The Riddleblog

“Seal the Book” Daniel 12:1-13 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Twenty One)

Sealed Until the Time of the End

The prophet Daniel was given a vision of Judah’s future by a mysterious visitor–the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus. In Daniel 11:2-35, Daniel’s visitor foretells in amazing detail how the people and the land of Judah will fare from the time the Jews began to return home after their captivity in Babylon ends in 538 BCE, until the rise of a persecuting tyrant–Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the man who will desecrate the temple in Jerusalem in 167 BCE.

After predicting the precise events associated with Antiochus IV’s rise to power, Daniel’s divine visitor begins to speak about the time of the end–moving from events in 167 BCE to those which will occur in the distant future at the end of time. Daniel learns that a figure much like Antiochus IV will arise and “do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done” (Daniel 11:36).

But Daniel’s vision is not yet over. The divine visitor tells Daniel that human history will come to a final end on that day when all the dead are raised, and God will judge all the earth’s inhabitants according to what they have done–whether good or evil. Some of those raised from the dead will live in everlasting righteousness, while others in everlasting shame and contempt. But instead of giving him precise details–as he had done in verses 2-35–Daniel’s visitor now tells him, “the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.”

With this exposition we wrap-up our series on the Book of Daniel. We are in the concluding section of Daniel’s prophecy–chapters 10-12, which includes the third and final vision given to Daniel, a portion of which we considered in chapter 11:2-45. We will consider the closing scene in this vision (verses 1-4 of chapter 12), before looking at the epilogue to the book (vv. 5-13), where Daniel recounts his divine visitor conversing with two other beings (presumably angels), speaking about the time of the end, discussing how those things just revealed to Daniel must remain “sealed,” or closed off to Daniel and all of God’s people until the dawn of the messianic age.

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The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerOctober 2, 2024The end, The general resurrection, The scrollComment

“At the Time of the End” Daniel 11:2-45 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Twenty)

A Mysterious Visitor

It was April 23rd, 536 BCE. The prophet Daniel was standing on the bank of the Tigris River when a mysterious visitor appeared to him and revealed that Daniel was about to receive the next in a series of visions which YHWH had given him throughout his time as an exile in Babylon. The appearance of this mysterious visitor–the pre-incarnate Jesus–caused Daniel great fear. The very presence of the holy visitor exposes Daniel’s sinfulness, causing him to fall on his face.

Reassured of God’s favor by the visitor, the vision now given Daniel will foretell the future of those Jewish exiles who had recently departed from Babylon when Cyrus, the Persian king, released them in 538 BCE to return to Judah, rebuild the city of Jerusalem and the temple of YHWH. Jeremiah’s prophecy that Israel’s time of exile was limited to seventy years was now fulfilled. But Daniel learns that although the time of exile is over and the Jews have returned to the promised land, the glory days for Israel are over. Jerusalem and the temple will be rebuilt, but the nation of Judah will be trapped between two empires bent on waging war upon each other–the Seleucids (to the North) and the Ptolemies (to the South). As the vision comes to an end, Daniel will be given a glimpse into the distant future, a time when a mighty blasphemer will arise, boasting about himself and making threats to the people of God (an Antichrist), who, at the time of the end, will be destroyed by YHWH’s kingdom which triumphs over all on the day of resurrection and final judgment.

History In Advance

The vision recounted in Daniel 11:2-45 is utterly remarkable in that Judah’s future is foretold hundreds of years in advance with an amazing level of accuracy and detail. The vision reads like history written in advance, which is why critical scholars argue that this “vision” must have been written after the fact. We will turn our attention to the details of the passage shortly, but we must not miss the forest for the trees as we proceed. YHWH has ordained Israel’s future (seventy weeks have been decreed) and is directing all things to their appointed ends. Israel’s time in exile has now come to an end. The Jews have returned to Judah and begun to rebuild. But their troubles are not over.

As for their immediate future, the Jews will again possess the land, rebuild Jerusalem, its walls, as well as the temple of YHWH as recounted in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. But in the period which follows (so-called “Second Temple” Judaism), Judah will function as a vassal state, first of the Persians, and then the Greeks, before finding themselves caught in the middle of a prolonged struggle between two kingdoms (one to the north and one to the south). Despite the troubles to come, YHWH is still fulfilling his purposes, which include the coming of a messianic age and the rise of a future Antichrist at the time of the end.

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“Fear Not” Daniel 10:1-11:1 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Nineteen)

An Invisible War

Throughout our time studying the Book of Daniel, we have read of YHWH using dreams and visions to reveal to his prophet information about the future of the land of Judah, the people of Israel, the city of Jerusalem, and the temple of YHWH. The purpose of this prophetic revelation is to encourage those Jews then living as exiles in Babylon–the former capital of the Babylonian empire, now occupied by the Persians. The exiles find themselves under YHWH’s covenant curse because of Israel’s past idolatry and unbelief. The good news is that this time of exile is about to end. The bad news is that their struggles will not. Daniel now learns that there is an invisible and spiritual war behind the day to day struggles of God’s people, a war which will be won by a coming of the Messiah.

During his remarkable life in exile, Daniel was called and equipped by YHWH to serve two of the greatest kings of that age: Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon) and Cyrus (the Persian empire). YHWH has also revealed to Daniel that four great Middle Eastern empires will successively rise and fall–the Babylonian, the Persian, the Greek, and then finally, Rome. Through the prophetic revelation given to Daniel, the exiles learn that they are about to return home and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. But YHWH will also reveal that the glory days for Israel are past, and they will not return until the mighty fourth empire of these visions, Rome, is finally subdued after its direct opposition to YHWH and his kingdom. YHWH’s final conquest will take the form of a messianic kingdom which conquers all of God’s enemies apart from the use of armies and political power. This will be a victory won by a suffering Messiah who breaks the power of sin and undoes the curse.

YHWH – The Author and Lord of History

As recounted in chapter nine, Daniel was well aware that Judah’s seventy years of exile foretold by the prophet Jeremiah was coming to an end. Worried about his people, Daniel fervently prays for Judah (vv. 1-19 of Daniel 9). YHWH answered him by sending the Angel Gabriel who revealed to Daniel that a time of seventy weeks has been decreed for God’s people, a period which begins to unfold with the Persian king Cyrus’s decree in 538 BCE. This decree will allow the Jews to return to Babylon and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. Furthermore, Gabriel explains that the seventy weeks will be fulfilled when a coming Messiah will finish the transgression, put an end to sin, atone for iniquity, bring in everlasting righteousness, seal both vision and prophet, and anoint a most holy place (v. 24). Gabriel also reveals that in the process of the Messiah redeeming his people, both Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed, and then Jews will be dispersed into the ends of the earth. But the Messiah will complete his redemptive work and usher in the final jubilee and the eternal Sabbath at the end of the age.

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The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerSeptember 6, 2024Daniel 10, Daniel's fnal vision Comment

“The Seventieth Week” Daniel 9:24-27 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Eighteen)

The Seventieth and Final Week of Daniel’s “Seventy Weeks” Prophecy

As famed philosopher-catcher Yogi Berra once quipped, “when you come to a fork in the road, take it!” When we come to Daniel 9:27 and read of one who makes a strong covenant with the many for one week (the seventieth), we have come to such an interpretive fork in the road. Is Daniel speaking about a future antichrist making a seven-year peace treaty with Israel which marks the beginning of the tribulation? Or is Daniel instead speaking of the coming of the Messiah, who makes a strong covenant on behalf of those whom he is about to redeem at the climax of his messianic mission? The choice is fundamental as to how we understand this prophecy. Christ or the Antichrist?

The Context for Daniel’s Messianic Prophecy

In the previous expositions of Daniel 9, we have been working our way through a passage which includes the famous prophecy of the “seventy weeks” (vv. 24-27). As we noted throughout our time in this chapter, this is one of the most disputed and difficult prophecies in all the Old Testament. But everyone does agree that it is also one of the most important Old Testament prophecies. Although those influenced by dispensationalism see this prophecy as predicting a future seven-year tribulation period and a peace treaty between the Antichrist and Israel, the prophecy makes much better sense when seen as a messianic prophecy, predicting the coming of Jesus (Israel’s Messiah) with great accuracy and specificity–the so-called “messianic interpretation.”

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“Seventy Weeks” Daniel 9:20-27 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Seventeen)

Messianic Prophecy or a Guide to the End times?

Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks is one of the most intriguing passages in all the Bible. It is often described by commentators as among the most difficult passages to interpret in all the Old Testament. Many of our contemporaries understand this passage as a map to the end times. But I think the passage makes much more sense when understood as a messianic prophecy foretelling the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. Yes, the passage does tell us much about the end times (in a big picture kind of way), but it does so through the lens of Jesus’s work in fulfilling the six conditions set forth in the prophecy–finishing transgression, putting an end to sin, atoning for iniquity, ushering in everlasting righteousness, sealing both vision and prophet, and anointing a most holy place. As we will in this and in the essay to follow, these things were, in fact, accomplished by Jesus through the strong covenant which he makes with the many (i.e., the people of God whom the Father chooses to save). If Gabriel’s revelation to Daniel does speak to the end times, it does so in the form of a messianic prophecy, foretelling with an uncanny accuracy the suffering and obedience of the one who fulfills it–the Lord Jesus.

