This chapter outlines another vision of Daniel’s, but as I was reading it this morning, I really go a strong reminder that while it may look like oppressive leaders are taking over the world at times, or that political forces are wrecking our lives, or that certain events are destroying our hopes and dreams, we can know that God is in the backgrounding using the events to do His work.  We may not like the circumstances, but God will redeem them as a part of His plan for our lives and for our world.

We see that idea start to take shape here in verses 3-4, where the writer is passing judgement on this ram who is doing what he wants, taking what he wants; magnifying himself.   This king is later succeeded by ‘the great horn’, who does the same...living for his own vision and glory.  This one is believed to be Alexander the Great based on lots of historical work on these texts.

In verse 19 we see the reminder that there is an appointed time when this ‘trampling of God’s sanctuary’ will end.  God has a plan, which is reassuring in the midst of the madness here.  And,  I didn’t see specific mention of this idea, but we see here that Alexander the Great is believed to be ‘the great horn’ in this story.  Alexander the Great’s power was broken at the height of his success in/around 323 BC, and as is predicted in this vision, 200 years prior, his kingdom is broken into 4 parts, one of which we know as Antioch, which we know from the New Testament writings is ground-zero for the spread of Christianity after Jesus ascended into Heaven.

What I find most interesting is this though.  Alexander the Great dies, and there is about a 400 year period of time where we don’t hear from God.  Alexander laid into place 3 things that are really noteworthy in my mind - a common language (Koine Greek), a transportation system, and peace for the developed world.  These are THE very elements that set up the world for the spread of the message of Jesus - the gospel.  See, gospel means ‘good news’.  And, news isn’t something that arrive at through meditation and prayer; it is shared.  The fact that Jesus died on a Roman cross, in our place, for our sins and not His, and that he rose from the dead 3 days later and was seen again by hundreds of people is NOT spiritual news or a fairy tale.  It is the series of events that our faith rests on.  There are a lot of elements to our faith as Christians that are a little more etherial and personal, but this isn’t...this is just news.  Daniel was being told in this vision a story about how God would set up the series of events that would redeem all of mankind.  And, right here in verse 23, Daniel gets the timeline, which is admittedly not emotionally satisfying, because it isn’t clear to us: “And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit,...”.  So, we don’t get a date, but a framework...this is more literally translated as ‘when their sin is at its height’.  God came when our world was so broken that is was the only thing left to do.  How awesome is that?!?

What a reading today...deep stuff; heavy material, and we have to put our thinking caps on to draw from it.  But, what a great reminder we get - we are reminded that God is working in the background at all times; that’s my takeaway today.