DANIEL 9, in sequence

Chapter 5 reports an event that occurred in +-539 B C. That is the chapter in Daniel which relates the story of the handwriting on the wall, and the demise that very night of King Belshazzar and the passing of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian ‘kingdom’ to the Medes and the Persians with Darius identified as the immediate successor.

So – Chapter 9, which is identified as being in the first year of Darius’ reign was likely sometime later that same year – but certainly no later than 538 B C.

Daniel was reading the historical prophecies and noted that the desolation of Israel that had come in +-605 B C was to be for 70 years. That time was drawing near, and would arrive within a few short years. His response to that awareness was to seek the Lord in fervent prayer, fasting and donning sackcloth and sprinkling ashes over himself, coming before God in total subservience and humility. It was a prayer for his nation and people, and he included himself in the ‘we’ of their sin when he confessed his nation’s sin before God. These are some excerpts from the prayer he prayed:

“O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

Clearly the prayer Daniel prayed was for Jerusalem and Israel, but we, too, as a nation and often even as His people, have disobeyed. In this time of great need in our own state and country, we do not present our pleas to God because we deserve his intervention – but because of His great mercy. Lord, have mercy….

Daniel's response to prophecy that applied to his day was to pray. God's answer to Daniel was to send the angel Gabriel with a message: "You are dearly loved." And because Daniel was dearly loved, God gave him clarity for the timing of what was to happen to Jerusalem. God invited Daniel into a very close, intimate relationship of having insider information!

What God disclosed to Daniel was more prophecy, revealing what would occur in the future. Israel would have a total of 70 weeks (which are not literal weeks but segments of time). Within that time the temple would be rebuilt; an anointed one would come, then be cut off; the city and the temple would be destroyed again by the people of the 'prince who is to come'. That prince will, in the final 'week' make a strong covenant that he keeps for half of the 'week', at which point he will renege on his covenant and put an end to sacrifice and offering. And Daniel 9 ends with the following statement: "And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator."

Daniel prayed when he saw the time approaching when the prophesy about Jerusalem was to be fulfilled. We are living in a time when the length of days prophesied for us are at our threshold. Like Daniel, it is time to pray! Not because we deserve His mercy - but because we need it so desperately!

DANIEL 12, in sequence

I have to write a brief 'side note before I get into Daniel 12.

It occurred to me as I sat down to write just now that what we often need when we are in the depths of the doldrums of discouragement is vitamin D - - literally, of course; and for me right now, Vitamin Daniel. God has definitely used the model of Daniel - and what I have learned from digging deeper into this book - as instructive encouragement. We don't have any record of Daniel ever doing anything wrong. He is a model of faithfulness and obedience - but His life certainly didn't go smoothly just because he lived faithfully.

God's message to Daniel was, "You are dearly loved." We look at Daniel and think, "He deserved God's love." That's true - but God's love for us is not conditional, based on anything we do to merit His favor. What God spoke to Daniel is also a reminder of God's incredible love for us. His love was demonstrated most perfectly when He came Himself in human form and died on a cross to take the punishment for every sin that would ever be committed. He loves because it is His nature. God made that very clear to me this past Wednesday morning.

After having my prayer time and re-reading part of Daniel that morning, I decided to make a list of some specific things God has spoken to me over the past several years. Then, as I got on my exercise bike and started pedaling I said to God, "You haven't said something specific to me for awhile."

Immediately He responded, "You are dearly loved."

Tears sprung to my eyes and my heart was so full I felt it might burst. "Like Daniel?" I queried.

"Like Daniel," He replied.

"Like David," I asked.

"Like David."

I first gave my heart to Jesus when I was 8 years old, in response to the message of God's love, but I had never heard Him say that so specifically ever before. Hearing those words so directly has changed me forever, and He spoke this to me at a time I desperately needed to hear His voice.

I don't deserve His love - but He loves me anyway! It was an Aha! moment, and it is imbedded deeply in my soul. I continued pedaling with a full, full heart (and some tears) absorbing the fullness of the affirmation that God loves me - and I knew in that moment I wanted everyone to hear those words.

I'm certain there are times we please Him more than others, but His love is unconditional. However, when we know such a love, why wouldn't be want to be obedient and faithful!

His love is not a rubber stamp of our doing, but of being....being His children, dearly loved.

