Stuff Michael Meeks is doing

• 1) the sin of idolatory - & once they came back after this time - they're not condemned again for worhsiping Baal, Kemosh, whatever - they don't commit it again (of the crass kind), of course guilty as we are of the more spiritual kinds: greed eg.
• 2) failure to observe the sabbath - the reason for 70 years; everything about them had to rest every 7 years. How do you command the crops to rest 1 day in 7 ? save it up; every 7th year let the land go fallow & let all your slaves go free - the sabbatical year. But they didn't do it for 490 years. You who think slavery is such a good idea - will go into slavery yourselves. 2nd Chronicles 36; so - 70 years owed to God. Sure enough it worked - God's punishment brought them back; they became hyper-obedient & later even condemned the Savior for healing on the Sabbath.

• The starting point is good, vs 25. From the issuing of the decree to restore and re-build Jerusalem - Gabriel, in swift flight, rushed to tell Daniel the good news about his prayer; (Dispensationalists: 'a word is going to go out 100 years from now'), the traditional view starts from the very moment Daniel is praying; 2 amazing things happened in 538 BC, In the 1st year of Darius (vs. 1) a) Daniel prayed, and in the same year / the same day Darius issues a decree that will let God's people go back to Jerusalem. 2 Chron 36: in the first ... moved the heart of this pagan king, Isaiah 44: Cyrus - decreed the re-building of Jerusalem as well as the temple. Our text says - there is a causal connection between these - while I was still in Prayer: As soon as you began to pray - 'a word went forth',
• Occam's razor: A simpler explanation of vs. 25-27: vs. 25 'the anointed one, the ruler', '...' Critical view: 25: Joshua, 26: Onius 3rd, 26: ruler: Antiochus, Dispensational view: 25: Jesus, 26: Jesus's death, 26:b) Titus the general, 27: 'he': the Antichrist (not mentioned anywhere). The Traditional view: they are all a simple reference to Jesus. Jesus warned his disciples that the Jerusalem would be destroyed because of their rebellion, Christ using the unwitting agent of the Roman armies.
• The promises of vs. 24 finally fulfilled; Critical view: Hannuka - no bringing in of everlasting righteousness etc. Dispensational approach better: 7 year period of the great tribulation, the coming of Christ, 1000year reign, then some Gog/Magog rebellion, then judgement etc. lots more 'prophecy to be sealed up' etc. The Traditional view - the end of the 70 weeks is when Christ comes & brings his promises to completion.
• Only in the traditional view do we see the parallels between vs. 26/27 - A) cut/off - making a covenant, for many, B) the army of the ruler - sent his army; in the middle of that seven put an end to sacrifice and offering; C) Matthew 24; quotes this, fulfilled when Jerusalem destroyed - when running to the hills is a good idea in 70 AD, not a good idea at the end of time. [ we know that indeed, the Christians ran to the local city of Tella & escaped the destruction when the Romans had surrounded Jerusalem ].

• A slightly more literal translation. Clearly, the 8 most difficult / controversial verses in the book of Daniel; among the most problematic verses in the entire bible.
• John Gammy / Herman Bellcamp's - most useful commentaries so far; just a blank on the passage - say nothing, but don't say they will say nothing. Thought it was a publishers error. James MtGommery, gives best stab at enterpreting it, but says: 'a dismal swamp of ... trackless wilderness of assumptions & theories'.
• Can't just skip it - God thought it was useful, beneficial, have to stick it. Also a key to many passages in Revalation wrt. the return of Christ. With a proper understanding of it, a powerful argument for the claims of Christ emerges; and finally some significant political implications - advisors to the President of the US, wonderful Christians, well intentioned etc. but enterpretation of vs. 26 colours their advice wrt. the city of Jerusalem.
• Daniel's outline of 70x7s or 70 weeks; seeing the unfolding of redemptive history as a plan of weeks; (weeks of years), instead of decades they thought of sabattical sevens of years. One period of 7, another of 62, and a final climatic week.
• The dozen views out there - organised under 3 approaches; all determined by the understanding of when the last week takes place.
  • The 'Critical' view, most common - majority, favoured interperation; the last week is a period of 7 years that took place at the time of Hannuka 171 BC - 164 BC, momentus time for the Jewish people up to Judas Macabees. On this - 1st 7 weeks, 587BC, King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, fitting plan, to re-build Jerusalem 49BC, (5 years later), Cyrus raised up to restore / re-build Jerusalem. The Messiah/ruler (annointed one) in this case, not Jesus as you might think; in this case Joshua - an important priest; featured in Haggai / Zecharia - 1st priest that served in the new temple; analgous to Aaron. 62 weeks to 605BC, from Daniel's abduction to 171 BC, when Antiochus Epiphanies comes to power; mid-way through that week, he built on top of that alter, an alter to Zeus & sacrificed a pig on it; went into the holy of holies, desecrating the temple. 3 1/2 years later 164BC, God's people overthrew Antiochus; came in & cleansed the temple of it's defilement etc. Hannuka == Dedication. Some marvelous advantages to this enterpretation: the numbers come out remarkably well. These terms, abomination / desolation - used elsewhere of this period in Daniel. Problem - odd clock, goes forward / back rather erratically. Vs. 7:24 tells what the weeks are about: ... to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and anoint the most holy. - Yes the Jews threw out a tyrant, but doesn't seem to measure up to it.
  • Next view - enormously popular not in commentaries, but in books & on the radio: the Dispensational view; ~150 years old, become very popular, support from footnotes of Schofeld reference bible (excellent), Hal Lindsay's 'The Late Great Planet Earth' assumes this translation; ditto 'Left Behind' series, 40million copies rely on this. The good news - God has used the books to ignite a desire for the return of Christ, that the Bible can be trusted etc. Don't want to say anything that diminishes that. Worth understanding where the views come from. Most start with 445BC, Xerxes gave permission to re-build Jerusalem; 7 weeks of years later; (49 years), then (62+7) weeks of years; but this overshoots - one approach, use Lunar years instead of actual years, that rather too short. If you have 'prophetic years' 360days each; gives you 32AD - very close to the time of Jesus' death on the cross. All dispensationalists hold that the last week - the 70th is at the end of the church age, again a literal 7 year period; at the end the period of the 'great tribulation', that means - has to be a temple in Jerusalem to have sacrifice and offering. Wonderful advantages of the view weeks of years, quite literally, it points to the coming of Jesus, the 70x7s fulfilled, or substantially accomplished. The disadvantages of the view - the clock; an interesting one; quartz crystal accuracy; 445BC - 30AD, but then the clock stops & it has stopped for nearl 2000 years, (a great parenthisis), Jesus died on the Cross, rose again, poured out his spirit on the Church, then 2k years of Church history, in this great stoppage period. A terrible problem for this view; no-one reading this before 150years ago ever saw that gap. No reason to think this should be 360day years (or other ways to adjust it); furthermore - why did Gabriel rush ? (in swift flight). 538BC, a 100 year message. A further mis-understanding in the cast of characters; vs 25. Messiah, the ruler the Christ; but vs 26 though 'the ruler' is Titus, vs. 9 'he' is the Anti-Christ - amazing.
  • The 3rd view - the 'traditional' view, which is ~the best - next week.
• The good news - Daniel's prayer - a powerful pennitential prayer; the problem not that he's living in Babylon - but living in sin; not that he needs radical transportation back to Jerusalem, but radical transformation inside.
• To finish transgession, to put and end to sin, to atone for wickedness - Romans 3: God presented him as a sacrifice of attonement; to bring in everlasting righteousness - we inherit righteousness in Christ; and he will anoint the holy of holies - Mallachi said he would suddenly come to his temple; but it was never filled, but we are built up into his temple, giving his spirit to people instead.

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• Daniel bi-lingual; an unusual language more useful for communicating opaquely. Ch. 8 refers to Ch. 7 - had a vision after the one that had already appeared to me. Ch. 7 panoramic, Ch 8. the close-up. The 2nd outline - concentricity; 2-7 ABCCBA outline in Aramaic, but another pattern ABA 8-12 in Hebrew.
• Significance ? Aramaic - all the pagans could understand, the emphasis on God's judgement against the nations. Ch. 8 - end the emphasis on God's judgement against his own people, the terrible privations and sufferings God's people will have to suffer - in the private language of Hebrew.
• Historical context - 3rd year Belshazars' reign, a significant time - Cyrus the Persian had overthrown his Median overlord. God had raised up this partnership to overthrow the Babylonian empire. He sees himself 200 miles to the East - transported to Iran, SuSA the center of power of the new kingdom.
• Daniel 7 - many disagree over the detail. Daniel 8 - so transparent. vs. 20the two horned ram represents the Kings of Media & Persia, vs. 4 - What Cyrus did - attacks to the West & North and South.
• Daniel - saw the Medo-Persian empire as a single entity, 1 beast - 2 horns. vs 21. the King of Greece - Alexander in 3 short years - took over the entire Persian empire, Egypt included, onto Afghanistan, into Pakistan. After his death, his empire disintigrated, 4 empires ruled by his generals.
• Who is the little horn in Ch. 8 - virtual unanimity, that this one, who grows one of the 4 horns - is Antiochus Epiphanies. Christians somewhat ignorant of this - the background to Hanakkah (dedication) - the dedication of the temple after it was wrecked. Robert Anderson: Antiochus was the acne of Imperial pretension and the personal embodiment of all iniquity. The OT. equivalent of a Hitler, in his determination to obliterate Judaism.
• Some similarities to the little horn in Ch 7, argued that Ch, 7's is the anti-christ; parallels but significant differences that outweigh them. Ch 7 comes from a beast with 10 horns, whereas in Ch 8, out of one of 4 horns. Ch 7. difference in source kingdom; Ch 8, when God judges the little horn - he just destroys it, and re-dedicates the temple in vs. 14 then the sanctuary will be restored. Ch 7. when the little horn is destroyed - the end of worldly kingdoms, very final.
• Antiochus is if anything a pre-figurement of the anti-christ, a fore-shadowing of him. Similarly Nebuchadnezzar doesn't hesitate to destroy the temple, boast in his arrogance, and mandate idolatory. etc. They have a diabolical side.
• When does it take place ? vs. 17 the vision concers the time of the end. don't jump to the conclusion that it is the end of the world - instead the end of God's wrath. God's wrath continued after the captivity, his people had not repented.
• What did Antiochus do that was so bad ? murdered a brother to get to the throne; grew in power toward Israel (the beautiful land). Antiochus had been a hostage of Rome for many years - a desparate man, in desparate times, resorted to desparate measures.
• The only way the Eastern provinces could withstand the Roman threat - ideolocial unity - dotted the land with gymnasiums to encourage Greek sport. Decided to push Hellenism more and more, outlawed all things Jewish.
• Antiochus - decided the armies to go in for a sabbath day parade, the unarmed citizens turned out to watch, and at a signal, the soldiers turned on them & slaughtered 40k of them.
• Built an alter to Zeus in the sanctuary of the temple and re-dedicated the temple to Zeus & sacrificed a pig on it. The bible outlawed - scriptures confiscated & burned, circumcison was outlawed, the sabbath was outlawed - instead the 25th of the month - his birthday was honoured.
• He thought he was God, struck coins with Zeus on his throne - but with his face. 2nd Macabees - a remarkable story of a woman who refused to eat the mandatory pork & whose children were killed one by one in front of her.
• Saul Saul, why persecuteth thou me. A spiritual loathing. Why did God allow this ? - Daniel never asks the question, becuase he knows the answer. Instead, the angels ask 'how long' (as does much of scripture).
• How long ? a long time: 2300 evenings and mornings - 171-164 BC 6 1/2 years - the time from Antiochus instating a bogus high priest to him being overthrown.
• The only way this could happen - is God's Spirit leaving his temple. What lesson from this very depressing book: This is God's doing. Divine intervention behind this - time for judgement to begin with the house of God.
• What Sins provoked God's anger here - ones very familiar to us, not so much idolatory as complacency, compromise, indifference, accomodation (what we learn about as we read on in the books of the time: Haggai & Malachi), solvenlyness. Often there has to be deprivation before you value something, those who don't value their jobs - come late, leave early - until they're fired, those who don't value their health, until on a stretcher in hospital. Those who don't value their relationship to God, until they have so grieved the holy spirit that he's left town.
• Israel had become even embarassed about their circumcision - the sign of the covenant, & devised a surgical proceedure to make it appear that they had not been circumcised. You are ashamed - fine, have a King that will outlaw it - and it became something worth dying for. Many Cavalier about baptism - forgetting many have died to be baptised.
• They were slovenly and indifferent about the word of God, ignoring the prophets; so fine - Amos 8 says I will send a famine through the land ... a famine of hearing the words of the Lord - the scriptures will be taken from you.
• There were those who thought worship was just tedious drudgery, couldn't wait for the sabbath to be over, gave their most sickly animals for sacrifice, tithing was an imposition. God gave them what they wanted; one who would take away the daily sacrifice so you couldn't worship God in this way at all.
• Do not be decived - God cannot be mocked, a man reaps what he sows. A hard message - but one that ultimately brings comfort. Endure hardship as disipline, for God is treating you as his sons, for what son is not disciplined by his Father. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful - but later on it produces a harvest of righteousness & peace for those who have been trained by it.
• At the end of this national nightmare, God's people yearned to be in the presence of God and to worship him, rejoiced at the priviledge of sacrifice when it was at last allowed again, devoured the scriptures giving attention to them when at last they could have them without persecution. May it not be said of us that in the last days the love of many grew cold, may we prize what has been given us, before it is removed.

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• Differing views ? had covered the view of just the empires that ruled over Israel, the majority view, 4 other commonly held interpretations - discussed when we get to Daniel 9. Also 5 other views of the Son of Man, besides the traditional understanding presented, not explicitely addressed.
• Jesus takes many titles: the good shephard, the light of the world, Teacher & Lord while washing the disciples feet; uses lots. One title, he mostly avoids (apart from a dozen times or so): Messiah (or Christ (Greek)).
• When Jesus came came to the region of Caesera Philipi - and asked: who do people say the Son of Man is ?, Simon Peter answered - you are the Christ, the son of the living God. - Matthew 16 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone he was the Christ.
• Why the reticence ? an understandable reaction to the mis-appropriation of that title by crack-pots & despots. Many other 'Christs' at the time. Modern Germany an analogy; Gerhard Schroeder's responsibilities well captured by the term 'leader'; Fuhrer - but no-one uses this term, since Hitler hijacked it it's virtually useless in the language. So, with Jesus, instead of Christ - he uses the term 'Son of Man'.
• No-one else in the New Testament refers to themselves as 'The Son of Man', in Mark 13 - false Christs & false prophets will appear ... men will see the Son of Man coming with power ie. the true Christ, the true prophet - one and the same as the Son of Man. Implicitly endorsing the view of him as the Christ.
• In this text, not just any old son of any old man; but explicitely as per Daniel 7: '4 winds' (vs27), 'great clouds', 'great glory', (vs26). etc.
• Standing at trial before the High Priest: tell us, if you are the Christ, the Son of God. 'It is as you say', but I say to all of you, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the mighty one - a blasphemy to claim to be God worthy of death - unless he was right.
• Similarly, Jesus mentions the Church only twice in the New Testament, instead he uses the term the 'Kingdom of God', again using Daniel 7 to define his ministry.
• A good background: Genesis 1-3, to understand the text. In Aramaic, the phrase 'Son of Man', as in Hebrew means 'Son of Adam'. The 2nd Adam.
  • Creation - darkness in the beginning, life giving breath of God hovering over the waters etc. Daniel - begins with darkness at night, 4 winds of heaven, churning up the great sea.
  • A parody of creation ? originally the beasts come & God judges them as good. In this vision, the beasts come as terrifying hybrids, the lasts of the beasts: a RoboBeast: teeth of Iron, claws of Bronze.
  • Ancient of Days - the days of creation in view ? God pronounces judgement against the servant the evil one in both.
  • The crown - man in his own image. Adam whose name means 'humankind', and here the son of Adam very like God.
• Very useful view of representation. Adam - the representative of humankind - the commands given to him apply to all of us, marriage etc. & also the curse; mortality etc. Things said to Adam are said to us implicitely. His failure with respect to obedience, imputed to us.
• The same principle applies to the Son of Adam, in the latter verses, the Son of Adam the representative of the saints; (vs26) - the interpretation, power & greatness handed over to the saints, ie. Saints == holy ones, God transforming us in Christ to be his spiritual children, as we are children of Adam.
• Also, the sufferings of the saints, waging war on them, how he oppresses them. If the saints are going to suffer like this, so will the Son of Man suffer. Mark 8:31 - He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. Peter tries to rebuke him.
• Peter had read Daniel 7, but only focused on the triumph, the final judgement, but if the saints were to be oppressed - so must the Son of Man be; In all our afflictions he was afflicted
• Explains Paul's understanding: So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a lifegiving spirit ... The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. ( 1 Cor 15). Many times, over & over the people of God called saints.
• A second marvelous principle - authority: Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. ( Genesis 1). The Christian view of Ecology comes from here - not a license to slash & burn, rather trustees, vassals responsible to God. The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it., or serve it & guard it. Nevertheless given authority over all of nature.
• Daniel 7 - nature run amok - beasts destroying us, enslaving us instead of serving us. Jesus - the Lord of nature, confronted by a furious sea, commanded the wind & waves: quiet, be still - and they were. What is true for the Son of Man will be true for those who belong to him: all the saints. Romans 8: The creation waits in eager expectation for the Sons of God to be revealed would love to be liberated from it's bondage to decay. One day it will delight to yield it's secrets to us under God.
• As I looked, thrones were put in place; thousands upon thousands attended him; the angelic hosts are standing. Why more than 1 throne ? the Son of Man to be seated on that throne; Matthew 25 - When the Son of Man comes ... he will sit on his throne, Matthew 19 - the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne.
• God created human beings like God. Daniel 7 - a higher theme; God becomes like man. Before me was one like a Son of Man - normally 'son of man' means just a human being, but like: not human in some sense. One of Jesus' most remarkable aspects.
• Of the democratic convention; (as perhaps the Republican), reading the coverage these things were said of John Kerry, he is: A leader that knows how to listen, who knows the difference between right & wrong, Your cause is his cause, who is willing to lay down his life for his friends., A man called by destiny who will not let you down. - amazing. We desire leaders who are incarnations of God. Also true of Churches, pastors can be put on incredible pedestals. We intuit that the only one who can tell us what to do with our lives can be God.
• Daniel 7 - the good news, not that a slightly better kingdom is coming; but that a qualitatively different kingdom is coming - the King is God, appearing in the likeness of a man. The 1st proof - 'likeness'.
• 2nd proof - the clouds, coming with the clouds of heaven. Psalm 68, Psalm 104, Isaiah 19 - God comes with the clouds of Heaven.
• 3rd proof - The Ancient of Days - described like a man, takes his seat - has clothing, hair (not bald), God described in anthropomorphic terms.
• 4thly: the 4 beasts represent exaulted human beings - beasts representing the great Kings & Conquerors of the ancient world. What is categorically higher than a man, as man is of a beast ? - God.
• 5thly - he recieves divine perogatives - all people worshiped him - the unconditional loyalty only God deserves - as pressed home by the rest of Daniel.
• 6thly - an eternal & indestructible Kingdom.
• Daniel 7: The basis of Jesus' claims to be God. Jewish teachers pre-Jesus struggled with this - how can you have 2 Gods in Daniel 7 ? The Rabbi Simeon Ba Johi, one of the early rabinnic authors - not 2 Gods, but just 2 manifestations of God, likewise Rabbi Ishmael two manifestations of God. Later trinitarian theology would talk of 2 centers of divine conciousness, in the persons of the Trinity.
• The Jews of Jesus' day knew this was a claim to be God; worthy of death if it was not true.
• When Jesus healed the man who was born blind, he said to him, as he says to us: Do you believe in the Son of Man ? "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him.". Jesus said, "You have now seen him - looking through eyes that have been blind in fact, he is the one speaking with you.". Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.
• The only fitting response to the Son of Man. How do you become a Christian ? not something to understand, or even to believe the daemons believe & tremble, it's something to do: to give your life to a new King. Give it to someone who knows what to do with it. Jesus didn't say: admire me, or agree with me, he said, repent, believe & follow me.

