Daniel's Prayer

Daniel 9 is an amazing chapter. It is about prayer and prophecy. My last post looked at the seventy weeks prophecy. Today we will consider his prayer.

Understood by books 1-3
1  In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
2  In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
understood by books - He was reading Jeremiah. “The people must have been satisfied of the Divine inspiration of Jeremiah, or his prophecies would not have been so speedily collected nor so carefully preserved.”† As he was reading he saw Jeremiah’s prophecy of 70 years, perhaps this one, For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. (Jeremiah 29:10)

Babylon invaded Judah three times. The first time was 606 BC. This was when Daniel went into captivity. Again in 597 BC. This was when Ezekiel was taken to Babylon. Finally in 586 BC, when they destroyed the city and took pretty much everybody else to Babylon. Daniel read Jeremiah, looked at his calendar, pulled out his calculator, did the math, and realized he had been there nearly 70 years, so he began to pray for God’s will to be done.

3  And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
Which is exactly what Daniel did. “He found that the time of the promised deliverance could not be at any great distance; and as he saw nothing that indicated a speedy termination of their oppressive captivity, he was very much afflicted, and earnestly besought God to put a speedy end to it; and how earnestly he seeks, his own words show. He prayed, he supplicated, he fasted, he put sackcloth upon his body, and he put ashes upon his head. He uses that kind of prayer prescribed by Solomon in his prayer at the dedication of the temple” (1 Kings 8:22-53)†

This is a great secret of prayer – pray the promises. George Mueller, a great man of prayer and faith, said, “The first thing I did, after having asked in a few words the Lord's blessing upon His precious Word, was to begin to meditate on the Word of God; searching, as it were, into every verse, to get blessing out of it…for the sake of obtaining food for my own soul. The result I have found to be almost invariably this, that after a very few minutes my soul has been led to confession, or to thanksgiving, or to intercession, or to supplication … it turned almost immediately more or less to prayer.”*

As we read the Word, we see the promises and will of God. Pray the will of God to be accomplished. “God does nothing except in response to believing prayer.”‡

Daniel’s prayer is found in verses 4-19. What a prayer it is! This is intercessory prayer: he comes before God on behalf of his people. With one hand he holds on to his people, with the other he holds on to God. He brings them before the Lord God, and prays for God’s mercy on them.

Confession 4-14
4  And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
5  We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
6  Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
It is amazing, Daniel did not participate in any of this sin, iniquity, wickedness, he was rather a casualty of it, yet he confesses the sin of Israel with “We have sinned.” This is intercessory prayer, where you stand before God in their stead. He also identified himself with Israel. It wasn’t Israel and Daniel, it was Daniel a part of Israel.

7  O Lord, righteousness unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces…8  O Lord, to us confusion of face… because we have sinned against thee.
You are just in all your dealings with us; we are where we are because of our sin.

9  To the Lord our God mercies and forgivenesses…
This is our only hope. We have indeed sinned and done wickedly, God is merciful. This is the why of intercessory prayer - many times the people we are praying for cannot pray for themselves, so we bring them to God because he is merciful and forgives!

9-11…we have rebelled against him…Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God…Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law
It wasn’t like Israel accidentally stumbled and fell down, or sinned just one time. No, this was intentional, persistent, continual sin.

11-12 …therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
And it is not like they weren’t warned. God had told them this would happen if they lived this way.

13  As written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.
"Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?" (Ezekiel 18:23)

14  Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.
Our God is righteous in all his works. This is a great place to be. “We are where we are because we have not obeyed his voice, and he is righteous in all that he has done to us.”

Confession is a vital part of prayer. I need to pray this way when praying for those I love – confessing their sin, yes, but confessing my sin that affected them.

The Petition 15-16
15  And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
16  O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all about us.
O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away. Be definite in prayer. Not simply, “O Lord bless ‘em”, but asking for his specific promises and particular will to be accomplished.

Praying in the Name of Jesus 
17  Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.
18  O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
19  O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.
O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant… for the Lord's sake...not for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies....for thine own sake, O my God.
Not for our ease or comfort, not for our reputation, not for our happiness, but for your glory.
And, Answer my prayer, not because I am worthy, but because you are merciful. Amen. This is what it means to pray “in the name of Jesus.”

O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not. Amen. He earnestly desired the answer to his prayer. Am I this earnest? Do I really want God to do what I am asking him to do? I’m afraid I pray many times without this earnestness. O Spirit of God, work in me that I might passionately desire the salvation of those I pray for!

The Answer 20-23
20  And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;
21  Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
22  And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
23  At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
While I was speaking an angel came to explain the answer, giving him the prophecy of seventy weeks. Disclaimer: Not all prayer, even prayer as serious and intense as Daniel’s, will end as his did! But we can and should expect grace when we pray. Be encouraged by George Mueller:

“If you believe indeed in the Lord Jesus for the salvation of your soul, if you walk uprightly and do not regard iniquity in your heart, if you continue to wait patiently, and believingly upon God; then answers will surely be given to your prayers.”

“May the Christian reader be encouraged by this, should his prayers not at once be answered; and, instead of ceasing to pray, wait upon God all the more earnestly and perseveringly, and expect answers to his petitions.”

“The Living God is still able and willing to answer prayer, and that it is the joy of His heart to listen to the supplications of His children.” ●


I have people I am praying for. I need to pray like this!

-------------------------
† Adam Clarke
* George Mueller, On Personal Devotions
‡ John Wesley
● George Mueller, Answers to Prayer

The seventy weeks

Daniel 9

This is an amazing chapter. In it we find a powerful example of prayer and then one of the most astonishing prophecies in all of Scripture. Let’s consider the prophecy first and then, in a separate post, his prayer.

24  Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

This is perhaps the most amazing prophecy in the Bible – He gave them a specific date. He said certain things would be done in 70 weeks and that after 69 weeks Messiah would come. Wow!

God is not opposed to giving specific dates. In Genesis 15:13-16 He told Abraham his seed would be in Egypt 400 years or four generations (and they were). He told Jeremiah (Jer 29:10) the Jews would be in Babylon 70 years and then return to the land (they were and did). And now He declares to Daniel when Messiah will appear – Seventy weeks are determined upon they people.

To Abraham and Jeremiah God said years, to Daniel he says weeks. How long is this 70 weeks? Nearly everyone, from the earliest Jewish comments on, has understood this to be weeks of years, that is, 490 years. All they had to know was when to start counting.

When do the 70 weeks begin?
from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince

That’s rather specific as well. And there is a book of the Bible that was written to provide this starting point. Israel’s captivity is described in Kings and Chronicles, Daniel (and Ezekiel) prophesied in Babylon, then the books of Ezra and Nehemiah relate their return to the land. I believe these were written not merely to tell the story of the return of the people to the land, but to also signal the beginning of the 70 weeks.

From the going forth of the commandment. There are three decrees revealed in Ezra:
Ezra 1 Cyrus decrees the Jews can return and rebuild the temple 536 BC
Ezra 6 Darius renews the decree of Cyrus – Let them build this house.
Ezra 7:11 Artaxerxes decrees that the Jews can return and rebuild the temple  457 BC

So which of these is the starting point? While there is no verse in Ezra that says, “Thus beginneth the 70 weeks”, it would seem that the decree of Artaxerxes in chapter 7 is it. The 70 weeks began 457 BC. Obviously the one keeping count was God, but the Jewish people were aware of the times.

The 70 weeks are divided into three groups: 7 weeks; 62 weeks (threescore and two weeks); 1 week. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks.” It looks like it will be 69 weeks or 483 years unto Messiah the Prince. And 483 years after Ezra 7 Jesus was baptized by John Baptist and began his ministry with, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the gospel.” What time? The 69 weeks. And they knew it. You see, there were people before Jesus who had gone around saying they were Messiah (Acts 5:34-40). This was a highly charged time and the people were in great expectation.

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. After Christ appears he will be cut off, but not for himself. This refers to the cross.

(See * below for comments on v 27 and the seventieth week.)

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city. What will be accomplished in these seventy weeks? This is the most important question and Daniel gives the answer. We know Christ will be manifested in 483 years, but what will he do when he comes?

In Dan 9:24 there are six events mentioned which will be accomplished by Messiah.

I. To finish the transgression – “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God”

II. To make an end of sins - which our Lord did when he offered his spotless soul and body on the cross once for all. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

III. To make reconciliation for iniquity - make atonement for it; which was made by the sacrifice of Christ, by his sufferings and death; whereby the law and justice of God were fully satisfied; and this was made for all kind of sin (transgressions, sins, iniquities); which was the grand end of Christ's coming into the world

IV. To bring in everlasting righteousness - which is true only of the righteousness of Christ, by which all that believe in him are justified from all their sins; this Christ brought into the world by his obedience, sufferings, and death.

V. To seal up the vision and prophecy - all prophecy is sealed up in Christ, and by him; he is the sum and substance of it; the visions and prophecies of the Old Testament relate to him, and have their accomplishment in him; some relate to his person and office; others to his coming into the world, the time, place, and manner of it; others to the great work of redemption and salvation he came about; and others to his miracles, sufferings, and death, and the glory that should follow; all which have been fulfilled.

VI. And to anoint the Most Holy - the consecration or appointment of our blessed Lord, the Holy One of Israel, to be the Prophet, Priest, and King of mankind.

All of these were fulfilled at the cross. This is the greatest and most specific prophecy in the Old Testament. God told them exactly when Messiah would come. And He came at exactly the time prophesied! And by the cross he did exactly what it was promised he would do. This is a most amazing chapter. Christ has come and Jesus is his name. He made reconciliation and brought in everlasting righteousness. He came for me. He came for you. Believe in him and be saved!

* The seventieth week
26  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Messiah is cut off after 69 weeks, leaving one week (seven years). That remaining week is spoken of in v 27. I admit this is slightly confusing. There are three main views on this 70 week:

1) There are those who see a gap between the 69th and 70th week who say the entire 70th week is future. This is the time of antichrist and the tribulation mentioned in Revelation.

2) There are those who believe Jesus began his ministry at the beginning of the 70th week and in the midst of the week he was cut off, leaving 3 ½ years. The last half of the week is the time of antichrist and the things spoken of in Revelation.

3) There are those who believe all 490 years were fulfilled at the first coming of Christ.

I am persuaded this prophecy is mostly about Messiah and therefore this refers primarily to the ministry of Jesus: He began the 70th week and confirmed the covenant with Israel by his teaching and miracles. In the midst of the week, 3 ½ years, he was cut off, crucified for our sins, thus causing the sacrifice and oblation to cease. The last half of the week is yet to come and is the time of antichrist. Daniel 7 and the book of Revelation speak of the reign of antichrist being 3 ½ years long. I believe this is the same 3 ½ years.

But the focus is clearly on Messiah the Prince, who came as and when promised! And you now what, the brethren who hold all three views see the focus on Christ. In my opinion this is a detail that doesn’t detract from this amazing prophecy.

Irenaeus
"And then he points out the time that his tyranny shall last, during which the saints shall be put to flight, they who offer a pure sacrifice unto God: And in the midst of the week, he says, the sacrifice and the libation shall be taken away, and the abomination of desolation [shall be brought] into the temple: even unto the consummation of the time shall the desolation be complete." Now three years and six months constitute the half-week."

Hippolytus
"He says, therefore, They shall return, and the street shall be built, and the wall; which in reality took place. For the people returned and built the city, and the temple, and the wall round about. Then he says: After threescore and two weeks the times will be fulfilled, and one week will make a covenant with many; and in the midst (half) of the week sacrifice and oblation will be removed, and in the temple will be the abomination of desolations.

For when the threescore and two weeks are fulfilled, and Christ has come, and the Gospel is preached in every place, the times being then accomplished, there will remain only one week, the last, in which Elias will appear, and Enoch, and in the midst of it the abomination of desolation will be manifested, viz., Antichrist, announcing desolation to the world. And when he comes, the sacrifice and oblation will be removed, which now are offered to God in every place by the nations."

Prideaux
"The beginning therefore of the seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety years, of this prophecy, was in the month Nisan of the Jewish year, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, king of Persia, and in the four thousand two hundred and fifty-sixth year of the Julian period, when Ezra had his commission [viz. b. c. 458] ; and the end of them fell in the very same month of Nisan, in the four thousand seven hundred and forty-sixth year of the Julian period [viz. a. d. 33], in which very year and very month Christ our Lord suffered for us, and thereby completed the whole work of our salvation, there being just seventy weeks of years, or four hundred and ninety years, from the one to the other."

Postscript on Daniel 7

Daniel 7 tells us of the coming of the Son of man and the kingdom of God, but chapter 7 goes on to offers more details concerning these end times.

16  I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17  These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
18  But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
This is how we know that the four beasts are four kings/kingdoms. He is also told that the saints of the Most High shall possess the kingdom. Glorious times are coming!

19  Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
20  And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
21  I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22  Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
This is very troubling. There are indeed glorious times ahead, but they appear to be preceded by very troublesome times: the horn made war with the saints and prevailed against them.

23  Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24  And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25  And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26  But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27  And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28  Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
The fourth beast is Rome, which for us is past, but which seems to morph into the ten kings, another that shall rise after them, and the times of the end. This another is the antichrist. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. [a time and times and the dividing of times is three and a half years]

Paul spoke of this in 2 Thessalonians 2
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [coming of our Lord Jesus Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

John also in Revelation 13
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.  
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.  
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

When Antichrist appears he will oppose and blaspheme God and make war with the saints. Saints refers to covenant people. In Daniel it is Israel; in Revelation it is the Church.

The early church made much of what Daniel and Revelation say about the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, that is antichrist and the end times:

In the Epistle of Barnabas* we read, “The final stumbling-block approaches, concerning which it is written, as Enoch says, “For for this end the Lord has cut short the times and the days, that His Beloved may hasten; and He will come to the inheritance.” In like manner Daniel says, “And I beheld the fourth beast, wicked and powerful, and more savage than all the beasts of the earth, and how from it sprang up ten horns, and out of them a little budding horn, and how it subdued under one three of the great horns.” We take earnest heed in these last days; for the whole past time of your faith will profit you nothing, unless now in this wicked time we also withstand coming sources of danger, as becomes the sons of God. That the Black One may find no means of entrance, let us flee from every vanity, let us utterly hate the works of the way of wickedness.”

Irenaeus‡  “And then he points out the time that his tyranny shall last, during which the saints shall be put to flight, they who offer a pure sacrifice unto God.”

Irenaeus again, “And they [the ten kings] shall lay Babylon waste, and burn her with fire, and shall give their kingdom to the beast, and put the Church to flight. After that they shall be destroyed by the coming of our Lord.”

Hippolytus† “Thus, then, does the prophet set forth these things concerning the Antichrist, who shall be shameless, a war-maker, and despot, who, exalting himself above all kings and above every god, shall build the city of Jerusalem, and restore the sanctuary. Him the impious will worship as God, and will bend to him the knee, thinking him to be the Christ…and Antichrist shall make war upon the saints during the rest of the week, and desolate the world, that what is written may be fulfilled...

26  But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27  And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Antichrist’s reign of terror will only last three and a half years, and then the kingdom shall be given to the saints. As Paul explains in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 , And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.

Thus we are brought back to
13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

There are truly glorious times ahead (the coming of Christ and the kingdom), but first there is the tyranny of the antichrist to be endured. We can learn a lesson from Daniel. Daniel was a godly young man in the midst of an ungodly generation in Jerusalem. Then he was taken to Babylon, into captivity in a heathen land. There Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself. This is a powerful example whether we are in the final days or not. Jesus told us, he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And as the Apostle Peter said, What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God…Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, 

and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. 

Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

* Traditionally ascribed to the Barnabas mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles.

‡ Irenaeus, (140–202); bishop of Lugdunum (Lyon) and leading Christian theologian of the 2nd century. Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies), Book 5, ch 25 & 26
Chapter 25
Chapter 26

† Hippolytus of Rome (170–235) was one of the most important third-century theologians. His is the earliest commentary on Daniel.

