I have spent 5 years in mission work in the West Indies and South America. I have preached mainly part time for 40 years, much of that time while working with a full time job in Christian education. I am currently at Madison Academy in Huntsville, Alabama and serving as a shepherd at the Monrovia Church of Christ. God has blessed me with a wife and 3 grown children (and their families) who are much more loving than I am!
A little human interest story. Recently a mentally challenged adult was able to visit the Signals Museum in Huntsville, Al. He has listened to radios 24/7 all his life and his parents let him buy radios, stereos, etc. all through the years. He has bought hundred of them. If you go on a trip and call him, he will always ask “what radio station do they have”. He enjoyed the visit to the Signals Museum. It’s mission is “to educate visitors about the history of information communication advancements and the scientists, engineers and business leaders who made them possible” (from their brochure). It has many amazing exhibits and displays, such as telephone, telegraph, radio, television, Ham Shack, etc. . Go visit if you can.
One of the exhibits is “telegraphs”. In big letters on the display are the words, “What God hath wrought”. That is taken from Numbers 23:23 (KJV). That was the first message ever sent over a long distance telegraph line (from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland). The inventor of the telegraph was Samuel Morse and the message was sent in “morse code” on May 24, 1844. Annie Elsworth composed the message. The context of Numbers 23 is the prophet Balaam’s 2nd attempt to curse Israel as they passed through Moab on the final leg to the Promised Land under Joshua. Balaam tried 4 times to curse Israel to get his pay from Balaak the king of Moab, but all 4 times the Spirit took over and Balaam blessed Israel. The whole verse reads: Numbers 23:23 For there is no magic curse against Jacob, nor is there any divination against Israel; at the proper time it shall be said to Jacob and to Israel, what God has done!” (NASB). In other words, not only would the Spirit not curse Israel but one day in the future people would be amazed at what God did for Israel, HIs people. He would lead them into the. Promised Land and defeat all the Canaanite nations. He would make a great nation of Israel and established the mighty kingdom of David. He would do mighty miracles for them such as the walls of Jericho and the sun standing still. People would look at the history of Israel and her God Yahweh and say, “Wow! Look what God did with them. What an amazing God!”
I can’t read what Annie Elsworth had in mind when she composed that 4 word message, but I can only guess that she was amazed at what God had accomplished through Morse and others in inventing the telegraph. What an amazing way of sending information. That was just the beginning, of course, and look at where we are today. The history of all that is at the museum. Even as late as 1974, when we were in Trinidad, West Indies, we had to find a ham operator in Trinidad and get him to talk to a ham operator in the U.S. who would then call our parents collect so we could talk through the them via ham. Now I can call people in Trinidad on whatsapp and see their faces as we talk.
All that got me thinking about signals from God. How did He communicate with man? How did he reveal Himself to man? It starts with “general revelation”. Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” The very existence of a universe created from nothing and the design of that universe tell us there is a creator God. Psalm 19:1 “The heavens tell of the glory of God; And their expanse declares the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the end of the world.” Constantly 24/7 the universe and everything created is speaking to us, telling “there is a glorious God who created everything. Give Him the honor and praise that is due Him.” Atheists can’t hear that message appaarently.
But gneral revelation via the creation does not tell us what that God is like. Is is the Greek pantheon of gods headed by the chief god Zeus? Or is the many gods of Hinduism with Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva? Or is it Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu of Zoroastrianism? Or is it the many Egyptian gods like Ra, the sun god? Thus God used “special revelation” to tell us what He is like and what His plans are. He used prophets who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture becomes a matter of someone’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” They told us in inspired words what God has been doing throughout history with Israel. They told us about the many miracles of God. They told us about the nature of God. They told us about God’s plan to save sinners by sending His Son to die for us. There had to be a message sent via the telegraph or it would mean nothing. God’s special revelation through prophets was that message sent via God’s telegraph system.
Just as communication methods have progressed from the simple first message sent via telegraph, God’s revelatiion progressed. After centuries of prophets, God spoke through HIs Son. Hebrews 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 [a]in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world.” Now it is the “red letter” words of Jesus (used in the gospels in some Bibles) that tell us even more about the Father and HIs will. He then left the Spirit with His apostles, guiding them to “all truth” and they preached and wrote the rest of the New Testament, leaving us a core of all the truth that we would need to “not be tossed about by every wind of doctrine”. God sill speaks to us through creation and through His word. He even speaks to us in personal ways as we listen for HIs voice.
Well, there you have it. The “Signals” history of God’s communication to us. We live in an amazing time of communication. We also llive in an amazing time of studying God’s communication via HIs word. You can click on biblehub.com and get the Greek or Hebrew for any word in the Bible with its meaning, its cultural usage, different translations of the word, and the places in the Bible where it is used. You can google the internet to get amazing research on any Bible topic.
Here is Peyton Synthetic Gospel Harmony for Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. I like Peyton b/c it blends all 3 accounts of his prayer into one.
FRIDAY
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane – Before Dawn (Mk 14:32-42; Mt 26:36-46; Lk 22:39-46; Jn 18:1)
Lk 22:39 Then Jesus went out and made his way, as he customarily did, Mt 26:36 to a place called Gethsemane, Jn 18:1 across the Kidron Valley. There was an orchard there, and he and his disciples went into it. Lk 22:40 When he came to the place, he said to them, “Sit here and pray that you will not fall into temptation Mt 26:36 while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took with him Peter, James, and John, the two sons of Zebedee, and became anguished and distressed. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me.” Mk 14:35 Going a little farther, about a stone’s throw, he threw himself down with his face to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour would pass from him. 36 He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Lk 22:42 If you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.” 43 [Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And in his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground 45 When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, exhausted from grief. Mk 14:37 He said to Peter, “Simon, why are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake with me for one hour? 38 Get up, stay awake and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Mt 26:42 He went away a second time and prayed the same thing, “My Father, if this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will must be done.” Mk 14:40 When he came again he found them sleeping; they could not keep their eyes open. And they did not know what to tell him. Mt 26:44 So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then he came to the disciples a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough of that! Look, the hour is approaching and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let us go. Look! My betrayer is approaching!”
Notice the words that describe Jesus’ mental and emotional state in the Garden. 1) Mt 26:37 “Anguished” (lupeó: To grieve, to cause sorrow, to distress). 2) “distressed” (adémoneó: To be distressed, troubled, or deeply grieved). 3) Mt 26:38 “Deeply grieved” (perilupos: Deeply distressed, exceedingly sorrowful, very sad). perílypos (an adjective, derived from 4012/perí, “encompassing” and 3077/lýpē, “sorrow”) – properly, being sorrowful “all-around,” i.e. engulfed in sorrow. AI: “The term “perilupos” is used to describe a state of profound emotional distress or sorrow. It conveys a sense of being overwhelmed by grief or sadness, often in response to a significant or impending event. In the New Testament, it is used to express the deep emotional turmoil experienced by individuals in moments of great trial or anticipation of suffering.” In other words, not just grieved (lupeo in 26:37) but overwhelmed with grief, perilupos 26:38). 4) Mt 26:38 “to the point of death”. What does that mean? “He confesses a deeply troubled state of mind. “Jesus describes this as being so distressed that He almost feels the emotion would kill Him.” Have you ever been so troubled, depressed, grieved that you just felt like you couldn’t go one, you couldn’t face life any longer? Jesus felt that. 5) Lk 22:44 “sweat like drops of blood falling to the ground”. 2 possible meanings for this: “Hematohidrosis: This condition occurs when blood vessels around the sweat glands rupture, allowing blood to mix with sweat. It can be caused by extreme distress or bleeding disorders. Simile: The phrase “like drops of blood” could be a simile to compare the large, heavy drops of sweat to blood dripping from a wound.” Since it says “like”, I think it means a simile.
So, was Jesus depressed? It would seem so. He is “overwhelmed” with grief which is a symptom of depression. He feels that his grief and anxiety is going to kill him. He is sweating thick drops of sweat, which is a sign of a panic attack for me (I have awakened from a panic attack, sweating profusely even though the room temperature is cool). Is depression a lack of faith? Had Jesus lost his faith in the Father’s plan? Of course not. Some might feel guilt b/c they feel that their depression is due to their lack of faith. That just adds more stress to their depression. Depression is just a fact of our human weakness that we all endure at one time or another, some for longer periods than others.
So how did Jesus handle his depression? He prayed. Mk 14:35 Going a little farther, about a stone’s throw, he threw himself down with his face to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour would pass from him. 36 He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Lk 22:42 If you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And in his anguish he prayed more earnestly.” He prayed this same prayer 3 times. Did he really think that it was “possible” that his impending hour of suffering and death would pass from him and not happen? He knew that his fate, dying on the cross, was imminent, but He knew it had to happen to do the Father’s will and save sinners. After his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, John 12:27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” I think his mind knew that it was not possible at the last moment to change God’s plan for him to die, but his fleshly spirit was so overwhelmed that he asked the Father if there was any other way. He is so distressed that he even reminds the Father “all things are possible for you”. But then he adds, “yet not my will but yours be done”. He is totally ready to accept his fate, suffer, and die. I think he knew there was no other way.
