- Born in the prophecy of Daniel. We learned the story as children, no doubt, and we still marvel at Daniel’s rescue from the den of hungry lions. Do you agree with the lesson author that the Seventh-day Adventist church was born in the pages of the book of Daniel? How would you explain that to someone who doesn’t belong to the Adventist church? Or would you even attempt to make that plain?
- Christ the center of Daniel. How can we see Jesus in the first verses of chapter 1 of Daniel? For example, does Daniel’s captivity in Babylon remind us of Jesus’ life on earth? Can you trace the message of the book of Daniel to see the life of Jesus on earth? Does the fact that most of the revelations of Jesus in Daniel are in the form of vivid comparisons, make it easier or harder to see Jesus in this prophetic book? Imagine what it must have been like for friends and followers of Daniel as an evangelist to absorb the depth of his messages as revealed in prophecy.
- The structure of Daniel. Pretend that I am about twelve years old, and you are trying to explain to me the structure of the book of Daniel. What would you tell me is important about understanding the five kingdoms involved in this book? Would you try to explain to me that while we’re dealing with five separate kingdoms, they all merge in our study? Or do they? Why do you think God is going to such lengths to explain to Daniel, and through Daniel to us, the march of history to the time when “Michael stands up”? Why are the prophecies of Daniel called “apocalyptic”?
- More vocabulary words. Parse (take apart and reassemble) each of the following words your lesson teacher wants you to know for a more complete understanding of the book of Daniel:
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- Preterism
- Futurism
- Idealism
- Historicism
Which of these applies most completely to the book of Daniel? Do you believe that in Bible prophecy, a day equals a year? How does this belief aid you in understanding prophetic visions such as Daniel’s? Should a Bible-believing Christian apply the prophecies of 2,300 years and 490 years as given in Daniel’s messages to actual historical events hundreds of years into the future after Daniel was no longer a working prophet? What can help us keep Daniel’s prophecies alive for us today?
5. Contemporary relevance of Daniel. Explain how each of the following relates to the message of Daniel as we can understand it today:
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- The sovereign rulership of God.
- God in charge of history.
- God as a role model for us
Does the majestic and all-powerful reign of God over history ever puzzle you? Do you ever wonder how God is working today in the history of the country where you live to bring events to a conclusion? What spiritual blessing do you most value that began for you with the study of the almighty God in the history of mankind? How do you express your gratitude to God for being so involved in your life that He longs for you to understand what is happening in this world as it reveals God’s plan for us?
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