Daniel 1: 14-17
Daniel and his friends were chosen to participate in the King's program of education to make them world-citizens and erase any specific nationalism.
So they qualified for the king's Royal Academy and were given new, Babylonian names to change their identities.
But Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were Israelites, chosen by God, and they worshiped only God, not any of the many idols in this foreign land.
They realized that this is their new reality, and that God had purpose for them here. They looked at how they could have the most influence in this pagan society, so they accepted the advantages offered to them, while still maintaining their identities as Jews. This could bring many conflicts and problems with this ungodly culture, which it did.
So they decided to pick their battles carefully. Dietary requirements were very foundational to their faith in Yahweh.
What do you think would have happened if Daniel had simply refused to eat the food that wasn't Kosher? If they adopted this adversarial attitude, they would have been expelled from the school and kicked out of any possibility of having an influence on the culture at all.
Daniel was wiser than that. He negotiated for the four of them, and they were willing to abide by whatever decision the commander made concerning the food.
(14) So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.
This meek attitude and reasonable request allowed this "professor" to consider this test, and allow them to do it.
(15) At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food.
I
can imagine how fresh and vibrant these four looked after their ten-day
cleanse! I think it was the best idea Daniel could have come up with,
so I would contend that God put him up to it.
(16) So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.
They didn't have to eat anything that would be unhealthy, and that battle was won. So they could eat all the plant-based foods that provided all the good nourishment they needed, and they flourished.
(17) As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.
Doing things God's way will bring God's provision. These were highly intelligent guys, and with the clear thinking that resulted from the non-processed foods they consumed, they were able to apply themselves to learn all these new languages and concepts, with understanding and discernment.
And Daniel's gift of vision and dream interpretation will help him to become indispensable to the king. Also part of God's plan.
Today Christian kids can learn all about atheistic evolution while believing that God created it all; and Christian theologians can study the Koran and distinguish the conflicts it presents against Scripture. We can learn all about the world's ways and wisdom, while still growing in our knowledge of our God and His ways.
This is what Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did. Their faith in Yahweh never wavered, but grew stronger through this time. And they still learned everything there was to learn from all the ancient manuscripts, scrolls, and tablets.
O my Father, please help us to know You and Your written word so well that we will also grow in our faith and holiness even as we study this world and see everything that is happening around us. Father, help us to understand where other people are coming from, to discern what they are already believing, so we can gently and compassionately draw them out of the deceptions that have gotten hold of them, and shine Your light of Truth into their lives.
O Father, lead us to all Your embryonic children to bring them to the birth in Your family, to fill Your house with Your uncountable family, and surround Your Great Banquet Table to fellowship with You and one another forever!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Friday, April 10, 2020
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Daniel's Humble Request
Daniel 1: 8-13
These four Jewish boys had qualified and been accepted into the king's Royal Academy, so their lives would be busy and purposeful, learning all of the knowledge of the literature and languages of the Chaldeans.
They had been given new identities to become part of the high society in this new culture. Did all these privileges affect their moral integrity?
(8) But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank;
Daniel picked his battle. There were doubtless many things different from his home culture, so he discerned what was pivotal. He resolved to retain his identity as an Israelite by following the dietary guidelines the Lord had laid out. But how can he fit this into this new culture?
so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.
He realized that he was under their authority, and he honored that authority, and didn't demand his rights, but humbly asked their permission to alter this one detail of their regimen. He approached the "headmaster" or "principal" of the Royal Academy.
(9) Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,
God had sweetened Daniel's personality in the eyes of this commander, so he approached him, reasoning that he would listen to his request, and not brush him off.
(10) and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king."
This commander did listen to him, and explained to Daniel the position he was in, that he was responsible for the physical condition of his charges, and would "lose his head" if he allowed them to look less healthy than the others.
Instead of just saying "No!" this man explained the reason why he couldn't allow it, so Daniel had something to go on.
(11) But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
So Daniel came down the ladder of authority and approached his immediate superior, his "professor," with a proposition.
(12) "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
He asked that the meats and wines would be withheld, leaving them the vegetables and water. These meats would have come from animals forbidden by God to eat for food, and from clean animals that had been used in sacrifice to their idols, defiling them.
Knowing that he may refuse, Daniel asked him for only ten days of this change, which would not make a permanent difference, considering their course was three years.
