Take a few minutes to review the importance of the book of Daniel. Ask various students to explain what they learned in the previous class session.

This chapter has a vision of four monstrous animals and other details. The animals represent a series of great kingdoms.

Remember, this passage describes the same kingdoms as the vision in chapter 2, with different details.

First Beast: Winged Lion

The wings were removed, the lion stood as a man and received a man’s heart. If this is the kingdom of Babylon, the change that happened to the lion could refer to the transformation of Nebuchadnezzar.

Second Beast: Bear

The Medes and Persians conquered the empire of Babylon in 538 B.C. Darius was a Mede who was established as governor of Chaldea under the Persian king Cyrus, who was the real emperor. Cyrus was considered a deliverer by many of the Babylonians, who were unhappy with Nabonidus's neglect of the religion of Marduk. Cyrus decreed that Jews be allowed to return to their homeland (Ezra 1), in fulfilment of the prophecy made by Isaiah (41:2, 25, 46:11, 48:15) 150 years before.

Third Beast: Four-winged and Four-headed Leopard

The Greek empire defeated the Medo-Persian empire in 330 B.C. It was established by Alexander. The empire was divided among his four generals when he died in 323 B.C.

Fourth Beast: A Monster with 10 Horns

This beast had iron teeth, corresponding to the iron section of the statue. Rome was the empire after Greece. It also had brass nails (19), combining features of the previous empire of Greece. Rome defeated Macedonia, a surviving Greek power, in 196 B.C.

There was not a fifth beast to correspond to the fifth section of the statue, but from the fourth beast’s ten horns came another horn which became a great king. If the 10 horns are compared to Revelation 17:12, it seems that this king comes out of the ancient Roman kingdom.

Antichrist.  This term is used in 1 John 2:18, referring to prophecies of a person called the Antichrist. John goes on to say that there were already many people opposed to Christ, but this does not contradict the assumption that a particular Antichrist would come in the future. Some scholars believe that person is the man in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 who demands worship in the temple, the person who places the “abomination that makes desolate” that Jesus mentioned in Matthew 24:15, the person predicted in Daniel 8:25 who will oppose the Messiah, and the beast in Revelation 13:4-8 who rules for 3 ½ years and demands worship from the whole world.

A student should read Daniel 7:9-14, 22, and 27 for the group.

Notice how these verses again state the primary theme of Daniel.

Some observations:

• Verse 9: The vision of God is similar to the vision of Christ in Revelation 1, with reference to white hair and fire.
• Verse 10: The enormous number of servants is a sign of majesty and power.
• Verse 12: The ancient kingdoms continued to exist, though they lost their power.
• Verse 13: This reference to the “Son of Man” may be where Jesus drew the expression.
• Verse 14: The theme of Daniel is repeated here: God’s kingdom is total, final, and eternal.
• Verse 25: A particular king will try to reverse all established authority to bring it under himself. He will blaspheme God, as described in Revelation. His control will last for 3 1/2 years. Compare the use of the word time to Daniel 4:16, where it meant “year.”

This chapter gives more details about the transfer of power from one empire to another, then describes the actions of a specific future king.

A ram had two horns, then was defeated by a goat with one horn. After the goat became great, the horn was broken, and four horns took its place. The ram is the Medo-Persian empire (20), and the goat is the Greek empire (21). The four horns are the four generals that divided the empire (22).

Out of one of the four horns, a small horn arises (9). The person represented by the small horn exalts himself to heaven and causes the sacrifices in the temple to stop. A period of 3 ½ years passes before the temple is cleansed and sacrifices begin again.

Antiochus was a king that descended from one of the four generals of Alexander. He considered himself a god and demanded worship. He sacrificed a pig on the altar in Jerusalem to profane it and stop worship there. The Jews fought against him, starting in 168 B.C. Antiochus died in the war, and the Jews became an independent nation again. The war lasted 3 ½ years, then they purified the temple and started sacrifices again.

Daniel’s prophecy was obviously fulfilled by Antiochus, but not in all details. Jesus spoke of this prophecy as being yet future (Matthew 24:15). The apostle Paul seemed to refer to the same prophecy in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. Daniel said that this person would oppose the Messiah (8:25). Apparently, Antiochus was a fulfillment, but there will be a greater fulfillment in the end times.

Daniel found by study that the captivity was supposed to last for 70 years. That time had passed, so he prayed for the restoration of Jerusalem.

Daniel’s prayer is a prayer of repentance as a representative of his people. It is a wonderful model of true repentance.

A student should read Daniel 9:4-19 for the group.

Daniel’s prayer contains the following elements:

(1) We sinned (sinned, committed iniquity, did wickedness, rebelled, did not listen, trespassed, disobeyed, departed). See verses 5-11.

(2) We knew better. See verses 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, and 13.

