The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 243: The Lord's Plans (2022)

Episode Date: August 31, 2022

Fr. Mike highlights verse 11 from Jeremiah 29: "I know the plans I have for you...plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Since we know God is a good Father, we too can count on this promise and know that God has a plan for each of us. The reading are Jeremiah 28-29, Daniel 10-11, and Proverbs 16:13-16. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 243. You guys, this is going to be a tremendous, like incredible day. It's, I don't even

know. I can't even begin to tell you. Jeremiah 28 and 29, Daniel chapter 10 and 11, as well as Proverbs 16 verses 13 through 16. Ridiculous. You're going to see how ridiculous this is. There are so many gems, nuggets, I don't even know, gold, diamonds in today's readings that it is almost unbelievable and not fair to any of us that this is all happening in one day. But it's also a huge gift because we're reading from the Bible translation of the Revised Standard Version. See how I get back into the script. Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in

a Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast and receive daily episodes. Someone also said, hey, you know, Father, if people subscribe, then the ratings of the podcast goes higher. And here we are, you know, deep, deep into day 243 and kind of nice to get, you know, higher rate. I don't know. I just want people to be able to listen to God's word and let their lives be changed because that is what we're here to do. And so let's not wait. It is day 243. We are reading from Jeremiah chapter 28 and 29, Daniel chapter 10 and 11, and Proverbs chapter 16 verses 13 through 16. The book of the prophet Jeremiah chapter 28, Hananiah's false prophecy. In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah,

king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of Azur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord's house, which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took away from this place and carried to Babylon. I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, says the Lord, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord. And the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen. May the Lord do so. May the Lord make the words which you have prophesied come true and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord and all the exiles. Yet hear now this word which I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. The prophets who preceded you

and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet. Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke them. And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus says the Lord, even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years. But Jeremiah the prophet went his way.

Sometime after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke bars from off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. Go, tell Hananiah, Thus says the Lord, You have broken wooden bars, but I will make in their place bars of iron. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have put upon the neck of all these nations an iron yoke of servitude to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him, for I have given him even the beasts of the field. And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. Therefore, thus says the Lord, Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the Lord. In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.

Chapter 29, Jeremiah's letters to the exiles in Babylon. These are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the elders of the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. This was after Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem. The letter was sent by the hand of Elisha, the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah, the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah, king of Judah, sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. It said, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom

I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile and pray to the Lord on its behalf. For in its welfare you will find your welfare.

For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. For it is a lie which they are prophesying to you in my name. I did not send them, says the Lord. For thus says the Lord, When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil,

to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the Lord. And I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord. And I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. Because you have said, the Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon. Thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsmen who did not go out with you into exile. Thus says the Lord of hosts, behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile

figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten. I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them. Because they did not heed my words, says the Lord, which I persistently sent to you by my servants the prophets, but you would not listen, says the Lord. Hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles, whom I sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab, the son of Koliah, and Zedekiah, the son of Maasiah, who are prophesying a lie to you in my name. Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes. Because of them, this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah

and Babylon. The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire. Because they have committed folly in Israel, they have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words which I did not command them. I am the one who knows, and I am witness, says the Lord. To Shemaiah of Nahalam you shall say, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, you have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah, the son of Maasiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying, the Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to have charge of the house of the Lord over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and collar. Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah

of Anathoth, who is prophesying to you? For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, Your exile will be long. Build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce. Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. Send to all the exiles, saying, Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah of Nahalam, Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you when I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie. Therefore, thus says the Lord, Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nahalam and his descendants. He shall not have anyone living among this people to see the good that I will punish Shemaiah of Nahalam and his descendants. He shall not have anyone living among this people to see the good that I will do to my people, says the Lord,

for he has talked rebellion against the Lord. The Book of Daniel, Chapter 10. Daniel's Vision for Days Yet to Come. In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Pelteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word

and had understanding of the vision. In those days, I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all for the full three weeks. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great

river that is the Tigris, I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, whose loins were belted with gold of Ufaz. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the noise of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. Then I heard the sound of his words, and when I heard the sound of his words,

I fell on my face in a deep sleep with my face to the ground. And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees, and he said to me, O Daniel, man greatly beloved, give heed to the words that I speak to you and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you. While he was speaking this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, And I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of

the chief princes, came to help me. So I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to befall your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come. When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was speechless. And behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, O my Lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength.

How can my Lord's servant talk with my Lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me. Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me, and he said, O man greatly beloved, fear not. Peace be with you. Be strong and of good courage. And when he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, Let my Lord speak, for you have strengthened Chapter 11. And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. Coming conflict of the nations. And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong

through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do according to his will. And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the dominion with which he ruled. For his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he, and his dominion shall be a great dominion. After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make peace. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his offspring shall not endure. But she shall be given up, and her attendants,

her child, and he who got possession of her. In those times a branch from her roots shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their molten images and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold. And for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south, but shall return to his own land. His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces,

which shall come on and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. Then the king of the south, moved with anger, shall come out and fight with the king of the north, and he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. And when the multitude is taken, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude greater than the former, and after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the men of violence among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to

fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siege works and take a well-fortified city, and the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his picked troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, and all of it shall be in his power. He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of peace and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. Afterward he shall turn his face to the islands, and shall take many of them. But a commander

shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall and shall not be found. Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute through the glory of the kingdom, but within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, and the prince of the covenant also. And from the time that an alliance is made with him, he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with his small people. Without warning,

he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his father's fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army, and the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. Even those who eat his rich food shall be his undoing, his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. And as for the two kings, their minds shall be bent on mischief. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail,

for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. And he shall return to his land with great substance, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant, and he shall work his will and return to his own land. At the appointed time he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and give heed to those who forsake the holy covenant. Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the continual burnt offering, and they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And those among the people who are wise shall make

many understand, though they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder for some days. When they fall, they shall receive a little help, and many shall join themselves to them with flattery. And some of those who are wise shall fall to refine and to cleanse them, and to make them white until the time of the end, for it is yet for the time appointed. And the king shall do according to his will. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the god of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished, for what is determined shall be done. He shall give no heed to the gods of his fathers or to the one beloved by women. He shall not give heed to any other god, for he

shall magnify himself above all. He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these, a god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him, he will magnify with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.

The time of the end. At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships, and he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. He shall come into the glorious land, and tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand, Edom and Moab, and the main part of the Ammonites.

He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt. And the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall follow in his train. But tidings from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go forth with great fury to exterminate and utterly destroy many. And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end with none to help him. The book of Proverbs chapter 16 verses 13 through 16. Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it. In the

light of a king's face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain. To get wisdom is better than gold. To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. Father in heaven, we give you praise and give you glory. We thank you so much. Thank you so much for this day. Thank you so much for your word poured out for us, your word given to our hearts and your word declared to us. We ask you to help us understand it and help us apply it to our lives this day and every day.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Okay. So I said it would be a full day and it completely is. So what's the story? In chapter 28 of Jeremiah, we have Hananiah. He's a false prophet. And what does he say? He says, listen, in two years, Nebuchadnezzar, he's going to be completely destroyed and the people of Israel will come back. Nebuchadnezzar will fall and everything's going to be fine in two years. And remember at this point, Jeremiah is wearing a yoke around his neck, right? He's wearing that yoke is the usually made of wood that you put around the shoulders of a beast of burden. Jeremiah has been wearing this, I think for a full month by this time, because it says in chapter 28, that this is the fifth month of the fourth year. Jeremiah put the yoke on in the fourth month of the fourth year. So one month here is Jeremiah who's using

his visual aid of wearing a yoke. And here's Hananiah who's like, nope, that's it. Nebuchadnezzar's reign is going to end now. And then here's Jeremiah who says, that'd be great. Amen. That'd be awesome if that happened. It's not going to happen. And so then what's happened in chapter 28, verse 10, Hananiah, actually even scripture says that the prophet Hananiah doesn't say he's a good prophet, but he is a prophet. Prophet Hananiah took the yoke off of the neck of Jeremiah and he broke it. And in response, Jeremiah has these powerful, powerful words. He says, thus says the Lord, you have broken wooden bars, but I will make in their place bars of iron. So you've broken a wooden yoke. I will make an iron yoke. And it's so, so powerful because we don't want the context. The context of course is, is that as long as you continue to not repent,

as long as you continue to act as if peace is going to be handed to you, as long as you continue to, to act as if Nebuchadnezzar is not going to completely destroy and completely exile everybody, then all right, the wooden yoke that was a mercy for you will become an iron yoke, which is a punishment. And that's the crazy thing. We recognize that here is God who's using Nebuchadnezzar, right? Not a good guy, but he's using this not a good guy, using this evil man to accomplish his will.

