Amos Chapters 7-9

7:1 - Amos sees a vision of a huge swarm of locusts about to descend on Israel...the timing in this passage is very important. It is after the king's initial reaping...so the king had feed for his horses Israel will use for food for themselves and their cattle. The king's army even at full strength will be able to offer the people no protection in the face of God's wrath. Amos begs for mercy for the people and God relents...He offers them mercy even though they have not turned back to Him. This verse highlights the meaninglessness of human strength and the willingness of God to relent on judgment if even one person will cry out.

7:12ff - The corrupt high priest of the temple tries to convince Amos to leave town and stop stirring up such a ruckus. He even offers a back-handed compliment when he calls Amos a "seer." While seer was a title of respect in the ancient world, it was also a profession where people made money by seeing visions. Often times, the more money the better the vision if you get my drift. The high priest, who only has his position because he is a lick-boot for the king, is accusing Amos of being in the prophecy game for the money. But Amos makes it very clear to the high priest...he is a poor farmer who prepares figs under the orchard trees...he has been called by God and cannot stop prophesying. Here we have a picture of two paths: those who try to use their supposed belief in God to serve themselves and those who will respond to God's call no matter what the cost or consequences - which one are you?

8:2 - Amos uses a really nice play on words here. He describes the nation of Israel as ripe summer fruit...which sounds really nice - you can imagine delicious juicy fruit ready to quench thirst and fill hungry bellies. But the word for summer fruit in Hebrew is very similar to the Hebrew word for "the end" which is used in the beginning of the last sentence in verse 2. They may seem like summer fruit on the outside, but the nation of Israel is rotten on the inside and the end is near for them. God's judgment is coming because of their choices and there is nothing they can do to stop it.

8:11 - God is going to give the people the most distressing famine of them all - He is actually going to take His presence away from them. With the Spirit of God gone from their country, they will find out what true emptiness is like...an emptiness inside that dwarfs that of a hungry belly. Jesus tells us in John chapter 15 that if we stay connected to God, we will produce god fruit...we will be a part of the body of Christ. If we choose to reject God, we will be cut off from the source of light and life and will experience this same famine of God's presence.

9:1-4 - The judgment upon Israel is inevitable...it will happen...there is nothing that the people can do...they cannot escape. God has given them countless opportunities to repent and turn back and they have continually set themselves as His enemies. He promises here that He will no longer protect them and pour out good blessings on His people...He will allow the evils of the world to wash over them in crushing judgment.

9:14 and 15 - As always, no matter how bad the judgment...it is always done as a means of bringing about life-change and repentance. It is clear to see as you read through the OT, that this has always been God's heart motivation in judgment.

Amos Chapters 4-6

4:1 - The area around Bashan was very fertile...good land for grazing cattle, so Amos uses a stinging play on words to describe the rich women that lived in this area. He basically calls them fattened cows, which has nothing to do with their physical appearance and everything to do with their hearts. The rich women in Samaria live in luxury and they pressure their husbands to crush the poor around them to maintain their lifestyles. Definitely applicable to our culture...people who are willing to use anybody they need to use and support systems of economic oppression to maintain consumer lifestyles.

4:6 - Cleanness of teeth - what does that mean? Well, let me ask you something - what are your teeth like when you haven't eaten anything? Clean, right? There is no food in your teeth when you haven't had food in a while. Amos is using that phrase to describe people who are in a famine. People who just happen to be so stubborn that they refuse to return to God no matter what He throws at them for discipline.

4:12 - This is the final climactic moment of the chapter...no more will God warn them...no more will He throw bad situations at them so that they will return to Him...He is coming. And it is never a good thing when somebody says, "Prepare to meet your God!" Especially when it is God Himself saying it. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31). The time for warnings is over and the time for judgment has come. Nothing good ever comes from living life in opposition to God.

5:3 - Amos wants the people to understand the situation they are in - how dire it is. They will have no human power to place their hope in...their armies will be decimated by 90%! Human strength will fail them as it always does.

5:4 - This is such a powerful verse - "Seek me and live." These are the words of life. If we seek God we will find life. In John 14:6 Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth and the life...no one comes to the Father except through me." Life has always been found in God...Jesus gives us access to God...all other roads end in death.