Many of us grew up in churches influenced by dispensationalism. We learned this passage well because it was thought to serve as a guide to the end times. The prophet Daniel supposedly foresees a time (the 70th and final week of the seventy weeks) when Israel is back in the land at or about the time the Gentile church is removed from the earth (the Rapture). The Rapture also marks the dawn of the so-called seven year tribulation period, during which the Antichrist (on this scheme, the one who makes a covenant with Israel) turns upon the Jews in their rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, leading to a final battle (Armageddon) which culminates in the return of Jesus. Although this is the view which dominates much of American evangelicalism, this interpretation is wide of the mark for several reasons we will address in this and the next installment of our exposition of Daniel’s remarkable prophecy.

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“To the Lord Our God Belong Mercy and Forgiveness” Daniel 9:1-19 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Sixteen)

Setting the Scene for Daniel’s Seventy Weeks

The ninth chapter of the Book of Daniel contains one of the most debated and difficult passages in all the Bible–the famous vision of the seventy weeks is found in verses 24-27. This vision, given to Daniel through the Angel Gabriel, is often taken to be a prophetic revelation focusing exclusively on the end times. While the vision does indeed extend to the time of the end, the focus in the opening verses of the chapter is explaining how is it–if, as Israel’s prophets have foretold, the seventy years of exile in Babylon are about to come to an end–that God will extend this time of exile for seventy more weeks. The news of an extension of Israel’s exile (a form of covenant curse) takes a surprising turn, as Gabriel now reveals to Daniel. As promised, God’s people will return to Jerusalem and rebuild both the city and the temple. How then can the people still be said to be in exile?

The Critical Questions

In Daniel 9, the root cause of this extended time of exile is revealed to be human sinfulness. Because God is holy, human sin must be dealt with once and for all before the time of exile finally and ultimately comes to an end. As Gabriel now reveals to Daniel, this is the work of the coming Messiah, who will truly restore Jerusalem, the temple, and the sacrifices, but will also put an end to sin, atone for wickedness, and bring in an everlasting righteousness. Although many take the prophecy of the seventy weeks to predict specific events at the time of the end, Daniel 9 is better understood as one of the most important messianic prophecies in all the Bible. It foretells of a coming Messiah who will overcome all his enemies and ours, and who will once and for all put an end to the guilt and the power of human sin. It is this covenant-making Messiah–not a future Antichrist–who is the key figure of the seventy weeks.

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The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerJuly 15, 2024the Ultimate Jubilee, Christ not Antichrist, Daniel's PrayerComment

“A Little Horn” Daniel 8:1-27 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Fifteen)

Yet Another Vision

Who is Antiochus IV Epiphanes and why should we care?

If we were Jews we would know the answer to this question immediately–Antiochus Epiphanes and the Macabbean Wars (167-141 BC) are the historical background of the Jewish holiday “Hanukkah” (which means “dedication,” or more specifically, “re-dedication”). The reason why we as Christians should care about Antiochus is because the prophet Daniel had another vision which is recounted in chapter 8, this time of a ram and a goat. But the “Little Horn” also reappears (we first read of him in Daniel 7:8) and his role is central in this vision, pointing us ahead to a future antichrist. In this visionary dream, YHWH gives Daniel a prediction of yet another terrible time for the people of God then exiled in Babylon.

This vision informs them that at some point before the dawn of the messianic age, yet after the exiles have indeed returned from Babylon to Judah to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and YHWH’s temple, the rebuilt temple will be desecrated by a “Little Horn,” who, in this vision, is none other than Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The temple will be cleansed and the altar rebuilt by Judas Maccabaeus, the famed Jewish rebel leader who recaptured Jerusalem from Antiochus’ forces and then restored the temple. This event, Hanukkah,celebrated by Jews ever since was foretold with uncanny accuracy by Daniel, and recounted for us in the 27 verses of the eighth chapter of the Book of Daniel.

Amazing Accuracy

This vision is important to us for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the accuracy of Daniel’s prediction of yet another terrible desecration of YHWH’s temple in Jerusalem. This desolation will occur long after the Jewish exiles then held in Babylon (at the time Daniel is given this vision), have, in the future, returned to Judah and are once again established in the land of promise. Daniel’s vision predicts the coming of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (some 350 years yet future to Daniel), but it also depicts him as a type (or a foreshadowing) of a series of antichrist figures yet to come. As we saw in the vision recorded in Daniel 7, this series of antichrists includes the self-deifying emperors of Rome (the “Little Horn” of the fourth beast of the visions in Daniel 2 and 7), and which culminates in a final end times antichrist foretold by the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.

