lesson two

APRIL 7–13

Daniel and the

End Time
“The king answered Daniel, and said, ‘Truly your God
is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of
secrets, since you could reveal this secret’ ”
(Dan. 2:47, NKJV).

In a world of confusion, chaos, and uncertainty, Daniel was a rock

withstanding the constant influx of rushing waves of trials. His faith in
God remained steady and constant, and because of this he was able to
withstand the flush of stormy waters that overtook him. In the end times
when similar circumstances befall us, we need to remember how Daniel
clung to his Savior and do the same.
sabbath
APRIL 7
Introduction
Loyalty in Captivity Luke 16:10

Imagine the scene: Daniel, a young man beaming with energy, intel-
ligence, ambition, and hope. At the height of his dreams and plans, the
Babylonian army takes him captive along with the most promising of his
compatriots. They finally find themselves in a foreign land, far away from
their native country. They experience culture shock, as everything in this
land is different. From their food to their worship, Daniel finds everything
distasteful.

Faithfulness to God . . . is a requirement

for Christians of all ages.
In a twist of fate, the Babylonian officials recognize the potential in him.
He is assimilated into their governance structure, with his first assignment
at the king’s palace. However, opposed to the sorcery, idolatry, and pagan
life in Babylon, with his three friends Daniel resolves to remain faithful to
God—the Owner of the universe and everything it. Through his faithful-
ness, God blesses him, and he rises to the position of a prime minister in
a foreign land.
Daniel’s colleagues are angry at his political achievements and faith-
fulness to God, in light of his foreign background. They plot to make him
renounce his faith, adopt their worship, and bend his values. But Daniel
resolves to stick to his faith. This leads to a sequence of events where even
his life is in danger. In the end, God’s faithfulness prevails as pagan kings
come to recognize the true God of Israel, who is able to deliver his faithful
servants from the worst of circumstances.
Faithfulness to God, as shown in the life of Daniel, is a requirement for
Christians of all ages down to our time. The life of Daniel in Babylon illus-
trates what can happen to any Christian who maintains faithfulness to God.
While Daniel’s life was endangered several times, he was used to reveal
the true God to a kingdom that did not know Him. His faithfulness ultimately
led the pagan kings to recognize the God of Israel (Dan. 4:2, 3; 6:26, 27).
The story of Daniel and his three friends provides a significant lesson
that faithfulness is a key virtue in the life of a Christian. Daniel was consis-
tent in his faith, and he maintained faithfulness even in his old age. As the
world nears the close of history, we should recognize our role as Christians
to uphold our principles and maintain faithfulness in every situation. That is
the basis of our study this week.

Siprose Ngina, Nairobi, Kenya

20
 sunday APRIL 8
Evidence
Dan. 2:48 Consequences
of Commitment

The story of Daniel and his three comrades brings several lessons to mind
for the twenty-first-century Christian. First off, each day in the life of Daniel
began with a prayer to the Lord (Dan. 6:10). Every day he communicated with
God. Christ echoed the same sentiment when He instructed His disciples to
“keep watching and praying” (Matt. 26:41, NASB).

Daniel maintains his faithfulness to the end,

even if it costs him his life.
Prayer guards Christians from the snares of temptation. God described
Daniel as “greatly beloved” (Daniel 10:11, 19). The character of Daniel matches
the description that Christ gave to God’s beloved sons in John 14:21, 23. In
addition, it is evident that Daniel developed a prayer habit similar to what we
see in the life of Christ (Mark 1:35), Abraham (Gen. 19:27), and David (Ps. 5:3).
As Christians living in the end time, we should have a personal commitment
to prayer. We must meditate on God’s Word, which provides a strong founda-
tion of faith and faithfulness to stand the hardest of times.
Daniel’s life also teaches us that faithfulness has a reward. Daniel’s faith-
fulness led him to a higher position in the kingdom. After the fall of Babylon,
Darius recognized him and appointed Daniel to a key government position.
In Daniel’s faithfulness, he saw a solution to the corruption in his government.
When we are faithful to God, we can be faithful to man as well. Daniel’s
constant faithfulness to God made him the best among his peers. Since he
maintained a consistent daily devotion with God, he succeeded in his career.
But his peers saw Daniel as a threat. “The chief problem they have with Daniel
is that their ability to unduly profit from their positions has been ground to a
halt. . . . If he is made to rule over all, they foresee the possibility that ALL cor-
ruption in the kingdom could be halted.”*
Finally, they found no earthly weakness in Daniel, so they decide to tarnish
his spiritual image. They want Daniel to compromise his faith in the true God.
Daniel maintains his faithfulness to the end, even if it costs him his life.

REACT
1. What prevents us from being faithful to God today? What similar situations
are we likely to face in the end time?
2. How did Daniel not cave to peer pressure? What does this teach us about
our position in the world?
__________
* “Daniel 6: Not Just a Test of Faith, but Faithfulness,” Walk With the Word, accessed March
16, 2017, http://www.walkwiththeword.org/Studies/01_OT/27_Daniel/27_Daniel_06.html.
Josephine Nduku, Makueni, Kenya
21
monday
APRIL 9
Logos Deut. 4:6–8;
Daniel 3;
A Test of Faith in God Acts 17:28;
Gal. 6:14

Heeding the Voice of God (Deut. 4:6–8)

The Israelites were to be God’s chosen people, showing His love and power
to the rest of the world. The love that God had for Israel applies to everyone
who accepts Christ as his or her personal Savior today. For the Israelites, the
law of God was a sign, between the Almighty and them, that they were partak-
ers of His eternal kingdom.
Given to the Israelites through Moses, the law was to guide the people
through the temptations that surrounded them and the corrupt desires that
lurked in their midst so that they could remain pure and loyal to God. During
the captivity in Babylon, idolatry stared them in the face. They had to choose
between serving worldly kings and obeying the instructions of the true God.

The fourth Person will always be there.

The story of Daniel and his three Hebrew companions teaches Christians
today what it means to have the faith of a Christian tested. When they were
commanded to pay homage to the whims of human leaders, Daniel and his
companions stood for their faith and defended it at all costs. Today, we too have
a covenant with God. As Christians, God expects us to follow His instructions
as written in the Bible. The degree of our faithfulness to Him and His laws will
make the difference between eternal life and eternal death.

To God Be the Glory (Gal. 6:14)

In the New Testament, Paul asserts that his glory is not in men or in what
they do. Nor is his glory in himself. With all his achievements and success, he
attributes his successes to a higher Power. He chooses to glory in Christ.
While many people fail to recognize Christ, Paul chooses to glory in Him and
determines to know more about Him (Phil. 3:8). In addition, Paul embarks on
a journey of hundreds of miles to make God known to others. He is concerned
about salvation, which Christ has brought by His death on the cross. The effect
of Christ’s death gives him peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal glory.
“The doctrine of grace, of a crucified Christ, taught him to deny the riches,
honours, pleasures, profits, and applause of the world; which were to him as
dross, in comparison of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord.”1
The same situation is evident when Daniel, in the palace of Babylon, glories
in God rather than in earthly kings. Even after major accomplishments such as
interpreting the king’s dream, Daniel chooses to remain humble (Dan. 2:49).
As we near the end of the world, we can draw important lessons from the
experiences of Daniel. Similarly, the teachings of Paul speak to us. Regardless
of the accomplishments, successes, and prosperity that we may see in this

22
world, our glory should be in Christ, His death on the cross, and our salvation.

Forced Worship and Amazing Delivery (Daniel 3)

Daniel 3 points readers to a golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar sets
up, demanding that all worship it. However, true to their faith, the three Hebrew
sons refuse to worship the golden image, which represents worldly powe­r
(Dan. 3:12). The king becomes angry, and he orders the capture and death of
Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego.
Death by furnace was a form of punishment in Babylon (Jer. 29:22). The
three Hebrew sons are thrown into a fiery furnace in the hope that the tem-
perature would char them to the bones. Contrary to what the king thinks, and
to the amazement of the people, God delivers the victims from the furnace.
The king confesses, “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire,
and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God” (Dan.
3:25). The king finally yields to the power of the true God and orders the men
to come out of the furnace.
For those who maintain their allegiance to God, the fourth Person will be
present in every situation. Today it may not be a fiery furnace, but we can un-
dergo similar situations that test our loyalty. When we trust God, we surrender
our all to Him, including our lives, with no condition (Dan. 3:17, 18).
The world may try to defile the vessels of God, but the fourth Person will
always be there to deliver the faithful in all situations.

