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Daniel 12 - Supernova

A Supernova is an intense brightening of a star in the night sky. The earliest recorded Supernova occurred on December 7, 185. It was recorded in the Book of Later Han and is believed to have been recorded by the Romans. It was visible at night for over eight months. However, while fascinating and beautiful, this event is the last gasp of a star. Where once shone a bright ball, only a gas cloud remains.

We Christians also have a Supernova future promised for us, but we will shine forever.

Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who turn many to righteousness will shine like stars forever.

Lord, thank You for giving us glory beyond anything that we could ask or think. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Shine for Him. Jan
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Daniel 11 - Purification

Refining is painful. I know that I don't like it. I see Gabriel telling Daniel that in the end times the refining will be intense indeed.

Daniel 11:32-35 He will flatter those who have violated the covenant and win them over to his side. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.

Those who are wise will give instruction to many. But for a time many of these teachers will die by fire and sword, or they will be jailed and robbed. While all these persecutions are going on, a little help will arrive, though many who join them will not be sincere. And some who are wise will fall victim to persecution. In this way, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to see the times that are described above. May it not happen in my lifetime.

Lord, please have mercy upon us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Your will be done Lord. Jan
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Daniel 10 - Battle

Anyone who thinks that we are living in a safe reality is not paying attention.

Daniel 10:4-6 On April 23, as I was standing beside the great Tigris River, I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a dazzling gem. From his face came flashes like lightning, and his eyes were like flaming torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice was like the roaring of a vast multitude of people.

Ok, so this guy appears, he is large - Daniel looked up to see him. His face is flashing lightning, his eyes are flaming torches, he's wearing armor, and he is very loud. Daniel is terrified.

Daniel 10:7-9 I, Daniel, am the only one who saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. So I was left there all alone to watch this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. When I heard him speak, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.

Prior to fulfilling his mission to Daniel, he peels back the veil of the heavenlies and reveals part of what goes on there.

Daniel 10:20-21; 11:1 ...Soon I must return to fight against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, and then against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece... (There is no one to help me against these spirit princes except Michael, your spirit prince. I have been standing beside Michael as his support and defense since the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede.)

Wow, the context of this tale is warfare. We would be wise to remember it.

Father, may I not forget that this is not a safe place. We are in a world at war. Please give me wisdom and strength. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Stand strong. Jan
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Daniel 9 - Prophetic Writing

What I found fascinating in this chapter, besides the fact that verse twenty-five identifies exactly when Jesus would enter Jerusalem on the donkey, was that the writings of Jeremiah the prophet were preserved and available for Daniel to study.

Daniel 9:2 During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, was studying the writings of the prophets. I learned from the word of the LORD, as recorded by Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.

What amazing grace God showed by preserving Jeremiah's writings. He wasn't exactly popular with the the kings of his time. After all, he was prophesying their downfall.

Think about how exciting this must have been, Daniel reads a prophecy that he suddenly realizes is about to take place during his lifetime.

Jeremiah 25:11 This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

Jeremiah 29:10 The truth is that you will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.

He got excited and started seeking God. His life pleased God so much that God sent the angel Gabriel to let him know what was coming. However, not only did Gabriel tell him about his immediate future, Gabriel told him when the Messiah was to enter Jerusalem.

Daniel 9:25 Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One comes...

In one chapter there is a prophecy from the past soon to be fulfilled, and a new prophecy given that we now know was fulfilled nearly 500 years later.

Father, thank You for mysteries and the fact that You know all of their answers. May I trust You, even if I don't understand something. In Jesus' name, Amen.

He knows it all. Jan
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Daniel 8 - Out of Phase

The term out-of-phase means that something is not synchronized with what is considered normal. For instance, electrical power that is out-of-phase has the potential to cause damage to any appliance that encounters it. A wave that is out-of-phase will crash into another wave, depleting it of power.

I think that Daniel's vision was more than a vision. I believe that he was actually moved into the spiritual realm, a realm where time and distance are nearly irrelevant. He saw and heard things that he could not comprehend, things his mortal body and mind were not designed to fathom.

A short time after entering this state, he needed a divine touch to revive. His body was out-of-phase.

Daniel 8:18 While he was speaking, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. But Gabriel roused me with a touch and helped me to my feet.

The experience was so profound, so troubling, so different from Daniel's reality that he was left exhausted and ill. I suspect that his physical body began the transformation to a heavenly body, and the process had to reverse again once he returned to our realm.

Daniel 8:27 Then 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.

Interestingly Daniel was able to call-in sick.

Father, thank You for mysteries. I don't understand them. However, You do. All I need to do is put my trust in You and that You know what is best for me. May I be willing to do so. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Stay plugged into God. Jan
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Daniel 7 - The Kingdom

Some of the most famous words ever penned are found in what is commonly called The Lord's Prayer.

"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done."

But what do we really understand what that means?

