Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Tuesday, April 21st: Daniel 8-10, Revelation 8 ~ Nathan


In our OT reading we read about a vision that Daniel has, about a ram and a goat.  The ram was strong and defeated all,  until a goat appeared from the west who was more powerful than the ram. The angel Gabriel came to Daniel,  who was fearful of him,  and explained this vision to Daniel. He explained it by saying this vision is about the end times,  and the goat represents a powerful king.  This king is explained best in chapter 8:25, "This king will be very smart and tricky. He will use his wisdom and lies to be successful. He will think that he is very important. He will destroy many people, when they least expect it. He will try to fight even the Prince of Princes.  But that cruel king's power will be destroyed,  and it will not be a human hand that destroys him. "

Daniel goes on to pray for his people and ask for forgiveness, for they have gone away from living for God. He begs God for mercy.

In Revelation 8 we also read about destruction at the end times. We read about the first of the seven trumpet blasts from the seven angels.  We read about hail,  fire,  blood,  and death. In verse 13 we read how an eagle says in a loud voice "how terrible for those who live on earth" .

The end times truly sound scary. As a child growing up,  and even as an adult,  I've been frightened by how terrible it sounds. Growing up in a safe environment and a safe country,  this all sounds so foreign and seems far removed from what we know. We see,  when looking around, how far our society has fallen away and continues to move away from God and what the Bible says.

But as Christians,  we need to have faith and take comfort that we are saved!  We may  have to go through hard or terrible things,  but we need to focus on the end,  which will be victory in Jesus for those who trust and obey. I pray that I,  and you,  stay faithful.

3 comments:

Conrad said...

A good reminder Nathan for us to stay faithful until the end. Not always easy to do when we have our own desires and agendas, just as Daniels people had.

We always want our kids to be obedient to us. Let us be obedient to our Heavenly Father so as to please Him.

Pamela said...

I was helping Kiandra with some homework recently as she was analyzing a poem with the words "30 minutes of silence in Heaven". I googled it and the passage from Revelation came up. I'm not sure if that is the reference the author was intending to use but i thought it was quite interesting to read this commentary on it:

When the Lamb opens the seventh seal, that all comes to an end. The singing of the living creatures and elders, their harps or lyres, the singing of the multitude: It all ends. Suddenly there is silence in heaven.

If that is what the silence involves, then the period of silence does not end with the blowing of the trumpets but when the singing starts up again, which it does at the end of the seven trumpet series (15:1-4). The silence in heaven is not the silence until the trumpets, or a silence that excludes the trumpets, but silence that makes room for the trumpets.

This fits with reading the entire book of Revelation as a worship service. After we have confessed, we are absolved and ascend in song to the presence of God. When we get to the throne, where the Word of God will be read, we fall silent and let the trumpet-voiced reader of the Scriptures speak God’s trumpet word to us.

Silence isn’t passive. It’s expectant, eager. Silence is the prerequisite to hearing, and hearing is central to the biblical understanding of the Christian life. Silence is an act of faith. Silence means we are ready to hear the Lord speak. Silence means that we recognize that our words are not determinative. Silence means we wait for God to speak and act.When we fall silent in the presence of the Lord, it is like bowing to the earth: We lay ourselves in the dust, prostrate ourselves before the Lord, so He can raise us up. We go as low as we can in hope of resurrection. Silence is the audible equivalent of a prostration.

From: http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/leithart/2014/09/silence-in-heaven

Tammy said...

I always find Daniel's prayer to be an amazing example of true confession and repentance. I find it amazing that Daniel, such a consistently godly man, throws his lot in with the rest of the nation and asks for forgiveness. We have become such an individualized society that we have lost the idea of corporate worship and repentance. That is how we should be praying for our country!

Thanks for that quote on silence, Pamela, it was very insightful!