The Son of man came with the clouds of heaven

Last week we looked at Daniel 2, where Nebuchadnezzar dreams a dream in which he sees a large image of a man, which is destroyed by a stone falling upon it. The interpretation of this being, as Irenaeus pointed out, “Christ is the stone which is cut out without hands, who shall destroy temporal kingdoms, and introduce an eternal one…”

Today we will look at Daniel 7

1  In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
2  Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3  And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4  The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5  And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6  After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7  After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8  I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
10  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11  I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12  As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. He might as well have said, I’m all shook up! He then went to an angel and asked for the interpretation. The angel said, these great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. (v 16-17)

This is nearly a repeat of chapter 2. But in chapter 2 Nebuchadnezzar saw these kingdoms as an image of a man made of precious metals, while here Daniel sees the same kingdoms as beasts. It’s all perspective: Daniel 2 is the times of the gentiles as man sees it; Daniel 7 is the times of the gentiles as God sees it. In chapter 2 Christ is seen as a stone cut without hands; here in chapter 7 he is seen as the Son of man.

13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

There is no mistaking this, this is the second coming. As Hippolytus† explained:

“For when the iron legs that now hold the sovereignty have given place to the feet and the toes, in accordance with the representation of the terrible beast, as has also been signified in the former times, then from heaven will come the stone that smites the image, and breaks it; and it will subvert all the kingdoms, and give the kingdom to the saints of the Most High. This is the stone which becomes a great mountain, and fills the earth, and of which it is written: ‘I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom; and all peoples, nations, and languages shall serve Him: His power is an everlasting power, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom shall not be destroyed.’ …then finally earthly things (shall) end, and heavenly things begin; that the indissoluble and everlasting kingdom of the saints may be brought to view, and the heavenly King manifested to all, no longer in figure, like one seen in vision, or revealed in a pillar of cloud upon the top of a mountain, but amid the powers and armies of angels, as God incarnate and man, Son of God and Son of man— coming from heaven as the world's Judge.”

Let’s look more closely at this scene:

9  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
10  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
The Ancient of days is the Father. There is fire, and angels, and ten thousand times ten thousand before Him. This is the judgment.

13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
The Son of man is Christ. This was the title he used most often for himself. He comes with the clouds and is given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom over all people. An everlasting dominion. Amen!

This description, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, is the foundation of the New Testament teaching of the second coming. Jesus took it and used it to describe his return:

Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Amen! Here are the details of this coming:

The Son of man – it is Personal; Jesus himself
They shall see him – it is Visible
Clouds of heaven – just as Daniel saw and described
With power and great glory – this is no secret event
Angels with a great sound of trumpet – enough noise to wake the dead
Gather together his elect – the Resurrection

In 1 Thessalonians 4 Paul describes the second coming using the same imagery as Jesus
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord…
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

In Revelation 1:7 John also uses the same imagery as Jesus
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

And in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 Paul seems to be referencing Daniel 7:9-10
7 when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Daniel 7 is a prophecy of the times of the gentiles, that period in history when gentile kingdoms have Jerusalem under their thumbs. As Jesus said, Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21.24) We’ve seen this fulfilled in the empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Jesus assured us the times of the gentiles will come to an end, and Daniel told us when – the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven...And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him.

Christians are a very political people. That’s right, only not as you first think when you hear that. Our politics are not the politics of the world: Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Socialist, Communist, or whatever other political parties there might be. No, we’re not trying to take over the world – we’re waiting for our King to do that! Yes, our message, our hope, our expectation, is that Jesus is coming again and “shall destroy temporal kingdoms, and introduce an eternal one.” His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Amen! He will bring the kingdom; raise the dead; sit in judgement; reward the righteous; punish the wicked; release the earth from the curse; in short, he will make all things right. So shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Jesus is coming. Am I ready to meet him?

‡ Irenaeus, (140—202); bishop of Lugdunum (Lyon) and leading Christian theologian of the 2nd century. Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies), Book 5, ch 26

† Hippolytus of Rome (170–235 AD) was one of the most important third-century theologians. His is the earliest commentary on Daniel.

Christ, the stone cut without hands

My introduction to this series is here. The Babylonian captivity was a very trying time for the Jews. Even though it was the judgment of God upon them for their sins, yet God did not abandon them, He raised up Daniel and through him spoke of their hope of Messiah.

Daniel 2 is the story of a dream Nebuchadnezzar had and its interpretation by Daniel.

1-12 Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a dream and called the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, all the wise men of Babylon, to tell him the dream and its interpretation. These folks complained this thing was too hard, no one could tell another what he had dreamed. Since they couldn’t tell him what he dreamed he sentenced them to death: For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13-24 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. Daniel requested an opportunity to make the thing known. He and his friends prayed and God revealed the dream to Daniel.
25-30 Daniel was brought before the king and gave glory to God, saying, he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

31-45 The Dream and Its Interpretation

31-36 The dream
31  Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
32  This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33  His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
34  Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
35  Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
36  This is the dream…

What an interesting dream: a great image made of gold, silver, brass, iron, and feet of iron and clay; a stone breaks the image and becomes a great mountain. What??

36-45 The interpretation
36  …and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
37  Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38  And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
39  And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40  And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41  And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
42  And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43  And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
44  And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45  Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

This image represents four great kingdoms: Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome. Just a couple of passing observations about the kingdoms represented by this image

(1) The quality of the metal goes down – gold, silver, brass, iron, iron mixed with clay. This seems to suggest decline or deterioration. Or, as Daniel says, each one is “inferior” to the previous one.