5:11-12 - Amos once again lays out the huge problem God has with the people of Samaria...God's people are neglecting the poor, abusing the weak, neglecting the helpless and oppressing others to feed their own greed. God hates behavior like this. As Christians who pattern their lives after Jesus Christ, we should do everything we can to fight systems that make oppression possible today.

5:15 - Amos gives us a little hint about how you combat the selfish human nature that exists within you...go to war on evil in your life - prepare for it, defend against it, know where you are weak, etc. Seek God as 4:6 told us to do and you will find life...you will be able to love good things and live a life that brings honor to God.

5:20 - I know this verse sounds strange, but it really does make sense. The Day of the Lord truly is terrifying to those who walk in the dark. If you have spent your whole life refusing to live in the Light, then it is a fearful and terrible thing when God shows up. The Jewish people are crying out, saying that they want the Day of the Lord to come, but Amos is warning them - "No you don't! You people are the enemies of God because of your greed and selfishness...if He shows up your will be terrified!"

5:21-23 - God hates empty and meaningless religious behavior. It is pointless to go through the motions of worshipping God if there is no relationships behind it. This is just as true today as it was thousands of years ago. How many Christians today attend services week after week out of duty to "what they have always done" or "what is expected of them" as opposed to be driven to Christian community by their love of God?

5:24 - What happens when millions of gallons of water moving at a high rate of speed tear through an area? Mass destruction. Basically anything that is not solidly built is scoured away. Amos is crying out to God...let justice roll through this land like mighty waters that will wash away all the foundationless evil here. When God's justice rolls through - only that which is anchored in Him will be left.

6:4-6 - It is a terrible thing in the eyes of the Lord for the Jews to sit idly by, to stuff themselves, to live in comfort without a care in the world...while the Promised Land and the Nation of Israel are in an absolute sin-filled shambles. It is also a terrible thing for Christians today to ignore the fact that so few Christians are concerned about being actual disciples of Jesus and just living comfortably in their suburban bubbles.

6:9-10 - This sounds really weird, but it is a description of the destruction that will come down on the rebellious Jews in Samaria. Those who live in fortresses, believing that they will be protected by thick walls and strong arms, will die in their fortresses. When their concerned relatives show up to see if there are any survivors, there will be none. And they cannot call on the Name of the Lord, because it is already too late...they had their chance, but they refused to return to God...now they are dead. This should remind us of the frailty of human strength and the necessity to seek a relationship with God now, because we never know how long we have.

Amos Chapters 1-3

1:1 - Amos is called out of the fields as a shepherd to become a prophet of God. This would have been pretty shocking and controversial in the Jewish world, because shepherds were considered second-class citizens. This goes to show that God has a habit of using those who the world least expects to do incredible things. Amos' life also becomes an illustration of what he is teaching the people, because his ministry is focused on the way the powerful rich have oppressed the powerless around them. This vile oppression is thrown back in their faces as a powerless shepherd is used as the mouthpiece of the all powerful God of everything.

Amos throws out a disgustingly impressive list of the vile oppression that the Israelite leaders have poured out on those around them. Amos frequently throughout the book reminds them that they were once slaves in Egypt themselves who were freed only by the mercy of God. This reminder highlights the twistedness of the people who have now become slave masters and oppresses themselves. This is a far cry from what God has called His people to be, and Amos is calling them to change their ways or suffer judgment. Here's the list...

v. 3 - Not caring about others or the future they have taken peoples' crops and destroyed their fields

v. 6 - Once slaves themselves, they show no mercy and sell others into slavery

v. 9 - They take their greed to deeper levels of depravity by selling their blood relatives into slavery (The descendants of Ishmael and Esau were still living in tribes and nations around Israel)

v.11 - They are pitiless, violent, angry and never-forgiving...the consequences of these sinful actions are still played out in the Middle East today!

v.13 - They kill everyone, including pregnant woman for the sole purpose of taking their land and expanding their holdings. They do not understand that life is more sacred than wealth.

v. 2:1 - They show no respect for the dead

v. 2:4 - They have rejected God's law (obviously)

v. 2:6-7 - They will do anything to feed their insatiable greed...they sell the righteous for money...they oppress the needy for something as small as a pair of sandals (Anyone reminded of Nike here? Paying poor laborers in other countries a few cents an hour to sew shoes.)

