Introduction Lesson

The King James Version (KJV) is mostly used in these lessons. Click here to access the KJV online.

The book of Daniel is special. Doubters have attacked it more than any book in the Bible, because it gives more details in predicting the future than any other book. They fear that if they admit that Daniel wrote the book in the sixth century B.C., then they must admit that there is a God who controls the universe and they owe Him obedience. So the attacks are most heated. Many aspects of Daniel have been questioned, but over the years most of the questions have been adequately answered. About the only point of doubt that remains is the historical identity of the king Darius.

The book of Daniel is written in Hebrew and Aramaic, the court language of Babylon. Most of the prophetic portions are in Hebrew, and most of the narrative portions are in Aramaic.

The book of Daniel falls into these two parts: narrative and prophetic. The narrative portions, relating to the experiences of Daniel, his three friends, and to some extent the Hebrew captives in Babylon, reveal wonderful principles on how to live a life of faith in a world antagonistic to faith in the God of the Bible. Some of these principles are to separate oneself from worldly customs of eating and drinking, maintain regular and fervent prayer, avoid even the suggestion of idolatry, seek the will of God [Yahuwah] and keep His commandments, and keep faith focused on the Messiah.

The prophetic portions of the book outline world events from the time of Daniel to the second coming of Christ. These events are situated within the framework of four empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome. History has proven Daniel’s prediction to be correct. These four kingdoms are represented in the statue of various metals in Daniel 2 and in the beasts of Daniel 7. Babylon had passed by the time Daniel 8 gave the representations of the three last empires in the form of the he-goat, the ram, and the little horn. Daniel 11 describes these three last kingdoms in literal terms, beginning with Medo-Persia, following with Grecia, and then again ending with Rome.

Rome is the special focus of earthly empires, the one to be destroyed by the final intervention of God. It is divided into the first empire, the pagan one, and the second empire, the period of Papal Rome to extend as a persecuting power until the time of the end in 1798. The beginning of the 1260 years (Daniel 7:25) is found in what was essentially the death decree for Sabbath-keeping by Justinian, who recognized the Papacy in 533 and 538 A.D. The period extends to General Berthier’s taking of the pope prisoner in 1798.

Daniel not only focuses on Rome, he focuses also on the work of the Messiah. Daniel 9 is the only passage in the Bible that describes in detail beforehand the date and the work of the Messiah. His work is to cleanse the sanctuary (Daniel 8:14) at the end of 2300 years. That time begins at the going forth of the decree to rebuild in 457 B.C., goes on to the rebuilding in 408 B.C., centers on the anointing of the Messiah in 27 A.D., his death in 31 A.D., the extension of the Gospel to the Gentiles in 34 A.D. and finally the work of heavenly Atonement beginning in 1844.

But the most amazing detail refers to the very end, when Michael or Christ shall stand up. Just as the 1260 years was initiated by persecution of Sabbath-keepers, so at the end of time there will be a time of trouble such as never seen (Daniel 12:1). It will be the time of the loud cry of warning to the world, lasting a literal three years and a part of a year (Daniel 12:7). During the last 30 days of those 1290 literal days, the seven last plagues will fall (Revelation 16). The 1290 days will begin with the persecution of Sabbath-keepers and a national and global Sunday law culminating in a death decree, similar to Justinian’s activity at the beginning of the 1260 years. The 1335 days extend to the coming of Christ, with 45 days intervening from the deliverance from the death decree. All of these exciting events are predicted in detail in the last verses of this amazing book. Now is the time to find out how to survive the coming crisis and be among those who meet Christ in joy in his glory.