Shine like the brightness of the sky above (Dan. 12:3)
“I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord God. Every man's sword will be against his brother. With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur. So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord...
As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God: Speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field, 'Assemble and come, gather from all around the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat the flesh and drink blood. You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth -of rams, of lambs, and of he-goats, of bulls, all of them fat beasts of Bashan. And you shall eat fat till you are filled, and drink blood till you are drunk, at the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you. And you shall be filled at my table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all kinds of warriors,' declares the Lord God. And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them...”
(Rev. 19:11, 14-15,17-18)
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war... And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty...
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”
As Wesley's Notes state about Rev. 19:17 and Ez. 39:17, the statement calling the birds of the air to the great supper of God, to feast on flesh of men, it is a strongly figurative expression, denoting the vastness of the ensuing slaughter against the enemy of God.
William A. Berry writes, “Life is a battleground, and the stakes are enormous... The prizes of the battle are the hearts and minds of human beings.” (1)
Daniel writes about the time of the end that “many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 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 12:3)
Daniel was someone who was wise in the ways he used God's gifts to turn people to righteousness. He did not seek his own honor but that of God's.
“Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, 'You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.” (Dan. 5:13-14)
When Daniel was offered gifts and a promotion by King Belshazzar if he could give interpretation to what the king saw, he told him to give his rewards to another. Daniel used the opportunity to exult God and to remind King Belshazzar of God's greatness, calling him to humble himself and repent.
When King Darius signed a document that no one could petition any god or man other than the king for thirty days, Daniel, once the document was signed, went to his house, opened his window and prayed three times a day as he always did. Because of it, he was thrown in the lions den. The ending result however, was that the king fasted for Daniel and looked to God to save Daniel. The king went to Daniel first thing in the morning and declared, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
When he found out that Daniel was fine, the king wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in the in all the earth. He wrote, “I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of lions.” (Daniel 26-27)
A similar thing happened when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship the golden image as the king had ordered. They were thrown in the fiery furnace and were unharmed. Rather than burning, people saw four (the fourth 'like a son of the gods') walking in the midst of the fire. When they came out unharmed, king Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the kings command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their won God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” (Daniel 3:28-30)
At times, I have been told or have read that Christians will be raptured, or taken-up' to heaven in the before tribulation begins. The argument is that tribulation will be too difficult to bear and Christians will be taken away to spare them the difficulty. The scriptures used are Matthew 24:36-44, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and 1 Timothy 4:16.
However, when I consider Daniel's experience in the lions den, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's experience in the fiery furnace, and many of Paul's, Stephen's and other Christians experiences, I wonder if God would act so differently at the end of time. Each of them had the opportunity to participate in extremely difficult trials resulting in the greater glory of God, and a witness to others.
Would He choose to protect us from difficulty and not provide us the opportunity to glorify Him in it? I would think He would sustain and protect us in tribulation, walking with us in the midst in the fiery furnace so that others may see and proclaim Him. In a world described as so darkened in tribulation, I would think, rather than removing the light, he would cause our light to shine all the brighter (Ephesians 5:8-10).
Paul writes to Timothy about one of his trials, “But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:17-18)
Daniel 11:32 -35 says, “the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. When they stumble, they shall receive a little help...so they many be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end...”
The outcome at the time of the end, according to Daniel 12:10, is that “many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary notes about this verse that the godly will be purified by trials and understand that the end is at hand; but the wicked, not understanding, will rush on to their own ruin.
“One day every tongue will confess you are God, one day every knee will bow. But still the greatest treasure remains for those who gladly choose you now” sings.
To be an effective witness like Daniel, we need to continually discern God's will for us in our activities. We need to see the opportunities and the needs around us. A.W. Tozer writes that “every person who ever receives anything from God must have a conscious need, a conscious and vital sense of lack.” Our job is pointing them to the source of water that will cause them to never thirst again.
Daniel had learned how to discern the Spirit of God in every situation by sharing the purposes and heart of God. We need to see the bigger picture of what God is working in the world and be willing to play whatever part He has for us.
