Belief and Unbelief

This week Mike Kelley examines the various responses to Jesus’ healing of a blind man.

Daniel’s Prophecy of the Seventy Sevens - Part 2

This Sunday we will complete our study of the vision of the 70 7s Daniel received from Gabriel in Daniel 9:24-27.

My understanding is that the immediate answer to Daniel’s prayer takes place during the first ‘seven’ through the edict of King Cyrus allowing the Jewish people to return to their land and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple The ultimate answer will come much later in the final ‘seven’ when the Messiah will come to establish a New Covenant and to end the old covenant order (and temple).

Daniel’s Prophecy of the Seventy Sevens

This Sunday we will begin what I plan to be a two week study one of the most difficult and controversial passages in the Bible. One scholar commented, “The millennium is 1000 years of peace about which Christians fight”.

I approach the next two sermons with a measure of trepidation. We need to be humble, respecting that believers who love the Lord and affirm the infallibility of Scripture have come to different interpretations of this and other texts related to end times. We also need to affirm our unity on the core issues of faith, including eschatology (the study of the last things). GBC’s statement of faith does a good job of summarizing those points upon which we can all agree.

Last Things

We believe that God has appointed a day when Jesus Christ will visibly return in glory to judge the world in righteousness. His justice will, be displayed in the resurrection to eternal punishment of all unbelievers, who will be cast into Hell to experience separation from God forever. His mercy will be displayed by the gathering of all. believers in resurrected and glorified bodies to everlasting life and fullness of joy in the presence of the Lord (Matthew 24:36; John 5:28,29; Matthew 25:31; Revelation 21:3; Mark 13:26,27; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 21:8)

Why then should we wade into the controversies surrounding Daniel 9:24-27? First, all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable. This passage tells us useful and blessed things about God’s plan of redemption for His people, accomplished through Christ. Also, because there is so much interest in this subject (some churches talk about the rapture almost every week), we think it is appropriate for us to carefully examine this passage in its context so that we will be able to intelligently consider what we hear from others.

It is important to remember that the vision of Daniel 9:24-27 comes in response to Daniel’s prayer in 9:1-19 in which he confesses the people’s sin and pleads for their return to Jerusalem (according to the prophecy of Jeremiah). Understanding Daniel’s prayer will help us to understand God’s answer to the prayer.

This Sunday I plan to summarize (fairly) the two primary approaches to the interpretation of Daniel 9:24-27 (dispensational and covenantal), followed by an exposition of verse 24 which states the goals of the seventy sevens which God has decreed. Correctly understanding these overall goals will help us to interpret the details laid out in verses 25-27 (next week, Lord willing).

Dispensationalists believe that the goals of the 70 sevens will be achieved in the millennial kingdom which will come at the end of this age. Those taking a more covenantal approach believe that the first coming of Messiah is the primary focal point of the goals of verse 24.

Thankfully, both dispensationalists and those who lean more to covenant theology all affirm that God perfectly keeps His Word and that in the end we will all reign with Christ forever.

Transforming Glories

2 Corinthians 3:16-4:6 - “but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

Satisfaction for the Thirsty

Spurgeon called Isaiah 55 a chapter of gospel invitation. He preached from this passage at least eighteen times.

Isaiah 55 pleads with the lost to abandon their worthless idols. The Lord offers abundant pardon and rich kingdom blessings to those who turn to Him.

Isaiah 55 also speaks to believers who sometimes waste their time and money seeking to find joy and satisfaction in worldly things instead of finding their fulfillment in Christ.

Isaiah 55 also points to Christ who offers Himself as our spiritual food and drink.

Liberty and Love

Are you strong?

Last week Paul began his discussion of the issues over which Christians differ by encouraging all of us to accept one another without judging in these difficult matters.

In this week’s text Paul focuses upon those who consider themselves strong - because they believe they have liberty to do things in which the weak cannot participate without violating his conscience.
Rather than looking down on the weak, the strong should forego the use of his freedom for the sake of those who don’t enjoy the same sense of freedom.
In so doing he is living out the gospel by imitating Christ who gave up His rights for us.