Category Archives: apocalyptic

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Preaching to the Wise (part 16 and final post on preaching through Daniel)

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When I began preaching through Daniel, I selected an image very similar to these bright stars to represent the meaning of the book. Daniel 12:3 reads, “And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

Daniel began by describing Daniel and his friends in terms of their wisdom. Daniel ends by describing all Christians in eternity in the same terms. And this is a key to the theology of the final chapter.

The chapter contains many descriptions of genuine Believers:

  • “everyone whose name shall be found written in the book” (v. 1)
  • “many…shall awake…to everlasting life” (v. 2)
  • “those who are wise” (v. 3)
  • “those who turn many to righteousness” (v. 3)
  • “many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined” (v. 10)
  • “those who are wise shall understand” (v. 10)
  • “blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days” (v. 12) Good luck, theologically speaking, figuring that one out!

You can create another list of the characteristics of non-Christian.

Like Daniel, we’re still waiting for the end, for the final judgment. Daniel was told, “But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.” (v. 13)

Each Sunday we preach to the wise and give them the same confidence. We get the privilege to remind them, whether it’s Communion Sunday or not, to tell them about the cross. About the time when the Righteous One was judged as wicked so the wicked could become righteous and rule with God (the significance of shining brightly in the sky forever).

Of course, you’ll have to make it clear that all that talk of purifying themselves and making themselves white assumes purifying and whitening by faith in Christ.

Anyway, I hope if you’re ever preaching in Daniel or through Daniel, some of these posts may help you preach for God’s glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Finding Theology in the Middle of a Series of Wars (part 15 of preaching through Daniel)

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Since I began preaching through books of the Bible in the late summer of 1991, I can count on one hand the number of times I wished I didn’t have to preach the upcoming preaching portion for Sunday. Daniel 11:1-45 was one of those times.

The chapter is filled with a list of kings, kingdoms, and power struggles. It’s the larger campaign God’s people are caught up in. According to God’s view of history, human beings are not inherently good. Knowledge and technology will not bring about a peaceful world. According to their recent TV advertisement, IBM is Building a Better Planet. Not according to chapter 11.

I found the details of these kings and kingdoms too tedious to elaborate on. I also did not find any broad categories that conveyed theology.

And sometimes those kingdoms take aim at us (cf. vv. 28, 30, 31, 32, 41, 44). This prepares us for persecution of the godly. And Daniel is all about urging us to remain godly in an ungodly world.

Thankfully, vv. 27, 29, 35 (“time appointed”) show us the history of our world under God’s complete control. He limits the length of their rules. God predicts the future because He controls the future. There is comfort in knowing that. This bolsters faith so we can wait, worship, and work hard for the kingdom until He arrives to clean house.

What I was looking for in the chapter was a description of what God’s people would be doing in the end. I found that in vv. 32-35. Especially important in Daniel is the character trait of wisdom. That was important at the very beginning of Daniel and it comes back to the front as the book comes to a close: “And the wise among the people…” (v. 33). Then there’s, “and some of the wise shall stumble…” (v. 35). Those verses teach us through example.

Ultimately, God’s elect who overcome at the end do so because they follow their Savior who is described as wise in Isaiah 52:13, “my Servant shall act wisely…”

If you ever get to preach Daniel 11, I hope this brief summary will help supplement your studies.

Preach well for the sake of His reputation (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Preaching About Our Cosmic Battle (part 14 of preaching through Daniel)

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If you’ve ever thought about preaching on spiritual warfare or the cosmic battle we are a part of, Daniel 10 might be your Text. The chapter reminded me how a supernatural battle rages on earth and in heaven. We are never not in this fight!

Verse 1 makes it clear that God and His saints are under attack (“…and it was a great conflict”).

The supernatural beings involved look like characters from the Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy or Ironman (vv. 5-6 “…his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze…”). Then, there’s all these exalted figures: “the prince of the kingdom of Persia…Michael, one of the chief princes…the kings of Persia” (v. 13). Concerning the regions of Persia and Greece (v. 20), Longman writes, “[they] are revealed as more than just human evil…” The evil in our world cannot be adequately explained purely on human terms.

How often do our parishioners forget that the battle on earth is matched by a battle in heaven. We seldom realize that the battle in heaven affects our fight on earth.

Maybe most important in Daniel 10 is the assurance that in this angelic warfare, our God wins. Hebrews 1:14 describes angels as “…spirits sent to serve.” This chapter shows God in full control of this cosmic battle.

Like every other era in redemptive history, God’s people need to respond to God’s instructions given in v. 19: “‘O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.’ And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened…”

First, we can remind ourselves of our Captain. His victory is hinted at in Genesis 3:14-15 and clearly described in Revelation 12:9 (“And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world–he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”).

Second, because God loves us in Christ (“O man greatly loved…”), we need not be afraid when the fight is fierce. With the peace of God, we can “be strong and of good courage.”

Third, that strength that we receive by faith (“…as he spoke to me, I was strengthened…”) will help us live well until our Savior returns.

Preach well for the sake of His reputation in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Avoid the Temptation of Spending Too Much Time on the Seventy Weeks (part 13 of preaching through Daniel’s gospel)

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Final Chart

If you’re preaching on Daniel 9, then you face the infamous 70 weeks. If you’re preaching in a traditional kind of church, you will be tempted to spend time trying to explain the chart you see above or some variation of it.

The problem is that our charts are clearer than Daniel and the rest of Scripture.

That means we’ll spend precious sermon minutes explaining what we’re not sure of. So, in Daniel 9, here are some things we can be sure of:

  • We should follow Daniel’s model prayer, confess our sins, and plead for mercy. That’s always appropriate and necessary.
  • Even though we can’t know exactly how long we have to wait before the consummation of history (the length of time covered by the 62 weeks), we know we’re still in waiting mode. Paul makes it clear that we are saved by hope.
  • We know exactly what God is doing while we wait. Verse 24b says, “to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.” Duguid understands this as, “God’s timescale for the sanctification of His people and the renovation of the world.”
  • We know exactly what we are to be doing while we wait. You may recall an earlier post on Daniel’s unique take on evangelism. Back in Daniel 8:27 “Then I rose and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.” You might consider understanding the king’s business in two ways. First, your parishioners have work to do in this world. It is important work and ordained by God (providing it is righteous employment). Second, we all have our King’s business to attend to–being disciples and making disciples. We stay busy until He comes.

Whether in Daniel or some other apocalyptic section of Scripture, avoid the temptation of trying to explain the unexplainable. Focus on the speeches and actions of key characters and clear indications of what God will do.

Preach well for the sake of His reputation in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Preaching So Visions of the Future Fuel Faithfulness in the Present (part 11 of preaching through Daniel’s Gospel)

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Even if you are not currently preaching through the book of Daniel or not even thinking about it (can’t blame you!), you may encounter apocalyptic literature in the Gospels, Revelation, and other OT prophets. If and when you do, I hope that these limited insights will help you.

Remember that all visions and prophecies of the future are designed to urge the Church to faithful living now. They are not designed to give God’s people insights into what the future will look like in order to satisfy their curiosity. They do give comfort because, as in the case of Daniel 8 below, God’s people get a glimpse of how great, political superpowers are overpowered by our omnipotent Creator in the end. They do spur us on to faithful living by showing how Daniel’s faith allowed him to work hard for an ungodly regime and still remain faithful to God.

So, in Daniel 8 we worship through Daniel’s vision of the supernaturally powered (cf. v. 24 “not by his own power”) kingdoms of the world (the ram, goat, and little horn) raising havoc throughout history. The fearful destruction that’s coming is described in vv. 1-12 and 15-25.

If you are preaching in the U.S. and want to create a stir, let your folks know that the U.S. government somehow fits into this scheme if it’s still around in the end. Or, ask your conservative congregation if they think the anti-Christ will be democrat or republican.

You will be tempted to spend significant time rehearsing the historical details of each kingdom. It’s probably better to summarize the destruction that will occur “at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end” (v. 19) and maybe the methods (especially of the “little horn” in vv. 10-12, 23-25).

Then, you can generate hope by watching powerful earthly kingdoms come and go as history moves toward God’s ultimate judgment. Finally, God’s people will be home! The Kingdom of God will rule in a new heaven and earth.

In the meantime we must be prepared to be faithful in the midst of intense pressure to assimilate to the culture and face persecution if we don’t. Which brings us to Daniel’s reaction to the vision in v. 27 “…Then I got up again and carried on the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.” Daniel went back to work for a king ruling an ungodly kingdom. That was God’s will for him.

We do that because we know our Savior “disarmed the rulers and authorities” (Col. 2:13-15) when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. That final kingdom listed in v. 25 “will be broken without human agency.” There is hope for us who by faith remain godly in an ungodly world.

Preach well so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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How Daniel’s Visions Fuel Faith And Faithfulness (part 10 of preaching through Daniel’s Gospel)

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When you preach through Daniel, prepare to fuel your parishioners’ faith and faithfulness. The strange visions in Daniel do that. Especially the visions in chapter 7, one of the most important chapters in all the Bible.

I communicated the chapter along the following path (sometimes it helps me to see how someone else outlines a passage for preaching):

  • a terrifying look at the kingdoms of this world (vv. 1-8, 15-17, 19-21, 23-25)
  • a glorious look at God’s kingdom (vv. 9-14, 26)
  • a hope-filled look at our future kingdom (vv. 18, 22, 27)

Don’t worry about the details in the visions you can’t explain (like, for instance, what does a beast look like that is “like a leopard, with four wings…” (v. 6). Be prepared to highlight these powerful, monstrous kingdoms of the world, how they treat each other and especially how they treat God’s people (vv. 21, 25).

In the middle of that succession of fearful monsters our faith is bolstered by seeing “the Ancient of Days” take His seat on the throne (v. 9), judge the beasts (vv. 11-12), and present “one like a son of man” with “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…” (vv. 13-14).

Finally, our faith and faithfulness are fueled when we learn a little-known doctrine: “saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever, and ever” (v. 18, 22, 27). We are going to rule with Christ forever! We live in a “present evil age” (Gal. 1:4) now, but one day…!

And all because, on the cross, our Savior died at the hands of one of those beastly superpowers, disarming the powers (Col. 2:14-15) so all who believe could enter the Kingdom of God. No wonder Jesus kept telling His disciples not to be afraid! I remember saying to our folks: “The last thing we need to worry about in this current political climate is losing our tax exempt status.”

Preach well for the sake of God’s glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

P.S. Note how this chapter functions for the Church by juxtaposing visions of the beasts with visions of the rule of God.

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Bookend Theology: The Key to Handling Daniel 4:1-37 (part 7)

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I’ll get right to the point: the bookends of Daniel 4:1-3 and 34-35 lead the way to showing how a large chapter functions for the church. Those bookends anchor meaning.

Daniel 4 begins and ends with the king’s confession of the sovereignty of God. The king’s dream (vv. 4-18), Daniel’s interpretation of the dream (vv. 19-27), and God’s fulfillment of the dream (vv. 28-33) all contribute to explaining how the king got to the point of repentance and confession of the sovereignty of God.

Such a large chapter requires this kind of analysis. Unless you want to spend three or four sermons on this chapter, knowing how the parts fit together is critical.

And the bookends? Well, they show the king displaying the kind of attitude towards “the Most High” (cf. vv. 2, 34) that every true Christian displays.

In the middle is our nemesis: arrogance that thinks we’re god and God is not and all the sins that accompany such pride.

I title this message: Embracing the Humble Faith “that heaven rules”: Remaining Godly in an Ungodly World.

In his book, Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis has a chapter called, “The Great Sin.” On page 114 he wrote, “The first step [to becoming humble] is to realize that one is proud.” The king in Daniel 4 shows us how proud we are. Actually the king’s pride expresses human pride: our naive thinking that we can ascend God’s heaven and overtake His rule (cf. v. 11 “The tree grew large and became strong, and its height reached to the sky, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth”).

God graciously forced the king to recognize his pride. The bookends of the chapter show a humbled king and his stance is shared by every genuine Christian. That’s because our Savior humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Cf. Philippians 2:1ff.).

I hope this helps you see how such a long apocalyptic chapter can function for the church for His glory (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Preaching Through Daniel (part 4): Let The Story Carry Theology

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Daniel’s Gospel begins with a narrative. The narrative conveys theology for the Church. If I want to communicate Daniel’s theology in church, I need to faithfully preach the story.