(13) "Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see."
Daniel put himself on the spot here. He left it to the overseer to decide, and he could have gone either way. So he was really leaving it in the Lord's hand, as it was the Lord who caused him to be under this man's authority.
Daniel did everything right here. He humbled himself under his God-appointed authority, he made no demands but only a simple, respectful request, and he left it in other hands to make the decision.
Even given all the luxuries and privileges and opportunities, and the pressure to conform to this new, pagan culture, Daniel still remained resolute to follow the Lord God of Israel. He still determined to maintain his Jewish identity. But he wanted to get along and use these worldly things in service to this pagan king, in order to have a godly influence here where it was so needed.
He humbly left himself open to the demands of those over him, and apparently would not argue if the decision went against him. But I think he would have thought of something else, if this test didn't work.
Tomorrow we will see how this went.
O my Father, Your ways are not our ways, they are so far above our ways that we just can't reach them. Thank You for bringing them down to us.
Father, help us to understand the order of authority that You have designed to bring order in our society. Give us the humility to submit to the authorities You have placed over us, even when it seems inconvenient, or even dangerous, leaving the results in Your hand. Teach us the wisdom and discernment You gave Daniel, to meekly present our requests, that we may worship only You.
O Father, Daniel didn't know if this test would work, but He knew that only You are God, and He trusted You to perform Your will in his life and circumstances. Help us also to trust You when we don't see the outcome of what is being put on us. Help us to trust You to do what would be in our own benefit also, when we must leave the decisions in other hands.
We know that You are good, and You have all power to do whatever You want. And You are Love, You love us more than we can comprehend! And everything you bring into our lives is for our good, even when we see only trouble.
We have seen how Joseph suffered so much adversity, through whole years in Egypt, until the time Your purpose was revealed. Daniel knew the story of Joseph, and we do, too. Daniel also trusted You, and didn't succumb to the temptation to fit into the society that wanted to honor him.
Father, thank You for giving Daniel strength and humility and meekness to work with the overseer and the commander over him. And to trust You in putting the decision into their hands. Teach us, also, to have the same attitude of confident submission to our authorities, realizing our own responsibilities.
My Father, help each of Your children to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we will be His hands and feet in this broken world, and shine the Light of Christ into the darkness. Lead us to Your chosen ones, to draw them to the birth into Your own family, that Your house will be full with Your uncountable family members, all surrounding Your Great Banquet Table, enjoying sweet fellowship with You and one another forever!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
These four Jewish boys had qualified and been accepted into the king's Royal Academy, so their lives would be busy and purposeful, learning all of the knowledge of the literature and languages of the Chaldeans.
They had been given new identities to become part of the high society in this new culture. Did all these privileges affect their moral integrity?
(8) But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank;
Daniel picked his battle. There were doubtless many things different from his home culture, so he discerned what was pivotal. He resolved to retain his identity as an Israelite by following the dietary guidelines the Lord had laid out. But how can he fit this into this new culture?
so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.
He realized that he was under their authority, and he honored that authority, and didn't demand his rights, but humbly asked their permission to alter this one detail of their regimen. He approached the "headmaster" or "principal" of the Royal Academy.
(9) Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,
God had sweetened Daniel's personality in the eyes of this commander, so he approached him, reasoning that he would listen to his request, and not brush him off.
(10) and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king."
This commander did listen to him, and explained to Daniel the position he was in, that he was responsible for the physical condition of his charges, and would "lose his head" if he allowed them to look less healthy than the others.
Instead of just saying "No!" this man explained the reason why he couldn't allow it, so Daniel had something to go on.
(11) But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
So Daniel came down the ladder of authority and approached his immediate superior, his "professor," with a proposition.
(12) "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
He asked that the meats and wines would be withheld, leaving them the vegetables and water. These meats would have come from animals forbidden by God to eat for food, and from clean animals that had been used in sacrifice to their idols, defiling them.
Knowing that he may refuse, Daniel asked him for only ten days of this change, which would not make a permanent difference, considering their course was three years.
(13) "Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see."
Daniel put himself on the spot here. He left it to the overseer to decide, and he could have gone either way. So he was really leaving it in the Lord's hand, as it was the Lord who caused him to be under this man's authority.
