"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever."
Daniel 2:44
This is part of the story of Daniel interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream, which is great if you haven't read it before (it's basically just this chapter, though reading the first chapter will give you some good background information). The king had forgotten the dream, so Daniel had to go to the Lord for help to know the dream before he could interpret it.
What I like about this verse is the hope and triumph part. We often hear about stuff that will happen in the last days, but mostly it is this dire, everybody-dies idea rather than a message of hope and cleansing and eternal peace. I think this verse is similar to the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees in Jacob 5. In that allegory, God basically says that the evil will be taken away as the good grows... talking about trees, but meaning the world. The more good we bring into the world, the more the evil can be pruned away.
In this dream, God tells Nebuchadnezzar (and Daniel, and us) that eventually God's kingdom will be established and will never fall. And that's what we are building now. Yeah, bad stuff and wars are going to happen, but as it says, God isn't going to leave it to other people. He is going to be with us, helping us with all of it, and if we stick with him... that is the safety and peace and permanence and hope, and love, and *everything* else that we have been looking for, and that we need and want. And it is never going away.
Today, let's trust in God and help build his kingdom, which will be the stability that we, and others, need in the last days. :)
Daniel 2:44
This is part of the story of Daniel interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream, which is great if you haven't read it before (it's basically just this chapter, though reading the first chapter will give you some good background information). The king had forgotten the dream, so Daniel had to go to the Lord for help to know the dream before he could interpret it.
What I like about this verse is the hope and triumph part. We often hear about stuff that will happen in the last days, but mostly it is this dire, everybody-dies idea rather than a message of hope and cleansing and eternal peace. I think this verse is similar to the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees in Jacob 5. In that allegory, God basically says that the evil will be taken away as the good grows... talking about trees, but meaning the world. The more good we bring into the world, the more the evil can be pruned away.
In this dream, God tells Nebuchadnezzar (and Daniel, and us) that eventually God's kingdom will be established and will never fall. And that's what we are building now. Yeah, bad stuff and wars are going to happen, but as it says, God isn't going to leave it to other people. He is going to be with us, helping us with all of it, and if we stick with him... that is the safety and peace and permanence and hope, and love, and *everything* else that we have been looking for, and that we need and want. And it is never going away.
Today, let's trust in God and help build his kingdom, which will be the stability that we, and others, need in the last days. :)
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