And on to Chapter 12:

God's prophetic messages to Daniel in Chapter 12 are very specific, yet still leave room for many opinions and observations. It speaks of the 'time of the end' which is prophesied to be a time of great trouble, such as has never been. All whose names are written in the book (the Lamb's Book of Life) will be delivered. Daniel is told to shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end - and the end is identified with this statement, "Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."

We're there! Never in history has travel been so easy or so frequent! And knowledge increasing - I can't keep up! In fact, I don't even want to. There are apps for everything if you have the techie tools to use them, which I don't - but knowledge is everywhere! Overwhelmingly everywhere! Increase is an understatement. The changes come so fast that the 'newest thing' is outdated before it even makes it to the shelves.

And Daniel asks, How long shall it be before the end of these wonders? And the answer, "...for a time, times and half a time, and ... when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished...." And the being who speaks to Daniel goes on to specify just how many days the horrible time will be...1290 days (with a perk for reaching arriving at 1335 days) just a little more than 3 1/2 years, which confirms the period defined as: time (1 year), times (2 years) and half a time (1/2 a year): total = 3 1/2 years.

This portion of Daniel was written in +- 539 B C. The Book of Revelation was written in +-95 A D, where this horrible period at the end of time is identified varyingly as 3 1/2 days; 3 1/2 years; 42 months; 1260 days. With +-635 years between the prophets' writings, the time span for this last chunk at the end of time is very specific and clear.

I don't know if those who presently believe in the Lord will be taken out of the world before the 7 years of the Great Tribulation begins (pre-trib); or midway through, at this point that precedes the final 3 1/2 years of the Great Tribulation (mid-trib); or at its end (post-trib). What I do know is that what God promises in verse 1 is "at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book." I know beyond a doubt my name is written there, and I want to encourage others to find that same certainty!

I don't deserve His love - - but I am so grateful for it!

DANIEL 11, in sequence

It would be so easy to be diverted away from Daniel today, but I am staying on task - well, sort of! Daniel 11 is way over my head. It is a chapter that demands research and figuring out, and scholarly wisdom. I don't have time to do that today - - and feel a bit compelled to wrap up Daniel soon, because Lent is coming, and my blog originally began as a Lenten journey. It is a good discipline for me....

Though I can't desert Daniel, I can slip past delving deeply into this chapter with a promise to myself to return later.... I want to go deeper here, but time constrains me.

What this chapter does provide for me today is perspective. Daniel 11 was written in +-539 B C, during the first year of the reign of Darius. Daniel was +-81 years old at this point. Daniel had found favor with King Darius, which he certainly didn't have during the reign of Belshazzar. God revealed snippets of the future to Daniel, and he shared that information with King Darius. Theirs was a good relationship. That is a foundational truth to absorb prior to what would come later....

It is informative in my life for today. This chapter lets me know God has the future in His perfectly capable hands. My faithfulness to Him is not based on circumstances, but on the truth of who He is - the one and only true God, Creator of the Universe, and Master of all. He alone is worthy of all honor and glory and power and praise. And in the end, He wins, no matter what current circumstances look like!

My heart aches today because we have reached a point in history where good is being proclaimed as evil, and evil as good.... A lie is being purported to be truth, while the Truth is called a lie.

In August 2009 God spoke to me and said, I want you to contend for what I contend for. May 18, 2011 when I prayed and asked specifically what that meant He clarified, "I contend for Truth. I contend for man's souls."

On this sad, sad day for my state, I am reminded of that. Current circumstances look bleak, but no matter what the challenge, the battle belongs to the LORD. He contends for Truth. In balance with that He contends for man's souls. 'Man' is a generic reference to people - all people. Sadly, not everyone will believe in Him or in His one and only Son, whom He sent to earth with His greatest message of love, but it sure would make God happy if they did!

In just moments, the Governor of my state will sign the 'gay marriage bill' into law. No matter what man states is O K, God's authority is higher. He says it is sin. Validating sin by making it a law does not make it acceptable in God's sight. I awoke with a heavy heart this morning. I wondered if there would be an earthquake as the law was signed.... Perhaps the signing is enough of an earthquake. Perhaps it will awaken people out of their apathy....

DANIEL 10, in sequence

Someone established a sequential order for Daniel - and placed this chapter here.