In order to faithfully preach the story I have to pay close attention to the plot, the rising action in the story.

(While grading sermons for grad students at Lancaster Bible College or doctoral students at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I regularly draw their attention back to the development of plot in a narrative. Students will often focus on either the climax or conclusion of the story and, therefore, miss the subject of the narrative.)

So, for instance, in Daniel 1:1-21 the plot surrounds a few chosen Israelites being trained for service for the foreign king. How Daniel handles this training conveys theology for the Church.

Christians have always been in a similar situation–living out our faith in a world where the ungodly are in power. Daniel’s decision to draw a line (“…resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank” in v. 8) is an example for us to follow.

The key is to find a parallel between the subject of the plot and our Christian experience.

However, we don’t only follow Daniel’s example. I want to strive for a Christo-centric (-telic?) interpretation of Daniel. All Christians function like Daniel in the world because all Christians trust in their Savior. It is significant that v. 6 identifies Daniel and his three friends as “of the tribe of Judah.” These four point forward to another from the tribe of Judah. Jesus, like Daniel, lived in a world where the ungodly were in power. Like Daniel–and to an infinitely greater degree–our Savior kept His resolve to not defile Himself. And because He did, He died and rose again so that all who receive Him can become like Daniel in the world.

But, it all starts with the plot and all so God’s fame can grow in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Preach a good sermon, will ya?!

Randal

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Preaching Through Daniel (part 3): Choose an Applicational Theme

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I was hoping these posts on preaching apocalyptic books like Daniel would relate to preaching other books. So far, so good.

Post #1 showed how the beginning and ending of Daniel provide clues to its message to the Church. Often, the Author/authors of the books of the Bible signal their intention at the beginning and end of a book (try this with Revelation).

Post #2 showed how the narrative of Daniel (chapters 1-6) leads the way for interpreting the visions (chapters 7-12). Again, the same goes for the early chapters of Revelation that contain the letters to the seven churches.

Now, before you begin preaching a series through any book of the Bible, select an applicational theme for the book. Let that theme provide continuity for the series. Let that theme be the focus for the series.

For my series on Daniel I selected: Remaining Godly in an Ungodly World.

If you decide to use a theme for your series through a book of the Bible, consider the value of an applicational theme. Every Sunday parishioners will hear how Daniel, for instance, functions for the Church. They will hear how Daniel’s theology affects them.

This will be especially important by the time you arrive at the visionary material. The tendency is to get lost in the impossible-to-interpret material. Keeping the applicational theme in focus will keep the sermon aimed at worship, not speculation.

The other alternative–doctrinal themes–have less impact. They provide information only. In many cases the title of your sermon series is the first exposure to your sermon. Better to lead them immediately to an act of worship than to pieces of solitary doctrine.

Before Sunday, even if you aren’t preaching through a book of the Bible, see if your sermon title is aimed at application, not simply information.

And preach a good sermon, will ya, so God’s reputation grows in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Preaching Through Daniel (Part 2): Story First, Then Visions

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If you have read Daniel recently, you may recall that the book begins as a narrative or story. In my previous post I pointed out that Daniel gives us its purpose at the beginning and end of the book (the description of Daniel and his friends and also the description of all God’s people as they enter eternity).

In Daniel, the story comes first and then the visions follow. That means that the story forms the foundation for the meaning of the visions. Or, you could say it this way: the visions mean something in relationship to the story. The two sections are connected. And while the visions may be difficult to understand concerning their details, they function by urging God’s people to remain godly in an ungodly world.

There is no need to shy away from preaching the visionary chapters (7-12). And yet, as you can imagine, preachers are far more prone to preach chapters 1-6 (story) than to preach through the last six chapters (visions). That may be because we tend to separate the two sections.

Lord willing, in weeks to come I will move through the book of Daniel and show how these first two characteristics work:

1. The beginning and ending contain Daniel’s purpose (the same with Revelation)

2. The genre (type of literature) at the beginning of Daniel (narrative) provides the foundation for meaning for the visions. (In Revelation, the opening chapters containing the letters to the seven churches provide the foundation for meaning for the visions that follow.)

I hope this helps you if you are ever thinking about preaching through some of the apocalyptic books in the Bible.

Preach a good sermon, will ya?! And let’s do so so God receives glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal