Introduction to the Book of Daniel

I am very fond of the Book of Daniel because it is full of stories! But it also has difficult parts, and it's hard to know what it is talking about. For example, the prophetic content is like solving riddles. It's normal if you don't understand, as it speaks of things to come! I tell you, regarding these future events, you can say whatever you want. For example, I can say that I will be a remarkable person in the future! I can say it if I want to! No one can prove me wrong, and no one can prove me right.

If I tell you: You will be a remarkable person in the future! Then you quickly say: I will be a remarkable person in the future! It is good for a person to receive such grace. So, concerning the future, Daniel wrote it in the book. But today, two and a half thousand years later, when we read the Book of Daniel again, we can actually glean some insights.

Let's look at the historical background of the Book of Daniel. It is actually God using the Babylonian empire. The Babylonian empire was very powerful and quite famous in world history. The Babylonian empire destroyed the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah... What's the deal with this Kingdom of Judah? Originally, it was just one Kingdom of Israel. After Solomon sinned, God divided the Kingdom of Israel into two kingdoms, one called the Kingdom of Judah and the other called the Kingdom of Israel.

The Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah are like mainland China and Taiwan, seemingly two countries with two systems. Later, Babylon destroyed the Kingdom of Judah. More than a hundred years earlier, Assyria had destroyed Israel. Assyria was a very cruel nation. A hundred years later, the Babylonian empire destroyed the Kingdom of Judah. By the time of Daniel, both the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah had fallen.

After the fall of these kingdoms, the king of the Babylonian empire, Nebuchadnezzar, took the vessels from the holy temple to the land of Shinar, which is the area of Shechem, and placed them in the temple of the Babylonian empire. He also took the learned, young, unblemished, handsome, intelligent, knowledgeable, and wise young men from the Kingdom of Judah, those who were qualified to serve in the royal palace, and brought them to the capital of Babylon, all to gather talent.

These Judean talents, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, were taken captive to Babylon, and later became very famous in the Babylonian empire! From this point on, the events experienced by Daniel were recorded in the Book of Daniel.

The theme of the Book of Daniel is that God reigns in the kingdoms of men. If you ask me if this topic is appropriate, it's a matter of opinion! Consider it, perhaps you have a better topic. But if I were to write a Bible study on the Book of Daniel, it would be called God Reigns in the Kingdoms of Men. Was the Babylonian empire more powerful than the Kingdom of Judah? Not really. Although the Babylonian empire worshiped their own gods, the God who governs human history still reigns in the Babylonian empire. We must know for certain that in every nation, it is this supreme and mighty God who reigns in the kingdoms of men.

God Reigns in the Kingdoms of Men

So what is the introduction to the Book of Daniel? The Book of Daniel provides a rough outline of how human history will unfold. It describes human history from the years of Daniel to the end of the world. But in just a dozen or twenty pages, it is quite remarkable to be able to clearly describe the general outline of human history. One of the things it describes is the process of the end times. If we Christians today were to interpret this process of the end times, it would actually begin with the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus.

When the Lord Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead, it initiated the process of the end times and entered a very desolate age. This very desolate age refers to the destruction of the Jewish nation, which was not restored until 1948. After the restoration of the Jewish nation, the end of the world is near. Do not think that it is the end; for mankind, it is the end, but for God, it is a new beginning. So if we compare the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation, you will find that the Bible describes human history in this way.

God Grants Wisdom and Understanding

Daniel was a very intelligent man, and more importantly, Daniel greatly revered God. Where did his intelligence come from? His intelligence came from God. So let's look at chapter one; I title it God Grants Wisdom and Understanding. God reigns in the kingdoms of men, and human wisdom and understanding are granted by God. Through worldly eyes, Israel and the Kingdom of Judah were destroyed, and the people and talents were taken captive to Babylon. If you use this phenomenon to compare whether the God of Israel is more powerful or the god of the Babylonian empire is more powerful, you really can't compare! This cannot prove anything. It's not that the god worshiped by the Babylonian empire is more powerful, but that God wanted to raise up the king of Babylon in that generation and then destroy the Kingdom of Judah.

In the Book of Isaiah, throughout Isaiah's time, it was said that the Babylonian empire would destroy the Kingdom of Judah! You say, God's prophet actually prophesied that the nation of Israel would be destroyed by a foreign nation. What is going on? Do not be surprised. Because the foreign nations are all tools in God's hands. In the end, it still proves one thing: God reigns in the kingdoms of men.