I don’t have the historical knowledge to understand specifically why this chapter is located here…. It is like an interruption – an “Oh, by the way” – and is based on the Persian King’s timeline. It is apparent in Chapter 5 that the Babylonian kingdom went to King Darius the Mede immediately following Belshazzar’s death; but Chapter 10 clues us into the reality of the rule of King Cyrus the Persian as well…. It is corroboration of the interpretation of the dream Nebuchadnezzar had approximately 63 years earlier – that, while his kingdom would be the head of gold, the kingdom after him would be an empire with the chest and arms of silver. That kingdom has been identified as the Medo-Persian Empire, which was in power from 539 – 331 B C, and it began the night Belshazzar died in 539 B C.

The only one who comes to my mind who perfectly fits the description of the being seen in the vision reported in this passage is the pre-incarnate Messiah – the One who will come to Daniel’s people in the latter days, and when He returns for His Second Coming, He will not come as the innocent babe, but the conquering hero.

However, I am not a Bible scholar. I don’t know exactly whom it was who appeared in Daniel’s vision – but there are some lessons to be noted here. I do know Daniel’s vision came from God, and that the one who was sent was occupied doing battle with demonic forces who were trying to prevent Daniel’s prayers from getting through….

What is indelibly impressed on me in Chapter 10 is the commendation Daniel receives, directly expressed from the heart of God! At the precise point that Daniel was beyond overwhelmed being in the powerful presence of the one in the vision, he was encouraged and comforted with these words, “O Daniel, man greatly loved….” And later in this passage, in verse 19, after he was strengthened the message was reiterated, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” Daniel was a humble man, in spite of his successes, intelligence and giftedness. He is an amazing model of a true man of God.

In 539 B C, Daniel was approximately 81 years old. He was captured in 605 B C during Nebuchadnezzar’s reign and taken to Babylon. He was a youth at the time. For observation sake I have placed him at 15 years of age when he was captured, which is my basis for the observation that he was most likely about 81 in 539 B C, give or take a year or two….

Daniel was consistently faithful in spite of circumstances. He’ll soon get to prove that again!

The commendation he received is one I want to pass on today to those who are following God's call on their lives, and living faithfully in spite of obstacles and circumstances. May your stories be encouraging to others as you faithfully seek to serve Him with all your heart....

“O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.”

DANIEL, in sequence, Chapter 5

Yep! Chapter 5 follows 7 & 8 sequentially....

It relates the story of Belshazzar seeing the handwriting on the wall. It is a chapter that leaves me wanting more information. "Details, please," I want to implore. I find it very interesting that Nebuchadnezzar's son is named Belshazzar, and the name he gave to Daniel is so similar - Belteshazzar. I also find it somewhat curious that it was his queen who reminded him of Daniel when he certainly knew what happened to his father - - and Daniel reminds him of that when he speaks to him prior to interpreting the writing on the wall.

Reading between the lines informs me as well.... Daniel had been placed in high esteem in Nebuchadnezzar's palace, but obviously not in Belshazzar's palace. It reminds me that things don't necessarily continue going well or fairly after a period of victory or adulation, even though Daniel remained faithful to the LORD. Good note to self....

But - beyond my piqued curiosity, this is a dramatic story. Belshazzar invites 1,000 of his lords for a party. That's some kingdom he inherited! After he'd had some wine, he ordered that the vessels his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought to be used by his lords, his wives and his concubines. Apparently the Queen was not there at that point - or they were in separate rooms.... I don't know how all that played out. Again, details would be nice....

Anyway, the golden vessels were brought and as they drank wine from them, they praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. Oops. Bad choice! Immediately the fingers of a hand began writing in the plaster on the wall of the king's palace. That got his attention! He turned white as a sheet, his knees buckled and shook. He was terrified! He called for everyone he could think of, but none of them knew what he writing said, let alone what it meant.

Then the Queen came in, and she recommended Daniel. Her compliments to Daniel's skill and knowledge were impressive - and it is interesting she remembered all this, but her husband didn't....

Daniel wasn't impressed by the kings offer of position in exchange for interpreting the writing, but he did tell the king what God said...well, after a brief history lesson that would have been a curt reprimand to a king who so easily forgot what his own father learned about the sovereignty of God. (Let alone obviously forgetting Daniel, which Daniel didn't point out.)

"MENE MENE TEKEL PARSIN." Daniel's translation: "God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

And that very night Belshazzar was killed, and Chapter 5 reports that his kingdom went to Darius the Mede, age 62.