As one article states about being a witness, the theme of our witness is Jesus Christ; the power of our witness is the Holy Spirit, and; the validity of our witness will be shown on how we live our lives. This was all true with Daniel. Daniel's witness was based upon who he knew God to be, the Power of the Holy Spirit, and how he lived his life every day. (2)
Knowing Who God Is
"...the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits" (Daniel 11:32). Exploits, also translated as taking action, is the word 'asah', Strongs #6213a and means to accomplish much. The people who know their God shall be strong in him (stand firm) during tribulation and accomplish much for His kingdom.
Daniel was someone who knew God. He writes, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given 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, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)
Daniel feared God and had a view of him as high and lifted up and at the same time, had an intimate relationship with Him as a friend. Because He spent a great deal of time with God, He more clearly saw who God is and could help others to see Him this way as well.
“While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, 'O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. At he beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.” (Daniel 9:20-23)
However, one does not need to know Christ a long time or have a full understanding of Him to be a witness. Their witness just needs to be open and transparent about who they know Christ to be, relying on the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ. The woman at the well had just met Jesus when she ran and told everyone she met the Messiah.
A.W. Tozer writes about this, “she was bursting inwardly to tell the good news that had come to her through the Messiah..... But it had about it the brightness of a revelation. Notice this, too, about the sincerity of the woman’s story and her actions: they were not imitative, they were not formal and, best of all, they were not programmed!” He notes, “This much must be said for the woman: she was contagious. She did not have to make converts. They caught the gospel from her! So this is the glory of the Christian witness. It serves to excite men and women and to get them going in the direction of the One about whom the testimony has been given. A Christian witness is not a spiritual experience for the other person. The witness itself never saved anyone. A Christian witness is an honest confession of what the Lord has done for us that may stir others to go and do likewise—to find the same Lord and His salvation.”(3)
“Let me not waste a moment of this life, on things that are nothing, on things that are fading away.... You make my soul sing, You make my heart come alive. You are my portion in this life...I'll bring an offering that is pleasing to Your heart. I'll give You praises rightly due, laying down all to follow You” sings.
The Power of the Holy Spirit
Daniel did not rely on his own strength and abilities to make God known. Daniel was known by others as someone who had the spirit of the gods in him. In Daniel 5:10-11, King Belzhazzer's wife told the king when he was upset about seeing writing on the wall, "O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods."
Daniel was faithful to honor God in everything He did, trusting the Holy Spirit to make a way for Him. And when difficulties arose, he willingly entered into all God had for Him trusting God would sustain him.
When the king was going to kill all the wise men of Babylon (including him) because they could not tell him his dream and give an interpretation, Daniel requested an appointed time to meet with the king so that he might show him the interpretation, trusting the Lord would give Him what was needed.
Daniel went before the king and gave Him both dream and interpretation. Because of the Holy Spirit within Daniel, the king encountered God through him. “Then the king answered and said to Daniel, 'Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” (Daniel 2:47)
According to A.W. Tozer, while it is our responsibility to proclaim the truth of genuine repentance, he writes, “There must be a revelation to their heart. There must be an encounter with Christ. There must be that sudden engaging of the soul with Jesus Christ, the Lord.” (4)
”But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Co 2:14-16)
Living Faithfully in Every Day Life
When Jesus saw the woman at the well, He did not shame or denounce her. Rather, he saw her potential of who she could be. (5) A.W. Tozer writes about this, “What a gracious thing for us that Jesus Christ never thinks about what we have been! He always thinks about what we are going to be. (6)
“There's nothing I can do to make You love me more... Your more than a dream!” sings
Finally, A.W. Tozer, notes that Jesus, seeing her enthusiasm, frankness, and self-conscious need, revealed Himself, opening His own being to her. Jesus fully accepted the woman at the well, without reserve, opening His heart to her. (7)
Jesus says in Matthew 5:16 (MSG), “Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand -shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”
As my devotional notes, “At times, we are thrown into confusion as we try to sort out our feelings, promptings, and desires in the decisions that we face each day. We vacillate in an inner dialogue that can be paralyzing: 'What should I do? What do I want? What does God want of me? What if I fail?” (8)
“Open your eyes, don't be afraid to learn how to live. This is your gift. This brand new day. This is your gift” sings in the background.
We are to examine our promptings experienced within to determine if they are from God or from the enemy. Ignatius noted that it is not always easy to tell the difference. But he notes, for one to grow in wholeness and freedom, in the maturity of Christ, “discernment of the movements of the Spirit is essential.” (9)
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 Jn 4:1)
Too often, we can choose what is convenient and comfortable. We shy away from those things that cause us difficulty rather than asking ourselves what God might have for us in it.
Jesus said to his disciples, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?” (Matthew 16:24-26)
Anytime we are sacrificing our benefit, gain and/or comfort so that others may have something that they are in need of (including salvation), we are loving our neighbor and fulfilling the will of God. By willingly entering into suffering for the benefit of one in need, we are both witnessing the gospel to them and becoming more formed in the image of Christ. We can do so because we have a Treasure in Heaven that is worth far more than anything this world has to offer.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
At times, I have known Christians who look miserable and think the Christian life should only be about suffering. Their should be no enjoyment to life. They lack any fruit of joy. However, this was not the way Jesus, Paul or other Christians of the Bible lived -they were filled with joy in giving their lives away.
In the midst of persecution and trials Paul proclaims in Philippians 4:4-5 (MSG), “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!”
“We have come to give you highest praise, highest praise! For You are the One we want to meet. Jesus shine through, all the praises that we sing! It's all for You. Here we are, here we are!”
We must be willing to enter in to difficulty and not shy away from it for the sake of our own comfort or self-protection.
Witnesses To The End of The Earth
Jesus said to his disciples in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Witness in this case is Strong's #3144, martus, which in short, is defined as martyr. A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce their beliefs.
Jesus says in Mathew 5:10-12, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
One article notes that these words could be translated as, “Blessed are they who have been willing and continue to be willing to allow themselves to be persecuted." The article notes that it is an ongoing attitude; and speaks of being willing to accept whatever comes as a result of living out the Beatitudes. (10)
“Jesus Christ was the object of severe persecution, because He clearly manifested the righteousness of God everywhere He went. The Apostle Paul underwent tremendous trials and persecutions because of the same thing - everywhere he went he declared the righteousness of God and salvation through Christ.” (11)
Whenever we go against the world to follow Jesus, it will result in persecution. Jesus says to his disciples, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” (John 15:18-20)
Our eyes are not to be on persecution but on Him, our great reward. Daniel, like Paul, didn't complain or become bitter over persecution. It gave him all the more gratitude and dependance on God. When the king came to check on Daniel after spending the night in the lion's den due to the kings ordinance, the first words out of his mouth were, “O king, live forever! My God sent an angel and shut the lion's mouths...”(Dan. 6:21)
Navigating Persecution
Charles Stanley writes about persecution that the world says to manipulate circumstances or run away. But our responsibility is simply to obey and trust our wonderful, loving, sovereign Father to take care of us.” He makes note of five points for navigating persecution in His article, “When we are Persecuted” (12):
“1. View whatever comes your way as something God is going to use for His greater purposes (Rom. 8:28).”Ultimately, it is how we respond to persecution demonstrates our witness of Christ. Jesus went silently to the cross as onlookers mocked and spit on Him. He did not resist the persecution, but trusted himself to His Father to the end. He endured the suffering for the joy set before Him -that we may have eternal life through Him. (Psalm 22).
He writes that when people touch your life, see them as an instrument in God's hands for a bigger plan He has in mind.
“2. Keep your focus on the Lord, no matter what.”
He notes that if you get your eyes off God, you are going to react.
“3. Completely rely upon God's strength.”
Charles Stanley writes that extreme pressure can drain you physically, emotionally and spiritually. It can cause you to doubt the Lord's strength. As he writes we need to look to Him for strength and take refuge under His wings.
“4. Recognize that you're fighting a spiritual battle.”
He notes that sometimes winning means enduring and keep moving without defending oneself, blasting someone, or seeking vengeance. He writes, “The Lord is the One who fights the battle; your job is to stand firm.”
“5. Expect to be Victorious.”
As He notes, God is sovereign and whatever he allows is for our good and for His glory. As Paul wrote, “We are more than conquerors.” (13)
“Grant to me the grace I need to live a life worthy in the end... Wake me up, I don't want to be lying down in this final hour. Lord, have mercy on me. Don't sweep me away with the wicked. Wake me up!” sings.
