Daniel 16: Daniel's First Vision, Pt. 1
Notes
Transcript
Bookmarks & Needs:
Bookmarks & Needs:
B: Dan 7:1-10
N:
Welcome
Welcome
Good morning, and welcome to Family Worship with the church body of Eastern Hills to those of you in the room and to those of you online. I’d like to take a second and say thanks to those who serve on our Safety & Security Ministry. They are the first faces people meet when they arrive on campus on Sundays, they look for any safety issues on in the parking lot, they help protect our vehicles while we’re in here during the morning, and during their rounds they come inside at times as well to be prepared for any safety and security needs that might arise.
If you are visiting with us today, we would like to know that you are here this morning, and so we’d ask you to take a moment during service and fill out a welcome card, which you’ll find in the back of the pew in front of you. We want to be able to thank you for your visit, and find out if you have any questions or if you need any prayer. You can get the card back to us in one of two ways: you can drop it in the offering boxes by the doors as you leave at the close of service; or better yet, you can bring it down to me when service is over, because I would love to meet you and give you a small gift to say thanks for your visit this morning.
I just have one thing to mention before we get into our study this morning.
Announcements
Announcements
We didn’t quite make our $4,500 goal for our one-day Mother’s Day offering for the New Mexico Baptist Children’s Home in Portales last week, but wow, church: thank you for giving! Just last Sunday, you gave $4,063.97 to support that vital ministry!
Opening
Opening
We've taken a three week break from our study of the book of Daniel. The first six chapters of the book are primarily narrative. This morning, we will start chapter 7, and the second-most major section of apocalyptic prophecy outside of the book of Revelation. I will be honest with you: I’ve never really preached the apocalyptic genre. I did a message on end times in our series a couple of years ago on our Statement of Belief, but I’ve never tackled preaching through a major section of apocalyptic writing. So this will be a great journey for all of us, and we’re just going to trust the work of the Spirit as He leads and guides and teaches us.
So with that preface, would you please open your Bibles or turn in your Bible apps to the seventh chapter of Daniel, and would you please stand as you are able in honor of the reading of God’s Word as we consider our focal passage this morning:
1 In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream with visions in his mind as he was lying in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and here is the summary of his account. 2 Daniel said, “In my vision at night I was watching, and suddenly the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea. 3 Four huge beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 “The first was like a lion but had eagle’s wings. I continued watching until its wings were torn off. It was lifted up from the ground, set on its feet like a man, and given a human mind. 5 “Suddenly, another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up! Gorge yourself on flesh.’ 6 “After this, while I was watching, suddenly another beast appeared. It was like a leopard with four wings of a bird on its back. It had four heads, and it was given dominion. 7 “After this, while I was watching in the night visions, suddenly a fourth beast appeared, frightening and dreadful, and incredibly strong, with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and it trampled with its feet whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns. 8 “While I was considering the horns, suddenly another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. And suddenly in this horn there were eyes like the eyes of a human and a mouth that was speaking arrogantly. 9 “As I kept watching, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white like snow, and the hair of his head like whitest wool. His throne was flaming fire; its wheels were blazing fire. 10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from his presence. Thousands upon thousands served him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
PRAYER (for all those who are having their graduations and commencements impacted, ruined, or even canceled)
When we hear the word “apocalyptic,” we think about the movies, books, and even video games that we have enjoyed that were about the cataclysmic end of the world. But apokalypto, the verb form of the Greek noun apokalypsis, literally means “to unveil,” or “to reveal.” Apokalypsis is the first word of the New Testament book of Revelation, which is also called the “Apocalypse of John.” Apocalyptic literature has several features that identify it:
Biblical apocalyptic literature is a revelation given by God through a mediator. It makes much use of numerology, where numbers are used for specific purposes and with particular meanings, and it uses a lot of dramatic and descriptive symbolism. And while the major theme of apocalyptic writing is the end of the world, apocalyptic writing in Scripture ultimately points to the eschatological triumph of the kingdom of God over the kingdoms of the earth, the victory of God at the end of time.
