Reflections
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 29
D A N I E L
Daniel was a Bible student! He had read that the Babylonian captivity (as it became known) would last for 70 years (Jeremiah 25: 11.12). After which, the Babylonians would themselves feel the heat of God’s wrath. It seems that the faithful Daniel was keeping track of the years. Darius, the Mede, was ‘made king’, presumably by Cyrus, when the Babylonians were overthrown by the Persian Empire. Daniel judged that the “captivity” of the Judeans, was about to come to an end. So what did he do? “Then I set my face toward the LORD God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.” “Fasting” is familiar to us, even today, but “sackcloth and ashes” is not. It is a sign, to others, of deep mourning, sorrow, and even repentance. That is what Daniel felt as he approached the LORD. He was acutely aware of the righteous judgment of the LORD in expelling the people of Judah from the land. He took nothing for granted. He did not think “ho-hum”, we’ve done the time, now let’s get back to normal. Daniel had acquired a deep sense of awesome reverence towards His God. If we learn nothing else from this prophetic book, we will have done well to learn that. And practise it.
The prayer of Daniel recorded here is worth reading … many times. It begins with ‘confession’ of known sin. It does not appear to be his ‘personal sin’ but ‘national sin’ that is confessed. There is enough in the text that has gone before to suggest that Daniel himself was pious in his own observances and attitudes towards God. He was not a self righteous man. Another lesson. “O LORD, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those whom love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgements.” It is unusual to hear such prayer today. Most of us have little or no concept of obedience to the precepts and judgments of God. It is somehow taken for granted that “going to church” is suffice. It is man that looks at appearance. God sees the heart. As Daniel continued, he considered their neglect of the warnings of the prophets who spoke in the name of the LORD. He saw that it was to their shame that God, in righteousness, had driven them out of the land, because of their unfaithfulness. They had not walked in conformity and obedience to the Torah of God, given to Moses. The curses contained within that Torah had been justly visited on the people as a result. But Daniel also knew the heart of God. “O LORD hear! O LORD forgive! O LORD listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name”. A heartfelt plea for compassion.
The response from God did not take long. At the time of the evening offering (of prayer and thanksgiving) that same day, the man Daniel identified as Gabriel, who was sent by God Himself arrived again. “O Daniel, I have now come forth to to give you skill to understand. At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision”. That vision is the one recorded for us and which begins in Daniel 7:13.
I am very conscious that a number of learned people have written books about this. It has caused division in some circles, and profound joy in others. I have no wish to participate in controversy, but I share what God has shown me as I ‘reflect’ on these matters. It is also difficult to not be influenced by the various interpretations which have been offered by others.
There is general agreement that the word “weeks” is not literal to our understanding of a week of seven days. It is derived from the Hebrew word “shab’ua” which has a meaning of “sevens”. But the word “seventy” is literal. So it has been regarded that the text refers to “seventy sevens”. The text also clearly refers to the appearance of Messiah Yeshua on earth. This is mentioned by Gabriel in his explanation to Daniel. We KNOW exactly when that occurred in relation to the time of Daniel’s life, so it is a small jump, with a bit of arithmetic, to deduce that the “seventy sevens” refers to “sevens of years”, which is 490 years. The commencing point is “from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem”. Then, until Messiah comes, “there shall be seven weeks and sixty two weeks”. So that means 49 years, plus 434 years. A total of 483 years from the command to restore Jerusalem until the “Messiah is cut off (from the earth “but not for Himself”)”. Please excuse the fact that I am not going into dates here for convenience sake (my own!). Those calculations have been verified many times. In very broad terms there is universal agreement of dates. Starting when Nehemiah received Artaxerxes authority to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, to the crucifixion of Yeshau. 483 years exactly. So we are left with another seven years. Those seven years are always referred to as “Daniel’s 70th week”.
Now there is another ‘prince’ mentioned. One who will destroy the city again. “He shall confirm a covenant for one week (Daniel’s 70th week); but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.” This is the prophecy about the arrival of “the man of peace”. He is the one who will demand worship of himself. He is the one who will be “different to all the beasts that went before it”. This is the FOURTH beast of Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7).
For those living at the time of his appearance, it will be the ultimate test of faith. A test that has been foreshadowed in the life of the faithful Daniel, from whom we have much to learn.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 28
D A N I E L
Continuation of ‘reflection’ (27 A) on the FOURTH beast of Daniel’s vision.
It is appropriate to consider the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in conjunction with this ‘vision’ of Daniel’s which we are seeking to understand. We recall that the great statue consisted of different substances (gold, silver, bronze, iron, and a mixture of iron and clay) for parts of the body as they went from head to foot. It is generally understood that the kingdoms, which started with Babylonia at the head, were successively replaced by the empires of Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. FOUR distinct periods of time. Four empires led by ambitious, fearsome, and often very cruel people seeking some advantage to extend their influence in the world as they saw it. The Roman Empire was, and is, quite diverse in its structure, and in one or more of its forms its global influence still exists today. Consider the far-reaching arms of the Roman Catholic Church. It still extends to the far corners of this earth. Consider also the Byzantine empire of Islam, which has flourished in conjunction with Rome, both within and beyond the boundaries of this Roman empire. The line between the Roman and Byzantine empires is somewhat blurred. It certainly IS different, and has superseded the first 3 mentioned kings above. For a time, Rome represented in the statue as IRON. But morphing into feet made of IRON and CLAY. A mixture. It is out of this final scene, the feet, that the fearsome FOURTH beast is expected to come. Is it from the Roman side? or from the Islamic side? Speculation is interesting, but futile. That is another “secret thing that belongs to the LORD”, for now.
