Mark 6

Greetings!

This reading is Mark 6. 

People who knew Jesus from his youth were amazed at his teachings and miracles.  The Bible records very little of his youth.  This passage notes that Jesus had at least four brothers and two sisters.  

Yet some people were offended by his message (this hasn’t changed in 2,000 years!).  When it says Jesus “could not” do miracles there, it is in the sense of not being able to do them because he chose not to.  He was God in flesh, so He could do miracles at any time.  He only did them where there was faith, though.  And Jesus was “amazed at their lack of faith.”  Pay close attention to what really brings joy to Jesus and you’ll see that faith is the #1 thing.   

Note the singular message that the Disciples took to the villages: Repent (v. 12).  To repent is to turn away from our sins and turn towards God.  Many parts of the Bible can be difficult to understand, but our core problem is that we are sinners in need of a Savior.  Repentance is a critical part of being reconciled to God. 

King Herod was tricked by his wife into beheading John the Baptist (No one said the Bible wasn’t PG-13 or even R-rated at times.  It records what really happened.) 

The famous miracles of the loaves and fishes is recorded here.  Assuming the 5,000 men had families with them, roughly 20,000 people were fed by the 5 loaves and 2 fishes.  Jesus did what they thought was impossible, and once again showed his power over nature.

Jesus walked on water and amazed his disciples.  The Gospel of Matthew records how Peter walked on water (temporarily) as well.  Jesus told them, “Don’t be afraid.”  Trivia fact: The Bible says, “Do not fear” 366 times – one for each day of the year, including leap year.  Keep that in mind when the world makes you fearful. 

In closing, think about Jesus’ words to his disciples in v. 31: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”  Jesus wants us to spend time with him alone and He knows the importance of rest for us.

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Mark 7.

When was the New Testament written?

There are a lot of myths and misunderstandings about how and when the Bible was formed. Some skeptical historians try to date the Gospels and other New Testament writings as far from the death of Jesus as possible because it supports their hypothesis that they were largely made up. Of course, if the Gospels really were dated 70 AD or after, there is no reason they couldn’t still be the inspired Word of God. Yet a late dating obviously plays into the hands of heretics who strive to discredit the authority of Scripture.

But the facts point to all or nearly all of the New Testament books being written within 40 years of Jesus’ resurrection. Consider the following:

1. Jesus died and rose again around 33 A.D.
2. The Apostle Paul was killed in 64 AD. This is a well attested historical fact. All his writings obviously occurred before then, and 1 Corinthians and Romans were written well before then. Paul testified that Jesus rose from the dead, among other things, and he did so within 20-30 years of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
3. The book of Acts, written by Luke, ends with Paul was in prison in 62 AD. Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke before he wrote Acts, so it was presumably written in the late 50’s.
4. Most scholars agree that Luke was not the first Gospel. Therefore, the earliest Gospel must have been written no later than the mid to late 50’s. If Matthew and Luke used the ‘Q’ document (a lost early church writing) as a source, then of course ‘Q’ would have been written even closer to Jesus’ death and resurrection.
5. If the Gospels were all written after 70 A.D., why wasn’t the destruction of Jerusalem mentioned anywhere (especially in Matthew)? This was one of the most dramatic events in history, and was predicted by Jesus.
6. Since these accounts were written within 20-30 years of Jesus death and resurrection, it is highly unlikely that they would have been myths. There would have been too many people alive to dispute the findings. And keep in mind that many thousands of people died believing these words to be true. Martyrs will die for a lie if they think it is true, but I don’t know of anyone who knowingly dies for a lie. If Jesus didn’t really have a bodily resurrection, why would the disciples live unnecessarily hard lives and die horrible deaths for something they knew to be a lie?

Also see Debunking the DaVinci Code. 

Hat tip to Stand to Reason for much of the above. Click here to learn lots more about the origins of the Bible.

Mark 5

Greetings!

This reading is Mark 5.

From the end of chapter 4 through chapter 5 Jesus displays his awesome powers over nature (calming the waves), evil spirits, sickness and even death.  Among other things, He was proving his nature as God and the expected Messiah.   