Daniel did everything right here. He humbled himself under his God-appointed authority, he made no demands but only a simple, respectful request, and he left it in other hands to make the decision.
Even given all the luxuries and privileges and opportunities, and the pressure to conform to this new, pagan culture, Daniel still remained resolute to follow the Lord God of Israel. He still determined to maintain his Jewish identity. But he wanted to get along and use these worldly things in service to this pagan king, in order to have a godly influence here where it was so needed.
He humbly left himself open to the demands of those over him, and apparently would not argue if the decision went against him. But I think he would have thought of something else, if this test didn't work.
Tomorrow we will see how this went.
O my Father, Your ways are not our ways, they are so far above our ways that we just can't reach them. Thank You for bringing them down to us.
Father, help us to understand the order of authority that You have designed to bring order in our society. Give us the humility to submit to the authorities You have placed over us, even when it seems inconvenient, or even dangerous, leaving the results in Your hand. Teach us the wisdom and discernment You gave Daniel, to meekly present our requests, that we may worship only You.
O Father, Daniel didn't know if this test would work, but He knew that only You are God, and He trusted You to perform Your will in his life and circumstances. Help us also to trust You when we don't see the outcome of what is being put on us. Help us to trust You to do what would be in our own benefit also, when we must leave the decisions in other hands.
We know that You are good, and You have all power to do whatever You want. And You are Love, You love us more than we can comprehend! And everything you bring into our lives is for our good, even when we see only trouble.
We have seen how Joseph suffered so much adversity, through whole years in Egypt, until the time Your purpose was revealed. Daniel knew the story of Joseph, and we do, too. Daniel also trusted You, and didn't succumb to the temptation to fit into the society that wanted to honor him.
Father, thank You for giving Daniel strength and humility and meekness to work with the overseer and the commander over him. And to trust You in putting the decision into their hands. Teach us, also, to have the same attitude of confident submission to our authorities, realizing our own responsibilities.
My Father, help each of Your children to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we will be His hands and feet in this broken world, and shine the Light of Christ into the darkness. Lead us to Your chosen ones, to draw them to the birth into Your own family, that Your house will be full with Your uncountable family members, all surrounding Your Great Banquet Table, enjoying sweet fellowship with You and one another forever!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Who Really Was This Daniel?
Daniel 1: 1-7
Who is this Daniel? What do we know about him?
(1) In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
(2) The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.
This was in 605 B.C., the first of three stages of captivity. This is when Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakim to Babylon in fetters (II Chronicles 36: 5-7). Daniel and his friends were also deported at this time to Babylon.
(3) Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles,
(4) youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had the ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
Nebuchadnezzar adopted an enlightened policy of enlisting the most promising young men of his new empire into government service, whatever their nationality, instead of reserving leadership for the Chaldeans alone, or even for the ethnic Babylonians whose cultural traditions reached back to the age of Hammurabi.
Since the hostages from Judah included the finest of the royalty and nobility, it was reasonable to open up special opportunities for gifted young Jews at the Royal Academy, once they qualified. This fulfilled what Isaiah prophesied to Hezekiah in II Kings 20: 17-18;
The word used for "officials" is also translated "eunuchs" and apparently Daniel and his friends never married, so it is possible that they may have been involuntarily castrated.
(5) The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank,
He wanted them to be nourished adequately and be healthy.
and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service.
So the Royal Academy had a three-year degree course of study. Those who graduated would be considered for high rank in the king's personal service.
(6) Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
So these four were not the only ones, just the ones we will focus on in this book. I'm sure that there were quite a few others who were offered this opportunity, but didn't qualify or live up to the high expectations.
(7) Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them;
They were to take on new identities, as world-citizens, to remove any sense of local nationality. This has continually been the goal of every aspiring world-dictator. This attitude is still prevalent, even today, as there are still people who want to set up a "One-World" government for their own benefit.
and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abed-nego.
These four had names that honored The Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel: Daniel means "God is my Judge;" Hananiah means "Yahweh has shown Grace;" Mishael means "Who is as God is?"; and Azariah is "Yahweh Has Helped."
The new names given them all give honor to Babylonian idols.
Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar, which means "Nebo, Protect My Life!"
Hananiah was called Shadrach, which means "The Command of Aku."
Mishael was given the equivalent name Meshach, which means "Who is as Aku is?