(2) Jesus called the period of these kings the times of the gentiles (Luke 21:24). This is a period in which Jerusalem is trodden down of the Gentiles, when Israel is under bondage to Gentiles and not free.

So, this is the history of the nations as it relates to Israel. Where is Christ in all this?

44  And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45  Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

Ah, he is the stone cut out of the mountain without hands. The different parts of the image represent both a kingdom and its principle king, so this stone speaks of the kingdom of God and of Christ its king. Daniel says, And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Oh, this was the hope of Israel, that the God of heaven would set up a kingdom, his kingdom. We read of this in the prophets: a time marked by righteousness, peace, and joy; Israel would be the head and not the tail; a day when “we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.” All this will come to pass when Christ comes. He is the stone cut without hands.

This was Israel’s hope and expectation. You can imagine the excitement when the angel  announced at the birth of Jesus: “unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”; and at John’s declaration, “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand”; and then at Jesus “saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” You can also easily imagine their confusion when his ministry looks nothing like this scene in Daniel 2!!

The kingdom of God
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Jesus began his ministry saying the kingdom of God is at hand. Then, in Matthew 12:28 he declared, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” The kingdom had arrived, as demonstrated by him healing all manner of sickness and disease and by casting out unclean spirits, yet it does not look like Daniel 2.

The mystery of the kingdom
Mark 4:11  Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

Mystery in the Bible refers to something that was not revealed before but is now being explained. There is a mystery about the kingdom -  the kingdom has come, but it has come spiritually. The first manifestation of the kingdom is spiritual; it is concerned with deliverance from sin, it is about the gathering of a new people from every nation; and the biggest shock is it is resistible. It is not a political or military force, concerned with taking over countries or enforcing by might its ethics. It is not until Jesus returns in glory that there will be great voices in heaven crying out, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

The question then is, Does this dream refer to the first or second advent of Christ? And the answer is, Yes. Daniel didn’t see clearly, he simply saw the manifestation of Christ and the coming of the kingdom of God. Yet the emphasis seems to be on the second coming. As the earliest comments on this by the Fathers demonstrates:

Irenaeus‡, “the great God showed future things by Daniel, and confirmed them by His Son; Christ is the stone which is cut out without hands, who shall destroy temporal kingdoms, and introduce an eternal one, which is the resurrection of the just; as he declares, ‘The God of heaven shall raise up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed.’ ”

Hippolytus†, “The stone that smites the image and breaks it in pieces, and that filled the whole earth, is Christ, who comes from heaven and brings judgment on the world.”

“For when the iron legs that now hold the sovereignty have given place to the feet and the toes, in accordance with the representation of the terrible beast ... then from heaven will come the stone that smites the image, and breaks it; and it will subvert all the kingdoms, and give the kingdom to the saints of the Most High. This is the stone which becomes a great mountain, and fills the earth.”

Yes, Christ has come. He is Jesus of Nazareth, who was born of the virgin, taught and healed for three and a half years, was crucified, dead and buried, and who rose from the dead. He brought the kingdom of God, and through Him we have tasted the powers of the world to come (Hebrews 6:5; Romans 14:17; Luke 1:68-79). And he is coming again in power and glory to establish his kingdom. This begins with the millennium, the thousand year reign of Christ on the earth, and continues in the new heaven and earth (Rev 20-22). "This is the stone which becomes a great mountain, and fills the earth.”

Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

‡ Irenaeus, (140—202); bishop of Lugdunum (Lyon) and leading Christian theologian of the 2nd century. Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies), Book 5, ch 26

† Hippolytus of Rome (170–235 AD) was one of the most important third-century theologians. His is the earliest commentary on Daniel.

Advent 2018

This year for Advent (December 2-24) I decided to look at Christ in Daniel. For a while I was thinking about The Second Advent in Matthew 24-25, which I may do later, but I settled on Christ in Daniel.

Today, in addition to announcing my planned series Christ in Daniel, I want to take a brief look at Daniel, his book, and give my planned schedule of posts.

Daniel

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, first attacked Jerusalem in 607-605. When he took the city he took captives back to Babylon. Daniel, just a youth, was one of those captives. His name means God is my judge (dan= judge; i=my; el=God). He was a righteous young man who stood firm in righteousness (ch 1) and was blessed by God. He and his friends were granted great favor with the Babylonians and rose in stature and to positions of authority. Daniel especially rose to a position of great authority in Babylon.

Daniel was clearly anointed by the Spirit – with favor, wisdom, knowledge; he interpreted dreams and had dreams/visions himself, in which he saw the period of gentile domination over Israel; he also saw the Messiah, who would bring the promised and hoped for kingdom of God!

Book of Daniel

Daniel 1:1-2:4a is written in Hebrew. At 2:4b the language changes to Aramaic, and this is retained till the close of the seventh chapter. At 8:1 it returns to Hebrew and continues to the end of the book. How cool is this? The parts that apply to the gentiles is in the language of the gentiles. Was this an accident? I think not. Of course, all my quotations of Daniel will be in English!

As we will see, Daniel, through interpretation of the dreams of others and his own visions, speaks of the times of the gentiles and of Messiah who will bring the kingdom of God to the nations. Despite Daniel’s prophetic dreams and visions the Jews do not consider him to be a prophet. They list his book among the “Ketuvim, the Writings, and not the Neviim, Prophets.”† Our Bibles place him among the prophets, putting him between the Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) and the Scroll of the Twelve (Hosea et al). In the Old Testament of the Greek Orthodox, the Septuagint, The Scroll of the Twelve is listed first, then follows the Major Prophets. Daniel still follows Ezekiel and is the next to last book of the Old Testament.

Christ in Daniel

Here is my planned schedule. The main posts are in bold and are planned for Tuesdays. I felt like Chapters 7 & 9 called for two posts, the second one planned for Thursday of that week.

December 04 – Daniel 2 Christ: the stone cut without hands
December 11 – Daniel 7 Christ: the Son of man coming with clouds
December 13 – Daniel 7 Postscript on Daniel 7
December 20 – Daniel 9 The Seventy Weeks
December 22 – Daniel 9 The prayer of Daniel

My prayer is that you will be blessed and your faith strengthened as we look at Christ in Daniel!

† https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1735365/jewish/Why-Isnt-the-Book-of-Daniel-Part-of-the-Prophets.htm

You may want to read the whole book!

Armed Guards At Church?

On October 27, 2018, eleven people were killed, and seven were injured when a gunman attacked Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA. This was evil. May God have mercy on those grieving.

I only give cursory attention to the news, but I did hear that President Trump called for armed guards at all houses of worship. When I googled that this morning I learned that there are synagogues that have been doing this for years; and that there are rabbis that go to synagogue armed.

After the shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, TX, where 26 were killed and 20 wounded, I saw a poll asking whether church members should go to church armed. The poll results were a resounding Yes, with many commenting, “Heck yeah! I’m not going to be a sitting duck for anybody!” (That would be the sentiment, not necessarily the actual words.)

Should there be armed guards at all houses of worship? I am not speaking for Jews, or Muslims, or any other faith that regularly meets for worship, but I am speaking as a Christian for Christian assemblies. In other words, what I say should not be taken as a reflection on armed guards at synagogues or mosques. I am only seeking to offer an opinion on the question, Should churches have armed guards at their services? Should church members come to church armed?

No.

That was easy. Why not?

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matthew 5:43-44)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?   As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Romans 8:35-37, emphasis mine)

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21, empahsis mine)

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)

If the church I am attending announced they were hiring armed guards to protect us at every service or began encouraging members to come armed, I would leave. This is not about the right to own and near arms. I fully support this. But our faith is in God, not the sword. God is our refuge and our strength. I believe it would be incompatible with the gospel.

I’m sure that if you cross-examined me on this you would find inconsistencies in my answers. I can think of some myself before you ever ask me the first question! I’m simply offering my opinion on whether churches should hire armed security guards. In my opinion the answer is No.

Born white, raised a minority

Yes, you read that right. Let me explain.

The other day, when I was taking Isabelle to school, I asked her if they had any Chinese students. Where did that come from?? A couple of weeks ago we had talked about the Chinese Immersion program at her school. Naturally, that raises the question, "Are there any Chinese kids at your school?" Plus, I tend to ask completely off the wall the questions. Anyway, she said yes but she didn't know how many. I suggested she count them when she went to the cafeteria for lunch. She said she wasn't going to do that, so I looked it up. (By the way the answer is sixteen.)

When I learned the racial breakdown of her school, out of curiosity I looked at the other schools in Rock Hill my grandchildren attend. I thought, "This is interesting, let me see if I can find the racial breakdown of the schools I attended. I did! That's how I came to my title - Born white, raised a minority.

I was raised in Hawai'i. At least from 3rd grade through my junior year in high school. We moved to Hawai'i in either late 1963 or early 1964. When we first arrived we took a room at the Circle Hotel in Waikiki. Shaped like a Chinese lantern, the hotel was finished in 1963. It's still there.

Shortly after this we found a place to live, still in the Waikiki area, and I went to school. The first school I attended was Lili’uokalani Elementary School, named after the last monarch in Hawai'i,  Queen Lydia Lili’uokalani.

A couple of things about the racial breakdowns I am about to present. First, Lili'uokalani school was closed in 2012. Second, all the data for Hawai'i schools is recent. I don't even know if they kept records back when I went to school; if they did I have no idea how to get it; and I don't imagine there has been that much of a change.

This the breakdown for Lili'uokalani Elementary. Spoiler alert - this will be the largest percentage of whites you will see.

After 3rd grade we moved to the Windward side of the island. Kahalu'u. This is what we would call the country. I remember that house, we lived on Kamehameha Highway, literally across the street from the beach. Not a nice beach, but the ocean. I attended 4th grade at Kahalu'u Elementary. 5.5% of the students are white. The only thing that has changed is the Latino population  - there wasn't one back then.

After 4th grade we moved to Kaneohe. We lived here the rest of my stay in Hawai'i. I can still remember the house and the address. The house burned down several years ago. I went to Kapunahala Elementary for 5th and 6th grade. White people make up 3.47% of the school population.

7th and 8th grade I attended Samuel W. King Intermediate School. This says 9%. 60 of the 668 students. To be honest, I don't remember that many!

After 8th grade, my Dad wanted me to go to school in Kailua where there were more white people. I had become a "local boy". I remember complaining to my brother Sean, "There's so many haoles there!" He said, "Jeff, you are a haole." [haole is the Hawaiian word for white folks]. I attended 9th grade at an intermediate school in Kailua whose name I can't remember. Then 10th and 11th grades were spent at Kailua High School. There were indeed haoles everywhere! As I looked at attendance figures, the total number of students has declined a good bit, and so has the white population. There may have a been a larger percentage in my day, but still a minority.