Because of these characteristics, it is easy to get bogged down in study of the finest details of the text, and to in essence risk missing the forest for the apocalyptic trees. We must keep in mind that while both the last half of Daniel and the book of Revelation were written in order to provide hope to God’s people in the midst of persecution or crisis, the people who first received these writings were incapable of being dogmatic in identifying the symbols given, and instead would have focused on the overall message of hope that these passages conveyed about God’s Person, His promises, His plans, and His purposes.
Sinclair Ferguson wrote at length about this in the introduction to this chapter in his commentary on Daniel. I wanted to read just an excerpt of that (this will not be on the screen due to length):
… we surely miss a basic thrust of this part of God's Word if we regard our task is finished when we have solved the identification problem. We could conceivably do that (at least to our own satisfaction) and failed to hear what God is really saying to His people through this chapter.
… It is truly tragic if we read this chapter or hear it expounded and show only a myopic interest in the identification of a few details rather than experience Daniel’s vision.… This section of God’s Word is not meant to be an amusement for armchair theological sleuths. It is intended to give an overwhelming impression of the mysteries of God’s purposes and the awful conflict that lies behind and beneath history.
… God not only revealed facts about history in advance; He revealed Himself to Daniel, impressing on him something of His own awesome and glorious purposes. Miss this and we miss almost everything.
—Sinclair Ferguson, The Preacher’s Commentary, Volume 21: Daniel
I don’t want to miss that point. Our goal on this journey through the last six chapters of Daniel will be to know God more deeply, to worship Him more fiercely, to praise Him more highly because we see Him more clearly through His revelation to Daniel.
Throughout our study of the narrative portions of the book of Daniel, we've been on the outside looking in, through the vantage point of the narrator. For almost the entirety of the rest of the book, we will be presented with the record of Daniel's visions from his point of view, because with the exceptions of the first verses of chapters 7 and 10, the prophetic portion of Daniel is written in the first person. The first verse of chapter 7 sets the stage of this transition for us:
1 In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream with visions in his mind as he was lying in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and here is the summary of his account.
There are several things about Daniel 7 that make it a transitional chapter, connecting the narrative of chapters 1-6 to the visions filling the rest of the book. You might recall that beginning with Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of the giant statue in Daniel 2:4, the book was written in Aramaic. The use of the Aramaic language in Daniel stops not with the final verse of chapter 6, but with the final verse of chapter 7. The language itself ties Daniel's first vision to the narrative section. We also find that verse 1 takes us back in time to before the events recorded in chapter 5, and the remaining visions of the book will follow chronological order hereafter.
At the same time, the shift in focus reveals to us that something new is coming, but that it still relates to what has come before. It's as if chapters 1-6 taught us to trust Daniel because of his character and integrity as he interpreted the dreams of others, so that now we will listen with trusting ears of faith as Daniel becomes the dreamer instead. So now, instead of Daniel explaining the dreams of the leaders of other nations, he is directly receiving these visions for God's people. So now, instead of Daniel explaining the dreams of the leaders of other nations, he is directly receiving these visions for God's people.
And what we find in the beginning of chapter 7 is that though humanity is stirred up against God, human kingdoms will come and go, because God will ultimately judge the world. Let’s “dive in”:
1) Humanity is “stirred up” against God.
1) Humanity is “stirred up” against God.
Throughout the Bible, there are generally some symbols that we find easy to interpret: light stands for God or truth, darkness for evil or punishment, sheep for God's people. But as I said earlier, apocalyptic literature uses a lot of symbolism, which is what makes it so difficult to interpret sometimes. Let's consider the symbolism in verses 2 and 3:
2 Daniel said, “In my vision at night I was watching, and suddenly the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea. 3 Four huge beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.
The identity of the great sea might make us think of the Mediterranean Sea, because it is called that in places, such as in the book of Joshua which we just finished reading last week. For example, in Joshua 1:4:
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.