And Azariah was called "Abed-Nego" which means "Servant of Nego" (or "Nebo").
Nebo was the idol that Nebuchadnezzar worshiped (4: 8).
These four young men were committed to a very demanding and many-faceted course of study. This must have included not only the mastery of spoken Chaldean, but also of Akkadian, the official, literary language of Babylon from before the days of Hammurabi. Babylonian religion had always required a thorough knowledge of Summerian literature--religious, magical, astrological, and scientific. These four were subjected to a very rigorous and demanding curriculum, requiring their full attention as they mastered the important documents written in cuneiform Akkadian and Summerian and contained in the central imperial library in Babylon. And by the time Daniel wrote this book, the spoken language was Aramaic, in which he wrote chapters 2-7, using Hebrew for chapters 1 and 8-12.
So they received a full doctoral program of education in three years, and had to prepare themselves for the final exam in "all kinds of literature and learning" (v. 17). Talk about pressure!
The young men were all, not just these four, were expected to apply themselves and be able to learn a tremendous amount of information in a short period of time, as a matter of course! Were people smarter than us back then? Who today would expect such a large segment of a people group to be able to handle this curriculum successfully?
At any rate, these four young Jews were given a tremendous amount of technical knowledge to learn in only 3 years time, so they must have been exceptionally intelligent.
This is who Daniel was. He was an exceptionally smart young man who grew up in this pagan society as a privileged member of the upper class. What do you think this would do to his moral integrity?
O my Father, You gave Daniel and his friends so many advantages, and in doing so, you had him write and teach us some very important lessons.
Father, help us to learn these lessons in this classroom of life while we walk in this world among the evil and wickedness surrounding us. Teach us to be faithful to You and Your ways no matter what is going on around us, good or bad.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Who is this Daniel? What do we know about him?
(1) In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
(2) The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.
This was in 605 B.C., the first of three stages of captivity. This is when Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakim to Babylon in fetters (II Chronicles 36: 5-7). Daniel and his friends were also deported at this time to Babylon.
(3) Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles,
(4) youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had the ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
Nebuchadnezzar adopted an enlightened policy of enlisting the most promising young men of his new empire into government service, whatever their nationality, instead of reserving leadership for the Chaldeans alone, or even for the ethnic Babylonians whose cultural traditions reached back to the age of Hammurabi.
Since the hostages from Judah included the finest of the royalty and nobility, it was reasonable to open up special opportunities for gifted young Jews at the Royal Academy, once they qualified. This fulfilled what Isaiah prophesied to Hezekiah in II Kings 20: 17-18;
"Behold the days are coming when all that is in your house, and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the Lord. Some of your sons who shall issue from you, whom you will beget, will be taken away; and they will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon."Daniel and his friends qualified for entrance into this Academy, apparently having no defect, good-looking, intelligent, and having a high degree of discernment and understanding, mental and social skills and abilities.
The word used for "officials" is also translated "eunuchs" and apparently Daniel and his friends never married, so it is possible that they may have been involuntarily castrated.
(5) The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank,
He wanted them to be nourished adequately and be healthy.
and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service.
So the Royal Academy had a three-year degree course of study. Those who graduated would be considered for high rank in the king's personal service.
(6) Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
So these four were not the only ones, just the ones we will focus on in this book. I'm sure that there were quite a few others who were offered this opportunity, but didn't qualify or live up to the high expectations.
(7) Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them;
They were to take on new identities, as world-citizens, to remove any sense of local nationality. This has continually been the goal of every aspiring world-dictator. This attitude is still prevalent, even today, as there are still people who want to set up a "One-World" government for their own benefit.
and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abed-nego.
These four had names that honored The Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel: Daniel means "God is my Judge;" Hananiah means "Yahweh has shown Grace;" Mishael means "Who is as God is?"; and Azariah is "Yahweh Has Helped."
The new names given them all give honor to Babylonian idols.
Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar, which means "Nebo, Protect My Life!"
Hananiah was called Shadrach, which means "The Command of Aku."
Mishael was given the equivalent name Meshach, which means "Who is as Aku is?
And Azariah was called "Abed-Nego" which means "Servant of Nego" (or "Nebo").
Nebo was the idol that Nebuchadnezzar worshiped (4: 8).
