The Interpreter of Dreams

The Interpreter of Dreams

(Daniel)

Yearly Theme:  “Goodness is… Governing”

Series Title:  “Goodness in G minor”

July 28^th, 2024

Something to think about:

Today, we come to the final book in our series on the prophets.  Though the book of Daniel is in the section of the books of the major prophets, it’s actually considered in the Hebrew Scriptures as a part of the section known as the “Writings.”  Due to the nature of his book, however, Daniel is unique in that he does prophecy, thus our purpose for including him in this series.

According to Biblical scholars, Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, “Daniel is one of the early exiles to Babylon [under King Nebuchadnezzar], who was selected to serve as a provincial administrator in the Babylonian – and finally Persian – court.”[1]

They go further to explain that,

“At the onset it is important to note that in the Hebrew Bible, Daniel is included among the Writings rather than the Prophets.  In part this was due to its genre – stories about a ‘prophet’ and apocalyptic visions rather than prophetic oracles.  Indeed, there is nothing else quite like Daniel in Jewish and Christian literature, with its combination of court stories and apocalyptic visions.  Furthermore, its intent is to inspire and encourage God’s people living under foreign domination, not to call them to repent in light of coming judgments.  Daniel is thus never called a prophet, but one whom God reveals mysteries. …

“…The book was born in a time of oppression; it is a literary work altogether; it comes by means of visions and dreams that are given by angels; the images are those of fantasy symbolizing reality; and Daniel is told to seal up the visions for the last days (8:26; 9:24; 12:4).”[2]

So, it is from this perspective that we plumb the depths of the Book of Daniel and its 12 chapters.  In order to do this we must first understand the overarching theme of Daniel’s writings, which leads us to our key point…

Key Point:  “GOD is in control of all human history.”

How does GOD prove to Daniel, and Daniel’s audience, that He is in control of all human history?  Let’s take a closer look:

• A  .

Daniel 2:36-45

• Four  .

Daniel 7:1-18

Mark 14:55-62

• The  .

Daniel 12:1-4

John 5:25-29

Something to take home:

“There is a story that Newton made an elaborate clockwork model of the solar system.  When someone remarked on how clever he was to construct such an intricate mechanism Newton replied that the Good Lord must be a lot cleverer still to have constructed the real thing.”[3]

The ones who will survive in the end are not the ones whose life is perfect or who don’t have any problems or difficulties; the ones who will survive are those, who like Isaac Newton knew the GOD of all creation and honored Him as LORD and Creator of the Universe.  There is evil in the world, there is no denying that.  There are, and always have been wars, rumors of wars, disease, persecution, and death.  However, the GOD of all creation made a way through (not over or around) these problems.  At just the right time in human history, the Son of Man (as Daniel refers to Him), Jesus came into the world to conquer sin and death and evil once and for all.  He came to set the captives of those things free.  And in Him, the believer's life is eternally loosed from the chains of death.  There is a Heaven and there is a Hell, and all will be judged according to their allegiances to one or the other.  Jesus holds the keys to death and Hades, and those who have surrendered their lives to Him have the promised hope of eternal life in Heaven.

We are living in the last days.  The second coming of Christ is immanent.  Are you ready?

Key Point:  “GOD is in control of all human history.”

[1][1] Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible Book by Book, (Zondervan: Grand Rapids, Michigan; 2002), 204.

[2] Ibid, 205.

[3] Paul Davies – Superforce.