Making God Known (Acts 17:28)

While in Athens, Paul continues to shed light on the omnipotent One—the
God above all gods. The people of Athens are deeply into idolatry (Acts 17:23),
just as the Babylonian kingdom. In this situation, Paul becomes a vessel of
God to people who do not recognize Him. He asserts that God is everywhere
and all our actions, both physical and intellectual, stem from Him.
God sees through the darkest souls, and when people turn away from His
love, they can meet Him in His displeasure. When we turn from our sins, we
still meet a loving and forgiving God. The realization that we are of God implies
that we have nothing to call our own.
“To claim any gift of God as our own is to rob God. . . . How much holier,
deeper, more blessed, more full of love, is it to draw every breath of our lives
in Him, . . . to move around Him as the centre of our being, and who gives us
power to move.”2

REACT
1. What are the benefits of adhering to God’s instructions?
2. What are the consequences of bowing to worldly pressure?
3. How can we make God known in difficult situations?
__________
1. John Gill, “Galatians 6:14,” John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible, Bible Study Tools, ac-
cessed March 16, 2017, http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the
-bible/galatians-6-14.html.
2. E. B. Pusey, Sermons, vol. 2., p. 372, quoted in William Robertson Nicoll, “Commentary on
Acts 17:28,” Sermon Bible Commentary, StudyLight.org, accessed March 16, 2017, http://www
.studylight.org/commentary/acts/17-28.html.

Florence Mweni, Machakos, Kenya

23
tuesday
APRIL 10
Testimony Isa. 43:10
The Present-Day Daniel

“As the Lord co-operated with Daniel and his fellows, so He will co-operate
with all who strive to do His will. . . . Those who walk in the path of obedience
will encounter many hindrances. Strong, subtle influences may bind them to
the world; but the Lord is able to render futile every agency that works for the
defeat of His chosen ones; in His strength they may overcome every tempta-
tion, conquer every difficulty.”1

“A noble character is not the result of accident.”

“In the life of the true Christian, there are no nonessentials; in the sight
of Omnipotence every duty is important. The Lord measures with exactness
every possibility for service. The unused capabilities are just as much brought
into account as those that are used. We shall be judged by what we ought
to have done, but did not accomplish because we did not use our powers to
glorify God.
“A noble character is not the result of accident; it is not due to special favors
or endowments of Providence. It is the result of self-discipline, of subjection of
the lower to the higher nature, of the surrender of self to the service of God
and man.
“There is need of men who like Daniel will do and dare for the cause of
right. Pure hearts, strong hands, fearless courage, are needed; for the warfare
between vice and virtue calls for ceaseless vigilance.”2
“The spirit that possessed Daniel, the youth of today may have; they may
draw from the same source of strength, possess the same power of self-
control, and reveal the same grace in their lives, even under circumstances
as unfavorable. Though surrounded by temptations to self-indulgence, espe-
cially in our large cities, where every form of sensual gratification is made easy
and inviting, yet by divine grace their purpose to honor God may remain firm.
Through strong resolution and vigilant watchfulness they may withstand every
temptation that assails the soul. But only by him who determines to do right
because it is right will the victory be gained.”3

REACT
In what situations do we need to apply the example of Daniel, whether as a
church or as individuals?
__________
1. Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 487.
2. Ibid., p. 488.
3. Ibid., pp. 489, 490.

Rose Ndanu, Makueni, Kenya

24
 wednesday APRIL 11

John 3:7 How-to

Pulling Off the Mask

Before we accept Christ as our personal Savior, we wear a mask that we

often accept as our real face. This mask must drop off in order for us to become
one with God (Acts 9:18). In the new life with Christ, we begin to experience an
inner peace and joy, knowing that our lives belong to God.
In the book of Daniel, various leaders acknowledge the existence of God—
but only after seeing His works through Daniel. Many people today operate
on the same principle of “seeing is believing.” However, as followers of Christ,
the Lord expects us to believe even before we see (John 20:29). The work of
God through Daniel reminds everyone that we can achieve nothing by our
own power. But when we humble ourselves before Him, God is able to lift us
to greater heights.

Our Father in heaven has the last word.

The Bible explains that the greatest requirement to prepare us for the end
time is to be born again. The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus
(John 3:1–9) shows Christians that salvation is possible for all, Jew and Gen-
tile. Once we accept Christ as our personal Savior, He can grant us the power
to overcome all the challenges that we experience in the end time.
King Nebuchadnezzar believed in his personal might, power, and majesty.
In his mind, he knew that only he had the final word. However, it came to pass
that God had the last word. As the world reels to its end, it is time to believe that
our Father in heaven has the last word. We can see fear, despair, frustration, or
even death, but God finally delivers His faithful servants.
The best way to be closer to God is to accept Christ as your Savior, through
baptism. Once born again, we can be the true branches of the vine (John
15:5). With a born-again experience, our hearts remain repentant in Christ no
matter what comes our way. Here are tips to follow to help us pull off the mask
and accept Christ as our Savior.
Do not have a hard heart. God has provided means by which we can rec-
ognize His existence. Just as Daniel was an agent in Babylon, we have agents
with the same message today. When we hear the message, we should allow it
to take its course in our lives (Heb. 3:7, 8).
Decide once and forever. The journey to salvation allows no back and forth.
Once we decide, we focus on one prize of eternal life, and there is no looking
back (Phil. 3:14).
Acknowledge God above everything else. Worldly success and accom-
plishments should not lead us to leave God. Instead, they should provide the
means to help us move closer to God (2 Cor. 3:5).
Joseph Wambua, Nairobi, Kenya
25
thursday
APRIL 12
Opinion
Faithfulness: Benefits Dan. 6:3