For too long we Christians have been led to believe that our ultimate goal is to make it to Heaven after death. While yes, we will make it to Heaven, especially for judgment; there is so much more to eternity. Daniel got to see a glimpse of the order of things to come.

Daniel 7:9-10 I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. ...Then the court began its session, and the books were opened.

Here Daniel saw the judgment of both the just and the unjust - in Heaven. Note that the books, plural, were opened. These are the books of births, life, tears, and journal of our life (book of remembrance).

Those found righteous will inherit life eternal, communion with God Himself, and a place in His millennial kingdom. Their permission to enter the kingdom is determined by their name being in the book of life. Their position in the kingdom, what they do, will be determined by the books of tears and remembrance.

Unfortunately for them, those not found in the book of life will receive eternal separation from God in the lake of fire.

But now comes the really good part. We don't sit on a cloud strumming a harp all day. No, we get the kingdom! This is where we get our position, our station, our function, in eternity.

Daniel 7:18 But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.

Please notice that in order to rule, you can't just sit around idle. You must do things. This means that we have an active eternity ahead for us - Hallelujah!

Thank You Father that we will be given the Kingdom. May I live my life here in the preparation time on Earth in a manner pleasing to You. May I learn and cultivate the skills that will best prepare me for my station in eternity. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The kingdom is coming! Do His will. Jan
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Daniel 6 - Worship Continually

Worship is a verb. It is to be an active part of our lives. Everything we do should reflect that we have a relationship with our creator and should in some way bring Him glory. It is clear that Daniel lived his life in just such a way.

Daniel 6:3-4 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and princes. Because of his great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. Then the other administrators and princes began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling his affairs, but they couldn't find anything to criticize. He was faithful and honest and always responsible.

Daniel lived above reproach. No fault could be found in him. Why was he able to live in a pagan society, under their code of conduct and justice and still not sin? It is partially because of this verse.

Romans 1:19-20 For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.

God has built His basic laws into our very being. If we pay attention, we will know His desires. So, back to my earlier question, how was Daniel able to live in a pagan society and not violate their laws? The verse above explains part of it, the rest of the story came about 1100 years prior to Daniel's birth. The sixth Babylonian king, named Hammurabi, had 282 laws inscribed in stone - so "they cannot be changed" - that governed Babylonian life. They were practical, fair, and upon examination closely resemble God's laws given to the Hebrews through Moses.

So, Daniel is living in accordance with Babylonian law and goes one step further by also following whole-heartedly after God's laws; worshipping Him. Therefore, not being able to find fault with Daniel, the jealous officials seized upon an idea.

Daniel 6:5 So they concluded, "Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the requirements of his religion."

The officials sprung their trap. They schmoozed the king into signing a law that he should have known was bad.

Daniel 6:7-9 We administrators, prefects, princes, advisers, and other officials have unanimously agreed that Your Majesty should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to Your Majesty—will be thrown to the lions. And let Your Majesty issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, a law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked." So King Darius signed the law.

Proud, puffed-up, full of himself, royal doufus! Yet even in this act we see the providence of God. Note that the law, which cannot be changed, was only valid for thirty days.

When the king learns that Daniel is to die as result of the law he just enacted, he realized his great folly. After fruitlessly searching for a way around his own law, the distraught king has the orders drawn up to have Daniel thrown to the lions. In Babylonian law, even the king was required to obey. The orders are immediately followed. The king spends the night sleepless and fasting on behalf of his trusted official Daniel.

Daniel 6:19-20 Very early the next morning, the king hurried out to the lions' den. When he got there, he called out in anguish, "Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you worship continually, able to rescue you from the lions?"

The king and everyone else knew the truth about Daniel - he worshiped God continually. Daniel was indeed alive and unharmed. God didn't have to keep him alive. He could have decided that it was Daniel's time to go. But, he was God's man in the right place, with the right attitude, and at the right time.

As a result of his miraculous survival, the king ordered that everyone under his authority should honor the God of Daniel.

Daniel 6:25-27
Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world:

"Peace and prosperity to you!

"I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.

For he is the living God,
and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and his rule will never end.

He rescues and saves his people;
he performs miraculous signs and wonders
in the heavens and on earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions."

This proved to be quite useful a number of years later when under the reign of Cyrus the Persian (another name of Darius), Daniel most likely helped craft the decree that allowed the Hebrews to return to Israel after their 70 years of captivity were ended.

Lord, may I worship You with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength - in all that I do. I want to know You more. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Worship Him. Jan
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Daniel 5 - Parental Wisdom

King Belshazzar, and everyone with him, sees something supernatural happen. It freaks him out. He screams in terror for someone to interpret the event and writing. Nobody can... Enter mom.

Daniel 5:10 But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, "Long live the king! Don't be so pale and afraid about this...

Proverbs tells us that King Lemuel was taught by his mother.

Proverbs 31:1 These are the sayings of King Lemuel, an oracle that his mother taught him.