2:13-16 - They have become arrogant in every aspect of their lives. They believe they can do whatever they want to do because they have earthly power. They believe that might is right. But God, speaking through Amos, makes it clear t them that their human strength will fail in the end and they will reap the toxic harvest that they have sown. Never forget that you cannot save yourself...beauty fades...physical strength fails...our trust must be in God alone.

3:12 - Though Israel will face judgment and destruction for their sins...there will be a remaining remnant that survives because God is always faithful to His covenant even when the Israelites are not. Like the last bits of a lamb stolen from the mouth of a lion...there will be some piece of Israel that survives the coming wrath of God. There is always light at the end of the tunnel...always hope...God always relents for those who repent and turn back to Him.

Joel Chapters 1-3

Read this and you have read a book of the Bible today...nice work!

2:13 - I love this verse!!! This is a picture of the heart of God...He is the God of second chances...if we are willing to return to Him and throw ourselves on His mercy He will relent from the destruction we deserve and He offers us grace instead. Thank you God.

2:25 - Even though we will face the consequences of our sinful actions and poor choices (Most likely we have all figured that out by now), God's awesome forgiveness offers hope and the possibility of redemption in the future. All is not lost! Return to God. No matter what you have done...your relationship...your hope...your soul...can be restored by the power of God's love.

2:28 - Thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we see lived out in the Gospels - a perfect sacrifice that was made "once for ALL" - the Holy Spirit of God has been poured out on ALL of humanity. God is working in this world and working in our lives...shaping us...are you listening?

2:32 - For me this has echoes of Romans 10:9 which says, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead - you will be saved." ALL who call on the Lord will be saved...again we see God's heart for all the people of the world, not just the Israelites. The Lord is calling to us...calling us to life...calling us to perfect community...calling us to hope...are you willing to see how inadequate you are to save yourself and cry out to Him?

3:16 - This reminds me of an incredible picture painted by C.S. Lewis in the "Magicians Nephew." It is the picture of the lion Aslan (Jesus/God), roaring out a song of love...a song of creation...a song of power...that brings the newly created world into being. Everything around Aslan reverberates with the perfect majesty and power of His voice. God voice roars out and the world trembles beneath His perfection and power. The Word (The Roar) became flesh in the form of Jesus Christ. John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world He gave His one and only son, so that whoever believes in Him will not parish by have everlasting life." This event shook the very foundations of human history and brought hope.

3:21 - Never forget that God is justice...and justice will be met out. Vengeance is for God...not for us. We must always trust int he way that God works out His plan and the path through which He will bring justice.

Hosea Chapters 10-14

10:12 - The old, "you reap what you sow" adage is used throughout the scriptures (It probably originated in the Bible). Hosea is very clear that if you "sow" the righteousness of God...if you live out your faith and strive to walk in God's truth, you will "reap" love, creation, redemption, joy, etc. When you "sow" selfishness and rebellion against God, you "reap" destruction and heap guilt on your head.

11:1 - In this passage, this verse is used to reference God's calling of the Israelite people out of Egypt during the exodus...but it is also a prophetic reference given to Hosea that speaks of the coming of Jesus Christ. Matthew 2:15 tells us that this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus because Mary, Joseph and Jesus escaped to Egypt to avoid the infanticide that was taking place in Israel around the time of his birth. Later, God called his son back from Egypt to begin his ministry to the Jews.

11:8 - Even though God knows that His people deserve harsh judgment for what they have done, He loves them too much...He cannot destroy them...He shows compassion to them. God's compassion and love are always there in His character...they always offer us a glimmer of hope in spite of our sinfulness. It was that loving compassion that drove God to give himself as a sacrifice for our sins. To take our judgment so that we might be spared.

13:4 - This passage is very clear...there is only one entity in existence who can save - God. Salvation can only possibly come through God...so based on what we know about the NT - Jesus is God in the flesh. If salvation came through Jesus and salvation can only come through God, than Jesus is God. This is just another passage that supports a trinitarian understanding of the nature of God.

13:14 - This verse is basically a hope filled taunt that God throws in the face of sin and death. Death as inevitable and powerful as it is, cannot overcome the love of God. Death will never overcome God's mercy. Death has no power in the face of God, and so God says, "Where o death is your sting?" Where is your strength...where is your power, because it does not exist before me. In the end...love wins.

