book reportDANIEL

THE STORIES OF DANIEL ARE NOT JUST GIVEN AS SIMPLE STORIES, THEY ARE GIVEN TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT THE PROPHECIES PREDICT. DO DANIEL AND HIS FRIENDS EAT WITH THE KING OR NOT? THEY CHOOSE NOT TO BE TEMPTED BY THE KING'S BOUNTY BUT TO REMAIN LOYAL TO GOD AND WERE REWARDED. IT SEEMED THE KING MADE PROGRESS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND THEN BACKSLID. HE REALIZED THAT IT WAS GOD WHO SET UP AND REMOVED KINGS AND EVEN KINGS HAD TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GOD WAS THE RULER OF THEIR LIVES. WE CAN SEE THAT WE ARE LIVING IN THE STREAM OF HISTORY BECAUSE DANIEL BEGINS HIS PROPHECIES IN HIS OWN DAY, CONTINUES THROUGH HISTORY AS THEY UNFOLD, AND THEN FOCUSES ON THE END TIME. THEY HAD NOT CONSIDERED DANIEL'S PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH, AND STEADFASTNESS TO GOD, WHICH HAD PROTECTED SUSTAINED AND PROSPERED HIM THROUGHOUT HIS CAPTIVITY. PEOPLE TODAY WOULD DO WELL TO BE LOOKING FOR CHRIST, NOT THE ANTICHRIST. THESE EVENTS ARE SYMBOLIC OF THE FINAL CONFLICT THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE END TIME, WHEN, IN THE LAST DAYS, SATAN'S FORCES ARE AT WORK TRYING TO DESTROY THOSE WHO ARE FAITHFUL TO JESUS.

THE PROPHECY BEGINS IN DANIELS TIME WITH THE KINGDOM OF BABYLON, WHICH DANIEL TELLS NEBUCHADREZZAR WILL NOT LAST FOREVER BUT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY OTHERS BEFORE THE RETURN OF JESUS. THE ERA OF THE ENDING OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. WE KNOW SUCCEEDING KINGDOMS HAVE COME AND GONE JUST AS DANIEL SAID. DANIEL GIVES NEBUCHADREZZAR THE INTERPRETATION THAT GOD HAD REVEALED TO HIM IN HIS VISION JUST AS GOD GAVE IT TO HIM. THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO ARE KNOWN TO US TO HAVE REMAINED FAITHFUL TO GOD; WHO NEVER COMPROMISED EVEN, WHAT SEEMS TO US, THE SMALLEST ISSUE. BELSHAZZAR HAD RESPECT FOR THE WISDOM OF DANIEL WHOM HE CALLED TO INTERRUPT THE WRITTEN WARNING GOD HAD PUT ON THE WALL.