Today's passage: Galatians 1:6-10

Helpful thoughts:

• If someone adds to or takes away from the Gospel:
  • It is not the Gospel.
  • It is contrary to the Gospel.
  • It is distortion and trouble.
  • “Let him (Or her) be accursed.”
• Paul was going to lose “fans” by confirming these truths.  But he wasn't into gaining fans.  He wanted to please God.
  • Matthew 6:24 – No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Questions to consider:

1. What is the Gospel? (Here is another helpful resource)  Have you repented, confessed your sin, asked God to forgive you and put all your trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross?  Is Jesus your Lord and Savior?
2. There are many people who say they are Christians but do not know how to explain the Gospel.  Why do you think that is?
3. Do people who add requirements to the message of the Gospel call themselves Christians?  Do they tend to live morally compared to the rest of the world?  Do they go to church and encourage you to do so as well?
4. Why is it easy to call out false teaching in the world but hard to call out false teaching in our community?

Today's passage: Daniel 12:5-13

Helpful thoughts:

• From the time of the Anti-Christ's turn against the Jews to the “time of the end”.  (This is called the Great Tribulation.)
  • A time = 1 year
  • Times = 2 years
  • Half a time = 6 months
    • 3.5 years – This is the second half of the final week mentioned in Daniel 9.
• The other marker used is another “abomination of desolation” similar to that of Anitiochus Epiphanes.  The idea being that the Anti-Christ will make himself to be god, thereby ending the worship of God in the Temple.
  • 1,290 days = Using 30 days as representative of a month (Which is in line with the Jewish calendar), this amount of days adds one more month to the 3.5 years.
  • 1,335 days = …plus another month and a half.  Perhaps the blessing of those who waits and arrives at the end of this day is blessed because they have witnessed the beginning of the promised millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ.
• God's commandment and promise to Daniel:
  • Go live out the remainder of your life.
  • “You shall rest” (Daniel is in heaven today).
  • “You shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days” (Daniel will experience resurrection.  He has an allotted place and purpose in the kingdom of God and in eternity!)

Questions to consider:

1. Though a Great Tribulation is coming, what is promised to those who believe and follow God?
2. Can you think of any Scriptures in the New Testament that give the same kinds of promises to Christians? (A little help… 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, John 14:1-3, Revelation 20:4)
3. How do the promises of God's grace in the future encourage you to live for Him today?

Today's passage: Daniel 12:1-4

Helpful thoughts:

• “At that time” is still referring to the end.  Specifically, the time nearing the end of the tribulation.
• The Jews who believe (“Everyone whose name is in the book”) in the end times will be delivered from the Anti-Christ.
• Resurrection and judgment will take place (Revelation 20:11-15).

Questions to consider:

1. What does it mean to be delivered?  Is that something we can do on our own or something that has to be done for us?  Who is our deliverer?
2. What is true of all those who are delivered?  How is a person's name written in the book?  What must be true of them? (If you aren't sure, follow this link!)
3. Has our knowledge of the end times increased with the completion of the Scriptures?  Are people still running “to and fro” without applying the weight of the reality of what is going to happen?  What has God called us to do with the knowledge we have?

Today's passage: Daniel 11:40-45

Helpful thoughts:

• It makes sense that the king of the north and the Anti-Christ are the same person in this passage.  Antiochus Epiphanes was referred to as the king of the north in the previous passage and served as a type for the coming “king” of the end-times.
• The Anti-Christ may be alarmed by activities around him, but no human advance will overpower him.  He will continue to win and conquer, until God brings his end.
• After completing his earthly conquest, the Anti-Christ will set up his headquarters (“Palatial tents”) in Israel.

Questions to consider:

1. What has been true of every kingdom and king depicted in these visions, even that of the Anti-Christ?
2. How does remembering the effects of the curse of sin and the reality of man's (and even Satan's) inferiority to God prevent us from putting our hopes in the kingdoms and nations of this world? (Psalm 20)
3. Who is your king?

Today's passage: Daniel 11:29-39

Helpful thoughts:

• This passage continues the prophecy concerning Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
• Antiochus was defeated while attempting to wage war in Egypt in 168 B.C.  In anger and humiliation after the defeat, he decided to take out his anger on the Jews.
  • A massacre ensued.
  • False gods were erected in the Temple and swine (Considered “unclean” by the Jews because of the Law of God) were sacrificed.  This event has been called the abomination of desolation (“The abomination that makes desolate” vs. 31).
• Some of the Jewish people persevered in their commitment to worship of the Lord.  Other Jews determined to be loyal to the Greeks.
• The transition from verse 35 to 36 begins a set of events and characteristics of the king that have not occurred yet.  Many believe the next several verses no longer refer to Antiochus, but instead to the Anti-Christ.

Questions to consider:

1. How did Antiochus view himself compared to other people if he was able to destroy them in order to “vent” his anger?  When we hurt others in our anger, who are we trying to please and how are we viewing ourselves and others?
2. What was Antiohcus' view of God?  How did that impact his decisions?  What does a high view of God result in?
3. What does it mean at the end of verse 36 when it says, “for what is decreed shall be done.”?  Who is the One who makes decrees?  Who will ultimately be in control, even when the Anti-Christ appears to be winning in the last days?