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The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerJuly 1, 2024The Little Horn, The Angel GabrielComment

“An Everlasting Kingdom” Daniel 7:15-28 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Fourteen)

A Remarkable Vision of Four Great Empires—Metallic Statues and Fierce Beasts

In chapter 7 of the prophecy which bears his name, Daniel is given a vision which maps out the future course of the four great ancient Middle-Eastern empires with uncanny accuracy. Daniel’s vision dates from 550 BCE–the first year that Belshazzar was king of Babylon–but covers historical developments until the rise of the Roman empire four centuries later.

In this amazing vision, Daniel sees four fierce and frightening beasts which represent the same successive empires which Nebuchadnezzar had seen in the vision of the metallic statue which YHWH had given to him (and recounted in Daniel 2): the Babylonian empire, the Persian empire, the Greek empire (under Alexander the Great and his successors), and then finally the fourth and most powerful and frightening beast of all, the Roman empire.

The “Ancient of Days” and the “Son of Man”

What makes Daniel’s vision so much more than a mere lesson in ancient Near-Eastern history is that this vision is given five centuries before these events actually occur. In this vision, Daniel is also given a glimpse of the heavenly court in session. He sees one whom he describes as “the Ancient of Days” presiding, with one “like a Son of Man” being led into his presence, possessing a glory beyond all human comprehension with thousands and tens of thousand attendants. Daniel sees what so many of God’s people across the ages have desired to see–a glimpse of what heaven is like and what transpires in God’s presence.

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The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerJune 20, 2024The Fourth Beast, The Little HornComment

“The Ancient of Days” Daniel 7:1-18 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Thirteen)

The Scene Changes

The second half of the Book of Daniel is much different from the first half. The first six chapters of Daniel recount the career of the Hebrew prophet including a number of events associated with Daniel and his three Hebrew comrades (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), two Babylonian kings (Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar) and one Persian king (Darius the Mede–also known as Cyrus). The second half of the Book of Daniel (chapters 7 through 12) opens with a dramatic vision given by YHWH to Daniel which maps out the next six centuries of ancient near-eastern history.

Yet in the following chapters, Daniel continues to recount some of the most fantastic and difficult visions in all the Bible. The literary hinge between the two halves of Daniel is chapter 7. As one writer puts it, the nature of Daniel’s dramatic vision makes this “the single most important chapter of the Book of Daniel.”[1] Chapter 7 includes what yet another writer describes as “the key to history.”[2] These are grandiose comments, but after we have spent some time in this chapter, I think you will see why these opinions are appropriate. The vision given Daniel in chapter 7 points us to a mysterious figure–“One like a Son of Man”–who is indeed the key to understanding all of human history.

Daniel’s vision of four strange beasts as recorded in chapter 7, covers the same time frame in human history (the 5th century BC-the 1st century AD) as the vision which YHWH gave previously to Nebuchadnezzar, recounted in Daniel 2. But this vision is YHWH’s revelation of the all-conquering king (Jesus) around whom all of human history ultimately centers. The subsequent visions given Daniel in chapters 8-12 speak of the great empires which arise after Babylon falls (the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires), while also foretelling of the rebuilding of Jerusalem (after the Jewish exiles return home from Babylon), the rise of an antichrist figure (described as a blaspheming “little horn” who is the arch-enemy of God’s people), before the visions take us forward to the end of the age and the general resurrection when all the dead (believing and unbelieving) are raised bodily on the day of final judgment.

Daniel Given Another Vision

This vision was given Daniel by YHWH while Belshazzar was in the first year of his reign as king of Babylon–specifically, the year 550 BC, which also happened to be the very same year that a relatively unknown Persian king (Darius) rose to become leader of the Medo-Persian empire (taking the royal name Cyrus), which will conquer Babylon in 539 BC (as we saw in chapters 5-6 of Daniel). We will explore this vision in chapter 7 in this essay and the next.

