Thurs’s Devo - The Kingdoms of the World

Read: Daniel 7:1-28; 1 John 1:1-10; Psalm 119:153:176; Proverbs 28:23-24 Daniel had a dream and saw the same vision that Nebuchadnezzar had but saw things from a much different perspective. While Nebuchadnezzar saw the kingdoms as a great monument of different qualities of stone, Daniel sees the kingdoms as animals that kill, steal and destroy. *** He saw Babylon as a lion with its widespread take over depicted as wings. Nebuchadnezzar had become an animal until he repented and then could stand on his feet and run his nation like a human again. *** The second kingdom was the Medo-Persians. They were depicted as a bear who devours his prey. They were two kingdoms: the Medes who were in the south and more passive than the Persians who were in the north and extremely cruel. They were so cruel that if one person offended the king, his whole family and extended family were destroyed. The three ribs represented Media, Lidia and Babylon who were conquered by the Persians. *** The third kingdom were the Greeks. Alexander was their leader who swiftly like a leopard began taking and conquering kingdoms. Its four heads were: Cassandra who ruled Macedon and Greece; Lysimachus who rule Thrace and Bithynia; Ptolemy who ruled Egypt, and Sleucus who ruled Syria. *** The fourth kingdom was the Roman kingdom which is still in operation on the earth. No animal could describe its cruelty and strength. The ten kingdoms have changed over time but keep reforming. Now they look like the BRIKS nations, maybe. In the end a small leader will arise and take over three nations. He will boast arrogantly. *** It will then be time for God to judge. In the dream. the four kingdoms were taken down and someone like a son of man appeared before God with the witnesses of heaven. He was given authority over all the nations of the world. His rule is eternal and it will never end. *** The angel explained the whole thing to Daniel. In the end, the holy people will be given the kingdom and they will rule forever and ever. This is where we are right now! We have been under a one world government and it is becoming more and more obvious. But, we are becoming aware of it and are taking the kingdom back. The kingdom is being given to us to rule and reign. *** John wrote his first letter to give assurance to the believers of their eternal life in Christ. He also wrote to expose the false doctrines of people who had withdrawn from the church and gone back into the world. They were teaching heresy. *** John knew by personal experience that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus revealed the Father to us and taught us how to have fellowship with Him. God is light and has no fellowship with darkness. We have to walk in the light to fellowship with God. We can do this because Christ has cleansed us of our sin and given us access to God’s throne. *** Lord, thank you that we can come boldly before your throne of grace and have an audience with you. Thank you for forgiving our sins and accepting the blood of Christ to atone for us. We appropriate Jesus’ blood every day for our salvation.