14:3 - This is another heartbreaking example of the rejection of God that is still so prevalent in believers lives today. The men and women of Israel began to cry out to and worship idols they had created with their own hands...that sounds so absurd doesn't it? But how many of us bow down and worship our jobs, our hobbies, our possessions...things that are meaningless on an eternal scale. Be careful where you use your worship.

14:4-7 - What a way to end the book of Hosea! Future hope. Promises of healing. No matter how far we have fallen God is strong enough and loving enough to handle our sins and bring redemption to our lives. The only place we will ever truly flourish is in the presence of our awesome God.

Hosea Chapters 7-9

7:3 - Hosea is telling them that the whole land is corrupt from top to bottom. As the people continue to sink deeper and deeper into the mire of idolatry and sinfulness...where are their leaders? Where are the kings and princes that the people so desparately longed for (So they could be "like everybody else!")? Are they calling the people to change? Are they leading by example? Are they creating accountability? No. They actually rejoice at the sinfulness of the people...they cheer as the people reject God...they are the antheisis of godly leadership. In the areas of your life where you are a leader - does you leadership reflect godliness or human selfishness?

7:14 - The people are distraught and lost...they feel empty and unsatisfied...they cry out for help, but they do not really seek God. They try to fill the emptiness within them...they try to fill it with food...they try to dull their minds with alcohol...they try to cut themselves, so they can feel something...anything...but it all leaves them empty, because they are not truly seeking God.

7:16 - They say they want to come back...they say they want things to return to the way they were, when times were good, but they refuse to look up. They refuse to look to God for help and strength. They will not humble themselves before God, so they will continue to be trapped in the emptiness of their corrupt lives.

8:2 and 3 - They claim to know God, but they do not. Their true feelings are demonstrated by their actions and their words. They defy God at every turn...they revel in their sinfulness...they are not believers. How about us? The truth of our faith is lived out every day. Are we driven to holiness by the blood of Jesus Christ, or does wickedness pour out of our faithlessness? It doesn't really work any other way...you don't get to claim to follow Jesus and then refuse to follow him.

8:8 - Israel has been so twisted and influenced by the pagan world around it, that they have become utterly useless to the kingdom of God. God called them to be His priest nation...to stand out as a light to the world...to draw people towards the holiness of God. But they allowed themselves to become just like everyone else. This same thing happens today. How many of us have become useless vessels for the kingdom of God, because when non-Christians look at our lives they see nothing different about them? That cannot be the case!

9:10 - They offered themselves us to false gods, idols, temptation and sin...and they became as vile as the objects that they worshipped. We take on the twisted, sick characteristics of the sins we partake in. Let's not pile guilt and perversion on our heads by getting caught up in things that run contrary to the way of Jesus.

Hosea Chapters 4-6

4:1 - No land is "God's land" if the majority of the people are faithless and do not allow the truths of God to shape their everyday lives. That is why I often find is laughable when people refer to America as "God's Country"...look around...look at the way we consume while others starve...look at the filth we export across the world...I think we live in a culture that chases after pagan idols made of metal and wood (electronics and money) much like Israel in Hosea's time.

4:6 - One of the many things that destroys our lives is our ignorance to God's plans for us...our lack of understanding about what will really bring us fulfillment. When we choose to ignore God's truth, we invite destruction into out relationships, work places, and souls.

4:7 - Look around with a discerning eye and you will see that it is often the most wealthy and successful people that quickly turn away from God. When life is good and you don't have to fight for survival every day, you can start to believe that you don't need God...start to believe that you can save yourself...you can bring yourself fulfillment...it never works. One of the great truths about the equality of human beings is that rich or poor, successful or not...we are all in desperate need of the salvation that comes through God and only God.

5:13 - When we rely on human strength and ingenuity to save us, we will always be let down in the end. Nothing in this world can save you...do not cling to it...chase after God...seek His truth and the rest will take care of itself.

6:1 - This verse lays out for us the purpose of God's discipline on His people. God brings judgment so that His people will return to Him. He allows pain so that we will seek His healing.

6:2 - I like this promise of hope and allusion to the future salvation that comes through the cross. God will raise his people up on the third day. In Judaism, after the third day, the person was considered well and truly dead...this highlights the fact that only God can save us from the death and destruction brought on by sin. We know that Jesus actually experienced death on our behalf...he was no simply asleep...he was not drugged...he was dead in a tomb and God brought him back to life. God is the bringer of life and resurrection for every person.

