The God Who Shouts Through Silence

Opening Prayer for the Service

Celebrating Advent means being able to wait. Waiting is an art that our impatient age has forgotten.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Lutheran Pastor)

Main Point: Similar to God’s presence in the book of Esther, God’s Handiwork Shouts of His Glory.

Daniel 7:1–8 ESV

1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. 2 Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. 4 The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. 5 And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ 6 After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

I. God Quietly Brings His Word into Reality.

The Last of the prophetic utterances by God in the OT takes place around 400 B.C.

God uses the span of four centuries to set the stage for the birth of His Son.

If the LORD is capable of maneuvering Human History

II. God Commands Human History.

331/330 B.C.—The Persian Empire Falls to Alexander the Great.

323 B.C.—Alexander the Great Dies and the Four Great Kingdoms Form.

The Seleucids—Ruled Turkey to India.

The Antigonid—Ruled Macedonia.

The Ptolomies—Ruled Egypt and Judah.

Hellenists—Ruled the Greek islands and territories.

301-200 B.C.—Ptolomies ruled over Judah. (The Septuagint is written during this period).

200-163 B.C.—The Seleucids rule Judah. (The people face oppression and the Temple is desecrated).

163-63 B.C.—The Maccabean Revolt Leads to the Hasmonean Dynasty governing independently for roughly 80-90 years.

63 B.C.-70 A.D.—Pax Romana Takes over the Mediterranean States. This last in Judea until Jerusalem falls and the temple is demolished in 70 A.D.

5/6 A.D.—John the Baptist is Born to Zechariah and Elizabeth, members of the Levitical Family.

6 A.D.—Jesus Christ is Born to Joseph and Mary, both members of the Royal Davidic Line.

III. God Delivers His Promise Through the Loud Silence of Human History.

Blessed is the man who sees God in trifles! It is there that it is the hardest to see him; but he who believes that God is there, may go from the little providence up to the God of providence. Providence, Volume 4, Sermon #187 - Matthew 10:30

Charles Spurgeon

Daniel 7:9–14 ESV

9 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. 10 A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. 11 “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

God allows for human actions, and the consequences thereof, to play out as a portion of His overall plan.

Here we see what is confessed by the New Testament, Jesus came at the right time to justify those who live by faith, through God’s grace.

We, as the LORD’s Church, are called to rejoice and proclaim His goodness to all who will hear the Gospel.

4. God aligned all that was needed not only for the Son to enter human history, but to die as He died so that the penalty for sin would be paid for once and for all time, leading to eternal glory for God and eternal life for the one who confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of his/her life.

The First Advent leads us to the Second Advent.

Revelation 22:1–9 ESV

1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. 6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.” 7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

IV. What does God expect from me in light of Advent?

Repent and Believe—Are you yet surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you a Prodigal Who has Wandered Away?

Obedience to the Gospel Message—Be about the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

Experiencing the Joy of Adoption—Be part of a faithful family of faith where the Gospel is preached clearly and without excuse. Equip, Edify, and Encourage One Another.

Benediction Prayer.