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I heard a story of a man named Bobby who began his prayers everyday with the words, "Jesus, this is Bobby.” Every day it was the same: "Jesus, this is Bobby". Then came a day when Bobby was struck with illness and rushed to a hospital. In his room, as Bobby lay in a semi-conscious state unable to pray, he looked up to see a man standing at the foot of his bed. The One standing there said "Bobby, this is Jesus".
Something like that happens to Daniel in the 10th chapter. Daniel is not ill, but he is in a crisis. That is when he has a vision of Jesus Christ. Something is terribly wrong in Daniels world ~ READ Dan. 10:2-3. Daniel is in deep grief and that is when the Lord Jesus Christ comes to Daniel: READ Dan. 10:3-6. How do I know this is Jesus? Because we have the fullness of the revelation of God’s written word, and the words of Daniel sound so similar to the words of John when he first meets Jesus in the book of Revelation: READ Rev. 1:12-16. In Daniel, the brilliance of the chrysolite, the flash of lightning, flaming eyes, like one who is beyond description.
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 I so much enjoyed reading “Moby Dick” a few years ago… a long and sometimes tedious book. The chapters are not long… the book comes to a head in the final chapter, #135: “The Chase – Third Day.” What if I told you to read the book, but you only get to read the first 134 chapters…/// I will end with a story of a man who was haunted by his reading of the O.T. When he was finally introduced to the N.T. he discovered Jesus and everything suddenly made sense!.
In Dan. 9, Daniel is shown to be a man who practices spiritual disciplines. Most of the chapter is a prayer. From Dan. 9:1 we know Daniel is in his 80s. Listen to the disciplines Daniel practices: READ Dan. 9:2-3.
 Coin of Antiochus IV Epiphanes If you are a person that wants to believe in God and his promises but have secret doubts because some of the Bible seems to promote a way of thinking that goes against logic, perhaps you are a bit like Thomas who insisted he had to see the wounds in Jesus sides and hands before he would believe he was resurrected from the dead, then pay close attention to today’s message from Dan. 8. This is a very detailed vision given to Daniel with some of it coming to pass 400 years later. For Daniel it is 400 years future. For us it is almost 2200 years past. It shows that God is the God of history, the God of time…the all knowing God.
The first part of Daniel is wonderful stories of Daniel as a poised faithful committed believer. He calmly refuses to compromise. The second half of the book are visions with crazy images of half animals, horns, and mysterious numbers. We discover Daniel has fears and confusion as he tries to understand the visions. In Dan. 8:17 Daniel says he is terrified. And the chapter ends: READ Dan. 8:26-27. This is a wonderful example of faith. Maybe we could adapt this as a motto of our church: The people of God going about our business of serving the Lord in a confusing and frightening world. Daniel 8 is a vision of the future. We will spend time looking at a specific man that tried to destroy Israel 167 years before the birth of Christ; because that man is clearly the fulfillment of the prophecy outlined in Daniel 8. Babies do not have rational thought and reasoning skills as do older children and adults ~ they learn by impressions, sensing emotions, patterns, feelings. Daniel 7 is the first chapter in Daniel of visions and wild crazy images. I believe the meaning is not found in trying to understand the meaning of every detail, but rather, the greatest meaning is found in impressions. The purpose of these visions is to give confidence, assurance and hope that no matter how evil the day may be, the Lord Almighty is Supreme ~ God is establishing a Kingdom without end. Daniel lived in a strange and foreign land, yet God blessed him to live a life of confidence. We, too, are invited to live with confidence knowing that a Day is Coming when all will be set right. The never ending Kingdom of God is coming…. READ Dan. 7:14b, 27.
As I read Daniel I have no idea about a timeline of the end (anyone who sets a date is a nut), but this I know: Jesus is coming again and the everlasting Kingdom of God will be established. These visions are preparation for living a life in Christ while we wait. |
 
Carl Crouse, Pastor
At SACC we believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Every Sunday the worship service includes a message from the Bible. My words are an attempt to understand and apply the Bible to our daily living. I post weekly sermons and other biblical messages on this page. May you find meaning and hope as you read through each message and seek to hear God's voice. Leave a comment to ask questions or inspire others with your insights. Categories
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