM?
• THEIR CHARTS ONLY DEALT WITH DREAMS THAT A PERSON COULD REMEMBER TO RELATE THE EVENTS. IF THEY WERE NOT TOLD THE EVENTS, THEY HAD NOTHING TO LOOK UP ON THEIR CHARTS. (10).
• KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR DID NOT FORGET THE DREAM. HIS FAILURE TO RELATE THE DETAILS WAS A TEST. HE WANTED THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH.
• ALSO, THE CHALDEANS WERE A POLITICALLY INFLUENTIAL GROUP ENTRENCHED IN POWER AND WEALTH. PERHAPS NEBUCHADNEZZAR WAS CONCERNED THEY WERE GETTING TOO POWERFUL. THIS TEST WOULD BREAK THEIR POWER.
• DANIEL LAYS HIS LIFE ON THE LINE:
• HE OFFERS TO REVEAL THE DREAM TO THE KING. (16)
• DANIEL DOES NOT USE PAGAN PRACTICES FORBIDDEN BY GOD IN THE MANNER OF THE BABYLONIAN CUSTOM. INSTEAD HE SEEKS WISDOM FROM GOD.
• DANIEL WAS CONFIDENT THAT GOD WOULD SHOW HIM THE ANSWER–HE STEPPED OUT ON FAITH.
• READ 1 COR 1:20, 25
• DANIEL’S FRIENDS PRAYED FOR HIM. (17-18)
• A SURVIVAL PRINCIPLE:

IN A WORLDLY SOCIETY, THE CHRISTIAN HAS A BETTER CHANCE OF MAINTAINING A STRONG FAITH IF HE REMAINS IN FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS. WHY?

• READ HEB 10:24-25
• AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO OUR FAITH, IN LOVE AND GOOD WORKS, IS IMPORTANT TO CHRISTIAN SURVIVAL AS SOCIETY GETS MORE AND MORE WORLDLY, AND MORE AND MORE HOSTILE TO CHRISTIANITY.
• PRAYER SUPPORT BY OTHER CHRISTIANS IS IMPORTANT TO MAINTAINING A STRONG FAITH IN GOD.
• WHAT ARE “THE LATTER DAYS”? (28)
• THE PROPHETIC PHRASE “THE LATTER DAYS” OR “THE LAST DAYS” REFERS TO A CULMINATION OF ALL GOD’S PROPHETIC PLANS.
• THE PERIOD OF THE LATTER DAYS BEGAN WITH THE FIRST COMING OF CHRIST AND ENDS AT THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• SOMETIMES THE PHRASE IS USED:
• TO REFER TO THE CHURCH (HEB 1:2 2TIM 3:1 1PET 1:20)
• TO REFER TO ISRAEL (JER 30:4-10 ISA 2:2-4)
• TO REFER TO THE RULE OF GENTILE NATIONS (DAN 2-10)
• THIS IS THE MEANING DANIEL HAS IN MIND IN DAN 2.
• THE PROPHETIC PHRASE “LAST DAY” REFERS TO THE RESURRECTION OF BELIEVERS (JOH 6:39-40) OR TO THE RESURRECTION OF NON-BELIEVERS (JOH 12:48)
• THE PROPHETIC PHRASE “TIMES OF THE GENTILES” (LUK 21:24)
• IT IS A PERIOD OF GENTILE WORLD DOMINATION AS OPPOSED TO THE JEWS’ DOMINATION OF THE WORLD SCENE.
• THE PHRASE SPECIFICALLY RELATES TO THE TIME FROM 606 BC TO THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. (ROM 11:25)
• NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM OF THE IMAGE (DAN 2) IS THE BEGINNING OF THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PHRASE WAS TO SHOW THE JEWS THAT GOD HAD NOT FORSAKEN THEM FOREVER, BUT WOULD FULFILL ALL IN THE END TIME AND RESTORE THE JEWS AT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• THE PROPHETIC PHRASE “END OF THE AGE” OR “END OF THE WORLD” (MAT 24:3-14 MAT 13:39)
• THIS PHRASE REFERS TO THE TIME JUST BEFORE CHRIST’S SECOND COMING. (THE END OF THE TRIBULATION AND THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON)
• READ DANIEL 2:31-35 THE IMAGE
• GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:
• THE MATERIALS DECREASE IN VALUE FROM HEAD TO FOOT
• THE MATERIALS DECREASE IN SPECIFIC GRAVITY THAT MAKES THE IMAGE TOP HEAVY AND LESS COHESIVE FROM HEAD TO FOOT.