6:4 - Human love is often fickle and disappearing like the morning dew. This is a stark contrast to the eternal and steadfast love of God. Which love should you put your hope in?

6:6 - This is what God wants from us...this is what faith looks like lived out. A living faith is demonstrated by steadfast love for God and others, and a thirst for His truth. Do these characteristics define your life?

Hosea Chapters 1-3

1:2 - God calls the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute...why would God do this to a man who loves Him? God wants Hosea to experience this difficult relationship, so that Hosea can more deeply understand and be able to communicate to the people of Israel what God feel when they are unfaithful. Often, difficult trials in life enable us to rely on God more deeply and understand His love even better. You will also notice, that Hosea never objects to God's instructions to marry Gomer. He is faithful to God and apparently in love with his adulterous wife. In Hosea's commitment to Gomer, he follows in the merciful footsteps of God who continuously loves people who reject Him.

1:6ff - The first child: Jezreel - why the strange name? This child is actually Hosea's and God instructs him to name the child Jezreel as a prophetic message to the people of Israel, that the dynasty of Jehu that began with a blood bath in the valley of Jezreel (2 Kings 9 and 10), will come to an end in the same manner. The second child: Lo'tuhama - due to Gomer's adulterous behavior, this child might be Hosea's and might not. The second prophetic name is used to tell the people that God will allow their sin and rebellion to go on unchecked. There will be consequences for their actions and He will allow those to play out without mercy. The third child: Lo'ammi - this is almost certainly not Hosea's child, but one that was conceived out of adultery. Not only is Lo'ammi not Hosea's child, but God wants the people of Israel to understand that they are no longer His people because they have broken their covenant promises and prostituted themselves out to the cultures around them.

1:10ff - Amazingly, Hosea parallels the child name prophecies immediately with opposing prophecies that offer hope in the future. Though God is going to allow His people to face the consequences of their sins...He is allowing it in an effort to bring them back to Him. God does not punish His people out of spite or because He enjoys it...He brings punishment so that there might be change and hope. The people of Israel who hear this prophecy and take it to heart will have the opportunity to once again be the people of God...to once again be connected to the living God...the God who brings life! God actions always bring redemption and hope in the end.

2:4 and 5 - This highlights the destructive cycle of cultural sinfulness and perversion. Cultures that are dominated by anti-God behavior and principles, produce generations of people that are the same way. This is what was happening in Israel for generations. In the same way, children who grow up in twisted home environments, often find themselves twisted in the same fashion. Parents must always remember that great responsibility that comes with shaping the lives of their sons and daughters.

2:13 - God is deadly serious about the sin that exists in our lives. Are you? Are you doing everything you can...are you crying out to God for strength and mercy in dealing with the sin in your own life? When we bow down and worship the things of this world, we set ourselves against God. When we chase after the material wealth and success of our cultures, we become blinded to the point where we can no longer see God. That is very dangerous.

2:19 and 20 - As always with God, there is hope at the end of the period of punishment. Even in the face of Israel's cultural adultery...even though they have turned from Him over and over...God is willing to "marry" them...He is willing to be in covenant relationship with them and give them everything they need. That is the God we serve...that is the God who loves us...honor your vows to Him.

2:23 - Yet another picture of God's gracious and undeserved love. He will love the unlovable. He will have mercy on those who do not deserve it. He will take the rebellious, the adulterous, the sinful, the broken, and make them into His people once again.

3:1 - This is the ultimate explanation for why God asked Hosea to make his married life into a prophetic illustration. The prophet will take Gomer back, just as God take His adulterous people back. Can I follow in the footsteps of Hosea? Can I exhibit this kind of faithfulness to the calling of God? When I go through difficult/painful experiences, can I choose to become more like God rather than blaming Him? That is what Hosea does.

3:2 - Such a great picture of reconciliation with God. Look at what Hosea does here: he pays the price for Gomer's adultery; he takes her back into his home and sets up the rules for how they can redeem their marriage; and he promises even in the face of all she has done to love her as his wife. Incredible. God paid the price for our sins on the cross. God invites us into the community of the Holy Trinity and calls us His bride. God promises to love us. In light of your own struggles and sinfulness, what kind of rules do you need to set up to make sure that you are honoring God with your life? What needs to change? What do you need to stay away from?