-    // pl: evil ? don't be scared so easily :-)
-	{ // Begin this unutterably evil; we need to pass a nice handle down
+	{
 	    VCL_CUSTOM_ICON_FN *pCustomIcon = 0;
 		char *pSymbol = g_strdup_printf ("%s%d", VCL_CUSTOM_ICON_BASE, nIcon );
 		void *pAppHdl = dlopen( NULL, RTLD_LAZY );
@@ -584,7 +562,7 @@
 		}
 		g_free( pSymbol );
 		dlclose( pAppHdl );
-	} // End evilness
+	}

• Largely a recap on the previous stuff, after his holiday - but some expansion of the dual-phase nature of the 4th Kingdom.
• The 10 horned beast of the 4th Kingdom, a somewhat unfamiliar agrarian image - a pictuer of extreme power; 10 simultaneous client Kings eg. Herod in Judea, the Pharoe in Egypt etc. times when there were exactly 10, most likely symbolic. cf. Daniel being 10x cleverer than everyone else.
• The Romans different from the Persians / Greeks - demanded not just tribute, but compelte submission to Roman law, and eventually their cult of Emperor worship; raw power.
• Must watch Chariots of Fire again; cf. Isaiah 40.

• One of Gordon's defining moments: one of his students, Jerry Feldman - spent his summer as a door-to-door salesman - selling a 'Filter Queen'. Came around to demonstrate, like Christmas - an unmarked box, a huge number of things coming out; assembling a complicated machine, designed to surgical standards, any allergies ? can spray insecticide, blow varnish, leaves in the garden, ... finally it's real category dropped into place: a vacuum cleaner, spent $400 - still can't believe it.
• Biblical scholars try to make sense of all the detail of our faith, to allow us to see the coherence of the whole without doing violence to the luxurience of the parts. People look for a 'center' for theology; 'the Holiness of God': hence redemption, etc., 'a God that acts in history': hence lots of historical detail, others: 'Election': the theme of God's unmerited choice, understanding grace etc. president of Gordon Conwell - 'Promise': pulls together a lot, another friend Gregory Beale 'New Creation'.
• Still remember the spine-tingling thrill as a young college student, hearing Meredith Klein - who said, all these are part of the picture; but the real centre, the integrative categorical framework is The Kingdom of God - packs a real punch.
• Not comparitive religion, but comparitive Kingdoms; what is it that rules our life ? Daniel 7 may sound like a menagerie, or Zoo - but each represents a successive empire or Kingdom, 4 earthly Kingdoms.
• Christianity: not a religion, but a relationship. Not a relationship with some buddy, or personal trainer, but with the King of the universive. The King who demands our unconditional surrender, unqualified trust & love, our undivided loyalty, our uncompromising obediance.
• A key to so many texts: Isaiah 6: In the year King Usaiah died ... I saw the Lord, sitting on a throne ... and his train filled the Palace ... my eyes have seen the King. [ Temple == Palace; same word in Hebrew ]. God is not a philosophical premise, but the boss.
• If we know about the ANE; Ancient Kings were often called Father; or Shepherds (Pastors); Judge - the other names for God fit together with this exciting overview. He is the King of Israel.
• Suprising that Jesus hardly never used the word 'Church'; but this word can be used to identify a club, or an association. The last thing the King wants is for you to think this is a volentary club, with perhaps some dues you pay.
• 1 Peter 2: A chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation - his (international) nation. Israel's Kings were not like the other nation's kings, vassel kings - obviously 2nd in command. Samuel It's not you they have rejected, but me ... they want a king like the nations (who will be answerable to no-one). God punishes his nation by giving them what they want; he gave them Saul as King - a grave disappointment (whose name means "You asked for it").
• Then in David - we see what real Kingship is like: vassel Kingship, Deut. 17 - must have a copy of God's: is answerable to a higher authority, must read it every day; and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Humility - and the desparate need for God's help in ruling.
• Temple, just means Palace - setup just like the palaces of the ancient Kings. So was the tabernacle, the movable palace setup from the time of Moses to Solomon. We have a painting on a great hall in Egypt of the battle of Pharoe Ramaseese II, at Kadesh, against his enemies.
• Ramaseese II - on the move; when he moves, he can't be back home in his Palace - he has a moving palace; with the same architectural features, fabrics, orientation as the Tabernacle that God told Moses to construct. It's rectangular, the walls are made of tent material in sections, one opening only on the East. Inside, an enclosed area with two sections, the King resides in the 'holy of holies' in the innermost section, seated on a throne - surrounded by angel-like characters with wings; with his foot on a footstool.
