August 3, 2024

Though you may feel anxious and oppressed over the condition of our world, a day is coming when Jesus will wash away all of those feelings. I can assure you that all your fears are unfounded because of the promises of God’s mercy. The enemy is stirred and wreaking havoc on everyone, but we are saved, set aside, and loved beyond our comprehension. We have set our eyes upon the Lord and know where our help comes from. We can see His divine intervention in our lives, even when trouble abounds and we feel discouraged. He is our light at the end of the tunnel, and we can run to Him in our distress. He seems to pull us through magically, and we know He removed us from our tribulation and set us high upon his mountain so we can see the calamity left in our wake. What a gracious and wonderful God we have; He sees us not as we are but as His loving children. God is with us, and he rejoices over us with singing. Can you feel it? The following verse is my all-time favorite because it shows God’s passion for us and His love. It brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. There is no end to His love. We are blessed.

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

August 2, 2024

The great and glorious day of the Lord is near. We are living in a thrilling time, even though it may feel stressful if you let it. To realize that we've been told lie after lie, we can hardly recognize the truth anymore. The truth is what you see and touch physically. You know what God has done for you, but you can also see what God has done for others; you know the truth about their testimony. The intricacies of creation can be seen and touched, showing us that a being beyond our mind's capacity to understand exists. Even those who do not believe in the Bible can know God and his infinite wisdom because they can touch the living things He created and see them with their own eyes. Fortunately, we believe the Bible and know the details of His love for us. To understand the fullness of God's love, the sacrifice of animals didn't give us complete healing from our sins, so God gave us the perfect sacrifice of His son, Jesus, who bled, died, and rose again for the sins of the world. I can't comprehend the reason for a blood sacrifice, but that's over now because of Jesus. Even though the world doesn't know him, we know him and can count on him to take us to dwell with him in eternity. What a great and glorious day that will be!

Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger. Zephaniah 2:3

The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. Zephaniah 3:15

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:21

August 1, 2024

A day of weeping and sorrow is on the horizon because the unrepentant sinner will face the wrath of God. If you are awake and aware of what’s happening worldwide that’s not being reported in the news and want your mind blown because of the similarities to what is happening today, read Joel. It’s only three chapters, but the prophecy is unfolding before our eyes. One particular verse that struck me is Joel 3:3. 

And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink. Joel 3:3

If you’ve heard about what has been done to undocumented children by perverts and heinous and heartless people, you will understand the implications of what is to come for them. It is they and others like them that will face God’s wrath. It will be a horrible day for them, but it can’t be said that they don’t deserve God’s wrath to come upon them for what they’ve done. Pray that we are raptured and do not have to see even a tiny amount of the filth of the world getting the justice they deserve. It is a fearful thing to come under the mighty hand of God. Do not let a day go by without lifting your voice in repentance to God. Pray for the children of the world and that Jesus would come quickly before any more damage is done to the weakest and most vulnerable of our people, the children.

For something more positive, I give you this verse: The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. Joel 3:16

July 31, 2024

Today is the day to turn your heart toward Jesus. You’ve known the truth for your entire life but have rejected him and delayed the decision because you want to continue in your debauchery. Aren’t you getting too old for that kind of behavior? Those who stick closely to the Savior feel that time is at hand. He is waiting for you! Time is short; decide now to serve God and bring your friends with you! I know you can feel it coming in the air; we all can. Leave those other gods you serve behind and follow the One True God, the maker of heaven and earth. You’re right when you say you’re not worthy; none of us are, but Jesus chose to save us from our sins anyway. He has done that for me; let him do that for you. 

For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. Malachi 4:1-3

July 30, 2024

As Christians, we can rejoice in the coming day of the Lord. However, those who have caused us hardship and have gone against God and His people have much to be fearful of. It will be challenging for them. We can see the deepening of the divide between believers and nonbelievers because of the stark contrast between the two. The insanity and belligerent upheaval they cause marks them, and all true believers can see their vexation. Their minds are tricking them into believing the lies they tell themselves, and the truth is not in them. We are living in the approach of that great and glorious day and can approach the throne of grace without fear. We are not perfect, by far, and full of sin; however, our trust in Jesus and his covering over our sins with his precious blood put us in the good graces of the Father. We have so much to be thankful for, but especially our salvation. I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of unbelievers on that special day. Fear not! The Lord will gather all offensiveness out of his kingdom, and the wheat and the tares will be eternally separated. Things are falling into place for us, and we will see our Savior coming in the clouds triumphantly, and we will live in peace with our brothers and sisters under the rule and reign of King Jesus!

And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. Zechariah 14:9

July 29, 2024

Jesus is a fountain of forgiveness; all who trust Him will have their sins forgiven and cleansed of all unrighteousness. When Jesus was hung on the cross and was pierced and run through with the sword, the blood that flowed from him cleansed us from all unrighteousness. That’s not all! A process of refining takes place. Those trials and uncomfortable situations are allowed by God to train you to trust Him. If you pass the test, you will come out like fine gold. Submit to Him quickly so the refining won’t take too long. The sooner you leave your troubles in God’s hands the quicker they will be over. 

In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. Zechariah 13:1

Hindsight is 20/20! We can see Jesus clearly in Zechariah 13. He is the fountain in verse 1. It is Jesus’s hands that were pierced by his friends in verse 6. He is the Shepherd in verse 7, who was struck and the sheep, his disciples, scattered. Since then, the enemy has come after those who trust him; we are the little ones in verse 7. However, the enemy will not win because we are under God’s divine protection.

And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. Zechariah 13:8-9

Bonus: The 666, 66% is the 2/3’s of the people who will cut off. We, the Christians, are the 1/3, 33% who are being refined. The 66.6% plus the 33.3% of the angels displaced from heaven equal 100% of evil will be gone!

July 28, 2024

God will protect His people, but Jerusalem and Judah will get protection first, and anyone who comes against it will find themselves destroyed. They will realize what they did by crucifying Jesus and will mourn for him as if he were their firstborn son. If the Jewish people studied the law and the prophets, how did they miss this about their Messiah?

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Zechariah 12:9

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Zechariah 12:10

The cards seem to be stacking up against Jerusalem even as we speak. The enemy must tell us ahead of time what they are doing, so let’s look at the Olympics opening ceremony. This worldwide event was steeped in sacrilegiousness against the holy people of God, with the rider of the white horse opening the seal, releasing the antichrist, and the vault of tribulation. The guy who created this artistic performance appears to be of Jewish descent and somehow knows the details of God’s word. It made fun of the depiction of Passover and Jesus, which includes the Jews and the Christians at the same time! It pointed to the perversion that sent Judah and Jerusalem into captivity in Babylon for seventy years. We see those who didn’t learn their historical lessons and are still delving into abominable practices. Are these people trying to force the hand of God, or is the Bible playing out before our eyes? Look back at the beginning of this post; there is no need to worry; God will protect us or take us into His presence. Stay tuned. 

July 27, 2024

Chapter 11 of Zechariah is about Jesus. He says he will cut off three shepherds; they didn’t believe in Jesus and were supposed to lead the people: prophets, priests, and kings, or it could indicate Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians. Whoever they are, they have led the people away from Jesus. One thing I found very significant was the picture of his two staff, one called Beauty and one called Bands. In Zechariah 11:10, he broke the staff called Beauty into pieces, breaking the covenant with all people, rejecting them because they rejected him, making way for those who are Gentiles to come under Jesus’s sheepfold if they believe in him. 

And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD. Zechariah 11:11

Further down in the scripture, it shows that Jesus also broke the staff of Bands, breaking the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. I suppose that’s why today we only hear about Judah. Sadly, they didn’t open their eyes to see they had the Messiah among them because their hearts were hardened. They gave him up for silver, the price of a servant. You’ve got to wonder if Judas was named given that on purpose to represent Judah. They would be given over to a leader, either Rome or the antichrist, who only cared about himself. I’m grateful that a road was paved for us as Gentiles to be saved, but my heart breaks for Judah because they are lost. The lesson is to continue standing firmly in your faith; the rewards belong to us as long as we hold our ground.

July 26, 2024

God intends to bring Israel together, though they're scattered worldwide. When they return to the promised land, they will bring their many children and remember the Lord. I think this portion of Zechariah is referring to when we are all gathered to Jesus at the end of time. Even though Israel has their own land now, they don't inhabit as much as the scripture says belongs to them because, in the end, that land wouldn't hold everyone who loves God, and we would be too numerous and would overflow the land. The promised land is much bigger than what is considered Israel now. What awaits us is the New Jerusalem, which has enough room to accommodate all of us. 

Early and late rain is mentioned, where early rain occurs in the fall during planting time, and later rain occurs in the spring when the crop starts to flourish. The latter rain fills the kernels of corn and wheat right before harvest. Are we getting close to harvest time? It seems like it, but we are still waiting for the latter rain to fill the kernels and for God to bring everyone to the threshing floor and burn the weeds that have been sown among us. What an amazing day that will be!

Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. Zechariah 10:1

I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them. Zechariah 10:10

July 25, 2024

Zechariah 8 is a beautiful chapter. It begins with the promise of revenge against Israel’s enemies and the triumphs of God’s people. He proclaims that he will encamp around us for our protection, and no oppressor will pass through us anymore. We must remember that the Bible was written by many people from different times throughout history, but all had the help of the Holy Spirit. All of the pieces fit together like a puzzle. Keeping that in mind, the best part of this chapter is the prediction of the coming of the Messiah and His triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey colt. You cannot get a clearer picture! We know from the gospel writers in the New Testament that, on what we now call Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, and the people honored him by waving tree branches at him as he rode by. Even though Jesus is the King of kings, he positioned himself as lowly to show that he is a King for everyone, rich or poor. Jesus shall save his people, and we will be like the jewels of a crown and displayed like a flowing banner over the land. 

This verse may be my new favorite. It paints a beautiful picture of our position in Jesus. 

And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land. Zechariah 9:16

July 24, 2024

The word of the Lord came to Zechariah again, but this time, it would be about peace and prosperity in Jerusalem. After they were tormented and afflicted by other nations, God would have his vengeance upon those nations. The children would play in the streets, and happiness would abound because they felt safe. Men, women, and old people who were still full of life would also fill the streets. According to my commentary, this happened between the end of captivity and the time of Jesus. This portion of scripture gives us hope for our Christian nation that God would see the torment of our people and seek vengeance upon those who’ve caused it. I would love to see my grandchildren able to run the streets all day without fear and come home at dusk like their parents did. God loves us, and one way or another, whether here on earth or with Jesus in heaven, we will experience peace and tranquility. 

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. Zechariah 8:4-5

July 23, 2024

Zechariah not only prophesied, but he gave a good sermon. In chapter 7, he mentions fasting and praying and reprimands the people for fasting out of habit rather than doing it to honor God. It’s also a reminder not to say we are fasting for God when we know we are fasting to lose weight. Don’t let selfish ambition get in the way, and genuinely want to honor God with fasting and prayer. If you’re having trouble hearing God’s voice, you need to tune into his frequency, and fasting and praying are the ways to level up to that frequency.

The next portion of this sermon also deals with the heart. This one hit home with me! We know that God wants us to care for widows, orphans, and the poor and deal kindly with them, but did you know that we are not to imagine evil in our hearts towards our brothers (people you know or family)? You are not allowed to think terrible thoughts about your brother. Confession: when someone hurts me, especially when they hurt my family, my thoughts become vindictive against them. My anger causes my heart to devise a scheme to get them back. I may not act on those thoughts, but those thoughts are still sinful. Watch your thoughts, and I will work on mine.

And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. Zechariah 7:10

July 22, 2024

There are two visions in Zechariah 6. In the first portion, he has a vision of horses with chariots with the horses similar to the horses in Revelation. However, the second vision points to Jesus as the branch growing out of his place and building the temple. In the vision, people who still lived in Babylon came to visit, not to stay and help rebuild Jerusalem, but to bring silver and gold as their contribution. They must have been living in comfort in Babylon. In the vision, God told Zechariah to coronate and crown Joshua the high priest. The Joshua in this story is symbolic of Jesus, and Zechariah is therefore told to make two crowns, one of silver and one of gold, and crown him with both to symbolize that he was a priest in the order of Melchizedek, who was both king and priest. The silver represents a king, and the gold means a priest, which typifies the kingdom of the Messiah. Joshua would understand that he is a figure of the One to come.

Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Zechariah 6:11-12

Significantly, the scripture says The Branch, Jesus, will build the temple of the LORD. We know from experience that Jesus is building His temple with people from around the world, including us. What a beautiful picture. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit of God and are built on the foundation of Jesus.

And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God. Zechariah 6:15

July 21, 2024

In Zechariah’s next vision, he saw a huge flying scroll that was unfurled. The scroll represents a curse that is extended to the whole earth, not just Israel. This curse is upon anyone who lies (swears falsely in the name of God) or steals, whether or not they are under the law of Moses. Those people who thought they would escape punishment for their sins because they were not Israelites were wrong. We have an unwritten law in our hearts and know the difference between good and evil. 

The angel then directed Zechariah to the vision of an ephah, a measuring utensil with a woman sitting in it and a lead weight on top of it and two winged women carrying it off. When you see a woman in a vision, she represents the church. This vision is harder to understand and was obscured so as not to discourage the Israelites from rebuilding the temple. It is thought that it eludes to them being disbursed throughout the world by the Romans after they crucified Jesus and terrorized the church. The vision said that the ephah would be set on a base in Shinar which is in Babylon. At this point, Israel was scattered. Their hearts were hardened and were lulled to sleep so they wouldn’t turn away from their wickedness to be healed. 

I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof. Zechariah 5:4

July 20, 2024

While the angel was speaking to Zechariah, he seemed tired and fell asleep because he had to awaken him. If we want to be a vessel for the word of God, we must overcome our flesh and wake up to the things of the spirit. Zechariah’s vision was of a golden candlestick with seven lamps, seven pipes for each of them, and a bowl for the oil that fed each of them; beside it were two olive trees. He asked the angel what it meant, and he said it represented the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, that the mountain of work he saw in front of him for rebuilding the temple was in God’s power, not his, and it would be brought down to rubble and that he would also finish what he had started.

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. Zechariah 4:6-7

In his commentary, Matthew Henry says, “God will carry on and complete this work, as he had begun their deliverance from Babylon, not by external force, but by secret operations and internal influences upon the minds of men.” I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read this because a secret operation is going on to deliver the United States and the world that we know is coordinated by the hand of God. Little by little, the pieces will fall into place. 

For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth. Zechariah 4:10

Zechariah then asked about the olive trees. However, he had to ask twice because the angel didn’t answer him the first time. When praying, if you don’t get an answer the first time, ask again. He explained that they provided the oil that kept the candle fed and represented the anointed ones, in this case, Zerubbabel and Joshua. However, spiritually, it representsJesus and the Holy Spirit that feeds into the Father, who represents the Golden Candlestick.

July 19, 2024

Zechariah is now met with another vision: that of Joshua, the high priest, and Satan standing next to him, waiting to accuse him. This Joshua is a different one than most of us know from other Bible stories; he came out of captivity and presided over the other priest. In Zechariah’s vision, Joshua was dressed in filthy garments, which is believed to be because some of the priests under his command had taken wives while in Babylon and were considered a stain on the priesthood. Jesus, the angel of the LORD, who is another Joshua (savior), rebuked Satan, took away his filthy garments, and replaced them with clean clothes, removing his iniquity. Jesus called Joshua a firebrand because he snatched him out of the fire without quenching his flame and saved him from becoming the prey to Satan. 

And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by. Zechariah 3:6-7

A beautiful change happened when Jesus called us to Himself. Though we were clothed in filthy garments, Jesus saw our hearts and cleansed us of all unrighteousness, clothing us in the garments of the priesthood, just like Zechariah saw in his vision of Joshua. We are a people genuinely blessed by God.

I can feel the winds of change in the air. Can you feel it? Take a deep breath.  

July 18, 2024

Zechariah had a vision of an angel with a measuring line, a representation of Jesus. Another angel was there, and Zechariah asked him what he was doing. 

And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: Zechariah 2:4

Jesus was making sure there was enough room for everyone. Then he called for everyone to come out of Babylon and return to their land because He was about to deal harshly with those who hurt his people, the apple of his eye. When God decides to recompense the wicked, we need to get out of the way so we are not affected by His wrath upon others. What’s more, we will get back everything the enemy has taken away.

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Revelation 18:4

I believe Zechariah 2 is a command for God’s people to leave Babylon and return to their true home. It also serves as a prophecy of the future, when God will call us out of this world to the New Jerusalem. The passage describes a city without walls, surrounded by fire, and most importantly, it promises that God will dwell among His people. What a glorious future awaits us! 

And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. Zechariah 2:11

July 17, 2024

There must be a reason that God has had me covering everything up to Israel's release from Babylon over the last several books. I've had a couple of revelations through things that the Holy Spirit showed me during my walks on the beach. I thought the signs were about something personal. However, this morning, I realized that they may have had to deal with our country's release from captivity, that doors were opening, and that clarity was coming about our situation in the United States. God loves his people even though we are as filthy as dirty rags and sin against Him daily; he longs to comfort us and give us hope. The children of Israel were in captivity for seventy years for their sins against God. As the seventy years ended, God gave Zechariah visions of what would come. These visions came during the second year of King Darius, who sent them back home to repair the wall and rebuild the temple of God. 

In Zechariah 1, a man on a red horse, a depiction of Jesus, was hidden among the myrtles. He had been throughout the earth, and the angel wanted to know how much longer he was going to keep Israel in captivity. Jesus comforted him with His words. The angel told Zechariah to cry out and tell the people that God was jealous of Jerusalem, that he was angry with the nations oppressing them, and that his people would prosper once again. The last few verses of this first chapter show us the four horns of the nations that scattered God's people, and that revenge is coming through four carpenters. It is believed that the four carpenters were Zerubbabel and Joshua, Ezra, and Nehemiah, who worked diligently despite their opposition. 

Compare that to what we see today and the opposition to those of us who seek freedom from the tyranny of the current administration. There is a Mighty power controlling the outcome, and time will tell us that God is in control! Wait for it: it will surely come.

And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words. Zechariah 1:13

July 16, 2024

Though I may not have been given a complete understanding of all the details of this prophecy, I can encourage you with the words written by Daniel and the words spoken by Jesus. Antiochus was terrible and was a type of antichrist, a ruler that ravaged the nation of Israel. The tribulation will mimic the rule and reign of Antiochus but will be far worse. The antichrist will be very cunning and draw people to him where even the elect, Christ-followers, could be deceived. We should know that Jesus will come in the clouds like lightning, and all will see and know it’s him. Don’t allow yourself to be drawn away by anyone claiming that they are he. There are a lot of biblical events lining up that give us clues into the timing of his return, including signs in the stars and weather-related happenings. We are primed to see him return and are privileged to live in this time, even though it may be stressful to watch or endure. However, like Noah and his family, God removed them from the situation so they didn’t have to endure the devastation of drowning in the flood. I found information in some other historical writings that Noah and his family were not the only ones left who loved the Lord, but God had them quietly pass away before the devastation occurred. I expect that God will take us out so we also don’t have to endure. Time will tell. 

The vision in chapter twelve that Daniel was given was gorgeous! Daniel saw Jesus standing in the middle of the river with two angels, one standing on each side of the bank. He was standing on the water! Then what did Jesus do while physically here on earth? He walked on the water! He raised his hands in a promise that the revelations in this prophecy were trustworthy and true and gave the number of days that this would take place. Now is not the time to be shy about your faith and love for Jesus. Time is short, so share Him lavishly!

Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. Daniel 12:10

July 15, 2024

Antiochus Epiphanes, who I mentioned in the July 12th post for Daniel 8, the little horn that sprang up on the goat from one of the four horns, was vile and a destroyer of the people of God and desecrated the temple by placing his god, Jupiter Olympus, to replace God in the temple and took away the daily sacrifice. He removed all the gods from other religions and replaced them with the Egyptian gods. I covered the different characters in this prophecy in the July 12th devotional. Daniel 11 covers the details of the prophecy explained by Gabriel when he met with Daniel after hearing his prayer, which now we know in hindsight, came to play out as prophesied by Daniel. 

If you think things are bad now, imagine being an Israelite during the time of Antiochus and trying to follow God’s commands. He hung the children and took out the mothers who kept the practice of circumcision, and that’s just one example of his cruelty. 

When it came time for his end, no one would help him as Daniel had predicted when he said he would be broken without hands. 

And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. Daniel 11:45 

One thing I’ve noticed and something we should be grateful for is that God will sometimes help us by removing us and taking us into his glory. Don’t be afraid to die. Be more scared to live when cruelty abounds. Pray that we never have to see the day that we lose our freedom to worship God and honor Jesus.