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A Year Held in His Hands| A New Year Sermon

By Ekombe Hau -
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A Year Held in His Hands| A New Year Sermon Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash Every time a new year comes close, something in me start feeling that weird mix of excitement and heaviness. Maybe you know the feeling too—like you’re standing at this invisible doorway. One foot in the old year (the stuff you want to forget but somehow still sticks to you like stubborn glue), and the other foot stepping into something you still can’t see clearly. And sometimes you’re hopeful, sometimes you’re scared, sometimes you’re… well, both at the same time. I was thinking about all that while reading some Scriptures again, and honestly, it hit me harder this year. Maybe because life been kinda loud lately, or maybe because I’m tired of pretending everything always makes sense. But the Bible does this thing, right? It sneaks into the parts of your heart you thought you cleaned up, and suddenly you realize God is trying to talk to you again. Even if it feels like you weren’t exactly listening. S...
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Introduction of the Book of Daniel – Commentary and Explanation

By Ekombe Hau -

Introduction of the Book of Daniel – Commentary and Explanation


                                                                    Photo by Ingo Stiller on Unsplash


You know, if there’s one book in the Bible that really makes you go “Whoa... wait, what just happened?”—it’s probably the book of Daniel. This book isn’t just about lions and fiery furnaces. It’s got dreams, visions, beasts, kingdoms rising and falling, angelic encounters, and even a timeline that points straight to the Messiah. Kinda wild, right?

So, let’s dive into it. We’re gonna walk through the background, the man Daniel himself, what the book’s about, its structure, its prophecy (oh yeah, there’s a ton), and how it connects to Jesus and the New Testament. Not gonna lie—it’s a lot. But it’s rich and it’s worth it.

Who Was Daniel?

Daniel was a young Hebrew guy from Judah. He was probably a teenager—maybe 15 or 16—when he was taken into Babylonian exile after King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem. That was around 605 BC. Imagine that. You’re a faithful kid, trying to follow God, and next thing you know, you’re ripped from your home, hauled off to a pagan land, and forced to learn the customs, language, and religion of Babylon. That’s trauma, man. That’s culture shock x10.

But Daniel didn’t crumble. He stood firm.

He refused to eat the king’s food (Daniel 1), interpreted dreams (Daniel 2), got promoted like crazy, and stayed faithful to Yahweh even when it meant being thrown into a den of lions (Daniel 6). He wasn’t just smart—he was wise, prayerful, and had insane integrity.

But what really makes Daniel unique is that he didn’t just survive exile—he thrived in it, spiritually and politically. He ended up serving under multiple kings—Babylonian and Persian. That’s wild longevity in enemy territory.

When Was Daniel Written?

Okay, so here’s where scholars start to split hairs. Some say Daniel was written during the 6th century BC—during or shortly after the events it describes. That’s the traditional view and lines up with Daniel actually writing it himself.

But others argue it was written in the 2nd century BC, during the time of the Maccabean revolt (around 165 BC), and that it was sort of “pseudonymous”—written by someone else under Daniel’s name.

Why the debate? Mainly because of the insane accuracy of Daniel’s prophecies. Some folks say, “There’s no way someone could’ve predicted that much detail unless it was written after the fact.” But, let’s be real—if we believe God can reveal the future (and He can), then Daniel having prophetic visions isn’t all that far-fetched.

The Structure of the Book

The Book of Daniel is divided into two main parts. Like a good Netflix series, it starts with drama and ends with some mind-bending visions.

  1. Chapters 1–6 – Historical narratives (the “Sunday School” part)

  2. Chapters 7–12 – Apocalyptic visions and prophecy (the “end-times” part)

And here’s something really interesting: The book is written in two languages. Hebrew and Aramaic.

  • Hebrew: Chapters 1 and 8–12

  • Aramaic: Chapters 2–7

Why? Most likely because Aramaic was the common language of the empire—the international language. Those middle chapters deal with Gentile kingdoms and rulers, so maybe the switch was intentional, to speak to both Jews and non-Jews alike.

Daniel the Man vs. Daniel the Book

Now let’s pause and think about this. The man Daniel—he’s faithful, unshakable, wise, courageous. You know, someone you’d want as a mentor or a role model.

But the book of Daniel is so much more than just a biography. It’s a fusion of history and prophecy, narrative and apocalypse, present struggle and future hope.

Daniel is like a bridge—connecting the fall of Jerusalem to the future coming of the Kingdom of God. It covers the exile, foreign rule, and the hope of deliverance.

Faithfulness in Exile

This theme is massive in Daniel. Exile wasn’t just about being physically displaced. It was spiritual, emotional, cultural.

Yet Daniel remained faithful. He prayed toward Jerusalem three times a day (Daniel 6:10), he fasted, he confessed the sins of his people (Daniel 9), and he never compromised his core convictions.

What does that mean for us today?