Today, if we carefully ponder, human history is a very interesting history. Why? If you look closely, you will find that the development of human history is mysteriously arranged and predetermined. Who becomes emperor is not arranged by man, but by God. Do not think that person became king because he is so powerful, that is not the case.

He himself does not even know how he came to power. For example, the struggle between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu; Xiang Yu was a very powerful man, he could have killed Liu Bang at any time, but Liu Bang became emperor, and Xiang Yu committed suicide at Wujiang. A person's prowess does not determine the future! We always thought Liu Bang was very powerful and cunning, but that's not really the case; it was just a mysterious arrangement by God.

God Grants Daniel Wisdom and Understanding

Today, whether it is a country or a city, there is competition for talent. If you want to invest in real estate, first, see if the city's population is increasing; second, see the quality of the city's population increase. So whether it is a country or a city, it all boils down to competition for talent. What is talent? It is people with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. If we like to travel, we are often taken by guides to a ruin. It is now a ruin, but it was once a prosperous place. The rise and fall of a place is related to talent, and talent is related to God. So brothers and sisters need to know that if you want wisdom and understanding, it is not enough to just study hard. The most important thing is whether God will grant you wisdom and understanding.

God gave Daniel wisdom and understanding, so he could understand all kinds of visions and signs. Knowledge includes the past, the present, and the future. Knowledge of the past is not very useful in itself. But if you can use past knowledge to see the future clearly, that is useful. If I had bought real estate in 2007, it would have been great! But regret is useless; 2007 has passed.

If you bought real estate in 2007, you would definitely make money! Why? Because later there was quantitative easing, and all industries appreciated in value, all over the world. But that is the past. If you have the wisdom to see the future, you are powerful. If real estate soars next year, and you invest this year, and indeed it soars next year, you will make money. So stock analysis is also important; being able to know the future through past analysis is the most important thing.

Daniel has profound wisdom and understanding of the past, present, and future. Such a person became the Prime Minister of the Babylonian empire, that's powerful! He governed more than 120 provinces, powerful regional officials. Brothers and sisters, we must know one thing today, if you lead a company, you cannot only solve past problems, nor can you only solve current problems; you must also solve future problems.

If a company cannot solve future problems, it will collapse and decline. We look at the rise and fall of these high-tech companies; some have risen, and some have fallen. What is this rise and fall related to? It is related to your past judgment of the future. If you have a clear judgment of the future, and your judgment is accurate, you will definitely have a future.

So what should we seek? Seek understanding of the future, which is called revelation. The Christian faith is a faith concerning revelation, that is, our God will tell us what will happen in the future. More than 2000 years ago, Daniel wrote about things concerning the future.

Daniel was the Prime Minister of the Babylonian empire. As a prime minister, you have to see far ahead! At the very least, you have to see the next thirty years. Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of our reform and opening up, could see the prosperity of the motherland through reform and opening up in the late 1970s, that was a remarkable person!

But I think brothers and sisters need to know today that God reigns in the kingdoms of men. In these last days, God will raise up China in this world. Who can stop it? This is called national destiny! I am very fortunate to be a Chinese in this generation.

The Prosperity of the King of Babylon is God's Arrangement

In fact, the king of Babylon destroyed the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah, and even the previous Assyrian empire. Does that mean the god of the Babylonian empire is more powerful than the God of Israel? No, why? Because it is all God's arrangement. For example, doing business. Many Christians cannot compete with the people of the world in doing business, you know that? Christians are not necessarily able to compete with the people of the world in doing business.

If you are a businessman and you come to me, as if I am a master, and ask me to do something so that your business will be better, then you will not be able to believe, because you have not understood this matter. Because your business is not what God cares about, it is what you care about. Some time ago, a businessman came to me. He thought that if I said a few words, his business would get better. As a result, the business did not get better. Later, he prayed at home and felt very good, saying that he wanted to leave the church, saying that God told him to leave. Even worse, if you come among us with the idea of finding a boyfriend, I advise you to go somewhere else.

In fact, Daniel did not look for anyone or any connections. He himself became the prime minister of the Babylonian empire. So we need to know one thing: the king of Babylon is also a tool in God's hands. If your business is bad and God deliberately allows foreigners to compete with you, and then your business collapses, are those competitors not tools in God's hands?

