Day 163 – Daniel: Theme

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.” Daniel 7:13 NIV

The book of Daniel starts with a brief account of Nebuchadnezzar’s siege and defeat of Jerusalem, and the scene quickly shifts to Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (most known as Sadrach, Meshach, and Abednego). These favoured men came to hold prominent positions within the Babylonian government. Daniel, in particular, held such a position because of his ability to interpret the king’s dreams, which told of God’s unfolding plan. Sandwiched between the dreams is the fascinating account of Daniel’s three friends being thrown into a furnace. Because they refused to bow down to an image of gold, they were condemned to a fiery death. But God intervened and spared their lives.

Belshazzar ruled Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar, and from chapter 5 we read about his encounter with God’s message written on a wall. Daniel, who was summoned to interpret the message, predicted Babylon’s fall to the Medes and Persians. The prediction came true that very night, and Darius the Mede conquered the Babylonian Empire.

Daniel became one of Darius’s most trusted advisers. His privileged position angered other administrators, who plotted his death by convincing the king to outlaw prayer to God. In spite of the law, Daniel continued to pray and as a result was condemned to die in a den of lions. Again, God intervened, saving him by shutting the mouths of the lions.

The book concludes with a series of visions that Daniel had during the reigns of Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus, which dramatically outlined God’s plans, beginning with Babylon and continuing to the end of the age. They give a preview of God’s redemption and have been called the key to all biblical prophecy.

Prayer: Father, how precious it is that You protected Daniel through this interesting period of the empire’s shifts, so it was recorded as part of the history shaping the future and the end of this world. As we read Daniel, may we look beyond the words with a hope and anticipation for the coming of our King. Amen.