Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand….

Several years ago, as I was musing through the book of Daniel, I felt the Spirit of the Lord begin to quicken certain truths that I had never really focused upon before. At the time, I was teaching a New Testament course in Latin America – totally unrelated to the book of Daniel.

Daniel is an end-time book, filled with prophetic chronological events and yet, it was not the eschatological truths that seemed to capture my attention, but rather the array of trials. The book of Daniel gives us a multicolored assortment of trials that seem to inculcate the whole book. As I was ruminating over some of these trials in my mind I began to see some new truths emerge. For example, there is a progression to these trials: In chapter one, Daniel and his friends are tested over their diet. In the last chapter (Chapter 12), there is a trial beyond anything that the world has ever known.

If Daniel and his friends had not passed the first test, which concerned the Levitical diet, they would never have progressed to trial number two. In a sense, all of these trials are preparing the contestant for the ultimate challenge. Perhaps the word contestant seems a trite expression and yet the apostle Paul tells us that we are competing for an incorruptible crown. The Christian life is filled with tests that will challenge our faith. The overcomer receives the crown; and as we shall also see in Daniel, there was a promotion or a merit of distinction or a reward at the conclusion of the test. We do not receive a crown for accepting Christ as our Saviour; we receive a crown for finishing our course, which may include many hurdles (2 Tim. 4:7-8).

The man Daniel has always been rather special to me because my mother named me after this great man. In fact, my mother would sing to me a little chorus from the old hymn “Dare to be a Daniel.” That was well over sixty years ago.

Israel, a sign
Another thing that my mother instilled within my heart was that we (my brothers included) were born for this generation; to see the fulfillment of things written. One of the major signs of the end of the age (the Church Age), would be the restoration of Israel to statehood. This took place in 1948. Christ indicated in His Olivet discourse that this generation (the generation that was born at that time) would not pass away until all came to pass:

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” (Mat 24:32-34).

*The fig tree is Israel’s symbol.

Daniel lived at the time that Israel lost its sovereignty (586 BC); and it was never regained until 1948. Israel was always under the boot of some alien power. However, Israel had to regain its national identity in order to fulfill the end-time plan. The final test of the nations is centered upon Israel. The sheep nations will support Israel’s sovereignty; the goat nations will denounce her (Matt. 25:32-33).

Trial of the Saints
The interesting thing about a trial is that everyone involved is on trial as well. The contestant is being tried; all of those who are fomenting the trial are also being tried; and all those who witness the trial are on trial as well. (See 2 Thess. 1:4-9.) Job’s friends were on trial as well as Job.

The Scriptures prove that trials are for the purpose of purifying the saint – the wise shall understand this! I have singled out ten trials in the book of Daniel that I believe will help us to appreciate the benefit of a trial. They will also help us (by God’s grace) to endure the test that is coming to try the whole earth. If we are not faithful in the smaller trials then we surely will not stand in the great trial. As the prophet Jeremiah once said: “If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?” (Jer. 12:5)

God does not give Job-size trials to the new convert. God carefully monitors a trial. As the prophet Malachi said, He sits as a refiner of silver, carefully monitoring the heat and the purifying of the metal. As soon as the refiner sees his reflection in the silver, the silver is removed from the heat. The apostle Paul also states that God will never give us a trial or a test beyond our capability:

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (1 Cor 10:13).

The purpose of a trial
There are a number of purposes for trials: Perhaps the trial is to reveal something in our lives that God wants to cleanse us from. Perhaps the trial is to adjust something in our character, or to show us the stuff that we are really made of. Perhaps it is to qualify us for a greater place. Or, perhaps we need a good trial just to teach us a lesson – something that we will not want to repeat.

Trials come in many forms (and for many of the above reasons):

• Temptation
• Crisis
• Pain/suffering
• Loss
• Shortage
• Enemies/persecutors
• Circumstances that deny or contradict
• Betrayal
• Perhaps in the form of crucial decisions
• Perhaps as a challenge to our loyalties

Ten trials from the Book of Daniel
In consideration of these various trials, it is our earnest desire to bring them from out of the abstract into present tense relevance. We may not literally be thrown into a lion’s den, and yet we may dwell with people who would like to tear us to pieces. As David said in Psalm 57:4: “My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.”

We may not literally be thrown into a fiery furnace, yet Peter warns us not to be surprised at the fiery trial that shall try us (1 Pet. 4:12, Ex. 4:20). There are indeed situations in life that may even make death seem attractive. All of the testings in life are preparing us for the martyr’s crown – there are many martyrs in history that did not literally die. Daniel and his friends prove the point!

Let us receive courage and renewed faith as we examine the trials that perfect the saint and will give him a place of brilliance among the stars that shine throughout eternity.

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