God feeds the ravens. He clothes the lilies. And He loves us so much more than those! He loves us so much that He gives us promises we find in His prophecies. And if His promises hold for something as astounding as the rising and falling of world empires, His promises will hold for something as personal as the problems we face. 

We are learning and choosing to trust Him. We’re learning and choosing to trust God with everything—from His plans for world empires to the problems that keep us up at night. We can trust Him because His promises are true. He has promised to finish the work that He has started in you (Philippians 1:6). He has promised to never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He has promised to be with you now, even until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). And despite what happens, He will hold fast. He will keep His promises. He will be faithful to fulfill His word. 

As we wait for those promises to be fulfilled, He tells us to not fear, for “God is pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32). His kingdom is coming! Are you ready? Is He your King? Simply confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. The Bible says that if you do this, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). Ask God for forgiveness. Believe that Jesus died for your sin and that God raised Him to life. Trust Him as your Savior and follow Him as the Lord of your life!

God is the only One who is trustworthy. He is the only One who can see the beginning from the end with perfect accuracy. So you can trust God’s word! He has established and authenticated it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

One of the ways God has authenticated His word is through prophecy—prophecy like we find in Daniel 8, which foretold events in history centuries before they happened.

Watch our study of Daniel 8 as we carefully considered these prophecies.

​Centuries ago, Daniel was given a vision. This vision was a summary of the earthly empires—from Babylon all the way to God’s everlasting kingdom. The content of his vision is fascinating, but what’s just as interesting is Daniel’s reaction. When he was told that the earth would endure at least four brutal, bloodthirsty, and awful empires before God’s kingdom would come, he wasn’t elated—he was broken and troubled. 

And yet, Daniel did not give in to despair. He was not going to go down without a fight of faith. We see in Daniel a desire to seek insight and to understand if there is any part for him to play personally. And as we wait for the kingdom to come, there is a part for us to play too!

We can learn from Daniel’s response. So often, our hearts are filled with pride when it comes to our knowledge of Bible prophecy. Rather than being broken over what has been revealed to us, we are often tempted to gloat about knowing what will happen. But the part we have to play in this in-between time is not just to know Bible prophecy. Knowledge puffs us, but love builds up. Love is knowledge plus action. We can’t get so comfortable in our own salvation that we forget about those who have yet to yield to Jesus and what the future holds for them.

In light of God’s kingdom coming, you have a part to play. If you are a citizen of His kingdom, tell others about what is going to happen and introduce them to Jesus. If you’ve yet to yield to Christ, you can become a citizen of His kingdom today! Simply confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. The Bible says that if you do this, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). Ask God for forgiveness. Believe that Jesus died for your sin and that God raised Him to life. Trust Him as your Savior and follow Him as the Lord of your life!

On Sunday, we finished our study of Daniel 7 and were once again reminded that ultimately every earthly empire will end one day when God’s everlasting kingdom will be established. 

It’s important for us to face squarely that there are some difficult days in between. It’s also important for us to realize and remember that there is a part for us to play. 

Like Daniel, it may be time for us to ponder our part and pray some of these things through—asking God for direction and discernment for this in between time. Watch our study of Daniel 7 as we consider all that the world will endure until God’s everlasting kingdom comes.

​In his vision, Daniel saw the history of earthly kingdoms rise and fall. Though it is as ancient history to us, the events in his vision were yet to come for him. As we pair his prophetic vision with our past, present, and future, we see that all earthly empires will come to an end. 

Consider this—as awesome as it was, the Babylonian empire only lasted 70 years before it was destroyed and another empire arose. The reign of the Medes and Persians lasted 200 years followed by the Greek empire which only lasted 180 years. The Roman empire lasted longer than all of those put together—500 years. But they were not conquered or defeated by any exterior force. They fell from the moral corruption within the empire.

Yes, empires come and empires go. Eventually all earthly empires will come to an end. Even the United States will come to an end. But there will be one kingdom which shall not be destroyed. A kingdom that will endure eternity, anchored by the Ancient of Days and Jesus Christ—our King.

“Then 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 the one
Which shall not be destroyed.”
–Daniel 7:14

Where is your allegiance? Who is your king? Are you a citizen of that eternal kingdom? Only Jesus can provide you with eternal salvation. Only His Kingdom will endure eternity. Become a citizen of His kingdom today! Simply confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. The Bible says that if you do this, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). Ask God for forgiveness. Believe that Jesus died for your sin and that God raised Him to life. Trust Him as your Savior and follow Him as the Lord of your life.

​In the first six chapters of the book of Daniel, we get insights into Daniel the man—his life and civic ministry. Daniel 7 begins the second section, which gives us insights into Daniel the prophet—his prophetic ministry that reaches to and through where we are today. 

There is a lot to go through in the in-between time, and Daniel 7 gives us many of the gruesome details of the changing in world powers as viewed from heaven. If you remember in our study of Daniel 2, we considered the human kingdoms as represented by valuable metals seen by Nebuchadnezzar in his dream. In Daniel 7, we see those same kingdoms as God views them—vicious animals that fight and devour one another.

Watch our study of Daniel 7 as we make sense of Daniel’s vision in light of world history and what we can expect to come—the eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Daniel’s contemporaries were angry administrators who didn’t like him. They devised a devious plan that would get Daniel permanently cancelled for doing what he had always done—love, honor, and worship God. This is happening in another form right now. There are angry administrators everywhere. There are people in power who would rather have all Christians removed from the public sphere and from any place of influence or importance. 

You may not face a den of hungry lions or the flames of a fiery furnace. But you may face an angry administrator banning the Bible or a new policy prohibiting prayer. You may experience a efforts of canceling Christianity—attempts of preventing you from doing what you have always done as a Christian. You may find yourself in a consequential crossroads where to continue to follow Jesus as you have always done would or could cost you your employment at work or your enrollment at school.

If this hasn’t happened to you yet, it will. You need to decide in your heart what you are going to do when it does. You need to think this through and be prepared for the time when obedience to God becomes rebellion to the world. This is one of the reason we learn from the lives of others, like Daniel. When he knew of the new policy that was put in place to take him out, he maintained his integrity and chose to continue to do what he had always done, surrounding the consequences to the same sovereign God who is able—but doesn’t always—quench the flames or close the mouths of the lions.

“You are the light of the world,” Jesus told His followers. “A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Daniel and his friends lived their lives for a long time behind enemy lines with integrity, placing their trust in the Lord and obeying Him. Periodically, God provided opportunities to let their light shine before men. 

The book of Daniel records many of these opportunities, and the sixth chapter of Daniel is no exception. Watch our study of Daniel 6 as we observe how Daniel let his light shine when obedience to God became rebellion to the world.