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Daniel 7:1-8:27; Daniel 5:1-31<\/strong><\/span> Okay, so Daniel chapter 7 with the vision of 4 beasts is not exactly an easy one for me to interpret here in a daily blog!\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 But I\u2019ll give it a bit of a go.\u00a0 Actually, if you\u2019re looking for in-depth commentary on this chapter, <\/span>please check out this link on bible.org<\/span>, titled \u201cDaniel\u2019s Disturbing Dream.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Overall, this is a very powerful chapter to read\u2026 I definitely was feeling drawn into this chapter and the description of the beasts.\u00a0 Basically here in chapter 7 we\u2019re seeing a parallel with the vision of these 4 beasts in this vision of Daniel\u2019s with the dream Nebuchadnezzar had of the statue in chapter 2 of Daniel.\u00a0 \u00a0The lion with the eagle wings represents Babylonia, just as the head of gold in ch. 2 did.\u00a0 The bear represents Medo-Persia, as the silver did in ch. 2.\u00a0 The leopard represents Greece, as did the bronze\/brass in ch. 2.\u00a0 And the terrifying and frightening beast represents the Roman empire, as the feet of clay & iron did in ch. 2.\u00a0 \u00a0Roughly speaking of course\u2026\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 Maybe this image below will better explain things:<\/span><\/p>\n The best verses in this chapter are in my mind verse 13 & 14 where we get a Messianic vision of Jesus! \u201cAs my vision continued that night, I saw someone who looked like a man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and royal power over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal\u2013it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0Wow\u2026\u00a0 very powerful stuff..\u00a0 Do you believe that Jesus has been given authority, honor and royal power over all the world?\u00a0 Do you believe that his rule is eternal and his kingdom will never be destroyed?\u00a0 Do you know in your heart that Jesus is your eternal King?<\/span><\/p>\n Verse 8 & 20 are intriguing to me when they talk about: \u201cThis little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>The thing that jumped out at me was the mouth that was boasting arrogantly.\u00a0 How did this read to you when you came across it?\u00a0 As a good or bad thing to have a mouth that boasts arrogantly?\u00a0 Again, this reminds me of the sin of pride that we have been seeing over and over again here in the book of Daniel with the Babylonian kings & Darius the Mede.\u00a0 Essentially some commentaries suggest this little horn that boasts arrogantly represents the antichrist\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n Daniel chapter 8 is quite a chapter!\u00a0 I\u2019m not 100% sure how to post up on this chapter \u2013 so I went over to bible.org to see what they had to say and I came across this paragraph over there \u2013 \u201cDaniel chapter 8 is a preacher\u2019s nightmare. Even noted scholars hesitate to be dogmatic in their interpretation of this chapter. Daniel himself has not the foggiest notion of the vision\u2019s meaning, even after the angel Gabriel has interpreted the vision for him.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>I think I better just link over to what bible.org has to say about this chapter today<\/span>.\u00a0 This is in the blog world what one would call a punt!\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n The closing verse 27 of chapter 8 certainly stands out to me today: \u201cThen I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for several days. Afterward I got up and performed my duties for the king, but I was greatly troubled by the vision and could not understand it.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Do you think you\u2019d be physically exhausted & sick if you saw a vision like Daniel saw in this chapter?<\/span><\/p>\n Daniel chapter 5 is the famous \u201cthe writing is on the wall\u201d chapter!\u00a0 It is not a good sign to see writing appear on the wall in this way\u2026\u00a0 This chapter is of huge importance to the Babylonian dynasty \u2013 because this chapter is the very last day of Babylon the empire.\u00a0 The next day everything goes to the Persians & Medes and Cyrus will be taking over the roost.\u00a0 Daniel chapter 5 verse 1 starts us out today with: \u201cA number of years later..\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 This chapter takes place in 539 B.C., whereas chapter 4 with Nebuchadnezzar took place before his death in 562 B.C.\u00a0 So, at least 23 years have past between chapter 4 & 5 \u2013 and several leaders of Babylon have passed by, leaving Belshazzar, who has 1 day more\u2026\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n Verses 1 through 4 in the chapter unfortunately describe an orgy taking place, utilizing gold and silver cups taken from the Temple in Jerusalem decades earlier by Nebuchadnezzar.\u00a0 Unwisely, Belshazzar and the crew toast false idols with these sacred cups of God \u2013 at which point immediately the hand begins writing on the wall, and verse 6 tells us this about Belshazzar \u2013 \u201cSuch terror gripped him that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way beneath him.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Think he had reason to be scared like this?\u00a0 Why?<\/span><\/p>\n As Daniel is called in to interpret the writing, verse 17 stands out as Daniel tells Belshazzar: \u201cKeep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Daniel is obviously quite bold and dismissive of Belshazzar here \u2013 he does not defer to Belshazzar being the king, and the seemingly right thing to do would be to immediately say you\u2019d appreciate the gifts.\u00a0 Daniel simply says \u2013 keep \u2019em! (though, later he\u2019s still bestowed with them)\u00a0 Bold\u2026\u00a0 A righteous boldness, yes?\u00a0 Plus, you\u2019ve got to think that Daniel\u2019s seen a lot in Babylon in his time and he\u2019s ready to cut to the chase and just interpret the writing.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t need earthly gifts or honor\u2026\u00a0 What about us in our lives today?\u00a0 Do we seek earthly gifts and honor for ourselves?\u00a0 Should we?\u00a0 Can we learn from Daniel\u2019s boldness and focus on what truly matters in this life?\u00a0 (note that an older Daniel is in the middle of this image below from the 1816 John Brown Bible, with a strange looking Belshazzar sitting to the right)<\/span><\/p>\n Before interpreting the dream Daniel gives Belshazzar an old fashioned lecture which culminates in verse 22 as he speaks of Nebuchadnezzar being humbled by God: \u201c\u201dYou are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Basically, Daniel is saying \u2013 you should have known better.\u00a0 You knew better.\u00a0 You saw Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s mistakes.\u00a0 You did not learn.\u00a0 Are we like this sometimes in our lives today?\u00a0 Shouldn\u2019t we know better\u2026?\u00a0 Below is an artist\u2019s take on Belshazzar\u2019s final feast \u2013<\/span><\/p>\n Verse 27 is worth reflecting upon! \u201cYou have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.\u201d<\/em> (NIV).\u00a0 Very interesting to think about a godly scale.\u00a0 A scale that maybe looks at how we invest our time, money, love, life, worship?\u00a0 Are we investing in things that are eternal?\u00a0 Obviously, through the opening verses Belshazzar was simply investing his life into himself, his lusts and his desires.\u00a0 And hence, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN was written on the wall\u2026\u00a0 Pretty amazing to think that the great kingdom of Babylon went down like this in one chapter\u2026\u00a0 God clearly is a kingdom-maker and a kingdom-taker!<\/span><\/p>\n Worship God: <\/strong>Today\u2019s readings reminded me of the fantastic song \u201cCreate in me a Clean Heart\u201d performed here by Donnie McClurkin and a choir:<\/span><\/p>\n \n
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