Daniel is the prophet who prophetised about the end times. When we read the book of Daniel, we can see many prophecies about the end times. This is a fact. But, there is another fact. If we read this book carefully, this book will give us some clues on how we should receive and interpret end time prophecies. Today, I would like to look at this. Daniel interpreted some dreams, but other people could not do so. Therefore, if we seek the interpretation of end time prophecies and visions, Daniel can provide help in this endeavor. How do we properly go about biblical interpretation? Through a certain "wisdom." If we want to seek the interpretation of end time prophecy, it is important to "seek for the wisdom of God."
Let's look at the suggestion about "interpretation" given from God through the book of Daniel.
1. God's revelations, visions, and prophecies about the end time are not given through a clearly understandable way. For instance, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon and his people could not understand the emperor's dream. the Revelation Of John is another example. Revelation is given in a way that is not readily understandable for most people. We can not understand "the harlot Babylon" or "the beast which has seven heads and ten horns" very easily.
2. A strong emphasis is laid upon the fact of whether we can interpret the prophecy, vision or dream given to the king or not.
Nebuchadnezzar the king had two dreams. That is to say, he dreamt of abig statue and he had a dream of seven times. Concerning these dreams, the king asked the wise men and magicians in Babylon for the interpretation of them. But, no one could interpret them. However, finally, it had been interpreted by Daniel, a man full of God's wisdom.
At the time of king Belshazzar, there was also required an interpretation of a strangely given message. These words were enscribed by fingers sent from God. There was likewise no Babylonian wiseman who could give the interpretation of these words. Finally, Daniel, full of God's wisdom, interpreted them. What does this fact indicate? It indicates that dreams, visions, and prophecies are already given from God for the end times. But, without an interpretation, these dreams are meaningless. Without the right interpretation, we could never understand the exact conditions of the end time. Therefore, a great amount of praise was given to Daniel for interpreting these dreams correctly.
Daniel 2: 48 "Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon."
It wasn't the man who received the dream or the vision who received the praise, but Daniel who gave the interpretation thereof who received praise. The same could be said about our age. We have a whole Bible. We have visions and prophecies in it. There is no shortage about these. Everything is given from God. But, there is a problem. We have no correct interpretations of these visions and prophecies. So, God gives great emphasis upon "interpretation."
3. This interpretation is given to a person, full of God's wisdom. Let's pay attention to the pattern repeated so many times in this book.
Wisdom given from God is the important key. What does it mean? It emphasizes that end time prophecies are interpreted and understood correctly only by God's wisdom. Therefore, if we seek for the interpretation of end time prophecies, we have to seek only one thing. That is to say, interpretation by God's wisdom.
4. Though, the number of wisemen is many, there is no right interpretation given.
Daniel 2:2 "Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams."
The Bible clearly shows us one thing here. Though there are many "wise men, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans" there is no one who can interpret king's dream. I think this Babylonian age is a model for our age, an age of a babylonized church.
In this age, there may be many wisemen or teachers of the Bible. But end time prophecies are not revealed through mere human wisdom. Instead, in this age, there is a great discrepancy and much confusion about the interpretation of end time prophecies. So many interpretations vary to the point that we can not understand which one is right.
Concerning "the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers" mentioned above,the original meanings of some of these words have some relation to astrology. Astrology is the act of deciding something after consulting with the knowledge seen within the sun, moon or stars. So, these words have some relation with to "the way a worker of God worships." But, we should not ask "workers," instead we are to ask God and his wisdom. Please note not even one man of them could understand this dream. The same thing will happen in the end time. People will ask God's workers for answers but do not seek the wisdom of God. Therefore, they can not understand end time prophecy; this kind of people may appear in the end time. The Lord talks about the end time as follows:
Matthew 12:42 "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here."
The word "wisdom" appears in this passage. And the people of Jesus' age (this age was a model of the end time age) did not come to the Man who had the wisdom greater than Solomon. Therefore, they were judged. I think "the wisdom" referred to here is the wisdom to understand the word about the end time. To understand end time prophecy, God's wisdom is necessary.
It says in another part of the Bible:
" Luke 19: 41 ¦ And when he was come near, he
beheld the city, and wept over it,
42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou,
at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now
they are hid from thine eyes."
God's people in this age do not listen to Jesus or for God's wisdom; therefore, they can not understand the prophecy about the judgment of Jerusalem. Therefore, God's people were demolished when Jerusalem was judged by God. I suppose they might have heard from some Pharisee, or scribe; but they had not heard from him who was "greater than Solomon." Therefore, they could not understand this warning. Maybe a similar thing will happen in the end time. If we do not seek God's wisdom to render interpretations of his many visions and prophecies, then God's people face destruction again. Because if no wisdom is received then, "but now they are hid from thine eyes." Please note this fact: the end time prophecies will not open unless we seek for God's wisdom.
Let's do the will of God in the end time.
end.