Prophet - Daniel

Approximately 604 B.C the king of Babylon attacked on Jerusalem as per the prophecy of Jeramiah (Jeramiah 25:11) and took the vessels and young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. Among the captives there were four men mentioned in the bible they were Daniel (Belteshazzer) , Sadhrach , Meshach and Abed-nego.The king of the babylon had asked his ministers to feed them with the kings royal food and to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians and they were trained for three years. so that they all can stand in the kings service.

The book of daniel speaks about the faithfullness of Daniel and his friends of Jerusalem. God saw these fruits of Daniel and his three friends and gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom. To Daniel, God also gave understanding in all visions and dreams (Daniel 1:17). As a result of God's blessings upon Daniel and his three friends, the king "found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm" (verse 20).

On a high level Chapter 1-6 tells about Daniel and his friends and chapter 7-12 tells about the visions of Daniel about the future.

• Chapter 1 - As they were brought as captives they were losin the identity as isralites and they were refusing to take the food of Babylonians. But god helped them to overcome that situation and showed mercy upon them.
• Chapter 2: Is about the kings dream on big statue which symbolises the sequence of the kingdoms that are to come in future and only daniel was able to tell the dream and its interpretation. Daniel interpreted that dream God will one day destroy the kingdoms of the world and will bring forth the healing and the justice. Daniel had the Grace from the Lord to interpret such dreams and visions.
• Chapter 3: Talks about the friends of Daniel who refused ot bow before the statue that the king has estabished. So then the three friends were persecuted and thrown into a furnace . But god was in their midst and saved them from the furnace. And then the king ackonwledged that the god of Sadhrach , Meshach and Abed-nego was a true god.
• Chapter 4: Talks about the king nebuchadnezzar pride. God punished him and made him like a beast in a forest. But then when nebuchadnezzar humbled before God and then God restored him as a king again.
• Chapter 5: Talks about the son of nebuchadnezzar , belshazzar pride. He did not humble before god. And when he drank wine in the palace he was assasignated on the same night.
• Chapter 6: This chapter talks about daniel who was persecuted as he refused to worship and pray the king as God. And he was sentenced to death by the decree of the king and thrown into a den where many lions was put. God helps daniel and saved his life and the king exalted the God of daniel.
• Chapter 7: This chapter talks about the dream of daniel revealed by God . In his dream he saw four wild animals like Lion , Bear, winged leapord and beast with horns. Each of the animals were representing an arrogant human kingdom. The beast with horns represented the human kingdom more arrogant and executed the people of God. The god then established his kingdom by sending his son of man and destroying the beast.
• Chapter 1, 3,6 Showed the faithfulness of the daniel and his friends in the kingdom of babylon.
• Chapter 2, 7 : Indiacate that the people have to wait for the kingdom of God to come.
• Chapter 8: Talks about the second dream of daniel about the visions of the next kingdom , which was the medo-persian empire(Symbolizing Ram ) and greek empire (Symbolizing a Goat). The evil kings exalted themself above god and attack jerusalem. God then destroys their kingdom.
• Chapter 9: Daniels prayer. He consults the book of jeramiah and Israel exile will last only for 70 years. Daniel was praying to god to get the freedom from the exile. But god tells him that the isralites sin continued and will be seven times longer that the one mentioned by the prophet jeramiah.
• Chapter 10-12 : Daniels vision , Series of kings persia, greek (The alexander) -> kings of north and these kingdoms will establish idols in the kingdom and then exalt themselves. And finally god destroys all these kingdoms.

The book of daniel gives the hope to all of the future generations to come and then motivates on the faithfulness with God. During this time, Daniel served in prominent positions in the governments of several Babylonian and Medo-Persian rulers, including Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius and Cyrus.

Jesus Christ- Our Lord and saviour mentioned about prophet Daniel in Mathew 24:15