Jul 10
27
How to Study Daniel and Revelation Seriously in Order to Prepare Us For What is About to Happen
How to Study Daniel and Revelation Seriously in Order to Prepare Us For What is About to Happen
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Shaw]Sandy Shaw
This outstanding leader in Babylon, Daniel, has a profound and searching dream and vision. Daniel saw the oddest things. These were the most strange things.
In Chapter 7 of the book of Daniel, we read that Daniel talks to an angel. He sees it when he awakes and writes in all down in his diary, and it becomes part of The Word of God. But, what is it all about?
Now, this prophetic man has been in Babylon for around seventy years. His nation Israel were taken away as captives and that happened because of the seriously sinful way in which they were behaving.
God does deal with nations and individuals, and can act in judgment.
The dream divides in to seven features. There are four extraordinary animals, and three human figures. In the latter group we have ‘the ancient of days’ and ‘the son of man’ and ‘the saints of the most high’. Do check all this by reading it for yourself in Daniel Chapter 7.
The animals come out of the sea, but all the figures come down from the clouds, like something majestic and kingly and godlike descending. The four beasts are ferocious. They do damage, and then fade. It is a picture of evil coming from below, and it is all so threatening.
The second part is so comforting, and that is why we need the whole word of God. Yes, read and study the whole of the Word of God.
In the Book of Revelation, which means to reveal, or to unveil, or to draw back the curtain, we have in Chapters 13 and 14 a commentary on Daniel, which is really the Bible interpreting itself.
We learn in verse 17 that the four beasts represent empires and rulers.
The winds, the spirit, and the influence of evil spirits upon our world, and upon the history of mankind, are explained, and this tells us quite a lot about what is going on in our world in these present times. All kinds of cruel and brutal beasts arise, and out of this turbulence come four beasts.
These are things which are to happen in the future, but again we must ask, and ask in the Name of Jesus, what does all this mean? When we come to such a passage we must ask our heavenly Father in such meaningful and sincere way, showing that we really want to know.
Revelation speaks about the last world Empire, and there it describes the beast as having ten components and this is all tied up with the end of human history, and this beast will have learned certain things from previous Empires.
In Revelation Chapter 13 at the second verse 2, the beast looks like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion, and from this the anti-Christ emerges.
Remember – anti means instead of – not against.
One day, one person will emerge, and he will be ruthless, violent, vicious and cruel and will destroy all opposition. There will be an Empire with ten rulers, and one little horn will dominate. One man will take over, then we will know we are in the last days.
How far are we away from this? Many who know what is going on within nations and between certain nations would suggest that this will not be all that far away.
The serious study of Daniel and Revelation can help prepare disciples of Jesus Christ for what might quite suddenly explode upon us.
Sandy Shaw
Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children’s Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled “Word from Scotland” on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.
His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Study-Daniel-and-Revelation-Seriously-in-Order-to-Prepare-Us-For-What-is-About-to-Happen&id=4731375] How to Study Daniel and Revelation Seriously in Order to Prepare Us For What is About to Happen
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