As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. "Son of man," he said to me, "understand that the vision concerns the time of the end." – Daniel 8:17

Today's Scripture Reading (September 21, 2023): Daniel 8

I love to talk to people about "End Times Theology," as long as I don't have to drink the Kool-Aid in the process. That might surprise some of my friends. I know that some people genuinely hate the "End Times" conversation. And that is okay, too. But I think the real problem is the talking heads on television who preach their guesses about the future as if they are reporting on events that have occurred that day. The result is a generation of people who genuinely believe that you can draw a straight line between the Bible's prophecies and today's events. But prophecy doesn't work that way. And so, all of my friends who have built up this kind of relationship between prophecy and the day's news are doomed to be frustrated.

Daniel sees a man, and that man speaks to the Angel Gabriel and tells the Gabriel to unwrap the mystery of the vision. In response, Gabriel begins with, "The vision concerns the time of the end." And that might not be all that much of a surprise. It is so clear to some that they have moved the words of the prophecy from being written in the later years of the sixth century B.C.E. to being written in the middle years of the second century B.C.E. The reason? The description is so close to the events that actually took place in the second century under the rule of Antiochus Epiphanes.

But that also introduces a problem. If this is about the end times, how could it be about Antiochus Epiphanes? Some have even argued that, according to these visions, Antiochus Epiphanes is the Antichrist. Maybe the existence of several characters in history who seem like they could have been the Antichrist is the basis for the Italian Theologian Joachim of Fiore (1130-1202 C.E.) to speculate that there are a series of Antichrists that lead up to the Great Antichrist of which the Bible speaks. For Joachim, these Antichrists would have included Antiochus Epiphanes, Nero, Muhammad, and even Joachim's contemporary, the Islamic general Saladin.

What we need to understand from this passage is that this prophecy concerns the end of all things. It is what God wanted Daniel, and by extension, us, to understand. And prophecy is shrouded with mystery, but at the same time, when the prophecy takes place, well then, we will understand.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 9

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. – Daniel 7:1

Today's Scripture Reading (September 20, 2023): Daniel 7

Roy Jenkins penned his acclaimed biography of Winston Churchill in 2001. Jenkins closes his biography by comparing him favorably with W. E. Gladstone, a British politician who served as Prime Minister for twelve years in four non-consecutive terms. And then Jenkins says this:

I now put Churchill, with all his idiosyncrasies, his indulgences, his occasional childishness, but also his genius, his tenacity and his persistent ability, right or wrong, successful or unsuccessful, to be larger than life, as the greatest human being ever to occupy 10 Downing Street.

There is no doubt that Winston Churchill was a complex person, and sometimes he was hard to understand. But he also seemed to be a person who was created to meet his time in history, and that time was the Second World War. Everything he had gone through in life seemed to prepare him for his moment: his war. During World War II, there is no doubt that the United Kingdom and the Western World needed his leadership. But it is also true that we struggled with what to do with him outside of the war years. And when we study Winston Churchill, we not only need to know the various events of his life that shaped him, but we also need to understand his philosophies and what he believed to be true.

That is true of all of us. The events of our lives are essential, but so are our beliefs. To understand the whole person, we need to know the events of their lives and the things they believed or learned while on their journey.

The biblical Book of Daniel could be divided into two books. The first six chapters tell of the events of Daniel's life. Here, we learn about what Daniel did, starting with the choices he made when he was first brought to Babylon as a teenager and continuing through his adventure in the lion's den when he was older. It is the story of what Daniel did. But the last six chapters tell us of four visions that Daniel received. The first one he received in the first year of Belshazzar. As previously discussed, Belshazzar is a bit of a problem because he never was king unless he co-reigned with his father, Nabonidus. But even with a lack of specificity about when the first year of Belshazzar might have been, we can date this vision to between chapters four and five of Daniel.

Daniel says that in this first vision, he wrote the substance of the vision. Daniel could have given us more detail, but the Holy Spirit had forbidden that report. So, in his first vision, he provides us with an overview of the vision's impact on Daniel. We may wish we had a more detailed report, but this is what God wanted us to have.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 8

It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom. – Daniel 6:1

Today's Scripture Reading (September 19, 2023): Daniel 6

The Bible presents us with several mysteries, and the identity of Darius the Mede is one of them. Darius is one of the reasons why some scholars question the historicity of the Book of Daniel, often preferring to label it political fiction. Yes, Daniel existed, but the stories we know about him today are seen by these experts as exploits that have been made up to counter or speak to the problems that existed in the second Century B.C.E. Why is Darius problematic? Because we don't know of a Darius that lived during this period. The King that followed Belshazzar, the prince of Babylon, was Cyrus, not Darius. And most seem to believe that Daniel likely died in Persia during the reign of Cyrus.

