Daniel

The Son of Man

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” – Daniel 7:13,14 For the past couple of days, we’ve seen that the system of the world is controlled by Satan, and that while he appears to have unlimited power, the duration of his dominion is actually limited. The Ancient of Days is sovereign over his fate, and it’s only a matter of time before his rule comes to an end. This is because the One who ascended the throne next to the Almighty — in

August 26, 2021 No Comments

The Ancient of Days

“As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.” – Daniel 7:9 Yesterday, we discussed the world’s system and how Satan is waging war all around us in the kingdoms of the earth. Today, I want to talk about the good news we can cling to — that there is One greater than the devil! Further along in his vision in Daniel 7, the prophet, after seeing four hideous, terrifying, and powerful beasts, speaks of a throne of fire being set in place and the Ancient of Days ascending it to execute judgment. Interestingly, the Lord is often represented by fire in the Old Testament because the heat of flames purifies and their presence consumes.

August 25, 2021 No Comments

The World’s System

“After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast — terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.” – Daniel 7:7 It’s safe to say that the world’s way is beastly. Ever since humanity fell into sin, the forces of darkness have been raging to orchestrate chaos and stir up violence. Throughout all of history, kingdoms have risen against each other and war has been commonplace. Of course, behind every mass movement of anarchy, disorder, or crime stands Satan — the Beast himself. It was his image that Daniel saw in the vision recorded in Daniel 7, wherein he took the form of four brutal monsters, each representing a worldly government under the sway

August 24, 2021 No Comments

Lions in the Daniel Den

“So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!’” – Daniel 6:16 Yesterday, we looked at the life of Daniel and how he made prayer both a matter of habit and priority. Although he was taken away from Jerusalem, transported to the pagan world of Babylon, and put at the disposal of the king, he refused to waver in his conviction, and he continually sought the presence of the Lord. While it could have cost him his life, his fierce devotion afforded him ongoing supernatural favor. In fact, through the years, he was filled with the Holy Spirit so powerfully that he could interpret dreams and visions and figure out mysteries that no one else could fathom. Despite refusing to bow to idols, he gained influence with heathen

June 2, 2021 No Comments

A Person of Prayer

“Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” – Daniel 6:10 There’s no doubt that my favorite Old Testament book is Daniel. There are many things about this passionate prophet’s life that inspire me, but perhaps none as much as the fact that although his circumstances were nothing like he thought they would be, he never wavered in his faith. He was a great, great, great, great grandson of King David, and before his exile to Babylon, he was set apart to do big things in Judaism. Considered an earl among Hebrews, he was extremely gifted — and the Babylonians knew it — so when they captured him, they took him to the palace to serve their king, Nebuchadnezzar. Suddenly thrust from a place of safety and familiarity into a pagan world, Daniel was presented

June 1, 2021 2 Comments

Live Wisely

“Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.” – Daniel 5:5,6 Yesterday, we talked about the phrase “his days are numbered,” and we discussed how, though it’s often used to infer that someone risks cutting their own life short, it’s a source of comfort to know that God alone holds the fullness of our future. Interestingly, like many other famous cliches, this one originates on the pages of Scripture. When the super-powerful and uber-wealthy Babylonian King Belshazzar, who was the son of Nebuchadnezzar, held a lavish and revelrous feast, he instructed his servants to bring out the silver goblets that were stolen from the temple in Israel. As

May 31, 2021 No Comments