[Darris McNeely] I'm finishing up another one of my classes at the Ambassador Bible College this week, World News and Prophecy class, where I take students through the book of Daniel, the great prophet of the Old Testament. It's a fascinating book. I love going through it every year and helping students to understand about prophecy, but also about current world events and how Bible prophecy relates. Daniel is a book that tells us about a man who understood the times in which he lived and he before his time, fulfilled what Jesus himself said, to learn to discern our times and to watch. It's a fascinating book.

Daniel had a number of visions, a number of dreams that he either had on his own or the kings had, and he interpreted. The story is a fascinating one to help us to understand essentially, what I call, "The Daniel Way." It's not just about prophecy and visions and dreams, it's about a man who lived a holy life in the midst of Babylon, in the midst of his own day. Daniel saw the eternal values of God's way of life, the biblical values of the law of God that he had been reared with, and he kept true to those. Even while he lived as a captive in Babylon, he did not abandon his faith, his ideals, he saw God's way. And as a result of living God's way, God gave him wisdom. God gave him understanding of not only the visions and dreams, but the times in which he lived. And that to me is the critical lesson for us and why it's important to study the book of Daniel because we live in some very interesting times as well. We live in our own modern Babylon. And if we can emulate the example of Daniel, living righteously and yet seeking to understand our time, I think that we can learn lessons and we can better navigate our world today, and without fear, but with a living faith and a courage that's important to us. 

You know, and Daniel chapter 12, at the end of a very long, faithful and fruitful life, Daniel still wanted to understand what he was seeing, what was being revealed to him. But God said, essentially, it's all going to be sealed up. What he says there is fascinating. Beginning in verse 3, in this chapter, the angel that relays God's message says, "Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars, forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3). 

Daniel was wise and his example witnessed to two great kings in the world, and it teaches us today, one's example does count. It serves as a witness, as a testimony of God's way. When people see it, it can work wondrous things according to God's purpose and will. I think there's a lesson for us here to let our example do the same thing as Daniel did here. He says the reward will be to shine as the glory of the stars. Is it worth it, the way we live? Absolutely, Daniel's example proves that.

Daniel didn't understand all the visions that he had but God said to him that they're going to be sealed up until the time of the end. All of his life, he sought a deeper insight and understanding, but at the end of his life, and at the end of the days, God's final words were this. Daniel wanted to know what will be the end of all these things, which is the famous line for any student of prophecy. And here's what God's word said, "Go your way Daniel, for the words, are closed up and sealed 'til the time of the end. None of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. Go your way 'til the end for you will rest, and will arise and your inheritance at the end of the days" (Daniel 12:9-13). Go your way, get on with your life. He did. His life was coming to a close, no doubt, at that particular point in time.

The teaching is very clear for us. Go your way, go our way. Make sure it's in God's way. God will give us wisdom and understanding, let our light shine, seek to understand the times in which we live. The book ends with those words. A good lesson for all of us. We've closed that chapter, and the teaching for the Ambassador Bible College this year. But why not open your own book, The Bible, and go into the book of Daniel, and read just a little bit, maybe just the first chapter to understand what it means to stand for God in a modern Babylon. 

That's BT Daily, join us next time.