The man was possessed by many demons.  Some Bible critics claim that when the Bible mentions demon possession it was really epilepsy or some other disease.  While people have often attributed mental and physical illnesses to the wrong source, the Holy Spirit wouldn’t guide the Bible writers to pass along an old wives’ tale.  And in this case, Jesus wouldn’t put epilepsy in the pigs and have them run over a cliff.  And even if it was epilepsy, it was a pretty big deal for Jesus to cure it!

Jesus often told people he healed not to tell anyone, as that would gain the wrong kind of publicity for him.  Yet this man was a Gentile (non-Jew) in a non-Jewish area.  He told the man to tell his family how much the Lord has done for him, and how he had mercy on him.  One of our jobs as Christians is to tell others what the Lord has done in our lives.  We don’t have to know everything about Jesus and the Bible, but we do have our story to tell and we can point them to other sources if we can’t answer their questions.  Also see, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out” for how to respond when you aren’t sure of the answers.

I always wondered why Jesus answered the demons’ request to be put into the pigs.  Perhaps it was to show how the local people were more concerned about their pigs than about the healed man and the power that Jesus has. 

Note that the demons recognized Jesus as the Son of God.  Just because someone knows about Jesus doesn’t mean they have trusted in him for their salvation.  As James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”

The woman had great faith and was healed by merely touching Jesus’ garment.  Jesus often asked questions He already knew the answer to.  He knew who had touched him and why.  Imagine the woman’s plight: Sick for twelve years, getting worse and now poor because she spent all she had on doctors.  And due to Old Testament laws, she could not have fully participated in worship for twelve years. Yet Jesus healed her in an instant. 

Jesus showed his power over death when he brought Jairus’ twelve year old girl back to life. I don’t know if there is any symbolism to the woman having a disease for 12 years and the girl being 12.  I can’t imagine the grief of losing a child or the joy of having one brought back. 

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Mark 6.

Background information on the Bible

This blog will consist of roughly 95% posts on specific chapters of the Bible, posted every other day including Sundays and holidays.  The other 5% will be cross-posts here and at the 4Simpsons Blog on the following topics:

• How the Bible was put together
• The reliability of the Bible: Can we trust it?
• Tips on reading the Bible
• Etc.

These posts will appear on days in between the Bible Study posts. 

Some of you may already be convinced of the reliability of the Bible and are just here for the study, which is great.  And I do believe the Word of God has the power to stand on its own.  Many people have been converted to a saving faith in Jesus just by reading the Bible itself. 

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

A good figure of speech I heard related to this compared the Bible to a caged lion.  How can the caged lion best defend itself?  By being let out of the cage!  The same is true with the Bible.  Just turn it loose. 

Yet I didn’t become a believer until I had worked through a lot of tough questions about why this book was something I could rely upon to tell me the truth about God and life.  It can really strengthen your faith to have a better understanding of how the Bible was put together and why we can trust it.

Having said that, if your time is limited and you have to make a choice between reading something I or someone else wrote versus reading the Bible, always pick the Bible. 

Mark 4

Greetings!

This reading is Mark 4.

Jesus often taught in parables, which are short stories that have settings familiar to the listeners.  The parables typically had one major point.  Some thought and reflection is required to understand them (I don’t know if I understood any parables the first time I heard them).  They often seem to go against the wisdom of the world, but upon further study they reveal great truths about God and his plan. 

Jesus wasn’t trying to trick anyone by saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  He was pointing out that unless you truly desire to know the truth you won’t be able to understand him.

The four soils is one of the many farming illustrations in the Bible.  The seed of God’s Word is spread all over, but the results vary:

• Some ignore it completely.
• Some receive it with joy but have no roots, so they fade away.
• Some hear it but let the worries of life choke it out.
• Some hear it and accept it and produce a great crop.

Which kind of soil have you been?  Remember, this is a parable.  Just because you ignored the Word of God once doesn’t mean you can’t hear it now and let it thrive in good soil. 

I understand v. 25 to be saying that if we have faith we will be given more, but if we don’t have faith we’ll lose what we have already.

The message of the mustard seed is probably one or more of the following:

• An image of evangelism (spreading the Word of God)
• A metaphor for spiritual growth in Christians
• The coming of God’s kingdom

The chapter ends with an astounding miracle.  Jesus has already been healing many people from serious diseases.  Now He shows his power over his creation by calming a storm.  Can you imagine what the disciples were thinking after that?  Remember that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He lives, and He can help you with the storms in your life today. 

Reflect on what stood out to you in this chapter and share your comments if you like. 

The next reading is Mark 5.

Mark 3

This reading is Mark 3.

This chapter begins with something you’ll find throughout the Gospels: Jesus healing someone on the Sabbath.  The Sabbath was Saturday, a Jewish Holy day set aside by God.  There were various Old Testament laws prohibiting work on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees (a group of devout but often hypocritical Jewish leaders) had added many rules themselves.  Instead of being overjoyed that the man’s shriveled hand was healed, they were so jealous and angry that they wanted to kill Jesus.

Note that most of Jesus’ miracles are of the visible variety.  Leprosy disappears, eyesight is returned, paralyzed people walk, etc.  These weren’t things you could fake.  Try finding that with the “healers” you find on TV.

As Jesus’ fame grew, his family initially thought he was crazy (v. 21).  His brother James, who wrote the book of the Bible of the same name, didn’t follow Jesus until he saw him after the resurrection.

The teachers of the law accused him of being possessed by Satan.  Jesus is ever the clear thinker and exposed their foolish reasoning. 

Some people worry that they have blasphemed the Holy Spirit (v. 29) and cannot be forgiven.  This is sometimes called the unforgivable sin.  As a rule of thumb, if you are worried about having committed that sin you probably haven’t committed it.  It is typically considered to be an ongoing and complete rejection of the Holy Spirit of God.  God the Father reaches us through God the Holy Spirit so we will put our faith in God the Son (Jesus).  So if you completely reject the Holy Spirit you won’t get the message.  It isn’t too late to turn to Jesus if you haven’t done so already. 

Enjoy the chapter and feel free to post any thoughts or questions you have!

The next reading is Mark 4.

Mark 2

This reading is Mark 2.

The story of Jesus healing the paralyzed man is powerful on many levels.  There is the dedication of the friends who went to great lengths to bring the man to Jesus, even carrying him to the top of the house to lower him through the flat roof. 

There is Jesus’ compassion for the man, forgiving his sins because He knew that was a bigger problem than his paralyzed state.  Consider how the world focuses so much more on physical healing than spiritual healing.  Of course we want to heal people physically, but if they don’t get healed spiritually by following Jesus then their eternity will mean separation from God in Hell.

Then there is Jesus’ implicit claim to be God.  As the teachers of the law rightly noted, to forgive sins as Jesus did was to claim to be God.  Jesus knew their thoughts and explained how his power to forgive sins was even greater than his power to heal.  Then, for good measure, He healed the man completely.  

V. 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Can you imagine how the healed man felt that day?  Going from being paralyzed and convicted by his sins to being able to walk and being completely forgiven?  Where did his life go from there?  One day in Heaven believers in Christ will meet this man and many other people from the Bible and be able to hear “the rest of the story.” 

Jesus was criticized for dining with sinners and the hated tax collectors (Jews who profited greatly by collecting taxes for the Roman Empire).  I find one of the challenges of being a Christian is to interact with non-Christians socially so we can develop relationships and share the Gospel of Jesus with them.  It is too easy to shrink back solely into the Christian community where I am more comfortable. 

V. 17 teaches how Jesus came for sinners, not the righteous (though we are all sinners, which means He came for everyone who will repent and believe in him).  Parts of the church teach the lie that Jesus came to make us prosperous or to just tell us to help the poor.  Those aren’t bad things, of course, but He came primarily to save lost sinners. 

Any comments or questions about this chapter? 

The next reading is Mark 3.

Mark 1

This reading is Mark 1.

Mark is action packed.  Consider how much occurs just in chapter 1:

• Prediction and arrival of John the Baptist
• John baptizes Jesus
• Satan tempts Jesus in the desert
• Jesus preaches in Galilee
• Four fisherman follow Jesus
• Jesus teaches
• Jesus heals many
• Jesus preaches
• Jesus heals a man with leprosy 

Mark starts off with a quote from the Old Testament (Isaiah the prophet), one of the many prophecies relating to the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  These prophecies were written hundreds of years earlier.  This particular prophecy was about John the Baptist and how he would prepare the way for Jesus.  John’s birth was predicted and so was Jesus’. 

The books of Matthew and Luke start with the familiar stories of Jesus’ birth, but not Mark. The Jews were expecting the Messiah because of what the prophets spoke, including the message from Daniel that we just completed. The story of John the Baptist’s birth is told in Luke 1 and is very interesting as well. 

John’s ministry focused on the baptism of repentance and the confessing of sins (verses 4-5). 

Mark briefly mentions how Satan tempted Jesus in the desert.  You can read Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13 if you want more details.  Satan is often portrayed as being symbolic, but if you note all the references to Satan in the Bible it is clear that he is a real being.  He was an angel who rebelled against God. 

There is a simple but powerful Gospel (good news) presentation in verse 15: “The time has come,” Jesus said, “The Kingdom of god is near.  Repent and believe the good news.”  It really is that simple.  Repent of our sins (turn away from them and towards God) and believe the good news that Jesus took our punishment and reconciled us to God.  There are so many important teachings in the Bible, but if we overlook this one we have missed the point. 

Jesus recruits his first disciples by saying, “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”  I wonder how much they knew each other beforehand?

People immediately noticed Jesus’ authority to teach (in the spiritual sense, not the legal sense) .

Verse 40 has a powerful statement from the man with leprosy: “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”  Jesus said He was willing, and He made him clean immediately.  We may not have leprosy, but we too can say, “make me clean,” and He will. 

I love this book!  I could go on and on.  What stuck out to you as you read this chapter? 

The next reading is Mark 2.

Overview of The Gospel of Mark

This reading is an overview of Mark.

The Gospel According to Mark is an action packed book. Just glance through the first couple chapters and see how many things take place. This Gospel is considered the most chronological.

All of the Gospels are true and have meaning for each of us, but each one had a slightly different purpose and initial audience. Mark was initially written to a Roman audience, which may be why the birth narrative was not in this book as it was with the Gospels of Matthew and Luke (Romans would have been more interested in the messenger – John the Baptist – who announced Jesus).

When written: Roughly 55 A.D. It is generally considered to be the first Gospel written.

Author: John Mark, a companion of Peter and a one-time companion of the Apostle Paul.

I heard a good sermon by David Moore about failure that dealt a lot with the author of this Gospel, so I thought I would note it here.  Mark’s real name was John.  Mark was a nickname, and it apparently wasn’t very complimentary. 

Tradition holds that this passage refers to Mark: 

Mark 14:51-52 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

He was a cousin of Barnabas and started on Paul’s first missionary journey.  Then things went badly.

Acts 15:36-40 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted themin Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

At this point Paul had no use for Mark.  Yet see what happens years later as noted by Paul:

Colossians 4:10-11 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. . . . These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.

2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.Philemon 23-24 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.

Mark was also a traveling companion of Peter, who lovingly referred to Mark as “my son.”  Mark became a scribe and documented Peter’s sermons, which became the Gospel of Mark. 

What a remarkable turnaround!  Mark goes from fleeing Jesus naked and being considered a deserter to being a trusted companion of Peter and Paul and the writer of one of the Gospels!  God can do amazing things in your life regardless of what failures you have had to date. 

Take a little time to skim the whole book and read any passages that stick out to you. Even reading the chapter headings can help you frame the book and see where we’ll be going.

The next reading is Mark 1.

Daniel 12

This reading is Daniel 12. It is a fairly short chapter so I pasted it below the commentary as well.

There are many references to angels in the Bible. They are typically described as doing one of three things: Worshiping God, bringing messages, or protecting people (plus the occasional slaying). I’m not sure precisely how angels work in our spiritual realm, other than that they are real and have probably protected us more times than we think.

Verse 2 is a direct teaching of the resurrection of the body and that we will all face a final judgment from God. Verse 10 notes that “Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked.” It is interesting that we “will be” these things, not that we accomplish them ourselves.

I can relate to Daniel when he says, “I heard, but I did not understand.”

The Book of Daniel closes out powerfully with Michael the archangel comforting with the knowledge of God’s sovereignty. Like Daniel, we will most likely “rest” (i.e., die) then arise at the resurrection.

This concludes our study of Daniel! The next reading is an overview of Mark.

Daniel 12
1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people everyone whose name is found written in the book will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”
5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”
7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”
8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”
9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
11 “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.
13 “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”

Daniel 11

This reading is Daniel 11.

There are some general descriptions in Daniel 11 about war and leaders that could have applied to many situations, but there are many specific prophecies that accurately predicted the course of various countries over a couple hundred years. The close of the chapter addresses some events that took place before Christ but also some predictions of the future antichrist.

