​In his vision, Daniel saw the history of earthly kingdoms rise and fall. Though it is as ancient history to us, the events in his vision were yet to come for him. As we pair his prophetic vision with our past, present, and future, we see that all earthly empires will come to an end. 

Consider this—as awesome as it was, the Babylonian empire only lasted 70 years before it was destroyed and another empire arose. The reign of the Medes and Persians lasted 200 years followed by the Greek empire which only lasted 180 years. The Roman empire lasted longer than all of those put together—500 years. But they were not conquered or defeated by any exterior force. They fell from the moral corruption within the empire.

Yes, empires come and empires go. Eventually all earthly empires will come to an end. Even the United States will come to an end. But there will be one kingdom which shall not be destroyed. A kingdom that will endure eternity, anchored by the Ancient of Days and Jesus Christ—our King.

“Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.”
–Daniel 7:14

Where is your allegiance? Who is your king? Are you a citizen of that eternal kingdom? Only Jesus can provide you with eternal salvation. Only His Kingdom will endure eternity. Become a citizen of His kingdom today! Simply confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. The Bible says that if you do this, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). Ask God for forgiveness. Believe that Jesus died for your sin and that God raised Him to life. Trust Him as your Savior and follow Him as the Lord of your life.

​In the first six chapters of the book of Daniel, we get insights into Daniel the man—his life and civic ministry. Daniel 7 begins the second section, which gives us insights into Daniel the prophet—his prophetic ministry that reaches to and through where we are today. 

There is a lot to go through in the in-between time, and Daniel 7 gives us many of the gruesome details of the changing in world powers as viewed from heaven. If you remember in our study of Daniel 2, we considered the human kingdoms as represented by valuable metals seen by Nebuchadnezzar in his dream. In Daniel 7, we see those same kingdoms as God views them—vicious animals that fight and devour one another.

Watch our study of Daniel 7 as we make sense of Daniel’s vision in light of world history and what we can expect to come—the eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Daniel’s contemporaries were angry administrators who didn’t like him. They devised a devious plan that would get Daniel permanently cancelled for doing what he had always done—love, honor, and worship God. This is happening in another form right now. There are angry administrators everywhere. There are people in power who would rather have all Christians removed from the public sphere and from any place of influence or importance. 

You may not face a den of hungry lions or the flames of a fiery furnace. But you may face an angry administrator banning the Bible or a new policy prohibiting prayer. You may experience a efforts of canceling Christianity—attempts of preventing you from doing what you have always done as a Christian. You may find yourself in a consequential crossroads where to continue to follow Jesus as you have always done would or could cost you your employment at work or your enrollment at school.

If this hasn’t happened to you yet, it will. You need to decide in your heart what you are going to do when it does. You need to think this through and be prepared for the time when obedience to God becomes rebellion to the world. This is one of the reason we learn from the lives of others, like Daniel. When he knew of the new policy that was put in place to take him out, he maintained his integrity and chose to continue to do what he had always done, surrounding the consequences to the same sovereign God who is able—but doesn’t always—quench the flames or close the mouths of the lions.

“You are the light of the world,” Jesus told His followers. “A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Daniel and his friends lived their lives for a long time behind enemy lines with integrity, placing their trust in the Lord and obeying Him. Periodically, God provided opportunities to let their light shine before men. 

The book of Daniel records many of these opportunities, and the sixth chapter of Daniel is no exception. Watch our study of Daniel 6 as we observe how Daniel let his light shine when obedience to God became rebellion to the world. 

When Daniel stepped into the palace at King Belshazzar’s summons, he would have been shocked. The aftermath of debauchery and drunkenness mingled with the blasphemy of using instruments from the temple in Jerusalem would have been appalling for Daniel, who was probably now in his eighties or nineties after serving under multiple monarchs in Babylon. And yet, the King and his thousand guests were even more surprised at the message from the Lord on the wall.

Everyone in that room avoided the important and the urgent in an overconfident offense to the one true God. Even though they did not know what the words meant, their consciences told them it could not be good. 

If you were walking well with the Lord and a hand appeared and wrote a message from the Lord on the wall, you might get excited and think, “WOW! What does the Lord have to say?” But if you have been walking in secret (or not so secret) sin, and the Lord has a message for you, well…your knees might start knocking like King Belshazzar’s. 

It’s been said that God’s word comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable. Comfortable King Belshazzar was disturbed by the sight of the message, and yet tragically, even when he knew what the message meant, Belshazzar did not attempt to change. May his experience be a warning to us. May we live in such a way where we make no feeble attempts to hide anything from the Lord so that when a message from Him comes, we can receive it with gladness and find comfort in His words.

