Milo

SEVEN CHURCHES
Revelation 2–3

“These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands” (Rev. 2:1).

Today too Jesus walks in our churches.

Background
The seven churches. Tradition says that John moved to Ephesus some 40 years before the Book of Revelation was written. He maintained close contact with believing communities in the seven major cities of the area to which he now transmitted Christ’s message.
The seven churches were historical and symbolic congregations. Undoubtedly the issues each letter touched on were real at the time John wrote. Yet commentators through the ages have noted that these churches are also representative of churches of every place and time. It is helpful to look at each church, to see how its characteristics fit our own experience, and apply the words of commendation and corrections that John conveyed.
Each letter follows a pattern. Jesus identifies Himself, assesses the church’s condition, and offers both commendation and criticism. With the criticism comes correction, and then a final promise.
In the words Jesus addresses to these seven first-century churches, we can still hear Him speak to you and me.

Overview
John recorded brief messages to the seven churches of Asia: Ephesus (2:1–7), Smyrna (vv. 8–11), Pergamum (vv. 12–17), Thyatira (vv. 18–29), Sardis (3:1–6), Philadelphia (vv. 7–13), and Laodicea (vv. 14–22).

Understanding the Text
“The church in Ephesus” Rev. 2:1–7. (See DEVOTIONAL.)

“The church in Smyrna” Rev. 2:8–11. Smyrna was a beautiful city of some 200,000 when John wrote. It was also the center of emperor worship, which was more a symbol of political allegiance than of religious devotion. Even so, Christians refused to perform the act, holding that Christ alone is to be honored as God. This created prejudice and persecution, and cost many not only their possessions but even imprisonment and death.
But persecution only strengthened the resolve of these Christians. And from Jesus they—and we—hear words of encouragement. We may suffer loss of wealth, but we are rich in Christ. We may suffer death. But we will receive a crown of everlasting life.

“The church in Pergamum” Rev. 2:12–17. Pergamum was the provincial capital of Roman Asia. It was known for its wealth, but also for shrines to gods of healing, and many made pilgrimages to the city. This active center of paganism might rightly be called a city where Satan resided!
While holding fast to Christ, the believers in Pergamum were affected by their surroundings. The reference to the teaching of Balaam suggests a relaxing of moral standards in the church. While little is known of the “Nicolaitans,” the meaning of the words, “conquer the people,” suggests that the church permitted false teachers to establish some authority among them.
We too live in a society where moral standards are lax. It is all too easy for us, bombarded as we are by the attitudes of the world, to relax our standards as well. Christ sternly warned Pergamum, and us, against this course. But we are also given a promise. If we refuse the sweets of the world, Christ will provide “hidden manna.” We will be fed a diet of goodness which will sustain life forever, while the moral “junk food” of this world destroys.

“The church in Thyatira” Rev. 2:18–29. This city was a commercial center when John wrote. Christ’s description of Himself, with burning eyes and feet of burnished bronze, creates a setting of aura for this letter. Though the church was active and faithful in many respects, it had accepted the leadership of a woman characterized as “Jezebel.” The first Jezebel introduced idolatry and gross immorality into ancient Israel, and we must assume the name signified the Thyatiran woman who did the same.
Thus what was known as “the church” was divided into faithful and corrupted segments.
The apostate and the genuine still exist within Christendom. The continued existence of the apostate reflects God’s grace: He has “given her time to repent of her immorality.” But the day of grace is drawing to a close. God will surely bring judgment on Jezebel and her followers.
The spirit of Jezebel still stalks the churches, and settles in wherever she can find room. Don’t expect to purge Christendom, or even your denomination, of her influence. What Jesus says to those who do not accept her teaching is, “Hold on to what you have until I come.”
We who hold fast to Christ and the authentic Gospel are to concentrate on good deeds, love, faith, service, and perseverance (v. 19). In doing Christ’s will, we will find the spiritual authority we need to overcome (vv. 26–29).

“The church in Sardis” Rev. 3:1–6. Sardis was a prosperous and strategic city, known for its successful defense against invaders. It was also known for burial mounds, raised like a thousand hills on the skyline some seven miles from the city.
Sardis, with a reputation for vitality, was as dead spiritually as the nearby necropolis (“city of the dead”). Orthodoxy is never a substitute for spiritual life and vitality. And mere orthodoxy, like this church, receives and hears God’s Word, but does not obey it.
What a challenge for us today. It’s not enough to be doctrinally correct. We must be spiritually erect. It’s not enough to know the Word. We must do it. Righteousness is not a shroud, but working clothes.
If you and I should find ourselves in a dead church, let’s remember that even in Sardis there were saints dressed in white, the symbol not only of purity but of overcoming. The deader the faith of those around us, the more alive and active our faith must be.

“The church in Philadelphia” Rev. 3:7–13. This city of “brotherly love” lay on a major highway, and was also a major fortress. But the district in which Philadelphia was sited was earthquake-prone. Devastating quakes had made the people fearful, so at the slightest tremor crowds rushed out from behind the city walls.
The weakness of the earth beneath this city is reflected in the weakness of the church. But Christ spoke words of encouragement rather than rebuke. “I know that you have little strength,” He said, “yet you have kept My Word and not denied My name.”
Jesus is never contemptuous of our weaknesses. He understands our vulnerabilities only too well. So don’t cringe from the Lord when you feel overwhelmed and ashamed. Jesus understands and praises you for what you have done rather than rail at you for what you have been unable to accomplish.
Christ does even more for the weak. The letter to Philadelphia says that Jesus holds the key. He opens doors, and no one can shut them. Christ goes with us, and before us. He opens doors and keeps them open. Even those most hostile to the claims of Christ will in time be forced to acknowledge that He has loved us. And each day we will find strength in the assurance of His continuing love.

“The church in Laodicea” Rev. 3:14–22. Laodicea was a wealthy city. The district around it also produced famous black wool. It was also a center for the production and distribution of “Phrygian powder,” a famed cure for eye diseases.
The church at Laodicea apparently shared in the prosperity. Self-satisfied and comfortable, the Christians fit in with the rest of the population, just another of the many private clubs that characterized first-century social life.
Christ’s church can thrive under persecution, and triumphantly survive all sorts of suffering. But material prosperity and social acceptability have consistently threatened the vitality of the church. When Christians fail to stand for something, they end up standing for nothing. The lukewarm church is the most pitiful church of all.
Christ’s word to the lukewarm church, and the lukewarm Christian, is one of rebuke. He stands at the door and knocks, and asks us to exchange fellowship with the world for a more intimate, challenging walk with Him.

DEVOTIONAL
First Loves
(Rev. 2:1–7)
Just now several of the comic strips I glance at in the mornings are on the topic of divorce. I don’t know how it happens, but it always seems that when one strip launches a particular theme, all the others quickly follow.
At any rate, Sally Forth and Gasoline Alley both are exploring the painful loss of first loves. Not that they have any answers. But painful topics have their humor, and the cartoonists are working hard to dig it out.
Actually, while the cartoonists have no answers for us, Christ’s letter to the Ephesians has a great one. It’s applicable to relationship with our spouses, and to relationship with God! And it may come as a surprise.
Ephesus was the site of the great temple of Artemis, famous in all of Asia. It was to this congregation Paul addressed a letter exploring the spiritual nature of the church as the body of Christ. Now, some 40 years after Paul’s ministry, the church was commended for hard work, perseverance, and its commitment to holiness. Despite opposition this congregation has not tired of expressing a firm faith in Jesus as God’s Christ (vv. 1–3).
But the church had a fault of which many of us are guilty. We keep on serving. But somehow in the struggle we lose the glowing love for Jesus that motivated us at first. It’s good to be faithful. But faithfulness is no substitute for passion.
What can we do when we lose our first love? The text says, repent, and recapture it. And here’s the surprising instruction: “Do the things you did at first” (v. 5).
We have the notion today that feelings and actions aren’t tied as tightly together as they really are. Are you “falling out of love” with your wife? Don’t try to change your feelings. Instead, begin to “do the things you did at first.” Bring her flowers. Call her up, just to say “Hi!” and hear her voice. Tell her how much you love her. Write her little poems or notes. The wonder is that as you do these things that express love, the emotion of love returns.
It’s just the same in our relationship with God. Are you faithful, but somehow unfulfilled as a Christian? Then look back, and remember some of the things you did as a young believer, just because you wanted to and not because they were religious duties. Do them again. And watch your feelings follow.

Personal Application
Love shown stays alive and vital.

Quotable
“God is Truth. To be true, to hate every form of falsehood, to live a brave, true, real life—that is to love God.”—F.W. Robertson

Revelation

INTRODUCTION
Revelation reports a vision seen by the Apostle John while exiled to the island of Patmos, in the mid A.D. 90s. At the time the church was undergoing persecution, and the book was intended to encourage believers suffering for their faith.
A variety of schemes for interpreting Revelation have been developed. It has been treated as pure prophecy, but also as a book whose symbols deal primarily with the situation in John’s own lifetime. In any interpretive framework, however, it is clear that John presents us with an exalted vision of Jesus, and unmistakable images of the divine judgments to be executed on rebellious mankind. Even when the symbolism is most difficult to understand, we are shown with overpowering clarity a God who is in sovereign control of history and of His universe. And we are assured that this God will deal with evil, and one day rule a cleansed and purified new world, populated by His saints.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS
I.
The Glorified Jesus
Rev. 1
II.
Letters to Seven Churches
Rev. 2–3
III.
Visions from the Unsealed Scroll
Rev. 4:1–19:10
IV.
Visions of Christ’s Return
Rev. 19:11–20:15
V.
Visions of the New Earth
Rev. 21–22

THE LIVING ONE
Revelation 1

“I am the living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever!” (Rev. 1:18)

To truly understand Christmas we must see Jesus in all His glory.

Background
Revelation. Revelation is a stunning and powerful affirmation of God’s sovereignty in all things. Through John’s vision we are taken into heaven, to observe from that viewpoint as God pours out devastating judgments on a rebellious earth.
Many commentators view the book as predictive prophecy, depicting events which will take place at history’s end. Others view it as a metaphorical affirmation of God’s control over all, while still others see in it veiled allusions to John’s own time, intended to encourage persecuted believers by symbolic representations of God’s spiritual warfare. While it is important to commit to a framework when one’s object is to interpret a book, this is less important when treating a book like Revelation devotionally. Believers from each interpretive school agree that Revelation is a towering affirmation of the sovereignty of God, of the primacy of Jesus, and of the certain judgment God will bring on all evil—including the evil one, Satan, himself. We can profit greatly this season of the year as we meditate on the glory of God revealed in Jesus, and the ultimate triumph of God, which Christ’s birth as a Babe portends.

