Wednesday 12 March 2008

9 march 2008 - Daniel chapter 12

The chapter is the last chapter in Daniel and it is about the time of the end. Daniel chapter 12 leads on to the book of revalation. Daniel is told to seal the book, to seal the word. where as in Revalation, John is told to send it to ecclesias and spread it around for all to hear.
We all had to make comments of what we thought and understood in the chapter. Verse 1 was a time of trouble before the end, the world was going to get worse, it was also about Michael - an archangel. Michael also appears in chapter 10 v13 + 21 where he helps Daniel. Michael is also in Jude verse 9 and revalation 12 v 7. In verse 2 of Daniel chapter 12, it is a picture, a picture of hope and judgement, and that continues on to verse 3. Verse 5 was about the river pointing forward to the river of life - revalation 22 v 1+2. In verse 12 it is a blessing for those who wait in faith until the end comes. Verse 13 is that there is a place in the kingdom allotted to Daniel it also links to Revalation 20 v 6 - you will be granted everlasting life when Christ returns.
We don't know the starting date for the world, so we have to be prepared for when the end does come. We always wait until the last minute to do something, don't do that for Christ, he could come at anytime.

Eilidh

Sunday 2 March 2008

Daniel Ch 11 in a bit more detail

Following on from last weeks (24/02) look at Chapter 11, today we delved a little deeper into some of the themes and tried to draw out some lessons. As the main focus last week was looking at the shorter term fulfilment (the Greek empire etc.), this week we probed the NT.

v27

Daniel 11v27:
"The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time."

Compare this to Acts 17v29-31:
"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

Ah ha! We have a bit of a link here - the appointed time spoken about in Daniel seems to have a future fulfilment through Jesus when the world will be judged with justice.


v31+32

Daniel 11v31+32:
"His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him."

The phrase 'abomination that causes desolation' cropped up a bit earlier in Daniel 9v27, and it also appears in the NT during the Olivet prophesy (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21).

Mark 13v14:
"When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."

Jesus here obviously knows his OT (supreme emphasis on 'obviously'), and is quoting from Daniel to warn his disciples. The time spoken of here is AD70 when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans and the Jews were scattered. Those who knew their OT or listened to Jesus ('let the reader understand') were saved by fleeing to the mountains when this time of trouble came.

Does this also have a future prophesy?

As usual, time beat us to delve further, but we finished by remembering one of the key themes during our studies in Daniel:

God is in control


Daniel (not the Prophet)