Look again at Daniel’s description of the vision that he was shown. “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke into pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows”. To the avarice and greed of the kings that had gone before, this king added a menace which is terrifying. This beast “was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them”. It is worth noting here that many sections of the ‘church’ today preach a doctrine of “rapture of the saints”. It is not in the Bible in the form it is taught. (Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16 with Daniel 11 and Revelation 20:5) But it is a comforting doctrine, readily accepted because it conveniently declares ‘the church’ to have left this earth before this beast appears. The Scriptures noted above do not support this doctrine. A simple question comes to mind. Where do the “faithful martyrs” of the ‘tribulation’ come from? You know, the ones who reign with Messiah Yeshua in the Millenial Kingdom. It matters little what you or I think. This prophecy of Daniel is given to us, as with all the Scriptures, so that we may prepare ourselves for that which God says will happen.
Daniel had yet another vision. It seems to complement the first. But deals with the process of the overthrow of kingdoms. Babylonia was already replaced by Medo-Persia, which was the empire in which Daniel now lived. It is represented by the ram with two horns. One higher than the other. The lower horn of the Medes and the higher representing the Persians. The male goat with the “notable horn between the eyes” represents Greece, which was to supersede the Medo-Persian empire, which it did. That ‘male goat’, Greece, grew very great. Then its ‘large horn’ broke and was replaced by 4 other ‘notable ones’. Out of one of them came a ‘little horn’ of great influence. By this time, the Helenistic empire had been succeeded by the Roman empire. This “little horn” is considered to be Antiochus Epiphanes, (about 400 years later) who ruled the Syrian division with much influence over Israel. (More detail appears later when we ‘reflect’ on Daniel 11.) It was Antiochus Epiphanes who desecrated the temple. His overthrow is celebrated today in the festival known as Hannukah. He is seen as a ‘type’ of ‘anti-christ’ due to that desecration, which lasted precisely as the Scriptures prophesied, 2,300 days. Then ‘cleansed’ again for worship of Almighty God.
But there is much more to this. What happened towards the end of the Greek empire and the rise of the Roman Empire is a picture of another event which is still future to us today. As at this time, it is not possible for the temple to be desecrated because it no longer stands. It was destroyed about 70 CE, by the Roman General, Titus (later to become Emperor). So a new temple will be built. The Angel Gabriel, who appeared to Daniel as a man, was instructed to ‘Make this man understand the vision”. So Gabriel confronted Daniel whilst he was in a deep sleep with his face to the ground. Stood him upright, and said “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be”. (the word ‘indignation’ (‘Heb, za’am’) is curious. It relates to a time of God’s anger at sin. Hence ‘indignation’). So, as in many cases of prophetic utterance, God has given us, through Daniel, and by definable history, a picture of the events of the future. There is much more to be revealed, and we will ‘reflect’ on those events in coming weeks.
Much of our Scripture writings deal with the prophecy of Messiah Yeshua coming to this earth, bringing salvation and hope to the faithful. Daniel was given a vision beyond that. To the final “Yom Teruah”. The sound of the trumpet which will herald His triumphant return.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 27
D A N I E L
The prophecy which Daniel proclaimed, about 50 years earlier, when he interpreted the first dream of Nebuchadnezzar had begun to be fulfilled. Babylonia was now replaced by the Medo-Persian empire. Darius, the Mede, divided the kingdom of Babylonia, which he had conquered, into 120 regions. Daniel was made governor of one third of them. He was so successful in his management, that Darius considered putting him in charge of the whole realm! “So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no fault or charge, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.” But that was not enough. Jealousy caused them to plot against Daniel, in order to bring him into conflict with Darius. The law of the Medes and Persians was unique in that once established, it was not possible to be changed. By anyone.
“We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God” they said. That is where the bait might be found. Now to set the trap. The king was persuaded to sign the irrevocable law which required that no-one be allowed to petition any god or man, except the king himself, for the following 30 days. Violation of that law was punishable by being cast into the den of lions. When Daniel was told about the decree he went to his home “and in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God as was his custom since early days”. There was no attempt on his part to hide away secretly. It was confirmation by Daniel that his trust was in Almighty God to protect him in all circumstances. Perfect trust. The conspirators soon acquainted the king with the facts, and the king then realised that he had erred in signing that decree. Try as he might, with good intent, the king was unable to circumvent the law he had signed. So it was, with a heavy heart, the king commanded that Daniel be cast, as the law required, into the den of lions. The king spoke to Daniel. “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you”. Then he retired to his palace and spent the night fasting. He did not sleep. Early the next morning the king went to the den of lions and was overjoyed to find Daniel very much alive. “O, king, live for ever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions mouths, so they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also O king, I have done no wrong before you” said Daniel. Then the king exacted a fearful punishment on those who conspired against Daniel. He also wrote another decree. “I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, and steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall endure to the end.”
So Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, the Mede, and Cyrus, the Persian. By now Daniel was in his early 80’s. Previously he had various “revelations” in which he was involved in interpretation of dreams. As Daniel 7 opens he described another of his encounters with the LORD. Visions in the night hours. The Great Sea stirred by the four winds. Four beasts rising up from the sea. A lion, with wings like an eagle. Lifted up to stand on two feet like a man. A ravenous bear devouring much flesh. A four headed, winged leopard. Finally a fearsome unimaginable creature with ten horns. A ‘little’ horn came and plucked three of those ten horns out by the roots. That ‘little’ horn had eyes like a man, and spoke pompous words.
Then the scene changed completely. A room, like a court room, with thrones and a Judge, the “Ancient of Days” seated. Millions of worshippers stood before the Judge. “And the books were opened”. Judgement time.
The pompous, challenging, words continued from the beast. Of no avail. The beast was slain. Its body destroyed and given to a burning flame. Finished. The other beasts had their power removed from them, but their lives were “prolonged for a season and a time”.
The scene changed again. “One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the “Ancient of Days” .. then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed”.
Daniel was greatly troubled at what he envisioned. What did it all mean? So he asked one of those “who stood by” (the Throne). The four beasts are four kings which arise out of the earth. Daniel was satisfied with that. BUT what about this FOURTH beast. Ah! “The fourth beast .. shall be different from all the other kingdoms”. Powerful, destructive, speaking pompously against “The Most High”. “He shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and the law(s); Then the saints shall be given into his hands ‘for a time and times and half a time’.”
Many people have debated and ‘reflected’ on the detail of what Daniel’s vision means. Some parts are easier to understand than others. We will continue this ‘reflection’ further since there is much more to be considered. That it deals with issues still future to us is undeniable. There are very important issues to concern all who are disciples of Yeshua. The FOURTH beast is “anti Christ”. He is our enemy. Daniel has shown us his mettle in his faithfulness to his God. He was prepared to die for his faith. Many more will have to make such a choice before this “fourth beast” is dealt with.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 26
D A N I E L
Nebuchadnezzar died about 562 BCE. Daniel was taken captive into Babylon when he was 16 years old in about 602 BCE. Belshazzar only reigned* over Babylon until about 538 BCE. So Daniel was probably in his mid 70’s when “Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords .. and commanded that the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem”. There was much merrymaking as they defiled those vessels, holy to the LORD, by drinking out of them at their feast. Try to imagine the shock and horror that struck them all as, opposite the lampstand, in full view, the finger of a mans hand appeared and wrote on the wall. The words were written in a language no-one could read. It was a conversation stopper for sure. Belshazzar shook with fear.
The ‘experts’ were called in. The magicians, the soothsayers, the astrologers, those who were deemed to have special powers. Great reward was offered to anyone who could read and interpret the words on that wall. No-one claimed the reward. Then the queen spoke to the king. “There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God … now let Daniel be called, and he will give you the interpretation”. What a reputation! To be known as a man in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. What an example! What a lesson. So it was that Daniel appeared before the king and was offered the same reward that was put before the others. “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another”. Daniel was about the LORD’s business here. He had a message for the king and he did not need to be paid for delivering it. I find myself wondering if Daniel had read the words of Solomon (Proverbs 23:23) about not selling truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding. The love, mercy and grace of the LORD is free. A lesson for many today who are intent on making a living out of so doing. Freely we have received, and freely we should give, as He did. But for the recipient, it comes at a cost!! Selah!
First, Daniel reminded the king about the life of his father Nebuchadnezzar. He had built a large and feared kingdom. “But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne.” Daniel did not hold back from describing the indignity which followed that deposition. The LORD had business to conduct with Belshazzar and He had chosen Daniel to convey the details. He did not shrink from the task. “But you his son*, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. And you have lifted yourself up against the LORD of heaven.” As I write, I can feel the horror and hurt that must have filled Daniel as he saw that the holy vessels of the temple had been so defiled. And in such a contemptuous manner. Gloating and challenging God to act against them. “Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.” Can you visualise Daniel pointing to the wall as he spoke? (On a very personal note. It was this writing on that wall which my Saviour used to draw me to Himself. Many years ago in a small market town in Wales.)
MENE: God has numbered you kingdom, and finished it.
MENE: God has numbered you kingdom, and finished it.
The repetition of a word, in Scripture, is a sign of great emphasis. Belshazzar was being told that he had gone too far. For him it was all over. Finished. There would no longer be a kingdom for him to rule.
TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting.
Did you know that God had a ‘balance’ in which people are weighed? We know about the “Books”. The ‘balances’ are something else. Most of us weigh our actions, our thoughts, our relationships in a way favourable to ourselves. God has a ‘balance’ which is accurately set, to His standards. Unwavering. Constant. True. (And as a young Billy Graham pointed out to me in that Welsh market town years ago, I was ‘found wanting’. How about you? The ‘balance’ is struck with God when we have our Saviour Yeshua step into the ‘balance’ on our side. Only then does the ‘balance’ show the correct weight.) Belshazzar was ‘found wanting’ that night.