Daniel Chapters 10-12

10:5ff - Daniel comes face to face with the vision of an angelic being - some have guessed over the years that this may be the angel Gabriel who is often used by God to deliver messages to people, but there is no clear evidence in this passage to make a strong case for naming him. What is clear is that this is a being of great power.

10:7ff - It is interesting that Daniel's friends cannot see the angel, yet they know that they are in the presence of a great source of power...they go running in fear, though they can see nothing. I think it is possible that this face to face meeting is more than just a dream-like vision. I think Daniel may be getting access to the world behind the veil...he is most likely looking into the spiritual realm that exists around all of us all the time. He can see the reality of what is going on that we are so often ignorant of.

10:13 - Though some have tried to make the case that this powerful being is God, I do not think that is the case because the being says that it needed help from another angel, Michael, to be able to get through to Daniel. I promise you, God is infinitely more powerful than any of His created beings. We get the picture here of angelic and demonic warfare. The angels have been trying to get through the Daniel to give him a message, but evil forces of the prince of Persia have held them at bay. Finally with the help of Michael, the chief warrior angel, the messenger is able to break through and approach Daniel. Makes me wonder what kind of spiritual warfare is going on around all of us all the time. Never forget that prayer is not just about asking for things you want...prayer is one of the most powerful weapons you have in the face of the spiritual war that is constantly raging in our midst.

Chapter 11 - I do not have the time to write this all out in detail, but this is an amazing example of biblical prophecy that can absolutely be backed up by secular history. Written years and years before any of it happens, Daniel is able to chronicle the fall of the Persian Empire that had just come to power, the rise of Alexander the Great and his quick demise, the splitting of Alexanders great kingdom into four parts and the intrigue and warfare that take place after that transition. It is amazing how detailed and perfect the account is. The greatest of the four that was mentioned previously in Daniel is the ruler Antiochus Epiphanies who did his best to eradicate traditional Judaism. The one thing that is unclear about the prophecy in chapter 11 is how it seems to switch gears in verse 36. Though the prophecy has clearly been about Antiochus in the previous verses, it seems to change roles and make reference to a more distant future ruler...an anti-Christ that will lead the world into chaos before the final judgement of God. It is okay to get to a point where we say that we cannot definitively say what a prophetic passage means, because the mysteries of God are not something that can be perfectly placed within a human create systematic theology. What we know is that the world will continue to be attacked by leaders and followers who display anti-Christ behavior, until the end when God will make everything right.

12:2-3: This is an incredible passage that is the only one from the OT that clearly articulates a double resurrection in the end. A resurrection of both the followers of God and those who refuse4d to humble themselves before Him. The one is resurrected for future hope and glory, and the other is resurrected for judgement and condemnation. I know what side I wanna be on!

Daniel Chapters 7-9

We have to remember as Daniel switches gears into the prophetic, that he is using language that was common in the ancient world. He is using apocalyptic language...or language that revolves around the end of empires and the end of time. These visions are not generally meant to give us an exact timetable about how to figure out when the world is going to end, but affirm for us over and over, that though human evil is strong in the world...God is always in control.

7:1-8 - I'll give some basic ideas about these symbols (Again, not an exact science here)...
The Sea - we see that the waters of the sea are violent and turbulent and they give the impression of chaotic times ahead. The Babylonians had a creation myth revolving around Tiamat (Also know as "The Sea") who tried to destroy her children when they killed her husband/their father. In Babylonian mythos, Marduk (The chief God of Babylon) defeated his mother "the Sea" in battle and created the world with parts of her body. Though he defeated her, he had to enclose the sea because she violently continues to fight back. So the Babylonians associates the sea with chaos. Daniel uses this imagery to highlight the terrible things that will be coming to the world in the future.
4 Beasts - These beasts can be interpreted in various ways revolving around the Babylonians Medes, Persians, Greeks, Romans and future kingdoms. The imagery that we need to focus on is the fact that the beasts are all mutant hybrids of various created beings. They are vile abominations and their very nature goes to war against God's created order. They represent the chaotic and sin-filled human systems that have plagued the world since the first sin.