Here is a photo of the 2008 class reunion of the 1973 graduating class. I graduated in 1973 (from a school on the mainland), but these are some of the people I went to school with. I'm sure there were plenty people who didn't go to the reunion. The diversity is amazing!

As I said at the beginning, I was born white but grew up as a minority. Not oppressed as other minorities in other areas, but minority nonetheless. It does give you a slightly different perspective on life and people when you've been among the few. At first, I took plenty lickin's for being a haole (translated: I caught a lot of grief), but eventually I became a local boy.

Let me close by putting everything in perspective : I was living in Hawai'i !!

What is it you would like for me to do for you?

The Gospel reading for this past Sunday was Mark 10:46-52

46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

There is a lot in this story about the power of God and the faith that receives it. I thought about that as the pastor preached on this very section.

I only want to consider one verse in this post, and that's verse 51. The KJV has it, What wilt thou that I should do when to thee? While that captures the Greek well enough, I confess people today might stumble over it. The ESV has it, What do you want me to do for you? And I admit, while it's not bad, it just sounds harsh, almost irritated, to my ears, What do you want? And that's clearly not what Jesus was saying.

It's all in this word translated wilt thou. The word can refer to purpose or to desire. When it comes to translating the Bible, I prefer a concordant or word for word literal translation (as far as makes sense in English), but here is a time when perhaps a dynamic equivalence would make it clear. I would translate it like this, What is it you would like for me to do for you?

By saying, Have mercy on me, the man was indicating he wanted something, he had a request for Jesus. And when Jesus spoke to him he was acknowledging that and asking the man, “What can I do for you? How can I help you?”

At first glance that may seem kind of silly. The man was blind, obviously he would want his sight, yet Jesus asked him, What is it you would like for me to do for you? This teaches us an important spiritual principle: It is important, it is necessary, that we speak out what we want God to do. It's not enough to simply say, “Help me, Lord,” “Have mercy on me Lord,” “Give me grace...” We need to be specific. Not just, “Bless my family,” but, “Save them, deliver them, heal them, sanctify them...” We need to make specific requests.

We not only need to make specific requests, but be persistent – he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. Began to cry out, meaning he was repeating this over and over. At first he received no response. He cried out and got nothing back. Then many charged him that he should hold his peace. Everyone around him sought to deter him, “Stop that. It won’t work.” How discouraging. How did he respond? He cried the more a great deal. He would not give up until he had Jesus’ attention. Persistence.

We can’t forget faith. Jesus said to him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. He cried out in faith. Faith to recognize Jesus as thou son of David. Faith to cry for mercy, faith to persist, faith to make a specific request. When I pray I need to make a specific request, I need to believe God for it, and I need to pray until I receive from Him. Amen.

And if it's important for me to articulate my request, this is also a principle when ministering to others - I need to get them to tell me what they want before I pray for them.

When I was Pastor in Pensacola, FL, Don Robson was pastor of the church in Elberta, AL, 30-40 minutes away. He told me of a Sunday when he had offered to pray and anoint with oil anyone who wanted to be healed. A few people responded and he was praying for them. It was his custom to ask them, “What are you believing God for?” He asked a woman who had come forward and she said, “I have a condition and the doctor said it would take three surgeries to correct it. I would like for you to believe God with me that it would just take one surgery.” Now Don told me he would have prayed for no surgeries, but he joined her in prayer and faith that one surgery would be sufficient. (It was!) But you see, it was important to ask her, “What are you asking God for, what do you want from the Lord?” Because it was different than what Don was thinking, and you can’t agree in prayer when you are asking for different things.

We had five churches all within 45 minutes of each other on the Gulf Coast, we used to have men's rallies, women's rallies, youth rallies. The youth rallies were a day of games, food, music, and a message. I remember one particular rally, the evangelist was pleading with the young people to come to Christ. His closing illustration was a story about somebody who had gone to church, heard the gospel, not responded, and died in a car crash on the way home. He gave the invitation and several young people responded. I was one of the counselors for the day and I met an elementary-aged boy and took him off into a room to pray. I asked him right off, “Why did you come forward?” He said, “I don't want to die in a car crash on my way home.” Oh man! I don't remember how the rest of that time went but I do know that I had to start at the beginning and clear up his misunderstanding. And I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't asked him, “What are you asking God for?”

When someone asks me to pray for them, I need to ask them, “What is it you would like for Him to do for you?” and go from there.

What a blessed and faith inspiring question:

What is it you would like for me to do for you?

12:54 pm last Thursday

With a Wild Cherry Pepsi and a book, I made myself comfortable on my chair in the back yard, planning to enjoy some time outside. My phone rang. It was Dave. When you get a call in the middle of the day from someone you know is at work, you have a bad feeling as you answer.

“Hello?”

“Hey Dad. I was wondering if you could help me, I have a small emergency.”

Aimee had traveled down to Johnson City, TN the day before and was scheduled to drive back home today. She had in fact left. When she turned off the road into a convenience store for a snack, she noticed her car was smoking. Actually on fire! I mean, flames!

My first question was, “Is she OK?” He assured me she was not hurt physically but was  shook up, then explained what he was calling about. He was wondering if I could go up to Johnson City and get her. I told him I could and would but that I was five hours away. We decided to ask Debbie (Mary’s sister living in Johnson City) if she could pick her up and take her back to her house and then I would arrange to fly her home the next day. Debbie graciously agreed to our plan. And that was a LOT of grace - Dave thought Aimee was maybe twenty minutes into her trip, turns out she was an hour and twenty minutes in!