Have you ever avoided something important and even looked for ways to escape the responsibility of addressing it—only for that very thing to be brought before you though a message on the radio or in church? It’s as if God wrote that message just for you and what you’re going through.

Depending on your relationship with the Lord, a message from Him can bring comfort or cause panic. For King Belshazzar, the message from the Lord written on the wall of his palace left him shaken. But even after Daniel decoded the meaning of the message, Belshazzar avoided accepting the truth.

Daniel 5 is more than a cautionary tale of a wayward king. It’s history revealed and prophecy fulfilled—and a reminder of the lengths that the Lord goes to in order to deliver His message. The question for us is: will we pay attention?

Watch our study of Daniel 5 as we consider the message for King Belshazzar then and the message for us today.

By the time the events in Daniel 4 are recorded, Daniel had served in Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar’s side for many, many years—without compromising his convictions. There’s a lesson for us in that. 

It’s so important to determine in your heart ahead of time should you stand before an authority you will disobey in a godly way (like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in Daniel 3). It’s equally important to decide ahead of time to communicate this with gentleness and respect.

We mistakenly think that there are only two options: we can either cave and compromise or rudely rage against authority. But God cares about the heart of the human you stand before as much as He cares about your heart. When you communicate with disrespect, you burn the bridge of the opportunity for a lifetime of ministry. 

Daniel shows us there is a way to take a stand and communicate without compromising convictions. It’s entirely possible to respectfully communicate, willing to accept the consequences, within the boundaries of love as the Lord defines it—patient, kind, not easily angered, not rude, and does not seek it’s own. 

Dare to be a Daniel. Dare to have a lifetime of ministry in proximity to people who don't love God, who wrestle with God, and who rage against His word WITHOUT burning any bridges or compromising your convictions, faithful to what the word of God says and willing to live with the consequences—knowing that God is able to rescue you.

​God can reach the hardest heart and the most stubborn sinner. King Nebuchadnezzar was a bit of both. Since the beginning of our study in the book of Daniel, we’ve observed that Nebuchadnezzar struggled with the reality of the One true God. 

But that changed in Daniel 4. In this chapter, we read Nebuchadnezzar’s own testimony of the breaking that needed to occur in his heart before he finally bowed to the true King of kings and Lord of Lords.

Watch our study of Daniel 4 as we considered Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony and the challenge to be a Daniel—to have a lifetime of ministry in proximity to people who don't love God, who wrestle with God, and who rage against His word WITHOUT burning any bridges or compromising convictions.

In the plain of Dura, outside the city of Babylon, with a giant golden idol before them, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego prepared themselves. They prepared to burn because they would not bow down before an idol.

With gentleness and respect, these young men explained themselves to an insecure and ruthless king (see Daniel 3:16-18). In their response, we glean three important principles to help us prepare should we find ourselves in a position to take a stand like them.

First, they were confident in God’s ability to save them. This did not mean they presumed that God would save them. Whether or not God delivered them from the fiery furnace had no bearing on whether or not they would bow. Their faith went far beyond the fiery furnace that blazed before them.

Second, they were confident in their identity. They knew who they were—Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—subjects of the One, True God whose kingdom has no end. This identity shaped their desire to honor the Lord with their lives by purposing in their hearts not to defile themselves with the earthly king’s culture or commandments. 

Third, they were confident that the cost of obedience was worth taking a stand. Having survived the attempts of indoctrination while living in the Babylonian kingdom and culture, they prepared themselves for a day when a command could come that would cost them their lives. By counting that cost, they prepared themselves and were then ready to take a stand.

Much like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, when you refuse to bow, you will stand out. Are you prepared? Have you considered the cost of obedience? Are you prepared to reject any rationalization that would cause you to compromise your conviction? Remember that God doesn’t always soften the consequences of our choice when we take a stand. But also remember this—He is with you and He will ultimately deliver you, no matter what!

In his first letter, the Apostle Peter encouraged believers to stand strong, even when faith is tested by all kinds of fiery trials. For when tested by fire, faith is found to be genuine. 

This is a New Testament spiritual principle that’s illustrated by the Old Testament physical picture we find in Daniel 3. In this chapter, we see the faith of three young men tested quite literally by a fiery trial. And as is often the case, this fiery trial leads to more opportunities to glorify God.

This past Sunday, we observed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in a fiery trial—and how they stood out as they stood up for their faith.