Thoughts

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Obviously there is a tremendous amount of material in this book. Tomes have been written about this relatively short, 12 chapter book. I am not even going to try to explain all the things that are here, but there are some principles that we can talk about. 

End Times

Daniel is a book about the end times. Of that, there is no doubt. As a matter of fact, in verse four of chapter 12, Daniel is told to “shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end.”

A Bit of History

It’s an interesting fact that throughout history, the focus of the church has not always been what it is today. In the first few hundred years after Jesus left the church with the Great Commission, the church focused on the doctrine of Scripture. Which makes sense, right? In the early years, the church had to define what was and what was not divinely inspired scripture. And then, through the centuries, the focus shifted to the doctrine of the Trinity, to the doctrine of who and what Jesus is, to the doctrine of who and what man is, to the doctrine of salvation, to the doctrine of the church. And it really wasn’t until the last couple hundred years that the church spent much time studying the doctrine of the end days….which, as I have said, many believe we are in.

Is Prophecy Opening Up To Us?

Yes, it is true. For most of our history the biblical books of prophecy have been looked at as being impossible to understand. But that is because it was not time yet to understand them. As we read these books today, we can begin to see glimpses that make sense.

For example, it says at the end of verse four “…knowledge shall increase.” Roughly 80% of you listening to this are listening on some sort of portable device, be it a smart phone or a tablet similar device. And that device has access to most of the world’s knowledge. You can find almost anything that man has learned within seconds. That capability did not exist until about 13 years ago when the first iPhone was introduced. All of a sudden, we had an Internet browser in our pocket. 

The Internet itself first started being developed in the 60s. And in 1995, the world wide web really began to change the world for the general public. Can we even imagine going back to a world where we are not constantly connected? 

Knowledge will increase. I think we can check that one off the list of things to look for.

Don't Go Overboard

If you have an interest in studying more about the end times, there are a ton of resources available. It’s a fun area of study for some, but as I’ve said before, it’s not something that you should get all wrapped up in, because as long as the Lord has us here, we are to be busy doing what we are here for, sharing the Good News of a Risen Christ. Getting people ready to meet Him, whether is is today, next year or next century.

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 7-12 ESV

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