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“He Is the Living God” Daniel 6:1-28 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Twelve)

Babylon Has Fallen

The sign on the door of the royal palace read “under new management.” The Persians (Medes) have displaced the Babylonians (Chaldeans) as the occupiers and rulers of Babylon. The Babylonian king, Belshazzar, is dead. Darius the Mede (Cyrus) is now in charge, ruling as Persian king over the former Babylonian empire. The Hebrew prophet, Daniel, now an old man, is immediately recognized by Darius as a wise and gifted man and an effective supervisor. Daniel is given great authority as one of three “presidents” (counselors) to supervise the satraps (or regional governors), who handled the day to day affairs of local government. It is a position of great honor, respect, and influence. But Daniel’s appointment to such high office creates much jealousy among the Persians, and even perhaps among former Babylonian officials who were passed over for the prestigious job which instead went to a despised Hebrew. A plot is soon hatched to remove Daniel from his new office, and it will not be long before Daniel finds himself forced to deny his faith in YHWH, or face being thrown to lions. But God preserves his people in such a way as to unmistakably reveal himself to be the sovereign Lord of all–even to the Persian king Darius.

Daniel in the Lion’s Den – More Than a “Bible Story”

The story of “Daniel in the lion’s den” is one of the best known and most loved of all the so-called “Bible stories.” This is a great story in its own right. But to make full sense as to why this incident is included in Daniel’s prophecy, it must be considered in light of the larger redemptive-historical context, which is the victory of YHWH, his prophets, and his exiled people over the false “gods” of Babylon, and now Persia. YHWH is sovereign over all kings and nations and is directing the events of which we have read throughout Daniel’s prophecy to his own ends. Daniel’s trial and ordeal in the lion’s den in chapter 6 are part of YHWH’s larger sovereign plan to ensure that the Jewish exiles in Babylon will be allowed to return home to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and YHWH’s temple. This comes about because YHWH moves Darius (Cyrus) to issue a decree to bring this to pass (recounted in the books of Ezra-Nehemiah). But the one incident which seems to truly motivate Darius to release the Jewish exiles is when the Persian king sees firsthand the power of God in rescuing his prophet Daniel from a pride of hungry lions.

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The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerMay 20, 2024The Lion's Den, Cyrus's DecreeComment

“God Has Numbered the Days of Your Kingdom” Daniel 5:13-31 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Eleven)

The Final Bash in the King’s Palace

It was a party like no other. Wine was flowing freely and the thousand or so royal guests seemed completely oblivious to the fact that within hours the party’s host (the Babylonian king Belshazzar) will be dead and the Persian army will have captured the city and the palace in which his guests were partying. King Belshazzar and the great Babylonian empire will be no more. Yet, the events of this fateful evening should not come as a surprise to Belshazzar.

YHWH warned Belshazzar’s more famous predecessor (Nebuchadnezzar) of this very night in a dream recorded in Daniel 2. Nebuchadnezzar saw a gigantic metallic statue with a head of gold (representing Nebuchadnezzar and his empire). But that empire would at some point give way to the Persian empire (represented by the silver arms and chest of the statue). It was the Hebrew prophet Daniel, who, when interpreting the dream, told Nebuchadnezzar of these events yet to transpire. On this very night, YHWH issued a warning of impending judgment in the form of a mysterious handwritten message which suddenly appeared on the wall of the palace for all to see. Daniel is summoned to the king’s palace yet again. This time, Daniel is to interpret a mysterious handwritten message which terrified Belshazzar as well as his guests. The message brings ominous news to Belshazzar. It is YHWH’s declaration of judgment, fulfilling the scene in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

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The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerMay 6, 2024Belshazzar, Handwriting on the Wall, Fall of BabylonComment

“There Is a Man in Your Kingdom” Daniel 5:1–12 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Ten)

A Dream Becomes Reality

Nebuchadnezzar foresaw this terrible night in a dream–a great empire, crumbling by the day, now entering its final hours. In his visionary dream of a gigantic metallic statue with a head of gold, Nebuchadnezzar saw the greatness of his own empire, even as Daniel warned him that both the king and his empire would come to an end–crushed by a rock cut from a mountain without human hands. Now, Nebuchadnezzar is long since dead and gone with the last of the Babylonian kings (Belshazzar, co-regent with his father–Nabonidus) on the throne. The year is 539 BC. Although Daniel does not reveal the circumstances behind the debauchery seen in the opening verses of chapter 5 until the closing verses of the chapter, this is the Kingdom of Babylon’s last night. Persian armies are about to take the city of Babylon through a daring commando raid using the city’s dried-up water supply. Instead of leading the city’s defenders in an effort to save the city, Belshazzar hosts a massive drunken party as though all were right with the world. On this night, the last hours of the great Babylonian empire, Belshazzar spends it drinking and mocking YHWH, even as YHWH takes his kingdom from him and gives it to another–the Persian conqueror of the city, Darius the Mede. All of this was foretold in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of Daniel 2.

