Rev. Don Campbell
Daniel 7-9
THOUGHT FOR TODAY, September 16, 2019
“HEAVEN’S VIEW OF HISTORY”
In today’s reading, we first see the kingdoms of the earth described under the figure of “beasts” (Daniel 7:1-8). We then see the Ancient of Days seated on his throne and being served by myriads of angels (Daniel 7:9-12). Then we see one “like a son of man” come to the Ancient of Days. Note that is not “coming from,” but “coming to” God. We are immediately reminded of Peter’s first gospel sermon: “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
‘“The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:32-36).
The different kingdoms or nations are described as coming up out of the sea, meaning that they are earthly in origin (7: 3). The term “beasts” suggest that they are also violent. They devoured, broke in pieces, stamped with the feet. It has been pointed out that no nation has been born by peaceful means. They are formed by wars, rebellions, conquests, and predation. In their success, they forget the crimes or sins committed in achieving their power. If the value of all the land taken from Native Americans were calculated, the value would certainly be in the trillions. If the manhours the slaves who worked that land were calculated, the value of that labor would be in the millions if not trillions in today’s dollars. We can ignore this history, but God won’t, for heaven is keeping a record (Daniel 7:10).
In Revelation 4-5, we see a similar scene to the one Daniel saw. God is seated on his throne holding a scroll written front and back and sealed with seven seals. When no one in heaven or earth could be found to open the scroll, John wept loudly. One of the 24 elders told John not to weep, for the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, the Lamb of God would open the seals. The remainder of the letter is devoted to the contents of the seals. What we can learn from these two scenes is history is not happenstance. Christ is at its center (Revelations 5:2-7). Redemption is its purpose (Revelations 5:8-10). Glory to God is its goal (Revelations 5:11-14). The Lamb of God executes history according to God’s will (Revelations 6:1).
Historians may write and rewrite history to fit their own ideology, but it is the Lamb of God that executes history. He has a message for all: TIME IS RUNNING OUT! “When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?’” (Revelations 6:12-17).
CONNECTIONS
1. Warnings of God’s judgment seem to fall on deaf ears in America. Should we be surprised? (2 Peter 3:1-10).
2. Liberals accuse conservatives of being on the wrong side of history. Conservatives accuse liberals of being on the wrong side of history. Could it be true that both are on the wrong side of history?
