For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
In the long run people like those who give them honest criticism to those who flatter them. If you tell me what I am doing wrong/what I do that you do not like, I can change it. If you tell me I am wonderful, it will never occur to me that some of my actions may have results I will not like.
If we truly love God’s word and follow His instructions, He will take our side and argue our case. If we follow God’s commands they will lead us down a path to joy. He will rescue us so that we can praise His name and teach others His commands.
God is light and therefore sin cannot be hidden in His presence. As a result, the more we are in His presence the more aware we will be of our sinfulness. Claiming to be without sin is evidence that we are completely separated from God. On the other hand, if we are in God’s presence we will have no choice but to confess our sins. In that case, God will forgive our sins and His purity will cleanse us of those sins one by one until we have been cleansed of all wickedness.
This passage describes a vision which Daniel had where he saw four beasts. The four beasts represented four kingdoms which would arise on the earth. I have always understood these four kingdoms to be successive kingdoms each one following the previous. However, I realized reading this today that nowhere in this passage does it say that the four kingdoms were not at the same time. I am not sure what the significance of this insight is.
The most important aspect of this vision is the appearance of “someone like a son of man.” This person is Christ, who is given authority over every race, nation, and people on the earth. He will be given a kingdom which is eternal. All power will be taken from even the most terrifying of earthly governments and they will be made subject to Christ. There is more to this vision than that, but if we remember that ultimately Christ will be ruler over all it does not matter if we get the rest wrong.