Scripture

I learned… that Jerusalem must lie desolate for 70 years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting.

Observation.

In the first year of King Darius, Daniel learns from reading the prophecy of Jeremiah that Jerusalem must lie desolate for 70 years. So he turns to the Lord in prayer and fasting.

Daniel’s prayer is a prayer of confession and intercession. Even though Daniel himself is a righteous man, he identifies himself with the sins of his people. He recognises that God has punished His people for rebelling against Him.

He recognised that what has happened to the people of Israel is the exact curse and judgement that is written in the law of Moses.

Daniel now asks that the Lord opens His eyes and see the despair of His people and the ruins of the Lord’s own city.

Application

Having read Jeremiah’s prophecy, Daniel comes to the Lord in prayer. It is not yet 70 years since Jerusalem was taken by the Babylonians, but Daniel sees that the time is coming close. So he presses in with prayer and fasting.

Apparently yesterday, September 23rd 2025, was a significant day according to some prophecy experts As far as I can tell neither the Rapture nor the Tribulation happened, despite it being the most significant day in seven thousand years.

Daniel was not a person who sought to sensationalise prophecy. Instead he saw the prophecy, interpreted it to mean that the time was coming, and he turned to God in powerful confession and intercession for his nation.

Perhaps there is a lesson here for us. Instead of reacting to the sensationalism of some modern day prophets, we should use their words to drive us to fellowship with the Lord and to deep intercession.

Prayer

Lord, I know that you are in control of all things. Please help me to trust you always and to seek your face each day. Amen.

Scripture

“This vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings is correct. But none of these things will happen for a long time, so keep this vision a secret.”

Observation

As Daniel tries to understand his vision, the angel Gabriel comes to him. Daniel is overcome by fear, but Gabriel rouses him with a touch.

Gabriel explains that the two horned ram represents the kings of Persia and Media. The male goat is the king of Greece. The Greek Empire will break into four parts.

At the end of their rule, a new king will arise, who will bring a shocking amount of destruction. He will destroy many without warning. He will be broken but not by human power.

The vision about 2,300 mornings and evenings is true. But none of this will happen for a long time, so Daniel is to keep it quiet.

At the end of all this, Daniel is sick for seven days.

Application

The specific time period of 2,300 evenings and mornings is astounding. This is about seven years, or three and a half years if you count mornings and evenings as separate times,

King Antiochus Epiphanes IV removed the high priest in 171 BC, and he desecrated the Temple with unclean, sacrifices in 167 BC. The Temple and altar were cleansed and rededicated in December 164 BC. This was seven years after the high priest was removed and a little over three years after the temple was desecrated.

The Lord knows what is happening and what He is permitting to happen. Therefore, we have hope in this life because God works in all things to bring good to those whom he has called (Romans 8:23).

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for this assurance that you have all things in hand. Amen.

Scripture

It even challenged the commander of heaven’s armies, cancelling the daily sacrifices offered to him and by destroying his Temple

Observation

Daniel recounts another vision of future Empires. This vision is explained in the second half of the chapter. In the vision, a ram with two long horns stands beside the river at Susa. This ram, butts everything in every direction, and no one can stand against him.

A male goat appears swiftly from the West, The goat tramples the ram and nobody can stop him.

The goat becomes very powerful, but at the height of its power, the horn is broken off and replaced by four smaller horns. From one of these horns comes another horn that extends into Israel. This horn attacks the Heavenly Army challenging the Commander Himself.

One of the holy ones asks, “How long will the temple be trampled on?” The other responds “2, 300 days and nights.”

Application

There is an arrogance at the heart of men and women who do not surrender to God. Sometimes this takes the form of petty rebellion and wanton sin. In the case of rulers of nations, it becomes defiance against God and His people, even to the point of attacking God Himself.

How can we be so insolent and deceived?

How can we, the creatures, take issue with the Creator?

This defies all logic, and yet has been the universal experience of humanity.

Praise God for his forbearance with us,

Praise God for dealing with our sins in sending His Son to lay down His life for us.

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for your great patience with us. Thank you that while I was still a sinner, Jesus died for me. Amen.

Scripture

“Then, the court will pass judgement, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed.”

Observation.

Daniel is troubled by his vision. So he approaches one of those standing by the throne and asks him what it means. He explains that the beasts are four kingdoms that arise from the earth. Daniel asks about the fourth beast, which seems the most terrible of them all. This beast is the fourth world power, that is different to the others. There are ten Kings who rule this Empire. But then another king arises who defies God and oppresses His people.