Overview
John had a prophecy given him by direct revelation (1:1–3), which he sent to seven churches in Asia (vv. 4–6a) and dedicated to Christ as God (vv. 6b-8). John described the setting and his stunning vison of the resurrected Christ (vv. 9–20).

Understanding the Text
“The revelation of Jesus Christ” Rev. 1:1–3. This is both a revelation of Jesus, and from Jesus. John was stunned as he saw the glorified Christ, still, and yet no longer, the Master that John loved so well during Christ’s years on earth. It is helpful for us too to remember. The Jesus of Bethlehem shines brighter than the most brilliant galaxy. The Babe in the manger created and sustains the world He entered. We who honor Jesus in His humility as a man must also hold fast to the conviction that He is now exalted in glory, ruling over all.
John’s language also suggests that what he was about to describe is a vision from Jesus: a direct revelation from the risen Lord to all mankind. For this reason a special blessing is associated with the “words of this prophecy,” and is granted to all who take to heart the truths and images conveyed.
What an exciting book then for us to read. Especially at this time of year, when we look back to Christ’s birth, and ahead to a bright new year.

“The seven churches in the province of Asia” Rev. 1:4. Seven is a number with great symbolic significance in Scripture, speaking of perfection or completion. Thus many have taken the churches John wrote to as symbolic of the church universal, even as the “seven spirits” (or “sevenfold spirit”) is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. Clearly John drew together the persons of the Godhead, showing that each is fully involved in what he was about to share. And that all Christians, the church universal, is intended to pay close heed.

“To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood” Rev. 1:5–8. Revelation is rich in the language of worship and praise. Perhaps these exalted sayings were part of the worship language of the church when John wrote. Certainly they now deserve to be woven into our prayers, and fixed securely in our minds.
Jesus, in His love and sacrifice, has indeed “made us to be a kingdom of priests to serve His God and Father.” Let us dedicate ourselves to serve.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega” Rev. 1:8. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega the last. Christ is the beginning and end, not only of our faith, but of history itself. The Creation owes its existence to Him, and when at last time shall be no more, Christ will be the One who brings all things to completion.
It’s easier for us to conceive of a Babe in a manger than One who overflows the vastness of the universe around us. Yet Jesus truly is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the fountainhead and climax of existence itself.

The seven cities to which John wrote (Rev 1:11; cf. 2–3) are sometimes taken to represent different periods in church history. What is clear is that they do represent the church universal. The messages John had for them are for us as well, and show us how to remain faithful till the glorious Lord of Revelation 1 returns triumphant.

“Because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus” Rev. 1:9–11. Early church tradition suggests that John was exiled to Patmos near the end of the reign of the Emperor Domitian (A.D 81–96). The church was experiencing official persecution for a refusal to worship the emperor as a god. It’s no wonder that John identified himself as a companion “in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus.”
It’s important that we remember these three are often linked in Christian experience. We are citizens of Jesus’ kingdom. Yet here on earth we often suffer, and must commit ourselves to endure until Christ returns and His rule is established over all. It is particularly important during times of suffering that we see the Jesus that John saw in his vision, and described in this powerful New Testament book. For the Jesus of Revelation is God, exalted in power, about to triumph over every foe. Though we suffer now, when His kingdom comes, we will rule with Him. Sustained by this hope, we patiently endure.

“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead” Rev. 1:12–18. At first John heard only a voice. When he turned to look, he saw a figure whose radiant appearance literally stunned him. The description John gave is filled with symbolism from the Old Testament (see DEVOTIONAL). But what is significant is the impact on John.
John was that disciple whom Jesus loved. John rested his head on Jesus’ shoulder at the Last Supper. John was probably closest to Christ on a personal level. And through the last decades of John’s life he preached and wrote about love for Jesus and love for brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet John, so close to Jesus while our Lord was on earth, and so near to Him in heart for over 50 years beyond the Resurrection, was shaken to his very core when he saw Jesus in His essential splendor.
We love Jesus, and feel close to Him. And this is right. But may we never become so casual in our thoughts of Him. For the Lord we love is Lord indeed, and were we to glimpse Him in His fundamental glory, we too would fall, stunned, at His feet.

“Write” Rev. 1:19. This verse is viewed by many as the key to interpreting Revelation. “What you have seen” corresponds to chapter 1, “what is now” to chapters 2–3, and “what will take place later” to the rest of the book. If we take this approach the bulk of Revelation is predictive prophecy, and deals with what will happen on earth as history draws to God’s intended end.

“The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches” Rev. 1:20. Some of the symbols in Revelation are explained in the text itself, as here. Others are clearly derived from the Old Testament, and so can be explained by reference to earlier Scriptures. But some of the most powerful symbols cannot be easily explained at all. In most cases, it’s best not to try. Linking disasters that Revelation describes to atomic holocausts, or germ warfare, is simply too speculative to help. What we need to seek is not some modern match to Revelation’s imagery, but the trust of the passage itself: the broad impact of the passage on our view of God, of judgment, and of earth’s future. The details remain open to debate. But the impact of most passages is unmistakably clear.

DEVOTIONAL
Picture Perfect
(Rev. 1:9–18)
The famous German artist Albrecht Durer did a woodcut of Jesus as portrayed here by John. For all the artist’s skill, the figure looks awkward and stiff. Somehow none of the awe John felt is conveyed by the carved figure, with rays representing the brilliance around His head, and a literal sword protruding from His mouth.
That’s one of the advantages of verbal symbolism over representational art. Somehow the images drawn by words can express with overwhelming power the most abstract ideas.
That’s what we find here in Revelation 1. The utter glory of Jesus stunned John, and he struggled for words to express what he felt and saw. The robe was a common piece of clothing, and though the sash was golden, it was not unusual in itself. What stunned John was Jesus. And all he could do to describe the glorified Jesus to us was resort to Old Testament symbolism. Though human in form, His hair was “white like wool, as white as snow.” The image calls to mind Daniel’s vision of the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:9; 10:5), about to exercise judgment. His eyes “like flaming torches” (cf. v. 6) indicate the fierceness of the judgment He metes out.
Bronze feet, the metal heated until it glows, also represents judgment. The Old Testament image is one of treading or trampling enemies, and bronze is the metal from which the altar of burnt offering was constructed. There sins were purged by sacrificing a substitute. Now Jesus is about to judge sinners themselves.
The voice is overpowering, a rushing Niagara of sound, and the “sharp doubled-edged sword” issuing from His mouth indicates both the war He will wage against sinners, and the means of His triumph. That simple spoken word by which Christ initially called all things into being will not be directed against the creation, and crush it to dust.
DÃurer’s figure remains a curiosity. It is almost laughable. Not so the vision of Jesus that John had, and not the words he used to describe our Lord. Those words remind us that the One who lay in a cradle, and hung from a cross, will fill the whole universe when He comes again. And He will crush evil under His feet.

Personal Application
Look at the Christmas creche—but look beyond it too.

Quotable
“Looking unto Jesus and thinking about Him is a better way to meet and overcome sin than any physical austerities or spiritual self-reproaches. It is by looking at Him that we are changed.”—Harriet Beecher Stowe

VISIONS OF THE END
Daniel 10–12

“He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things about the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed” (Dan. 11:36).

Among the great movements of peoples and armies described in this chapter, the character of God’s opponents stands out.

Overview
Daniel’s persistent prayer was answered (10:1–21). He gained further revelations concerning future tribulations under Antiochus (11:1–35) and Antichrist (vv. 40–45). Daniel’s book concludes with a picture of the final Tribulation and triumph of God’s Old Testament people (12:1–13).

Understanding the Text
“Since the first day . . . your words were heard” Dan. 10:1–12. After 21 days of fasting, the aged Daniel’s prayer was answered by the appearance of an angelic messenger. Daniel was first complimented (vv. 10–11), and then encouraged. It had not taken 21 days for God to pay attention to Daniel’s prayer, nor had He delayed His answer.
What a verse to hold on to when God seems to delay His answer to our prayers. As soon as our prayers are uttered, God does hear and answer. It may take time for that answer to arrive. But we need not doubt either the love of God, which moves Him to listen, or the power of God, which guarantees His ability to do whatever is best.

“The prince of the Persian kingdom” Dan. 10:13–21. The angel who spoke to Daniel provided a fascinating insight into the unseen world. His mention of Michael makes it clear that the “princes” of this text are also angels of significant status.
Even more can be deduced from the ability of the angelic “prince of Persia” to prevent the messenger from reaching Daniel until Michael intervened. The incident suggests, first, that angels are of different rank and power. Second, Satan’s fallen angels are actively opposing the intent of God. Third, an invisible war between angelic armies even now is taking place on hidden battlefields. Fourth, what happens in that warfare can and does have an impact on events here on earth.
Yet the future is “written in the Book of Truth.” All the efforts of Satan’s minions will ultimately prove futile.
How does all this relate to you and me? It reminds us of what the Book of Hebrews says about the role of angels. They are “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14). The prize in God’s invisible war with Satan is not just final victory. It is the good or harm done to persons whom God loves. And God’s angels, a great host, actively minister to you and me, guarding us from the harm that God’s great enemy and ours seeks to do.

“I tell you the truth” Dan. 11:1–35. Daniel had been granted a vision of a terrible future war, and begged God for more information. The angel messenger was sent to explain. The Hebrew word for “truth” is rooted in the concepts of faithfulness and reality. What the angel revealed would surely come to pass, and be worked out in Daniel’s world of space and time.
In outline, the angel briefly related what would happen from that time to the death of Alexander (vv. 1–4), described wars that would be fought between the Ptolemies of the south and the Selucids of the north (vv. 5–20), and then focused on the terrible persecution of the Jews to be conducted by Antiochus Epiphanes in the 160sB.C (vv. 21–35). All this is now past history.
But the scene then shifts, as it frequently does in prophecy, to an analogy of Antiochus. Even as Antiochus persecuted the Jews, his end-times counterpart, the Antichrist, will ravage the final generation of Jews (vv. 36–39). But his initial triumph will end in rage and frustration, and “he will come to his end, and no one will help him” (vv. 40–45).