(the CSB unfortunately interprets this for us, reading the Mediterranean Sea instead)
However, this does not seem to be the point of the great sea here. The sea sometimes stands for nations or peoples of the world in Scripture's symbolism. In fact, sometimes sinful humanity is compared to the sea, such as in Isaiah 57:20:
20 But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its water churns up mire and muck.
And as if the storm-tossed sea needed any additional stirring, the “four winds of heaven” are blown upon it in order to stir it up further. Wind is often symbolic of the Holy Spirit in Scripture, and it is possible that tucked away in verse 2 is a reference to God's constant work in bringing history to his appointed end through His sovereign means, including His judgments on peoples and nations. However, the four winds of heaven don’t necessarily demand to be connected to God alone. They could certainly just represent anything and everything that “stirs up” humanity, which would include God’s works, judgments, and punishments.
Regardless of the source of the winds, we can say that since the “four winds” would readily correspond to the four compass points of north, south, east, and west, this would indicate that the winds are universal in their scope. There is no aspect of humanity that is unaffected.
Take a moment and think: Humanity is never “stirred up,” are we? Only all the time. Right now, people around the world are “stirred up” on both sides regarding the Israel-Hamas war, about climate change, about puberty blocking medication for children with gender dysphoria, about global economic inflation, and some people are still stirred up about COVID. And don’t get me started about how many things we are stirred up about just in the U.S.— it IS an election year, you know? All this to say that it doesn’t have to be God who takes action to get us all riled… we’re pretty good at that all by ourselves. Isaiah said it well in chapter 17:
12 Ah! The roar of many peoples— they roar like the roaring of the seas. The raging of the nations— they rage like the rumble of rushing water.
It is out of this churning sea that four huge beasts arise, each different from the others. What do the beasts represent? It is to that question that we turn next. Through the vision of the beasts, we learn that:
2) Human kingdoms will come and go.
2) Human kingdoms will come and go.
Many modern countries are identified by particular animals, such as the U.S. being identified by the bald eagle or China being identified by the giant panda. If we peek ahead just a little bit in chapter 7, we will find that Daniel himself answers our question about identification in what we will study two weeks from now. In verse 17, he says:
17 ‘These huge beasts, four in number, are four kings who will rise from the earth.
So we know that the beasts in Daniel’s vision represent kings (or kingdoms, which were often simply identified with their king), and this helps us to identify the empires that they represent (through the wonderful things called history and hindsight).
The first beast: Babylon
The first beast: Babylon
As we go through these four beasts, I want you to think about whether or not there is a correlation to something we've already studied in Daniel. I gave a hint about this correlation in my introduction. The description of the first beast is found in verse 4:
4 “The first was like a lion but had eagle’s wings. I continued watching until its wings were torn off. It was lifted up from the ground, set on its feet like a man, and given a human mind.
Although the vision is being given during the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar was still regarded as the gold standard of kings of that empire. He had made Babylon what it was, and he or his empire were even symbolized as both a lion and an eagle in other prophecies in Scripture:
7 A lion has gone up from his thicket; a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to make your land a waste. Your cities will be reduced to uninhabited ruins.
3 You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: A huge eagle with powerful wings, long feathers, and full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.
If this wasn't enough, statues of winged lions have been found in the ruins of Babylon, and they are believed to have represented the Empire. And don't forget mural of the lion that was on the way to the Ishtar Gate in Babylon, that I displayed a couple of sermons ago.
While nowhere is the rest of the vision of the first beast interpreted, what we already know about Nebuchadnezzar fills in the blanks. The first beast could soar because of its great wings, but as Daniel watched, its wings were torn off. Then, it ceased to be a beast on all fours as it was lifted from the ground and set on its feet like a man and given the human mind.
Does this not call to mind the humiliation of Nebuchadnezzar that we studied in Daniel 4? He saw himself as the most important man on the planet, soaring in his self-evaluation. He was given the mind of a beast, and “his hair grew like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.” (Daniel 4:33) But then he looked to God, and he was lifted back onto his feet as a man when his sanity returned to him and He praised the Lord. (Daniel 4:34, 36)
The second beast: the Medo-Persian Empire
The second beast: the Medo-Persian Empire
Verse 5 shows us that these four great beasts did not all arise at once, but came from the great sea in succession. It records that the second beast appeared “suddenly”:
5 “Suddenly, another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up! Gorge yourself on flesh.’