The court passes judgement on this king, and all his power is taken away, The sovereignty, power, and greatness of the king are given to God’s people This Kingdom will last forever.

Application

In the final analysis, all kings and rulers are subject to the most high God, They serve at his pleasure.

Back in the 1980s, the power of Communism seemed firmly entrenched and invincible in Europe and in what was then called the USSR. Suddenly the whole structure crumbled and everything changed.

As Daniel says, it is as if the court of Heaven had passed judgement and the power that had ruthlessly oppressed millions of people was no more.

In this vision, Daniel is considering the power of the various Empires in history. The most powerful of these was yet to come in Daniel’s time. We look back through history and we can see that Rome established a powerful Empire. But in the end, it was the people of God who prevailed

And now God’s kingdom extends to nearly every nation of the world. The gates of Hell have not prevailed against it.

Prayer.

Father, thank you for letting me share in your kingdom. May this kingdom grow and touch every person in the world. Amen.

Scripture

He was given authority, honour and sovereignty over all the nations of the world so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal – it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.

Observation

The story now winds back to King Belshazzar’s reign in Babylon, as Daniel recounts a vision he had then.

In the vision, He sees four beasts coming from the churning ocean.

The first Beast is like a lion with eagles’ wings, but its wings are pulled off and it becomes like a human. The second beast looks like a bear. The third is like a leopard. The fourth beast has huge metal teeth.

Finally, thrones are put into place and the Ancient One sits down to judge the nations. Then someone like a son of man comes on the clouds. He is given authority and honour to rule over all the nations of the world. His rule is eternal and his kingdom will never end.

Application

These four beasts represent various human Empires – Babylon. Persia. Greece, and Rome. God has judged all of these kingdoms as evil and barbaric. In place of these beasts, He has established a truly human kingdom that rules over the people of every race, nation, and language.

That King is, of course Jesus. His Kingdom is not based on violence and oppression, but on love. It is true that His Kingdom has reached just about every nation and every people group in the world.

This is so encouraging! When we look at the turmoil in the Middle East or in Ukraine, or the internal turmoil in the nations of the West, we can become fearful. But Jesus’ Kingdom is above all these things. He has authority that is greater. The nations of the world will pass away, but Christ’s kingdom is eternal.

Prayer

Lord, you are greater than any human ruler or kingdom. I praise you, Lord Jesus Christ, and I surrender my life to you. Amen.

Scripture

Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.

Observation

The king tries to find a way to circumvent his own law in order to save Daniel, but he cannot At the demands of the officials, Daniel is thrown into the lions’ den and the entry is sealed.

The king spends an anxious night before going to the lions den and calling to Daniel. Daniel responds that the Lord sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths, The king orders Daniel to be lifted from the den.

The man who had maliciously accused Daniel, along with their wives and children, are thrown into the lions den where they are instantly torn apart by the lions.

King Darius then sends a message throughout the kingdom ordering all the people to fear the Lord.

Application

Daniel was greatly blessed by the Lord because of his faithfulness to God.

Despite being at the mercy of a number of lions, Daniel emerged without even a scratch, because he trusted the Lord.

Earlier, in the book of Daniel, his three friends were thrown into a furnace because they refused to bow down to a statue. Their response was, “Our God is able to save us, but even if he doesn’t, we will never bow down to a statue.

Daniel’s attitude was the same. He knew that God could save him but even if God did not intervene, he would remain faithful.

From the earliest days of the church, followers of Christ have been tortured and killed for their faith, sometimes literally thrown to the lions like Daniel was. This continues today in many parts of the world. We must not assume that these people are less in faith or stature than Daniel. They are to be honoured for their courage in suffering.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to be faithful in times of suffering for the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture

“That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.”

Observation

King Darius decides to divide his empire into 120 provinces and he appoints a high officer to rule over each one. To rule over these officers and to protect the king’s interests, he appoints Daniel and two others. Because Daniel rules with great ability, King Darius, plans to place him over the entire empire.

The high officers and other administrators concoct a plan. They go to the king and ask him to sign a law that for the next 30 days, nobody is to pray to anyone other than the king under penalty of being thrown to the lions.

Daniel, however, continues his practice of praying in front of his windows in an upstairs room. The officials then go to the king with the accusation that Daniel has broken the law.

Application

Jealousy is a terrible sin. It is a form of coveting in that we think we should be entitled to get the same treatment as another person. The officials were jealous of Daniel because of his favour with the king, and so they plotted to get rid of him unjustly.