And that will is that his people come back to him. That's the wooden yoke. But here's Jeremiah saying, okay, because you haven't submitted to this wooden yoke, which is pretty hard. I mean, it's a tough, tough yoke to have two waves of exile already and all this destruction. There is going to be an iron yoke. And I've just heard so many people describe this in spiritual terms, and it's so good. That's one of the reasons why I just wanted to share this with you. Here is God who gives us his word. God who gives us his commandments. And if we look at those as a yoke, right? They're at times burdensome. In so many ways, it's much easier to just do what we want. And yet here is God's commandments.

And they are a wooden yoke. Jesus even says, take my yoke upon you, learn from me. And so we all experience crosses in our lives, also experience God's commandment. God's calling us back to himself. But if we don't submit to that yoke, God often allows us to experience the consequences of that. So I remember just hearing so many people describe these things like, yeah, you can dismiss God's commandments when it comes to how we look at money

and then money is gonna own you. You can dismiss God's commandments about how much concern, how much weight you give to other people's opinion of you and that other people's opinion is to own you. You can dismiss God's commandments about how much concern, how much weight you give to other people's opinion of you. And that other people's opinion is going to own you. You can dismiss God's commands for the right use of things. So the right use of alcohol, the right use of food, the right use of sex. And what's going to happen is those things are going to own you. Ask any addict. At some point, I dismissed what I knew was the right thing,

and I just gave myself over to this, and then it owned me. And this is the example that here's Jeremiah giving about the wooden yoke versus the iron yoke. And so it's, again, the wooden yoke is a mercy of God. It's called to lead us to him. The iron yoke is the punishment. And Jeremiah is saying that's on its way because you're not gonna surrender to the wooden yoke. Now, later on, Hananiah, he dies within two months. You know,

he said that Nebuchadnezzar would collapse in two years, but Jeremiah says, and the Lord God says, nope, Hananiah, you had a job and the job was to be a prophet, not a bad prophet, but a good prophet, not telling people what they wanted to hear, but what they needed to hear. And what they need to hear is there is no peace with Jeremiah has been saying. And so you're going to die in two months. And he does, he does die in two months. Now, speaking of you have Jeremiah's letters to the exiles in Babylon, that's chapter 29, which is just incredible. Remember there've been two waves of exiles. We've had the wave of Daniel. We're hearing from him today. Again, we're also have the wave of Ezekiel. So here is Jeremiah writing to those folks who are in exile.

And what does he tell them? He tells them how to live in exile. This is so important for us, how to live in exile. Because, you know, a lot of times the options that we look at, we think, okay, if you're living in exile, you're living in occupied territory, you can either be a rebel or you can just capitulate, right? You can either plot against the government, the overthrow of the government, or you can just be, you know, one of the cronies of the or you can just be one of the cronies of the government.

You could be one of the stooges of the government. And Jeremiah says, no, there's another way. There's a different way. And that is you can recognize that you are living here. And he even gives the date for 70 years. And that's actually an accurate date, which is amazing. You're living here for 70 years. Therefore, live as exiles, but live as exiles,

knowing you're going home. So live as if this is your home for 70 years, which is a long time, but not forever. So he says, build homes and live in them, plant vineyards. So I mean, if you're going to plant some trees, you're going to plant some from crops, then that means that you're, you're around for a bit. He even says, marry, give your children a marriage. Now it's not, not to the Babylonians, but give your children a marriage to other Jews who are in exile as well to carry on that faith. Because here's the deal. You're going to be here 70 years again, which I've heard so many people, you know, preachers and whatnot say a long time, but not forever. Here's how you live in exile. You continue to pray for those who are in charge of you. And that's just so remarkable.

But he hands this promise to them. And the promise is just, I know for some people, this is the, this is their like life verse for scripture. And this is chapter 29, beginning with verse 11. And God says through Jeremiah, for I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord plans for welfare and not for evil to give you a future of hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek

me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I've driven you, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. This is so good, right? I know the plans I have for you, plans for a future full of hope, for welfare, not for woe. Now, gosh, I have so many things to say. Recognize that Jeremiah is writing these words, the words of God, to people who have experienced devastation. And they're in the middle of devastation. This is not, they're reading this, you know, stitched on a pillow or on, you know, a t-shirt or something like this. This isn't a card in their Bible. This is their life. Their life is exile. Their life is they've been uprooted from home and they're in a place of great

