Daniel was a godly man who paid attention to God for all
details right down to what he should eat and not eat. He was obedient even
though it put him in a den of hungry lions. God honored his faithfulness with
protection but also with insight into the times of the end. Today’s reading in
Revelation mirrors the coming kingdom that Daniel writes about, but I first looked
at some of what Daniel had to say:
And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, (Daniel 2:44)
How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation. (Daniel 4:3)
And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:14)
But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. (Daniel 7:26–27)
I am not excited about the events that go with the
establishing of this kingdom, but I am excited that Jesus will reign forever.
His kingdom is everlasting . . .
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. (Revelation 11:15–19)
The judgments are not over at this point in John’s visions.
As the kingdom comes into view through the open doors of God’s heavenly temple,
lightning, noise, thunder, hail and an earthquake announce there is more to
come. For me, I must focus on the fact that Jesus begins to reign. The dead
will be judged and His servants rewarded and He will rule. As I hear and read
the daily news, all I can say is that it cannot happen soon enough!
Another thing . . . the Old Testament prophets predicted the first
arrival of Jesus as a babe in Bethlehem. It happened and because this is true,
I’ve total faith that Jesus will come again, just as He said He would and just
as the OT prophets predicted. Daniel was only one of them.
Lord Jesus, our world seems to be falling into ever-widening
fear and selfishness with increasing speed. Some say we just have greater
access to world events, yet those world events are effecting more people and
having a stronger impact than they once did. Christians are hoping as we have
always hoped that You will return soon. As I read these things, I’d like Your
arrival to be less dramatic and deadly for so many, yet You are God and I am
not. I bow before You and confess that You are Lord of all. May I be faithful
to obey You, no matter what comes next.
Today’s thankful list . . .
- confidence that Jesus will return.
- confidence that I am already part of His kingdom.
- the blessing of knowing I will live forever with Jesus.
- for all the here and now blessings even as I think about
eternity!
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