• The Bible must be plagerising ! why would God do it that way ? so - that he didn't have to explain everything; so his people would get it. They were being freed from living for the tyrrany of Pharoe to live for the only one who is worthy & deserving of their unqualified obedience.
• Explains the office of Prophet - who spoke to the King, whereas the later Prophets wrote their message - not just to the King, but also to the people. The transition happens in the C 8th BC - just when contemporary kingdoms make the same shift. Gestures of prayer - lifting hands: in the worship of God; but in the ANE - this is how people approached the Kings: 'hands up', I give up, (no weapons), this gesture of self surrender.
• That's what the tithe is all about; not some practical financial reason 1 Samuel 8 tells them You want a King - he will take 1/10th of your grain, ...a tenth of your flocks ...; every time you have a King; the people give a mandatory tribute of 10%. You can tell who is the King, because he gets 10%.
• It explains why we have a book - the ANE religions didn't have a bible; Baal, Marduk, Chemosh - no bible. But in Kingdoms they had bibles: 'covenant documents'. The King structured his rule in an arrangement called a covenant. A triangular relationship in the sight of God. Example King Mercillus of the Hittites, & a vassal Dubiteshan:
  • Same form as the 1st parts of the bible: eg. 10 commandments Thus says my majesty Mercillus, the Great King, the King of the Hittites, hero beloved of the Storm God ... Great King ... - it starts by saying who the boss is; the 10 commandments: I am the Lord your God - starts with the King identifying himself.
  • Then a little historical section: how Mercillus helped Dubiteshan: who was a sickly little runt, with no political future, and how the Sovereign setup the vassel King on his throne. Why would he say that ?: 'You owe me'.
  • Commandment 1: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land off Egypt, out of the house of slavery - why say that ? it just happened 3 months ago, everyone knows that. You owe me - in the Old Testament - grace before law. They did not obey the commandments and so win God's favour so he would bring them out of Egypt, instead God showered his love graciously on his people who deserved nothing but judgement, who were no better than their neighbours, won them to himself; and then says to them: You owe me. I redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to set you free, not to run your own life; but so that you might live for me, who died for you.
  • Then follows the 10 commandments, as in Mercillus' covenant the detail follows.
  • The contracts written in duplicate copies; (2 tablets of stone) - each would place the copies under the feet of whatever God they worshiped. Of course in the Israel / God case - both copies under his feet - in the Ark of the covenant (also called the 'footstool of God') both copies there.
  • Israelites followed the ancient tradition of ratifying a covenant by sharing a meal; That's why many were offended by Jesus: this man welcomes sinners and eats with them !.
  • Moses read the covenant, to the people, and they responded We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.
  • Jesus says virtually the same thing; this cup is the new covenant in my blood, drink this in rememberence of me - the early church called it a sacrament - Cisero define a sacramentum as an oath of loyalty taken by soldiers to the emperor. Tertullian said - we are called to the army of God when we respond to the words of the sacrament.
• Daniel 7 reminds us that our hope is not resting in whomever happens to be sitting on the throne of Babylon at any given moment; but in a higher throne; of the Kingdom of God, the Ancient of Days. Daniel - knew that Babylon would fall soon; the dream in the reign of the last ruler of Babylon before its fall. They must have been excited for the future the 70 years exile nearly up; but God disabuses this optimism. Yes - a change of administration, yes Babylon will fall; but the Lion gives way to a bear, then a leopard - then an indescribably horrible animal. And, all through, war against the saints.
• Jesus refers to this text over and over again, 100+ times refers to The Kingdom of God - 82 times he calls himself the Son of Man - from this text; he understands it, as do his contemporaries, as a reference to this text - a claim to be God.
• The Kingdom perspective explains: Thy Kingdom come, Jesus did not come to get us out of a jam, why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say ?, if you love me, you will obey my commands.
• There is no low-cost path of discipleship, because Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship. A relationship not with some buddy, a personal coach, or a friend (only) but with the King of the Universe, and he demands your unconditional surrender, and he alone is worthy of your unqualified trust and love, your undivided loyalty, your uncompromising obedience.