“A time of distress such as has not happened” Dan. 12:1–13. The final chapter returns to the great end-time Tribulation (v. 1). Though many elements of the prophecy are “sealed” (not to be known or understood beforehand), the angel did go on to give a specific timetable. From the time the Antichrist sets up an abominable image (cf. Matt. 24:15–27) in a yet-to-be built Jerusalem temple, only 1,290 days (3 1/2 years by the Jewish lunar calendar) remain until the end.
We play a little game in our family. While waiting to be served at a restaurant, we’ll say, “How long till the food gets here?” Each of us makes a guess, and we watch closely to see who’s right. Or we’ll be driving, and guess just how many miles it is to our destination. We announce our numbers, and then, because the best we can do is guess, we wait and see who comes closest. There’s no such hesitancy here. No guessing. Specific numbers are announced.
God knows His numbers exactly. He knows what, and when. We may not understand the sealed elements of Daniel’s visions today. But we do know, from the very specificity of Scripture, that the future is known by God, and is securely in His hands.

“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake” Dan. 12:2. This verse is one of the Old Testament’s clearest expressions of the hope of personal resurrection. The dead will rise, to meet their Maker and face judgment. Then some who awake will inherit “everlasting life,” and others “shame and everlasting contempt.”
It is a characteristic of the Old Testament to focus on the plans of God as they relate to this earth and the earthly future of His Old Testament people. Thus the Old Testament prophets seem preoccupied with the culmination of history, with great battles to be resolved by the appearance of the Messiah, and to the blessings of a peaceful existence here in a world ruled at last by Israel’s God. On the other hand, the New Testament looks beyond this heaven and earth, and focuses our attention on an eternity in which individual believers experience personal transformation, and spend eternity with the Lord.
In a way, Scripture’s visions of what will be are like a kaleidoscope. Each turn of that toy causes colored bits of glass to fall in a different way, constantly revealing complex new patterns. The view from one perspective may be different than the view from another. But each view is valid: Each shows another aspect of God’s complex and variegated purposes, and impresses us anew with the wisdom and awesome complexity of God’s eternal plan.

DEVOTIONAL
Successful, Until
(Dan. 11)
Put in a nutshell, the theme of this chapter is the struggle of exceptional men to excel, at the cost of world peace.
The theme is developed as God’s angel messenger traces for Daniel the intense competition to exist between the generals who divided up the lands conquered by Alexander the Great. Their drive to excel and that of their successors was marked by a fierce competition for territory, wealth, and glory.
In describing the struggles of these ancient rulers, the biblical text gives us insights into the character of those whose goal in life is to “succeed,” no matter what the cost.
Such men “stir up” their strength and courage to attack and compete with others. With “hearts bent on evil,” they lie and scheme. Using flattery or force, they corrupt others to gain their personal ends.
The prime example of this kind of man is seen in verses 36–40. Driven by irresistible passions, this “king will do as he pleases,” exalting himself “above every god.” With no regard for deity or moral restraint, he “will exalt himself above them all.”
It may seem strange, but something about such people seems to make for achievement. They are driven, yes. They use others, yes. They are amoral, yes. And these very traits give them an edge over those with less intense desires, greater consideration for others, and a habit of weighing choices morally. What troubles us is that while critical of such traits, all mankind seems to applaud their success. Most of history’s dictators were men like these; most business barons whose concern was solely the bottom line were like this too. For all too many people, success and sin seem to be twins, always found in each other’s company.
Of course, there’s a footnote in Daniel 11’s portrait. It’s found in verse 36, and radically changes our evaluation of the man at the top. The verse says, “He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed.”
Successful.
Until.
Yes, sin’s methods work for the man who is driven to achieve. But they only work for a time. They only work “until.”
Until God intervenes. Until the day of His wrath appears. Then, at the completion of that day, the driven man’s success will crumble into dust, and all humankind will know that the truly successful person is that humble individual whose desire is to do God’s will, rather than to impose his own.

Personal Application
Measure success not by what a man achieves, but by how he achieves it.

Quotable
“As church people, we sometimes assume that we are immune to the temptations of power. We don’t make much money. Society gives us so little power that we think ambition—the drive to succeed, achieve and have prestige and influence over others—is a problem only for people in business or politics, not for people like us. We thus sometimes fail to see how we get caught up, for the very noblest of reasons, in the same ambitions that motivate everybody. Eventually, the people climbing to the top of the body of Christ can look just like those scrambling to the top of General Motors. Often you can’t tell much difference between our leaders and those of the Gentiles.”—William H. Willimon

VISIONS OF THE FUTURE
Daniel 7–9

“I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end” (Dan. 8:19).

Elements of Daniel’s visions of the future have already been fulfilled. Others still await fulfillment.

Background
The last half of Daniel is filled with reports of prophetic visions that he was given by God. Most of these concern “the time of the end,” either describing events that will take place then, or the sequence of events that lead up to history’s conclusion.
In Old Testament prophecy “the whole earth” is best understood as “the entire region” impinging on and affecting life in the Holy Land. Thus the prophecies of Daniel focus on events in the Mediterranean world, including all of Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, and those powers such as Greece and Rome that exercised control over the area.
Many dismiss the final six chapters of Daniel as “apocalyptic literature,” meaning that the imagery carries a powerful spiritual message, but that any truths it may express cannot be found in a literal interpretation. Yet it is clear that the visions of Daniel 7 and 8 are to be understood literally—and that the kingdoms described actually emerged in the hundreds of years that lay between Daniel’s writing and the birth of Christ.
Thus it seems best to try to understand the visions and their interpretations literally, as portrayals, admittedly obscure at times, of what was the future when Daniel wrote. It’s not possible to go into interpretive details in this commentary, for our focus is on devotional implications of the biblical text.
Yet even a casual reading of these chapters shows that the visions parallel Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a great image representing kingdoms to succeed his own. Even a casual knowledge of history makes it plain that the Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires match in each detail the predictive visions found in this amazing prophetic book.

