Day 259 – Daniel 10-12

Talking Points

• Daniel’s last vision is recorded in these three chapters. It will prophetically describe events from the reign of the Persian Empire until the Millennial Kingdom. This vision is introduced by an angel, explained by another interpreting angel, and includes a vision of Christ.
• Throughout the episode, Daniel is found in utter astonishment. Fear and trembling mark his response to God’s revelation. The holy, awe-inspiring nature of God consumes Daniel. Reading the account makes me consider how flippantly we approach God today.
• Angels are real! Not only do good angels exist, carrying out the work of God, but evil angels (demons) also exist. We see the influence of the good and evil angels on the lives of men, as unseen battles rage around us. In this prophetic revelation, we find this truth: God is sovereign over all angels.
• In a profound conclusion, Daniel, now an old man, seeks greater clarity of end time events. His lack of understanding concerns him, leading him to ask for more information from God. Daniel is instructed, “Go on your way,” an urging to get on with life (Daniel 12). Daniel is promised a reward, an inheritance, and eternal life, all through the Lord he obeyed in faith!

Thoughts

What does it take to live a great life before the Lord? Daniel is recorded in Scripture as being highly esteemed by God. Can you imagine what kind of life could solicit such a description?

Daniel was obedient, faithful, and totally committed to the glory of his God. He was unbending, unwilling to compromise with the lures of the world. Most impressively, it wasn’t just a season of his life or a flash of inspiration; he was committed over the long haul. Daniel’s account begins with him as a faithful teenager and ends with him faithful in his old age. What a testimony! What a life!

So, what does it take to live a great life before the Lord? Many answers could be true, but perhaps it is this: Daniel was found, “humbling himself before the LORD” (Daniel 10:12). The Hebrew word meaning is to submit oneself or to lower oneself. It is to understand your standing as a sinner and to see God’s standing as Creator and Lord. It is not to approach God in self-pride or worth, rather to come in humble exaltation of who God is. It is worship. True worship. To make many words few, Daniel worshiped God. From his youth until his old age, he worshiped God.

Friend, may our knowledge of God inspire us to do the same. For all our lives.