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Daniel 11 (ESV)
1 “And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.
2 “And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. 4 And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these.
REFLECTION:
- This chapter discusses the history of the rise and fall of the Persian and Greek empires around Israel, the history of struggles, the persecution of Judaism by Antiochus and his tragic ending. This chapter records “what is inscribed in the book of truth” (10:21) promised to Daniel by the messenger of God in the previous chapter (chapter 10), that is, what will happen to the people of Israel in the last days. This chapter specifically mentions the tremendous power of Antiochus, the persecution of Judaism and Antiochus’ tragic death. This typified Satan’s persecution of the saints who followed God in the last days, emphasized God’s dramatic act of salvation in the midst of extreme hardships and tribulations, and clearly pointed out the Jews’ hope for Israel’s complete salvation and release, and this hope will eventually come true.
- The content of this chapter includes: 1.prophesy the demise of the Persian Empire and the split of the Greek Empire (1-4); 2. prophesy the wars and events between the two kingdoms of Egypt in the south and Syria in the north (5-10); 3. prophesy the events of Antiochus taking power and persecuting Judaism and his end (21-45).
- This chapter teaches us the temporality and impermanence of worldly power through the struggles of the dependent countries and dynasties of the Greek Empire. Violence and killings that begin with evil motives will form a vicious cycle, and people who pursuit material desires and worldly authority will eventually fall into the abyss of destruction.
PRAYER:
Pray for God to show you clearly that the wealth and power in this world are short-lived and illusory. The blind pursuit of material desires and worldly authority will only cause you to stay away from God and lose your spiritual vitality. Pray for God to give you faith and be convinced that God is the God in charge of history, so that you can seek more of God’s will when making important decisions and wait for God patiently.
HYMN:
Your Will Be Done – youtu.be/kKTN4u2AGhU