Overview
Daniel’s visions of four beasts (7:1–28) and of a ram and a goat (8:1–27) depict the future world powers. Daniel’s great prayer of confession (9:1–19) precedes a revelation of God’s “seventy-week” timetable for the completion of His purposes on earth (vv. 20–27).

Understanding the Text
“A stern-faced king, a master of intrigue” Dan. 8:23–25. These three verses illustrate both the difficulty of interpreting prophetic passages, and the care that must be taken.
Note that this ruler emerges during the time of the shaggy goat of Daniel 8, and is similar to, but different from, the king who emerges in the time of the fourth beast of Daniel 7. In fact, the goat of Daniel 8 corresponds to the winged leopard of Daniel 7: Each represents the kingdom won by Alexander the Great of Macedon and on his death divided between four of his generals.
Historically, commentators of every persuasion identify the hostile ruler of Daniel 8 with Antiochus Epiphanes, who attempted to stamp out the Jewish religion, desecrated the Jerusalem temple, slaughtered hundreds of Jews, and whose armies were ultimately defeated by Maccabean freedom fighters. Antiochus himself died of a disease strongly resembling stomach cancer, and thus as Daniel says was “destroyed, but not by human power.”
What of the king of Daniel 7? Jesus in the New Testament speaks of him and his activities as still future (cf. Matt. 24). Emerging from the fourth beast—Rome, not Greece—his hostility, his actions, and his end will be like those of Antiochus. It is the likeness of the two rulers that makes Antiochus a fit model of an antichrist who will appear as history reaches its climax. Thus in Daniel’s visions of the future, Antiochus corresponds to the Antichrist, but prophecies concerning the Antichrist were at most partially fulfilled in events which took place in Judea and Galilee some 165 years before Christ. The main focus of Daniel’s visions remains the time of the end—a time that lies ahead for you and for me.
The point in all this is simple. We can expect the yet—unfulfilled predictions of Daniel to be fulfilled in the same way that the fulfilled portions have been—literally, historically, recognizably. Apocalyptic in nature or not, Daniel’s visions concern events that will actually take place here on earth. Yet, while we expect a literal future fulfillment of Daniel’s words, we realize that we do not yet have the necessary keys to unlock every mystery. We will recognize events when they happen. Many details will remain fuzzy until that time.
So once again we face the fact that our Bible is a truly trustworthy Book—a book whose supernatural origin and character can be demonstrated to all. Realizing this, we understand how important it is for us to treat Scripture with respect, studying it to hear His voice, and responding with obedience to the Spirit who gave, and who interprets, God’s living Word.

The Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires succeeded the Babylonian, just as Daniel foresaw. The final expression of the Roman kingdom, destined to be openly hostile to God and God’s people and to be destroyed by the personal intervention of the Son of God, has not yet emerged (see Dan. 9).

“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your Holy City” Dan. 9:20–27. Daniel’s prophecies of the “seventy ‘sevens’ ” is one of the most intently studied in the entire Scripture. Taking each “seven” as a cluster of 7 years, the prediction identifies 490 years, at the end of which God’s program of the ages will be complete (v. 24). The countdown commenced with a decree to rebuild Jerusalem. This was issued to Ezra by Artaxerxes in 458B.C But the seventy “sevens” are further broken up. A first group of 7 “sevens” (49 years) takes us to 409B.C, and the repopulation of Jerusalem under Nehemiah and Ezra. The next group of 62 “sevens” takes us toA.D 26, which according to some calculations marks the baptism of Jesus, Daniel’s “anointing of the Most Holy” (One). Others calculate it to Christ’s entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
There remains only one group of years until the end. Yet verse 26 says that after the 62, “the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.” Clearly there is a gap between the end of the 62 “sevens” and the last group of seven years—a gap that has stretched from the time of Christ up to our own day.
Many students of prophecy believe that one day God’s countdown will resume. Then the last seven years of Daniel’s prophecies, which most of the visions in the last three chapters concern, will also be fulfilled, and history will have come to God’s intended—and predicted—end.

DEVOTIONAL
Not Just “I’m Sorry”
(Dan. 9)
I see it all the time at home. Our little girl makes some remark or flounces off in disobedience. When it’s over, we say, “I think it would be good to apologize.” More than likely she sticks out her lower lip, whispers a grudging “sorry,” and heads for her room.
I suspect that at times we’re a little bit like Sarah when it comes to dealing with our sins. We just mutter our, “I’m sorry’s” to God when we become aware of some failure, and hurry off to get on with our lives. But there was something very different about Daniel as he humbly and with a broken heart approached the Lord.
Daniel had been reading Jeremiah’s prophecy that the Exile of Judah would last 70 years, and realized that the time was up! If Darius truly was a viceroy of Cyrus, it’s probable that that very year Cyrus had issued his decree permitting Jews to return and rebuild their temple (cf. v. 17).
Why then did Daniel seem so broken as he prayed? His first words tell us: Daniel was suddenly awed at the thought of God’s covenant love (v. 1). Against the background of God’s love, Daniel sensed the utter depravity of his people. Israel and Judah were beneficiaries of God’s grace, and recipients of His righteous laws. Yet they ignored His words and turned their backs on the prophets He sent them.
Deeply disturbed, Daniel identified with his people and their failings, and as a humbled sinner cried out to God. He recalled God’s gracious acts (cf. v. 15), and understood how terrible it was that despite the Lord’s goodness “we have sinned and done wrong.”
Yet Daniel’s prayer was more than a litany of failure. It was an appeal for even more grace! Daniel begged God to listen to the prayers of His people, and in grace to restore the land, the Holy City, and its temple.
What Daniel teaches us is that in our own prayers, of confession or of petition, we must not be like a child who sullenly says, “I’m sorry,” even though not fully convinced her fault is all that bad. Instead we must measure our response to God against His grace, and deeply moved by how short we fall, come to Him in penitent humility.
Then, in His presence, with head and heart bowed, we like Daniel can appeal to God for even greater grace, crying, “We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy.”