These four young men were committed to a very demanding and many-faceted course of study. This must have included not only the mastery of spoken Chaldean, but also of Akkadian, the official, literary language of Babylon from before the days of Hammurabi. Babylonian religion had always required a thorough knowledge of Summerian literature--religious, magical, astrological, and scientific. These four were subjected to a very rigorous and demanding curriculum, requiring their full attention as they mastered the important documents written in cuneiform Akkadian and Summerian and contained in the central imperial library in Babylon. And by the time Daniel wrote this book, the spoken language was Aramaic, in which he wrote chapters 2-7, using Hebrew for chapters 1 and 8-12.
So they received a full doctoral program of education in three years, and had to prepare themselves for the final exam in "all kinds of literature and learning" (v. 17). Talk about pressure!
The young men were all, not just these four, were expected to apply themselves and be able to learn a tremendous amount of information in a short period of time, as a matter of course! Were people smarter than us back then? Who today would expect such a large segment of a people group to be able to handle this curriculum successfully?
At any rate, these four young Jews were given a tremendous amount of technical knowledge to learn in only 3 years time, so they must have been exceptionally intelligent.
This is who Daniel was. He was an exceptionally smart young man who grew up in this pagan society as a privileged member of the upper class. What do you think this would do to his moral integrity?
O my Father, You gave Daniel and his friends so many advantages, and in doing so, you had him write and teach us some very important lessons.
Father, help us to learn these lessons in this classroom of life while we walk in this world among the evil and wickedness surrounding us. Teach us to be faithful to You and Your ways no matter what is going on around us, good or bad.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
The End Of Human Rule
Daniel 2: 44-45
We've just seen that this dream-statue represents the remaining kingdoms that will proceed one after the other through the flow of time until the end of all human kingdoms. A power not of human origin will overpower and supplant all of the kingdoms and rulerships of Mankind.
(44) In the days of those kings
During the time human kings and presidents and prime ministers and all the other titled rulers are still ruling from their bases of authority, then, without a lull, suddenly this "stone" will come hurtling out of the mountain to crush all human authority and power.
the God of Heaven will set up a Kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that Kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.
All these kingdoms lasted for a short or long time, but they all came to an end, and were handed over to others. God's Kingdom will put down every other kind of government, and will establish His rule in righteousness.
(45) Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold,
No human hands have any part in this Kingdom. The Divine power gave authority to Mankind, and He will take it away again. He will return to this Earth to reclaim His throne that He gave to David to rule from, and He will bring this Earth its true Golden Age for the thousand years He has allotted us.
the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.
Our God is true and trustworthy, who has revealed this information. None of it had come to pass yet, except the golden head, who was King Nebuchadnezzar, the beginning of the line. And he was shown the rest of the line, all the way down to the final culmination of all things.
There's no time left, people. Everything has come to pass, and the powers that be in our world today are biding their time until it's over.
Everything God told us would happen, has happened, and is happening right now, as I sit and type this blog entry. Nothing is left, the End is so near, it's right at the door right now.
Are you ready? Will you face your King with confidence, or in fear? He's coming!
O my Father, please draw into Your family the rest of the stragglers, who are stumbling along, looking for You! Bring in the fullness of the Gentiles, that all Israel will be saved in a day, that Day when they see Messiah's feet split the Mount of Olives!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
We've just seen that this dream-statue represents the remaining kingdoms that will proceed one after the other through the flow of time until the end of all human kingdoms. A power not of human origin will overpower and supplant all of the kingdoms and rulerships of Mankind.
(44) In the days of those kings
During the time human kings and presidents and prime ministers and all the other titled rulers are still ruling from their bases of authority, then, without a lull, suddenly this "stone" will come hurtling out of the mountain to crush all human authority and power.
the God of Heaven will set up a Kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that Kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.
All these kingdoms lasted for a short or long time, but they all came to an end, and were handed over to others. God's Kingdom will put down every other kind of government, and will establish His rule in righteousness.
No human hands have any part in this Kingdom. The Divine power gave authority to Mankind, and He will take it away again. He will return to this Earth to reclaim His throne that He gave to David to rule from, and He will bring this Earth its true Golden Age for the thousand years He has allotted us.
the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.
Our God is true and trustworthy, who has revealed this information. None of it had come to pass yet, except the golden head, who was King Nebuchadnezzar, the beginning of the line. And he was shown the rest of the line, all the way down to the final culmination of all things.
