Exploring Daniel
A Devotional Commentary
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the rise of the fifth and sixth kingdoms. Med-Persia, Greece and Rome followed Babylon exactly as God had lain down, and there is no valid cause to doubt that the last two kingdoms will rise in their order. Daniel told the king: “The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.” Verses 46-47:
"Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. 47 The king answered Daniel, and said, Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret." The king was awe-stricken by Daniel's confident words. No man had ever demonstrated such insight in his presence. The retelling of his dream in such meticulous detail, and the immense scope of the interpretation, overwhelmed him, and he recognized that a supremely powerful spiritual force was at work within Daniel. For a monarch of Nebuchadnezzar's exalted position to fall on his face before Daniel, an imported slave, was a phenomenal action. He was forced to recognize Daniel's God as the God of gods and Lord of kings, which was exactly what God intended him to do.
Daniel is Promoted
Verses 48-49:
"Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.” It was typical of God to change the situation in a moment of time and by the simplest means. He used a forgotten dream to bring the proudest and most powerful monarch on the face of the earth to a recognition of Him. At the same time, He used a spiritual gift, which He Himself had bestowed upon Daniel, to elevate Daniel immediately from the condition of a foreign slave to ruler over all the region of Babylon. It is to Daniel's credit that he did not forget his companions. Many would have overlooked them in the excitement of such promotion, but Daniel was careful to impress upon the king that they had had a part in the drama. We should always give credit to the contribution others play in our success.
The phrase, “Daniel sat in the gate of the king". Simply means that he took his place on the king's inner council. In biblical times, the gate of a city was recognized as the seat of government. In this case, the gate was that of the king, which described the king's personal cabinet.
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About the Book
The book of Daniel is one of the most important prophetic texts in the Bible. It sets out, more clearly than any other book, God's plan for the ages, thus giving us a road map which enables us to understand future worldwide developments. After the deaths of David and Solomon, the kingdom of Israel split into two parts and rapidly slipped into decline. A succession of godless kings led the people into idolatry and brought them down to humiliation and defeat at the hands of their enemies. By the year 721 BC, the northern ten tribes had disappeared, having been carried off into slavery by the kings of Assyria. The remaining two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) continued for another hundred years but eventually, due to their continued disregard of God's will, they came to a similar fate. Daniel, a young man of high birth, was carried off to Babylon and his book is a graphic account of his incredible experiences there. "Exploring Daniel" examines every verse of Daniel's writing and seeks to explain the meaning and significance of the text. An understanding of the book of Daniel is essential to gaining insight into Bible prophecy in general.
About the Author
Ashley Day began his career as the Administrator of a College of Languages in London’s West End. Called into the ministry during an early Billy Graham London crusade, he and his wife, Edna, left the city and took up an itinerant ministry in the South West of England. Immigrating to the USA in October 1959, the Days ministered in Oregon, Missouri, England and Idaho. In 1980, Pastor Day was called to the Coeur d’Alene Bible Church as Senior Pastor and continued there until retirement in 2003. The Days have been happily married for 57 years and have five children.
Pastor Day’s radio broadcasts reach millions of listeners in the United States, the UK, Africa, the Middle East and China.