Personal Application
Pride cancels out prayer; true humility wings it to the Lord.

Quotable
“It was pride that caused the fall of Lucifer and Adam. If you should ask me what are the ways of God, I would tell you that the first is humility, the second is humility, and the third is still humility. Not that there are no other precepts to give but humility, but if humility does not precede all that we do, our efforts are fruitless.”—Augustine of Hippo

TALES OF THREE RULERS
Daniel 4–6

“People must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will never end. He rescues and He saves; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth” (Dan. 6:26–27).

Throughout his life Daniel consistently witnessed to the power of God, and left an indelible impression on a series of world rulers. People around cannot help taking note of the truly committed individual.

Background
The Book of Daniel faithfully reflects the different customs of the Babylonian and Persian courts. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had absolute authority: His word was law. In Persia the ruler’s word had the force of law, but once an official pronouncement was made, it could not be altered.
This difference sheds light on two elements of Daniel’s story. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Dan. 2) portrayed the succeeding empires as progressively inferior to that ruler’s own. The inferiority is one of perspective: Nebuchadnezzar’s absolute power (vv. 37–39) was gradually diluted in each succeeding world empire. To the ruler of Babylon even gradual movement from absolute autocracy would seem a mark of inferiority.
The change is also reflected in Daniel’s story of his bout with the lions. Even though the Persian ruler wanted to save Daniel, he was helpless to change the tradition that bound him as well as others to his pronouncements. Thus Daniel’s enemies were able to entrap and manipulate Darius, something impossible with Nebuchadnezzar.
Yet Nebuchadnezzar was as bound by his arrogance as Darius was by his treacherous officials. No one, however powerful they may seem, is truly free. Every human being is subject in the last analysis to his own character, to his circumstances and, certainly, to God.

Overview
Daniel interpreted a dream portending disaster to Nebuchadnezzar (4:1–27), and witnessed its fulfillment (vv. 28–37). As an old man Daniel interpreted a sign indicating the fall of the Babylonian Empire (5:1–30), and became a valued administrator of the Persian Empire which succeeded it (6:1–3). God thwarted the plan of Daniel’s enemies and miraculously delivered him from a den of hungry lions (vv. 4–28).

Understanding the Text
“Until you acknowledge that the Most High is Sovereign” Dan. 4:1–27. Once again Nebuchadnezzar had an alarming dream and called Daniel to interpret. This time the dream was directed against him: It predicted that the king would become the victim of madness until he acknowledged the sovereignty of Daniel’s God.

“The glory of my majesty” Dan. 4:28–37. God had twice shown Nebuchadnezzar His power, and the Babylonian ruler had been deeply impressed. However, he apparently thought of God as God of the Hebrews, and not a God sovereign over him. Arrogant people have this tendency. “Religion’s all right for you,” they’ll say condescendingly. “Some people need God.” Even those who think that God exists often fail to take the logical step of seeking a personal relationship with Him.
This was certainly the case with Nebuchadnezzar. He was too great a man to need God. Why, see all he’d accomplished!
The dream warned Nebuchadnezzar of his need to personally submit to the Lord. Daniel himself urged the king to repent, knowing that God’s announcements of judgment are contingent. But within a year the king, his heart swelling with pride, was struck with madness.
Perhaps the greatest miracle here is that for “seven times,” a period which typically indicates seven years, the throne of Babylon remained empty. Finally, after months or years of living like a beast in open fields, the king’s sanity was restored, and he at last praised, honored, and glorified the Most High.
Many, perhaps rightly, view this as Nebuchadnezzar’s conversion. At last the mighty ruler humbled himself, and took his place as a simple worshiper of the Lord of heaven and earth.
How often it takes just this—some disaster—to humble a person before he or she is ready to seek God. I suspect that Nebuchadnezzar would agree: If that’s what it takes, the disaster is a blessing in disguise.

“King Belshazzar” Dan. 5:1. For many years Daniel’s identification of “Belshazzar” as king was considered proof that the book was of late origin. Only a person ignorant of the history of the period would have “made up” such an individual.
But then archeologists discovered documents that showed Daniel, not the critics, was right! The text’s report that Daniel was offered the third highest rank in government (v. 16) rings with authenticity, for Belshazzar was himself second, co-regent under his father Nabonidus!
How then can Nebuchadnezzar be called Belshazzar’s “father” in the biblical text? One meaning of “father” is “predecessor.” The term is often used in genealogies to indicate an individual who may be a distant ancestor. “Father” was also used in biblical times with the sense of “predecessor” on a royal throne. Even a supplanter like Jehu, who murdered the family of Ahab to set up his own dynasty, is called in Assyrian records a “son of Omri,” the founder of the earlier royal line. A third consideration is that frequently a king like Belshazzar would marry a daughter of the founding line, and in this sense too be the “son” of the “father.”
What impact does information like this have on our devotional use of the Bible? Perhaps little. But it does confirm our conviction that the Bible truly is the Word of God. And it reminds us that we not only can trust that Word, but that we must willingly subject ourselves to it.