When we pray for a loved one with cancer, we know that all things are possible with God. He can use doctors and medicine to reverse a death sentence, or He can just reverse it mysteriously without medicine. So our grief causes us to pray for healing. We pray with faith that God can heal. We don’t pray with faith that God will heal. We know, as Jesus did, that for whatever reason God might not let the fate of our loved one pass: he/she will die from the cancer. We should not feel guilty if our loved one dies, thinking that he/she died b/c of our lack of faith or lack of prayer. I have heard some expressing that thought when we had a loved one die and it devastating to the survivors, causing them to live with unnecessary guilt for years afterward. We lost a loved one in a car accident, and as she was in intensive care I was asked, “we prayed and we believe so she will be okay, right?” We lost another loved one in intensive care and I heard someone say that if we prayed hard enough and believed enough that the loved one would live. She did not live and I wonder how that statement affected others’ faith in God.
We just have to pray, believing that God might heal, but we must be ready to accept whatever the will of the Father is. Not some predetermined Calvinistic fate, but whatever the Father feels is best. Then we just leave the outcome to God. We don’t lose any faith in God is he doesn’t heal. We accept it and move on. If we pray like Jesus did, then the Father can say “yes” to all of our prayers. We pray, “heal my loved one, but if not, do what is best”. The Father can say, “yes, I wil do that”: even if our loved one dies, He has answered “yes” to our prayer. If we just pray, “Father heal my loved one”, then He can’t say yes. He can say “I hear your prayer, but “no”, I will not heal your loved one.”
We can learn so much from the prayer life of Jesus. Here is a great site that lists all the verses (and you can click on the verses for each time of prayer listed) in which Jesus prayed: https://jesusalive.cc/times-jesus-prayed/. Here is a great summary from the article by Steve Shirley:
“The Bible tells us in (1 Th 5:17) to “pray without ceasing.” While I don’t believe this literally means to never stop praying, I would say that Jesus probably came closer to never stopping than any person who has ever lived on this planet. He was continually in a prayer mode. He is shown to pray: alone (Mt 14:23)(Mk 1:35)(Lk 9:18)(Lk 22:39-41), in public (Jn 11:41-42)(Jn 12:27-30), before meals (Mt 26:26)(Mk 8:6)(Lk 24:30)(Jn 6:11), before important decisions (Lk 6:12-13), before healing (Mk 7:34-35), after healing (Lk 5:16), to do the Father’s will (Mt 26:36-44), among other things. He also taught on the importance of prayer (Mt 21:22)(Mk 11:24-26)(Mt 7:7-11)(Lk 11:9-13)(Jn 14:13-14)(Jn 15:7,16)(Jn 16:23-24)(Mt 5:44)(Lk 6:27-28)(Mt 6:5-15: including the Lord’s Prayer)(Lk 11:2-4)(Mt 18:19-20). If you take all of the places that show Jesus praying, you will have a PERFECT outline of how to pray (check out Jn 17).” Go to the article and read this summary b/c you can click on the verses and see each verse for each category. You can’t do that from reading the summary in this blog article. The author lists 25 places, times, and occasions where Jesus prayed and you can click on the verses for each one.
I don’t know about you, but my prayer life is weak and I hope this article will help me be more prayerful.
So, add “prayer” to “heal to deal with depression.”
The prophet Elijah had just achieved a maor victory over the wicked King Ahab and his wicked wife, Queen Jezebel. On Mt. Carmel, he had just defeated the 400 prophets of Baal and the 450 prophets of Asherah. He should feel quite victorious, yes? No. Instead he goes into depression, even what would be considered suicidal depression. The mental health questionaires always ask, “did you ever consider killing yourself when you were depressed?” Eliah did. After his victory, he heard that Jezebel had sworn to kill him the next day. There would probably be many of her soldiers tracking him down 24/7. 1 Kings 19:3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” That is suicidal thinking. An angel gave him food and sent him on a 40 day journey to Mt. Sinai. 1 Kings 19:9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” “I have accomplished nothing, my life is a failure.”
What happens next is interesting. 1 Kings 19:11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. ” In other words: The Lord doesn’t always punish our enemies when and how we want him to. He doesn’t always remove our enemies when we want him to. It would be several years before God punishes Jezebel and the dogs eat almost all of her body and lick up her blood. Sometimes God has a more gentle way of dealing with our depressing circumstances, so we just need to trust him and be patient.
1 Kings 19:13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” Apparently Elijah didn’t get the lesson with the gentle breeze whisper! God asked him the same question that he did before the breeze. God was not asking that for His sake. He was asking that to challenge Elijah’s depression thinking. In other words: “Elijah, why are you even here? You should not even be here, several days away from the action. You should not be here feeling sorry for yourself.” Self pity is a big part of depression. You get the “victim mentality. You complain a lot. You dwell on things that have happened to you or past mistakes. You look at others who are doing better than you. You just feel sorry for yourself. Why me? Have you ever felt that? Self pity is a symptom of depression or can lead to depression. Of course, if you look at how many others are suffering then you won’t feel so sorry for yourself.
So what did God tell him to do to deal with his self pity and suicidal depression? 1 Kings 19:15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” In other words: “Quit feeling sorry for yourself. Get back to work using your gift to do what I have commissioned you to do, i.e. to do the work of a prophet. I have work for you to do and this self pity and depression is hindering that work. Go anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: I will use him to punish the idolatry of Israel (and God did that later). Go anoint Jehu to wipe out the household and descendants to Ahab and Jezebel, which he did later. Go anoint Elisha to take your place later, and he will pronounce even more punishments on Israel for their idolatry. But be patient. The strong wind, earthquake, and fire will come, but only when I am ready and how I dictate it to happen. You just get back to work using your prophetic gift.” Elijah apparently immediately did what God said. Maybe it helped him deal with his depression and self pity.
So in part 1, we got lessons from the depression of Job. What is the main takeaway from the depression of Elijah. To me it is this: Quit feeling sorry for yourself. Get up and go use your gift to help others. 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 2 main types of gifts: teaching and serving. Using our gifts will help get our minds off our depression and make us feel useful. The world is full of opportunities for us to use our gifts. Find something that gives you purpose and perspective, that gives you a reason to live and gives meaning to your existence.
So, from Job: trust in God that he knows what’s best and humbly accept depressing circumstances.
From Elijah: quit feeling sorry for yourself and go use your gift to serve others.
From Paul: Keep your eyes on eternal life and whatever you face here on earth will be light and momentary in comparison with our eternal weight of glory.
When you have done all that, go get some good home made banana pudding, a good cup of coffee, and make the best of every day that you have left. At least, that’s what I do!
I was a little shocked at the severity of Job’s depression. Someone has said that Job 30 is a classical definition of the symptoms of depression. Justing quoting one section from that chapter.
Job30:16 “And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction have taken hold of me. 17 The night racks my bones, and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest. 18 With great force my garment is disfigured; it binds me about like the collar of my tunic. 19 God has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes. 20 I cry to you for help and you do not answer me; I stand, and you only look at me. 21 You have turned cruel to me; with the might of your hand you persecute me. 22 You lift me up on the wind; you make me ride on it, and you toss me about in the roar of the storm. 23 For I know that you will bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living.
Physical and emotional pain, crying, hopeless feeling, physical exhaustion, sleeplessness, anger at God, self pity, loneliness, feeling of isolation. It’s all there. He had already wished that he had never been born or that he had been born dead in chapter 3 when his trials began. His 3 “friends” say that his suffering must be as a result of his sins. He argues that he has not committed sin and has always helped the needy, not lusted, etc. He wants an umpire to settle this dispute with God. He challenges God’s fairness. We don’t know how long Job sat with boils from head to foot, but by chapter 30 it seems that he is in full blown depression. A 4th friend, Elihu, speaks for the first time. He rebukes the 3 other men for not giving Job satisfactory advice, and he rebukes Job for his self righteousness and for challenging God.
Finally, for the first time in the book, the Lord speaks.
Job 38:1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.” In other words: “Man up. If you think you can challenge God, I have some questions for you. Where were you when I created all these wondrous things in nature?” 40:1 And the Lord said to Job: 2 “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” In other words: “Job, who do you think you are than you can challenge Me and question My character and fairness.”
Job 40:3 Then Job answered the Lord and said: 4 “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. 5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.” In other words: “Shut my mouth. I will never challenge you again, God.”
