History is God’s Story

The Bible is an incredible book. It is filled with interesting people, places, and events that span the ages. It takes us on an unforgettable journey to show how God is at work in human history and His plan to restore man to Himself. It is admittedly mysterious at times with a number of interpretive challenges. Our study of Daniel 8 brought us face to face with one such passage that has left many scholars scratching their heads.

The key to this passage is to understand that it has a double fulfillment. Daniel sees a world leader in his vision that emerges from the Greek Empire named Antiochus IV (Epiphanes). He serves as a type of Antichrist who persecuted the Jews and desecrated the Temple in 167 B.C. foreshadowing the final Antichrist that emerges in the last days. Daniel informs us that he was exhausted and sick for days following his vision, not able to fully understand what he had seen.

Have you ever been exhausted trying to figure God out? Are you unsure and fearful of the future?

Have confidence in God’s Word! If God can spell out the future in this kind of detail and record it for Daniel, just think what He’ll do for you. He can take your life that can look like a mess of confusion and sculpt a masterpiece. His thoughts are above our thoughts and His ways are above our ways. He is sovereignly moving in contemporary history to accomplish His will, and because He is God, you don’t have to understand it all or fear what happens next.

Joy doesn’t depend on circumstances, people, or possessions. It’s an attitude that is determined by your confidence in God. He is good! He always has been good; He always will be good regardless of how difficult your path is today. Trust Him today to do things you can’t see or understand. Press On!

Pastor Brian Richard