The Medo-Persian Empire certainly rose up suddenly. Remember that in chapter 5 of Daniel, on the same night that Belshazzar's downfall was predicted, the fall of Babylon occurred.
A bear is a good symbol for this next great world empire, which was noted for its great size and ferocity in battle.
Also, this beast was "two-sided," with one side raised up. Some commentators suggest this means that it was standing up, in order to pounce on additional prey. I think a more obvious interpretation is the dominance of the Persians in the Medo-Persian Empire.
Some suggest that the ribs in the mouth of the bear represent three major conquests accomplished by Medo-Persia: Lydia in 546 BC, Babylon in 539 BC, and Egypt in 525 BC. While this is possible, the fact that the bear has ribs in its mouth and is yet commanded to gorge itself on more flesh may just reflect the fact that the Medo-Persians had an insatiable hunger for expansion.
Two beasts down, and two to go. Have you discovered the correlation I mentioned earlier? I've given you a couple more hints. I’ll check after we consider the third beast.
The third beast: the Greek Empire
The third beast: the Greek Empire
The way the vision of the beasts is being presented to Daniel is that each vision gives way to the next. Each beast fades away from view as the other arises, but we will see next week that they aren't completely gone, merely completely subdued. Now the third beast, representing the Greek Empire, arrives on the scene:
6 “After this, while I was watching, suddenly another beast appeared. It was like a leopard with four wings of a bird on its back. It had four heads, and it was given dominion.
The third beast also appears "suddenly," a swift leopard with four wings, increasing its swiftness. The conquests of ancient Greece were carried out incredibly quickly. In 334 BC, at the age of 22, Alexander the Great invaded Asia Minor with the Greek army. By the time he was 32, he had conquered the entire Medo Persian Empire, from the Mediterranean to India. Legend says that Alexander wept at that point, because there were no more lands to conquer. So, what about the four heads?
Don't forget that these beasts are symbolic. I don't think that we've ever seen a literal four-headed leopard. But literarily, heads usually represent governments, rulers, or kingdoms. The same year that Alexander the Great wept because of his military success, he died following a two-week illness. Daniel was shown that this one Empire would be divided into four kingdoms, which it was between four of Alexander's generals following Alexander's death in 323 BC.
I'm sure you've discovered the correlation by now. These empires are the same ones in the same order as Nebuchadnezzar's vision of the great statue in chapter 2. The head of gold is the lion of Babylon. The chest and arms of silver are the two-sided bear of the Medes and Persians. The stomach and thighs of bronze are the Grecian leopard. Just as the Aramaic language began with that vision in chapter 2, so the Aramaic language will end after this vision in chapter 7.
Before we go on to the fourth beast, I need to point out some commonalities between the first three beasts: First, the animals they resembled were easily identified. Lion, bear, leopard. Second, each was replaced by the next (well the third one will be momentarily). And finally, and most importantly, these beasts had no authority of their own. Notice that the first beast was lifted up, set on its feet, and given the human mind. The second beast was commanded to get up and gorge itself. The third beast was given dominion.
We have seen a couple of times in Daniel the statement that God is the one who establishes and destroys kingdoms:
21 He changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.
17 This word is by decree of the watchers, and the decision is by command from the holy ones. This is so that the living will know that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms. He gives them to anyone he wants and sets the lowliest of people over them.
God was showing Daniel that human kingdoms come and go at a time when the stability of Babylon was uncertain, because King Nabonidus had placed his son Belshazzar on the throne is coregent while he was 500 miles away attempting to build up Tema to become the new capital of Babylon.
But now we come to the fourth beast.
The fourth beast: the Roman Empire
The fourth beast: the Roman Empire
Finally, the fourth beast has several aspects about it that are markedly different than the three that preceded it. Even Daniel would state that this beast was different, even though he said that the beasts were all different from each other in verse 3.
7 “After this, while I was watching in the night visions, suddenly a fourth beast appeared, frightening and dreadful, and incredibly strong, with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and it trampled with its feet whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns.
Daniel either does not or could not identify this beast with any real animal. Also, this beast was said to be frightening and dreadful, and incredibly strong. Its teeth, like the legs of the statue, were made of iron. It was able to devour and crush others, and was strong enough to trample whatever the teeth missed. It also had horns, a horn being a symbol of authority and strength. However, this beast had ten of them, a number reflecting totality.
The Roman Empire became the dominant world power by the second century BC, and just as the fourth beast was different from the other three, so Rome was different from the empires that came before it. Rome had power and longevity like nothing the world had ever seen, and for centuries its military and economic power were virtually irresistible.
Remember when we study chapter 2 and the vision of the statue that Rome became weak as it changed through the centuries, just as the iron grew weak as it was mixed with clay in the feet of the statue. Rome is considered to have fallen finally in 476 AD, but we are still living out the repercussions of an empire that lasted for up to 622 years, depending on when you're counting.
There is a fascinating amalgamation of these four beasts in the book of Revelation. Consider Revelation 13:1-2:
1 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten crowns, and on its heads were blasphemous names. 2 The beast I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority.
I had never noticed this connection before...It’s beautiful how Scripture ties together!
We have one last thing to interpret about the beasts: the little horn.
The little horn: the antichrist
The little horn: the antichrist
There must've been something quite interesting about the horns on the fourth beast's head, because Daniel was still considering them when the little horn rose up:
8 “While I was considering the horns, suddenly another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. And suddenly in this horn there were eyes like the eyes of a human and a mouth that was speaking arrogantly.
This horn only started out little. It "came up among them," and as it grew, it uprooted or pushed out three of the original ten horns, taking their place and dominating the remaining horns. It then took on human characteristics, like eyes and a mouth, which it used to boast arrogantly.
Daniel Akin rightly comments that this horn represents "none other than the most infamous person in all of human history—the "Antichrist,” explaining:
“… the ruler (little horn) of this coalition (10 horns) will be brilliant (eyes like a man) and arrogant (mouth speaking arrogant words).… The picture of this evil, future king in these verses concurs with descriptions of him found in other Scripture passages.”
— Daniel Akin, New American Commentary: Daniel
One such passage is found in 2 Thessalonians:
3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s temple, proclaiming that he himself is God.
This part of Daniel's vision is not been fulfilled yet. We will see why in the coming weeks.
Whew! I hope that you didn't find that super dull! Identifying all these parts helps us interpret the rest of the chapter, and in fact, the remaining visions in the rest of the book. That's why chapter 7 is considered the most important chapter of Daniel, and one of the most important chapters of the Old Testament.
But again, we must not miss the fact that simply identifying the kingdoms represented by the beasts is not the point of studying this passage in Daniel. Through doing so, we get to see the wisdom, knowledge, and majesty of God, His eternality, and His complete and total authority when He judges the kingdoms of the world, which takes us to our last point.
3) The Ancient of Days will judge the world.
3) The Ancient of Days will judge the world.
I had originally planned to only go through verse 8 this morning, however, once I finished my study of those eight verses, I was frustrated that staying with just that section would leave us with our focus on the beasts and the little horn with its arrogant boasts. I'd rather end with seeing God:
9 “As I kept watching, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white like snow, and the hair of his head like whitest wool. His throne was flaming fire; its wheels were blazing fire. 10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from his presence. Thousands upon thousands served him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
There is of course additional symbolism and imagery in these two verses. Daniel's vision brings us into the throne room, and the courtroom, of Almighty God, who only Daniel refers to as the Ancient of Days. The serenity of the scene in verses 9 and 10 is held in sharp relief to the chaos of the great sea in verse 2. The whiteness of His clothing and hair reflect His holiness, His purity, His righteousness, and His wisdom.
In three consecutive phrases, we are told of flaming, blazing, flowing fire. The fire images judgment, punishment, or refining.
1 The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coasts and islands be glad. 2 Clouds and total darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3 Fire goes before him and burns up his foes on every side. 4 His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord— at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness; all the peoples see his glory.
In Daniel's vision, God is served and worshiped by millions and millions. In Revelation, we find the same thing:
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. 12 They said with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!
9 After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!
In Daniel’s vision, the Lord will hold His court for judgment on the beasts, and on the world, opening books which record all the works of our lives, so that He might judge humanity rightly.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.
15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Daniel and Revelation agree. There is going to come a day when the Ancient of Days will judge all of humanity. That judgment will be, as it says in Revelation 20:12, "according to [our] works." In John chapter 6, Jesus was speaking to some people who had gone looking for him because of the miracle of the feeding of the 5000. He said to them in verse 27:
27 Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.”
Their response in verse 28 was:
28 “What can we do to perform the works of God?” they asked. 29 Jesus replied, “This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.”
The work of God, which He is doing even right now by His Spirit, is to convict us of our sin, and of our need for salvation, that we would believe in the one He has sent — Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is the perfect sacrifice, who died in our place so that our sins could be forgiven. And He overcame death by rising again, so that those who believe in Him for forgiveness will also receive eternal life with Him. Will you surrender, giving up trying to do things your way, trusting in what He has done to save you? Trust Jesus, even right now where you are. And your name will be written in the book of life!
Closing
Closing
How did this vision bless its first hearers? In this chapter, we find that the promise of God in chapter 2 during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar has not failed or faded. For the Jews, this would've been a reassuring reminder of God's authority and plan for the future. But this is just the beginning. Next week, we will see the incredible vision of hope in the next section of chapter 7.
But right now, we're going to have a time of response and invitation. The band is going to come and lead us the song of response, and I will be down on the floor, along with Trevor, Joe, Rich, and Kerry, to be here for you is you respond to the work of God's Spirit in your heart and life this morning.
If you've never trusted Jesus Christ for your salvation, would you surrender to Him today, right now? And would you come and share that with us? We don't want to put you on the spot; we want to celebrate with you! Is that right, church? And if you're online and you're surrendering to Jesus Christ today from wherever you are, would you just let me know that by sending me an email? My email address is bill@ehbc.org. I want to be able to help you as you start this new journey of faith.
If you have trusted Jesus, and have never been baptized, is God calling you to take that step of obedience? Were planning on having the baptistery ready to baptize on the first Sunday of every month, but we'd love to have to get it ready two weeks in a row because we need to baptize someone next Sunday! Come and let us know.
If you believe that Eastern Hills is church family that you can be a part of, or you can walk with the Lord with fellow believers, growing your faith, and get involved in the kingdom work of the church, come and let us know that as well. We'll set an appointment to sit down and go over our statement of belief, share testimonies, get to know one another little more, and answer any questions you have about the church. If you've already had that conversation, and are ready to join this church family in formal membership, now is the time to come and share that.
If you have prayer needs, feel free to come and pray with one of us, at the steps, or right where you are in your pew.
You can also use this time of invitation to give, which you can do online via the app or website, or if you'd rather give in person, you can use the boxes by the doors as we leave after our benediction.
PRAYER
Closing Remarks
Closing Remarks
Bible reading (Judges 6-7, Psalm 139)
No Pastor’s Study (business meeting): clarify the term “Pastor’s Bible Study”
Prayer Meeting Wednesday, talk about how good Wednesday was, and invite folks to come as we continue reflecting on David’s prayer of thanksgiving in 2 Samuel 7.
Instructions for guests
Benediction
Benediction
1 Hallelujah! Give praise, servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. 2 Let the name of the Lord be blessed both now and forever. 3 From the rising of the sun to its setting, let the name of the Lord be praised. 4 The Lord is exalted above all the nations, his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the Lord our God— the one enthroned on high,
