WEDNESDAY, MAY 30
Daniel 8:26-27
Matthew 13:10-16

“… it is given unto you to know
the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven …”

THE VISION IS TRUE

Prophetic dreams and visions are not for the natural man, the man of the world, the unregenerate man, the unbeliever, for “… the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14). In a spiritual sense, they are like parables — incomprehensible.

Our Lord often taught His disciples in parables, because “… it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given” (Matt 13:11). The spiritual discernment to understand spiritual truths is not given to those outside the kingdom of heaven. Of these the prophet Isaiah said, “… By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive” (Matt 13:14; cf. Isa 6:9-10).

So it is with Daniel’s visions. Unbelievers, liberal and modernist theologians, apostate preachers and critical scholars reject the possibility of predictive prophecy and things belonging to the supernatural. To the believing reader the words of Gabriel at the conclusion of his interpretative speech bring encouragement and assurance: “… the vision of the evening and the morning … is true ...” (Dan 8:26). Daniel’s visions were not bizarre and meaningless. They were doubly confirmed, and two are a confirmation.

THOUGHT: Do I “know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven”?
PRAYER: Father, help me to study Thy Word to show myself approved unto Thee “… a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15).