November 29

HOSEA 2

Say to your brothers, “You are my people,” and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.”² “Plead with your mother, plead— for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband—that she put away her whoring from her face, and her adultery from between her breasts; ³ lest I strip her naked and make her as in the day she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and make her like a parched land, and kill her with thirst. ⁴ Upon her children also I will have no mercy, because they are children of whoredom.⁵ For their mother has played the whore; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’ ⁶ Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths. ⁷ She shall pursue her lovers
but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now.’

                                                                     – Hosea 2:1-7

HOSEA 2 THE SIN OF ADULTERY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you commit to someone, you are in a covenant

Keeping your promise to this person is part of your contract

If one does not fulfill the promise they partook

That person has breached that pact  

Unfaithfulness is the sin of adultery

It wreaks havoc in any relationship.

In this account, God punishes Israel for turning their backs to God and worshipping Baal instead. God’s people broke their covenant with God by serving another god. In this chapter, God speaks through Hosea the spiritual adultery by the clear declaration of the consequences of Gomer’s unfaithfulness to Hosea. Because she wouldn’t stop her harlotry, her children are also bearing the sin of adultery. Verse 4 may sound harsh to us when children bear their parent’s sins, but God cannot change. He hates sin and he has to punish the sin itself. In verse 6-7, God shows Gomer what she’s losing by pursuing men who cannot provide for him as He can.

REFLECTION

• How can spiritual adultery manifest in a marriage?

November 28

HOSEA 1

⁶ She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will have no more mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. ⁷ But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”⁸ When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. ⁹ And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” ¹⁰ Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” ¹¹ And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

                                                                        – Hosea 1:6-11

HOSEA 1 ISRAEL’S FATE BECAUSE OF THEIR ADULTERY

The prophets were mouthpieces of God. Every word in the book of Hosea is God’s message for his people. Hosea repeated every word that God spoke to him. The name ‘Hosea’ is like ‘Joshua’. It means ‘God is our Saviour’. In those times, names have special meaning. Sources say that the names of the children of Hosea are a way for God to speak to Israel. It was God who gave these names to Gomer’s children. These names will show what will happen to Judah and Israel in the future. It is a prediction that another nation will ruin Israel.  

Gomer’s children are part of a bad nation. Some commentaries say that Jezreel, who was born first, was Hosea’s son. But it is possible that Hosea was not the father of the next two children. We cannot be sure because the book does not mention him as the father. The name Lo-Ruhamah means ‘Not Pitied’ or ‘Not Loved’. This means that he will not meet the Israelites’ needs anymore since they have pledged allegiance to their idols. The name Lo-Ammi means ‘Not My people’. God says that his covenant with Israel is over. In the future, he will destroy Israel. The name Jezreel means ‘God sows’. The name Lo-Ammi shows that there is no mistake about what God thinks about Israel. The nation of Israel ended because God gave a judgement on the people. This was because of their sin. Hosea explains this again later in the book. But God will have mercy on Judah because they were still God’s covenant people. The last verse of these verses sounds that God will reunite Judah and Israel and will multiply as much as the sand of the sea which is immeasurable.

REFLECTION

• What character of God is revealed in this account?

November 25

DANIEL 12

 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. ² And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. ⁴ But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” ⁵ Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. ⁶ And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” ⁷ And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. – Daniel 12:1-7

DANIEL 12 THE PROMISE TO THE ELECT

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

If you serve the Jesus Christ there is much reason for hope

For the Lord has promised the elect a new heaven and new earth

Only those who are perishing will have to worry about the end times

For they will account for the way they have rejected Christ himself.

According to Coffman’s commentaries on the book of Daniel, the phrase in verse 1 “at that time” refers to Messianic times. He further comments “In understanding this prophecy it is imperative to understand that Daniel 10-12 are all one prophecy, not two or three. The chapter divisions here have been deplored by scholars ever since Cardinal Hugo butchered the job of dividing them in the 13th century.” The first few verses of this chapter according to Young’s summary states that “When these events take place, those who are found written in the book will be delivered. The reference is to the elect, those destined to receive eternal life.” 

REFLECTION

• How do you think believers and unbelievers vary in their perspective regarding the  prophecies given by Daniel here and in the book of Revelation?

November 24

DANIEL 11

⁴⁰ “At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. ⁴¹ He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. ⁴² He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. ⁴³ He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. ⁴⁴ But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. ⁴⁵ And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him.

                                                                                 – Daniel 11:40-45

DANIEL 11 THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE DEFEATED

According to commentaries, the ruler mentioned in Daniel 11:36-39 who is the Antichrist will come. He will conquer many nations, overpower them, and pass on to defeat others. Dr. Constable comments “The Nazis were able to do this early in World War II.” Archer describes the warfare being participated by armored vehicles and missiles such as are used in modern warfare, but to make it fit Daniel’s time, the ancient counterparts of such weapons are used. Archer further described that the ancient names of the countries or states occupying the region where the final conflict will be carried on are used in the prediction, though most of those political units will no longer bear these names in the last days.” In Ezekiel 38-39, he described a great military force descending on Israel from the far north in the future.

Ezekiel did not mention a power from the South. The Antichrist will also enter Palestine (Daniel 8:9), and many there will fall before his forces. He will also defeat other countries in addition to Israel. He will probably enter Palestine after he breaks his covenant with Israel, which would confirm that these events will happen in the last half of the Tribulation, that is according to Baldwin’s comments. Dr. Constable comments further “This ruler will then press his attack and invade other countries, particularly Egypt. It will fall to his control. He will plunder the treasures of Egypt and will bring those living in the ancient territories of Libya and Ethiopia under his control. Libya lay to the west of Egypt and Ethiopia to its south.

Campbell comments “The Antichrist will succeed for a limited period of time. He will also place confidence in military might but his military might will be challenged and he will be initially victorious in battle. However, he will face renewed conflict, will establish his headquarters in Jerusalem, and will finally come to an end.”

REFLECTION

• Why do you think God allowed the Antichrist to conquer many nations?

November 23

DANIEL 11

³⁶ “And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. ³⁷ He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. ³⁸ He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. ³⁹ He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.– Daniel 11:36-39

DANIEL 11 THE FUTURE ANTICHRIST & HIS WICKEDNESS

In the following verses, we hear the vision explained to Daniel by the angel about the future Antichrist. In previous verses. The angel told Daniel that the final world dictator will refer to the latter days. According to Matthew 24:15, The Lord Jesus spoke of the real abomination of desolation as a future event and the apostles were warned that when these signs come, the Antichrist will come and the tribulation will happen.  “The Apostle Paul paraphrased Daniel 11:36 in reference to the coming Antichrist in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Even though Antiochus opposed God, he still bowed down to Zeus unlike this coming antichrist who will proclaim himself as the god. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 describes the Antichrist as the fulfillment of this prophecy when Paul says “he opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. The Antichrist will wreak more havoc but he is on a short lease in the bigger plan of God. The character of this future Antichrist was described in David Guzik’s commentary as: “He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women: Based on this, some Bible scholars believe that the Antichrist will be of Jewish descent, and perhaps will also be a homosexual. These things may not be popularly known about the man, but they may be true nonetheless.” Many commentators believe that the desire of women refers to Jesus, in that all women desired the honor of bearing the Messiah and understanding “desire” as it is used in Haggai 2:7. Seeing the desire of women as Jesus makes most sense in light of the flow of context. The Antichrist will take and hold power with military might and the shrewd use of great riches.

REFLECTION

·       Why do you think this prophecy about the Antichrist had so many details in the vision?

November 22

DANIEL 11

²⁹ “At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. ³⁰ For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. ³¹ Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. ³² He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. ³³ And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. ³⁴ When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, ³⁵ and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. – Daniel 11:29-35

DANIEL 11 ABOMINATIONS AGAINST GOD AND HIS PEOPLE

Dr. Constable’s commentary narrates the story behind verse 29 when Antiochus decided to attack Egypt. He didn’t successfully invade Egypt because the Roman consul, Poppillius Laenas met him in Alexandria and stopped him from invading Egypt. In verse 30, the ships from Kittim (Cyprus) that came against him belonged to Popillius Laenas and Rome. Antiochus had to return home, since it would have meant declaring war on Rome, an enemy he won’t win over. He went back to Syria upset. Again, he took out his frustration on the Jews in Jerusalem who observed the “holy covenant”.  He preferred the renegade Jews who had abandoned the Mosaic Law according to the book of Macabees. Menelaus and his collaborators willingly abandoned their religious scruples, rather than oppose Antiochus who had put them in power. In verse 31, Antiochus commanded his general, Apollonius, and 22,000 soldiers to sneak in to invade Jerusalem under the guise of a peaceful mission. They attacked the Jews on a Sabbath, when they were hesitant to exercise defense. Apollonius killed many Jews, took their women and children as slaves, plundered the temple, and burned the city. Antiochus’ goal was to eliminate Judaism and to Hellenize Palestine. Later, he prohibited the Jews from following the Mosaic Law, and got rid of Jewish sacrifices, festivals, and circumcision. He even burned copies of their law. He put up an image of Zeus, his Greek god, in the temple and erected an altar to Zeus on the altar of burnt offerings. The Jews referred to this act as “the abomination that causes desolation” (Daniel 12:11), since it polluted their altar and made sacrifices to Yahweh on it impossible (Daniel 8:23-25). Antiochus further ordered his Jewish subjects to celebrate his ensuing birthdays by offering a pig to Zeus on this altar. Verse 32 refers to Antiochus as the great flatterer and deceived the Jews to participate in the worship of Zeus. Antiochus was a master manipulator who divided the loyalties of the Jewish leaders, winning them over to his cause by promises of reward. This most repulsive of all insults to the Jews precipitated the Maccabean revolt, in which thousands of Jews rebelled against Antiochus.  This revolt was initiated by a priest named Mattathias from Ephraim, and led by three of his sons, Judas, Jonathan, and Simon. They killed Antiochus’ general, Apollonius, in battle and later achieved many important victories that freed the Jews. They overthrew the Seleucids in Palestine.

REFLECTION

• What do you think drove Antiochus to do these abominations against God and the Jews?

November 21

DANIEL 11

²⁰ “Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. ²¹ In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. ²² Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. ²³ And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. ²⁴ Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers’ fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. ²⁵ And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. ²⁶ Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. ²⁷ And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. ²⁸ And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. – Daniel 11:20-28

DANIEL 11 THE FORESHADOWING OF THE ANTICHRIST

According to Dr. Constable’s Expository note Seleucus IV succeeded his father Antiochus. He taxed his people and the Jews heavily in order to pay Rome. As a consequence of this, his Jewish tax collector Heliodorus poisoned him. This tax collector was the oppressor of the Israelites. This assassination began the terrible persecutions of the Jews. Seleucus IV did not die because of mob violence, as his father had, or in battle, but from poison, as verse 20 predicted.  The younger son of Antiochus III succeeded Seleucus IV named Antiochus IV Epiphanes (“Illustrious One,” 175-164 B.C.). Antiochus IV honored himself by taking on the name “Epiphanes.” “Epiphanes” was linked with “Theos” on coins that he minted and so claimed to be “God manifest.” However, many people didn’t trust him and called him “Epimanes” (“Madman”). The throne rightly belonged to one of the sons of Seleucus IV, the former king and brother of Antiochus IV, but Antiochus IV seized it for himself and had himself proclaimed king. He persuaded the leaders of Syria to allow him to rule since Demetrius, the eldest son of Seleucus IV, was being held hostage in Rome. In this way, through scheming to gain power, he secured the throne for himself. The great persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes and his devastating influence on the Jews made him the antichrist mentioned in Daniel 8:9-12 and Daniel 8:23-25 making him the foreshadowing of the antichrist. During his tenure as king, Syria was in decline and Rome gained power. According to biblical archeological society, Antiochus Epiphanes claimed to be Zeus incarnate. He desecrated the temple by offering a pig for Zeus in it.

REFLECTION

·       Which dictator in our times today do you compare to Antiochus IV Epiphanes? Why?

November 20

DANIEL 11

¹⁴ “In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. ¹⁵ Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. ¹⁶ But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. ¹⁷ He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. ¹⁸ Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. ¹⁹ Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. – Daniel 11:14-19

DANIEL 11 MORE POWER STRUGGLES IN THE NORTH AND SOUTH

The sources I got these details from is Dr. Constable expository notes. Verse 14 refers to the Macedonians under Philip V of Macedonia and the Jews living in Israel joined Antiochus III in opposing the Egyptians. Some of the politically zealous Jews believed that they could gain more freedom if Antiochus III succeeded, but that did not happen. Verse 15 refers to the fortified city that Antiochus III besieged and took was Sidon, which he defeated about 200 B.C. There he forced the Egyptian General Scopas, whom he had recently defeated at Paneas (biblical Dan), near the headwaters of the Jordan River, to surrender. Three other Egyptian commanders tried to free Scopas from Sidon, but they failed. The king of the north in this instance was Seleucus IV Philopator (187-175 B.C.). Verse 16 talks about Antiochus III persistence to solidify Syrian control over Palestine without successful opposition from the Egyptians. Archer comments “When Scopas finally surrendered to Antiochus III at Sidon, the Holy Land was permanently acquired by the Antioch [Syrian] government, to the exclusion of Egypt.” When Antiochus III entered Jerusalem, the populace welcomed him as a deliverer and benefactor. In Verse 17, Antiochus III, under threat from Rome, then initiated peace with Egypt and offered his daughter Cleopatra to Ptolemy V in marriage to cement their alliance. He hoped that Cleopatra would remain pro-Syrian and that her loyalty to him would give him control over Egypt. This attempt failed, however. Cleopatra consistently sided with her husband against her father, even though Ptolemy V was then only a boy. Verse 18 says how Antiochus III then turned his attention to the Aegean coast and sought to conquer Asia Minor and Greece. He had been contemptuous of Roman authority in Greece and had said the Romans had no business there. Antiochus did not succeed completely because a Roman commander named Claudius Scipio resisted him effectively. He is the commander that fulfilled the prophecy in this verse.  Verse 19 refers to Antiochus III’s return to Antioch where he died a year later in 187 B.C. He had tried to reunite Alexander the Great’s empire under his own authority, but he failed largely because he underestimated the power of the rising Roman Empire. Nevertheless Antiochus III, “the Great,” was a brilliant and successful military leader.

REFLECTION

• What do you think is behind power struggles and conflicts among nations?