UPHARSIN: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
Game, set and match against Belshazzar. “That very night Belshazzar was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom”.
* (For completeness of detail here. It is claimed by some that this is inaccurate because of ‘factual’ errors regarding Belshazzar’s role. Historical records indicate that Belshazzar was the son of king Nebonidus who succeeded Nebuchdnezzar. Belshazzar was crown prince, and was given great authority by Nebonidus. An inscription found in the city of Ur in 1853 says “May it be that I, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, never fail you. And may my firstborn, Belshazzar, worship you with all his heart.” Another inscription there declares that Nebonidus entrusted the royal throne to Belshazzar.)
What is beyond all dispute is the role of Daniel, and that is the focus of this ‘reflection’. We are now finding out about a young man, just about 16 years old who displayed great faith and allegiance to the God of his fathers. God prospered him for his faithfulness, gave him great authority in a foreign land (much like He had done with Moses) and placed him in a position of some influence. As our ‘reflection’ this week ends, Daniel is a man of great wisdom, in his mid 70’s and about to enter the service of the LORD under a different ruler of another nation. God is working out His purposes.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 25
D A N I E L
We ended our ‘reflection’ last week with Daniel recounting the dream of king Nebuchadnezzar, and providing him with the interpretation of that dream. For the sake of evidential clarity, we identified the prophetic accuracy of that dream by naming the regimes which did in fact successively replace the kingdom of the Chaldeans, right up to the present time. That’s history. It happened. It is prophecy fulfilled. But none of the regimes were named in the prophetic dream before the event. We note that there is part of that prophetic dream still unfulfilled. Many brave (or might it be foolhardy) people, have SPECULATED about the origin and identity of the final kingdom which precedes the Kingdom of Messiah Yeshua. There are no prizes for being the first to identify that kingdom. All attempts at so doing are purely SPECULATIVE. It is one of those mysteries which are “secret things” of the LORD (Deuteronomy 29:29) and speculation is unhelpful. It is a surety that when these things come about, we WILL KNOW, because God has provided us with the evidential signs of that kingdom. Specifically, a revelation of the “man of peace”. The deceiver. The Beast.
So Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue of the image he saw in his dream. It was HUGE . Almost 30 metres high and 3 metres wide, he set it up in the plain of Dura, Babylon. All the prominent dignitaries of the kingdom turned out for its inauguration. The king was very proud of it, so much so that he demanded that at the sound of “the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music” everyone had to bow down in worship of that statue. For Daniel and his friends it was blasphemous idolatry, of which they would have no part. It did not take long before their refusal to comply with the king’s order was brought to his attention. And that spelled big trouble for Daniel and his friends. The penalty for not doing as the king commanded was to be cast into a “burning fiery furnace”. The story is well known. What remains a mystery is why Daniel was not with his friends who were cast into the furnace. We will never know. Do not speculate. What we do know is a lesson for us all. “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up”. Selah!
Nebuchadnezzar’s response was swift and unequivocal. Shadrah, Meshach and Abed-Nego were promoted to high office. And fierce retribution would be meted out to anyone who would speak “anything amiss” of Almighty God, who had delivered the young men from the furnace, because “there is no other God who can deliver like this”.
Nebuchadnezzar continued to dream! This time it was about an [Image] extremely large tree which provided food and shelter for all. But then “a holy one from heaven”, a watcher, came and gave instructions, among other things, to cut the tree down! But to leave the stump and the roots in the ground. Once again, the king invited the “wise men” to interpret the dream. And again they were unable to provide any answer. So Daniel was called to consider the matter, “for the Spirit of the holy God is in you”. As the interpretation was revealed to Daniel, he became fearful. It didn’t look too good for the king, because the tree was a representation of himself. High, lofty, proud, having the capacity to give life, and to take it away. As the king of a feared and fearsome nation, he was held in some awe. Not to be trifled with. BUT, he was being ‘watched’ .. by God, whose might and power he had seen at first hand. And what God saw, He chose to bring down, just like the tree in the dream. But still there was hope. I paraphrase part of what Daniel said. “The tree is to be cut down, but the stump and roots are left, protected by an iron band, it can be restored to you ‘but only after you come to know that heaven rules’.” Then Daniel offered some sound advice. “Break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.”
The time scale is not specified here, so we do not know how long the events took to unfold. What we do know is that twelve months later he was still boasting about his achievements when he received another visit from the LORD. Not in a dream this time, but in a “voice from heaven”. The voice of the One who opens and no-one shuts, and shuts and no-one opens. He heard it and he understood it. “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!” The prophetic words which Daniel spoke in the interpretation of the dream, suddenly became a reality. The king was humiliated in that he lived as an animal for an unspecified period of time. Then “at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honoured Him who lives for ever”.
It was a mighty fall from power. Not many experience such things in that same degree, but the principles remain, and the final word must go to Nebuchadnezzar. “I praise and extol and honour the King of Heaven, all of these works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.”