God is not through with him. Job 40:6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:7 “Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 8 Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?” In other words: “Man up. I’ve got some more questions for you.”
Job has had enough! Job 42:Then Job answered the Lord and said: 2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4 ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ 5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6 therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” In other words: “I repent of my attitude, my challenging you, God. I will humbly accept whatever you do to me and just trust you even if I don’t know why You are doing what You are doing.”
I don’t claim to be a counselor for depression, but at least my advice is free! I always told them when I was preaching every Sunday for a congregation of 500, only getting part time pay since I was full time in Christian education, “My preaching is not some super speaker, but at least it’s cheap!”
The next article on depression will be Elijah. God’s rebuke of Elijah in his depression will add to “how to deal with depression”. But what do we get from God’s rebuke of Job in his depression? Simple: “You just need to recognize that I am the Creator and Sustainer of all things and trust me whether you know why I am doing what I am doing or not. Just humbly recognize that I am God and trust Me that I know what’s best.”
Counselors give great advice on how to deal with depression that should be included here. From AI:
Seek Professional Help:
Consult a healthcare professional, such as a doctor or therapist, for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
Psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or interpersonal therapy (IPT), can help individuals identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors.
Antidepressant medications may be prescribed in some cases to improve mood and reduce symptoms.
Lifestyle Changes:
Engage in regular exercise, even if it’s just a short walk or bike ride.
Get enough sleep and maintain a healthy diet.
Avoid alcohol and drugs, as they can worsen symptoms.
Spend time with supportive friends and family members.
Self-Help Techniques:
Practice mindfulness and meditation to reduce stress and improve emotional regulation.
Engage in activities that bring joy, such as hobbies, reading, or spending time in nature.
Set small, achievable goals and celebrate your successes.
Keep a journal to track your thoughts and feelings, and identify triggers that may worsen depression.
That’s great thorough advice, so follow it. But Christian counseling adds another dimension, the spiritual. The very first step in dealing with depression is to simply trust God that He knows what is best. Just humbly accept whatever it is that depresses you. Trust God that He has something really good for you in the future that will make your depressing circumstances seem like nothing one day, sooner or later.
It might even be that God will reward your trust in this life, as he did with Job. 42:12 And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man, and full of days.”
But for most, that reward might be eternal life with the Father, Jesus, and loved ones. Jesus had jsut finished telling his apostles that riches would not be the reward for following Him. Peter then asked, “We have left everything to follow you. If the reward is not riches, what’s in it for us?” Jesus answered: Matthew 19:29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.”
So, when depressed, keep your eyes on eternal life after death. Whatever it is that depresses you will seem like nothing in eternity, so why are you allowing it to take away your joy of living? Just trust God and accept your depressing circumstances. Don’t question God or spend time asking “Why?” You might even be able just to laugh at it all and say, “Thanks God. This just keeps me humble and makes me appreciate heaven even more.” And then go do all those tips the counsellors gave you.
Paul’s suffered so much for Christ, but listen to his perspective on suffering. 2 Corinthians 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
He calls his suffering “light momentary affliction?” Listen to what that “light” affliction was: 2 Corinthians 11:23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” I bet your depressing circumstances pale compared to what Paul suffered, but he was not depressed.
Why not? Because he knew his suffering was only “momentary”. But they lasted a lot longer than one moment of pain, didn’t they? Yes, his suffering lasted about 30 years from his conversion to his death by beheading at the hands of Nero. But Paul calls them “momentary” b/c he kept his eyes on his eternal reward in heaven. He viewed his suffering as “preparing an eternal weight in glory beyond all comparison”. In other words: “what I am suffering here is nothing compared to my eternal reward.” So that’s the key. Don’t let your mind dwell on your depressing circumstances. Make you mind look with faith to the distant future, eternal life in heaven. Block out all other thoughts and think about heaven. An atheiest can’t do that. We can. Even facing death, 1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” We have the hope of eternal life, which God promised, and God cannot lie (Titus 1:2).
I hope this helps if you suffer from depression. Trust God. Keep your eyes on eternal life in heaven. Enjoy the day as best as you can.
Please read the last article on the all sufficiency of Christ (Colossians chapters 1 and 2). Summary:Jesus is all sufficient for your forgiveness and guidance. He is the Son of God, the very icon (exact image) of the Father. He is the Creator and all things hold together by His power. He is your redemption from sin and reconciliation with God. He is the head of the church and directs every thought, word, and deed. Don’t let anyone tell you that simple faith and obedience is not enough, that you need to focus on sectarian rules or new revelation or asceticism or visions or intellectual doctrinal debates or charisms of some latter day prophet or legalism withdrawing fellowship with other believers. You don’t need those things to be “spiritual”, to be more “complete or mature” as a Christian.
So, Christ is all sufficient but what does that mean in practical daily Christian living? Since he is all sufficient, do we even need to try to quit sinning? Will the all sufficient grace of Jesus save us no matter what we do (universalism)? Do we need to do good works since salvation can’t be earned by good works? Are there any rules to keep? Are there any doctrines essential to salvation and fellowship with other Christians?
I think the Colossian letter answers all those questions. Remember, Paul is writing to house churches in Colossae who don’t have a completed New Testament. Some false teachers are trying to persuade them to focus on some new philosophy about the nature of Christ or some food laws of the Old Testament or some visions they have seen. After discussing the all sufficiency of Christ in chapters 1 and 2, what will Paul tell them to focus on.
1:4 Continue “your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints.”
1:10 Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
1:23 Continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you have heard.”
3:1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.” Don’t focus of all that stuff the false teachers are pushing at you.
3:5-11 Put off the old sinful self and all your old sinful thoughts, deeds, and practices. Sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry, anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech from your mouth. lying. That list covers it all, doesn’t it? Look at each one of those and ask yourself, “How hard am I really tryin to no commit those sins?”
3:10-13 Put on the new self that is constantly being “renewed”. The Greek for renewed is anakainoó: To renew, to make new again. (AI): “The verb ἀνακαινόω (anakainoó) is used in the New Testament to describe the process of renewal or making something new again. It conveys the idea of restoration and transformation, often in a spiritual or moral sense. This renewal is typically associated with the inner self or mind, indicating a profound change that aligns with God’s will and purposes.” Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other just as Christ forgives you, love, which is the perfect bond of unity, peace, be thankful. Let the word richly dwell within you b/c that is the main way that the Spirit renews your mind every day to put off the old and put on the new. It is a constant battle of the mind 24/7 to do that, but you have to stay in the word. Look at that list to put on. Which ones do you need to ask the Spirit to help you practice more? Ephesians expresses this same “put off the old, put on the new renewal of the mind: Ephesians 4:22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” A great summary verse: Colossians 3:17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
3:18-4:1. Be a submissive wife, loving husband, obedience child, gentle father, obedient slave, fair slave master. It should all start in the home!
4:2-4. Be devoted to prayer with thanksgiving. 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ. Pray for the spread of the gospel throughout the world. Pray and support organizations like EEM that print and distribute Bibles in many countries in many languages.
4:5-6. Make the most of every opportunity that you have to influence outsiders, non Christians. 6 Your speech must always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” That would include handling conflicts, not returning insult for insult, defending the faith ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you about the hope of eternal life that you have, and just being kind to others in your speech, encouraging others. That would include: Ephesians 5:4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”
4:7-18 Share greetings with fellow believers and co-workers in the kingdom. Paul mentions several, including John Mark and Luike. Special mention of Epaphras who started and pastored the church at Coossae but was in Rome when Paul wrote the letter: 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of your own, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings, always striving earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.” Also share this letter with the Laodiceans and read the letter I wrote to them.
In closing, remember that Paul told how they became Christians and how they were saved. Colossians 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over every ruler and authority; 11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, 14 having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.“
I’m still convinced that one must believe, repent, confess, and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16). These verses teach that baptism is the final “step”, being buried (the word baptizo means immersion) in the water and then raised up from the water. Still saved by grace through faith, but baptism is part of that initial saving faith. Similar to Namaan being told to dip in the River Jordan 7 times to be healed of leprosy. The water or the number of dips didn’t save him, it was the power of God. But he was given “conditions” to meet to be cleansed and he would not have been cleansed if he did not obey those conditions. The same with baptism. It’s not the water. It’s not a “work” by which we earn salvation. It’s simply a condition of faith that must be met. We were dead in sin, but after baptism we were raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:1-6). Baptism is not just something you do to join a church. It is a critical step in being saved by grace through faith.
So, if you are not a Christian, please do so. If you have not been baptized, please do so. Don’t let anyone get your focus off the all sufficiency of Jesus and what simple Christian living is.
Do you see why I made the title?If Colossians was the only book in the New Testament that you had, it would be more than adequate for you to believe in the all sufficiency of Christ and how you should live a a believer.