In Daniel 5, the circumstances are greatly different from those at the end of Daniel 4 (v. 37), when Nebuchadnezzar confessed–even if reluctantly–“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 BC–twenty three years before the events recounted here. A list of short-term successors had taken Nebuchadnezzar’s place. The first was the king’s own son, Amel-Marduk, who was assassinated by his brother-in-law in 560 (reigning just two years). One of those who plotted his death (Neriglessar) ruled until 556, and was succeeded by his own son, Labashi-Marduk, who was brought down just a few months into his reign by a coup lead by Nabonidus, an unpopular eccentric known for his devotion to the god “Sin” instead of the traditional and most favored Babylonian god, Marduk (Bel).

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“All His Works Are Right and His Ways Are Just” – Daniel 4:19-37 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Nine)

A Second Bad Dream

King Nebuchadnezzar has had another terrifying dream. Once again his court magicians and wise men cannot interpret his dream. Greatly troubled, the Babylonian king summons his Hebrew servant Daniel to interpret this dream which has disrupted the king’s life of relative ease and comfort. Daniel will reveal that the unsettling circumstances foretold in Nebuchadnezzar’s previous dream are soon to come to pass. In the prior dream (as recounted in Daniel 2), the king saw a frightening metallic stature with a head of gold, which represented the king and his empire. But that kingdom will fall before a series of empires yet to follow. Nebuchadnezzar and his vast kingdom will come to an end–replaced by the Persian empire then just beginning to rise to power. Now in old age, Nebuchadnezzar remains convinced that his kingdom is mighty and that it stands as a testimony to his own accomplishments and greatness. But as a consequence of these two dreams, the king is beginning to realize that his kingdom is no match for YHWH. YHWH rules all the kingdoms of the earth from heaven. His kingdom is not of this world. His kingdom is eternal. None of this can be said of any earthly kingdom, including Nebuchadnezzar’s.

We pick-up where we left off last time with v. 19 of Daniel 4, when the king had another troubling dream and then summoned the Hebrew prophet (Daniel) to interpret the dream for him. Ironically, it was Daniel (a believing Jew), who, in gaining favor with the king after interpreting his first dream successfully was appointed prefect over Nebuchadnezzar’s pagan court magicians. The king’s magicians fail again and so it falls to Daniel to explain to the king what his second dream foretold–events which Nebuchadnezzar probably suspected (based upon his previous terrifying dream years before), yet which now brought him to a breaking point.

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The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerApril 8, 2024Nebuchadnezzar's Second DreamComment

“The Most High Rules the Kingdom of Men” – Daniel 4:1-18 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Eight)

The New Situation In Babylon

In Daniel chapter 4 we are given remarkable insight into a man who has played a central role in Daniel’s prophecy–the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. In each of the previous chapters of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar exerted his royal power and authority, demonstrated his hot temper and tyrannical nature, while championing the “gods of Babylon.” We have also seen that his “gods” and his Chaldeans (the wise men and court magicians) repeatedly failed to give the king that which he demanded. The great king was even forced to seek help from one of his young Hebrew servants to interpret a troubling dream–which he will do yet again in chapter 4. YHWH has clearly won the battle with the idols of Babylon. Through all of this, it has become clear that YHWH is sovereign over all things, a fact which Nebuchadnezzar has been forced to admit repeatedly when neither his idols nor his Chaldeans could help him. This was also made clear to him in chapter 3 when Nebuchadnezzar witnessed three Hebrew officials (who were friends of Daniel) survive being thrown into a super-heated fiery furnace with the aid of a mysterious fourth man (the pre-incarnate Christ, or an angel of the Lord).

But in Daniel chapter 4 we find that everything has changed. Much time has passed and Nebuchadnezzar is a different man. Nebuchadnezzar has yet another dream which Daniel must interpret for him–only this dream comes much later in the king’s career, toward the end his life. In this chapter–filled with remarkable contrasts and ironies–we read of a king whose days as a cruel tyrant seem to be in the past. The king greatly enjoys the creature comforts accrued after a long career as ruler of a great empire. Daniel’s report almost makes us feel sorry for Nebuchadnezzar as the pagan king is forced to wrestle with the fact that YHWH is the sovereign Lord, who rules the affairs of men and nations, and of whom Nebuchadnezzar will affirm, “how great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.”

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The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerMarch 15, 2024Nebuchadnezzar's Second DreamComment

“But I See Four Men” – Daniel 3:1-30 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Seven)

Nebuchadnezzar Makes Good on His Promise

After Daniel interpreted the king’s frightening dream, Nebuchadnezzar was greatly relieved. In fact, the king was so thankful to Daniel that he acknowledged his young Hebrew servant’s God as “God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries.” The Babylonian king even made good on his promise to reward anyone who could interpret his dream. He “gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon” (Daniel 2:48).

