Under siege, government takeover, economic collapse, gender issues, defiled food supply, slave labor, immigration, competing visions, and uncertain futures. How do we live in and through this?! These are not new problems. The book of Daniel gives us the hope and future where we are all invited to discover The God of Daniel.
Finish the statement “The People Who Know _______________.”
Lord we thank you that you are The God of Daniel. You have a plan that you have been carrying out since the beginning of time. We like the people in Daniel’s day are living in captivity waiting for you to restore us to yourself and your land. Help us to learn from you and each other. May we represent you regardless of what is handed over to us, be determined, and be willing to remain where you have us. Allow us to dream about your kingdom, know when to say we will not, and dream about you. Help us honestly consider what have we done while being faithful just as others did before us. As we are striving for your Kingdom Vision, guide us to see that the mess we are in is Because of Rebellion, that we can repent turning our attention, and know that we are Treasured by God. Thank you that we are The People Who Know that You are the King of kings and Lord of lords, The God of Daniel. Amen
Remember where we are in the story. God has raised up the nation of Babylon to discipline his children Because of Rebellion and punish the nations (especially Assyria) for their treatment of His children.
God has been warning for generations through many prophets that all this would happen if people would not listen and repent. Now, He told his people they should surrender the land and themselves to Babylon. After Nebuchadnezzar’s 1st siege of Jerusalem, Daniel with many other young men of the royal family of David have surrendered and been exiled to Babylon. They are now slaves, have been made eunuchs, and have to figure out how they will follow their God Yahweh for the rest of their lives in Babylon waiting for His return.
At fxchurch we talk about the differences between… Promised Land theology- IDEA: We currently live in the promised land that we are trying to keep or a promised land that we are trying to create on earth through our works. Wilderness Theology- IDEA: We are just wandering around living until we die and the next generation takes over so there isn’t much we can do but be survive and wait. Captivity Theology- IDEA: We are captives, strangers, and aliens in a foreign land. We are waiting on and telling others about our coming King, His kingdom that He is building, and how to get ready for the promised land He will bring on a new earth with new bodies. (Philippians 3:18-20, John 17:14-18, 1 Peter 2:9-13, Romans 7:21-24)
To avoid the reality of living for The God of Daniel in captivity, much of our christian culture today tends to live and make decisions by PRAGMATIC (whatever works), THERAPEUTIC (whatever feels right), MORAL (whatever is not short term bad for us), and DEISM (whatever keeps God off my back and/or keeps Him blessing me). Instead, we need learn to be faithful to The God of Daniel.
By chapter nine Daniel is likely in his 80s and has been serving as a eunuch slave in Babylon for more than 60 years. We have no indication of him having any of his own visions until his these last years of his life. God in His mercy is preparing Daniel, and His people for the disaster and chaos of the reality of kingdoms dying and other kingdoms rising. So often, God does the already but not yet in future telling prophesy. Daniel’s vision is both a nearer future and a farther future prophesy. The vision Daniel had has already been fulfilled in history but not fully yet. If you study the Old Testament and history, you will see what already happened. If you read passages like Revelation, you will see what has not yet happened. There will be another Babylon raised up and defeated in the imagery of Revelation with more kingdoms that will finally be defeated by God. The visions at the end of the book of Daniel prove to be incredibly historically accurate. They are so accurate that many unbelieving scholars say it was written by someone else after Daniel’s life and then added to the book. Even if that were true, which it is not, the Bible would still prove itself to be a great book of accurate history.
Below is a condensed historical overview of what God said in Daniel would happen in the 400 years (Malachi to Matthew) leading up to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life.
4 Kings or 4 Major lines of Persia that will impact God’s people and land. Battle of Issus (333 BC Alexander defeats Darius III) Alexander the Great- Dies 323 BC Daniel 11:5-20 = Centuries of fighting = 6 Syrian wars 322- 281 BC Wars of the Diadochi (Alexander’s Successors) Ptolemy: Ruled in Egypt Cassander: Ruled in Macedon Seleucus: Ruled in Persia Antigonus: Ruled in Asia Minor Ptolemaic dynasty: South (Egypt) Seleucid dynasty: North (Syria) Marriage Alliance: Berenice (South) Antiochus II Theos (North) Kings former wife Laodice and her sons lure and kill Bernice and children. Third Syrian War 245-241BC Fourth Syrian War 219-217 BC Fifth Syrian War 202-195 BC Israel divided loyalties: Ptolemaic South and Seleucid North Marriage Alliance: North and South 193 BC- fake/failed Seleucid (North) invades Greece and Cyprus Roman–Seleucid War Battle of Thermopylae 191 BC Roman Republic Manius Acilius Glabrio defeats the North Seleucid king Antiochus III Daniel 11:21-45= Double Fulfillment in the Anti-Christ of Revelation? Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus invaded Egypt in 169 BC Antiochus IV defeated by Rome in Kittm 169 BC Humiliated and now taxed he took it out on the Jews Maccabees' vs. Antiochus IV 164 BC = Hanukkah Antiochus V 161 BC End of Greek Empire Roman Dominance Hasmonean dynasty ruled Judea 147-37 BC The time of Jesus
Many secular and even false Christian scholars say that these parts of Daniel were added later to the book and not written by Daniel because of their incredible historical accuracy.
Even if that were true, which it is not, what would that mean that these people would have to admit about the scriptures?