Lord, too often I fail to see the need of salvation in the moment or I am more concerned with persecution. I fail to be an effective witness because I am choosing being comfortable. I am doing my daily responsibilities and not seeing the need in front of me. Have mercy on me. I don't want to be sleeping. I also don't want to be an ineffective witness chasing someone down the street. I long to be more like Daniel. Faithful in the moment, relying on the Holy Spirit, and willing to enter into suffering, so that others may come to know Christ. Would you show me how to be an effective witness?
When You Hear The Trumpet Sound
When you hear the trumpet sound
Heaven's Glory will come down
For that meeting in the sky
We will live with him on high
On that bright and happy day
We will never ever die
When you hear the trumpet sound
Heaven's Glory will come down
A brighter day is coming
Soon we'll lay our burden's down
We will trade all troubles for a crown
There will be no more heartaches
No more sorrows will come
In the meeting when the rapture trumpet sounds
When you hear the trumpet sound
Heaven's Glory will come down
For that meeting in the sky
We will live with him on high
On that bright and happy day
We will never ever die
When you hear the trumpet sound
Heaven's Glory will come down
A bright and shining city
Waiting for you and me
Where Jesus is waiting patiently
He's waiting for the moment
For God's children to come home
What a great gathering that will be
When you hear the trumpet sound
Heaven's Glory will come down
For that meeting in the sky
We will live with him on high
On that bright and happy day
We will never ever die
When you hear the trumpet sound
Heaven's Glory will come down
With the voice of the arch angel
You will hear his trumpet sound
The Lord shall descend with a mighty shout
God's dead and his living
Will be caught up in the clouds"
Won't you meet me when the Rapture trumpet sounds
When you hear the trumpet sound
Heaven's Glory will come down
For that meeting in the sky
We will live with him on high
On that bright and happy day
We will never ever die
When you hear the trumpet sound
Heaven's Glory will come down
1. Berry, William A. Ignatious of Loyola's Discernment of Spirits. Human Development, p.6. Taken from: Bergan, Jacqueline Syrup and Schwan, Marie. Praying with Ignatius of Loyola. The Word Among us Press, Ijamsville, Maryland. 1991.
2.How can I be an effective witness for Christ in a lost world? Available at: http://www.gotquestions.org/effective-witness.html Accessed: 2/22/10
3.Tozer, A.W. Being an Effective Witness For Christ. Available at: http://www.cbcaz.org/uploads/CM/N0/CMN0zXORGHSv-AjsQDLEOQ/TeleiosSermon402.pdf Accessed: 2/23/10
4.Tozer, A.W. Being an Effective Witness For Christ. Available at: http://www.cbcaz.org/uploads/CM/N0/CMN0zXORGHSv-AjsQDLEOQ/TeleiosSermon402.pdf Accessed: 2/23/10
5.Tozer, A.W. Being an Effective Witness For Christ. Available at: http://www.cbcaz.org/uploads/CM/N0/CMN0zXORGHSv-AjsQDLEOQ/TeleiosSermon402.pdf Accessed: 2/23/10
6.Tozer, A.W. Being an Effective Witness For Christ. Available at: http://www.cbcaz.org/uploads/CM/N0/CMN0zXORGHSv-AjsQDLEOQ/TeleiosSermon402.pdf Accessed: 2/23/10
7.Tozer, A.W. Being an Effective Witness For Christ. Available at: http://www.cbcaz.org/uploads/CM/N0/CMN0zXORGHSv-AjsQDLEOQ/TeleiosSermon402.pdf Accessed: 2/23/10
8.Bergan, Jacqueline Syrup and Schwan, Marie. Praying with Ignatius of Loyola. The Word Among us Press, Ijamsville, Maryland. 1991.
9.Bergan, Jacqueline Syrup and Schwan, Marie. Praying with Ignatius of Loyola. The Word Among us Press, Ijamsville, Maryland. 1991.
10.Curtis, David B. Blessed Are the Persecuted. Available at: http://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/transcripts/som/5_10-12.htm Accessed: 2/22/10
11.Curtis, David B. Blessed Are the Persecuted. Available at: http://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/transcripts/som/5_10-12.htm Accessed: 2/22/10
12.Stanley, Charles. When we are Persecuted. In Touch Magazine, March 2010, Vol. 33. No. 3. Atlanta, GA.
13.Stanley, Charles. When we are Persecuted. In Touch Magazine, March 2010, Vol. 33. No. 3. Atlanta, GA.
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