Daniel remained in service to the royal court until his death about 538 BC–living well into his eighties. But while Daniel remained a trusted court advisor to both Babylonian and subsequent Persian officials, his three Hebrew friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were serving elsewhere as high officials in the province of Babylon–a favor which Nebuchadnezzar granted to Daniel on their behalf. Although Nebuchadnezzar offered high praise to YHWH because he revealed the meaning of the dream to his servant Daniel (as recounted in chapter 2), it will become clear that the Babylonian king never gave up his pagan ways. He soon erected a golden statue and demanded that his subjects worship it. This strange demand is a mix of an over-inflated royal ego, ancient near-eastern power politics, combined with pagan religion. Once again, Daniel’s friends’ lives are in danger. This time Daniel will not rescue them but YHWH will, in what amounts to the next round in the on-going conflict between YHWH and the idols of Babylon.

The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerFebruary 26, 2024The Fiery furnaceComment

“Your God Is God of Gods and Lord of Kings” – Daniel 2:44-49 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Six)

That Was Some Dream . . .

Nebuchadnezzar had a frightening dream–it was not a nightmare, it was divine revelation. In his dream, the Babylonian king saw a statue of a mighty and brilliant figure which absolutely terrified him. But he was a man who prided himself on his ability to terrify others. Knowing this was no ordinary dream and that it foretold his own future as well as that of the empire he ruled, the king demanded that his court magicians recount the contents of the dream and then give the king an interpretation. When it became clear to Nebuchadnezzar that his magicians cannot recount the details of the dream, much less interpret it for him, the king grows furious and threatens his magicians with death–along with the entire palace staff, including Daniel and his three friends.

The image which the king saw in his dream had a head made of gold, its chest and arms were made of silver, its belly and thighs were made of bronze, while its feet were an odd mixture of clay and iron. Suddenly, in the dream, a rock hit the statue’s feet, shattering them and causing the entire statue to crumble into pieces. The fractured remains of the statue eventually disintegrate into dust which was scattered by the wind so that nothing remained behind. The rock which smashed the feet of the statue had been cut from a mountain without human hands, and rapidly grew into a giant mountain which eventually filled the entire earth. What did all of this mean?

This dream terrified Nebuchadnezzar because it had been given to him by YHWH (the true and living God worshiped by the Hebrews) who, in turn, revealed both the dream and its contents to a young Hebrew servant in the Babylonian royal court, who also happened to be a prophet of YHWH. In the dramatic conflict between Daniel and the wise men and magicians (the Chaldeans) which plays out in the Babylonian royal court (in reality this is a conflict between YHWH and the idols of Babylon), Nebuchadnezzar learns the fate of his empire. It will be defeated and destroyed.

At the same time, the people of God are given a panoramic vision of the four great empires which will arise and then fall until the coming of Israel’s Messiah (Jesus) who will crush each of these great empires as his kingdom extends into all the earth and endures until the very end of time. It is Daniel’s God, not Nebuchadnezzar’s “gods,” who rules heaven and earth, and directs the affairs of people and nations. King Nebuchadnezzar is terrified for good reason–his “gods” and his court magicians cannot help him. Nebuchadnezzar is at the mercy of YHWH.

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The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerFebruary 12, 2024Nebuchadnezzar's Dream InterpretedComment

“A God in Heaven Who Reveals Mysteries” – Daniel 2:24-45 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel–Part Five)

Nebuchadnezzar’s Anger at the Chaldeans

King Nebuchadnezzar is in a rage and is threatening to execute his entire palace staff. He was awakened by a troubling dream which both confused and frightened him. He then summoned his court magicians and wise men (“the Chaldeans”) to explain the meaning of what he had just dreamt. But the Chaldeans cannot recount the details of his dream, much less offer an interpretation. No help in relieving the king’s anxiety, and upon seeing the king’s anger at them, the Chaldeans seek to stall Nebuchadnezzar, hoping he will forget about the dream and move on to other things.

Meanwhile, the young Hebrew servant, Daniel, who has impressed the king from the moment he first appeared before the king in the royal court, offers the very thing the king’s magicians, sorcerers, and wise men cannot. Daniel will recount the details of the king’s dream, and then give him an interpretation. In the scene which plays out in chapter 2 of Daniel’s prophecy, we learn that YHWH has given his young servant Daniel the gift of wisdom, and revealed to the prophet both the content and the meaning of the king’s dream. In the contest between Daniel and the court magicians which follows, Daniel will easily win because the Babylonian “gods” are nothing but the figment of human imagination and superstition, while YHWH is the true and living God, who directs the course of history, who grants wisdom, who speaks, and who answers prayer.

