Today’s Reading: Dan 9:1–10:21, 2 Thess 2:1–17, Job 42:1–9

Today’s Theme: Love and Revelation

Today’s theme looks at the connection between being in a loving relationship with God and the revelation God graciously gives to those who love Him. To pursue knowledge of God aside from love for and in God is a futile task because God is the revealer of truth by His word and Holy Spirit.

True knowledge and revelation cannot be disconnected from love and relationship, they are inextricably linked.

Daniel 9:1–10:21

God’s word confirmed

He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. (Daniel 9:12, ESV)

The confirmation of God’s word may have a negative affect on someone if for example the confirmation was of God’s commitment to see sin punished.

As believers we should have our eyes and ears open to see and rejoice in the confirmation of God’s word.

Insight through God’s word

As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. (Daniel 9:13, ESV)

We gain insight by heeding to the truth of God’s word.

Intercessory prayer

And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. (Daniel 9:15, ESV)

Daniel is a true intercessor, he keeps on saying we have sinned when in fact he had not sinned but the people had.

Approach God on the basis of his mercy

O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. (Daniel 9:18, ESV)

This is the only correct way to approach God, in humility and on the basis of His mercy. We are fools to approach God in pride.

Angels don’t have wings

while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. (Daniel 9:21, ESV)

Notice Daniel called Gabriel a man. This is because angels take on a form that looks like normal man, the Bible does not say angels have wings, only special angels like the Seraphim etc.

The Resurrected Lord

I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. (Daniel 10:5–6, ESV)

Sounds very similar to the description of the resurrected Lord in the book of Revelation.

A vision that causes trembling

And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. (Daniel 10:7, ESV)

This great trembling never happens in popular modern visions of Jesus because they are fake, demonic or media induced.

A vision of the risen Lord or an angel of the Lord always caused fear in the Bible. Today’s visions are of a pally Jesus and equally cute and pally angels, this is highly unlikely.

Pursue love and get understanding

And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. (Daniel 10:11, ESV)

Understanding and revelation is directly connected to love and relationship with the Lord. We should pursue a love relationship with the Lord and revelation in God’s word will come organically as the fruit of that relationship.

Daniel and John got the greatest revelations in scripture and both are spoken of as “beloved”.

Spiritual warfare

The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, (Daniel 10:13, ESV)

This gives us some insight into the nature of spiritual warfare. Angels battle on behalf of the redeemed.

2 Thessalonians 2:1–17

Don’t be alarmed

not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. (2 Thessalonians 2:2, ESV)

The church should not be fretting and panicking about the end times.

The great falling away

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, (2 Thessalonians 2:3, ESV)

It seems a specific rebellion will come before the Lord’s return, is this in the church or the world… The context seems to indicate there will be a great falling away from the faith.

There will be a great apostasy, then the man of lawlessness (commonly referred to as the Antichrist) will be revealed. This is Paul’s teaching to combat the fretful minds of the Thessalonians who have been deceived by false teaching regarding the end times.

The Beast will proclaim himself as God

who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4, ESV)

A distinct sin that will be committed by the beast.

False signs and wonders

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, (2 Thessalonians 2:9, ESV)

We must be careful with signs and wonders because there are false ones empowered by Satan.

Love the truth

and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:10, ESV)

We must love the truth, loving the truth will save us.

Guard against strong delusion

in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:12, ESV)

If we have pleasure in unrighteousness then we will be sent strong delusion and believe lies.

Saved by the Trinity

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:13, ESV)

God chose us, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us and the words of Jesus are the truth we believe. The whole Trinity is involved in our salvation.

Obtain the glory of Jesus

To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:14, ESV)

God has called us to obtain the glory (doxa meaning radiance, brightness, repute) of Jesus, this is just an awesome gift of love.

Follow our leaders in Christ

So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. (2 Thessalonians 2:15, ESV)

It is good to hold to traditions and standards that our leaders set for us.

God in every tense

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, (2 Thessalonians 2:16, ESV)

God loved us past tense and has given us eternal comfort future tense through grace, present tense.

Job 42:1–9

God is Sovereign

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. (Job 42:2, ESV)

Job acknowledges God’s sovereignty. We talk a lot about God’s sovereignty today, but do you acknowledge Him as sovereign in your life?

Seeing God will show you yourself

I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:5–6, ESV)

When we truly see the Lord we are humbled and see ourselves for who we really are in the light of Him.

God’s spokesman Elihu is not rebuked

So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. (Job 42:9, ESV)

Notice the young man Elihu was not rebuked because he spoke the truth before God. When you are called to, boldly speak for God like young Elihu.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on 2 Thessalonians 2