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Image Reference: Copyright
Illumination from Beatus of Liebana’s
Commentary on the Apocalypse (M.644, fol. 252v)
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 24
D A N I E L
Not strictly a “Minor” prophet in the way such prophetic books are described. But certainly one of the truly heroic faith accounts in the Scriptures. A young man, taken into captivity, offered significant benefits to comply with the aims and objectives of his captors. Rejecting such incentives to remain faithful to the God he was brought up to believe and trust in. Prepared to die for his faith. Used by God to bring enormously important prophetic insight to the faithful down through the ages. Much of that prophecy already fulfilled, some still awaiting the LORD’s timing. Amazing. Be encouraged by Daniel’s faith.
The time of the LORD’s judgement on Judah had arrived. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, with his army, was outside Jerusalem and besieging the city. It was “all over bar the shouting”. Priceless articles of worship were taken from the temple and carted off to Shinar (Babylon), and put in the treasure house of their god. Nebuchadnezzar was pretty smart. He instructed that some of the brightest children of Judah should be educated in the ways of his own people so that they could eventually serve him in his relationship with the Judeans. FOUR young men were chosen for a three year training course. They were very early deportees, being captured and taken to Babylon (very early 600’s BCE) about 20 years BEFORE the main group of exiles. One of them was Daniel. He was about sixteen years old. Very bright and a good looking lad. He was re-named “Belteshazzar”. Part of the ‘privilege’ these boys had was to eat and drink the same food as the king himself. Immediately, Daniel set himself apart by refusing to ‘defile’ himself with such a diet. Evidently non-kosher (not proper) to him. A very important distinction. I often wonder if I would have had the moral fortitude, in those circumstances, to set myself apart in that way. Would you? The word of the LORD is very clear. Read Deuteronomy 14 to check out the diet the LORD prescribed for His own. His overseer was concerned that his appearance would deteriorate if he did not eat the king’s food, and that he, the overseer, would get into trouble as a result. In the event, Daniel negotiated a test with his overseer, the chief eunuch, allowing him to eat vegetables and drink water for 10 days, after which his appearance would be judged. Surprise surprise, his complexion was improved!! Not only that, but God blessed them in their studies so that all four of these young men ‘topped the class’ at the end of their training. The word records that they were considered TEN times better than all the ‘wise men’ of the kingdom. Good start eh! “Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus”. This means until Babylonia was itself overthrown by the Persian Empire, of which Cyrus was king at that time.
Now back to the time soon after Daniel was taken captive. Nebuchadnezzar had some troubling dreams. He became an insomniac! Couldn’t sleep. One dream was so troubling his spirit, that he couldn’t even remember what the dream was!! But he was sorely troubled by it. He wanted someone to not only [Image] tell him what the dream meant, but also what it was he actually dreamt! His magicians were put under threat of death if they could not come up with the answer. Of course, they couldn’t. So a decree was made by the king that all the “wise men” should be put to death. Daniel and his friends were also sought out as being part of that group. When the chief executioner arrived Daniel asked what was the hurry? So it was that Daniel and his friends were given time to provide the answer to the king’s request. They had a prayer meeting. God blessed Daniel, also in a dream, with both the same vision as the king and what it meant. “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever, for wisdom and might are His”. A mighty lesson Daniel learned that night, and one which upheld him and his friends for the rest of their lives. So Daniel was taken before the king to interpret the dream that had troubled him. BUT, Daniel was careful not to “big note” himself, or to claim any credit for what he was about to reveal. Another major lesson for us all to learn. He told the king that there was no-one in all the king’s court who could fulfil the kings request, BUT, “There is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days”. Then Daniel displayed great wisdom as he continued. “But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart”. And so it was that Daniel explained to the king what that dream was.
The interpretation of that dream was another matter. Worthy of a ‘reflection’ of its own. May I encourage all who read this to make such ‘reflection’ for yourself. The dream revealed a succession of ‘kingdoms’, starting from the time that the vision was given, when Babylonia reigned supreme. Overthrown by the Medo-Persian regime (less than 100 years later). Then would come the Hellenistic period, followed by that of Rome. The Byzantine empire which lasted until a mere 100 years ago followed. That is what Daniel saw. We are now living in the part of that vision which precedes “Daniel’s 70th week”. The END Times. The time which will include the return of Messiah to reign on this earth for 1,000 years. The Millenial Kingdom of Yeshua.
All this was revealed to the youthful young man who was prepared to die for his faith. But there is a lot more to follow.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
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REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 23
H A B A K K U K
Habbakkuk appears to have had a bit of a change. In last week’s ‘reflection’ he was in some kind of dialogue with the LORD as he came to grips with the enormity of what God had planned by way of judgement. Both for his own people, Judah, because of their unfaithfulness, and for the terrifying invasion forces of Babylon. In this last part of his ‘burden’, he turned to prayer before the LORD. He had been asking the LORD to intervene in the transgressions of Judah. Now the message is one of pleading for the mercy of God, accepting that judgment was coming. He is no less distressed. The ‘burden’ remained. He opened with a confession of his own. “O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of years! In the midst of years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.” The LORD’s words were not un-noticed. He, at least, had clearly understood the gravity of the LORD’s displeasure. He also had knowledge of the mercy of God. So then he thought of Teman (an Edomite city named after a grandson of Esau) and Mount Paran, places where on their journey from Egypt, the Israelites had witnessed the LORD work with great might and power to their advantage. Both Amos and Obadiah had also used this as an example of God’s mercy to the Israelites. It was obviously an important milestone to them. In my imagination, I see that Habakkuk was wondering what he could possibly do or say to avert the calamity which was about to fall on Judah.