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“Daniel Blessed the God of Heaven” – Daniel 2:1-24 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel-- Part Four)

Times Have Changed

The mood in the Babylonian court has completely changed between the time Nebuchadnezzar claimed the throne in 605 BC, and the scene which unfolds in Daniel chapter 2. In the opening chapter of his prophecy, Daniel describes Nebuchadnezzar as an all-powerful king, bestowing favors on those servants who have successfully completed their transformation from captured youths into humble and efficient servants in the Babylonian court, young men who come from the various peoples defeated by the Babylonians, now dedicated to serve the king and worship his Babylonian “gods.”

But in chapter 2 (which takes place two years later in 603 BC), the king is troubled and frightened because he has had a dream–the meaning of which escapes him. The royal court which seemed so dominant over its humiliated subjects is now depicted as a place of fear, helplessness, and brutality.[1] Whatever it was that the king had dreamed, coupled with the failure of Nebuchadnezzer’s magicians and astrologers to interpret the dream for him, initially leads to great peril for Daniel and his friends. But then it becomes an opportunity for Daniel to ascend in rank and importance in the court. This comes to pass because YHWH is Daniel’s shield and defender, and the source of both Nebuchadnezzaer’s dream and Daniel’s interpretation.

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The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerJanuary 10, 2024Nebuchadnezzar's Bad Dream, Daniel 2:1-24Comment

“Ten Times Better” -- Daniel 1:17-21 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel-- Part Three)

Context and Background Matter In Daniel

I think it fair to say that one reason why preachers often turn the great events of redemptive history into object lessons or timeless truths–and often times even these are obscured by illustrations, stories, and multi-media presentations–is because neither they nor their congregations know the Bible well enough (or care to know the Bible well enough) to let the biblical story tell itself, and then trust God to apply his word to the hearts of those hearing it proclaimed.

Because it is a difficult book, requiring a great deal of historical background, the Book of Daniel is far too often subject to such unfortunate moralizing treatment. This is a shame, because the story of four young Jewish boys taken captive, forced to conform to foreign ways, and then finding themselves standing before the king of Babylon (the man who has done these evil things to them) and out-performing by ten times the king’s own best and brightest, is far more interesting than any illustration I might find, any story that I might tell, or any timeless truth we may attempt to identify.

Their story is especially compelling when we know the biblical background which puts this account into perspective–the reason why I will spend some time developing that background. Yes, this is a wonderful story of faith under pressure and resistance in the face of temptation. But it is also a story of God working all things after the counsel of his will, while still caring for these four young men. God has chosen Daniel to reveal future chapters in the great story of redemption.

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The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerDecember 28, 2023Daniel--the big picture, Two Themes in Daniel, OT echoes in DanielComment

"God Gave Daniel Favor and Compassion” -- Daniel 1:8-21 (An Exposition of the Book of Daniel-- Part Two)

Daniel’s Prophecy is About Much More Than Resisting Temptation

Perhaps you heard the same sorts of sermons on Daniel I did growing up. As Daniel resisted the temptation to embrace worldly ways, keeping his faith under pressure to conform, so we too should resist “worldliness” and stand strong in our beliefs in the face of those who reject them. The application we were to draw from this was not to smoke, drink, date non-Christians, lie, steal, and so on, when non–Christians tell us these things are okay.

While there is some truth in this, when we read of Daniel being forced to resist the pressure to compromise his faith we are tempted to read Daniel’s struggle in light of our own struggles to live godly lives and progress in our sanctification. But, as I will suggest throughout this series, we should understand Daniel’s situation as much more like that in which a Christian in modern Syria and Iraq endured when their community was overrun by a terrorist regime like ISIS or Hamas, or even in light of what the Chinese Communist Party has sought to do with the Uyghurs—a Muslim population in western China. Daniel faced a constant, coercive, and humiliating pressure to reject his religion and his national citizenship, to embrace foreign gods, serve foreign rulers, and adopt a way of life completely alien to the faith of Israel’s patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Daniel faced intense pressure to conform at a level difficult for us to imagine, especially when we consider that he was still a youth serving in the royal court and therefore in the presence of the very king (Nebuchadnezzar) who was attempting to subjugate Daniel’s people and nation through the most diabolical of means. Throughout his struggle to not compromise his fundamental beliefs, YHWH is with him every step of the way, all the while directing the affairs of kings and nations to their divinely-appointed ends.

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The Book of DanielKim RiddlebargerDecember 13, 2023Daniel's Resistence Comments