• GOLD = SPECIFIC GRAVITY 19
• SILVER = SPECIFIC GRAVITY 11
• BRONZE = SPECIFIC GRAVITY 8.5
• IRON = SPECIFIC GRAVITY 7.8
• THE MATERIALS INCREASE IN BRITTLENESS FROM HEAD TO FOOT.
• THE MATERIALS INCREASE IN STRENGTH FROM HEAD TO FOOT.
• READ DANIEL 2:36-45 GOD’S INTERPRETATION OF THE DREAM
• GOLD = NEBUCHADNEZZAR (THE BABYLONIAN KINGDOM 606 BC – 538 BC)
• THIS KINGDOM LASTED 68 YEARS. NEBUCHADNEZZAR WAS A VERY WEALTHY ABSOLUTE MONARCH. THEREFORE, SCRIPTURE REFERS TO THE HEAD AS HE.
• THE REST OF THE METALS ARE REFERED TO AS KINGDOMS. THEREFORE THE REST OF THE METALS REPRESENT KINGDOMS, NOT KINGS.
• WHY DOES GOLD REPRESENT THE KING OF THIS KINGDOM?
• THIS WAS A COMMERCIAL CULTURE. THE MAJOR BANKING CONCEPTS USED TODAY ORIGINATE FROM THE TIME OF THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE: (BASED ON THE NUMBER 60)
• COMPOUND INTEREST RATES
• PROMISSORY NOTES
• MUTUAL FUNDS
• THE NUMERICAL SYSTEM BASED ON 60.
• 360 DEGREES IN A CIRCLE
• THE FISCAL YEAR BASED ON A 360 DAY CYCLE
• 60 SECONDS = 1 MINUTE
• 60 MINUTES = 1 HOUR
• SILVER = MEDO-PERSIA 538 BC – 331 BC
• THIS COMBINED KINGDOM OF MEDES AND PERSIANS LASTED 207 YEARS
• THERE ARE 2 ARMS INDICATING A DUAL KINGDOM. THE MEDES WERE THE WARRIORS WHILE THE PERSIANS WERE THE INTELLECTUALS. THIS KINGDOM TAXED HEAVILY IN SILVER.
• THE MAJOR CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS KINGDOM WAS TOLERANCE.
• CYRUS FUNDED THE REBUILDING OF THE JEWISH TEMPLE. (EZR 1:2)
• CYRUS FUNDED A HUMANITARIAN PROJECT INVOLVING PEOPLE OF ANOTHER RELIGION. (EZR 3:7)
• CYRUS RETURN ED SOME OF THE TEMPLE TREASURES TO THE JEWS.
• BRONZE = GREECE 330 BC – 63 BC
• THE GREEK SOLDIERS WORE BRONZE ARMOR AND HAD BRONZE WEAPONS. THEY WERE CALLED, “BRAZEN-COATED GREEKS”. ALEXANDER THE GREAT BECAME THE PREDOMINANT LEADER.
• THE MAJOR CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS KINGDOM WAS HUMANISM. THEY PLACED A HIGH VALUE ON HUMAN REASONING IN SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY.(1COR 1:22-23)
• HUMAN GOVERNMENT BY DEMOCRACY
• THE OLYMPIC GAMES THAT CELEBRATE THE MAXIMUM ACHIEVEMENT OF THE HUMAN BODY.
• IRON = ROME 63 BC – 476 AD
• THE LONGEST AND STRONGEST KINGDOM. THE TWO LEGS INDICATE THAT THE KINGDOM WILL BE DIVIDED INTO AN EASTERN EMPIRE AND A WESTERN EMPIRE (THIS DIVISION WAS FIXED IN 395 AD). THIS ROMAN EMPIRE WAS NEVER CONQUERED BUT GRADUALLY FADED AWAY POLITICALLY. (THE WESTERN EMPIRE ENDED POLITICALLY IN 476 AD WHILE THE EASTERN EMPIRE ENDED POLITICALLY IN 1453 AD).