Habakkuk described what we would call “The Shekinah Glory” of the LORD. That is, the manifestation, on earth, of the glory of God. (Note that the word “shekinah” itself does not appear in our Bible) He describes it in terms of light and brightness and power. It was the manifest love, goodness, caring, mercy and protection of God among them. Unseen but present, experienced, and appreciated. The radiance of God’s presence, Habakkuk discerned, was about to depart from them. “In wrath, remember mercy”, was his plea. This was not an argument against God’s judgement. Habakkuk knew that God was right, and just. It was a ‘give us another chance’ moment. But it was too late.
There follows a recall of the might and power of the LORD in creation. All things covered in the glory of God. “And the earth was full of His praise”. The mountains, the hills, the rivers, the sea. Habakkuk poses the rhetorical question “O LORD, were You displeased with the rivers, was Your anger against the rivers, was Your wrath against the sea, that you rode Your horses, Your chariots of salvation?” This all symbolic of the might and power of the LORD to defeat His enemies, which Habakkuk raises again just a few verses later. “You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for salvation with Your anointed”. Here a reference to the great salvation of the LORD in bringing His people out of Egypt, with Moses being “His anointed” on that occasion. Habakkuk knew that with God nothing is impossible. What God had accomplished in the defeat and humiliation of Egypt’s Pharaoh, He could do again with the king of the Chaldeans.
This is all framed as a song before the LORD. That is evident from the final words of Habakkuk’s pleading. It is sung with his ‘stringed instruments’. It may be that he remembered the song Moses had sung, after the LORD had miraculously accomplished their salvation in the parting of the Red Sea. “I will sing unto the LORD for He has triumphed gloriously” (pure speculation on my part). In any event, it is obvious that the ‘escape’ from Egypt was very much in his thoughts. And it seemed that he was looking for such a miracle again. “When I heard, (of the crossing of the Red Sea) my body trembled; my lips quivered at the voice; decay entered my bones; and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble.” Well, the day of trouble was close at hand, again! Can you picture, as I can, the Israelites seeing the water of the Red Sea ahead of them, and the army of the Pharaoh behind them. Impossible situation. Then the LORD intervened. That is what Habakkuk could see. And he composed, and sang, his own song to the LORD.
“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labour of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls”. Just read that list carefully. Habakkuk described a scene of utter hopelessness. The blossom of the fig tree is the fruit itself, but lack of water will inhibit that growth, or even prevent that growth altogether. No grapes means no wine, No olives mean no oil for light, for seasoning, for cooking. No crops means no bread, no vegetables, nothing to eat. The flock outside the fold is vulnerable to predators. No herd in the stall means no milk. It is a description of great hardship, hunger, famine. A dire situation, hopelessness, which Habakkuk is comparing to the situation the people of Judah were now facing. And in this perilous situation he proclaims “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.”
So the ‘burden’ which the LORD showed Habakkuk is lifted. As we look around our world, our country, our town, our church, our family, what do we see? Certainly there is much to be concerned about. It can be overwhelming. So God has provided this example of the faithful Habakkuk. Thankyou LORD. He has shown us that there is only One in whom we may be assured of safety in a world of woes. That being our trust in Him. He who has called us to Himself is trustworthy. And there is no other.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 22
H A B A K K U K
The very first impression of this prophetic book is that it might well have been written for today! And one is tempted to feel quite sorry for Habakkuk. The very opening words convey that. “The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw”. This was not a visionary experience alone. Habakkuk actually described the situation in which he lived in Judah. “Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble?” Is the question Habakkuk asked of the LORD. But before we get to the answer he received from the LORD, Habakkuk had much more to tell us about the condition of that nation of Judah and its people. In the prophetic books on which we have ‘reflected’ in the past weeks, we noted that God had given Judah many warnings about His displeasure at the way of life they had adopted, or perhaps more accurately, ‘slid into’. In terms of history, the northern kingdom of Israel had been judged by God, and taken into captivity by the Assyrians over 120 years earlier. The prophet Nahum was sent by God to pronounce God’s judgement on the Assyrians. Just a few years before this prophecy of Habakkuk, those Assyrians had been routed by the Babylonians. Now those same Babylonians were harassing Judah, and poor Habakkuk was living there to witness it. And it was ‘burdensome’ to him. He could not be silent, and he called out to the LORD.
