Have you noticed that sometimes God seems to have a lot to say to you during one season, but not much in another season?
What may be true of your life is also true of God’s Word. The four hundred years between the last Old Testament prophet, Malachi, until the prophetic preaching ministry of John the Baptizer are called by many theologians “the silent years”.
In other seasons, God has a lot to say. This is true in the days of Daniel whose prophetic ministry during the captivity of God’s people in Babylon occurred at the same time as Ezekiel (Ezekiel 14:14, 14:20, 28:3), Jeremiah (Daniel 9:2), and possibly Habakkuk who may have been still alive at that time. While in Lamentations, Jeremiah looked back at Israel’s destruction and Ezekiel looked forward to religious restoration, but Daniel awaited political restoration under King Jesus.
In addition to studying the book of Daniel, it is also helpful to make note of the other places where Scripture mentions Daniel:
- Ezekiel 14:12-14 | And the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God.”
- Ezekiel 14:19-20 | …If I send a pestilence into that land and pour out my wrath upon it with blood, to cut off from it man and beast, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness.
- Ezekiel 28:1-3 | The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God: “Because your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,’ yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god—you are indeed wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you…””
- Hebrews 11:32-34 | …the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire…
Also, the New Testament has the following references to Daniel:
- Daniel 3:6 is referenced in Matthew 13:42, 50
- Daniel 6:17 is referenced in Matthew 27:66
- Daniel 7:13 is referenced in Matthew 24:30, 26:64 and Mark 13:26, 14:62
- Daniel 11:36 is referenced in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 (cf. Jude 16)
Which of the references above regarding Daniel is your favorite?
In addition to this introduction to and overview of Daniel, you can find the corresponding sermons, daily devotions, men’s ministry resources, and hundreds of additional sermons and Bible teaching resources for free at markdriscoll.org or on the Mark Driscoll Ministries app.
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