July 8, Daniel 8
He said, "Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end." - Daniel 8:19
We humans tend to want what we don't have. We also want to know what we don't know. We enjoy many modern conveniences every day because someone imagined a product or a device that would make life better. We have learned so much of what we know from people who share what they learned through diligent study. Truly, this desire to have and know has blessed us in many ways.
If you could know your future, would you want to know it? That's one unknown that most of us have on our minds as we make decisions and plan about our careers, our health, our relationships or our retirement. We don't know about those things for certain, because we're future-blind. God in his wisdom made us able to remember the past. But he did not choose to let us see the future.
From the beginning of his covenant relationships with humans, God stressed the importance of listening to him and him only as the only reliable source of information about the future. Through his prophets and other inspired writers, the Lord gave us information about life, death, judgment and eternity that we need to know. In his wisdom and for our good, he did not answer every curious question. Instead he revealed his character, nature and sovereignty and called us to trust him. He forbade seeking information about the future and the unknown from others who claim to know and will reveal it to us for a price.
Biblical prophecy about events that were in the future when the prophets wrote is like pre-written history. God is eternal. He knows the end from the beginning. He tells us what we need to know and commands us to trust him about the rest.
Daniel's visions in Chapter 8 about the four
beasts are like his vision in the preceding chapter and Nebuchadnezzar's dream back in Chapter 2. They offer four pictures of the same events that would occur in the years before Messiah came and in the time when he had come and established his everlasting kingdom. Daniel is a good example of what Peter said in the New Testament about the prophets who wrote about things they did not fully understand. The angel Gabriel (the first named angel in the Bible) explained the symbols of the ram, the goat and their various horns. He outlined the Medo-Perisan empire falling to Alexander the Great, and how Alexander's empire would break into four pieces. From one of those pieces, a ruthless, ungodly ruler would rise to persecute the Jews and defile the Jerusalem temple with abominations. He assured Daniel that the temple would be restored and told him that the visions were about latter times in the distant future.
We get a glimpse of how this overwhelming revelation affected Daniel. He was overcome and sick for several days before he could resume his duties. The vision was disturbing, and he could not understand all it meant.
With the help of history and knowledge from the New Testament, we can know and appreciate more about Daniel's vision than he could grasp at the time it was given. We still do not know what all the events and symbols in such visions may signify. But we must remember that our lack of certain knowledge is designed to show us our need for God and lead us to trust him.
We need not be anxious and troubled about such matters when we are confident that God wants to bless us, that he is in full control of the world and cannot be prevented by any power from accomplishing his purpose. Yes, we are still
curious and have unanswered questions. But let's trust in him with all our heart, not lean on our own understanding, and never allow those uncertain thoughts to turn our hearts away from God.
Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—July 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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