I heard this term used today by Beth Moore today in the Daniel study that I am doing. She was actually making a bit of a joke about how they have a whole 'calendaring' department at the church she is a part of. :) But she was also teaching out of Daniel, Chap. 9 today, and making reference to how specific the dates and times are that we learn about in Daniel and her ideas on what they mean. I heard some things and learned some ideas about 'end times' prophecy, as well as messianic prophecy and fulfillment, that I have never heard before. It was truly fascinating to me! And I was amazed, again, at how much of what we see prophesied in the Old Testament through men like Daniel, has come true in such specific ways... and it continues to increase my faith that God is SO in control, that He knows exactly what He's doing, and that He will, in fact, accomplish all of His purposes.You know, I think that I've heard most of my life, or at least this is how I think, that dates and times are maybe not all that important to God. He's more interested in our hearts and relationship with Him. NOW, I do believe our relationship with Him is more important than anything, really. But, between the Ezekiel class I'm in and this Daniel study, I'm being reminded that God doesn't waste words -- and if He's writing and making note of dates and times, I'm sure there's a reason. So I'm starting to pay more attention to that and it's really interesting. Besides, I know how much dates and times are important to me. Really, they're an important part of relationship. Special days, anniversaries, birthdays - all reminders of things, good times and sometimes hard times - that we carry with us. So why should I think that God isn't all that interested in times and dates? I don't know... those are just some of my rambling thoughts... :)
Anyways, I won't even pretend that I understand all of the stuff I heard today, but it does make me want to learn more. It's got me excited about studying and it's adding new depth and insight into all that I'm reading - not just Daniel. So I'm really thankful for that today - a fresh desire to dig into God's Word and the continued reassurance that as I do, it will only make me more in awe of how incredible God is! :)
1 comment:
Excellent post. I agree, God doesn't waste words.
You mentioned the book of Daniel, and it was the prophecies in that book about men running to and fro and knowledge increasing in the end times, along with prophecies pertaining to the United States and Britain, that helped me prove years ago that God inspired the Bible. I wrote about that in my book.
With the movie 2012 coming out there seems to be a public fascination with end-time prophetic disasters. I probably won't see the movie, but I saw a TV program on Discovery channel last night, and I noticed a pattern. I noticed it for several days in the programming that is sometimes on TV on this subject.
They leave something out, as I point out in my blog. The Bible does indeed indicate there will be disasters at the close of this age, and they will probably come in our lifetimes, but these programs leave out the reason. These disasters are not a struggle between God nad Satan (Satan has no power at all against God). They are a punishment from God for the sins of mankind, and they are designed by a loving God to bring mankind to repentance, for our own good.
But you will never hear Hollywood talk about "repentance." I don't think they know the word.
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