All of this leaves us with a problem: who exactly is Darius? Several solutions have been suggested. The first is that Darius was a local name that Cyrus used, so it is Cyrus of which this passage speaks. The problem is that we have absolutely no proof of that. But just because we can't prove it from our historical position doesn't mean it isn't true. The same arguments hold for Cambyses II, the son of Cyrus, and Gubaru, a general in the employ of Cyrus, who defeated Babylon for Cyrus. Cyrus gave Gubaru leadership over Babylon with far-reaching powers in that portion of his empire. However, it is the latter that seems to have captured the imaginations of historical scholars. If there is a leading candidate for Darius the Mede, Gubaru might be the most logical choice.

But there is one other possibility. Is it possible that Daniel lived longer than we think he did and survived into the reign of Darius the Great? Darius the Great's reign over the empire began on September 29, 522 B.C.E. But that is only seventeen years after Cyrus defeated the Babylonians and took over that portion of the kingdom, which would have included Judah and Israel. Possible? Sure. And if Darius the Great is the identity of Darius the Mede, then Daniel skipped over the reigns of Cyrus, Cambyses II, and Bardiya to tell the story of Daniel in the Den of Lions during the time of Darius the Mede.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 7

While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. – Daniel 5:2

Today's Scripture Reading (September 18, 2023): Daniel 5

Perkin Warbeck was born in 1474 C.E. Perkin was the son of Jehan de Werbecque and Katherine de Faro, although if you could have a conversation with him, that is not the story he would tell you. When he was about sixteen years old, Perkin began to say that he was the son of King Edward IV of England and his Queen, Elizabeth Woodville. Warbeck also changed his name; Perkin Warbeck was placed in the background, and the young man began claiming he was Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York. The significance of the claim was that Richard of Shrewsbury was the younger brother of King Edward V. And if King Edward was dead, which was widely believed, then the throne belonged to Richard of Shrewsbury. Edward and Richard were the "Princes in the Tower," the two sons of King Edward IV. Enough people believed that Perkin really was Richard to allow him to make a couple of attempts to take the throne of England. But both failed. The reality is that, despite there being no evidence of either of the boys after their disappearance, both boys were most likely murdered by their Uncle, Richard III, who became King in their place. How long they lived in the Tower of London before their deaths is unknown, only that the two boys were never seen again.

Eventually, the charade fell through, and Perkin Warbeck was arrested and placed in the Tower of London, where the child he had pretended to be had died. After a few attempts to escape, Perkin Warbeck was hung for pretending to be Richard of Shrewsbury and trying to steal the throne from the current occupant, Henry VII of England.

The story of Belshazzar has several problems attached to it that historians have struggled to solve. Some simply believe this story to be a work of religious fiction written in the second century B.C.E., almost four hundred years after the events of the story it attempts to tell. The first significant issue contained within the tale was that Belshazzar was never King of Babylon. His father was the last king of Babylon. Some have wondered if maybe Belshazzar shared the throne with his father for a time, a common practice during this era. In fact, many of the Kings of Judah began their time on the throne by sharing it with their fathers.

But this brings us to the second major problem. Belshazzar's father was not Nebuchadnezzar; it was Nabonidus. Nabonidus's origins are highly obscured by mystery, but it is believed that he was not closely related to the House of Nebuchadnezzar. Nabonidus says of his origins,

            I am Nabonidus, the only son,

who has nobody. In my mind there

was no thought of kingship.

Nabonidus and his son have a bit of a rocky relationship, but it was Nabonidus who was the last King of Babylon, not Belshazzar. Maybe Belshazzar could be considered a Pretender, even though he was the Crown Prince of Babylon. But he would never be the King he wanted to be, regardless of how hard he tried to be that King.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 6

To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. – Isaiah 54:9

Today's Scripture Reading (September 17, 2023): Isaiah 54

What does it mean when we promise to change our ways and not do something again? Does it mean that we will stop pursuing a particular goal, or is it just that we are willing to find another path to the goal? I love sports, and in sports, the goal is to win. And, occasionally, someone is caught doing something illegal in pursuit of that goal. For some, it might be taking performance-enhancing drugs to excel at the sport. Or maybe it is a coach willing to pay players to come to his university and play for the team. When these people are caught, they often commit that if they are allowed to return to the sport, they will refrain from the behavior that got them in trouble in the first place.

But what does that mean? Because the goal has not changed, they still want to win. Some who have used performance-enhancing drugs refrain from that drug but find the temptation of another drug, which is still illegal but maybe harder to detect in the user, too much to resist. I know of one coach who stopped paying players to come to his university. However, he began spending money on their mothers instead, hoping that mom might influence their kids to go to his university, an action still prohibited under College Sports Recruiting rules. Some offenders keep up their behavior and hope they won't get caught again.

God speaks to Israel as they live in their exile. And God makes this statement, "In the days of Noah, I committed that I would never destroy the world with a flood again. But that doesn't mean I am looking for another way to destroy the world. The day isn't coming when I will destroy the world with fire (which is good news for those of us who have suffered through a record-setting fire season). My commitment to never destroy the world with a flood is a commitment I will allow my anger to pass. And that is good news for my people living in exile because it means my anger will pass, and I will restore you."

