Daniel the Prophet

Concise Bible Dictionary:

One of the tribe of Judah and of the royal family of David, he was carried to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. He was chosen, as one who was well favored and without blemish, to stand before the king, and to be taught the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans; his name being changed to BELTESHAZZAR. He was to be fed with the king’s meat and to drink the king’s wine, but Daniel resolved not to be thus defiled; the food had probably been offered to idols. He requested that he and his companions might be allowed to live upon vegetable food and water for a few days, and God blessed this faithfulness and when tested they were found well nourished. God also gave them knowledge and skill in learning, and to Daniel He gave understanding in all visions and dreams.

This was soon to be put to the proof, for the king having had a remarkable dream, which perhaps he had forgotten, he required the wise men to tell him the dream as well as its interpretation; or he may have intended it as a test. If by help of the gods they were able to give the true interpretation, the same gods could enable them to recall the dream. But they declared that this was an unheard-of demand. The magic and astrology of Chaldea was not equal to it, and Daniel and his companions were in danger of being destroyed with all the wise men; but they turned to the God of heaven and prayed to Him, and the dream was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Daniel thanked and worshipped the God of his fathers. It was the vision of the Great Image. Its revelation had such an effect on the king that he did homage to Daniel, and said Daniel’s God was the God of gods and the Lord of kings. He made Daniel ruler over the whole of Babylon and chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon. He sat in the gate of the king. Daniel was also able to interpret the dream that foretold Nebuchadnezzar’s lunacy. He was next called to interpret the writing on the wall at Belshazzar’s feast, and was made third ruler of the kingdom; but the city was taken and the kingdom fell into other hands.

Darius, in settling the government, made three presidents over 120 princes or satraps, and Daniel was first of the three. This raised their jealousy and they laid a plot to destroy him, finding nothing on which to accuse him except concerning his piety. Spite of the king’s decree (which they had instigated) that no one should ask a petition of God or man for thirty days except of the king, Daniel still three times a day prayed and gave thanks to his God, having his window opened towards Jerusalem (compare 1 Kings 8:47-49⁴⁷Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; ⁴⁸And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: ⁴⁹Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, (1 Kings 8:47‑49)). On his being accused thereof Darius was grieved, but saw no way of keeping the law and saving Daniel, so he was cast into the lions’ den. Darius spent the night in fasting, and in the morning he found that Daniel’s God had been able to save him from the lions. He was rescued and his enemies were cast into the den. A decree was then sent throughout the kingdom that all should fear the God of Daniel, “for He is the living God.” “So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian” (Dan. 6:28²⁸So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. (Daniel 6:28)).

This closes the history of Daniel in connection with the kings of Babylon and Persia. It reveals him as faithful to his God first, and then faithful to those whom he served. He was greatly concerned for the welfare of Israel, and confessed their sins as his own. God answered and blessed him, and revealed His purposes to him; gave him favor with those he served, and preserved him from the malice of his enemies. He is twice classed with Noah and Job as a faithful one (Ezek. 14:14,20¹⁴Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 14:14)
²⁰Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness. (Ezekiel 14:20)). He typifies the faithful Jewish remnant during the Gentile supremacy, in bondage yet possessing the secret of the Lord. Finally through them the Gentiles magnify their God.

Bible Handbook:

Future Roman Empire and the Antichrist

It is well known that the fourth great Gentile kingdom prophesied of by Daniel refers to the Roman empire, and it is also a well accredited fact of history that that kingdom fell to pieces. According to the prophecy it resolved itself into ten kingdoms. Though it may not be easy to specify which they were at the time, the following may suffice, being those pointed out by Sir Isaac Newton. (1.) The Vandals and Alans in Spain; (2.) The Suevians in Spain; (3.) The Visigoths; (4.) The Alans in Gallia; (5.) The Burgundians; (6.) The Franks; (7.) The Britons; (8.) The Huns; (9.) The Lombards; (10.) The kingdom of Ravenna. The Roman empire will be resuscitated, it is well to see how the Book of Daniel and the Revelation agree in this respect.

In Revelation 13:1¹And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (Revelation 13:1) we read that John “saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns.” It will at once be seen that this agrees with the ten toes of the great image of Daniel 2, and also with the ten horns of chapter 7, which horns are said to be ten kings, or kingdoms.

In Daniel the fourth great kingdom is described as dreadful and terrible, but not as any known beast: in the Revelation it is like a leopard, with bear’s feet and a lion’s mouth: this (embracing the features of the three preceding kingdoms, Dan. 7:4-6⁴The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. ⁵And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. ⁶After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. (Daniel 7:4‑6)) is also unlike any known animal.

It may seem a difficulty that if the fourth great kingdom was long since dissolved into ten kingdoms, how it can in any sense be called any longer the Roman empire. Scripture answers this by describing it in Revelation 17:8⁸The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. (Revelation 17:8) as a single beast, “that was, and is not, and shall be present” (as most Editors give the passage). It existed as an empire at one time, it does not exist now, but shall be present in the future.

We have already seen it is described in chapter 13:1 as a beast with ten horns, that is, one supreme head as emperor, with a kingdom embracing ten kings or subordinate kingdoms. This agrees with Daniel 7:8,⁸I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. (Daniel 7:8) which states that from among the ten horns comes up another little horn, before whom three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots.

The supreme horn is described in Daniel as having eyes as the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. In the Revelation the dragon gives him his power, and his throne, and great authority: thus the above horn is here the beast itself, for he wields its whole power.

In the Revelation the head of the Roman empire, acting in the power of Satan, is closely associated with the Antichrist — thus forming a Trinity of evil. We read that another beast comes up out of the earth, having two horns like a lamb, but speaks as a dragon. He deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by his miracles: this is Antichrist. In Daniel 11:36³⁶And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. (Daniel 11:36) is introduced a king in the land of Judaea, who exalteth himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods. This is also the Antichrist.

In Daniel 2 we read that a Stone cut out without hands smote the great image upon the feet and broke them in pieces; and in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom that shall not be destroyed; and it will break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. In the Revelation, in like manner, we read the beast (the Roman power) and the false prophet (Antichrist) shall both of them be cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone (Rev. 19:20²⁰And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)). Satan also is bound with a chain and cast into the bottomless pit (Rev. 20:2-3²And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, ³And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (Revelation 20:2‑3)) before the millennium, when the kingdom of Christ will be set up on earth.

We thus see that there is full harmony between the Revelation and Daniel. Each throws light upon the other as to the future existence of a Roman empire, and also as to how the head of that empire will be under the influence and power of Satan, and will be in full communion with the coming Antichrist.

Daniel the Prophet

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