• Title Page
• Pentateuch
• History
• Poetry
• Prophets
• Post Captivity Prophets
  • Lesson 33: Summing Up The Ante-Captivity Prophets
  • Lesson 34: Daniel
  • Lesson 35: Ezra and Haggai
  • Lesson 36: Zechariah
  • Lesson 37: Nehemiah and Malachi
• Gospels, Acts
• Pauline Epistles
• General Epistles

This leads us, by the way of introduction, to the consideration of the contents of the book of Daniel itself.

Daniel

Daniel 1 of the book of Daniel gives his early history, and relates the facts of his captivity and his training for service in the court of Babylon. The story is very familiar, even to children, and requires no special explanation. It is at the second chapter, and particularly beginning at Daniel 2:36, that the interest of these lessons begins. The interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream teaches us several things about the history of the world from that date to the end of the present age which it is important for every student of the Bible and of God’s providences to know:

1. It teaches that God, having cast aside His own people Israel for a time, has in the meantime committed all the power and dominion of the earth into the hands of the Gentiles, who, for the time being, were represented by the Babylonians (Daniel 2:36-38).
2. It teaches that after the decay of the Babylonian monarchy this power and dominion should be entailed to three other kingdoms in successive order, which subsequent chapters of the book, supplemented somewhat perhaps by secular history, show to apply to Persia, Greece and Rome respectively (Daniel 2:39-43).
3. It teaches that during the period of the fourth kingdom, Rome, God Himself would set up a kingdom, which would destroy earthly or human dominion altogether and in its turn last for ever (Daniel 2:44-45).

It is this kingdom of God which all the other prophets have been speaking of, which shall be set up in Israel again, penitent and restored, and over which the Messiah shall reign. A difficulty suggests itself in that the fourth kingdom, Rome, is not now in existence, but this difficulty is only apparent and not real. In the first place, the territory covered by that kingdom or empire, still exists, being identical with the nations of eastern and western Europe bordering on the Mediterranean Sea; and in the second place, the subsequent teachings of our prophet show that these nations are to be gathered together again, federated under one head, the Antichrist, at the close of the present age.

In the meantime, the terms of the prophecy before us (Daniel 2:40-43), very fittingly represent that fourth kingdom in its present condition, (1) It is strong, for assuredly no power, or powers,