Daily Lesson for September 14, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Daniel chapter 8 verses 18 through 26:

18 As [Gabriel] was speaking to me, I fell into a trance, face to the ground; then he touched me and set me on my feet. 19 He said, “Listen, and I will tell you what will take place later in the period of wrath; for it refers to the appointed time of the end. 20 As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The male goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn between its eyes is the first king. 22 As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power.

23 At the end of their rule,

when the transgressions have reached their full measure,

a king of bold countenance shall arise,

skilled in intrigue.

24 He shall grow strong in power,

shall cause fearful destruction,

and shall succeed in what he does.

He shall destroy the powerful

and the people of the holy ones.

25 By his cunning

he shall make deceit prosper under his hand,

and in his own mind he shall be great.

Without warning he shall destroy many

and shall even rise up against the Prince of princes.

But he shall be broken,

and not by human hands.

26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true. As for you, seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”

The book of the prophet Daniel concludes with visions of kings, and thrones, and dominions, all rising and falling with the winds and whims of history.

The book of Daniel ends in the apocalyptic, meaning it ends with visions of a history behind history -- a history which is, and was, and will be again; no matter what the history in front might have us to believe or do.

Apocalyptic is revelatory, meaning it is a "revelation" of the the ultimate and decisive vision of history, the victory of God, and the defeat of all evil.

Kings and presidents come and go. Kingdoms and nations are built and then crumble. No evil endures forever. For all the angels and archangels of heaven and all the saints now faithfully departed are at with us. And God is with us. And that is enough.

And in the in the end, the power of the cunning and deceitful will be broken, "and not by human hands."

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow's Lesson will come from Ezra chapters 1-6.