• DAN001 Structure and Organization of the Book of Daniel

    The complex, bilingual book of Daniel presents narratives and prophetic visions illustrating the succession of human kingdoms and God's eternal sovereignty. Faithful in exile, Daniel becomes a prophet, revealing major prophecies culminating in deliverance and resurrection.

    Read more

    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

  • DAN002 Daniel 1 – Faithful in Babylon: living in a foreign world without losing one's identity

    Daniel 1 shows how Daniel and his friends manage to remain true to their faith in a foreign setting, despite attempts at cultural transformation, through wisdom and faithfulness to God.

    Daniel 1.2 (King James Version) :
    And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
    King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
    Read more

    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

  • DAN003 Daniel 2 – The God who reveals mysteries and directs history

    Daniel 2 reveals God's sovereignty over history. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, receives an inexplicable dream that the wise men cannot interpret. Through God, Daniel describes a statue representing successive kingdoms. God, rather than empires, rules history. This affirms Daniel's faith and divine power.

    Daniel 2.19 (King James Version) :
    Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
    King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
    Read more

    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

  • DAN004 Daniel 2 – The statue and the kingdoms: when God reveals the meaning of history

    This article analyses Nebuchadnezzar's dream described in Daniel 2, in which a multicoloured statue projects an image of future empires. The importance of this vision lies in the final emergence of God's eternal Kingdom, surpassing earthly kingdoms.

    Daniel 8.21 (King James Version) :
    And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
    King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
    Read more

    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

  • DAN005 Daniel 3 – Faithful even in the furnace

    Three Judeans refuse to worship a golden statue during Nebuchadnezzar's reign, risking their lives out of faithfulness to God. Thrown into a furnace, they are miraculously protected by an angel. This account illustrates the conflict between human authority and faithfulness to God.

    Daniel 3.29 (King James Version) :
    Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
    King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
    Read more

    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

  • DAN007 Daniel 5 – Belshazzar's feast: when Babylon is weighed and judged

    Daniel 5 tells of the fall of Babylon under the reign of Belshazzar, who desecrates the sacred vessels. A mysterious inscription, interpreted by Daniel, predicts the end of the kingdom. God judges human powers, illustrating Belshazzar's arrogance.

    Daniel 5.1-30 (King James Version) :
    Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.Notefather: or, grandfatherNotetaken: Chaldee, brought forthBelshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.Notecountenance: Chaldee, brightnessesNotewas changed: Chaldee, changed itNotejoints: or, girdles: Chaldee, bindings, or, knotsNotealoud: Chaldee, with mightNotescarlet: or, purpleNotecountenance: Chaldee, brightnessesThen the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:Notefather: or, grandfatherNoteinterpreting: or, of an interpreterNotedissolving: or, of a dissolverNotedoubts: Chaldee, knotsNotefather: or, grandfatherNotemake interpretations: Chaldee, interpret, etcThere is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.Noterewards: or, feeNotein pride: or, to deal proudlyNotedeposed: Chaldee, made to come downNotehis heart…: or, he made his heart equal, etcO thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.Notebeing…: Chaldee, he as the son of, etcNoteabout: or, now
    King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
    Read more

    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

  • DAN009 Daniel 7 – The four beasts and the kingdom of the Son of Man

    Daniel 7 details a key prophetic vision using four beasts to symbolise kingdoms: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. The text illustrates the temporary nature of human powers in comparison with God's eternal reign, entrusted to 'one like a son of man'.

    Revelation 13 (King James Version) :
    And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.If any man have an ear, let him hear.He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
    King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
    Read more

    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate