Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear ones.

It’s cool, calm, and cloudy out there—but thankfully no rain. I intend to take advantage of it and do both some tree work and some sawmill work. Becki just called me to the breakfast table, so I guess I’ll pass on a jog again and get on with the challenges of the day.

Maintain your vertical view. A horizontal only outlook can be depressing.

Love, Dad/Ray.

A question is rising in my little head again: Why does God like to impart so much information wrapped in cryptic mystery? The fact is, most of what we call Bible prophecy is presented in that form. Why doesn’t the Sovereign LORD just come out and say things clearly so as to give no room for confusion or erroneous opinion? I don’t see a problem in allowing such WHY questions to be raised—but I refuse to allow them to grow in size so as to become an obstacle in my way—a mountain of impasse—or any cause for a diminished HEART AFTER GOD. After all, the basic Biblical call, by its very non-physical (metaphysical, spiritual) nature is in the realm of the intangible and mysterious. I can’t take 5 pounds of belief and put in a bucket like apples, or a big hunk of trust and slice it up on my sawmill, or store up 10 quarts of faith to be consumed at a later date. But we’re talking about essential realities and requirements of the Kingdom of God. “BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). “TRUST in the Lord with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5). “And without FAITH it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Notice too that people, to this day, are still musing and trying to figure out exactly what in the world Jesus meant by His cryptic declaration to Nicodemas, “You must be born again” (John 3:5-6).

By choice and reason I tend to be generally dubious of dreams and visions as a reliable source of divine truth and guidance. I would be a basket case to get carried away by all the dreams and visions people have related to me—let alone my own. However, the Bible is abundant with legitimate accountings of this kind. And Daniel’s description of his dream/vision here in chapter 7 is quite significant since he has already established his credibility in this department. It’s estimated that he was now about 70 years old—definitely not a young whipper-snapper. (Wow!—that’s the number of my next birthday!) Another prophet made this pronouncement for God, “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions” (Joel 2:28). I’m not real sure exactly what all that means—but if I ever receive one of those Spirit-inspired old man dreams, I’ll let you know.

It’s interesting to observe that the so-called interpretation of Daniel’s dream is about as mysterious as the dream itself. I’m not very motivated to try to take it all apart and assign specific meanings—even though it is quite compatible with other Biblical prophecies, including the Book of Revelation. But are not “low-information voters” taking a huge arrogant risk who wish to argue with the over-arching Biblical prediction of a terminus to human history as we know it?—a point in time (or after time) when the “Ancient of Days” (Whom I regard as the Sovereign Maker/Owner) will preside over a massive court attended by every person who has ever lived—when the record books will be opened that cover every person over the entire span of human history and every one judged by the Sovereign LORD according to how he handled his own measure of divine revelation? I’m quite sure that they will not be judged according to how perfectly they understood Daniel’s dream.