September 15 - Daniel 7-9
Daniel was a remarkable prophet who lived an extraordinary life. His close relationship with God allowed him to experience many things, which the average believer never experiences. However, his life should be an encouragement for all of us. It shows us what is possible if we will give ourselves totally to the Lord.
This section of the book tells us what God revealed directly to Daniel in dreams and in direct revelation. It tells of future events and kingdoms, which began soon after Daniel's time and extend to the end of time. It is so detailed that some people say that it could not be future prophecy, but it must have been written after the fact. Those people don't understand the Lord, and they don't believe in His total sovereignty. As I have said before, I don't think we should try to work out all of the dates and details of these prophecies, as much as we should live in the reality of their clear meaning. There will be an Anti-Christ. He will set up a one world government. He will persecute the believers for a time, but then, he will be overthrown, and the kingdom will be delivered to the saints with Christ on the throne. This is a glorious message of God's power to bring about victory over Satan. We should live in that victory.
I do think it is very significant that God gave Daniel the revelation of the 70 Weeks. He gave him this special knowledge of the future after Daniel's sincere confession for himself and the sins of the people. I believe if a person understands this prophecy, the time of Jesus coming to the earth can be understood. Therefore, if the Jewish leaders had understood Daniel and the rest of the Old Testament facts about Jesus, they would have known when and where He would be born, and they would have known how He would minister and then die for their sins. Since their hearts were hard, they missed these clear facts in God's Word. I pray that all of us will have soft hearts through our constant confession of sin and prayer to God through our Lord Jesus, so that we will not miss what God has for us and what He is doing in the world around us. I pray we can be modern day Daniels.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Daniel 10-12.
This section of the book tells us what God revealed directly to Daniel in dreams and in direct revelation. It tells of future events and kingdoms, which began soon after Daniel's time and extend to the end of time. It is so detailed that some people say that it could not be future prophecy, but it must have been written after the fact. Those people don't understand the Lord, and they don't believe in His total sovereignty. As I have said before, I don't think we should try to work out all of the dates and details of these prophecies, as much as we should live in the reality of their clear meaning. There will be an Anti-Christ. He will set up a one world government. He will persecute the believers for a time, but then, he will be overthrown, and the kingdom will be delivered to the saints with Christ on the throne. This is a glorious message of God's power to bring about victory over Satan. We should live in that victory.
I do think it is very significant that God gave Daniel the revelation of the 70 Weeks. He gave him this special knowledge of the future after Daniel's sincere confession for himself and the sins of the people. I believe if a person understands this prophecy, the time of Jesus coming to the earth can be understood. Therefore, if the Jewish leaders had understood Daniel and the rest of the Old Testament facts about Jesus, they would have known when and where He would be born, and they would have known how He would minister and then die for their sins. Since their hearts were hard, they missed these clear facts in God's Word. I pray that all of us will have soft hearts through our constant confession of sin and prayer to God through our Lord Jesus, so that we will not miss what God has for us and what He is doing in the world around us. I pray we can be modern day Daniels.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Daniel 10-12.