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INTRODUCTION
DANIEL LIVED IN
BABYLON, WHICH IS IRAQ TODAY.
As a young man,
probably in his teens, Daniel was taken with other captives by King
Nebuchnezzar to Babylon for his entire lifetime. He became one of the
greatest Prophets of the Bible. Jesus spoke about him and verified him as
an authentic anointed prophet in one of his most important prophecies in:
MATTHEW 24:15
“WHEN YE THEREFORE SHALL SEE THE
ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION, SPOKEN OF BY DANIEL THE PROPHET, STAND IN THE
HOLY PLACE, (WHOSO READETH, LET HIM UNDERSTAND)”
He lived through
the reigns of two kings of Babylon and three kings of Persia, who
conquered Babylon. His lifetime was filled with drama and excitement
while serving his God through many tests and hard trials.
Some of the most
outstanding stories in the Bible happened during Daniel’s lifetime. These
are the best character building stories we learn in our childhood in
Sunday Schools. I spiritually was blessed as a child with Daniel's
thrilling experiences. His courage and faith in God made an indelible
impression on my young mind. In junior church we sang in those days "DARE
TO BE A DANIEL, DARE TO STAND ALONE!" As a youth, I wanted to be a
Daniel---without the lions of course! It was thrilling to me and no doubt
has influenced me all my life to study the life and prophecies of this
mighty man of God.
Remember his three
Hebrew friends who spent time in the fiery furnace, accompanied by our
Lord Himself and who came out unscathed, without even smelling of fire or
smoke. Daniel spent the night with hungry ferocious lions, using one of
them for a pillow and came out uneaten!
Daniel receivedmarvellous
revelations concerning future events for world governments of the time
and of course primarily prophecies concerning his land and nation of
Israel.
The prophecies
revealed to him by Gabriel the archangel spanned almost four millenniums
of time. Daniel had more prophecies revealed to him concerning the coming
False Messiah, the Antichrist, than any other prophet in the Bible. He
gives us the most specific timetables for predicted events to happen. No
prophet comes close to Daniel in predicting the times of very
important events to come. His prophecies comprise the most interesting
and exciting study in biblical prophecies in the entire Bible along with
the amazing prophecies of the Book of Revelation.
Daniel, along with
the Apostle Paul, and John the revelator, give us the most specific
prophecies for the end-time days we are now living in. These three mighty
men of God give us the most complete, organized and in-depth prophetic
knowledge for our times. Each, are of course different in their
personalities and thus are unique in their presentations of what the Lord
revealed to them.
Isaiah in his
phenomenal book gives us a totally different set of prophecies than
Daniel, Paul or John. Isaiah’s prophecies are Messianic, and therefore
concern Jesus in His birth and life and coming Kingship over the earth
during the 1,000 years of peace; coming after these amazing prophecies of
Daniel are fulfilled.
None of these
prophets contradict one another in their prophetic pronouncements. They
all agree and of course this is because they were each totally inspired
by God to write about the future times.
Peter stated it
clearly when he wrote in:
2 PETER 1:
19 “WE HAVE A
MORE SURE WORD OF PROPHECY; WHEREUNTO YOU DO WELL THAT YOU TAKE HEED, AS
UNTO A LIGHT THAT SHINETH IN A DARK PLACE, UNTIL THE DAY DAWN, AND THE
DAY STAR ARISE IN YOUR HEARTS:
20 KNOWING THIS
FIRST, THAT NO PROPHECY OF THE SCRIPTURE IS OF ANY PRIVATE
INTERPRETATION,
21 FOR THE
PROPHECY CAME NOT INOLD TIME BY THE WILL OF MAN: BUT HOLY MEN OF GOD
SPAKE AS THEY WERE MOVED OF THE HOLY GHOST.”
You are now going
to study some of the most exciting and revealing prophecies in the entire
Bible for fulfillment in our day.
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