• We often deny death because we don't want to admit we are out of control. Ernest Becker's The Denial of Death: the reason we deny death is we don't want to admit we're out of control., In Japan if you're dying by tradition the doctors do not tell them. In America by contrast, it's not supposed to happen - so the doctor gets sued. With death there is no choice, you're out of control.
• Bible's metaphores for the briefness of life: a mist, chaff, water spilled into the sand, a dream of the night - forgotten at the breakfast table, flowers that wither, like a sigh - a puff of breath. Death so painful - not a drop returning to the ocean - something monstrous, traumatic.
• This is the point we're at in John's gospel - the last words; after the last supper - it's sombre and desparate - he's already warned them he has to die, and that they will too; then Peter's disowning of him. A farewell, the final words to his friends:
• Do not let your hearts be troubled - later that evening he will sweat blood; facing death - you get heart trouble; only the divine phisician can heal it: Trust in God, trust also in me. As you face my death, as you face terrible suffering: crucified upside down, covered in tar and lit, tied to wild animals an pulled apart etc. remember - I have a place for you: in my Father's house there are many rooms ... I am going there to prepare a place for you. Homelessness very destructive to the human psyche, not just some bricks, but acceptance, friendship, a meal prepared. Home - where you belong.
• An elderly member of the Church going to hospital with a brain haemorrage a few years back; before entering hospital she wrote: I am in God's hands, and I am at peace, and I am quite resigned to whatever may happen to me, I feel I may be going home which will be very lovely. words of faith, in control as even her mind was disintegrating.
• How can you be so sure ? - Jesus makes 4 promises:

  • 2. I am going there to prepare a place for you same in 3; Heaven will not be a strange place, but arriving in a place prepared for us, ready, made by loving hands. He has been to prepare a place for all belivers.

    Rico's first funeral of a relatively young person: Dr Stuart Spencer (39) died of lukemia, the week before he died, when Rico visited he said this: Rico, you may think the cross is precious to you, but you have no idea, think what it means to me knowing that within a week I will stand before God at the judgement, and the cross will mean that all my sin, and all I'm reminded of now at the end of my life will be forgiven and paid for by Christ. The Cross is incredibly precious to me.

  • 3. And if I go ... I will come back and take you to be with me - a contextual reference to Jesus' coming to be with his people at death. "Ok Rico - it's time, lets go".
  • ... take you to be with me that you also may be where I am - lots of questions about Heaven, (Rev 21), a place of perfection, companionship - but primarily a place of intimacy where we'll see him face-to-face. No more faith.

  • Doubting Thomas: we don't know where you're going, so how can we know the way ? Jesus answered I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him..

    Jesus says - you do know the way, it's me. Interesting - most of the time, Jesus tells his disciples, you think you know but you don't but here he says You think you don't know - but you do

• You can't think of Heaven if you don't think of Jesus: he is the fore-runner, the escort, the destination, and the way. cf. vs 14:1 are your hearts still troubled ? though Death is terrible, it has lost it's sting.
• It can be terrifying as we physically disintigrate; one woman said recently of Reagan's altzheimers - he would go to the park, and her children would play in front of him. Not remembering meeting the president was not nearly as sad, as not remembering being the president.
• Have you rested on these promises for your death ? Laying flowers is not enough - the comfort of scripture, and Jesus' presence.
• The guessing games about God, are over - revealed in Jesus - If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.
• No one comes to the Father, except through me - there are not many ways up a mountain, Jesus is the only mountain but so many ways to come to know and trust him. Humanity divided into those who trust in Jesus' death on the cross to open that way to the Father's house.

