Strong Man Of God Blog

          I ended my last post of 2021 citing Daniel 9:26c of two prophetic Scriptures supporting the truth “things are not going to get better before the glorious Second Coming of Jesus Christ, but worse.”¹  The content of Daniel 9:26c is near the end of four pure prophecy verses out of twenty-seven that make up a powerful chapter as context.  The prophecies are delivered to Daniel in answer to his prayers by the angel, Gabriel, and are intended to give him the ability “to understand” further and more deeply from God about what He intended for Israel after their Babylonian captivity (vs. 20-23, NKJV).  It was not an easier to read Bible, but God’s help he needed to get that understanding!

          As Daniel 9:26c objectively and literally read in the immediate context of the verse asserts, destruction that brings “desolations” to cities such as did happen to Jerusalem and the second Jewish Temple at the hands of the Romans in A.D. 70 “are determined” by God “till the end of the war,” (NKJV).  What war?  In the larger context of the whole Bible, the war is the one ongoing in the spiritual and breaking into the physical realm; Satan and his angels warring against God after their rebellion, eviction from residence in Heaven, conquest and conscription of man and ultimate eternal sentence to Hell by His decree (Genesis 3:1-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).

          The ongoing war of the ages as a spiritual and historical context was important for Daniel (and us) to have to understand what God is doing in the world.  In Daniel’s specific case, knowing about the overarching spiritual war would help him understand more deeply the why and what for of future events impacting his people, the Jews.  Indeed, as recorded earlier in chapter nine, Daniel’s heart to understand the future of his people beyond Babylon was triggered by his having read and “understood by the books” prophecy God gave Jeremiah the prophet that “He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem”--a span then, near its end (Daniel 9:1-2, NKJV).²

          Clearly, Daniel read the Old Testament scrolls containing Jeremiah’s prophecy from God objectively and literally as God expects all of us to do who know and love Him unless the text itself suggests we do otherwise such as with figurative language, symbols or metaphors often used in parables.³  He understood the plain reading of the text in his Hebrew language.  He did not need to consult any number of translations--none were even available until the third century B.C. well after his time--for easier reading and a better understanding.⁴  Daniel took God’s Word at face value as it was written in the Old Testament books that were copies of the originals!

          As I discovered to my horror while researching what extant Bible translations Martin Luther may have used when he uncovered again God’s salvation by grace through faith alone plainly stated throughout the New Testament, there are today, over nine hundred (900) just English language translations of the Bible in whole or in part!⁵  This is a recipe for destructive confusion in great spiritual desolations as Satan has already wrought among so many in the war as ostensibly under the guise of easier reading and a better understanding, many of these translations corrupt God’s Word.  A number of the translators wickedly seek not to offend people and pander after what they want, not God.⁶

          I realize my New King James Version Bible of choice (updating the 17^th century King’s English) is a translation as are all Bibles apart from the original manuscripts.  I consult a few other modern translations (which is how I know what they say) and teach others--aspiring strong men and great women of God--to do the same for possible greater language clarity.⁷  However, over nine hundred different English translations each with their unique selling points is overkill.  Besides, whether easier to read or not, it is the truth in direct assertion, transcendent eternal principles, morality and ethics along with any deeper meanings in application embodied in the Scripture that we students like Daniel are after.  These come only from God in the way He in sovereignty chooses to reveal them.

          It may be an angel as Daniel experienced, but most commonly as Christians it is the Holy Spirit with Christ resident inside of us that reveals the truth of God in Scripture and anything deeper related to us (John 14:15-18, 16:12-15; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16)!  If you are not understanding what you are reading in the Bible, pray and ask God to help you since it is His will in general that you understand what is written though, some prophecies remain closed for now (Luke 24:44-45; James 1:5-8; Revelation 13:18).  As the Lord leads, I will continue working through chapter nine of Daniel in each of the posts this month to the end someone else will be helped as we receive understanding of the times Daniel was told of in advance that we are now, living in and which approach their climatic end!

1 See the December 19, 2021 post, Christmas: Love, Joy And Peace, under the category, Holidays.

2 Dating  from  the  year  of  Babylon’s  first  invasion of Judah and taking of captives (such as Daniel) in 605 B.C. to 539 B.C. the first year
   of the Medo-Persian conquest of Babylon as Daniel historically notes in vs. 1, would have been nearing the end of the seventy years pro-
   phecy.

3 Daniel’s  approach  to  objectively  reading,  literally interpreting and applying Scripture is that of every godly person in the Bible to include
   the Lord Jesus Christ  (Matthew  4:1-11)!  For  help, download the free one page document the Lord led me to create summarizing Seven 
   Principles of Bible Interpretation in the Strong Man Store. 

4 See the Encyclopedia Britannica article on the Septuagint--the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

5 Read the 2017 Christianity Today article, The Most Dangerous Thing Luther Did by Ben Witherington III.

6 Woe to those who seek to deconstruct the Bible to make it more amenable to people!  Your actions are instigated by Satan as one of many
   stratagems he is using in his war with God.  If he could widely corrupt the Book with God’s direct revelation, expressly stated will and mes-
   sage  of  salvation  as  he  has done, the resulting confusion would destroy many souls as it is doing.  For this reason, God holds account-
   able  and destroys the corrupters of Scripture as  it is written (2 Peter 3:14-16)!  See my August 2, 2020 post, Flavorless Salt Is Worthless,
   under  the  category,  Call  To Repent along with part two in particular of Daughters Of This Age, posted April 25, 2021 under the category,
   God’s Creatures.

7 This  approach  is  especially  helpful  to all of us that do not normally read, write or speak Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek.  Learn about aspiring
   strong  men  and  great  women of God in Christ’s image in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics along with companion works 
   The  Strong  Man  Of  God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study at your favorite internet book seller and in
   the Strong Man Store.