Therefore - punishment is fully deserved. Nowhere in the prayer did Daniel make any excuse for sin.

(3) God is just in all his actions. See verses 7 and 14.

(4) God can deliver. Verse 15 refers to the great deliverance from Egypt and says that God can do it again.

(5) The appeal is not on the basis of human merit but God’s mercy (18).

(6) The goal is not only mercy but God’s glory (16-19).

A genuine prayer of repentance should include these elements. A person who denies his sin, makes excuses, or thinks he deserves something from God does not understand the seriousness of his sin and is not completely repenting.

The prayer also gives us instruction for gospel preaching. When we preach about repentance, we should explain genuine repentance so that our hearers will seek God properly.

► What common misunderstandings of repentance have you observed?

Gabriel was sent to explain more of God's plan of restoration (verses 24-27). The whole process would take 70 “sevens.” Verse 24 lists what is to be accomplished. This is not simply to be a renewal of the probation of Israel, to inevitably end in defeat like the cycles of the Judges. This was to be an end of sin, a complete atonement for reconciliation of sinners to God, and anointing of the Messiah for his eternal kingdom.

The 70 sevens do not all happen without intermission. There are 7, then 62. At that point the death of the Messiah occurs. Then there is a long wait until the last 7.

There are at least two different interpretations of verses 26-27.

Interpretation 1: The “prince that will come” is the Antichrist, who will destroy Jerusalem and the temple. He will make a covenant with Israel but then break it in the middle of the seven-year period. He will do an abomination that makes the temple worship stop. We can understand that a “7” is seven years, because verse 27 tells us that the sacrifice ends in the middle of the 7. We know from 8:4 that the sacrifice ended for 3 ½ years.

Interpretation 2: The “prince that will come” is the Messiah as mentioned in verses 25-26. Christians by the spread of the gospel will make Jerusalem and the temple unimportant. The ministry of Jesus was 3 ½ years. The cross of Jesus is the abomination (so considered by the Jews) that ends temple worship. The second 3 ½ years are not a literal measurement but the centuries of the ministry of the church.

Note to class leader: The group may briefly compare and discuss the two interpretations. More information about this issue will be considered in the lesson about the tribulation.

The prediction of this chapter was for far in the future (1).

The angel explained that the answer from God was delayed because of the resistance of evil spirits.

There are wicked angels called the Prince of Persia (13) and the Prince of Grecia (20). Michael is the angel who defends Israel (13, 12:1).

A student should read Daniel 11:1-4 for the group.

Verse 2 was fulfilled by Xerxes, the fourth Persian king of his dynasty. He was an enormously wealthy king who united forces against Greece in 480 B.C. but lost the war. He is the king who is called Ahasuerus in the book of Esther.

Verses 3-4 may refer to Alexander the Great of Greece. He did not fight Xerxes but defeated later Persian kings. The kingdom was divided among his four generals after his death, rather than being given to his descendants.

The chapter describes various conflicts among kings. Many of those prophecies were fulfilled in ancient times. It is not necessary for us to interpret all the details in the chapter.[1]

Look at verse 31 together.

Verse 31 mentions the abomination that would be placed in the temple, probably an idol. Verses 21-45 are about the king who will place the abomination. Much of this passage was fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes, but the Antichrist may be the ultimate fulfillment of the details in verses 31 and 36-39 (Matthew 24:15). This king will not follow any established religion but exalt himself above all gods. He will not have women, for he will seem to be above humanity. He will worship a god of power that his fathers did not serve.

[1]“Palestine is doubtless a stage of divine action. But the whole earth and the heavens are the scene of God’s final doings in this age. The point toward which history is moving is the culmination of the kingdom of God.”
- Roy Swim, Beacon Bible Commentary

A student should read Daniel 12 for the group.

These prophecies definitely point to the last days. Verse 2 speaks of the resurrection of the dead. Verse 3 speaks of eternal glory.

Periods of time of approximately 3 ½ years are mentioned in connection to the abomination of desolation (7 and 11).

The prophecies of the book of Daniel are said to be sealed until the end (4, 9), which implies that they cannot be completely understood until the predicted events are near. Daniel himself said that he did not understand it all (8).

During these events many people will be tested and purified, while the wicked will continue in wickedness (10).

Verse 10 states a purpose of eschatology: the wicked will not understand what is happening, but the wise will understand. Those who know God’s Word will recognize the fulfillment of the prophecies and will be strengthened in their faith.

► If you lived during the time that these prophecies are fulfilled, what difference would it make to you to know about these prophecies?

(1) Writing Assignment: Briefly write what the following represent in the book of Daniel: lion, bear, leopard, ram, goat, and the ten-horned beast.

(2) Reading Assignment: Before the next class session, carefully read Revelation 1-5.