SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/8/2013
12:29 PM
My Worship Time Focus: The kingdom
of Satan PT-2
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Daniel
7:21-23, 25
Message of the
verses: We will look at the third
sub-point under this second main point which is “The kingdom of Satan” in today’s
SD.
War on the saints (Daniel 7:21-23, 25): “21
"I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and
overpowering them 22 until the Ancient
of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time
arrived when the saints
took possession of the kingdom. 23
"Thus he said: ’The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the
earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the
whole earth and tread it down and crush it.
25 ’He will speak out against the
Most High and wear down the
saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in
times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and
half a time.”
I am not sure why it is but whenever I pick up a magazine
I look at the back of it first and then move backwards toward the front of
it. With that said let us look at verse
25 and talk about the phrase “time, times, and half a time.” This is not the only place where this phrase
is found and it refers in this case to the last half of the tribulation period
where antichrist will go against his covenant that he made with the Jews and
began to persecute them along with those who are believers during this period
of time. Let us move ahead to Daniel 12
and look at a couple of verses there that also refer to this phrase: “11 “From the time that the regular sacrifice
is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290
days. 12 “How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!”
Now let us talk about verses 21-23 and in them we see the
words “The saints” three times, and of course this refers to true believers in
Jesus Christ, those who realized that they are sinners, and also realized that
they can do nothing on their own to have a right relationship with God, but
also realize that the Lord Jesus Christ died in their place and exchanged their
sins for His righteousness: “He made Him
who knew no sin to be sin on
our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). Now one might ask if all of the saints in the
Church age are ruptured out of this world when Christ comes in the clouds
before the Tribulation period begins how are their now believers during this
time. I believe that the answer to that
question is that the Holy Spirit will call people during that age, the seven
year period of the Tribulation period, just as he did in the Church age and
they along with the Jews will be persecuted by antichrist, especially during
the last three and a half years. Dr.
Wiersbe writes “Three of the texts describe the saints as victorious over their
enemies (Dan. 7:18, 22, 27), while two texts inform us that the Lord permits
them to be defeated before their enemies (vv. 21, 25). The saints ‘receive’ the kingdom (not ‘take’
as in v. 18), ‘possess’ the kingdom (v. 22), All of this is the work of the
Most High God. He permits Antichrist to
rise to power and rule the world, and even allows him to make war on the saints
and temporarily win the victory (v. 21).
The phrase wear out the saints’ (v. 25) describes Antichrist’s continual
oppression of God’s people and his blasphemous words against the Lord and His
people.”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: God sometimes
takes me out of trouble and sometimes allows me to go through trouble. I want to praise the Lord for both even
though the times of trouble are not as fun for me, but they do teach me to
trust the Lord more.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Remember the consequences of sin as Galatians
6:7 say, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this
he will also reap.”
Memory verses for the
week: 2 Peter 1:1-3 (Review)
1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus
Christ,
To those who have received a faith of the same kind as
ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the
true knowledge of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to
us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of
Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
Answer to Yesterday’s Bible
Question: “Because they had sinned against
the Lord” (2Kings 17:6-7).
Today’s Bible
Question: “What happened while Peter was
preaching at Cornelius’ house?”
Answer in tomorrow’s SD.
9/8/2013 1:25 PM
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