We continue through the 3 chapter event of Daniel 10-12 with chapter 11. After strengthening Daniel, a messenger from God tells him what will happen to Israel in the years to come. The time between the last Old Testament prophet and the coming of Jesus was about 400 years when God seemed silent to His people. However, He told them ahead of time through this prophecy to Daniel what they would experience. They were given the Story so that they could faithfully live in it. In the same way, you and I have been told the Story before us and what will come in the end, and we have been empowered by God's Spirit to live faithfully in it now.

In his old age, Daniel is given another vision, a visible representation of the message of God. This vision will continue to unfold throughout chapter 11, but in chapter 10 we see God's message and His messenger strengthen Daniel in his weakness. What are you nourished in? Where do you draw your strength from?

After nearly 70 years of exile, Daniel reads the prophetic writings of Jeremiah that their time of discipline is almost over... or so he thinks. His response and the message God sends him might come as a surprise!

In chapter 8, Daniel switches back to writing in Hebrew to give the people of God a little more insight into what God had shown him through his dreams during the reign of Babylon. Other kingdoms would come after Babylon; Media/Persia, Greece, and so on, but they would all fall short of what humanity was intended to be. Daniel is troubled by this vision, but Gabriel, God's messenger of good news, arrives to interpret for him that there is hope: one day these beastly kingdoms will be overthrown.

Jesus often referred to himself as the Son of Man, a title he took from this very chapter. In chapter seven, Daniel wrote about a dream he had of beastly kingdoms and the hopeful future of a perfect human finally taking his rightful place as King over all creation on the throne with the Most High God.

Many of us have heard of the amazing story of Daniel being thrown in the lion's den and his miraculous rescue. Many of us have heard of and wished for his great faith. But is that really the point of the story? Is Daniel the hero of this story? Who else shows up in that den of lions to bring rescue? Who is the hero of this story, really?

A new king is in town… and he’s a bit of a fool. His drunken party leads to some foolish actions against the true King, the God of Israel. God visits him with a message that he is unfit to be ruling over the kingdom God gave to him.

What about you and I? Do we measure up? Are we fit to stand as God’s representatives before the rest of creation? Thankfully, we are able to only by being brought to maturity in the fullness of Christ’s glory.

Nebuchadnezzar was the most powerful person on earth while he was the king of Babylon, but all that authority had been given to him by a much more powerful King. Still, he would need to have it all taken away and be humbled to the lowest point possible before he would realize the King who truly has power, authority, dominion, and glory over all the earth forever.

When the whole world bows down to the world power and seems to have gone mad, three young men stand firm in their faith in the one true God. They do not lead a zealous rebellion. They do not form a religious boycott. They quietly yet firmly, resolutely yet respectfully, honor their king while honoring the true King of all kings. And yet, they are not the heroes of this story. There is a fourth man who appears in their distress and rescues them. The King the whole world really longs for.

What began as a terrifying dream causing Nebuchadnezzar to bring terror upon his own kingdom, God used to bring hope to His people and rescue for all. In chapter two of Daniel we see that God chose to reveal something to the enemy of His people. This reminds us that God is at work in His world, even through those who do not yet trust Him.