Daniel — Faithful in Exile, Keeper of God’s Clock
- Ken Kalis
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
(623–570 BC)
The World hates the Book of Daniel because it prophesies world events hundreds of years before they occurred.
Higher criticism proposes anonymous Hebrew /Chaldean authors writing contemporaneously with the events.
Daniel was recognized as the author by Bible scholars from the Septuagint to King James.
But the most important affirmation of its authenticity comes from Jesus Himself:
“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel,..." Matthew 24:15
We can be sure these are divinely inspired words of truth and life from Daniel himself
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Our Saturday Prophecy series brings us to the Book of Daniel, one of the most beloved and far-reaching books in all of Scripture. It is beloved for its stories of courage and deliverance, and indispensable for its prophetic vision—explaining not only what God would do, but when He would do it.
Daniel was the 4th major prophet and was among the first captives taken from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. He was still a young man when he entered exile, selected with others of royal or noble lineage—“children in whom was no blemish… skilful in all wisdom… and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace” (Daniel 1:4).
Babylon intended to reshape these young Israelites into servants of the empire. God had other plans.
Purposed in His Heart
Daniel’s faithfulness appears immediately. Faced with food and wine that violated the Law of Moses, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8). This quiet resolve—made long before lions or visions—was the foundation of his life.
God honored that obedience. After ten days, Daniel and his companions appeared healthier and stronger than those who ate the king’s portion. Faithfulness in small things prepared Daniel for far greater trials.
A Mentor in Faith: Daniel and the Three Young Men
Daniel did not stand alone. Closely associated with him were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—known to us as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel’s steady example and leadership clearly shaped their faith.
When Nebuchadnezzar demanded worship of a golden image, these three young men refused. Thrown into the fiery furnace, they declared:
“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us… but if not… we will not serve thy gods.” (Daniel 3:17–18)
They were preserved by a mysterious fourth presence in the fire—“like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25). Daniel is not named in this chapter, yet his influence is unmistakable. Faith, once planted, bears courageous fruit.
The God Who Reveals Secrets
Daniel himself soon faced a crisis of life and death. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a troubling dream—but demanded that his wise men tell him both the dream and its meaning. When they failed, execution was decreed.
Daniel sought the LORD, and God revealed the secret. Standing before the king, Daniel testified:
“There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known… what shall be in the latter days.” (Daniel 2:28)
The dream outlined the course of world history—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome—and beyond them, an eternal Kingdom established by God Himself.
History was not random. It was governed.
The King Brought Low (Daniel 4)
Nebuchadnezzar himself became a pupil of Daniel’s God.
In Chapter 4, the king dreamed of a mighty tree cut down by divine command. Daniel interpreted the dream with courage and compassion: the tree was the king, whose pride would bring humiliation. Daniel urged repentance—but the warning went unheeded.
Judgment followed. Nebuchadnezzar lost his reason and lived like a beast, until he finally acknowledged that “the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men.” When his understanding returned, so did his humility—and his praise of the God of heaven.
Faithful Under a New Empire: The Lions’ Den
Daniel lived to see Babylon fall. Under the Medes and Persians, he was promoted to the highest office, first of the three presidents of the empire.
Once again, integrity provoked envy.
Unable to fault Daniel’s conduct, his enemies attacked his devotion, persuading King Darius to forbid prayer for thirty days. Daniel responded as he always had: he prayed openly, three times a day, facing Jerusalem.
Cast into the lions’ den, Daniel trusted God completely. At dawn, the king hurried to the pit:
“O Daniel, servant of the living God… is thy God able to deliver thee from the lions?/ ”“My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths…” (Daniel 6:20–22)
Daniel was delivered—because he believed in his God.
Daniel and the Clock of History
Daniel’s greatest legacy was not political success or personal deliverance, but prophetic clarity.
In his later years, God entrusted him with revelations of astonishing precision, including the prophecy of the Seventy Weeks (Daniel 9:21–27). This prophecy identified the time of the Messiah’s appearing—and His being “cut off.”
I once had a ten-year-old girl in my Sunday school class ask me a question that stopped me in my tracks:
“Why did Jesus come when He did?”
I told her the answer as simply as I could: to fulfill Daniel’s prophecy.
That is why the Jews of the first century were expecting the Messiah. They were not guessing. They knew Daniel.
They knew the timetable God had revealed, and they were watching history unfold just as Scripture had said.
Daniel did not merely predict events—he gave Israel a clock.
Greatly Beloved
Daniel never lived to see the Messiah with his own eyes, yet he saw Him clearly by faith. For that faithfulness, the angel Gabriel told him:
“O Daniel… thou art greatly beloved.” (Daniel 9:23)
Those words still echo. They belong to all who honor God in exile, trust His Word, and wait patiently for the fulfillment of His promises.
Closing Prayer: Sovereign Lord, You who rule over kings and kingdoms, teach us to trust Your perfect timing. Give us hearts like Daniel’s—faithful in quiet obedience and steadfast in trial—until Your eternal Kingdom is fully revealed. Amen.
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DARE TO BE A DANIEL
Standing by a purpose true,
Heeding God’s command,
Honor them, the faithful few!
All hail to Daniel’s band!
Refrain
Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone!
Dare to have a purpose firm!
Dare to make it known.
Many mighty men are lost
Daring not to stand,
Who for God had been a host
By joining Daniel’s band. -- Refrain
Many giants, great and tall,
Stalking through the land,
Headlong to the earth would fall,
If met by Daniel’s band. -- Refrain
Hold the Gospel banner high!
On to vict’ry grand!
Satan and his hosts defy,
And shout for Daniel’s band. -- Refrain
Words & Music: Philip P. Bliss, 1873
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