It was a promise that Israel needed to hear. God would restore Israel. It was a commitment that other prophets had made, but Isaiah adds his voice here. This is not the way that Israel ends. God is not looking for another way to destroy the world. He won't do it. That doesn't mean we won't have hard times, and Israel was going through one of those periods of struggle as Isaiah spoke the words. But this time would end. God had promised it to Noah, and the promise still stood, and that was a commitment in which the Israelites could have faith.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 5

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. – Isaiah 53:6

Today's Scripture Reading (September 16, 2023): Isaiah 53

Former President Dwight Eisenhower commented, "The search for a scapegoat is the easiest of all hunting expeditions." One reason is that the search for a scapegoat isn't a search for guilt; it is a search for someone on whom the blame can be placed. Since a scapegoat doesn't have to be guilty, just someone on whom a plausible charge can be laid, it is easier to find someone who fits the bill. Anyone is a possible charge, especially if it takes the focus off of the real guilty party. It is an activity that modern-day politics has perfected. And often, the guilt they are trying to cover is their own.

But politicians aren't the only ones who hunt for the elusive scapegoat. It is an area that we struggle with throughout our society. I have had enough tense private conversations with people who wanted nothing more than to lay blame somewhere other than with themselves, where the guilt belonged. It is not my fault; it is his fault or their fault. It's the fault of the government, the church, or some other organization. It's the Muslims or the LGBTQ community; whatever might be wrong, it is their fault.

When speaking to people in crisis, they are often not listening to me. But, if they were listening, they might hear me tell them there is no healing until we get to the place where we can say this is my fault. I do not believe that we need to go into detail with each other about the ways that it is our fault unless we are genuinely coming to that recognition, but true healing comes out of an admission, not that "you" are to blame, but that "I" am to blame. Trust me, it is a hard lesson to learn.

I have had a few conversations with friends about the idea that when everything goes right, it is because of God, and when everything goes wrong, it is because of me. And I have to admit that I do believe that, to a degree. When things go right, it is because of Christ in me. When everything is correct, I understand Paul's words from my heart. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20). But I also recognize that the one who lives in me is also the one who was rejected, and so sometimes, if I am following him, I will feel that rejection. And deep down, I will have to lean on the fact that the Servant I serve will understand. The Servant I serve will know my sorrow.

The central message of this Servant Song is this: when I reach that point of understanding that I am to blame, that there is no scapegoat at which I need to point, the Father comes and lifts that blame off of my shoulders and places it onto the shoulders of the Servant. Because we all, like stupid sheep, have gone astray. We have gotten lost, but the Servant, or the Shepherd, is still looking for us and won't give up on us.

He took my blame. He took your blame, too. This is the significance of Christ. Jesus did not come like Moses and free us from physical slavery. He did not come with the military genius of a David and raise us to live as conquerors. Because we are more than conquerors, and Christ came to release us from our guilt and shame, to love us when we didn't believe that we were worthy of being loved, and to give us great expectations for a future.

"No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:37-39).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 54

Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive. – Isaiah 52:1-2

Today's Scripture Reading (September 15, 2023): Isaiah 52

A few years ago, a Twitter (now X) acquaintance had a nickname for me; he called me "The Per Verse Pastor." Say that quickly, and it doesn't sound good. But I understood his complaint, and I have admitted that to him. His objection was that I handle the Bible one (or sometimes two or even three) verses at a time. But the problem is that the Bible wasn't written that way. In fact, the verse numbers and chapter breaks are not part of the original document. They were added later, and sometimes, we really don't understand why they are inserted where they are.

Maybe a good case in point is this chapter of Isaiah. The reality is that verses 1-12 of this chapter really should be added to the previous chapter of Isaiah. And verses 13-15 are an excellent introduction to Isaiah 53. The result is a chapter that maybe shouldn't exist, yet it does for some unknown reason.

But the problem is much deeper than that. I go verse by verse more out of convenience than for any other reason. But even then, I often recognize that I must go beyond the scripture passage under examination to get to the passage's true meaning. And that is true in these two verses. We can't make proper sense of this passage without looking back at what the prophet wrote in Isaiah 47.

"Go down, sit in the dust,
    Virgin Daughter Babylon;
sit on the ground without a throne,
    queen city of the Babylonians.
No more will you be called
    tender or delicate.
Take millstones and grind flour;
    take off your veil.
Lift up your skirts, bare your legs,
    and wade through the streams.
Your nakedness will be exposed
    and your shame uncovered.
I will take vengeance;
    I will spare no one" (Isaiah 47:1-3)

The parallels between the two passages are significant. While the prophet speaks of Babylon's nakedness, Jerusalem is clothed in splendor. While Babylon sits in the dust, Jerusalem is instructed to shake the dust off. While Babylon sits on the ground, Jerusalem assumes her position on a throne. Zion might now be a captive and Babylon the master, but the time is coming when everything will change.

Of course, this is a Jerusalem we have not seen yet. It is a spiritual Jerusalem or New Jerusalem. It is a version of the Holy City that we don't know, but one day, we will.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 53