Just like the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah, brothers and sisters should know that the Israelites left Egypt and entered the land of Canaan, which is the current location of Israel, not because they deserved that land, but because the people in that place were too evil. The Israelites, the Jews, were destroyed by Babylon, not because Babylon was better, but because the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah were too rotten.

If you do business and are driven to collapse by competition, it is because you are too muddled. I think we need to see further. If our eyes are only focused on business, work, and family, then you are similar to those Jews who were destroyed. So we need to see further! If you can see far enough, you will pursue what God wants us to pursue, and you will value what God values. Who can destroy you then! Even if your country is destroyed and your family is ruined, God will still show you favor because you are Daniel! How good is that! Daniel was a man of God; although his country was destroyed and his family was ruined, he still found favor in the sight of God.

Those Who Belong to God Are Favoured in Every Circumstance

Those who belong to God are still favoured in every circumstance. This is the theme of the 《Bible》! Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were after God's heart! Although they were taken captive to the Babylonian Empire, if God wanted to bless them, they would stand before the king. How impressive!

So, brothers and sisters, you must know that Daniel was a man who belonged to God. Even though the nation of Judah was destroyed, those who were after God's heart, though taken captive to Babylon, found that living a blessed life was not a problem. They ate well, drank well, lived well, and lived quite well! Because in Daniel's bones, he was filled with a heart that loved God. I constantly encourage everyone to learn to love God. Why? If you are a person who loves God, even if the company you are employed by collapses, God will arrange a better place for you! Because God reigns in the kingdoms of men.

Previously, there were two young men who seemed quite proactive, and they were leaders among us. One of them was a programmer. I tell you, it is normal for programmers to find a job in a week because the market is in urgent need of such talents! Even today, my former friends are still asking me if I can recruit programmers because they need people to write programs!

As a result, this young man looked for a job for nine months! I was very surprised. I wrote his resume and revised it. Why couldn't he find a job after nine months? Later, when he revealed what was in his bones, it was all over. He didn't love God at all! There was another brother, also a leader among us, and a Ph.D. He was very shrewd. What happened? It took him about nine or ten months to find a job. I wondered why it took so long. Later, after he revealed what was in his bones, I understood! It turns out that God still reigns in the lives of people! God is a God who examines the hearts of men!

Brothers and sisters, if you come among us and still do not see blessings and favour, if you still cannot find a job, and if life is still difficult, that is a problem! God examines the hearts of men. If God wants to favour you, He will favour you no matter what. Why? For example, Jacob, when he went to his uncle Laban's house to herd sheep, he was very poor and had nothing.

But he clearly saw that God was with him, and everything he did prospered. Since Jacob was hired to herd sheep for his uncle, his uncle became a very wealthy man. Why is this so? Because Jacob was blessed. In other words, a person who does not lack God's favour can often see God's presence. This is very important! If we often do not see God's presence and God's favour, we really need to examine ourselves carefully in our thoughts and intentions.

I tell you, living poorly is a problem! Some people think that these four people were taken captive to Babylon. Didn't they become traitors? How could they help the Babylonian Empire do things? It doesn't matter. If we are Christians today, we need to abandon a narrow view because we are fundamentally on earth as we are in heaven.

In fact, God not only reigns in the lives of people, but He also reigns in the kingdoms of men. But whether it is your kingdom or my kingdom, they all belong to God's kingdom! This is why those who belong to God are still favoured no matter what their circumstances. These four people were brought to Babylon, and the King of Babylon selected them as trainees. The purpose of training them was to have them serve the emperor in the palace! How impressive!

Eating and Drinking Are Very Spiritual Matters

Daniel was brought to the Babylonian Empire and selected as a trainee. This is called being a seed player. As a result, they were given good food, good drink, and good hospitality, studying hard and striving for progress every day. Daniel and his three brothers, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, were later renamed Belteshazzar. Then Hananiah was called Shadrach, Mishael was called Meshach, and Azariah was called Abednego. These were Babylonian names.

Eating and drinking are very spiritual matters. As a result, Daniel was given good food, good drink, and good hospitality, but he had objections to the emperor's food. So Daniel went to the chief eunuch in the palace. You think, if you go to this chief eunuch and say that you don't eat this or that, aren't you courting death? However, Daniel was impressive. He found favour and compassion in the eyes of this chief eunuch.

This chief eunuch really said to Daniel: I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. This cannot be messed with! As a result, Daniel said to the chief eunuch: Please test us for ten days. Let us eat vegetables and drink water, without drinking wine or eating meat. Then see how we look. If we become thinner, darker, or yellower, we will resume our previous diet. If we are more handsome and healthier than before, then let's continue to do so! The goal must be clear! What is the goal? Health! Isn't it?

