Historians suggest that the events of chapter three occurred approximately 20 years after chapter one, and Daniel must have been away on state business, for he was not mentioned in this chapter.
The scriptures recorded King Nebuchadnezzar made a colossal sixty-cubit tall and six-cubit wide golden image, which was equivalent to ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and placed it in the plain of Dura. At the dedication of the image, the king assembled the princes, the governors, the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces of Babylon.
Those assembled were instructed when they heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, they were to bow down and worship the golden image that the king had set up. Those that did not comply would immediately be thrown into a burning fiery furnace. Knowing their fate if they were disobedient when the orchestra played, those gathered bowed down and worshipped except for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Certain Chaldeans reported the actions of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to the king and reminded him of his edict. They said, “There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
Enraged by what was reported to him, the king had Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego brought to him, and he questioned them about their actions. He was willing to give them another chance to rectify their action or be cast into the fiery furnace. However, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego responded, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
Further inflamed by their response, the king heated the furnace seven times hotter and cast Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego bound and completely clothed into the furnace by some of the strong men in his army. Unfortunately, the furnace was so hot these men died from the contact of the flames.
King Nebuchadnezzar expected to see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego burn to ashes, but instead, he saw four men walking unbound in the furnace. The king questioned his counselors on how many men were thrown into the furnace, and he exclaimed, “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Then, the king called out to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and told them to come out of the furnace. The princes, governors, captains, and the king’s counselors were amazed when they saw them and realized they and their clothes were not burnt, their hair was not singed, and neither did they smell of fire.
King Nebuchadnezzar blessed the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and acknowledged their trust in Him and their deliverance by an angel. Plus, he admitted this changed his edict and their demise. In the future, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will only be able to serve and worship their God.
The chapter ends with this decree by the king, “Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort,” and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were promoted in the province of Babylon.
Here are the nuggets I gleaned from this chapter:
Nebuchadnezzar wanted to establish a universal religion in Babylon.
Pride will make a person do extravagant things.
True worship does not need to be legislated.
When threatened with death, most people will comply with the demands placed on them.
Fear of death can squelch opposition.
Time can make you forget previous acknowledgments.
Music is often used to stir people’s emotions.
Your enemy will try to intimidate you to cause you to yield to his demands.
True believers cannot love their life; they must be faithful unto death.
Believers must trust God no matter the outcome of difficult situations.
Remember to adhere to the teachings of your youth.
Stand for your God despite the opposition.
Those around you will notice your stand for God and confidence in Him.
God will prove who is the God that can protect His followers.
During his second year of reigning Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that was so troubling it woke him out of his sleep. The king summoned to him the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to tell him what he dreamt and to interpret the dream.
The Chaldeans requested the king to tell them the dream; however, the king could not remember it. He also told them if they were not able to tell him what he dreamt, they would be killed and their houses destroyed. If, however, they were able to tell him the dream and interpretation, they would be rewarded with gifts and given great honor. After further unsuccessful attempts to get the king to tell them his dream, the Chaldeans said, “There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” This angered the king, and he sent forth a decree that all of the wise men of Babylon were to be slain, which would include Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
When Daniel was informed of the decree by Arioch, the king’s captain of the guards and chief executioner, Daniel went to King Nebuchadnezzar and requested time to consult his God. With his request granted, Daniel met with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and they petitioned God for the king’s dream.
In a night vision, God revealed the dream to Daniel. His response was to bless God, proclaim His attributes and interaction with men, acknowledge His sovereignty, and be thankful for the wisdom, might, and dream interpretation that he had received. Then Daniel told Arioch he had the interpretation of the king’s dream and asked him to get him an audience with the king.
Arioch took Daniel to the king, and the king asked Daniel if he was able to tell him about his dream and give him an interpretation. Daniel said to the king, “The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.”
Then Daniel proceeded to tell King Nebuchadnezzar about the dream. The king saw a great image of a man that was composed of four different metals. It had a gold head, the arms and breasts were silver, the thighs and belly were bronze, and the legs were iron; however, the feet were both iron and clay. The image stood erect until an uncut stone hit the feet of the image and broke the feet into pieces, causing the upper body of the image to pulverize and blow away. The dream ended with the stone that smote the image, becoming a great mountain that filled the whole earth.
Daniel shared with the king that King Nebuchadnezzar was the powerful gold head whom God had given dominion over other nations. After his death, an inferior kingdom, the silver, would rule, which history revealed was the Medo-Persian Empire founded by Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian. After that, Alexander the Great, who represented the bronze part of the image, would defeat the Persians and become the ruler. The legs of iron represented the Roman empire, with the ten toes representing ten kingdoms in this empire.
Finally, Daniel discloses the stone that becomes a mountain is a kingdom that will never end. This kingdom, which is not raised or supported by men or men’s policy, is the kingdom of Jesus, which will take place in the distant future.
Daniel assured King Nebuchadnezzar that God granted him the privilege of seeing future events. King Nebuchadnezzar, grateful and appreciative of Daniel, fell down and worshipped Daniel. Additionally, he commands sacrifices to be made to honor Daniel. The king declared, “Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.” The chapter ends with the king elevating Daniel to ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief governor over all his wise men. Plus, he gave Daniel great gifts. Daniel did not forget about his three companions, for he requested the king to make them his assistants while he served as the chief magistrate in the king’s court.
Here are the nuggets I gleaned from this chapter:
Some dreams leave your spirit disturbed, but they cannot be remembered.
The magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans were men whom the king relied on to solve problems and give direction.
Some people’s expectations of others are unreasonable.
God will create situations that only He can resolve.
God will open doors for believers to do what the world cannot do.
Apparently, the God of Daniel was unknown to the Babylon magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans.
When you trust God, you will remain calm while others are frantic.
God will cause a believer to receive favor when others are denied it.When your life depends on it, pray.
Pray with people of like faith.
Knowledge of God’s abilities makes you confident of His capabilities.
God is a revealer of secrets to those who trust in Him.
God makes known the future to whomever He wills.
Always give thanks for answered prayers.
Acknowledge your limitations.
God uses events to show the real from the counterfeit.
God allows the actions of a believer to save the unrighteous.
Believers’ presence makes a difference.
That which was once massive and powerful can end up weak and powerless.
All the kingdoms of this world will end, but the kingdom of God is everlasting.
When you come into power, don’t forget about those who labored with you.
This new blog series will cover the twelve chapters of the book of Daniel, which takes place in Babylon. The blogs will share a historical overview from the first six chapters and, from the remaining six chapters, a series of prophetic visions concerning the future. Additionally, the information shared will cover the seventy years of Judah’s exile in Babylon.
Daniel, the main character and writer of this book, was taken captive to Babylon during the first invasion of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar in B.C. 606. Daniel spent the rest of his life in Babylon, where he served Kings Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus, who represented three different kingdoms.
Judah’s seventy-year exile did not unexpectedly happen; for decades, God used the prophets to warn His people of their pending captivity. One of the prophets was Jeremiah, who prophesied to the tribe of Judah their seventy years of exile in Babylon due to their idolatry and disobedience to the laws of God. Another prophet was Isaiah, who prophesied to King Hezekiah the fate of the young man of Judah. He said, “Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon” (Isaiah 39:6-7).
Along with transporting captives and some vessels from Solomon’s temple to Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar instructed the eunuch master, Ashpenaz, to select from the royal family and nobility of Judah healthy, handsome, young men who were intellectual and could understand science. These young men, for three years, were to be taught the Chaldean language, literature, and how to serve in the king’s court. Additionally, for food and drink, they were to be fed meat and wine from the king’s kitchen. Four of the young men selected were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and the prince of the eunuchs gave them the Babylonian names of Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Though a captive in a foreign land and despite being treated favorably, Daniel purposed not to defile himself with a polluted diet, and he was determined not to eat or drink that which was contrary to the Mosaic law. So Daniel requested permission from the prince of the eunuchs not to eat the food they were offered. However, the prince was reluctant to do so for fear Daniel would appear sickly and consequently cause him to suffer at the hands of the king. Daniel suggested to Melzar, the steward, that he, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be given pulse and water for ten days and then examined to see if their countenance had declined. Melzar agreed, and at the end of the ten days, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego appeared healthier than those who ate from the king’s kitchen, so they were able to continue their restricted diet.
At the completion of the three years of Chaldean instructions, King Nebuchadnezzar interviewed these four youths, and he found them to be ten times wiser than all the magicians and astrologers in his kingdom. God blessed them with knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom; plus, Daniel had the ability to interpret visions and dreams.
Here are nuggets that I gleaned from this chapter:
God warns and provides time for repentance before issuing judgment.
Disobedience to the laws of God leads to consequences.
God will allow an enemy to punish you for your rebellion of His instructions.
Despite being in a foreign land, subject to its laws and governed by those in authority, don’t forget your heritage.
Resolve not to compromise your standards.
Though others may change your name and attempt to indoctrinate you to another culture, maintain your godly character.
God will cause you to find favor with those in charge of your life.
Be not conformed to the world.
God helps the faithful.
God blesses and rewards those who keep His laws.
God’s people can serve in governmental positions.
This week, I attended the homegoing service of a fellow believer and the eulogist’s message inspired me to revisit the story of Job and write this blog.
The scriptures described Job as a wealthy man who was perfect and upright, shunned sin and feared God. I believe that knowing Job’s character, God used him to show Satan that there are individuals who serve Him faithfully despite the calamities that happen in their lives. Also, the scriptures reveal Satan was under the false impression that Job served God because of God’s provisional hand of favor, protection, and blessings.
As the story goes, God questioned Satan’s activity when he appeared before Him along with other angelic beings, and Satan told God he was walking up and down the earth going to and fro. At that point, God brings Job’s name into the conversation and speaks about Job’s exemplary character. Satan does not believe God and suggests if the things that Job possessed were no longer existing, Job would curse God. So, God permits Satan to attack Job, and consequently, he does so all in one day.
First, a firestorm burns up his sheep. Secondly, marauding nomads from the south and north steal his oxen, asses, and camels, and finally, a whirlwind from the east collapses the home of Job’s oldest son and kills his seven sons and three daughters who were gathered there. Additionally, all of Job’s servants were killed except one from each incident, who escaped and reported the disastrous news to Job. Upon receiving the devastating news, Job does not curse God but rather worships and blesses Him.
Meanwhile, at another angelic gathering, Job’s response motivated Satan to suggest to God that if Job’s body were physically affected by sickness, he would curse God. Thus, with God’s permission, Satan strikes Job with a terrible case of boils from head to foot, but Job remains faithful in his stance.
The omniscient God knew what Job’s response to these attacks would be, but Satan, who is a created being who only knows what he sees and hears, did not. Hence, God brought Job’s name up to Satan for consideration. Also, let me add the meaning of the word consider is to think about something seriously or carefully. God wanted Satan to pay attention to what He suggested. These tragic mishaps that God allowed in Job’s life were necessary to show Satan there was a person on the earth who would not reject God when evil befell him.
Now, could it be that God, who knows your future, knows you will always remain unswerving in allegiance to Him, knows you will always worship and praise Him no matter the circumstances, told Satan to consider you? Understand sometimes your tests, trials, hardship, pain, and sickness, with God’s permission, originate from Satan, but then, at other times, it is orchestrated by God. Why? Because you can be trusted, and God has confidence in you. You are an example to Satan and the world of a loyal servant of God. If this is you, all I can say is bravo for being considered.
In three days, America will have a major political election, in which we will be voting on the next president, senators, and House of Representatives. You, like me, may have a particular person or political party for whom you will vote, but please do not think they are going to resolve issues or usher in peace in this nation and world. 2 Timothy 3:16 informs readers that scriptures are profitable for correction and instruction; therefore it is advantages that we pay attention to these two scriptures. First, Psalms 146:3, “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help,” and secondly, Psalm 118:8, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”
No matter who gets elected, we are going to experience turbulent times and this is because the rapture is soon to occur. Remember, in Matthew 24, Jesus shared with his disciples the events that would occur prior to the rapture and during the tribulation. He revealed we would hear of wars and rumors of wars, nations rising against nations, kingdoms against kingdoms, and we would experience famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. We are presently experiencing some of these events, and Jesus also revealed that these things must happen and intensify.
Paul wrote these words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-5a “That in the last days perilous times shall come.For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” Unfortunately, these are the human characteristics that are being displayed in our society, and they only add to unrest.
Therefore, knowing and understanding the times in which we live, believers realize whoever wins the election will need supplications, intercessions, and the fervent prayers of the righteous. Though they may try, our elected officials will not be able to produce a beneficial, lasting, significant change. Only God can do that, and at this time, that is not slated to happen. What we can do is not fear, put our confidence in God, and share the good news of the Gospel with a sin-sick world.
From the beginning, when God created humans, He did not make them robots; he gave them free will with the ability to make choices. The results of their choices were either beneficial or detrimental to them, as you can read in the following selections.
Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden, and God gave him a choice. He said, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” Genesis 2:16-17). Adam and Eve chose to disregard the words of God and ate from that tree, and they suffered the consequence of separation from God and eventual death.
Noah found grace in the eyes of God, so when God decided to destroy the world population, He instructed Noah to build an ark in which he and his family would be safe when He flooded the earth with rain. Noah chose to obey for 120 years he built the ark. Noah’s obedience saved him, his wife, his three sons, and their wives (Genesis 6-8).
When escaping from the doomed city of Sodom, Lot, his wife, and two daughters were told, “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.” However, Lot’s wife chose to look back, and she became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:17, 26).
After they became fearful of the nations that resided in the land of Canaan and rejecting God’s plan for its occupation, God instructed Israel to turn and go into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. Instead of obeying, Israel rose up early in the morning and went up into the mountain where the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt, and they were greatly slaughtered (Numbers 14:240-45).
Prior to his death, Joshua said to Israel, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The scripture recorded that Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and the elders that outlived him, but afterward, the new generation forsook God, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Consequently, with this choice, God allowed Israel to go into repeated cycles of captivity (Joshua 24:15; Judges 2).
After the death of Solomon, God allowed Israel to be divided into two parts. God told Jeroboam, who became king over the ten northern tribes, that if he listened to all that He commanded him, walked in His ways, did right in His sight, and kept His statutes and commandments, He would be with him, and build him a sure house. However, 1 Kings 13-14 revealed Jeroboam chose not to obey and, unfortunately, led Israel into idolatry.
After informing King Ahab there would be no dew or rain in Israel, God instructed Elijah the Tishbite to go eastward and hide by the brook Cherith. Additionally, while there, he would be able to drink from the brook, and ravens would bring him food. Elijah chose to obey, and he never missed a meal, for in the morning and evening, a raven brought him bread and flesh (1 Kings 17:1-6).
Throughout the gospel books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the stories of Jesus healing the sick can be read. In many of these stories, Jesus gave directions to the recipients of the healing. Everyone wanted to be healed, but they also needed to follow the directions that Jesus had given them. Some had to arise, some had to stretch forth their hand, some had to go, and others had to believe. All of them had a choice.
Every one of us has a choice to make about our salvation, and yes, there are consequences if we make the wrong decision. If you are struggling in making your choice, I’ve included the following suggestions from WikiHow’s article titled “Decision Making 101: A Simple Guide:”
- To make an informed decision, make sure you understand the choice you need to make: why does a decision need to be made? What are your options?
- Identify the worst-case scenario of each choice so that you’re prepared for whatever comes.
- Weigh all your alternatives carefully to understand the possible outcomes of each choice. Who will be affected by your decision?
Furthermore, I’ve included salvation scriptures shared by Jesus during His ministry time on earth to help you make this salvation decision.
- Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21
- Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:36
- No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Luke 13:3
- Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14
I pray that if you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior after reading this blog, you are ready to do so. Today, I urge you to make the right choice.
ROMANS 13:11-12 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. (KJV)
ROMANS 13:11-12 Another reason for right living is this: you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of the Lord is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is far gone, the day of his return will soon be here. So quit the evil deeds of darkness and put on the armor of right living, as we who live in the daylight should! (TLB)
ROMANS 13:11-12 But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. (MSG)
Paul wrote the book of Romans around 57 AD and according to the above verses, which I shared from three translations, he felt the rapture was imminent. It is now 2024 AD, and approximately 1967 years have passed since Paul admonished the believers to awake. So, I hope all of you who may be reading this blog realize Jesus’ return for His bride can take place at any time.
According to how I chronologically believe the scriptures happen, first comes the rapture, where Jesus will appear in the air and believers will be caught up to meet Him. Then comes the seven-year tribulation period on earth, and lastly, Jesus returns to the earth and begins His millennial reign. As these times and events unfold, believers must remember the words Jesus spoke to the disciples in Matthew 24. He instructed them not to be deceived by people and, most notably, what we are presently experiencing and seeing, such as wars, rumors of wars, nations opposing other nations, famine, hurricanes, earthquakes, pestilence, increasing lawlessness, believers departing from the faith, false prophets, liars, treachery, and lustfulness will not get better but worse.
These experiences could lead to despair for the inhabitants of the world. Nevertheless, for believers, we have hope as we engage in spiritual warfare, casting down and relinquishing ungodly habits, for our aim is to be rapture-ready. Furthermore, using the many teaching parables Jesus shared while doing His earthly ministry, believers strive to be like the profitable servants who worked as they should and the five wise virgins who had the necessary oil for their lamps. I am part of this prepared group, and I pray that you are too, for we realize it is high time to wake out of sleep.
After having a conversation with Moses about the disobedient actions of the Israelites and Moses interceding on their behavior, Moses asked God to allow him to see His glory. In response, God told Moses, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen” (Exodus 33:19-23).
God did have a plan for the future to allow people to see His face, and He did it through the person of His son Jesus. In the Old Testament, Isaiah prophesied about the miraculous birth of Jesus approximately six hundred years before it occurred. He said, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
In the New Testament, John described the birth of Jesus as follows: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:1,14). Additionally, Jesus, speaking to the Jews who questioned whether He was the Christ, said, “ I and my Father are one” (John 10: 30).
Prior to His crucifixion, Jesus was comforting and instructing His disciples about His departure from them, and He said, “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Then the response of the disciples named Philip made Jesus reply, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?” (John 14:9).
Paul, in 1 Timothy 3:16, described Jesus as the manifested God who completed His earthly assignment in this manner, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” So, we believers who are presently alive can proclaim like Paul that we are looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, for He Jesus is our manifested God.
The definition of eternity is an infinite or unending time, a state to which time has no application, timelessness, or endless life after death. Everyone born on earth is going to experience eternity. Some will enter eternity when they are raptured, and their bodies take on immortality; others will enter it after dying and being raised for the white throne judgment, and others who are living at the time of the white throne judgment will enter it then.
A person’s relationship with God will determine where and how they will experience eternity. Those in the right relationship with God will be spending eternity with Jesus on the new earth, and those whose name is not written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire where they will be tormented day and night for eternity (Revelation 20:10, 15; 21:1-4).
Unfortunately, I believe the masses fail to understand the concept of eternity and the responsibility given to them to determine how they will spend it. Many feel while they are alive, their relationship with God does not matter; however, when they die, the one that they have ignored is going to welcome them in heaven. They fall into the category of clueless and thus will suffer from their inattention and ignorance. Jesus described this kind of action in Matthew 22 to the Sadducees, “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.”
In this season in which we live, we must be careful that we are not deceived and follow the wrong path. Matthew 7:13-14 states, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
I urge you, if you are not eternity-minded, to become so. Pray and ask God to help you to see beyond the present and what satisfies our carnal nature. Ask Him to help you prepare for a future with Him, and because He loves you, He will answer your sincere prayer.
The Teacher's Pick 