Daniel’s vision – Be Still…

Daniel 11:2-20 – North vs. South

Read Daniel 11:2-20

The messenger from our last reading continues to share with Daniel in this passage. And there will be still another reading to finish up this one vision. Can you believe the detail Daniel is receiving from this angel from God?

I’m not really a history buff, but when I read this vision, I very much wanted to figure out who these people were from the north and south. I tried drawing a diagram of what we know from Daniel’s vision but felt even more lost. Continue reading “Daniel 11:2-20 – North vs. South”

Daniel 8:1-14 – What Bullies!

Read Daniel 8:1-14

A couple years later, Daniel has another vision. This one is all about a ram and a goat and lots of horns. Daniel also gives us a location for where he witnesses these animal skirmishes. Daniel reports, “In this vision I was at the fortress of Susa, in the province of Elam, standing beside the Ulai River.”

The city of Susa is not unfamiliar to us. You may recall it’s where Esther became the new Queen of Persia. It’s where Nehemiah served as cupbearer to the king before receiving permission to return to the land of Judah to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Continue reading “Daniel 8:1-14 – What Bullies!”

Daniel 7:1-14 – First Apocalyptic Vision

Read Daniel 7:1-14

And, just like that, we have entered the second half of the book of Daniel. We’ll now encounter several apocalyptic visions Daniel had about the future of God’s people. Because of the chapters that preceded this, we can picture Daniel living his life in Babylon. We can understand a little of the environment he found himself in after being taken into exile. The shift is now from Daniel’s back story and public displays of God’s power to more private encounters.

This first vision is a bit troubling with images of beasts amidst strong storms. Can’t you just picture it? Yet there is something very calming about the appearance of the “son of man.” Perhaps it was because of the familiarity. We as Christ-followers may well recognize Jesus in this passage. Continue reading “Daniel 7:1-14 – First Apocalyptic Vision”