A Vision of The Future
Many people think that it would be good to see into the future. In fact some make a living by claiming that they can.
But have you ever stopped to think just how frightening that may be, to see how events were to unfold in your life? Not only would you see the "good" things that may happen to you, but also the illnesses, the bereavements and ultimately your own death. I don't suppose anyone would be keen to know all that.
The Bible makes it very clear that it is only God who is able to reveal the future. Man may suggest that he can, but in reality he can't.
The Bible tells us about people who were allowed, by God, to see into the future; we read about king Nebuchadnezzar who did just that, he saw the future in the form of a dream. The dream so troubled him that he could not sleep and made him very anxious.
He asked all his wise men to explain what his dream meant. But no one could. Daniel the prophet told the king:
"There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come."(Daniel 2 v 28 N.I.V.)
He then explained the dream to the king. To us looking back the majority of the dream was a history lesson in advance, revealing as it did the major world empires from the Babylonians to the Romans.
Daniel was certain of the things he spoke, concluding his remarks with the statement:
"The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation trustworthy." (Daniel 2 v 45)
Time has proved Daniel's words, but part of the dream is yet to be fulfilled, for:
"The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that never will be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people .... it will endure for ever."
(Daniel 2 v 44 N.I.V.)
Elsewhere in the Bible we can see that this kingdom is to be ruled over by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who will return to earth from heaven to establish God's kingdom. History provides us with the evidence that shows that the majority of the dream was just as dreamt - how long before the rest is fulfilled?
Many people think that it would be good to see into the future. In fact some make a living by claiming that they can.
But have you ever stopped to think just how frightening that may be, to see how events were to unfold in your life? Not only would you see the "good" things that may happen to you, but also the illnesses, the bereavements and ultimately your own death. I don't suppose anyone would be keen to know all that.
The Bible makes it very clear that it is only God who is able to reveal the future. Man may suggest that he can, but in reality he can't.
The Bible tells us about people who were allowed, by God, to see into the future; we read about king Nebuchadnezzar who did just that, he saw the future in the form of a dream. The dream so troubled him that he could not sleep and made him very anxious.
He asked all his wise men to explain what his dream meant. But no one could. Daniel the prophet told the king:
"There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come."(Daniel 2 v 28 N.I.V.)
He then explained the dream to the king. To us looking back the majority of the dream was a history lesson in advance, revealing as it did the major world empires from the Babylonians to the Romans.
Daniel was certain of the things he spoke, concluding his remarks with the statement:
"The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation trustworthy." (Daniel 2 v 45)
Time has proved Daniel's words, but part of the dream is yet to be fulfilled, for:
"The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that never will be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people .... it will endure for ever."
(Daniel 2 v 44 N.I.V.)
Elsewhere in the Bible we can see that this kingdom is to be ruled over by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who will return to earth from heaven to establish God's kingdom. History provides us with the evidence that shows that the majority of the dream was just as dreamt - how long before the rest is fulfilled?