• HOWEVER, THIS KINGDOM STILL INFLUENCES US TODAY IN OUR INSTITUTIONS (CATHOLICISM), IN OUR IDEALS, LEGAL SYSTEM, OUR MILITARY STRATEGY, ETC.
• THE PREDOMINATE CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS KINGDOM ARE CIVIL LAW WITHOUT MERCY, POLITICAL ORGANIZATION, AND MILITARY STRENGTH.
• IRON AND CLAY = REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OF 10 NATIONS OR GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS, LOOSELY ALIGNED. SOME ARE DICTATORSHIPS AND SOME ARE DEMOCRACIES. THE DIVERSITY OF ITS FINAL FORM IS IT’S WEAKNESS SINCE IRON AND CLAY ARE NOT COMPATIBLE.
• “…MINGLED THEMSELVES WITH THE SEED OF MEN…” (43) = KINGS AND MONARCHISTS THAT MAKE HUMAN TREATIES OF AGREEMENT WITH DEMOCRACIES.
• THE STONE AND THE MOUNTAIN = CHRIST’S MILLENNIAL KINGDOM ON EARTH WHICH WILL BE ESTABLISHED FOR 1,000 YEARS AFTER THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THIS REPRESENTS CHRIST’S KINGDOM?
• REMEMBER THAT ONE IMPORTANT SOURCE FOR THE INTERPRETATION OF SYMBOLS IS THE REST OF SCRIPTURE.
• CHRIST AS THE ROCK IN SCRIPTURE: (PSA 118:22 ISA 28:16)
• CHRIST WAS THE “ROCK” IN THE WILDERNESS THAT MOSES STRUCK TO PROVIDE WATER. (EXO 17:6 1COR 10:4)
• CHRIST IS THE FOUNDATION STONE AND THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE OF THE CHURCH. (EPH 2:20)
• CHRIST IS A STUMBLING STONE OVER WHICH THE JEWS STUMBLED AT THE FIRST COMING OF JESUS CHRIST. (ROM 9:32-33 1COR 1:23)
• FOR THE JEWS AT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, JESUS IS THE HEADSTONE OF THE CORNER ON WHICH THE MILLENIAL KINGDOM WILL BE ESTABLISHED. (ZEC 4:7)
• FOR THE GENTILE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD, CHRIST IS THE SMITING STONE CUT OUT WITHOUT HANDS WHO WILL COME AND JUDGE THE GENTILE NATIONS AT HIS SECOND COMING. (DAN 2:34)
• CHRIST IS THE ETERNAL STONE THAT WILL GROW AND FILL THE EARTH IN THE MILLENNIUM. (DAN 2:35)
• FOR UNBELIEVERS, CHRIST IS THE CRUSHING STONE OF JUDGMENT. (MAT 21:44)
• NOTICE THAT THE STONE IN DAN 2 SMITES THE WHOLE IMAGE, NOT JUST THE FEET. EACH KINGDOM ASSIMILATED THE CULTURE AND FALSE RELIGION OF EACH PREVIOUS KINGDOM INTO ITSELF SO THAT WHEN CHRIST COMES A SECOND TIME, IT WILL SMITE ALL THE TERRITORY, CULTURE, AND RELIGION ASSIMILATED BY ALL THE PREVIOUS KINGDOMS. IT WILL NOT BE JUST ANOTHER HUMAN KINGDOM DOOMED TO FAILURE, BUT WILL BEGIN ON EARTH AND EXTEND INTO ALL ETERNITY.
• GENTILE WORLD DOMINION BEGINS AND ENDS WITH A GREAT IMAGE — SEE REV 13:14-15
• READ DANIEL 2:46-49
• IN VS. 47 THERE IS A REFERENCE TO THE TRINITY.
