I have been reading in the book of Daniel because my reading plan was to read from Genesis all the way through to Malachi. I'm in a confusing part of the book of Daniel where it speaks of the end time and visions which are very confusing. On Friday I was in the middle of reading in Daniel 11 and I was picking up where I left off today.
Before I get into the content for this post, I have another note on the book of Daniel. The first seven chapters of Daniel are written in Hebrew, note that I read in Hebrew when I read, but the Hebrew is not normal at all. A lot of the words are not normal. All the structures are different than the rest of the Bible I've read so far in Hebrew. While reading, I felt I was learning an entirely different vocabulary. The word for Elohim (God) was Elohiah, the word Kee (thus, for) was Dee, and the verb tenses were unrecognizable at best, to name a few things that were strange. If anyone is interested in finding out the details about these anomalies, I would be glad to write a post about it.
Back to the topic for today. Daniel starts chapter 11, talking to Darius about three more Kings that will arise, and he calls this the truth that he wants to show Darius.
While being made white!
There is much symbolism and no names of the kings that will come, only descriptions of them (traits they will have) and where they will come from from the south, north, etc.). Other than that it reads like a history book except the fact that this history is in the future. It's all very confusing and it talks about Kings that rise and wars. Then how one kingdom was destroyed and another came up in its place. Without context and places being named, it is very difficult to follow and one would hope that we will be able to identify these future events in our time or when we get to the end time.
Then in the midst of all of this prophecy, mayhem and war comes after the part where they set up the abomination that makes desolate and he will seduce those who violate the covenant with flattery. It also comes in the middle of a verse, almost like a side note!
...but the people who know their
God shall stand firm and take action.
33 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. 34 When they stumble, they
shall receive a little help. And many
shall join themselves to them with
flattery, 35 and some of the wise shall
stumble, so that they may be refined,
purified, and made white, until the
time of the end, for it still awaits the
appointed time.
Then it talks about the king of the time exalting himself above every god and speaking blasphemies against the true God. He shall grant power to those who acknowledge his power and dominion, making them rulers over other people. The context that I'm talking about ends with verse 39 where he "divides the land for a price." I am pretty sure that this part is talking about dividing Israel.
The abomination that causes desolation and the one who divides the land, when mentioned, will cause any believer to think antichrist.
I am certain that nobody of the time understood what Daniel was talking about, and that is not surprising because the prophecy is not for their time. But I am also certain that when the time comes, it will be fairly easily understood in today's time and as we get closer to the time of the end.
What I'm highlighting in this post is going to be the little snippet which I pasted the scriptures above. It talks about the people who know their God getting a little help as they go through a time where they are suffering and being refined. I really needed to hear that. Yes. I will expound below, even though I had blown past this message in my reading on Friday and would have missed it if I hadn't gone upward to look for a little context as I continued reading.
In my personal life our family has gone through a recent death, an unexpected child on the way right after the father lost his job, and many other chaotic difficulties including another family member in the process of becoming a quadriplegic due to a bone consuming bacteria in his spine. You know? There are times in life when you want to just shout to the sky "Why?"
I know that the Almighty saw everything that was coming in my life and timed this little snippet in the midst of a chaotic chapter as bit of encouragement as I walk into hospitals and funerals. He knew where I would be today in my reading and he knew what I would be feeling when I got there. This is the God I serve. It also proves that we can find answers if we just keep reading His word.
He has a plan and he lays it out in his word. I'm glad that plan includes the answer to the question he knew I would have, spoken directly to me guarding the "Why?" even though I never voiced it.