THE HISTORICAL PROPHET

 

November 2006 article by David Thompson

Most Christadelphians use a Bible reading calendar that enables them, by reading three portions of Scripture everyday, to read the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice during the year.  From 23 October we commenced in our middle portion of Scripture reading the wonderful prophecy of Daniel.  He was taken captive as a youngster and deported with thousands of others from the land of Israel and taken to Babylon, famous for among other things its hanging gardens, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.  From a very young age Daniel and three of his friends were favoured in the royal household and because they were both wise and faithful to God were regarded by King Nebuchadnezzar as being “ten times better in wisdom and understanding” than all the so called magicians and astrologers of his realm.  Dan 1 v 20.

In the second chapter of Daniel’s prophecy, by the power given to him by God, he is able to interpret a dream of King Nebuchadnezzar showing four mighty world empires.  First was the Babylonian empire, signified by the symbol of gold.  Next another empire, this time represented by silver, then a third empire of brass and fourthly a mighty empire of iron.  How did Daniel know that over the next many hundreds of years he was able to reveal world history with such absolute accuracy?  Historians confirm that the great Babylonian empire (the gold) was succeeded by the Medes and Persians (silver).  They in turn were replaced by the Greek empire (brass), which in turn was overcome by the mighty Roman empire (iron).  We ask again, how could Daniel have known this when even in our day it is impossible to predict with any certainty future events over just a few months or years? 

 

Well, the answer is that it was God, whom Daniel served, that revealed this amazing vision of world history to him, made even more powerful when we read in Daniel chapter 2, verses 41-45, that following the end of the mighty Roman empire there would be a time of some kingdoms that were strong and some weak.  Like iron and clay, they would not join together to be a strong empire like the four that had preceded them.  However, it is in the time of the weak and strong kingdoms that God would establish the kingdom of God (verse 44) that would never be destroyed, that would consume all other kingdoms and stand for ever.  This is the kingdom of God upon earth that our Lord taught us to pray for in the Lord’s Prayer – “Thy Kingdom come” (Matthew 6 v 10).

 

This astounding vision of Daniel is repeated in chapter 7 when different symbols are used to tell the same historical story.  (Daniel 7 v 3).  Four great beasts arise out of the sea of nations: verse 4 – the lion, equating to Babylon, verse 5 - the bear, the symbol of the Medes and Persians, verse 6 - the leopard indicating the Greeks, verse 7 - the beast dreadful and terrible, that was the symbol for Rome.  Verses 9 and 10 of this chapter reveal in prophecy the Lord now in judgement.

 

Chapter 8 gives a specific vision of the violent overthrow of the Medo-Persian empire by Alexander the Great, referred to in verse 5 as the he goat from the west and destroying the Medo-Persian ram, verse 7.  We ask again, how could Daniel have known these things hundreds of years before the events?  Only by God revealing it to him.  So in this wonderful God-breathed prophecy of Daniel we read in the twelfth and final chapter God, through Daniel, speaking of the time when the kingdom spoken of in Daniel chapter 2 verse 44 is realised, showing by the second verse of chapter 12 that the great resurrection of the dead will take place and they who are granted everlasting life will, as verse 3 says, “shine as stars for ever and ever”.  Daniel was able to reveal these things to us in his prophecy because God directed him. 

 

How wise we would be if we read daily the whole counsel of God to discover what God wants us to know.