Habakkuk lamented that the Torah, such an important part of the life of the people of God, seemed no longer to have any influence among them. “For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgement proceeds”. Of course, we know that this was precisely why God was so angry with them. Torah observance was part and parcel of the covenant the LORD had made with them and their forefathers. And as Habakkuk communed with God, he heard the LORD say to him “Look among the nations and watch - be utterly astounded! (as He knew Habakkuk would be) For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you. For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans (Babylonians), a bitter and hasty nation which marches through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful”. These invaders were fresh from their conquest of Assyria. But they were not finished. God was using them as His agent of discipline. The rest of the first chapter of our text has more commentary on the worst aspects of the character of these Babylonians. And Habakkuk could see that there was little or no hope left for the people of Judah. He seemed to sum up the situation as he decided to ‘watch and pray’. In the manner of the ‘watchman’ described by the prophet Ezekiel (Ch,3 and 33) he said “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected”.
And so it is that we come to the answer God gave to the question Habakkuk posed earlier. HE said “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” But there was much more to it, and this situation has many lessons for all who read it today. “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry”. It is not unlike the prophetic word given to Daniel (Dan 12) in which the LORD told him to ‘seal it up until the time of the end’ (which will happen when God’s appointed time comes). This is worthy of our close attention. There is a time of reckoning for everyone. For the people of Judah, it was close at hand. But as we read on we see that the Babylonian invaders have an appointment with the LORD as well! There are 5 ‘woes’ mentioned here which are charged against the Babylonians. The wise among us will be doing a personal check to discover if there is some mending to be done in our “own house”. There is judgment ahead.
“Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by faith”. Remember the words of the Apostle Paul? “In lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself.” (Philippians 2:3) The neglect of this is perhaps the beginning of many injustices. So much intolerance of others can be found right here. But the LORD has some more charges to lay.
“Woe to him who increases what’s not his …. And to him who loads himself up with many pledges”.
“Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high”.
“Woe to him who builds his house on bloodshed, who establishes a city by iniquity”.
“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbour; .. even to make him drunk that you may look on his nakedness!’
“”Woe to him who says to wood ‘Awake’! To silent stone ‘Arise! It shall teach”.
All of this speaks of the depravity of the people. And each of these ‘woes’ are in our society today, albeit in various modern guises. And the final word here belongs to Habakkuk. He stood, and watched. He looked at the behaviour of his fellow Judeans. He saw the activity of the invading Chaldeans. He heard the voice of the LORD. He saw the might and majesty of God. He remembered what the LORD had accomplished in bringing His people to the land. And he spoke.
“But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him”. May that be our experience as we ponder the coming judgement of God. It is, after all “an appointed time” ahead for everyone.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 21
Z E P H A N I A H
The prophecy of Zephaniah continues where it left off last week with the list of complaints mounting up. “Woe to her (the nation) who is rebellious and polluted …. etc.”. Disobedience to the voice of God, lack of trust in His words conveyed through Moses, and then agreed by their forefathers. Their leaders, judges, prophets, priests and their kings, had all failed to live up to the promises made in covenant with God, in regard to the righteous living which that covenant required. Even worse, perhaps, they had succumbed to idol worship of the Canaanite gods they had been told to destroy. Then another reminder, driving home the differences between the parties to the covenant. “The LORD is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, but the unjust know no shame”. The case against the people of Judah was building up. The warnings cannot continue for ever. We know the history. God would not wait much longer, just a few decades, before His judgment visited them in the form of captivity at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, followed by their removal from the land and taken to Babylon.
As Zephaniah continued, the scope of the prophecy expanded to situations way beyond the immediate plight of the Judeans of that day. “‘Therefore wait for Me’ says the LORD, ‘until the day I rise up for plunder’, My determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger; all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy”.
In Deuteronomy 28, 29 God had told the people the blessings which would be theirs when they lived as He commanded them. They were not ‘suggestions’. He also told them what would happen if they chose not to live that way. One of the major consequences of such disobedience … expulsion from the land. Now a question for our consideration. God does not change. He is consistent in nature and character, and not a ‘respecter of persons’. Does God have any such requirement of those who are His today, as He obviously did for those who were His in the days of Zephaniah? It certainly does not involve gentile expulsion from the land. But obedience to Him is evidently key to relationship with Him. Whatever the LORD says to an individual in regard to His requirement, the wise among us will DO! The reference to His gathering of nations, “My assembly of kingdoms” is quite clear. It is an event still future to us today. And it will be inescapable for those living in that day, as was God’s judgement on the people of Zephaniah’s day. But God’s “fierce anger” of that coming day will herald the beginning of a quite different day.
“For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one accord”. Commentators are divided on what this “pure language” might mean. Some suggest a return to the language prior to the “confusion of language” at the time of the tower of Babel. Others think it may be a new language altogether. There are no clues in the text other than the word “restore”. I offer what the LORD has shown me. I see it as the language of the New Covenant. It will be pure in that everyone will understand it and will be able to call on the LORD in unity of heart and mind. It will be a time when the Torah of God will be put in the mind, and written on the heart of man. No-one will be able to teach it, because “it will be known by everyone, from the least to the greatest”. A time when everyone will serve the LORD with ONE accord. That must surely be the millennial kingdom in which Yeshua will rule and reign from Jerusalem. “Sing O daughter of Zion! Shout O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away your judgements, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel is in your midst; you shall see disaster no more”. That cannot refer to the first coming of Messiah, because Israel certainly has seen disaster since that time. Regrettably, the christian church, down through the ages since then, has been quite prominent in bringing such disaster on the “people of the Book” for centuries.
But there is so much more. “In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: ‘Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak, the LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing”. Has there ever been uttered such an expression of God’s love for His people Israel. We do well to remember that these words were spoken at a time when God was greatly angered by their behaviour, by their wanton disregard for the covenant which God had made with their forefathers. He made a covenant with Abram, with Isaac, and with Jacob. He is a covenant keeping God. What He says He will DO! Nations of this earth seem blithely unaware of God’s heart for Israel. Many of our churches, and those who lead them, seem ignorant of the relationship which God forged with Israel centuries ago. And it is ALL written in our Bible. Every believer SHOULD be aware of it.
Finally, a promise which as nations, and as individuals, we ignore at our peril. “I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly (note here that during their captivity, the Israelites were unable to attend the Temple for these ‘mo’edim’ of the LORD) Who (note the capital indicating God’s presence on those occasions) to whom its reproach is a burden. Behold at that time I will deal with all who afflict you”. Selah!
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 20
Z E P H A N I A H
Zephaniah was a contemporary of Jeremiah. “The word of the LORD came to Zephaniah … in the days of Josiah, king of Judah”. His lineage through Cushi, Gedaliah and Amariah, tells us that he was a descendant of king Hezekiah. Interestingly, Hezekiah was the last “good king” (three kings earlier) to sit on the throne of Judah, before king Josiah, (the final ‘good king’ of this southern kingdom). He sat on the throne at the time of Zephaniah’s prophecy. Josiah broke down the altars of worship to Baal in about 628 BCE., and it was about 6 years later that the Book of the Law (Torah) was found during the repair of the Temple (2 Chronicles 34:14). When that book was read to him by Shaphan the scribe, Josiah’s reaction was immediate. “Go inquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do all that is written in this book”. And we know that it was this failure of the forefathers which, out of concern for them, caused God to send these prophets to speak, in His name, to the people of Israel and Judah.
“I will utterly consume everything from the face of the land.” Says the LORD. Zephaniah brought a prophecy of profound proportion. It is evident that no longer is the LORD talking only of the people of that time, for which this prophecy would have a degree of immediacy, and be of relative temporary duration. The prophet is talking about events which are even future to us living today. It is both future in regard to the time of Messiah’s return (bear in mind He had not at that stage visited the earth in person the first time), but further still beyond the timing of Messiah’s reign on this earth during His Millennial Kingdom. Much of this destruction is referred to in the vision given to the Apostle John in Revelation. In regard to the immediacy, the prophet writes “I will stretch out My hand against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem”. This is much closer to home for them.
For their idolatrous worship of Baal (the Canaanite god of fertility), the northern kingdom, Israel, had already been judged, and taken captive by the Assyrians about 100 years earlier. Now this southern kingdom was tainted by the same idolatry. God is promising that He will “cut off every trace of Baal from this place”. In effect, God is saying to them, (and it is hard to consider those words not also being directed at all who are His), in my paraphrase, ‘I have given you plenty of warning that I will not be worshipped by those who worship Baal (or any other idol). Either you cut it out yourself, or I will do it for you.’ In His words, “Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD; For the day of the LORD is at hand, for the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests”. Speaking directly to the Judeans here, He says ‘don’t try to justify yourselves’. It is now My turn to act. The sacrifice which has been prepared is that of these rebellious people themselves. The guests invited are the Babylonians who will act like ‘priests’ in killing that sacrifice. Because we are privileged to know the whole story, we know that not many years later, king Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and started to carry people into captivity in Babylon.
The words of this prophecy are clear and direct. Complacency has become entrenched in their minds. “I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart, ‘the LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil. Therefore ….”. Do you sense, as I do, that such a situation seems to be present in our churches today? We appear to have lost the sense of the might and awesome power of our God. It is called ‘complacency’. It is complacency which deludes one into thinking all is well when it is not. Complacency causes one to miss clear signs of trouble. The prophet continues “The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out. That is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers”. It seems as though the prophet could not find enough words to describe the horror.
But there remains hope for the people of the southern kingdom. In His grace and love for these people, the LORD tells Zephaniah to deliver a kind of final warning. In the midst of this outcry against their rebellious behaviour he says “Gather yourselves together, yes gather together, O undesirable nation, before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the LORD’s fierce anger comes upon you” (it’s like asking them to call a meeting to discuss the issues). It reminds me of another warning brought by Isaiah. “Come let his reason together, says the LORD”. The wise among us see this as a message for today. As God also told Isaiah that “His word would not return to Him void but would accomplish the purpose for which it was sent”.
The focus of Zephaniah turns onto the surrounding territories of the enemies of Israel. They have modern names now, but the geography and hostility remains. Gaza, Moab, Ammon, Ethiopia, Assyria, all get a dishonourable mention. Read the account of their future in Chapter 2 of our text. Nations that arrogantly “said in her heart, ‘I am it, and there is none besides me’”. To “become desolate”so that those who pass by will “hiss and shake his fist”. God will not be mocked. He cares about those who are His. But He warns again and again against complacency.
Shabbat Shalom
RS