Then I called Aimee. She was rattled. I don’t blame her. In fact, I never once told her to calm down. I asked her if she was hurt in any way and assured her we would take care of her and make sure she got back to Debbie’s house and back home, but never once did I suggest she stop being upset. How could I? I’ve never been there.

I’ve had flat tires, blowouts, dead batteries, run out of gas, had a transmission die driving on the interstate, and more, but never, no never…. Wait, let me think about it … nope, never had a car catch on fire! Before this, I never even knew anybody who had their car catch on fire! She was shook up? Uh, yeah!

She told me she called 911. I can only imagine the conversation:

“This is 911. What’s your emergency?”

“My car’s on fire! Can you please send someone before it blows up!!”

“Where are you?”

“I’m at a gas station. Please hurry!!!”

Afterwards I was struck by the contrasts in all this. Where I am it’s a peaceful, calm, lazy, albeit hot, Thursday afternoon. Where she is her car is on fire and there are firefighters putting it out.

Praise the Lord she was not hurt, Debbie was able to bring her back to her house, and we were able to secure a ticket for a flight home the next day. Oh yeah, that weekend they were able to get a new car and it seems she is right on schedule with her plan to move down to Tennessee.

All this reminded me of another day and another fire. On March 30, 2013 I was asleep in the afternoon. I had worked the night before and had to work that night. I was peacefully and soundly sleeping when Tiernan burst into the room, “Grandaddy, wake up! Aunt Erica’s on the phone and her apartment burned down!”

Erica was living and working in South Korea. Somehow a fire started in her apartment while she was away and she lost everything. She was in Korea, we were in Carolina, and there was nothing we could do. Praise the Lord she was safe! That night I wrote a poem about it:

I was awakened today
Bad news from far away
“Wake up” I heard him say
“Erica’s house burned down today.”

And in a scene straight from a dream
There was Erica’s tear stained face
“My place burned up, I’ve lost it all”
That was the reason for the call

The blessing of Skype –
I can hear right away
The curse of being far away -
There’s nothing I can do today

How do you remember everything you’ve lost?
How do you figure up how much it costs?
This is hard, but how can I really know how rough?
I sit surrounded by all of my stuff

God had mercy on my child
And now may He give her grace
And wipe those tears from her face
And fill her heart with His love


I'm trying to figure out how to wrap this up and all I can think of is the preacher we heard one Sunday. He was the special speaker that day. He preached for a while then announced, "Well, I guess I'm done." Well, me too!

While mowing the lawn

While mowing my yard, with a push mower, I have plenty of time to think. I mean, how long does one need to focus on, “Am I mowing a straight line?”

The other day I got to thinking about all the streams of Christian thought that have influenced me. The Bible of course is the first and most important, but I think everyone recognizes that there are various streams within an orthodox viewpoint (and yes, I hold to the traditional, historic, apostolic faith). Here are the ones I thought about while pushing my lawn mower back and forth across the yard.

The Ante-Nicene Fathers. This may not really be a stream, since I never met them personally. I’ve only read their works, but these men had a huge impact on me. I was drawn to them because they are the closest witness we have to the Apostles. And these brethren really aren't a stream, they're more like the trunk of the tree.

The Charismatic Renewal. Especially the earlier years. Baptism with the Spirit, spiritual gifts, healing, deliverance, expectation of answered prayer, worship, victorious living, and a big and present Savior. I was always astounded when people criticized the renewal as shallow and lacking in-depth teaching, for I found a lot of in-depth teaching, full and rich. Oh not so much theological, but aimed at living the abundant and victorious life.

The Holiness Movement. They also believed in baptism with the Spirit, although a little different emphasis than the charismatic renewal. Heart purity and victory over sin as normal expectations. And the matter of separation from the world. Again, this stream was mostly experienced via their books. This would include the Keswick Movement and all the Higher Life, deeper life emphases.

The Christian and Missionary Alliance. The C&MA is one branch of the Holiness Movement, with an emphasis on the expectation and possibility of sanctification. The Alliance, especially the older writers, taught an expectation of victory over and deliverance from sin, and overall had a more balanced view of holiness. Healing, deliverance, prayer, answered prayer, and a big and present God... What a deep stream! They also saturated me with missions: the whole gospel, for the whole man, for the whole world. And an emphasis on the second coming of Christ, tied into the missionary endeavor.
The Christian & Missionary Alliance is truly that, an alliance of people who agree on the basics of the faith and agree to disagree on many of the details that divide others (for example, Calvinism vs Arminianism). Our fellowship was built on Jesus, the four-fold gospel, and taking this gospel to the ends of the earth. The point being we don't have to agree on every detail (eternal security, rapture etc) to fellowship and work together. The teaching was also sound, deep, full of life, and glorified Jesus.

The charismatic renewal and the Alliance are also revivalistic. Which explains why I believe in renewing and reviving movements of the Spirit, and that we should be in prayer for revival.

I have also noted for a long time that the movements that influenced me the most are also restorationist movements, intent on restoring the spiritual life emphasis of the Apostles.

Calvary Chapel. Pastor Chuck taught me the importance of expository preaching (preaching and teaching through whole books of the Bible). And of course the worship. The charismatic renewal, of which Calvary Chapel is a stream, taught me the importance and beauty of worship. Movements of the Spirit are always marked by joyful singing (all of the above!), consequently, I know so many good songs!

Anyway, this is what I was thinking about as I cut the grass the other day. And still, I managed to mow in straight lines. Well, straight enough!