Well... aren’t we kinda living in a modern-day exile? Think about it. We’re believers living in a world that doesn’t honor God. We’re strangers in a land that doesn’t speak our values. The Book of Daniel shows us how to live in exile—faithfully, prayerfully, courageously, wisely.

God Is in Control

Now this is one of the biggest messages in Daniel. Like, loud and clear: God is sovereign.

Kingdoms rise, kingdoms fall. Kings come and go. But God remains.

Take Daniel 2, for example. Nebuchadnezzar has this dream of a big statue made of different materials—gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay. Daniel tells him it represents a succession of world empires. But then a rock—not cut by human hands—strikes the statue and grows into a mountain. That rock? God’s kingdom. Eternal. Unshakable.

Fast forward to Daniel 4. Nebuchadnezzar literally goes insane for seven years, eating grass like a cow, until he acknowledges that “the Most High rules the kingdom of men.” That’s humbling.

Daniel 5? Belshazzar sees the writing on the wall (literally), and boom—his kingdom is gone that night.

Bottom line: empires are temporary. God’s rule is forever.

Apocalyptic Visions

Okay, buckle up. Daniel 7–12 is where things get... intense.

Beasts with horns. Ram and goat battles. Seventy “weeks” (yeah, not the regular kind). Kings of the North and South. The abomination of desolation. Michael the archangel. Resurrection of the dead.

This section is apocalyptic literature—symbolic, dramatic, otherworldly. Think Revelation vibes.

Daniel 7 gives us the vision of four beasts (symbolizing four kingdoms) and then... the Son of Man comes on the clouds and receives dominion. That title “Son of Man”? Jesus used it a lot. It ties back to this moment.

Daniel 9 talks about 70 “weeks” or sevens—a prophetic timeline pointing to the Messiah. The math gets complicated (and there are different interpretations), but many scholars believe this prophecy pinpoints Jesus’ first coming to the year. That’s jaw-dropping precision.

Prophecies Fulfilled

One of the most astonishing things about Daniel is how many of its prophecies have been fulfilled historically.

Let’s talk Daniel 8. It describes a goat with one big horn (Alexander the Great) defeating a ram (the Medo-Persians). Then that big horn is broken and four horns grow in its place—Alexander’s kingdom splitting into four after his sudden death. That happened, just as predicted.

Daniel 11 gives a ridiculously detailed account of the kings of the North and South (mainly the Seleucids and Ptolemies). You read it next to a history textbook—it’s a perfect match. But again, critics go, “No way—must’ve been written after the events.” But hey, if God can raise the dead, He can write history before it happens.

Daniel and Jesus

Jesus didn’t just read Daniel—He quoted it. A lot.

  • Daniel 7:13-14 – “Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven.” Jesus uses this to describe Himself.

  • Daniel 12:2 – Resurrection of the dead. Sound familiar? That’s end-of-days stuff.

  • Daniel 9 – Messiah “cut off” before the destruction of the temple. Jesus died around 33 AD. The temple fell in 70 AD. Fits like a puzzle piece.

Jesus calls Daniel a “prophet” (Matthew 24:15). That settles it. No matter what modern critics say—Jesus endorsed the book of Daniel, and that should be good enough for us.

Personal Application

Okay, this isn’t just an academic book. It’s not just history and charts and timelines. The Book of Daniel is practical.

It challenges us to:

  • Stay faithful under pressure.

  • Pray consistently.

  • Refuse to compromise.

  • Trust God with the future.

  • Live wisely in a foreign culture.

  • Expect God’s kingdom to come.

It gives us a roadmap for living godly lives in godless times.

Big Themes in the Book of Daniel

Let’s bullet out a few major themes real quick:

  • God’s Sovereignty – He rules over kings, kingdoms, history, and future events.

  • Faithfulness in Exile – Daniel and his friends stayed true to God even in hostile environments.

  • Apocalyptic Hope – God will defeat evil and establish His eternal kingdom.

  • Messianic Prophecy – Clear references to the coming of Jesus.

  • The Supernatural – Angels, visions, dreams, miracles. All of it.

  • Resurrection – A clear Old Testament reference to life after death (Daniel 12:2–3).

Final Thoughts

The Book of Daniel isn’t just for prophecy nerds or theology buffs. It’s for everyday Christians who want to stay strong when the world gets dark. It’s for people trying to live holy lives in the middle of chaos. It’s for those who feel like exiles—displaced, misunderstood, maybe even attacked.

Daniel reminds us: God is in control.

Even when you’re in a lion’s den. Even when empires rage. Even when the future looks blurry and uncertain.

He sees. He knows. He speaks.

And He wins.

So whether you’re new to the Book of Daniel or you’ve read it a dozen times, I encourage you—read it again. Slowly. Prayerfully. Watch for Jesus in the shadows. Look for God’s fingerprints in the chaos. And ask yourself...

Am I living like Daniel in Babylon?

Am I standing firm, praying bold, and trusting God no matter what?

'Cause if Daniel could do it in Babylon, surely we can do it here and now.

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