We've kicked off a new teaching series on our television program Christ in Prophecy! We will be focusing on a major book of prophecy that has much to say about the end times — the book of Daniel.
The book of Daniel was, of course, written by the prophet Daniel. And, at only 12 chapters, this last in the series of major prophets is the shortest of those. But, Daniel lays a crucial foundation for what is called the end times and the coming Kingdom of Christ.
Daniel's life had the makings of a great tragedy. He lived in a time of war and conquests, having been carried into exile by the Babylonians. Daniel could have succumbed to despair or simply been absorbed into the culture of Babylon. Instead, he determined to remain faithful to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Most Christians are familiar with some of the highlights of Daniel’s life: how he refused Nebuchadnezzar’s choice food, how he described and interpreted the pagan king’s dream of a great statue, how he translated handwriting on a wall that foretold Belshazzar’s sudden downfall, and how Darius threw him in a lion’s den because of jealous naysayers’ evil schemes.
Daniel proved himself time and again to a succession of kings. He revealed visions and interpreted dreams. He foresaw kingdoms and prophesied empires. He was even given a glimpse of the end of time!
Several men of God are given extensive biographical treatment in the Bible. But, other than Jesus Christ, Daniel is the only one of those who has no mentioned character flaw or incident of shortcoming. Yet, in chapter 9, Daniel accepted personal responsibility for the sins of his people. He lifted up an anguished prayer of repentance on behalf of the Jews because he realized that the time of their exile was almost over. Anticipating the fulfillment of God’s promise, Daniel’s prayerful plea became, "O Lord hear! O Lord, forgive, O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay…" Such inspiring insight came from the reading and understanding of Bible prophecy.
But, we have one advantage Daniel lacked 2,600 years ago — we have hindsight. Whereas Daniel anticipated the coming of the Messiah, we know Him by Name — Jesus Christ. We know Christ has come, and that He is coming again, and soon.
So, over the next few weeks, we invite you to join Lamb & Lion Ministries for a deep dive into the book of Daniel. Using the Bible as our foundation and Prophecy Pro Todd Hampson's wonderful book The Non-Prophets Guide to the Book of Daniel as our study guide, we will seek to better understand God's prophetic plan for the ages.
We've produced the following articles, resources, videos and much more to help you better understand what God wants us to reveal about Himself, His prophetic word, and the our future. Join us in our study of the timeless book of Daniel!
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