Just one little aside: Before he died, Belshazzar kept his promise to Daniel. Daniel was clothed with purple, a golden chain was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. It doesn't appear that would mean much since the reign ended that night, but as the story unfolds, it will....

God had shown Nebuchadnezzar that his kingdom was the head of gold - and that his kingdom would be followed by another empire with a chest and arms of silver. In 539 B C, that part of Neb's vision came true.... The Medo-Persian Empire would last until 331 B C - a total of 308 years...but it began the night a king defied God by misusing objects from His temple!

God reigns! That is the bottom line! He gives power and takes it away. Anyone who defies him should pay attention to this story! He is patient. He extends grace. But not forever.

DANIEL'S VISION in Chapter 8

Daniel 7 records the vision Daniel had in the first year of Belshazzar. Daniel 8 records a vision Daniel had in the third year of the reign of Belshazzar.

You may have noted that in getting here, I skipped from Chapter 4 to Chapter 7. I am reading sequentially this time through Daniel, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 reflects the order of the events as they occurred.

In this vision, he sees himself in the province of Elam, in Susa the citadel, at the Ulai Canal. In this vision he sees the interaction between a ram with 2 horns, and a male goat, which started with just one horn, which was broken and four sprouted up to take its place....then out of one of the four horns grew a little horn - which became beyond-belief powerful. And Daniel heard one holy one say to another: "For how long....?" And the holy one who responded directed his answer to Daniel, saying "For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state."

(2,300 days equals 6 years and 110 days according to our calendar.)

Gabriel was called upon to reveal the interpretation of the vision to Daniel but even with the interpretation he could not understand, because it was for the time of the end. Still, he was given a defined explanation. The 2 horns on the ram are described as being the kings of Media and Persia, and the goat is the king of Greece. The great horn between his eyes is the first king. After that kingdom is broken, 4 kings will arise, but none with as much power, until the little horn emerges. That horn represents the one who will become extremely powerful at the end of time. His power will not come from himself. He will become great in his own eyes and will be a formidable force, causing fearful destruction. He will destroy mighty men and those who are saints. He will defy God - but he will be broken.... That is a promise!

DANIEL'S VISION in Chapter 7

In the first year of the reign of Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel had a dream in which he saw four beasts. As the dream was interpreted to him, those four beasts represented four kingdoms that would rule the earth, with the last one being different from all the others.... Scholars have dissected Daniel's prophecies far better than I ever could, so all I will say is: God foretold what would be in the future - and what I love most is that the 'end of the story' is foretold. In the end, God and His saints win!

Unfortunately before that victory, there's gonna be trouble.... The song about River City wends its way through my mind.... In Daniel 7 there is a graphic description of what the world dominion at the end of time will be. Out of the 10 nation alliance that begins this final kingdom, a little horn will come up. It will make war with the saints - and prevail over them for a specified period of time. This 'little horn' is conspicuously the antichrist, and Daniel 7:25 states, He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times and half a time.

In my growing-up years, when I attended prophecy meetings with my dad, that was always described to be the 3 1/2 years of the worst part of the Great Tribulation. It will be a terrifying time for those saints who are here. But - there are people living right now who face equal terror and danger for standing firm in their faith.

Our solace is the end of the story: verse 26 tells us his dominion shall be taken away to be consumed and destroyed to the end. And then the really good news in verse 27:

And the kingdom and the dominion

and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven

shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;

his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,

and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’

Over and over the Bible declares that in the end God wins over Satan! Our glorious hope is that of being together with the Lord for all of eternity - but in the meantime, our eternity begins here, the moment we place our trust in Him.

How does that affect me today? It makes me poignantly aware that my focus has to be aligned with His: What God cares about is Truth, and the souls of man. He is Truth. When we stand for what He stands for, we are standing for something worth dying for.... Ultimately that is truly living.

There was a country song that stated, 'You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.' It's true. We cannot base our views, our standards or our actions on feelings. We have to have a plumb line - - and the Bible is the only reliable source for finding that ballast in our lives.

Many years ago a pastor I highly respect stated, "True Wisdom is holding fast to a durable value system." I liked the quote so well, I wrote it down and for years had it tacked to the wall in my office. A durable value system cannot be dictated by the world's view - it must be God's! And God's views are made known to us through His Word, the Bible and through the power of the Holy Spirit unveiling God's Truth to our eyes.

(Daniel 7 references cited are from the ESV.)