If you are a history buff you recognize some of these kingdoms, battles and wars listed in this chapter.

Antiochus Epiphanes was the ruler described in verses 31-32 and preceding. He set up “the abomination that causes desolation,” which included erecting an altar to Zeus at the temple in Jerusalem, and had a pig sacrificed on the altar. This was an extreme insult to the Jewish people.

Verses 33-35 are reminders of the challenges Christians may face. We don’t experience these as much in the U.S., but many fellow believers around the world do.

For those of you more well versed in prophecy than me, please feel free to chime in!

The next reading is Daniel 12.

For those of you who want to get ahead, the next study will be the Gospel of Mark.

Daniel 10

This reading is Daniel 10.

The messenger isn’t identified by name, but he appears to be Gabriel, the angel who has already appeared to Daniel. Some think it may be Christ, but that would mean Daniel’s vision was of Christ and that a messenger came as well. For Christ would not have been hindered for 21 days as the messenger was (v. 13).

This passage shows how real, serious and active spiritual warfare is. It reminds me of Ephesians 6:10-12:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Daniel was obviously exhausted, anguished and fearful. The angel calms his fears and sets up the prophecies to be given in chapters 11 & 12.

The next reading is Daniel 11.

Daniel 9

This reading is Daniel 9.

The Israelites were captive in Babylon because they had repeatedly rejected the warnings that God had given them through various prophets. God had given his usual Old Testament message: Obey him and receive blessings or disobey and receive consequences. Daniel knew that God had promised to return the Israelites to Jerusalem after 70 years as Jeremiah had written:

Jeremiah 25:11-12 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. “But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate forever.”

Daniel prayed wearing “sackcloth and ashes,” as those were signs of grief and/or repentance. Note that Daniel’s passionate prayer for mercy was answered as soon as he began to pray (v. 23). Feel the passion in v. 19: “O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

Regarding the prophecy of the seventy ‘sevens,’ it is typically understood that each item represented one year. Therefore, this would have been 490 years. Some believe that the first 69 ‘sevens’ represent the time from Daniel to Christ’s crucifixion and that the final ‘seven’ is part of the great tribulation that is still to come. Therefore, it would predict Jesus’ first and second coming.

The next reading is Daniel 10.

Daniel 8

This reading is Daniel 8.

The prophecies in Daniel 8 occur two years after the visions from chapter 7. Again, the vision is described in the first part of the chapter then explained in the second. The prophecies are absolutely stunning in their clarity and accuracy. Stop and think about how Daniel was able to predict 200 years ahead of time Alexander the Great’s reign, death and the fact that his kingdom would be split into four pieces:

Daniel 8:21-22 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.

Greece was not a world power when this prediction was made. Who can predict what will happen in world events next week, let alone to identify something that specific that far ahead of time? Only the one true God.

The king referred to in verses 9-12 and 23-26 is Antiochus IV Epiphanes. He was a truly evil ruler. He took over, looted and desecrated the temple in Israel (“the beautiful land”). He was also a foreshadowing of the Antichrist (more on him later).

The next reading is Daniel 9.

Daniel 7

This reading is Daniel 7.

These events actually takes place before chapter 5. The first half of the book was history and the second half covers visions Daniel received from God. The typical pattern is that Daniel has an unusual vision, then it is explained to him. I am not strong on symbolism or prophecy, but I will rely heavy on my Life Application Study Bible notes and do my best to offer some thoughts on these passages. Please add your comments if you have additional insights (or corrections!).

The lion represents Babylon, which was in power at the beginning of the Book of Daniel. The bear represents the Medo-Persian empire, which overtook Babylon. Greece is represented by the leopard, which represents how quickly Alexander the Great conquered much of the world in only four years. The fourth beast appears to be a mix of the Roman empire and an empire yet to come. If you are a history buff you will really enjoy this section.

The “son of man” in v. 14 is Jesus. This was his favorite nickname for himself.

The phrase “time, times and half a time” in v. 25 appears multiples times in Daniel and Revelation. It is generally thought to represent 3.5 years (time = 1, times = 2, half a times = .5), though perhaps it just means that the time the saints (believers) will suffer will be limited.

While there is some mystery to the end times prophecy, we can rest assured that v. 27 will come to pass: “Then the sovereignty power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.”