Belshazzar's mother remembered her conversations with her husband, king Nebuchadnezzar, about the wise man Daniel. She knew that he walked with God.

Daniel 5:12 ...Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means."

Whether or not they walk with the Lord, our parents are a source of wisdom; they have lived many more years than us. Sometimes the wisdom comes in not following their path, other times it comes in doing what they did. God told us to honor our parents. He didn't put a time-limit on it.

Heavenly Father, thank You for my parents. May I honor them better. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Are you honoring? Jan
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Daniel 4 - Do What?

In the infamous words of Pumba from the Lion King, "You've got to put your past in your behind."

Daniel 4:27 O King Nebuchadnezzar, please listen to me. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past by being merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.

What was the king told to do? Pay close attention to the verse.

He was to be merciful to the poor.

Daniel did not give him a list of, don't drink, chew, or hang out with those that do; don't dance, don't throw parties, don't wear nice clothes... No, all that was need for a total change of heart was to be merciful to the poor.

What a powerful statement! I'm convicted. How often do I drive past someone and think, "Why don't they get a job, instead of begging on the corner?". Or after reading the news say within myself, "Ethiopia, the Sudan, Guatemala, are not my concern. I didn't make those children, why should I care for them?"

Lord, thank may I show mercy. Please forgive the callousness of my heart. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Be merciful. Jan
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Daniel 3 - Source of Courage

I doubt if I would have the same faith, the same courage that the three Hebrew young men exhibited. I'm not proud of it, but I am not accustomed to seeing God act miraculously. Then again, they probably were not either. However, they had a healthy enough fear of the Lord's commandments that they refused to violate God's law against worshiping anything but God Himself.

Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."

There were no accusations, no cries of "this is unfair" or similar. They merely stated the facts, we will not defend ourselves, God can save us, we will not do it.

But back up a minute, weren't the Hebrews given over to Nebuchadnezzar because of their unbelief, their blatant repeated violations of God's word? Where did these young men learn of His ways and incorporate them into their lives so powerfully? The answer must lie with their fathers.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

If you look at Nebuchadnezzar's command in Daniel 1:3 about bringing the children of Israel, you find that there is a repeated thought. It is "king's seed" and "of princes". This is no accident. The word for seed is "zera" and one of the implied definitions is "of moral quality - a practitioner of righteousness." They were of noble lineage, and morally pure. That is confirmed in verse four by the use of the words "no Mwum". In addition to "no defect", it also means "no moral stain". They obviously were raised in the fear and full knowledge of the Lord.

Father, may I raise the boys You've entrusted me with to not compromise. May they be willing and able to stand against the prevailing tide as bulwarks of righteousness. Please help me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Teach them to Love God. Jan
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Daniel 2 - True North

Unless a compass is broken or around a more powerful source of magnetism, it will always point to Magnetic North. Yet that is not True North. That location is defined by the Earth's rotational axis. The closest approximation we have is Polaris, also known as the North Star. Due to the motion of the Earth through space, Polaris' position in relation to the rotational axis changes over time. If you drew a line through the Earth's axis towards Polaris you would find that presently the line is only about 42 feet away. As the Earth travels through space it continues to slowly alter its course toward Polaris. On March 24, 2100 Polaris will be nearly aligned with Earth's axis. Afterwards, the Earth will start to slowly move away, past Polaris.

As you can see, finding a true reference point, something unchanging is quite difficult in our world. Yet God never changes. I love how Daniel, when presented with the opportunity, points the king to True North - to God.

Daniel 2:27-28 Daniel replied, "There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can tell the king such things. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.

Instead of taking the glory for himself, attempting to assert another magnetic force and thereby diverting the king away from True North, he points the king to the God in heaven. Daniel knew his way, he knew where True North was located and ensured that others did too.

Father, may I point people to True North. May I point them to you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Be a compass, not a lodestone. Jan
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Daniel 1 - Giftedness

In our society we bristle at the thought that some people are better than others. We seem to believe that the words "God created all men equal" are somewhere in scripture. In fact they aren't and don't even appear in our United States' Declaration of Independence. No, what that latter document states is that "we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal." However, I submit to you that other than the physical creative process, they are not created equal.

Daniel 1:3-44 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility-young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.

It is clear to the pagan king that some people are gifted with good looks, aptitude for learning, and quick to understand. He is making a distinction that these are things that are not learned, they are innate - gifts from God.

In fact God continued to give them things that He did not give to others.

Daniel 1:17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

Later when brought before the king, he found them ten times better than anyone else.

We are not all equal. What a horrible world it would be if everyone were like me, or some of my friends. No, differences are good. At the same time though, we all do have the same rights and privileges, since we are children of the king. No matter what our giftedness or abilities, we are to use them to serve others. Then all benefit, even those without the particular gifts that we possess.

Thank You Father for making us different. And thank You that together we make are stronger than apart - we need each other. May I live my life in a way to be encouraging and useful to my brothers and sisters. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Use your gifts for others. Jan
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