CHRIST IS ALL YOU NEED AND COLOSSIANS IS ALL YOU NEED!
(AI): “If you ever lose confidence in the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ, it means you start to doubt that Jesus alone can provide everything you need for salvation and a fulfilling life, potentially looking to other sources or actions to fill the gaps in your faith, which goes against the core Christian belief that Jesus is enough on his own.”
The theme of the letter to the Colossians is “the all sufficiency of Christ”. Paul is in house arrest in Rome for 2 years around 60 AD, during which he wrote his 4 prison epistles: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Epaphras started the church in Colossae. Epaphras was a coworker of Paul’s and a native of Colossae. He likely converted to Christianity while Paul was in Ephesus. Maybe he was converted while Paul was teaching two years in the school of Tyrannus in Ephesus. Paul would have laid his hands on him and given him miraculous gifts. He then returned to Colossae to spread the gospel. He probably ministered to the Colossae church for several years. He traveled to Rome to update Paul on the church’s condition. That’s how Paul knew about the heresy being spread at Colossae. He became Paul’s fellow prisoner in Rome. (AI): “During Paul’s three-year stay at Ephesus, “all the residents of Asia (including Colossae), both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:10, CSB). It is quite possible that Paul, while in Ephesus, had led Epaphras to Christ, discipled him, and then commissioned him as a church-planter to Colossae.”
Picture Paul in Rome writing a letter to the house church(es) in Colossae after Epaphras told him about the false teaching being spread in Colossae. Mind you that the church there doesn’t have a copy of the New Testament yet. They might have had access to the gospel. But Paul is dealing with a very specific issue that maybe Epaphras is not able to deal with. The Colossians would have respected Paul as an apostle and hopefully they dealt with the issues after receiving Paul’s letter. It makes you thankful that we have the completed New Testament “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:14).
What was the heresy being spread in the church there? This wasn’t a minor dispute over eating meats. The heresy attacked the very nature and sufficiency of Christ. (AI) “The concept of “all-sufficiency”: This means that Jesus’ sacrifice and power are enough to cover all your needs, including forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and strength to live a godly life; you don’t need to add anything else to be saved or live a righteous life.”
(AI): “The “Colossian Heresy” refers to a set of false teachings that spread within the early Christian church in Colossae, which Apostle Paul addressed in his Epistle to the Colossians; this heresy likely involved a mixture of Jewish legalism, pagan mysticism, and angel worship, essentially downplaying the supremacy of Christ and emphasizing the need for additional rituals or practices beyond faith in Jesus for salvation.
Key points about the Colossian Heresy:
Secret knowledge:The false teachers might have presented their beliefs as a form of “secret knowledge” accessible only to a select few.
Focus on angels:A significant aspect of the heresy was the excessive reverence or worship of angels, potentially viewing them as intermediaries between God and humans, diminishing Christ’s role.
Ascetic practices:The heresy might have also promoted strict asceticism, encouraging practices like fasting and self-denial beyond what was necessary.
Jewish legalism:Some elements of the heresy could have involved adherence to Jewish laws like circumcision or dietary restrictions, even for Gentile Christians.”
The false teachers were persuasive. Colossians 2:4 I say this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive arguments. 2:8 See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of the world, rather than in accordance with Christ. 2:16 Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Take care that no one keeps defrauding you of your prize by delighting in humility and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding firmly to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.”
False teachers are still very persuasive today, deceiving many Christians. Following Christ is really pretty simple. You acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior. You put your faith in His atoning death on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins. You try to stop “practicing” sin. You try to love fellow Christians and the lost. You try to allow Jesus to lead you in every aspect of your life. You try to obey his commands. You try to be a loving mate, child, worker, neighbor, and influence with everyone in your life. Then some persuasive false teacher comes along and says, “what you are doing is not enough. You need to keep some of the food and feast laws of the Old Testament”(even though they were given to the Jews and you are not a Jew, you are a Gentile Christian under the new covenant:the Seventh Day Adventists do this). “You need to have some secret knowledge that is not in the New Testament” (the Mormons do that with the Book of Mormons which they say is equal to the New Testament in authority; Christian Science does this with their special healing concepts taken from their prophetess). “You have the wrong view of the nature of Christ; he was a created being, not eternal” (the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that and then use persuasive arguments to get you to believe that Jesus invisibly came in 1914 AD to establish the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses and that you need to join).”
Or maybe a persuasive teacher (not so radical as the cult teachers mentioned above) comes along and says, “Here is a list of doctrines that you must follow: no instrumental music in worship, Lord’s Supper every Sunday, no jewelry, infant baptism, etc and you can’t fellowship with others who don’t adhere to these teachings” (the doctrines might just be honest attempts to teach the truth, but it is legalism to make minor doctrines as tests of fellowship with other Christians). “You need to come worship with us b/c we have a pastor or prophet who gets visions from God to guide us” (many cults have latter day prophets who rely on visions they have seen). “You need to speak in tongues to really be a spiritual Christian and you need to follow our Spirit led prophets” (the Bethel group does that as well as many Pentecostal groups: speaking in tongues might not be a heaven/hell issue but it can’t be used to make believers feel more spiritual than others who don’t do such practices).
Indeed we have plenty of the “Colossian heresy” today among religious groups. You might wonder why false teachers would come up with all these heretical or divisive teachings. Maybe it is just a desire for control or power over others, to make the false teacher feel more important b/c of his/her teaching. Maybe even money or sexual motives. Maybe an honest attempt to get people to believe in truths that he/she thinks other believers have missed, but even if that is the case they should not cause division.
But Paul says that the. root of the problem of the heresy is that some are not totally sold on the “all sufficiency of Christ”. Again: “The concept of “all-sufficiency”: This means that Jesus’ sacrifice and power are enough to cover all your needs, including forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and strength to live a godly life; you don’t need to add anything else to be saved or live a righteous life.” We should focus all our attention, devotion, and study on Christ and not issues, new philosophy, new rules and regulations, new forms of spirituality, new intellectual debates, new revelations, etc. Since Christ is the head of the body, he does give us all the basic truths we need. His revelation through the inspired apostles and prophets as recorded in the New Testament is sufficient for us. We won’t come up LGBQT approval if we trust in the sufficiency of His revelation. We won’t listen to a pope as the head of the church. We won’t accept extra books like the Book of Mormon. We won’t follow some latter day prophet. We might sit around in a house church and discuss issues and doctrines, and we can have minor disagreements, but we will always trust Jesus’ new covenant to keep us straight!
We will not feel like we have to keep more rules to be more righteous. We will trust in the reckoned or imputed righteousness of Christ that is given us by our faith in Jesus. We won’t feel like we need some extra secret knowledge or false spirituality to be more spiritual.
We are now ready for Paul’s doctrinal statement of the “all sufficiency of Christ”:
Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: 16 for [y]by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
21 And although you were previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His body of flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am supplementing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of His body, which is the church. 25 I was made a minister of this church according to the commission from God granted to me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose I also labor, striving according to His power which works mightily within me.“
Paul gives 12 facts about Christ in these verses:
He is King (verse 13). We are translated into his spiritual kingdom, the church, which is his figurative body of the saved. Jesus is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16) .
He is our Redeemer (verse 14). The Greek is apolutrósis: Redemption: release effected by payment of ransom. He frees us from the power of death and sin. The ransom price is paid to God to appease His wrath against our sin. His grace will cover you if you sincerely try. His blood will continue to cleanse us of our sins (1 John 1:7). Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight”.
The image of the invisible God (verse 15). The Greek is eikón: Image, likeness, representation, as with the image of an emperor on a coin. “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father” (John 1:9)
The firstborn of all creation (verse 15). The Greek is prototokos: Firstborn but in the sense that the firstborn son has preeiminence or soverignty over other sons. Jesus was the not the first thing created by God like the JW’s teach. Paul makes that clear in the next verse.
Creator of all things (verse 16). John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” He is the creator of all things, so he can’t be part of the creation itself.
He is eternal (verse 17). “Before Abraham was, I Am” (John 5:58). Micah 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” Isaiah 9:For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” If he is eternal, then he was not created.
In Him all things hold together (verse 17). What is gravity? What keeps protons and electrons from collapsing into the nucleus of elements? What makes Newton’s laws of motion work? What keeps stars and planets in orbit? It is the power of Jesus who holds all things together.
The Head of the Church (verse 18, 24). The head controls every organ in the body and everything that we do. We must look to Jesus, not the pope, to direct everything we do. Ephesians 1:22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
The firstborn from the dead (verse 18). Again the Greek is prototokos: Firstborn. He was not the first one ever raised from the dead (for example Lazarus were raised by Jesus), but he was the preeminent one ever raised from the dead. His resurrection would verify Christianity.
The has first place in everything (verse 18). The Greek is próteuó: To have the first place, to be preeminent, the first in importance. He must be first in everything thing you think, say, and do. He must be first priority in your life.
In Him the fullness of God dwells (verse 19). The Greek is pléróma: Fullness, completion, that which fills. In other words, the Father filled Jesus with everything that He, the Father, is. He is God. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 20:28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Believed what? Believed, like Thomas, that Jesus is Lord and God!
He is our reconciliation with God (verse 20-22). The Greek is apokatallassó: To reconcile completely, to restore to favor. It emphasizes the total restoration of a relationship that was once broken due to sin. Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” 2 Coriinthians 5:18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling[c] the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Christ then is all sufficient for those who trust in Him. If you are just trusting in Jesus and walking in the light, then you don’t need anything or anyone else. Don’t let anyone tell you that you need something else to be “complete in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). It is “Christ in you” that is the hope of the glory of eternal life (Colossians 1:27). Focus on who Christ is and what he provides for you instead of your religious works and good deeds.
Let’s finish where we started. (AI): “If you ever lose confidence in the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ, it means you start to doubt that Jesus alone can provide everything you need for salvation and a fulfilling life, potentially looking to other sources or actions to fill the gaps in your faith, which goes against the core Christian belief that Jesus is enough on his own.” When you have problems, do you believe that Christ is sufficient to give you the strength to handle the problem? When you feel like you are no doing enough or that you don’ know enough, do you trust Jesus to save you anyway? When someone is trying to add things that you need to be complete in Christ, can you tell them, “No thanks. Jesus is all I need.”
I close with a song. “Jesus is all the world to me.” You can listen to the song on youtube.
1 Jesus is all the world to me, My life, my joy, my all; He is my strength from day to day, Without him I would fall: When I am sad, to him I go, No other one can cheer me so; When I am sad, he makes me glad, He’s my friend.
2 Jesus is all the world to me, My friend in trials sore; I go to him for blessings, and He gives them o’er and o’er: He sends the sunshine and the rain, He sends the harvest’s golden grain; Sunshine and rain, harvest of grain, He’s my friend.
3 Jesus is all the world to me, And true to him I’ll be; Oh, how could I this friend deny, When he’s so true to me? Following him I know I’m right, He watches o’er me day and night; Following him by day and night, He’s my friend.
4 Jesus is all the world to me, I want no better friend; I trust him now, I’ll trust him when Life’s fleeting days shall end: Beautiful life with such a friend, Beautiful life that has no end; Eternal life, eternal joy, He’s my friend.
Okay, this article gets into some serious Bible study so buckle up!
Daniel 9 begins with: 9:1 “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.” Darius the Mede defeated Babylon and Belshazzar in 539 BC (Daniel 5:30). So in the 1st year of Darius in 539 BC the 70 years of Babylonian captivity is just about over (the 1st deportation in 606 BC to 536 BC when Cyrus the king of Persia allowed Jews to return to rebuild the temple). Daniel confesses the sins of the nation but asks God to fulfill His promise and let the Jews return to Palestine. Gabriel came to him and gave him what is called the “70 weeks prohecy” that goes way past the return in 536 BC.
Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the wrongdoing, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with streets and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come the one who makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, gushes forth on the one who makes desolate.”
Here is a great timeline of Daniel:
The best way to show what I believe is the correct interpretation of the 70 week prophecy is this chart:
Dates on the chart: Matthew 24 is critical in determining these dates as will be explained below.
1) 457 BC Decree to rebuild Jerusalem: 457 BC (when Artaxerxes allowed the Jews to finish rebuilding the walls and the city). Would be finished in 49 years (the 7 weeks)
2) 30 AD The Messiah cut off (died): 30 AD at the end of the 69th week (62 more weeks after the first 7 weeks for a total of 483 years from the decree to rebuild till the death of the Messiah Jesus)
3) 30 AD – 63 AD Gap (read below to see why there must be a gap)
3) 70 AD The destruction of the city(Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (the temple) and the abomination of desolation: 70 AD (the end of the 70th week and the last 7 years of the prophecy from 63-70 AD)
I do believe each week is a prophetic 7 year period, so 70 x 7 = 490 years from the decree to rebuild the Jerusalem ( 457 BC when Artaxerxes allowed the Jews to finish rebuilding the walls and the city as recorded in Ezra) to the end of the 70th week. 7 weeks (49 years) to rebuild the walls and the city, then 62 more weeks (434 years) till the Messiah Jesus is “cut off” (dies, is crucified) and that puts the end of the 69th week (after 483 years) it at about 30 AD. That date for the death of Christ can be off some since Jesus really was born in 4-5 BC instead of 0 BC/AD (you can google that!). But for sure the death of Christ is at the end of the 69th week and that just leaves one more week, the 70th week (7 years). But the 70th week cannot begin immediately after the end of the 69th week. Why not? B/c the end of the 70th week (490th year) is when the “the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary and that refers to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans and Titus in 70 AD. How do we know that? B/c Daniel 9:27 puts the “abomination of desolation” at the end of the 70th week, which refers to some desolation and destruction of the temple. So when was the “abomination of desolation”? We must go to Matthew 24 to get that answer. Jesus said in Matthew 24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” But then he adds in Matthew 24:34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” The Greek word for generation is genea and in the New Testament always refers to a 40 year period or the people living in. a 40 year period, just like we use the term the “x” generation. So Jesus is saying that the abomination of desolation predicted by Daniel in Daniel 9:27 had to occur within the next 40 years after he said these things in Matthew 24, and that could only be the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD. So the end of the 70th week is the abomination of desolation. Daniel also predicted the abomination of desolation to occur at the “end time” in Daniel 11:31, 35, 40. Then in Daniel 12:11 Daniel again mentions the abomination of desolation at the “end time” (12:4, 9), the “end” (12:13) the “end of the age (12:13, i.e. the end of the Jewish Age). Again, we go to Matthew 24 to find when “the end” happened. Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” That “end” would also have to happen within the next 40 years before that generation passed away(24:34). That could only be the end of the Jewish theocracy and the end of the Jewish Age in 70 AD.
The bottom line is that the 70th week ended at 70 AD at the destruction of the temple and city by the Roman emperor Titus. That means that those who say that the 70th week is yet to be fulfilled in our future, still yet to be fulfilled, are wrong! This is a typical iinterpretation of the 70th week that futurists say is stll to be fulfilled in the future: “According to the biblical prophecy in Daniel 9, the “70th week” refers to a seven-year period where the Antichrist will rise to power, make a covenant with Israel that he will later break, and unleash a time of great tribulation upon the earth, ultimately culminating in the return of Jesus Christ at his second coming. The covenant will be broken halfway through the seven-year period, marked by the “abomination of desolation” which could involve the re-establishment of pagan worship in the Jerusalem temple (so the temple has to be rebuilt?). The 70th week is often seen as the final stage before the end times and the 2nd coming of Jesus.” I believe that the 70th wek has already been fulfilled by 70 AD in the first century.
The end of the 70th week also coincided with the 2nd coming of Jesus. We go again to Matthew 24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” That coming also had to happen within that generation (24:34). That is consistent with Jesus’ other predictions that his 2nd coming would be within the lifetime of those he was speaking to (Matthew 10:23; 16:27,28; 26:64), which could only refer to his coming in judgment on the Jews in 70 AD at the destruction of the temple. There are no other predictions by Jesus in the gospels of a “coming back” at some time beyond 70 AD or in our future.
Yes this view of the 70 weeks prophecy leaves a gap between the end of the. 69th week and the beginning of the 70th week. If not, then the 70th week would have to be the 7 years immediately following the death of Jesus at the end of the 69th week and that would not put the end of the 70th week to be 70 AD which we have established that it must be so. So the end of the 69th week is around 30 AD. The 70th week ends at 70 AD, so the 7 years of the 70th week must begin at 63 AD. That makes a gap of about 33 years. Why would there be such a gap? B/c even though Jesus predicted his 2nd coming to be within that generation, he also said that no one, even he, knew the exact time of the 2nd coming. So there had to be a gap where the 1st century Christians were waiting for the imminent 2nd coming but did not know the exact date. They had to be ready at all times. They could only watch for the signs of the 2nd coming such as the surrounding of Jerusalem by the Gentile army (the Romans) and the tribulation or suffering of the Jews during the wars of the Jews (67-70 AD). Those Jewish Christians who heeded Jesus’ warnings in Matthew 24 escaped the city before the final siege and safely fled to Pella according to Eusebius.
Daniel 12 also predicts a tribulation at the end of the age, at the end time. Daniel 12:1 “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.” Again, Jesus said that tribulation surrounding the abomination of desolation was to happen within the generation he was speaking to. Matthew 24:21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” He is saying that Daniel’s prediction of a tribulation at the end time was fulfilled in the tribulation experienced by the Jews in the destruction of Jerusalem. During Titus’ siege of the city, the Jews in the city suffered greatly with hunger, resorting to cannibalism. Josephus said that one million Jews died in the siege and another 200,000 were taken captive back to Rome as slaves. Those who say the tribulation of Matthew 24:21 is still to be fulfilled in our future are wrong! They mistakenly propose some tribulation just before Jesus comes back and begins his supposed millennial reign.
The 70th week wil also bring several Messianic blessings. Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the wrongdoing, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. The Messiah the Prince (9:25) finish the sins of the nation by judgment on the wicked Jews in 70 AD, end the grip that sin and death have on believers, provide atonement for sins through the death of Jesus, bring in righteousness imputed to believers through faith in Jesus, fulfill all the. prophecies of the Old Testament (Luke 21:22) and thus no more prophecies to fulfill after 70 AD, and anoint the new Most Holy Place in heaven when Jesus enters bringing His blood to the Father for our sins. If the 70th week hasn’t happened yet, then we don’t yet have these wonderful Messianic blessings. But by 70 AD, the plan of redemption was finished once for all time and believers have these blessings.
Finally, Daniel 12 also predicts a resurrection at the end time, at the end, at the end of the age. Daniel 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.” In the Old Testament, both the righteous and the unrighteous went to the hadean world, probably the state described in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The righteous would be in comfort in Abraham’s bosom and unrighteous would be in torment. As we have seen, Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 show us that this resurrection of Daniel 12:2 would occur at the end of the age in 70 AD. The dead of the OT would be raised in 70 AD to receive their final sentencing: eternal life or eternal contempt. Paul said that resurrection of Daniel 12:2 was the “hope of Israel” and that it was “about to happen” when he spoke in Acts 24: 14 `And I confess this to thee, that, according to the way that they call a sect, so serve I the God of the fathers, believing all things that in the law and the prophets have been written, 15 having hope toward God, which they themselves also wait for, [that] there is about to be (Greek word mello which always means “about to be” in the NT) a rising again of the dead, both of righteous and unrighteous” (Young’s Literal Translation). Where did the prophets predict a resurrection. In Daniel 12:2! Hades was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone in 70 AD so hades no longer exist. Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” After 70 AD, believers would go directly to be with Jesus and enjoy eternal life.
If you are still reading, thanks. If all this is a little too much, just remember that Jesus basically said that the 70 weeks prophecy ended in 70 AD. That should ease your mind (or the mind of others whom you talk to who might be concerned due to false teaching) when you hear predictions about the 70th week being fulfilled in our future. It should also be comforting that we have all those wonderful Messianic blessings now. We are not still waiting for them to be delivered.
King Nebuchadnezzar II ruled Babylon from approximately 605–562 BCE. Daniel was carried captive to Babylon in 605 BC. In the king’s 2nd year (603 BC), Daniel’s 2nd year in captivity, the king had a dream of a statue. He was smart. He told his magicians to tell him what he dreamed and the interpretation and they could not. Imagine me asking you to tell me exactly what I dreamed last night! They went to kill Daniel and his 3 friends who had been elevated to counselor positions after refusing to eat the food in Daniel 1. Daniel asked for time to let God give him the dream and its interpretation. Here is an image of the awesome, giant, radiant statue that the king saw.
Daniel said the statue had a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, and legs of iron and clay. He told the king that he, Babylon, was the head of gold. He doesn’t say in chapter 2 who the other 3 successive kingdoms will be after Babylon. A stone would crush the statue. In the days of the 4th iron kingdom, God would set up a 5th kingdom, His kingdom, that would never be destroyed. Daniel 2:44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.” I want to fill in the blanks on the last 3 kingdoms and God’s kingdom in the simplest way possible.
I. 47 years later in Daniel 7, in the 1st year (556 BC) of King Belshazzar of Babylon (556-539 BC), Daniel saw a dream of 4 beasts. Here is what he saw.
These beasts are the same 4 kingdoms as in the statue in chapter 2. Daniel does not say who the 4 kingdoms are so we still can’t identify the rest of he kingdoms after Babylon. Notice that the 4th beast had “iron” teeeth, 10 horns, and a “little horn” that comes up after the 10 horns. The “iron” part means this is the same kingdom as the 4th iron kingdom of ch 2. We can assume that the 1st lion beast is Babylon.
II. In the 3rd year of Belshazzar (553 BC), Daniel saw a vision that helps us identify the 2nd and 3rd kingdom of the statue (which is the same as the 2nd and 3rd beast in ch 7). Daniel tells us who the 2nd and 3rd kingdoms are:
So the powerful conquering ram would be the 2nd kingdom (the chest and arms of silver of the statue in ch 2 and the 2nd bear beast of ch 7) would be the Medo-Persians who conquered Babylon in 539 BC under Darius (Daniel 5:30) and Cyrus.
The high flying goat that crushes the ram would be the 3rd kingdom (the belly and thighs of bronze of the statue in ch 2 and the 3rd leopard beast in ch 7) would be the Grecian kingdom that conquered the Persians in 330 BC. The goat has a “prominent horn” which would be Alexander the Great who conquered the Persians and spread the Grecian kingdom all the way to India in 10 years (333-323 BC). But soon after that the prominent horn would be broken into 4 smaller horns. That is exactly what happened after Alexander died in 323 BC. HIs kingdom was divided among his 4 generals, creating 4 smaller kingdoms. The most notable of these 4 were the Seleucid Kingdom (Syris) and the Ptolemaic Kingdom (Egypt) who wrestled for control of the Jews and their land for the next 160 years after the death of Alexander until the Maccabean revolt which gained independence for the Jews in 167 BC. This is an amazing detailed prediction of events 200 years in the future. This has led the critics to say that Daniel was written in the 2nd century BC since no one can predict the future like that (but God can). The Romans then took over the Jews in 63 BC and controlled the Jews from then on. The Jews rebelled in 67 BC which led to the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD.
III. So we can identify the first 3 kingdoms of the statue in ch 2 as Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. We still need to identify the 4th iron kingdom of the statue (the 4th iron teeth beast of ch 7). Several keys to filling in the blanks.
1) Mark 1:15 where Jesus said “the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand” (i.e. God’s 5th kingdom of Daniel 2:44-45 that God would set up during the days of the 4th kingdom). Jesus even said that some of those he was speaking to would still be alive to see that kingdom set up: Mark 9:1 And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God when it has come with power.”
2) That kingdom was to be a spiritual kingdom. John 18: world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” God’s kingdom would be a spiritual kingdom, not physcial power based like that of David’s kingdom. That spiritual kingdom would be the church. Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” For this prediction to come true, Peter had to use those keys to allow people to enter that kingdom of God. Peter did that in Acts 2 when he preached the first gospel sermon that allowed 3,000 to be baptized for the remission of sins and to enter the church kingdom.
3) A little syllogistic reasoning tells us that the 4th iron kingdom of the statue is the Romans Empire. a) the 5th kingdom (Daniel 2:44), God’s kingdom, was to be set up during the days of the 4th kingdom. b) that 5th kingdom (the church kingdom), was at hand, to be established while some listening to Jesus were still alive. c) since Rome was the kingdom ruling when Jesus said that the kingdom was at hand, then Rome must be the 4th kingdom of the statue of Daniel 2.
The church is the 5th kingdom of God set up during the days of the Roman Empires. We read of the establishment of the church in Acts 2.
So now we can present this image of the statue of Daniel 2, combining the 4 beasts of Daniel 7:
We can combine that image with the ram and goat of Daniel 8:
We can even add this image that fully explains (in fine print) the 5th kingdom of God, the church:
So now we realize that Daniel’s predictions in chapter 2 extend over 600 years into the future. Only a prophet of God can predict the future so accurately. Imagine someone trying to predict the superpowers that will come about in the next 600 years in our future. On a final note, the Roman Empire fell in 476 AD so the 5th kingdom, God’s kingdom, had to be established before 476 BC or else Daniel and Jesus are false prophets. Those who expect Jesus to set up an earthly kingdom must come up with some explanation if the 5th kingdom was not set up before 476 AD. So they say that Jesus postponed setting up that earthly kingdom b/c the Jews rejected him, left the church as a substitute, and will come back in our future (going on 2000 years now since Jesus’ predictions) to set up an earthly kingdom in some kind of a “revived Roman Empire” (some world government). Hebrews 10:37 refutes the idea of a delayed 2nd coming to set up Jesus’ kingdom: “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.” Also, if Jesus did not come in his kingdom while some who were listening to him were still alive, then he is a false prophet. There are no scriptures that teach a delayed 2nd coming or a delayed establishment of the kingdom. If people will acknowledge that the kingdom of God is the church, a spiritual kingdom not physical, then the predictions of Daniel and Jesus are accurately fulfilled in the 1st century. There is no physical kingdom to be set up in our future, period. Those who still expect Jesus to come and set up an earthly kingdom are making the same mistake that the Jews who rejected Jesus made when they rejected him as the Messiah b/c they expected a physical, conquering Messiah who would set up a restored physical Jewish kingdom that would defeat the Romans. At least they are not making the same mistake of rejecting Jesus as the Messiah!
On a side note, the sea beast of Revelation 13 has the same lion, leopard, and bear imagery as Daniel 7 and therefore must be he Roman Empire. He also had 7 heads and 10 horns.
The 10 horns of the 4th iron teeth beast in Daniel 7 and of the sea beast in Revelation 13 would be the first 10 emperors of Rome beginning with Julius Caesar (the Jewish historian Josephus living in the first century AD said that Julius was the first king and Augustus was the 2nd).
The “little horn” that came up after the 10 horns in Daniel 7 is the same as the “small horn” that came up after the ram and goat in Daniel 8. That little horn in Daniel 7 would utter great boasts and wage war against the saints (the Jews). The small horn in Daniel 8 would come out of one of the 4 smaller kingdoms that the goat’s prominent horn would be broken into (the 4 smaller kingdoms when Alexander died) and would claim to be equal to God and would destroy the sanctuary (the temple) at the “time of the end” (Daniel 8:19 And he said, “Behold, I am going to inform you of what will occur at the final period of the indignation, because it pertains to the appointed time of the end.”) The “time of the end” in Daniel 12 refers to the end of the Jewish Age in 70 AD, not to the end of the world. That small horn would even oppose the Prince of princes which must be Jesus (Daniel 8:25), so the small horn can’t be Antiochus Epiphanes who polluted the temple in the 2nd century BC as many think. It must be someone after Jesus. All this fits the 11th emperor Titus. Titus, the son of the 10th emperor Vespasian, was not an emperor yet when he led the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD, but he would later become the 11th emperor in 79 AD, so you can see why he is called the little horn or small horn. He is also the “man of sin” of 2 Thessalonians 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” That could only be Titus who actually entered the temple when he destroyed it and defiled the temple with sacrifices to the Roman gods. Many think that Nero was the man of sin but Nero never entered the temple. Many think that the man of sin, the little horn, the Anti-Christ will be someone in our future, but Paul said that mystery of lawlessness was “already at work” when he wrote 2 Thessalonians, not in the distant future, and there is no temple for the man of sin to “take his seat in” today.
That also tells us when the book of Revelation was written. It was written during the days of the 6th emperor, Nero who died in 68 AD. Revelation 17:9 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while.” At the time of writing Revelation, 5 emperors had already died (Julius through Claudius), the 6th (Nero) “is” (i.e. reigning at the time of writing. Since he died in 68 AD, Revelation had to be written while he was alive and before 68 AD.
I hope this has been pretty simple, logical, and most importantly, accurate.
King Nebuchadnezzar II ruled Babylon from approximately 605–562 BCE. Daniel was carried captive to Babylon in 605 BC. In the king’s 2nd year (603 BC), Daniel’s 2nd year in captivity, the king had a dream of a statue. He was smart. He told his magicians to tell him what he dreamed and the interpretation and they could not. They went to kill Daniel and his 3 friends who had been elevated to counselor positions after refusing to eat the food in Daniel 1. Daniel asked for time to let God give him the dream and its interpretation. Here is an image of the awesome, giant, radiant statue that the king saw.
Daniel said the statue had a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, and legs of iron and clay. He told the king that he, Babylon, was the head of gold. He doesn’t say in chapter 2 who the other 3 successive kingdoms will be after Babylon. A stone would crush the statue. In the days of the 4th iron kingdom, God would set up a 5th kingdom, His kingdom, that would never be destroyed. Daniel 2:44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.” I want to fill in the blanks on the last 3 kingdoms and God’s kingdom in the simplest way possible.
I. 47 years later in Daniel 7, in the 1st year (556 BC) of King Belshazzar of Babylon (556-539 BC), Daniel saw a dream of 4 beasts. Here is what he saw.
These beasts are the same 4 kingdoms as in the statue in chapter 2. Daniel does not say who the 4 kingdoms are so we still can’t identify the rest of he kingdoms after Babylon. Notice that the 4th beast had “iron” teeeth, 10 horns, and a “little horn” that comes up after the 10 horns. The “iron” part means this is the same kingdom as the 4th iron kingdom of ch 2. We can assume that the 1st lion beast is Babylon.
II. In the 3rd year of Belshazzar (553 BC), Daniel saw a vision that helps us identify the 2nd and 3rd kingdom of the statue (which is the same as the 2nd and 3rd beast in ch 7). Daniel tells us who the 2nd and 3rd kingdoms are:
So the powerful conquering ram would be the 2nd kingdom (the chest and arms of silver of the statue in ch 2 and the 2nd bear beast of ch 7) would be the Medo-Persians who conquered Babylon in 539 BC. The high flying goat that crushes the ram would be the 3rd kingdom (the belly and thighs of bronze of the statue in ch 2 and the 3rd leopard beast in ch 7) would be the Grecian kingdom that conquered the Persians in 330 BC. The goat has a “prominent horn” which would be Alexander the Great who conquered the Persians and spread the Grecian kingdom all the way to India in 10 years (333-323 BC). But soon after that the prominent horn would be broken into 4 smaller horns. That is exactly what happened after Alexander died in 323 BC. HIs kingdom was divided among his 4 generals, creating 4 smaller kingdoms. The most notable of these 4 were the Seleucid Kingdom (Syris) and the Ptolemaic Kingdom (Egypt) who wrestled for control of the Jews and their land for the next 160 years after the death of Alexander until the Maccabeans revolt which gained independence for the Jews in 167 BC. This is an amazing detailed prediction of events 200 years in the future. This has led the critics to say that Daniel was written in the 2nd century BC since no one can predict the future like that (but God can).
III. So we can identify the first 3 kingdoms of the statue in ch 2 as Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. We still need to identify the 4th iron kingdom of the statue (the 4th iron teeth beast of ch 7). Several keys to filling in the blanks.
1) Mark 1:15 where Jesus said “the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand” (i.e. God’s 5th kingdom of Daniel 2:44-45 that God would set up during the days of the 4th kingdom). Jesus even said that some of those he was speaking to would still be alive to see that kingdom set up: Mark 9:1 And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God when it has come with power.”
2) That kingdom was to be a spiritual kingdom. John 18: world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” God’s kingdom would be a spiritual kingdom, not physcial power based like that of David’s kingdom. That spiritual kingdom would be the church. Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” For this prediction to come true, Peter had to use those keys to allow people to enter that kingdom of God. Peter did that in Acts 2 when he preached the first gospel sermon that allowed 3,000 to be baptized for the remission of sins and to enter the church kingdom.
3) A little syllogistic reasoning tells us that the 4th iron kingdom of the statue is the Romans Empire. a) the 5th kingdom (Daniel 2:44), God’s kingdom, was to be set up during the days of the 4th kingdom. b) that 5th kingdom (the church kingdom), was at hand, to be established while some listening to Jesus were still alive. c) since Rome was the kingdom ruling when Jesus said that the kingdom was at hand, then Rome must be the 4th kingdom of the statue of Daniel 2. So now we can present this image, combining the 4 beasts of Daniel 7:
We can combine that image with the ram and goat of Daniel 8:
We can even add this image that fully explains (in fine print) the 5th kingdom of God, the church:
So now we realize that Daniel’s predictions in chapter 2 extend over 600 years into the future. Only a prophet of God can predict the future so accurately. Imagine someone trying to predict the superpowers that will come about in the next 600 years in our future. On a final note, the Roman Empire fell in 476 AD so the 5th kingdom, God’s kingdom, had to be established before 476 BC or else Daniel and Jesus are false prophets. Those who expect Jesus to set up an earthly kingdom must come up with some explanation if the 5th kingdom was not set up before 476 AD. So they say that Jesus postponed setting up that earthly kingdom b/c the Jews rejected him, left the church as a substitute, and will come back in our future (going on 2000 years now since Jesus’ predictions) to set up an earthly kingdom in some kind of a “revived Roman Empire” (some world government). Hebrews 10:37 refutes the idea of a delayed 2nd coming to set up Jesus’ kingdom: “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.” Also, if Jesus did not come in his kingdom while some who were listening to him were still alive, then he is a false prophet. There are no scriptures that teach a delayed 2nd coming or a delayed establishment of the kingdom. If people will acknowledge that the kingdom of God is the church, a spiritual kingdom not physical, then the predictions of Daniel and Jesus are accurately fulfilled in the 1st century. There is no physical kingdom to be set up in our future, period. Those who still expect Jesus to come and set up an earthly kingdom are making the same mistake that the Jews who rejected Jesus made when they rejected him as the Messiah b/c they expected a physical, conquering Messiah who would set up a restored physical Jewish kingdom that would defeat the Romans. At least they are not making the same mistake of rejecting Jesus as the Messiah!
I hope this has been pretty simple, logical, and most importantly, accurate.
You know what a “set up” is. You work a plan to get someone in trouble. You “set them up” to get in trouble. Darius the Mede is not found in archaeological or historical records, but we trust the Bible when it says that Darius the Mede took over Babylon from Belshazzar the night of the handwriting on the wall (5:32). He is also the king of record in Daniel 6, 9, and 11. Darius had 3 commissioners and 120 satraps. Daniel was one of the 3 commissioners. Darius was planning on making Daniel the chief commissioner over the whole kingdom. Daniel 6:4 Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel regarding government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, because he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him regarding the law of his God.”
Let’s stop there for a moment. Look at our politics today. It is not hard to find corruption or negligence or moral indiscretion to accuse many of our political leaders of, is it? But they could find nothing to accuse Daniel of. Nothing! Lesson #1 from this chapter: what could your enemies find about you to accuse you of to make you look bad or get you in trouble? Are you totally honest in all your business dealings, paying taxes, driving the speed limit (ouch!), hours at work accountability, a little too loose with flirting or sex talk, lying to your boss (mabye just a half-lie), lying to cover up for someone, etc. No one is perfect, but our goal should be to be so spotless than an enemy can’t find a single bad thing to accuse us of.
So they plan to set Daniel up. They look at Daniel’s religious habits. What does he do so conscientiously that they can set a trap for him. Daniel had a habit of praying 3 times a day from his upper room with the window open facing Jerusalem. With a little spy work, they. had seen him doing this every single day without fail. So they got the king to issue a decree that if anyone prayed to any other god (than Marduk, the patron god of Babylon probably) or person (other than Dairus) then that person would be thrown into the lions’ den. They knew that such a decree and threat would not stop Daniel from praying every day. Lesson #2 from this chapter: What religious habit do you do so consistently that your enemies could count on you doing it even it meant you would be killed for doing it? What if the government passed a law against meeting in churches or house churches, or against distributing Bibles to others, or trying to convert others to Christianity? Would you still do those things even if it meant going to jail? Are you so consistent in doing those religous habits that some atheistic organization would get such laws passed to get you in trouble, knowing that you would still do your religious habit in spirt of the threat? Does anyone at work ever say, “Yeah I see John reading his Bible or praying every free moment at work or school or with a group for any event”? Or, “I know where you can find John on Sunday morning, meeting in a church or hosting a house church or small group in his house”? Or, “Yeah, John is always telling others about Jesus every chance he gets wherever he goes”?
BTW, we don’t really think that our government will ever pass such laws, but such is common in countries where Christians are persecuted, like North Korea, or Pakistan, or Somalia, or Lybia, or Eritrea, or Yemen, or Nigeria, or Sudan, or Iran, or Afghanistan. Those are the 10 most dangerous countries for Christians to live in according to Open Doors Ministry (a ministry dedicated to helping persecuted Christians all over the world). We take our religious freed for granted in the U.S. We need to be more concerned about using church and individual contribution money for things like helping persecuted Christians. From Stewardship.org: “There are more than 360 million persecuted Christians worldwide who suffer oppression and discrimination daily. That’s 1 in every 7 believers globally. Some face violence and abduction, while others risk losing their jobs and livelihood.” Several organizations like VOM (Voice of The Martyrs) and Open Doors help persecuted Christians. Look at how much money churches spend on buildings, staff, and programs for ourselves, and how little they give to drill wells for clean water, to print Bibles, to help persecuted Christians, to provide for poor children, to help refugees caught in civil wars, etc. Maybe its time churches looked at how they spend the money entrusted to them by donors.
Their plan worked. Surely Daniel knew about the decree but he continued praying 3 times a day in open sight to all from his open window. He didn’t say, “I think God will be ok if I start praying where no one can see me”. They told the king about Daniel praying to his God Yahweh. Daniel 6:14 Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply distressed, and set his mind on rescuing Daniel; and until sunset he kept exerting himself to save him.” But he could not change the decree. The king ordered Daniel to be thrown into the lion’s den. He couldn’t rescue Daniel but he told him, “your God whom you continually serve will Himself rescue you” (6:16). Daniel 6:18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.”
You know how the story ended! Daniel 6:19 Then the king got up at dawn, at the break of day, and went in a hurry to the lions’ den. 20 And when he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king began speaking and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you continually serve, been able to rescue you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, since I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” 23 Then the king was very glad and gave orders for Daniel to be lifted up out of the den. So Daniel was lifted up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they threw them, their children, and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
Darius then issued an amazing decree. Daniel 6:5 Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages who were living in all the land: “May your peace be great! 26 I issue a decree that in all the realm of my kingdom people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel;
For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever. 27 He rescues, saves, and performs signs and miracles In heaven and on earth, He who has also rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”
That is a great testimony. Look at the miracles God did in the book of Daniel. The fiery furnace miracle, the handwriting on the wall, the humbling of Nebuchadnezzar, and now the lions’ den miracle. The kings of Babylon and Media saw these miracles. Perhaps the stories of these miracles convinced Cyrus to allow the Jews to return from exile. Perhaps Isaiah predicting the the return under Cyrus by name influenced him. Did Darius the Mede actually convert to belief in the one true God Yahewh? Is this his testimony, similar to that of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4? We can only hope to meet Darius and Nebuchadnezzar in eternal life some day and talk to them about their experiences. Won’t that be great? If Darius did convert to Yahweh, how many in his kingdom converted to Yahweh b/c of his decree and testimony? Such has happened before. In Armenia Christianity is the state religion and the Armenian Apostolic Church is the national church. Armenia is the first country who recognized Christianity as a state religion in 301 AD. St. Gregory the Illuminator convinced Tiridates III, the king of Armenia, to convert to Christianity. Before this, the dominant religion in Armenia was Armenian paganism. Christianity had not yet been legalized by Constantine in the empire in 301 AD. Gregory the Illuminator was the founder and first official head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He converted Armenia from Zoroastrianism to Christianity.
Such. possible conversion stories are why Paul tells Timothy, 1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.” We should pray for all countries, but especially for countries where Christians are persecuted. We should pray for the leaders of those countries, for God to work on converting those leaders or at least for them to open up religious freedom in their countries. God can do what we consider to be impossible. Who would have thought that the Berlin Wall could fall?
Daniel 6:28 So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Again, not much historical help to fill in the blanks on the transfer of power from Darius the Mede to Cyrus the king of Persia. We know that Daniel 1:21 And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.” It was in that 1st year of Cyrus that Ezra 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom” (in 536 BC to allow the Jews in Babylon to return to the holy land to rebuild the temple). Perhaps Cyrus was influenced by Isaiah predicting that Cyrus, by name, would allow them to return. Darius defeated the Babylonians in 539 BC but Cyrus allowed the Jews to return in his first official year as king in 536 BC, so apparently Cyrus helped defeat the Babylonians in 539 BC (as history records) but only officially began reigning as king of Persia in 536 BC (his 1st year as king, Ezra 1:1). I don’t claim to be a historian, but that is my reckoning of events. We know that Daniel lived at least to the 3rd year of Cyrus b/c Daniel 10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar.” Daniel was carried captive to Babylon in the first deportation by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BC as a youth (let’s say age 20?). He was in Babylon the entire 70 years till the 1st year of Cyrus in 536 BC, and then at least 2 more years till the 3rd year of Cyrus. That makes Daniel about 90 years old when he sees the vision in the 3rd year of Cyrus (Daniel 10:1). We don’t think that Daniel returned with those who returned to the holy land to rebuild the temple. It is pure speculation as to why he didn’t if indeed he didn’t return. Maybe he was just too old for the trip. Maybe he felt he could do more good as a respected official in the kingdom of Cyrus. We don’t know when and how he died. From Wikipedia: “The Book of Daniel mentions that Daniel lived in Babylon and may have visited the palace of Susa, Iran, but the place where he died is not specified; the tradition preserved among the Jews and Muslims is that he was buried in Susa. Today the Tomb of Daniel in Susa is a popular attraction among local Muslims and Iran’s Jewish community alike.” The Tomb of Daniel in the city of Susa, in Iran:
That pretty much concludes the historical part of Daniel (chapters 1-6). Chapters 7-12 will be visions and predictions in the reign of Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus. Until then.
Nicky's Notes 