Daniel was really impressive! Why didn't Daniel eat these things? Later, in my ministry, I discovered that eating the wrong things can make people stupid! Everyone should observe carefully that those who win the Nobel Prize look very thin. In fact, a person's intelligence is related to food. I have found that greedy people are stupid! Later, I understood that there is an evil spirit called the Old Horse. This Old Horse especially loves to eat and drink. After people eat, they become stupid. Why? Because this thing is tormenting people. Although this is not written in 《Daniel》, Daniel said: I cannot eat that. I will only eat vegetables and water. In this way, not only will people become smarter, but they will also be healthier!

Brothers and sisters, we must know that many diseases are caused by eating. When I was young, I had never seen diabetes and rarely heard of cancer. Why? Because we were poor and couldn't afford to eat! Where was the money to eat? What did we eat back then? A whole pot of cabbage and potatoes. There was no refined rice or refined flour, only cornmeal. It was good enough to fill our stomachs, and we were often hungry. But I can't say that. We weren't hungry many times in total. But when it came to eating, it was so delicious.

Look at people today. They have many choices, but nothing tastes good. Why? These diseases are all caused by eating. Today, hospitals are crowded with people. Why? Because they eat too well. I tell you, eat less, three meals become two, and two meals become one, and you will be healthy! I have a sister who is poor! She rarely eats. Sometimes she eats one meal a day, and sometimes she eats one meal every two days. Later, I observed her. Over the years, I have never seen her get sick.

So how did Daniel handle this pressure? He handled it cleverly. He tried it for ten days. Some brothers and sisters do not have such courage in this regard because they do not know that God reigns in the kingdoms of men. Brothers and sisters, what are you still afraid of? You must know that God reigns in the kingdoms of men. Since God reigns in the kingdoms of men, then God also reigns in us. Who can do anything to us? We simply please God. Look at how Daniel handled this matter. This is wisdom and intelligence! It is truly favour! Not only was he favoured in this matter, but he was also favoured in all other matters.

God Exalted Daniel to Be the Prime Minister of the Babylonian Empire

Since God reigns in the kingdoms of men, God reigns in Daniel's life, and He also exalted Daniel to be the prime minister of the Babylonian Empire. When did it start? Actually, it started during the training. During the training, God gave Daniel intelligence and knowledge in all kinds of literature and learning. Everyone must know that writing is a spiritual matter, learning is a spiritual matter, intelligence is a spiritual matter, and visions and dreams are also spiritual matters. As a result, God gave Daniel wisdom and intelligence.

Today, brothers and sisters, you must know this! I tell you, if you love God, you will definitely study well. If a person's head is filled with too much garbage, how can they study well? So Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in the whole kingdom! Of course, our God is powerful! Human wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge are all under the control of our God. You say how important it is to love God. Don't be foolish! Learn to love God, learn to trust Him, and look to Him alone because He reigns in our lives.

God Preserved Daniel Through Three Dynasties and Four Reigns

You know, if a person is in a high position but lacks wisdom and intelligence, can they get by? Being in a high position, being a prime minister, changing an emperor, continuing to be a prime minister, changing another emperor, still continuing to be a prime minister, and changing another emperor, still continuing to be a prime minister. In fact, the Babylonian Empire was later destroyed and replaced by the Median Empire. However, the Median Empire still allowed Daniel to be the prime minister. How impressive! Later, the Median Empire was replaced by the Persian Empire, and Daniel remained the prime minister! Truly impressive!

There is an old saying: A new emperor brings in a new court. Daniel experienced three dynasties and four reigns of emperors, and he was still preserved by God! In other words, whether or not we are preserved is up to God! Daniel, who was preserved by God, stood firm through three dynasties and four reigns. What was the reason? It was his firm refusal to compromise. Daniel was thrown into the lions' den, and his three good friends were thrown into the fiery furnace. What happened? Who can harm those who love God?

So brothers and sisters, begin to understand that we must never compromise on trusting God! This is what we are going to talk about in the first chapter. Read it carefully, too. If you can read what I have written, that's great! If you read it better than I do, then make a recording, and I will put your recording on our website. I am also grateful. I thank God for giving you wisdom, intelligence, visions, and dreams. How wonderful!

May God bless everyone!