Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Thursday, November 13, Daniel 7-12 Intro

It is interesting to me that the Major Prophets all seem to be divided into two parts. We are fortunate that we are the recipients of verse divisions, ours finalized by an archbishop named "Stephen Langton", way back in the 13th century. Flawed as the divisions are, they help us easily find our way through the text so we can learn the Scriptures much easier than leafing through scrolls and parchments.

I think of the rather ingenious division of Isaiah, for example, intentional or not, where it is divided between the "judgement" chapters 1-39, and the "comfort" chapters of 40-66. If you are familiar with the Old and New Testaments, you should immediately notice that this matches the books of the Bible, with the Old having 39, and the New containing 27, books 40-66.

The 48 chapters Ezekiel can be equally divided: 1-24, 25-48, and Jeremiah can be divided from 1-29 leading to the downfall of Jerusalem to the aftermath of comfort and hope in 30-52.

Daniel has a similar pattern, with 1-6 describing the life of Daniel the Prophet, with 7-12 completely shifting to the great prophecies that reveal God's plan for the ages. The first six verify in real time that Daniel was truly a Prophet of God, giving credence to the second half.

You really need to think about the time period when these prophecies revealed to appreciate their incredible accuracy. Prophecies of Greece, Rome, the cutting off of Messiah, the Antichrist, and the Second Coming while just entering the reign of Persia.

Consider this incredible progression. God first used Isaiah, who served during the destruction of the always idolatrous, ten-tribe divided nation called Israel, often nicknamed "Ephraim". And near the end of his ministry as God's spokesman on earth during the reign of Hezekiah, he spoke of Jerusalem being destroyed and engulfed by Babylon, a nation which was not to be in power for decades. And not only that, God revealed to him the future Persian King Cyrus by name, who was to conquer this future Babylon as God's chosen "avenger".

Then we see, about a century and a half later, Jeremiah predicting the sure destruction of Jerusalem and a seventy-year "rest" for the Land, while the people learned obedience and repentance in Babylon. He even encouraged the future captives to build homes, raise families and live in peace in Babylon, for they had a seventy-year stay in which to look forward. But he bought property in the Land of Israel at the eve of destruction as symbolic proof that they would indeed return, for God's promises for Israel and the Land are sure and eternal, and will be fulfilled in the Millennium.

Ezekiel, already an exile from the second wave, was "parallelling Jeremiah's prophecies, with the last eight or so chapters of his book describing the Millennial temple in complete detail, something yet to come.

Now we come to Daniel, who lived in exiled leadership during their prophetic ministries, and lives to see the end of the 70 years. He is given a prophecy of "seventy sevens", a 490-year prophetic timetable for Israel. We will be contemplating that in the next few weeks with an overview.

Now, I'm no scholar, and believe me, there are all sorts of disagreements as to what some of these prophecies mean, but some have been verified through history, while others point to what is yet to come. I'm just going through the best I can and gleaning what the Lord wants to teach me as I wake up every morning crying out "Holy is Your Name! Your Kingdom Come! Your Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." (Matthew 6)

And then I receive the "daily bread" He tries to get through my feeble mind, to nourish me and add to the treasures He has graciously given us through His awesome word. And to "set my affections on things above, not on things on the earth." For to this world I am dead, and my life is hid with Christ in God. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4)

With Him, because we will be with Him. The Bride of Christ, not in the white robes, but the fine white "linen" of the Bridal gown, for His Bride, the Church, will be snatched away, escape the wrath to come, and reign with Him forever.

You have time to escape the wrath to come as well in this Age of Grace!

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

*ESV used unless noted*

Memory Helps:

A final look at the first six chapters' outline:

Chapter 1: "Daniel is faithful to the ONE and ONLY God"
Chapter 2: "Daniel 2 interpret Nebuchadnezzar's NEW dream."
Chapter 3: THREE brave Jews in a fiery furnace: Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego.
Chapter 4: "The King on all FOURS like a beast."
Chapter 5: "The FIVE-fingered "HAND" writing on the Wall: Babylon HANDED over."
Chapter 6: "Daniel is in a big FIX! MIXES with Lions."

If you were patiently following the past few weeks, working on the outline and its subdivisions, you should easily be able to "Tell the Story" of Daniel. Those who may have gone through the various verses we picked to memorize on my website can enhance their "story" with direct quotations from the Bible.

But even if all you know is what you see above, that is plenty to "spark" your memory and tell people about Daniel. And, when someone wants to know where, for example, "Daniel is in the Lion's Den", you can immediately point to the chapter!