• Time is the enemy of the false prophet; predictions from 100 years ago; Charles Dual - a petition to President McKinley, his recommendation as office of patents everything that can be invented, has been invented. Harry Warner (of Warner Brother fame) - Why not add a sound track to the movies - Harry responded: Who in the world wants to hear actors talk. Erwin Fischer of Yale - October 16, 1929 Stocks have reached what looks like a permanantly high plateau, just weeks before the massive crash / great depression.
• What are the foundations of your faith ? is it really so ? just a handful of pillar convictions;
  • The unshakable confidence - that nothing else is true, Meaningless, meaningless says the teacher, everything is meaningless.
  • The testimony of creation - the more I examine the universe and the details of it's architecture - the more evidence I find that the universem ust have known we are coming: the anthropic principle.
  • The incomperable work of Christ - the evidence for the resurrection - who paid for their eye-witness testimony with martyrdom.
  • Towering over it all - the testament of prophecy. Jesus' teaching too - Lazarus / the rich man separated by an unbreachable chasm; Luke 16: They have Moses and the Prophets - let them listen to them: it doesn't get any better. But if someone from the dead goes to them ? ... they will not be convinced - even if someone rises from the dead.
• 456 old testament texts - predictive of the Christ and his work. Many scholars list 65 passages, as the most obvious & clear. Copies of Micah pre-dating Christ, Isaiah 53 - born to die - the Isaiah scroll from Quamran 700 years before Christ - there in the text; almost more vividly than the Gospels.
• Sir Isaac Newton, after he finished his Principia age 28; what should he work on now ? turned to Biblical prophecy, 1.3 million words on prophecy - most on the book of Daniel. Some conclusions somewhat speculative, would hang the entire truth of Christianity on the book of Daniel. The passage breaks down into the vision, and the angel's interpretation.
• The passage not utterly transparent, several sermons on it coming; but 3 hermenutical keys.
  • Daniel chapter 7 next to chapter 2, context is king, decisive; chapter 2 is crictical for understanding 7.
  • Partial parallel with chapter 8.
  • Internal logic, once we've worked out the beasts - we want to work out who that Son of Man is.
• People often miss out by separating the book into two pieces - which can be unhelpful. Ch 1-6, Chapter 7 onwards not chronoligically arranged, ending in 4 visions. The best literature though has several outlines - beyond this simple separation. Begins with Hebrew, ends with Hebrew, but the center is Aramaic. The center is concentric, with an ABC CBA pattern. The key to Ch 7, is Chapter 2.
• The interpretation - vs. 17 The 4 beasts are 4 kingdoms, followed by the eternal kingdom of God. Animals have been used as mascots / symbols for nations forever: the American Eagle, the Lion of Judah etc. The beasts are all predatory - seemingly the results of genetic engineering: Lions with wings, horrifying beasts - that destroy with voracious appetite. Each representing a kingdom, parallel with the layers of the statue in ch 2.
• The first beast: A Lion with wings - in Babylon a transparent image: the coat of arms of the Babylonian empire; King of the beasts + the eagle. Also reflected in Jeremiah, comparing Nebuchadnezzar to a Lion, Ezekiel (17) describing Babylon as an Eagle. Confirm that it is Babylon by Ch 2: You oh king are the king of kings ... in your hands has he placed mankind and the beasts of the field, and the birds of the air ... You are that head of Gold. King of the beasts, and birds. The first beast is Babylon.
• Now the rest makes sense; God judged Nebuchadnezzar by mental illness - expelled from human community - cf. Daniel 4 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him. etc. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. Then he was restored to a man. What Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream as an idol - super human in his eyes; Daniel the believer sees as a degraded beast.
• The 2nd beast which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of it's sides. An image for the Medo-Persian empire; where the Persians were more dominant than the Medes. Compare the parallel vision in chapter 8: another vision, zeroing in on the middle 2 empires: using other animals to make the point. This time the Medes & Persians depicted as a Ram - with two horns - one of the horns was longer than the other (dominance of the Persians over the Medes); 8:20 the two horned ram you saw - represents the Kings of Media and Persia.
• The 3rd beast - a souped up leopard; 4 wings like those of a bird. The next great empire - Alexander the Great; pioneered blitzkrieg warfare, his Macedonain empire, ruled to Pakistan from Greece - an empire hardly equalled since. Again Ch 8. describes the same as a Goat - with one large horn - crossing the whole earth without touching the ground - defeated the ram of the Medes & Persians. Chapter 8 clearly identifies the shaggy goat as the king of Greece. Alexander the Great died at 33; his kingdom among his 4 generals into 4 parts. the 4 kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same strength - lots of infighting.
• The 4th beast - Rome; iron teeth - in Daniel 2 the legs. A picture of the ruthless brutality of the 4th kingdom, whose architecture we admire from a distance, but under whose rule we would not have wanted to live. It's efficiency made it's raw power more terrifying: 'Rome was made up of a bunch of thugs'. The 5th king - that follows; In Daniel 2 and 7 the 5th part, has two phases - legs iron and clay - mixed. A subsequent development adding clay with iron - not something radically new. Daniel 7 a 10 horned beast: Rome; and then the little horn.
• The Kingdom of God, also appearing (Daniel 2:34-35) in 2 phases - a rock was cut out, but not by human hands (God's initiative) seemingly weak and unimpressive, rock: a despised material cf. gold. Phase 2 - it then strikes the statue on the feet of iron and clay, smashing it, and grows to be a huge mountain that filled the earth. The Kingdom represented in 2 phases - a despised first advent; then hitting this idol and wiping it out.
• Same 2 stage business in Daniel 7 - the Saints given over to the persecution by the little horn; then all of a sudden the blasphemies of the little horn provoke final judgement.
• Jesus uses the name The Son of Man 81 times - not a self deprecating name; Jesus' favorite sermon topic - The Kingdom of God referred to 100 times. cf. vs 13,14.
• So may references to make it clear what Son of Man he is referring to: Matthew 24: at that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky ... They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky ... gather the elect from the four winds cf. 4 winds in Daniel 7:1, Coming with the clouds Daniel 7:13.
• In claiming to be the Son of Man, claiming to be God, not just a man. Daniel 7:13 - one like a son of man - not just a human, Ezekiel was a son of man; but 'like' - he is; but represents something else. Another human-like figure in Daniel 7 - sitting in a chair in a throne, clothing, hair: God the father. Who is this one like the son of man - he too is God; riding on the clouds very distinctive: Psalm 68:4, Isaiah 19:1 and others.
• When Judgement is rendered - what does the Ancient of Days give to the Son of Man - glory and soverign power; and all people worshiped him. In the book of Daniel - people would rather be burned alive than worship a man; Daniel would rather be thrown to the Lions, than bow the knee to Darius - you only worship God: the Son of Man - is God.
• When Jesus told the High Priest he was the Son of Man, he tore his clothes and said - this is blasphemy, deserving of death. (Matthew 26) - blasphemy to those that did not accept his claim.
• Many of us have taken classes at college - where we hear that in the Roman period Israel was crawling with Messiah pretenders; Jesus was just one of many. True, why ? because of Daniel - the Quamran community knew that the Messiah was coming soon, during the Roman period. Josephus writing later in the 1st Centuary - identifies Rome as the 4th kingdom - knew the Messiah would be coming, if he hadn't already. Ditto 2nd Ezras.
• When they saw John the Baptist - and (waiting expectantly) thought it was him; asked him; he said no: I'm not the Christ but among you stands one, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. So - who fulfills the predicions of the Christ who would come during that empire ?
  • Thudus - claimed to be the messiah, duped a large number to follow him into the Jordan, promising the waters would part at his command. The Romans were not impressed, de-capitated him before he could perform his miracle.
  • Judas the Galillean - led his fellow Jews in a tax revolt, the Romans killed him.
  • An Egyptian prophet, gathered 30,000 followers at the mount of olives, and promised that the walls of Jerusalem would fall. The Romans slaughtered him.
  • Menachem sized Masada, and captured Jerusalem for a while, then was assasinated by his followers.
• Never heard of these ? only one who was born at that time, to whom the scriptures point, who fulfilled the predictions of prophecy. Jn 5 These are the scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
• Some other explanation ? how could the predictions be so specific ? Must have been written after Jesus ? at the end of the 19th Century there were scholars that thought so, written 70AD - too detailed, no other way to explain it. The problem: we now have copies of Daniel, from Qumran, one 120BC, another from the 1st C BC.
• Who is Jesus ? he is who he claims to be, the Son of Man who came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as the ransom for many.

