October 14, 2010 (Daniel 7-12)

Three months off from blogging - not three months off from reading. I found before that I seem to get so much more out of my reading when I reflect upon it and blog about it. So, I'm back at it! And today's reading is a tough place to start - the prophecies of Daniel. I won't dwell so much on them as I will on the other gems contained throughout these chapters.

I loved this interpretation of God:

7:⁹ I watched as thrones were put in place
and the Ancient One sat down to judge.
His clothing was as white as snow,
his hair like whitest wool.
He sat on a fiery throne
with wheels of blazing fire,
10 and a river of fire flowed from his presence.
Millions of angels ministered to him;
and a hundred million stood to attend him.
Then the court began its session,
and the books were opened.

Millions of angels ministered to him and a hundred million stood to attend him. Can you imagine? I was struck by the extreme majesty of our God. Not only was His presence overwhelming by the brightness, but millions and millions of angels were around Him. No wonder Daniel was overcome by what he saw. The next paragraph describes the end of time - Jesus' rule will be eternal. One day, as the New Testament says, "Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord."

¹³ As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.

And then I was struck by the faithfulness and reverence of Daniel - by his absolute faith in God and his willingness to prove it by his devotion. So rare in life. Am I willing to humble myself and fast and pray and seek Him as Daniel did? If I did, God would show up for me as He did for Daniel.

^9:3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.

⁴ I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

“O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. ⁵ But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations.

¹⁷ “O our God, hear your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary.
¹⁸ “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.
¹⁹ “O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name.”

²⁰ I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the Lord my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain. ²¹ As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice. ²² He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. ²³ The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision.

^10:11 And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.

¹² Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.

¹⁷ How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe.”

¹⁸ Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning. ¹⁹ “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”

As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, “Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me.”

God honors those who honor Him and who humble themselves before Him. God, please help me to be a Daniel, sensing your love and pleasure as I submit to You.