“You . . . have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this” Dan. 5:1–30. When a hand appeared and wrote on the wall at a feast Belshazzar held the 15th of Tishri (in September, 539B.C), the king almost fainted with terror. The queen mother urged him to call Daniel, who had explained dreams for Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel, now in his 80s, appeared and explained the mysterious words. The words were “numbered,” “weighted,” “divided,” and indicated that the end of Belshazzar’s rule had come (cf. vv. 26–27). Even though Belshazzar must have heard of Israel’s God and of Nebuchadnezzar’s conversion, the drunken king had brought the golden goblets dedicated for use at the Jerusalem temple to his table, to be used in toasts offered to pagan gods and goddesses.
Daniel’s words tell it all. “You his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, even though you knew all this.” In setting himself against God, Belshazzar sealed his own doom and that of his kingdom. That very night, Babylon fell. Ugbaru, the commander of the Persian army that even then surrounded Babylon, diverted the waters of the river that flowed through Babylon. When the water level fell below that of the river gates, the invading force entered the city and captured the “impregnable” city in which Belshazzar had feasted.

“It pleased Darius” Dan. 6:1. The “Darius” of Daniel 6 is most likely a viceroy who ruled the empire while Cyrus, its conqueror, was away on a military campaign. Nothing is known of him from the secular sources now available, but 9:1 says that he was “made [appointed] ruler” suggesting that, despite his title, he was subject to another higher authority, even as the kings of Judah were subject during their last decades to the Babylonians.
Despite his advanced age, Daniel was appointed to an extremely high position in Darius’ administration, and aroused the jealousy (and perhaps fear!) of other, less honest officials. These officials tricked Darius into issuing a religious decree they knew Daniel would not obey. They then accused Daniel, and despite Darius’ best efforts, that ruler was forced to order Daniel thrown into a den of lions.
The deliverance of Daniel persuaded this ruler too of God’s greatness, and he decreed that people “in every part of my kingdom” must “fear and reverence the God of Daniel.”
I suspect that the royal command did little to create faith in Israel’s God. After all, faith can’t be commanded! What did create faith, at least in the king, was Daniel’s faithfulness to the Lord. Despite the threat to life itself, Daniel continued to worship God openly. God’s faithfulness to His loyal servant, like His faithfulness to us, nurtures budding faith in others.
You and I cannot command others to believe. But we can encourage them to believe—by an open, unashamed, and unpretentious witness to our Lord.

DEVOTIONAL
Keep Your Gifts
(Dan. 5)
I love the picture this chapter brings to mind. There’s Belshazzar, so scared that “his knees knocked together and his legs gave way” (v. 6). He stood there, trembling, in front of a suddenly sober mob of officials, trying desperately to look kingly. And in came Daniel, walking a little stiffly on his 80-year-old legs, but calm and dignified.
Struggling to keep his voice from squeaking, Belshazzar begged Daniel to interpret the miraculous writing that appeared on the wall. And then he promised, if Daniel could do this, “You will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made third highest ruler in the kingdom” (v. 16).
You have to hand it to ol’ Daniel. He didn’t laugh. He remained sober, accused Belshazzar of arrogance, and announced that his kingdom would fall to the Medes and Persians.
Daniel didn’t even laugh. Can you imagine?
Daniel told the king to “keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else.” But the king insisted. And even when they brought out the promised gold chain and looped it over Daniel’s neck, and draped his spare body in purple, the old prophet didn’t laugh.
I’m afraid I might have in Daniel’s place. It was so ridiculous. Here was Belshazzar, handing out rewards, and that very moment the level of the river that flowed through Babylon was falling! That very moment Persian troops were massing, ready to plunge through the shallows, under the river gates, and walk unopposed into impregnable Babylon. And pimply young Belshazzar, expecting Daniel to be impressed, was royally distributing largess that in the morning would be worth just about as much as, well, as Monopoly money is at the bank.
And Daniel didn’t even laugh.
Probably we don’t laugh enough. You see, the world is always holding out rewards, expecting us to be impressed. There’s wealth. Status. Power. Acceptance. And all the time, just outside the gates, God is preparing to invade earth. When He does, and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God, all that earth has to offer will be worth-well, less than Monopoly cash.
So the next time some earthly reward is dangled in front of you, and your heart starts pounding with excitement, remember Daniel at Belshazzar’s feast. Tell the world to keep its gifts for itself. Or, if others insist, and hand you some golden chain or a purple robe, chuckle inside, as Daniel must have done.
They can’t bribe you.
You know that tomorrow, when this world crumbles as it must, its gold and robes will turn to dust.

Personal Application
Serve God, for His rewards only will last.

Quotable
“The eyes of this world see no further than this life, as mine see no further than this wall when the church door is shut. The eyes of the Christian see deep into Eternity.”—John Vianney