We cannot lead the way God intended if we don’t have a set of core convictions about our life purpose that extends beyond our vocation. They are designed to reassure God’s people that, in spite of their present persecution and suffering, God is in control and will ultimately be victorious.A transcendent life purpose is essential to leading well as a Christian in the marketplace. The second half of the book ( Daniel 7–12) contains apocalyptic visions. They show how God’s people should live in a world that is not their home (compare Jer. 1–6) contains stories from the lives of Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The book of Daniel is made up of two halves, each of which has its own literary style. In the meantime, believers must be patient and faithful in a hostile world, looking to the Lord alone for deliverance ( 11:33–35).At that time he will finally intervene to cleanse and deliver his people (ch. God rules over all of these conflicts and events, he limits the damage they do, and he has a precise timetable for the end of his people’s persecutions.Prayer is a significant weapon in that conflict ( 9:23). These earthly events are reflections of a great conflict between angelic forces of good and evil (ch.Eventually, though, the anointed ruler would come to deliver God’s people from their sins ( 9:24–27). In the future, Israel would continue to sin against the Lord, and Jerusalem would be handed over to her enemies, who would damage her temple and do other offensive things (chs. The Babylonian exile was not the end of Israel’s history of rebellion and judgment.God is sovereign over the course of history, even over those who rebel against him and seek to destroy his people (ch.This kingdom will be ruled by “one like a son of man” who comes “with the clouds,” a figure who combines human and divine traits ( 7:13). The Lord will judge the kingdoms of this world and bring them to an end, replacing them with his own kingdom that will never end. This world will be a place of persecution for God’s people, getting worse and worse rather than better and better (chs.Even the hearts of the greatest kings are under his control (chs. God humbles the proud and raises up the humble.Nevertheless, believers should not assume that God will always rescue them from harm ( 3:16–18). God can give his faithful servants abilities that cause even unbelievers to appreciate them (chs.It is possible to live a faithful life while surrounded by pagan influences, if one serves the Lord wholeheartedly (ch.
Though trials and difficulties will continue for God’s people up until the end, those who are faithful will be raised to glory, honor, and everlasting life in this final kingdom ( 12:1–3). All the kingdoms of this world will come to an end and will be replaced by the Lord’s kingdom, which will never pass away ( 2:44 7:27).
The book’s central theme is God’s sovereignty over history, empires, and kings ( 2:21 4:34–37). ( 1:1) until 536 b.c., the third year of King Cyrus ( 10:1). It records the events of Daniel’s life and the visions that he saw from the time of his exile in 605 b.c. Daniel wrote this book in the sixth century b.c.
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