Kingdoms Rise and Wane
Jul 15, 2026
Devotional
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God is on the throne and comes from his throne to a manger and from a manger to a cross and to a borrowed tomb. and to the throne and from the throne. To those who in answer to the question, what is my only comfort in life and in death are able to say my only comfort is that I am not my own but belong body and soul in life and death to my savior Jesus Christ. I wonder can you say that today? [00:40:54]
So what we have to do is allow Daniel to help us to this end. Namely to view history, the unfolding drama of history from the perspective of scripture. To learn to read our newspaper through the lens of scripture rather than the other way around. to bring to bear upon the daunting challenges of our day and the reading of history what we've affirmed in our song and what the Bible tells us is true. [00:34:58]
These kings of the north, kings of the south, all of this material here, which rages throughout this particular period of time, all have thinitude written into them. The affairs of politics are ephemeral. Ultimately, the affairs of politics are actually futile. When you think about it, all of the endeavors that have gone into raising up great empires, where are they today? [00:30:30]
I know that. But just once would be enough. I'd like the chance to make it clear that God is not a passive bystander in the world that he has made. He controls the details of human history. He accomplishes his eternal purposes and he definitely will. [00:37:43]
It is always important to cover passages of scripture that contain material that is difficult to follow. Oh, I said oh no. Come on. because it underlines the biblical teaching that studying scripture is hard work. That studying scripture is hard work. That's why Paul says to Timothy, "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who doesn't need to be ashamed, who is rightly dividing the word of truth." It's work. It's work. [00:18:08]
Let's affirm the fact that we're accepting that this is actually prophecy. Let's affirm the fact that we're dealing here not in the realm of fiction, but in the realm of fact itself. The times and the seasons are appointed by God. [00:32:27]
I think it's very important, and this is one of the things I hope has come across in our study of Daniel. It is very important to realize that there is no need to be ashamed when we do not understand. The the people that you really ought to be most cautious about are those who can give you an explanation for every tiny detail of the Bible. [00:15:43]
What is your only comfort in life and death? I'm going to presume that you have a mechanism for both explaining your life, dealing with your life, understanding the prospect of death, and dealing with it. What is your only comfort in life and in death? [00:09:11]
He says that this God who made the world established the habitations of men and women. He established where nations were set. He established both the geographical boundaries and he established the periods of history. You see how alien this is to the idea that somehow or another God is whatever we want God to be. [00:34:35]
And in chapter 10, we noted the fact that the way in which this is conveyed to Daniel is to bring as it were the corner of the curtain of eternity uh aside in order that Daniel then may actually get a glimpse into the heavenlies and realize that in the unseen realm there is there are kingdoms that are in conflict and that the battle of the world is in that arena in which evil powers exercise their influence in the very thrones and governments and corridors of political power. [00:13:31]
What a wonderful closing sentence that is. A proper use of the ordinary means. What are the ordinary means? The Bible. What is a proper use of the Bible? Read it. But don't read it in a way that you don't read any other book. It's full of verbs and pronouns and adjectives and simileies and metaphors and various genres. Therefore, it is to be read in that way if we would use it properly. [00:16:54]
Because this character here in Daniel 11 is, I suggest to you, a virtual prototype of everything that is ultimately anti-God. He doesn't embody it in its fullness. One of the challenges of the chapter is, is he still the one in focus as you get to the end? Or is he simply giving us an indication of this great monster that will come, the man of lawlessness in two Thessalonians, and the Antichrist in its embodiment? That's one of the challenges of interpretation. [00:29:23]
Yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly stated and explained in one place or another in the Bible that not only the educated but also the uneducated may gain a sufficient understanding of them by a proper use of the ordinary means. [00:16:28]
Well, of course. Who's saying anything about any man knowing about everything that is to take place? Well, you say Daniel knew. Yeah, but how did he know? Because God disclosed it to him. [00:24:56]
You cannot quantify the benefit of instilling in their young hearts and minds these truths. How can I pull stuff back at 63 the way I do because of what I enjoyed when I was three? [00:38:56]
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So what we have to do is allow Daniel to help us to this end. Namely to view history, the unfolding drama of history from the perspective of scripture. To learn to read our newspaper through the lens of scripture rather than the other way around. to bring to bear upon the daunting challenges of our day and the reading of history what we've affirmed in our song and what the Bible tells us is true. [00:34:58]
These kings of the north, kings of the south, all of this material here, which rages throughout this particular period of time, all have thinitude written into them. The affairs of politics are ephemeral. Ultimately, the affairs of politics are actually futile. When you think about it, all of the endeavors that have gone into raising up great empires, where are they today? [00:30:30]
I know that. But just once would be enough. I'd like the chance to make it clear that God is not a passive bystander in the world that he has made. He controls the details of human history. He accomplishes his eternal purposes and he definitely will. [00:37:43]
It is always important to cover passages of scripture that contain material that is difficult to follow. Oh, I said oh no. Come on. because it underlines the biblical teaching that studying scripture is hard work. That studying scripture is hard work. That's why Paul says to Timothy, "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who doesn't need to be ashamed, who is rightly dividing the word of truth." It's work. It's work. [00:18:08]
Let's affirm the fact that we're accepting that this is actually prophecy. Let's affirm the fact that we're dealing here not in the realm of fiction, but in the realm of fact itself. The times and the seasons are appointed by God. [00:32:27]
I think it's very important, and this is one of the things I hope has come across in our study of Daniel. It is very important to realize that there is no need to be ashamed when we do not understand. The the people that you really ought to be most cautious about are those who can give you an explanation for every tiny detail of the Bible. [00:15:43]
What is your only comfort in life and death? I'm going to presume that you have a mechanism for both explaining your life, dealing with your life, understanding the prospect of death, and dealing with it. What is your only comfort in life and in death? [00:09:11]
He says that this God who made the world established the habitations of men and women. He established where nations were set. He established both the geographical boundaries and he established the periods of history. You see how alien this is to the idea that somehow or another God is whatever we want God to be. [00:34:35]
And in chapter 10, we noted the fact that the way in which this is conveyed to Daniel is to bring as it were the corner of the curtain of eternity uh aside in order that Daniel then may actually get a glimpse into the heavenlies and realize that in the unseen realm there is there are kingdoms that are in conflict and that the battle of the world is in that arena in which evil powers exercise their influence in the very thrones and governments and corridors of political power. [00:13:31]
What a wonderful closing sentence that is. A proper use of the ordinary means. What are the ordinary means? The Bible. What is a proper use of the Bible? Read it. But don't read it in a way that you don't read any other book. It's full of verbs and pronouns and adjectives and simileies and metaphors and various genres. Therefore, it is to be read in that way if we would use it properly. [00:16:54]
Because this character here in Daniel 11 is, I suggest to you, a virtual prototype of everything that is ultimately anti-God. He doesn't embody it in its fullness. One of the challenges of the chapter is, is he still the one in focus as you get to the end? Or is he simply giving us an indication of this great monster that will come, the man of lawlessness in two Thessalonians, and the Antichrist in its embodiment? That's one of the challenges of interpretation. [00:29:23]
Yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly stated and explained in one place or another in the Bible that not only the educated but also the uneducated may gain a sufficient understanding of them by a proper use of the ordinary means. [00:16:28]
Well, of course. Who's saying anything about any man knowing about everything that is to take place? Well, you say Daniel knew. Yeah, but how did he know? Because God disclosed it to him. [00:24:56]
You cannot quantify the benefit of instilling in their young hearts and minds these truths. How can I pull stuff back at 63 the way I do because of what I enjoyed when I was three? [00:38:56]
Alistair Begg
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