Daniel Pass Nebuchadnezzar Test: Daniel 1 v 18 - 21

Daniel 1:18 "Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar."

They were to be trained and groomed, before they were brought before the king. It appears this time has elapsed here, and it is time to bring them to the king for his approval.

Daniel 1:19 "And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king."

From this, we see there were many more than these 4, but the king was the most impressed with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. He chose these 4 to serve close to him.

Daniel 1:20 "And in all matters of wisdom [and] understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians [and] astrologers that [were] in all his realm."

Magicians and astrologers have a little power, but their power comes from another source other than God. Their wisdom and understanding does not measure up to the 4 headed up by Daniel. Daniel and his friends get their wisdom and understanding from God. We see the comparison in the Scripture above is 10 to 1.

Satan has a little power that God allows him to have. He does not have unlimited power. God's power is unlimited. God controls Satan. These men who had stood up for God were representing God to this court. God's power through them was unlimited.

Daniel 1:21 "And Daniel continued [even] unto the first year of King Cyrus."

While Babylon stands, Daniel continued. Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. His third year, in 10:1, is the latest historical year that Daniel mentions.

Daniel 6:28 "So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian."

Verse 21 above, does not say Daniel stopped at the first year of Cyrus. It says he continued unto his reign. Daniel continued many years under several kings.

“Unto the first year of king Cyrus does not contradict 10:1, where a revelation was given to Daniel in the third year of Cyrus. The purpose of 1:21 is to give a chronological overview of Daniel’s ministry: he served from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to the time of Cyrus.