• A GOD OF GODS = GOD, THE FATHER
• A LORD OF KINGS = GOD, THE SON
• A REVEALER OF SECRETS = GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT
• APPLICATION OF DANIEL’S INTERPRETATION OF THE IMAGE:
• ALL THE CHARACTERISTICS REPRESENTED IN THESE METALS WILL BE PRESENT IN SOCIETY AT THE TIME OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST:
• MONETARY SYSTEM BASED ON THE NUMBER 6 (BABYLONIAN EMPIRE)
• THE CONCEPT OF TOLERANCE THAT UNDERMINES THE TRUTH OF GOD (MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE)
• THE CONCEPT OF HUMANISM AND MAN’S WISDOM REPLACING THE TRUTH OF GOD. (GREECIAN EMPIRE)
• THE CONCEPT OF STRICT LAW WITHOUT MERCY BACKED BY MILITARY STRENGTH. (ROMAN EMPIRE)
• PERSONAL APPLICATION AND DISCUSSION:
• HAVE YOU EVER STEPPED OUT ON FAITH AS DANIEL DID IN TELLING THE KING HE WOULD INTERPRET THE DREAM?
• HOW CAN THE CHRISTIAN KNOW WHEN HE SHOULD PLACE HIS LIFE ON THE LINE AND WHEN IT IS UNWISE TO DO SO?

HOMEWORK
DANIEL 3
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF DANIEL 2
• IS THERE A SITUATION IN YOUR LIFE TODAY WHERE THE LORD IS WAITING FOR YOU TO STEP OUT ON FAITH? WRITE DOWN YOUR DOUBTS AND FEARS THAT HAVE KEPT YOU FROM THAT INITIAL STEP OF FAITH. IN PRAYER TAKE THOSE DOUBTS AND FEARS TO THE LORD. ASK HIM TO CONFIRM HIS DIRECTION.
• PREPARATION FOR DANIEL 3
• READ DANIEL 3:1-30
• DANIEL DOES NOT APPEAR IN THIS CHAPTER PROBABLY BECAUSE HE AND HIS FRIENDS WERE APPOINTED TO HIGH POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY. HIS FRIENDS WERE GOVERNORS OF VARIOUS TERRITORIES WHILE DANIEL WAS LIKE A PRIME MINISTER. HE WAS PROBABLY OUT OF TOWN ON BUSINESS DURING THIS CHAPTER.
• IN VERSE 17 AND 18, THE THREE HEBREW BOYS TAKE A STAND FOR GOD.
• DO YOU THINK THE LITTLE PHRASE AT THE BEGINNING OF VERSE 18, “IF NOT” IS A COP-OUT FOR THEIR FAITH? DOES IT SHOW A LACK OF FAITH? WHY OR WHY NOT?
• DO YOU THINK NEBUCHADNEZZAR WAS CONVERTED TO THE ONE TRUE GOD IN VERSE 28? EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER.
• MEMORY VERSE: HEB 7:25

DEFINITIONS REGARDING PROPHETIC PHRASES

606 BC	BEGINNING OF THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY				TIMES OF THE GENTILES LUK21:24
30 AD	FIRST COMING OF CHRIST = TRIUMPHAL ENTRY		LATTER DAYS OR LAST DAYS OR LATTER TIME DAN2:28	FULLNESS OF THE GENTILES ROM11:25
THE LAST DAY JOH 6:40	RESURRECTION OF BELIEVERS AT THE RAPTURE	END OF THE AGE MAT24:3	DAN10:14 ISA2:2
	THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
	THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM
THE LAST DAY JOH 12:48	FINAL RESURRECTION OF ALL DEAD AT GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT

	DANIEL 2
GOLD	BABYLONIAN EMPIRE 606 – 538 BC
SILVER	MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE 538 – 331 BC
BRONZE	GREECIAN EMPIRE 331 – 63 BC ALEXANDER THE GREAT 331-323 BC
IRON	ROMAN EMPIRE 63 BC – 476 AD
THE PROPHETICALLY UNSEEN CHURCH AGE
IRON AND CLAY	THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD
STONE AND MOUNTAIN	THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF JESUS CHRIST