There's no time left, people. Everything has come to pass, and the powers that be in our world today are biding their time until it's over.
Everything God told us would happen, has happened, and is happening right now, as I sit and type this blog entry. Nothing is left, the End is so near, it's right at the door right now.
Are you ready? Will you face your King with confidence, or in fear? He's coming!
O my Father, please draw into Your family the rest of the stragglers, who are stumbling along, looking for You! Bring in the fullness of the Gentiles, that all Israel will be saved in a day, that Day when they see Messiah's feet split the Mount of Olives!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Monday, April 6, 2020
The Four Future/Past Kingdoms
Daniel 2: 36-43
Daniel has described the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has dreamed of.
(36) This was the dream; now we will tell its interpretation before the king.
Now we'll find out why it's so important.
(37) You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory;
(38) and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold.
Daniel has told Nebuchadnezzar that he is the finest king in the world. The finest king that will be in the world. But he is still under God, who gave him this authority over all the people and animals, and the power to rule over them. For a despot like Nebuchadnezzar, his government was the ideal type and was therefore esteemed as highly as gold. Nebuchadnezzar ruling over Babylon is the head of gold.
(39) After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you,
From Nebuchadnezzar's standpoint, the restriction on the monarch's authority to annul a law once he had made it (6: 12, "the law of the Medes and the Persians") was inferior to his own unfettered power. This silver empire is Medo-Persia, which started with Cyrus the Great, who conquered Babylon in 539. This silver empire was supreme in the Near and Middle East for about two centuries.
then another third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the Earth.
The third, bronze, empire was even less desirable from Nebuchadnezzar's standpoint, even though Greece was to "rule over all the Earth," it's government being more republican than dictatorial. This was the Greco-Macedonian Empire established by Alexander the Great, the largest empire of ancient times. The bronze kingdom lasted for about 300 years, when it was supplanted by the fourth kingdom.
(40) Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces.
From a despotic standpoint, the Roman Republic was of far less value than gold, silver, or bronze; yet iron was most suited to crush opposing powers. Iron connotes toughness and ruthlessness, which describes the Roman Empire.
(41) In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay.
This outgrowth from the fourth power, the feet and toes, looks more like a federation than a powerful single realm. The iron denotes the influence of the Old Roman culture and tradition, and the pottery shows the inherent weakness in a socialist society based on relativism in morals and philosophy.
(42) As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle.
Out of this mixture of iron and clay come weakness and confusion, pointing to the approaching day of doom.
(43) In that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery.
The scope of this verse includes disunity, class struggle, even civil war, resulting from the failure of a hopelessly divided society. The iron and clay may be able to co-exist, but they cannot combine into a strong, integrated, and durable world-order.
This describes the political world as we see it today. World history shows us that we've only been going downhill as the centuries pass, more rebellious and individualistic and self-centered. The ten toes are still separate entities, and cannot unite to bring world peace.
That will only come with the arrival of our King over all kings.
O my Father, You gave this picture to this ancient king so long ago, and the subsequent history that has been unfolding since then has borne out the accuracy of the prophecy. You know how You have planned out the process of Time from beginning to end. And You use all of our choices and decisions, both good and bad, to further on the journey. And Time will continue to march on, 24 hours in every day, until the minutes run out.
We see already that this Earth is groaning in its process of birthing each next age, and is apparently ready for the turn in Time into the next epoch.
Send out Your children, Father, into all the world, to cast broadly the seed of Your Word. Let every living being hear with their ears, and understand with their minds, and receive into their hearts Your Truth of how much You Love each one of us. You have already done everything possible and impossible to meet our needs and draw us all into Your family. And no one will have any excuse for turning away from You.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
Daniel has described the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has dreamed of.
(36) This was the dream; now we will tell its interpretation before the king.
Now we'll find out why it's so important.
(37) You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory;
(38) and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold. Daniel has told Nebuchadnezzar that he is the finest king in the world. The finest king that will be in the world. But he is still under God, who gave him this authority over all the people and animals, and the power to rule over them. For a despot like Nebuchadnezzar, his government was the ideal type and was therefore esteemed as highly as gold. Nebuchadnezzar ruling over Babylon is the head of gold.
(39) After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you,
then another third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the Earth.
