DAY 251 Read Daniel 6 and 7.
Today' reading: After the familiar story of Daniel in the lions' den we launch into six chapters of prophecy. Today we find a series of symbols that closely parallel the great image of chapter 2.
Memory gem: "The saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever" (Daniel 7:18).
Thought for today:
Since the march of history in its broad outline fulfills the divine predictions in the Book of God, we can see that history is, as someone has said, really "His story." In the prophecies of the Bible, especially those of Daniel and the Revelation, we actually have history in advance, and we can read tomorrow's headlines.
No wonder this prophecy is of extreme interest to all of us. God's hand is still upon the nations. He watches them. Remember this: Babylon, the nation that carried Judah captive, is gone. Medo-Persia, which cast its terrible laws of genocide against Israel, is gone. Grecia, whose representatives persecuted the people of God, is gone. Rome, whose armies destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70, is gone. All these nighty nations had contact with God's representative people on earth, and these four mighty nations are gone. They have sunk into the deep grave of the past, and only their memory and the artifacts of buried cities remain. These raging beasts from the sea have become the ghosts of nations.
But the church of Christ still lives. The day will come when "the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever."
Then we shall have the worldwide peace that all men long for. But we can never have this until we first have the peace of God in our hearts, the peace which passes human understanding or explanation, the peace which comes through surrender and forgiveness.
Even today, while the storms of national strife and hatred are raging in the world, you may have peace in your heart. He said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you....Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).
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Difficult or obscure words:
Daniel 7:9. "Cast down"--better: placed or set up.
Daniel 7:25. "Laws"--singular, the law.
Today' reading: After the familiar story of Daniel in the lions' den we launch into six chapters of prophecy. Today we find a series of symbols that closely parallel the great image of chapter 2.
Memory gem: "The saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever" (Daniel 7:18).
Thought for today:
Since the march of history in its broad outline fulfills the divine predictions in the Book of God, we can see that history is, as someone has said, really "His story." In the prophecies of the Bible, especially those of Daniel and the Revelation, we actually have history in advance, and we can read tomorrow's headlines.
No wonder this prophecy is of extreme interest to all of us. God's hand is still upon the nations. He watches them. Remember this: Babylon, the nation that carried Judah captive, is gone. Medo-Persia, which cast its terrible laws of genocide against Israel, is gone. Grecia, whose representatives persecuted the people of God, is gone. Rome, whose armies destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70, is gone. All these nighty nations had contact with God's representative people on earth, and these four mighty nations are gone. They have sunk into the deep grave of the past, and only their memory and the artifacts of buried cities remain. These raging beasts from the sea have become the ghosts of nations.
But the church of Christ still lives. The day will come when "the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever."
Then we shall have the worldwide peace that all men long for. But we can never have this until we first have the peace of God in our hearts, the peace which passes human understanding or explanation, the peace which comes through surrender and forgiveness.
Even today, while the storms of national strife and hatred are raging in the world, you may have peace in your heart. He said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you....Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).
----------------
Difficult or obscure words:
Daniel 7:9. "Cast down"--better: placed or set up.
Daniel 7:25. "Laws"--singular, the law.
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