The Divine Perspective of World History

I. The Historical Context of the Divine Perspective - Daniel 1--3, 6, 9
A. A sovereign captivity - Dan. 1:1-2
B. The preparation of a man of God
1. Family background - Dan. 1:3
2. Gifts and abilities - Dan. 1:4a
3. Potential - Dan. 1:4b-7
4. The testing of spiritual principles - Dan. 1:8-16
5. Development - Dan. 1:17-21
C. The sovereign circumstances of a man of God
1. A threatening situation - Dan. 2:1-13
2. Reacting with prayer - Dan. 2:14-23
D. The fiery trials of a man of God
1. Being uncompromising against Satan and the world - Dan. 3:1-18
2. Being delivered with Christ by trusting - Dan. 3:19-28
3. Being promoted as God's testimony - Dan. 3:28-30
E. The holy habits of a man of God
1. Faithfulness with responsibility - Dan. 6:1-5
2. An excellent inner attitude in work - Dan. 6:3
3. The attacks on a consistent prayer life - Dan. 6:6-17
4. The trial of faith and deliverance - Dan. 6:18-23
5. God's testimony through one life - Dan. 6:24-28
F. The burdens of a man of God
1. The burden for God's Word - Dan. 9:1-2
2. The burden for God's purpose - Dan. 9:2b, 16-19
3. The burden for God's people - Dan. 9:3-15, 20
G. The historical circumstances of a man of God
1. Living during the Babylonian empire - Dan. 1:1-5:29
2. Living during the Medo-Persian empire - Dan. 5:30-12:13
II. The Prophetical Revelation of World History - Daniel 2, 4, 7--8, 9--12
A. The great image and world history - Dan. 2:24-49
1. The Babylonian empire as the head of gold - Dan. 2:31-32, 38
2. The Medo-Persian empire as the chest and arms of silver - Dan. 2:32, 39
3. The Grecian empire as the belly and thighs of bronze - Dan. 2:32, 39
4. The Roman empire as the legs of iron - Dan. 2:33, 40
5. The revived Roman empire of Antichrist as the ten toes of iron and clay
- Dan. 2:33, 41-43
6. The stone cut without hands as Christ - Dan. 2:34-35, 44-45
7. The great mountain as the kingdom of God - Dan. 2:35, 44-45
B. The dream and God's sovereignty over world rulers - Dan. 4:1-37
1. Nebuchadnezzar's dream - Dan. 4:4-18
2. Daniel's interpretation - Dan. 4:19-27
3. God's dealing with pride - Dan. 4:28-37
C. The handwriting on the wall and changes in world history - Dan. 5:1-31
1. Moral decay and the fall of a kingdom - Dan. 5:1-4
2. Seeing and reacting to the handwriting on the wall - Dan. 5:5-9
3. Interpreting the handwriting on the wall - Dan. 5:10-31
D. The vision of four great beasts and world history - Dan. 7:1-28
1. The Babylonian empire as a lion - Dan. 7:4, 17
2. The Medo-Persian empire as a bear - Dan. 7:5, 17
3. The Grecian empire as a leopard - Dan. 7:6, 17
4. The Roman empire as the dreadful beast - Dan. 7:7, 17, 19, 23
5. The revived Roman empire of Antichrist as ten horns with the little horn
- Dan. 7:7-8, 20-21, 24-26
6. The judgment and the greatness of the kingdom - Dan. 7:26-28
E. The vision of the ram and he-goat - Dan. 8:1-27
1. The Medo-Persian empire as the ram - Dan. 8:3-4, 6-7, 20
2. The Grecian empire as the he-goat with four horns - Dan. 8:5, 21-22
3. The Antichrist as "the little horn" - Dan. 8:9-12, 23-25
F. The 70 weeks of Daniel - Dan. 9:24-27
1. The nature of the 70 weeks - Dan. 9:24
2. The commandment to restore - Dan. 9:25
a) The beginning of the 70 weeks (the edict of Artaxerxes
- Neh. 2:1-8; March 14, 445 B.C.)
3. 7 weeks = 49 years to the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Neh. 3-6) - Dan. 9:25
4. 62 weeks = 434 years to Messiah the Prince (Matt. 21:1-11 and 27:33-50;
A.D. 32) - Dan. 9:26a
5. The destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 - Dan. 9:26b
6. The parenthesis between the 69th and 70th week = the mystery of the church
- Matt. 16:18-19; Eph. 3:1-11; Rom. 11:25
7. One week = 7 years to the open coming of Christ (Matt. 24:27, 30; Rev. 1:7; Zech. 12:10) - Dan. 9:27
a) The first 3 1/2 years - Antichrist makes a covenant with Israel for 7 years
(Dan. 9:27)
b) The last 3 1/2 years - Antichrist breaks the covenant and begins the abomination of desolation (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15). This ushers in the great tribulation (Matt. 24:21; Rev. 11:2; 12:6, 14; 13:1-5) lasting 42 months = 1260 days = 3 1/2 years.
G. The vision of a Man clothed in linen, and spiritual warfare over world history
- Dan. 10:1-21
1. A prophetical message - Dan. 10:1-3
2. An overwhelming vision of Christ - Dan. 10:4-17
3. Spiritual warfare - Dan. 10:18-21
H. World history and its rulers - Dan. 11:1-45
1. From the Persian empire to the Grecian empire - Dan. 11:1-35
2. The last willful king of world history - Dan. 11:36-45
I. The consummation of world history - Dan. 12:1-13
1. Great tribulation and deliverance for Israel - Dan. 12:1
2. Resurrection - Dan. 12:2
3. Judgment and reward - Dan. 12:2-3
4. Waiting for the end in hope - Dan. 12:4-13