and Consequences
Each time we do anything for God, the devil is unhappy. With his agents on
earth, he tries very hard to dissuade us from doing the right thing. This tug of
war between good and evil has existed for many years.
In Daniel 6, the faithfulness of Daniel leads him to a place of honor. King
Darius sees Daniel as a person he can trust with leadership in his kingdom.
However, the other presidents in the region are envious of Daniel. They try to
find fault in all sectors under Daniel without success (verse 4). Eventually, they
hatch a plan that would make the difference between good and evil, light and
darkness, life and death. “We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel,
except we find it against him concerning the law of his God” (Dan. 6:5).

God’s church must stand out.

As it was with Daniel, so it is with us today. Our enemy looks for every op-
portunity to find fault in us as both individuals and as a church. He looks into
our morals, modesty, diet, relationships, and more to find out how to antago-
nize our loyalty. In addition, if he finds nothing to accuse us of, he turns to affect
our allegiance to God.
As followers of Christ, particularly in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, we
meet opposition on every hand. However, we should remain steadfast in our
faith and trust God. Sometimes it may require that we make difficult choices.
When our employers demand that we work on Sabbath, or our schools hold
exams and sporting events on the Sabbath, we need the faithfulness of Daniel.
In the end time, we find ourselves in the shoes of Daniel in many ways.
The church should maintain its role as the remnant institution of God (Rev.
12:17). When people bow down to worldly powers, God’s church must stand
out. When people worship the dragon and praise him (Rev. 13:4), God’s true
servants must make choices in favor of their faith.
In the character of Daniel, we learn that faithfulness is a quality that every
Christian needs. Daniel maintained his loyalty to God even in captivity. Even
though he could no longer find himself in the Jerusalem temple, he made it his
tradition to pray facing the direction of the Promised Land three times “as he
did aforetime” (Dan. 6:10). Even in the face of death, he stuck with the practice.

REACT
1. Was there a way Daniel could avoid being thrown into the lions’ den? What
can we do if we find ourselves in a similar situation?
2. What does the relationship between Daniel and King Darius teach us
about faithfulness?
William Mutunga, Nairobi, Kenya
26
 friday
APRIL 13
Exploration
Isa. 11:5
Daniel: Our Template of
Faithfulness
CONCLUDE
As we read Daniel 1 through 6, we learn that God stands with those who
honor Him before anything else. Daniel is an example of how God fulfills the
desires of those who have faith in Him. In Daniel and his three companions,
we see that God can still find people who heed His Word even in the worst
adversity. The humility, the faithfulness, and the prayerfulness of Daniel are
the guiding qualities to emulate in the end time. Above all, loyalty to God’s
statutes, as witnessed in the life of Daniel, is what will determine the differ-
ence between the true followers of Christ and pretenders.

CONSIDER
• Listening to the song “A Shelter in the Time of Storm” by Vernon J.
Charlesworth. Rewrite the lines of the verses by replacing we with I.
After this revision, sing all verses of the song again.
• Writing your loyalty pledge to God. Memorize the pledge and recite it
whenever you face any adversity.
• Starting a born-again campaign in your community, in which you dis-
cuss with young adults the importance of accepting Christ as a per-
sonal Savior. Recruit as many members as possible and forward the
names to your church pastor for a possible baptismal exercise.
• Role-playing Daniel and the fiery furnace. With some of your Sabbath
School class members, form a group and perform the play one Sab-
bath afternoon. Note the inspiration that you derive when you play the
character of Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach, or Abednego.
• Writing a poem about how you feel when you are persecuted for your
faith. Think about sharing your poem with members of your church
and community on suitable occasions such as music Sabbaths.
• Forming a social media group (e.g., Facebook or Whatsapp) for Ad-
ventist young adults who will stand up for their faith at all costs. Make
a personal effort to reach out to every member with encouraging
words through texts, Bible quotes, or pictures.
• Running an online blog where you and your Sabbath School class
members can share your faith experiences and post stories of spiri-
tual encouragement. Occasionally, meet for a joint prayer to affirm
your faith in God.

CONNECT
James 2:14–25; Matthew 5:5.
Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 479–490, 539–548.
Tony Philip Oreso, Nairobi, Kenya
27