Kingdom Down: A Study in DanielSample

5 Things to Look Forward to

As we conclude studying the book of Daniel, there’s been so much discouraging stuff, talk of wars, and suffering for Daniel that I want to shift our focus to looking forward to five overarching themes of God’s sovereignty and goodness that we can rely on and look to, which are all highlighted in chapter 12.

1. God rescues the troubled: God can and does often supernaturally intervene to deliver His people, as He did many times with Daniel. Either we get around our problems or we get through them with His Holy Spirit.
2. God raises the dead: Jesus is the only man who has ever defeated death and offers us the opportunity to do the same if we trust in Him for eternal life and receive salvation from our sins, hell, death, and the wrath of God.
3. God rules the future: Throughout this book we’ve seen divine beings, angels, and even Jesus Himself throughout the visions, dreams, and prophecies. History is recorded and sealed, and Jesus will come in the fullness of time to open the seals. We don’t know exactly when He’ll return, but we can trust Him in the meantime, as Daniel did.
4. God refines the guilty: The Bible uses over a dozen words to describe sin like defilement, filth, uncleanness, dirtiness, and pollution. But Jesus forgives and makes us clean. Just like water cleanses us of filth, Jesus purifies us of wickedness, shame, and condemnation.
5. God rewards the faithful: Daniel never sought to be famous. He only sought to be faithful and waited for eternal rewards while he suffered much in this life.

If you don’t remember anything else from Daniel, remember that the entirety of human history is centered around Jesus. Every rising and falling nation, prophet, and politician are a part of His divine plan to save His kids and bring the Kingdom Down into a world that sometimes feels like hell.

Thanks for studying with me, and if you enjoyed this plan, there are sermons that accompany it as well as more daily devotions and more free resources on Daniel at realfaith.com.

What was your biggest takeaway from the book of Daniel?