This an adaptation to an earlier lesson submitted about this chapter. This lesson has additional resources to help teach this lesson. It was used in an older elementary class. It is only a guide to be used as a tool to give you ideas as you teach your students.
Bible Story: Daniel 7 Saints are the winning team
Scripture: Daniel 7
Target Age Group: Age 9 – 11 (U.S. 3rd – 5th Grade)
Learning Context: Sunday School
Target Time Frame: 60 minutes
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Supply List: prepare 2 paper dolls to represent 2 teams, Bibles, index cards for Scriptures, pencils/pens for word puzzle,
Learning Goal: Students will learn that saints (believers) do not need to fear the future because they are the winning team if they are followers of Christ.
Learning Activity #1: Paper doll cut outs These can be prepared in advance or if time allows in your classroom the students could create the team uniforms for the Saints of God and the Enemies of God.
Learning Activity #2: Daniel 7 Word Puzzle
Test: Review Questions
Memory Verse: Daniel 7:27 “Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the rulers will worship and obey Him.”
Bible Lesson: Saints are the winning team
Introduction: All of us have been on a team of some sort in our lives. We competed against another team and either won or lost. As we prepare to study our Bible lesson we are going to use the team analogy as a symbol for the two groups of people described in the Bible. There are believers (believers in Jesus as God’s Son and only way to heaven) and unbelievers (reject Jesus as the way to God). (Use paper dolls prepared in advance) All people began on the team called Enemies of God. People were born sinners and sin separates them from a Holy God. When a person believes by faith that Jesus died on the cross for his/her sin, was buried and rose again they have been drafted on to the team named Saints of God. Every team has a coach or team leader. Who do you think the coach of the Enemies of God is? (Satan) Who is the coach of the Saints of God? (Jesus)
The team mates on the enemies of God are clothed in uniforms made from filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) and shame (Job 8:22). The team mates on the Saints of God are uniforms made with the righteousness of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21) and joy (Psalm 30:11). (Put the outfits on the paper dolls)
The scoreboard reads: Visitors (Saints of God-this is not our home 1 Peter 1:1) and the Home team (enemies of God). Until the end of times the enemies of God (EOG) will continue to compete against the saints of God. Sometimes it will appear that the EOGs are winning. The saints of God (SOG) will have times when they feel like they are on the losing team. The Bible tells us that the scoreboard at the end of time will read Visitors-winners and Home-Losers.
With this word picture in our minds lets dive into Daniel 7 which is a prophecy of the end times. When we hear the phrase end times a simpler way to say it is to say when Jesus comes and defeats the devil and reigns as King.
Bible Lesson:
If you are on the Saints of God team how well are you doing following your coach Jesus’ instructions so you can win against attacks from the opposite team? EOGs try to defeat you by making fun of you because you go to church and believe in Jesus. Do you allow discouragement, failure to do what you know pleases Jesus, or anything else leave you feeling like you are on a losing team? If so this lesson will encourage you that you don’t have to wait until the end times to feel victorious. You are on a winning team and you can live each day following Jesus’s instructions pleasing Him and overcoming those things that make you feel like you are losing.
(Teacher-it may be helpful to use index cards with these verses and the questions as you lead your class to study this lesson.)
Turn to Daniel 7. Let’s read verse 1. When did Daniel have this dream?
From verses 2-3: What did Daniel see?
Read verse 4- What did the first beast look like?
Read verse 5-Describe the second beast.
Read verse 6-What did this third beast look like?
Read verses 7-8: Why was the fourth beast more frightening than the other beasts? What was the little horn that came up among the 10 horns like?
In the middle of this vision of strange beasts Daniel sees a scene of God in heaven. Let’s read verses 9-10.
Daniel watches the little horn who is speaking boastful words. The little horn is destroyed and thrown into a blazing fire.
The vision turns back to the Son of man. Read verses 13-14.
This dream was very troubling to Daniel so he went up to someone standing in his dream and asked him what the true meaning of the dream was.
Read verse17-18. What will the Saints of God receive? How long will they possess the kingdom?
When Daniel heard the explanations of the beasts this may have reminded him of the dream Nebuchadnezzar had in Daniel 2. Who remembers his dream and what it meant? (Statue with a gold head-Babylon, silver chest and arms-Medo-Persian empire, stomach and thighs of bronze-Greece, legs of iron-Rome, feet and toes of clay/iron, stone not cut with human hands hits the feet and causes the whole statue to fall and be completely destroyed.)
Daniel is very troubled by the fourth beast. What did Daniel need explained about this beast? Read verses 20-22.
The explanation from the man is in verses 23-25. The little horn is going to speak against the Most High God and oppress (wear out) the saints. He will do this for three 1/2 years.
Thankfully God let Daniel see the rest of the story. We can’t forget that Daniel is living in Babylon because God’s people were being punished for their sin. It would be very discouraging for Daniel to see a future of God’s people that included the little horn hurting God’s people. God shows Daniel that the future for His people will include difficulty. Although the saints will suffer God gives Daniel hope for the future of God’s people.
Let’s view the scene God allowed Daniel to see in verses 26-27. This scene would be comforting to Daniel and give him hope for the future.
Daniel and all other saints of God need not fear the future. The Bible tells us clearly who wins. In the end God defeats Satan and he will no longer cause trouble for God’s people.
As we close which team are you on? If you are a saint of the Most High God you are on the winning team. You do not have to be afraid of the future.
If you are on the EOG team the Good News is that you can switch teams. You don’t have to stay on the losing team. You can join the SOG team by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. “Today is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2) No one knows when they will take their last breath on this earth. You can only change teams while you are still living and breathing. Will you join the winning team today?
(Provide opportunity for those who have questions about becoming a follower of Jesus)
Close in prayer.
Review Questions:
1. Who are saints? (People who believe in the Lord Jesus)
2. When did Daniel have this vision? (1 year of Belshazzar’s reign)
3. Describe one of the four beasts.
4. What will the Saints of God receive? (The kingdom)
5. How long will the Saints own the kingdom? (Forever)
6. Why did the fourth beast trouble Daniel? (He was boastful and hurt God’s people)
7. In the end what will happen to this fourth beast? (He will be destroyed)
8. Who will reign forever? (The Most High God)