Title: Spirituality that Blooms in Pain
Contents
Daniel (1) Spirituality that blossoms in suffering (Daniel 1:1-2)
< Significance and Theme of Daniel >
The book of Daniel is the Book of Revelation in the Old Testament. Daniel's activity began in 605 B.C., when he was taken captive to Babylon, and served under four rulers (Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus), spanning three kingdoms (Babylon, Mede, and Persia) until 536 B.C. It goes on (10:1). Although he was not a professional prophet like Isaiah, his work outlasted Isaiah.
Daniel had great success in the Gentile region with God's blessing. Nebuchadnezzar gave him the name Belteshazzar, the name of the supreme wisdom, and made him prime minister of the land (2:48). (5:29), Darius made Daniel rule the whole country (6:1-3). From that scene, you can see that he had an outstanding character and wisdom.
What is the theme of Daniel's eschatology? It means that Almighty God has absolute sovereignty over all things in the world. That is, God is in control of history! That is the theme of the book of Daniel. The most important part of the book of Daniel is not 'future prophecy' but 'past history'. Therefore, the first thing to pay attention to in the book of Daniel is the history of the past rather than the prophecy of the future, contrary to popular belief. Only those who learn from the history of the past will rule the history of the future.
< The importance of the study of the end of Daniel >
When people talk about apocalypse, people usually pay attention to stories about 666, the sinking of California and the sinking of the Japanese archipelago, the story of comets collide, and the story that the end will come if a cross is made around the sun of nine planets. However, do not think of eschatology in a way that is too mysterious, and do not interpret the Bible too broadly. This can lead to misinterpretation. It is very important to systematically study Daniel's eschatology in order not to fall into the delusion of false eschatology and to have a correct biblical eschatology perspective.
That was quite a while ago. One day, an evangelist I was working with said: "Pastor! If it rains this time, it's a big deal. Look at this rain.” When I looked at the ground at that time, there was a lot of yellow-green powder around the water's edge. The preacher continued. “I wrote it before, but look again. It's acid rain. this is our sky Acid rain is said to cause baldness and various cancers. I think the end is really near now.”
Why do we need a good view of eschatology? Only then can you escape from vague anxiety about the future and your soul will not be in danger from being deceived by wrong interpretations. It is important to develop the ability to foresee the future and know how the end will unfold through the book of Daniel, but more importantly, how to live happily as a child of God in a difficult environment. Daniel lived a successful life through outstanding spirituality in a situation where he was taken captive rather than in a favorable environment. Deep spirituality can blossom more beautifully in an environment of suffering.