The third, bronze, empire was even less desirable from Nebuchadnezzar's standpoint, even though Greece was to "rule over all the Earth," it's government being more republican than dictatorial. This was the Greco-Macedonian Empire established by Alexander the Great, the largest empire of ancient times. The bronze kingdom lasted for about 300 years, when it was supplanted by the fourth kingdom.
(40) Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces.
From a despotic standpoint, the Roman Republic was of far less value than gold, silver, or bronze; yet iron was most suited to crush opposing powers. Iron connotes toughness and ruthlessness, which describes the Roman Empire.
(41) In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay.
This outgrowth from the fourth power, the feet and toes, looks more like a federation than a powerful single realm. The iron denotes the influence of the Old Roman culture and tradition, and the pottery shows the inherent weakness in a socialist society based on relativism in morals and philosophy.
(42) As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle.
Out of this mixture of iron and clay come weakness and confusion, pointing to the approaching day of doom.
(43) In that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery.
The scope of this verse includes disunity, class struggle, even civil war, resulting from the failure of a hopelessly divided society. The iron and clay may be able to co-exist, but they cannot combine into a strong, integrated, and durable world-order.
This describes the political world as we see it today. World history shows us that we've only been going downhill as the centuries pass, more rebellious and individualistic and self-centered. The ten toes are still separate entities, and cannot unite to bring world peace.
That will only come with the arrival of our King over all kings.
O my Father, You gave this picture to this ancient king so long ago, and the subsequent history that has been unfolding since then has borne out the accuracy of the prophecy. You know how You have planned out the process of Time from beginning to end. And You use all of our choices and decisions, both good and bad, to further on the journey. And Time will continue to march on, 24 hours in every day, until the minutes run out.
We see already that this Earth is groaning in its process of birthing each next age, and is apparently ready for the turn in Time into the next epoch.
Send out Your children, Father, into all the world, to cast broadly the seed of Your Word. Let every living being hear with their ears, and understand with their minds, and receive into their hearts Your Truth of how much You Love each one of us. You have already done everything possible and impossible to meet our needs and draw us all into Your family. And no one will have any excuse for turning away from You.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream Statue
Daniel 2: 31-35
King Nebuchadnezzar has had a dream that he knew was important, but he just can't remember it! So God showed Daniel the dream, and he reported it to the king.
(29) As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place.
This will show the king that there is only one real God, not any of his polytheistic demons.
(31) You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome.
Now he's going to describe the statue that will show the whole future history of the world, from his day all the way down to today, and beyond!
(32) The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze,
(33) its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.
This is an artist's rendering of what the statue may have looked like that the king dreamed. Four metals, from most to least valuable, and the feet a mixture.
(34) You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.
(35) Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole Earth.
So, what does all this mean? Why is it so important?
What is the significance of the metals, and what is the stone that destroys it?
Why did God give this dream to this king at this time?
Tomorrow we will look into this.
O my Father, You are great, and You are good. You were with Your people even when they were conquered and slaves in a far country. You still wanted them to show You to the people around them, and this king needed to know who You are. Even this pagan, idolatrous, worldly man could lead his people to You.
Thank You, Father, for this story of Daniel, to show us all how he lived a godly life in the midst of the evil and wicked culture that surrounded him. You are still with Your people today, both the Hebrews and Your children in Your family. You are still working out Your plans, and Your purposes will be accomplished.
Help us to learn to live our lives in the midst of the evil and wickedness that surrounds us in the world today, and show us how to manifest You to our neighbors and others.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
King Nebuchadnezzar has had a dream that he knew was important, but he just can't remember it! So God showed Daniel the dream, and he reported it to the king.
(29) As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place.
This will show the king that there is only one real God, not any of his polytheistic demons.
(31) You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome.
Now he's going to describe the statue that will show the whole future history of the world, from his day all the way down to today, and beyond!
(32) The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, (33) its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.
This is an artist's rendering of what the statue may have looked like that the king dreamed. Four metals, from most to least valuable, and the feet a mixture.
(34) You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.
(35) Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole Earth.
So, what does all this mean? Why is it so important?
What is the significance of the metals, and what is the stone that destroys it?
Why did God give this dream to this king at this time?
Tomorrow we will look into this.
