Sunday, Reading Bible Prophecy With Commentary

I'm now reading through the entire Bible for the second time in as many years. It is thrilling and difficult at the same time to take thousands of years of Salvation History in the context that it is meant to be read. Too often we lift, read and pepper Holy Scripture into our daily lives like euphemisms and happy sayings that have little or no meaning except to make us feel good (or others feel bad) for a short time. Real Bible study shines a stunning light on world history and God's plan of salvation to all people.

Yet, true Bible understanding and scholarship involves much deep digging, hard work and expert explanation that puts our study in historical and Biblical context, taking into account the language it was written in. And real Bible study is meant to transform our lives over the long haul into faithful and obedient servants of the Triune God. In other words, to make us followers of Jesus Christ.

A reading today from Daniel 7 on OneYearBible blog (linked on my sidebar) is a case in point of the need for deeper study and commentary. This is a dazzling, prophetic and direct vision of Daniel during the reign of Babylonian king Belshazzar, at least ten years after the death of King Nebuchadnezzar. You may remember that God transformed King Nebuchadnezzar over time into His servant after turning him into a wild animal creature. Daniel was there interpreting the king's dreams and giving him prophesy all along this process.

But in chapter 7 of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar is dead and the prophet has his own famous vision of the four beasts, similar to a vision given St. John in Revelation. It almost scared poor Daniel to death. So during the dream, he asks God to explain it to him. Even prophets need help in understanding God's deeper meaning.

I don't pretend to be a Bible scholar. But I think I'm learning the difference between good Bible commentary and bad. And to my eyes, there's no better Bible commentary than Bob Deffinbaugh's scholarly work, often linked at OneYearBibleblog. I couldn't have made much sense out of today's Old Testament reading without Bob's expert help. So if you're interested, then have a read of Daniel 7 (or, better yet, the whole book of Daniel) and then take time to read the accompanying commentary on this important chapter that predicts world history that's unfolding even today. Bob Deffinbaugh is at his most scholarly best here and I and we are the better for it.

Again, Bible studies are much more productive with expert commentary, and prayer, than without. Like anything else done well, it's worth the time and effort that we put into it. It is meant to humble us, scare us but most of all encourage us beyond our wildest dreams, us faithful servants of a faithful all-powerful, all-loving God, even unto Eternal Life.