People can be jealous of all kinds of things- money, careers, a promotion at work, a spouse of a friend, a family, and much more.

When we see somebody with a lifestyle, or a thing that we wish we could have, do we rejoice that they are blessed? Or do we get angry that we don’t have it ourselves?

Being jealous of others, can release all kinds of negative spiritual power. It can result in soulish prayers or curses giving satan authority to harm the person we are jealous of.

It should go without saying that jealousy should have no part in any Christian’s life.

Prayer

Lord, examine my heart and see if there is any jealousy or envy in my heart. Amen.

Scripture

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied. “O Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty

Observation

King Nebuchadnezzar has a statue of himself, some 27 metres high, set up on the plains adjacent to the city of Babylon. He decrees that at the sound of musical instruments, everybody must worship the statue.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are found to be ignoring this directive. So Nebuchadnezzar orders they be thrown into a fiery furnace. They tell him that their God is able to save them, but even if He does not save them, they will not worship the statue.

The men are thrown into the furnace, but the observers see not just the three men but another man also, one who looks like a god walking with them. So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are promoted to even greater positions of power.

Application

The faith of these men always astounds me. They refuse to disobey God’s commands to not worship idols. But when pressed, they express faith in God’s ability to save them in the furnace. However, even if God does not save them, there is no way that they will worship the statue. It is easy to be faithful to God in the small things of life. Choosing to obey God, rather than give in to sin is a fairly basic level of discipleship.

When we are faced with death, as the consequence of righteousness, it is a very big decision. We need to make. Will I save my flesh and potentially lose eternity?

It is in the life and death moments that our faith is greatly tested, But we cannot overcome that test until we have conquered the tests of daily temptations.

Prayer

Father, may I never have to make this kind of decision for you. Please help me to be faithful to you every day, so that when the time of testing comes I will stand firm. Amen.

Scripture

“As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay smashing them to bits…. but the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.

Observation

Daniel is given the revelation of what the King’s dream contained and also the dream’s interpretation. In the dream, Nebuchadnezzar saw a huge shining statue of a man. The head was made of gold, the chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, and the feet a mixture of iron and clay. A stone cut from a mountain struck the statue, obliterating it.

Daniel explains that the statue represents four great Empires. The Lord will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered, and this Kingdom will stand forever.

Nebuchadnezzar is so pleased with Daniel’s revelation that he makes him ruler over the province of Babylon and chief over the king’s wise men.

Application

This dream is a powerful description of the four empires of ancient times – Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman.

The stone cut from the mountain but not by human hands is God’s kingdom, the church. This Kingdom is eternal and covers the entire world.

All of this was foretold centuries before the birth of Jesus. The church began as an offshoot of Judaism and quite insignificant in size. Yet, in a few generations, it conquered the Roman Empire by love, and it outlasted it. Now, the church spans the entire world.

It is estimated that one-third of all the people in the world identify as Christian

God’s kingdom is the greatest Kingdom in history. It is eternal and it is available for all people to enter it. Praise be to God, our great Creator and Sustainer.

Prayer

Lord, I marvel at your grace and power. You overcome great empires and prove yourself to be above every human kingdom. Amen.

Scripture

“The King’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.”

Observation

King Nebuchadnezzar has a disturbing dream. He calls in his magicians and sorcerers, and demands that they tell him the dream and what it means.

The advisers plead with the king to first tell them the dream so that they can interpret it. They say that only the gods can tell them the dream, and they do not leave amongst people.

Full of rage, the king orders, all the wise men to be executed.

When the commander of the king’s guard comes to kill them, Daniel asks that the king gives him more time. He ask, his three friends to pray so that they will not be executed.

That night, the secret is revealed to Daniel.

Application

All of King Nebuchadnezzar’s wise men knew that their powers were insufficient for the task. They could not read his mind to find out what the dream was. The gods could find out but they do not live among people.

This was a deadly situation, but God gave the victory.

God is greater than the pagan gods, Even the pagan gods of the great Babylonian Empire, They could not reveal the dream, but the Lord did.

Daniel did not do this alone. He was humble enough to realise that he needed his friends and their prayers. All great spiritual victories come through a united prayer team.

As we learn too lean on the Lord and to trust in Him, we can discover that our God is greater and that the gods of the world are puny, weak things.

Prayer

Lord God, you are the one true God. There is none like you. Please help me to trust in you at all times. Amen.