O my Father, You are great, and You are good. You were with Your people even when they were conquered and slaves in a far country. You still wanted them to show You to the people around them, and this king needed to know who You are. Even this pagan, idolatrous, worldly man could lead his people to You.
Thank You, Father, for this story of Daniel, to show us all how he lived a godly life in the midst of the evil and wicked culture that surrounded him. You are still with Your people today, both the Hebrews and Your children in Your family. You are still working out Your plans, and Your purposes will be accomplished.
Help us to learn to live our lives in the midst of the evil and wickedness that surrounds us in the world today, and show us how to manifest You to our neighbors and others.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Friday, April 3, 2020
Meeting One Another's Needs
Philippians 4: 15-23
(15) You yourselves know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;
(16) for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs.
The church in Philippi was very generous and appreciated Paul.
(17) Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.
Paul wanted these dear brothers and sisters to receive great rewards.
(18) But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
What they sent must have been very ample, meeting a lot more than just his needs.
(19) And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Paul knew they would be rewarded for their generosity, and wanted to encourage them with this anticipation. What goes around, comes around. God never is stingy, but very generous with His gifts, out of the super-abundance of all He owns--everything that exists!
(20) Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Paul just has to break out with this praise, as God has done so much for him, and also for you and I.
(21) Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you.
(22) All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household.
He wants to say "Hello!" to every brother and sister there, and he also extends all the "Hello"s from those with him, reaching from the cells and streets all the way up into the very household of Caesar himself. No one is outside God's plan to save.
(23) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Paul closes with this beautiful blessing to those he loves so much in Philippi.
God made the human race to be His own children, so He extends His gracious offer to everyone who would choose to seek Him. And everyone who seeks Him will find Him, when they seek Him with their whole heart. This is His promise.
He is not willing for anyone to perish, but that everyone might come to the knowledge of how much He loves them, and turn to Him in repentance.
O my Father, You are the most wonderful, beautiful Being imaginable! So far above what we are even capable of imagining! You have put Your beauty into everything You made, and Your Love is the order that You placed in the chaos of the universe.
O Father, continue to be with Your children. Show us Your order in the chaos that surrounds us now, all over the world.
Father, lead us on in the paths where You have placed our feet, that narrow path You designed for each of us; holding our hand to keep us straight, not turning to the right hand or to the left, not veering off or wandering away, not running ahead or lagging behind You, but steadily stepping in Your footsteps to guide us. All the way to the Light of Glory that awaits us in that never-ending Day in Your Kingdom.
Every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
(15) You yourselves know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;
(16) for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs.
The church in Philippi was very generous and appreciated Paul.
(17) Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.
Paul wanted these dear brothers and sisters to receive great rewards.
(18) But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
What they sent must have been very ample, meeting a lot more than just his needs.
(19) And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Paul knew they would be rewarded for their generosity, and wanted to encourage them with this anticipation. What goes around, comes around. God never is stingy, but very generous with His gifts, out of the super-abundance of all He owns--everything that exists!
(20) Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Paul just has to break out with this praise, as God has done so much for him, and also for you and I.
(21) Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you.
(22) All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household.
He wants to say "Hello!" to every brother and sister there, and he also extends all the "Hello"s from those with him, reaching from the cells and streets all the way up into the very household of Caesar himself. No one is outside God's plan to save.
(23) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Paul closes with this beautiful blessing to those he loves so much in Philippi.
God made the human race to be His own children, so He extends His gracious offer to everyone who would choose to seek Him. And everyone who seeks Him will find Him, when they seek Him with their whole heart. This is His promise.
He is not willing for anyone to perish, but that everyone might come to the knowledge of how much He loves them, and turn to Him in repentance.
O my Father, You are the most wonderful, beautiful Being imaginable! So far above what we are even capable of imagining! You have put Your beauty into everything You made, and Your Love is the order that You placed in the chaos of the universe.
O Father, continue to be with Your children. Show us Your order in the chaos that surrounds us now, all over the world.
Father, lead us on in the paths where You have placed our feet, that narrow path You designed for each of us; holding our hand to keep us straight, not turning to the right hand or to the left, not veering off or wandering away, not running ahead or lagging behind You, but steadily stepping in Your footsteps to guide us. All the way to the Light of Glory that awaits us in that never-ending Day in Your Kingdom.
Every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
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