7:9 - The Ancient of Days is picture here as an old and wise judge sitting on a throne of justice. It is verses like this that lead people to picture God as an old man with a long gray beard. Hopefully you know that God is not human...God is not an old man...God is not weak in any form or fashion...this is apocalyptic imagery used to highlight the ancient and wise nature of God. God is no more an old man, then the Greek Empire was literally a leopard with 4 sets of wings. This is symbolism. What you need to understand is that no matter how evil the systems of the world become, God is in control and will make sure that justice is given in the end.

7:13 and 14 - As is always clear from prophetic scripture, God wins out in the end. That is what really matters...it does not matter when it is going to be - Jesus says we will not know the day or the hour in which the end will come. What we do know is that we can put our trust in the FACT that God will prevail. Daniel says that a son of man who is like the ancient of days will come and bring an eternal kingdom that will never be overthrown. Does that sound familiar to anyone? The word became flesh and dwelt among men. Jesus is the son of man, who not only is like God, but is God...who came to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to bear in the world. A kingdom bought and paid for by his blood and a kingdom that cannot be overcome.

7:18 - Though they may seem weak in the eyes of the world, it is the saints - the humble servants of God who will actually inherit the kingdom of God. Through selflessness and faithfulness, we show a strength that is unassailable to the world.

8:3 - The ram with two horns (as later interpreted by the angel Gabriel) is the Medo-Persian Empire which displaces the Babylonians and takes control of the middle east soon after this vision.

8:5 - The powerful goat with one horn is the Greek Empire led by a single powerful ruler - Alexander the Great...who conquered much of the known ancient world.

8:8 - The vision is so historically accurate it is almost scary...remember, this is written hundreds of years before any of this happens...Alexander the Great dies at the ripe old age of 33 (My age - eek!) and his sons are quickly slaughtered and his empire is split between his four most powerful generals (four horns - get it!).

8:9ff - One of the four new rulers rises up and becomes greater and more powerful than the others. Antiochus Epiphanies is most likely the little horn that grows to be large. He was the head of the Seleucid Empire which became great and powerful due to his political savvy and deceptive nature. He tried to eradicate Judaism by getting the Jewish elite to become more like the Greeks. He sacrificed pigs to Zeus on the altar of the Lord and allowed sick sex rituals to take place in the Temple.

8:14 - What is the 2300 mornings and evenings all about? Scholars are not quite sure. It could either means a literal 2300 days or 2300 morning and evening sacrifices that would take place in Judaism, which would take place over the span of 1150 days. Interestingly enough, both of those interpretations work in conjunction with huge events in Antiochus' desecration of the temple and the subsequent Jewish rebellion and rededication of the Temple.

8:17 - I always find it interesting that ever single biblical occasion where an angel shows up, people get really scared and fall on their faces. They must be incredible beings to behold. Yet, we must remember that they are simply beings that were created by our awesome God. How much more terrifying and awe-inspiring is the presence of the one and only God? Maybe one of the reasons that God does not show Himself to us, is that we could not handle it?

9:3ff - We have already seen throughout the book of Daniel, how faithful Daniel remained to God no matter what was happening around him. Yet here we see that he stands as an intercessor for his people...the people of Israel...crying out to God for forgiveness and mercy. We must always remember that faith is not something that is to be lived out on an individual basis...faith is something that is supposed to be worked out int he context of community. Are you and I taking responsibility for the failures of the worldwide Church? Are we crying out to God for forgiveness...or are we looking for excuses so that we can blame others for the failings of the Church?

9:24ff - This "seventy" number is generally understood to be seventy-sevens or seventy weeks of years, which actually comes out to be 490 years. Gabriel is confirming Jeremiah's prophecy of a 70 year exile, but also saying that the return to Jerusalem will only be the beginning of a judgement that will last nearly 500 years. When Antiochus sacrifices pigs (unclean animals) on the altar of God, the Jews referred to that act as the abomination of desolation or an abomination that is so vile that it only brings desolation. Now check out Daniel 9:27 - the abominations that makes desolate. After the Jewish people rebelled against Antiochus and eventually earned their freedom, they were able to rededicate the Temple to God. And shortly after that, one who was like a Son of Man came to earth...born of a virgin...born in Bethlehem the hometown of King David...and he came so that we might have life and have it to the full...he came to put an end to the abomination of desolation and make it so that we could become part of his eternal kingdom.