Q3. Fulfillment

[Krissi]

Often prophecies are vague and therefore interpretable in many ways, but the prophecies of Daniel are much clearer. When Christians hear prophecies, they often rush to "confirm" them. I suppose this is the case with the rest of scripture, too -- we seek to "prove" what the Bible says. Daniel's prophecies were confirmed.

Yet, regarding the future, it is almost impossible to "prove" prophetic passages because, obviously, they haven't yet occurred. So we look backward at prophecies that were given in the past and fulfilled and try to glean wisdom from them. Their unfulfilled words are either relegated to the future -- they haven't yet occurred -- or to our incapability to understand. Furthermore, some prophecies have several layers of meaning, some for now and other to be fulfilled in the future. 

So my general impression of Daniel's vision is relief. Here is a clear vision that was fulfilled in near-time (centuries). We can look back and validate it's statements historically.

This teaches me that God has history in his hands, that He sees clearly into the future, not just the past, and has historical events lined up and planned for. But it also makes me feel like I'm being pushed along a rushing river of history, over which I have no control. History just flows. Endlessly. Though it has direction and motive power from God, from our perspective, as we cannot see where the river is flowing, it feels as if we're being propelled into a void. 

A couple things struck me about these passages that are not related to prophecy but rather to diplomacy.

First, that they "sat at the same table and lied to each other ... to no avail because the end will come at the appointed time." The idea that we can nudge the outcome of history is very flattering and appealing. We get desperate and lie. Purposely. We don't like to admit that agency is not ours, that we cannot influence history.  So, we lie to ourselves and others, sitting at a table, imagining we're making geopolitical progress when the end has been foreordained. Our words are empty and futile. 

Second, even those who are wise will make mistakes and the people expected to help them will not be there. The good and honest will fall by the sword, be burnt, captured or plundered. But God will make good of their horrible situation, not for them, but for others. Out of the worst, God brings the best. God only allows what He can use, it is said.