Today's passage: Daniel 11:14-28

Helpful thoughts:

• Violent men, even of the Jewish people, chose sides and got involved in the conflicts and battles between the Greek powers.
• The person who will stand in the “Glorious land” is Antiochus.  He was warmly received when he arrived in Jerusalem.
• The “contemptible person” (Vs. 21) that rose in his place was Atiochus IV Epiphanes.  This is the “Little horn” from Daniel 8.
• “His heart shall be set against the holy covenant.” (Vs. 28)
  • When Antiochus Epiphanes was returning home from Egypt in 169 B.C. he passed through Palestine, passing by the Jewish people.
  • He found an insurrection there against his rule and in response, 80,000 Jews (Men, women and children) were killed and he looted the Temple.

Questions to consider:

1. Why were these men's efforts to no avail (Vs. 27)?  Who was really in control of these situations and the results? (Remember this is history to us, but when this was written, none of it had happened yet!)
2. How badly would the Jewish people have been desiring to see the Messiah come during times like this?  What do you think they would have especially desired the Messiah to come and do?  How might that desire have differed from what Jesus later came to accomplish?

Today's passage: Daniel 11:1-13

Helpful thoughts:

• Remember, 11:1 finishes the paragraph that is 10:18-21.  The conversation moves on in 11:2.
• The fourth king of Persia was Xerxes 1 (486-465 B.C.)
• Xerxes 1 led an attack against Greece, which resulted later in the counterattack of Alexander the Great.
• Alexander's sons were murdered and so his empire was split into four.  The two portions spoken of primarily in this passage are the Ptolemies and the Seleucid.
• The details of this prophecy are so specific, and they came to pass in exact detail.  So much so that people who want to reject the Bible say that Daniel must have been written much later (There is no other possible explanation).  However, history records Alexander the Great going into Jerusalem and being shown the book of Daniel, and understanding that the prophecies were about him!

Questions to consider:

1. Is it logical to deny the accuracy of the Bible?  Is it logical to deny the existence of God?
2. Why do people reject God? (Romans 1:18-32)

Today's passage: Daniel 10:15-21

Helpful thoughts:

• The angels minister to Daniel by strengthening him after having been weakened by the shear majesty of the vision.
• When Daniel felt fully strengthened, he was ready to listen.
• The fallen angel that Gabriel was warring against, the “Prince of Greece”, was not going to come for another 200 years approximately.
• Michael is the “Prince of Israel.”
• The first verse of chapter 11 goes with this passage (Daniel 11:1).  The “him” of 11:1 is the angel Michael.  They come to each other's aid in times of need.

Questions to consider:

1. What have you learned about angels in the last two days?  How would their view of the world and the events of history differ from ours?
2. What is significant about Daniel's preparedness to listen?  What might we often assume we are strengthened to do?  In what ways does it take strength to listen to the Word of God?

Today's passage: Daniel 10:1-14

Helpful thoughts:

• This final vision in the book of Daniel happened two years after he was visited by Gabriel.  Daniel is now about 85 years old.  Realize, Daniel had these kinds of experiences a total of eight times in his life.  This wasn't happening every day.
• The man who Daniel saw at the river was quite possibly God.  These Old Testament appearances are called “Theophanies” and we believe these appearances are probably that of the Messiah prior to His human birth.
• The man who comes in verse 10 to speak to Daniel is a second man.  Perhaps this was Gabriel again.
• The information from this vision will take up all of chapters 11 and 12.
• There are a few things we learn about angels in this passage:
  • They are real.
  • There are angels who serve God and angels who oppose Him.
  • There is a battle going on. (Ephesians 6:12)
  • They can influence the affairs of humans (Including governments and their leaders).
  • They have assignments and focus their attention on regions and nations.

Questions to consider:

1. What are some of the unique things that Daniel saw and experienced during this theophany?  What effects did it have on him?  How does this experience compare to the many times people today say they have experienced “God things” or “God moments”?
2. Is the fight for righteousness and the glory of God in our life all about us?  Who else is involved in this battle?  Do they appear to be casual and nonchalant in their approach?
3. How can this passage encourage you to fight for righteousness in your life before our holy God?

Today's passage: Daniel 9:20-27

Helpful thoughts:

• Daniel was praying for an end of the exile and a return of Israel to worship God in Jerusalem.  God reveals to him the decree to rebuild Jerusalem, the future of Israel, the end of sin, and the atonement for iniquity.
• “Weeks” are units of seven.  The phrase “seventy weeks” could also be translated, “seventy sevens”.
• The seventy sevens (490 years) are broken into three sections:
  • Seven sevens (49 years) – From the time of the decree to go rebuild to the completion of the work under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah.
  • Sixty-two sevens (434 years) – From the time of Ezra-Nehemiah to the time of Jesus Christ (The “Anointed One” who shall be cut off).
    • Events are given after this time… Including the destruction of Jerusalem by the hands of the “people of the prince who is to come”.
      • Those people are the Romans (See Daniel 7) and the prince is the Anti-Christ.
      • The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70
  • The final week (7 years) – The Tribulation period
• There are many views as to when the seventy weeks start, stop and carry on.  It seems this view above makes the most sense as the years given line up with the events in history as prophesied.

Questions to consider:

1. Beyond the timing of certain events, what is God promising in this passage? (Don't think about when, but what. See verse 24.)
2. Why does God fulfill His promises?  Should we trust God because these first two prophecies have already been fulfilled or because God is who He is?  In other words, does God's record of fulfilling promises make Him trustworthy, OR does God's perfect nature make him trustworthy, which is why He always fulfills His promises?