20 Mar 2 Ways of Viewing the Future
Daniel 7:1 – In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.
With an election season underway, people are pretty much just freaking out constantly. As we are studying Daniel, the world he lives in is far more perilous, precarious, and problematic than ours. Yet, he keeps his head and, generally speaking, is emotionally healthy and marches forward in faith for more than seven decades.
Why?
Daniel knew that there are only two ways to view the future:
- The future is open, everything hangs in the balance, life on the planet is precarious, and we must constantly fight to save the world from impending doom. People who live this way are gripped with fear and live exhausted lives in which they are stressed and depressed.
- The future is closed, there is a God who knows & rules all that will ever be and remains in control even when it seems like the world is out of control. People who live this way are guided by faith and live in light of the dual reality of what is happening on earth while trusting the hand of God behind it all in ways that are fearless and faithful.
Daniel 7 opens with prophetic revelation from God to Daniel about the future. The chapter is quoted or alluded to some 58 times in the New Testament, largely in the book of Revelation, which is also a prophetic glimpse from God into the future that God knows and rules. In school, we study history which is looking back on past events. In church, we study prophecy which is looking back from God’s perspective on events that are future for us but history for Him.
Which view of the future do you earnestly, practically, and daily live from?
In addition to this introduction to and overview of Daniel, you can find the corresponding sermons, daily devotions, men’s ministry resources, and hundreds of additional sermons and Bible teaching resources for free at markdriscoll.org or on the Mark Driscoll Ministries app.
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