• Hacking OpenOffice.org: html, tar.gz
• Gnome 2.6 and the Linux desktop: html tar.gz

• Disciples questions - motivated by a desire to understand. 1 exception - teach us on a subject of need: Lord - teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples - embarassing to ask ? Luke 11.
• We need to be taught to pray too. Often the result of temptation is to destroy our prayer life; our communion with God.
• The same lesson in chapter 6 as earlier: how to be in the world, but not of it. Darius appoints 120 satraps, with 3 administrators over them - one of them Daniel - plucked from retirement: age ~80. Much of the theocarcy of Israel's life inapplicable to today - a non-theocracy, under common grace. Daniel, very applicable though.
• Extensive parallelism between Joseph and Daniel:
  • Both kidnapped from Israel to a foreign land, taken from their families as youths.
  • Both end up serving in the court of the royal family - Pharoah vs. the King.
  • Joseph kidnapped - under the authority of one of the King's Eunuch's, Daniel, Arioch - commander of King's guard.
  • Both are described as handsom - the bible doesn't often bother to note that.
  • Both given a new name.
  • Neither eat from the table of the King.
  • Both find favour in the eyes of Potiphar, the King.
  • The Pagan king is troubled by nightmares; and calls all the wise men in to enterpret his dreams - none of the wise men can pull it off - at last, the captive from Israel is called in; and starts by acknowledging that he cannot do it - but God will; very similar.
  • As a result of the successful interpretation, both rise to very prominent positions - indeed 2nd in command.
  • Both also, falsely charged of corruption - God rescued both from potential execution - both were uncompromisingly faithful to God, with integrity.
• An example par-excellence of the fulfillment of the covenant with Abraham. God blesses Abraham so that: through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed. Joseph: God blesses him with kidnapping, exile, prison - but ultimately uses the circumstances for the saving of many lives. Same of Daniel. In Daniel 9: he read from
• Jeremiah 29: This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel says to those I carry into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ... seek the peace and prosperity of the city into which I carry you in exile - be a blessing. Not to operate as a counter-revolutionary and overthrow the goverment, but there as ambassadors, thrive, prosper, and be a channel for blessing - and especially pray.
• Daniel - a spirit of excellence - trustworthy, and neither corrupt nor negligent. The satraps accountable to these 3 so The King may not suffer loss checks and balances to avoid corruption. The satraps hope was that Daniel with his access to power - would surely mis-use it; but they found nothing to discredit him. It was once said of Harry Truman - when he would send from the oval office a personal letter, wishing someone a happy birthday, he would re-imburse the general accounting office for the 3 cent stamp: Daniel in a nutshell.
• The same challenge in the NT: 1 Thes 4., 1 Peter 2: Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
• Gordon's first summer job - with American Science and Engineering - a Physics major - at interview shown the landing radar / equipment for the moon landings; told all his friends. When he arrived - transfered to Biology - the company also working on high-school science, prividing them with gerbils. Worked for weeks, alone, in a massive room, filled with gerbil cages, with glass window for the supervisor to watch, cleaning out gerbil cages morning -> night. Read this passage - and got into contest with himself - shorter and shorter lunch-breaks; making those gerbils the fittest and cleanest anywhere, occasionally the supervisor would look up from the magazine he was reading and see him working. But one day, in came the supervisor of the supervisor - and noticed him cleaning cages like a crazy. Next day, he was transfered to more interesting physics expermients - and the supervisor was cleaning the cages. One of the rare cases where God allows judgement to occur in this life, and he was grateful - not commending the attitude of heart at the time - but commending dilligence and integrity.
• "go the extra mile" - The palestine postal service - could impress people into service take a package 1 mile; (Matthew 5) 'you go 2' - over-obey. Daniel had such an attitude - from his relationship with God; where did that come from - the habit of prayer.
• We worship a God of the miraculous - incomprehensibly powerful; prayer not an act of resignation; Jesus - sweat like drops of blood. Real prayer - not just accepting whatever is happening - it's rebellion against the status quo. Not auto-suggestion: going along to get along, but subverting the world-order: thy kingdom come, thy will be done - and so we plead with him. Gen 18: Is anything too hard for the Lord ? Jeremiah 32: nothing is too hard for you. James 4:2 You do not have, because you do not ask God.
• A God that can stop the mouths of lions. Maybe there was something wrong with the lions - drugged, over-fed, toothless, old ? the text says once Daniel was rescued - the false accusers are devoured before they reached the floor - starving lions.
• Darius says: He is the living God a phrase often used in connection with idolatory - somewhat amusing: Jeremiah 10 But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God.
• Darius bequeathed to the world the idea of religious toleration - the nation that is now Iran - allowed all the captive peoples to return home and re-build their temples. So the law these administrators are coaxing him into signing - is against his practice. Possibly his practice was a result of having made this mistake ? a tragedy that the modern nation of Iran, that gave the world this freedom, now does not have it itself - conversion from Islam a captial offence.
• The satraps thought Daniel couldn't go without prayer for 30 days; they badly mis-judged him - he couldn't go without for one day. What's with Daniel for his open prayer - prays 3 times a day, Psalm 55: the most intense prayer: morning, noon & night, cf. Jesus in the garden of Gesthemany - praying 3 times.
• Why pray towards Jerusalem - publicly. 1 Kings 8: When the enemy takes them captive ... and if they have a change of heart and repent ... and if they turn back to you ... and pray to you, ... toward the temple I have built for your name ... uphold their cause, forgive them and cause their conquerors to show them mercy. Daniel is cashing in on that promise, cf. his prayer in Daniel 9 Oh my God, do not delay.
• If we have the priviledge of affecting God, and man, and history, and current events - then let us pray: Pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers