Staying Strong in a Hostile World 2024 - Weeks 7 and 8
We don't have to focus on when the End Times take place | Staying Strong in a Hostile World 2024 | Book of Daniel
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Is this the End?
The End of a Wonderful Small Group
Hello, dear readers.
Ah, the final three chapters of the book of Daniel, and the end of one of the best women’s small-group Bible studies I’ve attended. Every sister is a mature believer and they know God’s word well (without attending seminary). And yet, we all had much to learn through our study guide, “Daniel: Staying Strong in a Hostile World”, by author David Helm [read my intro post here]. Now, we’re on summer break, and the posts on Night Owl Christian will follow new directions.
The End of the 2024 Daniel Series
Last week, we took a break for Pentecost Sunday, so this post has notes for Week 7 (chapters 10 and 11) as well as Week 8 (chapter 12).
Chapter 10
This time, Daniel understood the divine message, the vision, about a great conflict.
One thing that impressed me in Chapter 10, is the messenger angel. (The ancient Hebrew word for “angel” is ma’lak, which means messenger. It’s the job description of these spiritual beings.) Daniel is absolutely terrified in the messenger’s presence. First, the messenger’s appearance was impressive and only Daniel could see this entity. His companions couldn’t and yet they fled in terror. Daniel grew faint and passed out. The messenger revived him.
When it comes to spiritual warfare, it comforts me to know that God’s messengers are incredible beings who can strike terror in others when they appear. I can’t always see the battle skirmishes that occur in the unseen realm around me, but they do take place. Hollywood and others really play up the demonic side of spiritual warfare. I think it’s time to call much attention to God’s side and His amazing heavenly warriors.
God’s incredible spiritual messengers appear to humans and say:
“Do not be afraid.”
Yeah, right, Lol.
They operate within a hierarchy. The messenger to Daniel needed the Archangel Michael’s help to reach Daniel, due to the prince of the kingdom of Persia. Yes, there are spiritual beings that rule over various regions or nations on Earth. They’re formidable beings as well, but as we see in the latter half of Daniel, God’s heavenly host, His angelic armies, overcome their spiritual enemies.
The notion of patron angels and gods is a derivative of the ancient Near Eastern understanding of a divine assembly or council that would periodically convene to decide the outcome of world events (see Deut 32:8 and note). The biblical authors use this same imagery. For example, in Job 1, Israel’s God sits as president over the assembly with all others subservient to Him. Other passages like 1 Kgs 22:19–23 and Psa 82:1 reference this motif as well. Here, the one speaking to Daniel acknowledges the reality of patron angels, a prominent theme in the Second Temple period (see Sirach 17:17).
John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Da 10:13.
~Logos Bible Software
Good princes and bad princes, angels and demons, they operate in a realm that’s unseen but is very much involved with our earthly realm. We can stay strong in a hostile world by remembering God is always with us. God’s Holy Spirit lives in us, we can pray to the Lord constantly (as Daniel did), and sometimes God directly intervenes in our lives through His angelic messengers.
This unseen realm and the evil beings have been real to me since I was a child. As for God’s angelic messengers, I do have an “angel story” from several decades ago. I believe God sent two angels to rescue me out of a potentially dangerous situation while I was driving in the dark to church on Christmas Eve.
Chapter 11
In chapter 11, Daniel continues with more visions, kings upon kings, and it all was fulfilled in ancient times against God’s people. What terrible times!
Kingdoms rose and kingdoms fell. God won and God remained faithful to His people, and many remained faithful to Him:
Daniel 11:32-33 (HCSB)
32 With flattery he will corrupt those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action. 33 Those who are wise among the people will give understanding to many, yet they will die by sword and flame, and be captured and plundered for a time.
His wise and faithful people remained strong, and they took action by doing what Daniel and his three companions did: In wisdom they remained faithful to Yahweh and spoke to others with understanding about who He is. God rewarded them with His faithfulness, especially during the time of the Roman Empire, when Emmanuel, God with us, was born to finally fulfill Yahweh’s covenant with His people.
God has already won, and God will win in the final days.
This message must rule in our hearts to help us stay strong in a hostile world. And, dear readers, let’s be honest: It can be very hard to endure, to stand firm. Just this past week, fellow believers are reeling and grieving over the brutal deaths of a young missionary couple in Haiti, and the Haitian Director of “Missions in Haiti”. (If you’re not aware, gangs have overtaken Haiti and are terrorizing the population.)
https://www.christianpost.com/news/bodies-of-us-missionary-killed-in-haiti-may-have-been-burned.html
Chapter 11 give us pause; it makes us think about our own lives, and any difficult times that may come due to our believing loyalty, our allegiance to Jesus.
Remember, we have much to look forward to, and we’ll examine this in Daniel chapter 12, the final chapter in the book.
Chapter 12
Oh my, Daniel chapter 12 can confuse us with the “time, times, and half a time” plus the 1,290 days and the 1,335 days in terms of the end of days (the end times). The chapter gives us comforting news. We don’t need to understand everything about the end times, nor everything in the book of Daniel. In chapter 12, the messengers told Daniel all was sealed, and for him to go on his way and live his life. God gave Daniel a job to record the visions, he did, and he would then go on to his rest [Daniel 12:13].
Yes, there are those who study a great deal to interpret the prophesies for mankind’s final days (versus what happened to God’s people in ancient history, which the book of Daniel predicted). However, it’s okay not to focus on calculating when the second coming of Jesus will occur.
Really. It’s okay. Plus, Jesus said:
Matthew 24:36 (NIV)
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Not even the Son knows, just Father God knows.
We must understand that it’s imperative we stay strong, we stand firm and remain faithful to Yahweh even if we face fiery furnaces, a den of lions, or other frightening and evil situations because of our faith in our LORD God.
And yet, the book of Daniel gives us hope. The resurrection of humanity is mentioned in chapter 12. All will rise at the last judgment with two outcomes:
Daniel 12:2 (HCSB)
2 Many of those who sleep in the dust
of the earth will awake,
some to eternal life,
and some to shame and eternal contempt.
If Not the End Times, What Is Our Focus?
What are we supposed to focus on, then?
The Great Commission. Spreading the gospel.
We need to understand from the book of Daniel that no matter what happens, God has already won the spiritual war for our eternal souls. God remained faithful to His covenant with His people over the millennia despite their disobedience, rebellion, and evil ways. He never gave up! Emmanuel, God with us, came the first time to live, minister, die our death, and be raised by the Father. Jesus has set us free from sin and death.
Let us, then, be faithful to the “job description” Jesus gave us. This is what my Wednesday morning women’s small-group Bible study concluded: We stay strong in our loyalty to Yahweh, we endure hostile times, and we go and make Jesus disciples so they can join us in the joy of God’s eternal life at the final resurrection.
Application: What About You?
Do you believe in the unseen, spiritual realm, and in the beings who inhabit that space?
If you do, what difference can your belief make in your ability to stay strong in a hostile world?
Do you believe that God would send His spiritual messengers to help you through a challenging time in your life?
Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.
Soli Deo Gloria!
If you’re a not-yet follower of Jesus Christ, please come along on this journey with us. You are welcome here.
And, I invite you to read my series on the book “What Does God Want?”.
Conversation & Community
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Hello Night Owl, I do believe in the unseen world. It is both unsettling considering the demonic, and joyful considering Jesus and the angels all around us. I am currently reading a mind blowing book called "He Came to Set the Captives Free" by Rebecca Brown, MD. It is a story of spiritual warfare and it contains a lot of useful information but is not for the faint hearted. I know that God would send help if a believer asked for it but He doesn't want us to go looking for trouble either. We must ask daily for Him to arm us with the belt, the breastplate, the Gospel, the shield, the helmet and the sword.
"Staying Strong in a hostile world"
"This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him." Psalm 91:2 NLT
Dear brothers and sisters, we will come under attack from the forces of evil but fear not. The LORD is with us.
"For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!" Deuteronomy 20:4 NLT
"Be encouraged."
Let it be understood that we are in a spiritual battle. We are all called to share our faith with others, to speak to people about JESUS, and to affirm that He is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6). Have no fear we will come under attack from without and within, but we have the assurance that the LORD will be with us when the forces of darkness assault us. Remember that the LORD will remain by our sides, never to depart. We already have the victory over our enemies because JESUS has overcome the world.
"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33 NLT
LORD, help us to stand strong in Your almighty enabling power, protect us as we boldly talk about our faith with others, and help us to share the good news (the gospel, John 3:16) with all who will listen in these difficult times. To fearlessly speak the truth in love, telling everyone everywhere that there is hope for a better life that will last forever, always pointing the way to JESUS.
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 NLT
"Be encouraged."
GOD bless you all!
Draw Me Close to You: Instrumental Worship & Prayer Music with Nature https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0e7hnAZnwI&list=RDWSqXM0MeVsI&index=4