I appreciate Daniel’s very human reaction in v. 28: “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”

The following section is from our Daniel overview, but I thought it was worth repeating:

The most amazing thing about Daniel is the accuracy of the prophecies. Even most liberal scholars agree that Daniel accurately describes the reigns and activities of several empires covering several hundred years – they just think Daniel was written after the fact and is pretending to be prophecy. I think the evidence is on the side of the early writing and that all the critics issues have been well addressed. You can read more about the dating of Daniel here (Warning: it is a little dry).

Jesus obviously viewed Daniel as the real author, as shown in Matthew 24:15-16 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel . . .” That is a pretty good trump card regarding the dating debate, assuming you are talking to a Christian. It is encouraging that God shows us through his Word that He knows everything that will happen. Psychics can’t predict what will happen next week, yet God predicted the specific course of many countries covering hundreds of years with 100% accuracy. This is one of the proofs showing the reliability of the Bible. No other Holy Book contains confirmed prophecies like this. There are also some very specific prophecies about Jesus.

The next reading is Daniel 8.

Daniel 6

This reading is Daniel 6.

This passage is the famous story of Daniel in the lion’s den. This is one of those stories that seem to be told mostly to kids, so much so that you might start to think it is an allegory. But it was real. Read it carefully.

I couldn’t resist putting a couple lion photos in from my post-mission trip safaris in Kenya the last two summers. I think the one lion is yawning, but you can pretend he is roaring if you like. As Daniel’s friends found out in v. 24, you do not want to be in a den full of these things.

Daniel continues to prove his excellence as a leader and administrator under King Darius. He was even asked to be over the whole kingdom. This made his peers quite jealous, so they conspire to have him killed.

Daniel had such integrity that his enemies said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

In the Medo-Persian empire, once a law was made even the king could not change it (also see Esther 8:8 for an example of this). Darius’ pride led him to approve the law the government officials proposed.

We are instructed to obey our governments, except when the law of God conflicts with the law of man. In this case, Daniel would not stop praying.

Darius regretted his decision to ban prayer but couldn’t change it. The king made every effort to save Daniel and didn’t eat or sleep that night. He knew enough about Daniel’s God to realize his power. I like Daniel 6:16:

So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

Those who tried to have Daniel killed were then killed themselves, and King Darius exalts the one true God. When we live as Christians outside the world’s system, especially when under trials or temptations, people will notice the difference.

Not everyone who stands up for God like Daniel did will prosper in this lifetime. But we can rest assured that God will judge and reward perfectly.

The next reading is Daniel 7.

Daniel 5

This reading is Daniel 5.

This passage addresses the son (or grandson) of Nebuchadnezzar. The king showed contempt for the Israelites by using the gold and silver goblets that had been plundered from the temple in Jerusalem. Then a most unusual thing happened:

Daniel 5:4-6 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way.

Once again Daniel is called on to interpret something. The gifts represented royalty (the purple robe), wealth (the gold chain) and power (being made the third highest ruler in the kingdom). Daniel recounts where Nebuchadnezzar went wrong and what the consequences were, then highlights Belshazzar’s offenses.

Daniel 5:22-23 “But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.

Belshazzar lives up to his part of the agreement and gives Daniel what he promised. Belshazzar loses the kingdom that night. Note that the fall of Babylon was also prophesied in Isaiah 47.

Trivia fact: Two famous sayings come this passage: “The writing on the wall” and “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.”

The next reading is Daniel 6.

Daniel 4

This reading is Daniel 4.

King Nebuchadnezzar praises God in the beginning of the chapter, but as it unfolds it is clear that he did not worship and trust in him as the one true God. There is a distinction between profession (saying you believe) and possession (truly believing).

One would think that Daniel would consider the king to be an enemy, but Daniel was clearly upset at the interpretation of the dream and what it meant for the king.

The king was the most important man on the planet, but he held no power compared to God. Everyone should keep this passage in mind when criticizing God or acting as if the universe would run better if we were in charge:

Daniel 4:34-35 . . .At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”

Kings would often practice “Russian history,” which means to modify historical records to leave out the embarrassing parts. Notably, the Bible does not do this. Even the most revered figures such as King David have many embarrassing failures documented. Still, one can infer from Babylonian historical records that for a period of time Nebuchadnezzar did not rule.

The next reading is Daniel 5.