Kingdom Down: A Study in DanielSample

How to Live when the Future is Clearly Fuzzy

This chapter opens with Daniel reading his Bible, studying the book of Jeremiah (most likely 25:8-12), when he realizes that the math of when the Israelites will be released from exile is coming soon. He’s in his 80’s at this point and has been in exile for 70 years, so this is exciting news.

The bad news is that the people aren't ready. They're not ready to return and open up the temple, which was their version of the church. They're not ready to worship God, they're not ready to witness to others about God, and they have not been obedient to the Word of God, so they are not ready for the future that God has planned for them. The same is true for all of us in varying degrees at various times and in various ways.

Daniel decides to intercede and pray for the people to be released in sackcloths and ashes, denoting repentance and humility before God. We learn some important things about Bible study here. Even authors of the Bible read the Bible, because it was that important, which probably means it should be important to us too. Additionally, God reveals something new every time you open His book, as He did to Daniel. Even if you’ve read a verse a few hundred times, God can still bring fresh insight to it. Lastly, prayer and Bible reading go hand in hand. Sometimes the Bible will drive us to repentance or thankfulness or doubt. God wants to hear from us in those instances, and when things get hard, we should run to Him, not from Him, just like Daniel did.

Ultimately, who is this vision talking about? Jesus Christ. That part is clear. However, there are also some less clear parts. Are these events past history or future prophecy or a combination of both? Are these numbers 70 times seven literal or symbolic? Are the sevens weeks or years? How long is a year? Is it a 360-day Jewish year or a 365-day lunar year? Which decree starts the clock?

There are a lot of unknowns here, but here's what I do know: Jesus accomplishes all of these. Finishing transgression, He brings an end to the rebellion. Putting an end to sin, He will come again to stop the evil in the world. Atoning for iniquity, He died on the cross for our sins, paying our debt to God. Bringing in everlasting righteousness will happen with a second coming, to seal the vision of the Prophet, and He will fulfill all biblical prophecy perfectly, anointing a most holy place. When He comes back, everything will be as God intends, as He pre-determined, as God prepares and plans for us.

When we come across difficult sections of the Bible, we can skip them, get fixated on the details, or simply trust that God is in control and will work it all out in His will.

How’s your prayer life? Is there anything you need to talk to your Heavenly Father about?