lent day 15

 Daniel chapter 8 details another vision Daniel had in the 3rd year of the reign of Belshazzar.  So this was before Babylon was overtaken by the Medes and Persians and it depicts that invasion and the subsequent expansion of that empire.  God was reassuring His people that even though there was going to be a regime change at some point in the future, He knew all about it and He would still be watching out for His people.  The vision then goes on to explain the next stage of world history - the rise of Alexander the Great and the break up of his vast empire into four parts after his unexpected and sudden demise.  Well, thats what the commentators say anyway.  And who am I to argue with the scholars ? 😊

I didnt know much about Alexander the Great until I read a bit about him in researching todays post.  Apparently he was the most brilliant, ruthless global leader the world has ever seen.  And he died aged 33 in a debauched drunken episode.  He is depicted in Daniel as a form of anti-christ.  I found this poem which explains why

“Jesus and Alexander died at thirty-three. / One lived and died for self, one died for you and me. / The Greek died on a throne; the Jew died on a cross. / One’s life a triumph seemed; the other but a loss. / One led vast armies forth; the other walked alone; / One shed a whole world’s blood; the other gave His own. / One won the world in life and lost it all in death. / The other lost His life to win the whole world’s faith. / Jesus and Alexander died at thirty-three. / One died in Babylon; and one at Calvary.

“One gained all for self; and one Himself He gave; / One conquered every tongue; the other every grave. / The one made himself god; the other made Himself less. / The one lived but to blast; the other but to bless. / When died the Greek, forever fell his throne of swords; / But Jesus died to live forever Lord of Lords. / Jesus and Alexander died at thirty-three. / The Greek made all men slaves; the Jew made all men free.

“One built a throne on blood; the other built on love, / The one was born of earth; the other from above; / One won all this earth, to lose all earth and heaven. / The other gave up all, that all to Him be given.” /  “The Greek forever died; the Jew forever lives./Jesus and Alexander died at 33.  (Charles Ross Weede)

Alexander the Great got his name for being a global conqueror. God was letting His people know in advance that regardless of what things looked like on the ground at the time God had a plan, tyranny would be short-lived, the fall of the seemingly unshakeable empire was ordained and God's people could keep on trusting in Yaweh.  Bad though Alexanders reign would be, another was coming after him (Antiochus 175-164 BC) who would be worse. Not worse for the world, but for the people of God.

Gabriel himself is sent to explain this to Daniel

Daniel 8 23In the latter part of their reign, when the rebellion has reached its full measure, an insolent king, skilled in intrigue, will come to the throne. 24His power will be great, but it will not be his own. He will cause terrible destruction and succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men along with the holy people. 25Through his craft and by his hand, he will cause deceit to prosper, and in his own mind he will make himself great. In a time of peace he will destroy many, and he will even stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be broken off, but not by human hands.

26The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been spoken is true. Now you must seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”

27I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was confounded by the vision; it was beyond understanding.

Poor Dan. This vision completely knocks him for six. When we think how nice it would be to hear clearly from God, to be prophetic, to understand mysteries are we prepared to be ill as a result? To have to go to bed for a week?   Daniel has been entrusted with several hundred years of future world history.  There is no way that he can prove that what he has seen will actually happen.  He has seen God, spoken to angels and watched evil devour the whole of the known world.  And not long after he sees all this Belshazzar is dead and Babylon is overtaken by Darius .  It starts to come true.

All the time that I'm thinking about all of this I've got Putin and Trump and the current state of the world in my mind.  God knows all about it. His plan hasn't changed. His kingdom on this earth is coming. Every knee and every tongue. Jesus is coming back.  He told Daniel and everything that Daniel saw has pretty much happened except for the very last part.

Tune in tomorrow for another mind-bending episode. 😁