desolation, a place where it would be really easy to be convinced that God had abandoned them and forgotten about them. And here is Jeremiah who's saying he hasn't. God has not forgotten about you. He has not abandoned you. He has a future for you. And that's a context. But also here's the truth. There are some scripture scholars that say, listen, people, I know you like this verse, but don't start thinking you can apply it to your life. God is saying these words to people in a very particular context, the context being exile in Babylon. So don't go applying it to your life. And I would say, I appreciate the fact that you are wanting to contextualize scripture. We can't take our text out of the context. But at the same time, while we acknowledge the context being exile of the Jews in Babylon,

we also know that our God is our dad, that God has become our father when we are baptized in Jesus. We become his sons and daughters. So the promise that God makes to the Jewish people in exile, is that any greater than the promise he makes to us? And the answer is no. Now we need to know the context, but at the same time, we cannot forget. We can't just say, well, that's only then, but God doesn't have that word for me. Now he has that word for you right now that God has a plan. Now at the same time, he has a plan for your welfare, not for your woe. At the same time, the rest of chapter 29 is about three more false prophets who end up to get roasted to death and one gets killed. And so, yeah, we got to be faithful to the Lord who knows

our very hairs on our head. He loves us very much. We also have to be faithful because God is also a God of justice, not just a God of mercy. So golly, that's a lot. I know, I'm so sorry. But we also have chapter 10 and 11 of Daniel. And we got to say some stuff. Here is Daniel's vision in chapter 10. It's incredible. It's his vision of an angel, essentially a messenger visiting him. And remember, Daniel, at this point, he has heard about the devastation that's going to

come upon the beloved people. And what he's done is he's begun fasting, essentially. He's doing penance. And he says, I did this for three weeks. And then finally, there's this messenger, essentially this angel, right? Appears and says, Daniel, from the moment you began to pray, God heard you. And I left. And I was sent.

This is so important because there are many, many times when we are praying and it seems like what's happening, God, nothing's happening. And here's the angel coming to Daniel saying, no, from the moment you began to pray, God heard your voice and he sent me. But there's this mysterious thing happening. He says the Prince of Persia, which we think is maybe like the demon that belonged to Persia, some kind of dark force, some kind of dark persona, some kind of like, you know, fallen angel prevented me from coming to you until Michael, pretty nice name. So Michael, the archangel fought against this Prince of Persia and allowed this angel to come to Daniel and give him this message.

And there's a couple of things in there. One is there's more going on than just what we can see. That's one powerful thing we need to be reminded of. But there's also the message that God hears us from the very moment we even think to pray. And so we don't give up. Daniel didn't give up after fasting and doing penance for three weeks and praying for three weeks. He did not give up and God had heard him. And this is just so, so important. Now, a couple of things. Chapter 11. This is so remarkable. I can't go into all the ways in which Daniel's prophecy in chapter 11 has been fulfilled,

like has been completely fulfilled and not only fulfilled, but fulfilled in detail. Does that word come across fulfilled? That sounds kind of funny in my head. Anyways, how Daniel's prophecy in chapter 11. Here's how deeply and profoundly and precisely Daniel's prophecy in chapter 11, here's how deeply and profoundly and precisely Daniel's prophecy in chapter 11 has been fulfilled. Those people who do not believe in biblical prophecy are convinced that chapter 11 was written after the fact. Like that's how accurate the words, the prophecy of Daniel in chapter 11 are, is that for those who don't believe that God interacts with us, for those who don't believe that God exists or those who don't believe in the word

of God and the power of the word of God, it's so precise and so exact that they have to say, oh, this must've been written after the fact, because it's incredible. And what it talks about essentially talks about Alexander the Great coming on. It talks about the fact that Alexander the Great, he died at, I think, what, 31, 32, somewhere in there, and that he didn't have any progeny of his own. So he didn't have any sons who take over his empire that he established. And so four of his generals took it over. Those four generals are mentioned here and ended up having Ptolemy down in the south and the Seleucids up in the north. So the Ptolemaic dynasty and the Seleucid dynasty, and they fought against each

other. The king of the north, the king of the south, they actually have names. Like it's incredible. And also you have Antiochus Epiphanes, who becomes this man who sets up the desolation of abomination in the temple of God himself. We're going to read about that when we get to the books of Maccabees. It's going to be incredible. But here is this just amazing, amazing prophecy of Daniel. And one of the things I just want to give you another word to walk away with.

And it's so powerful. It says, he shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant. Here's the big line. But the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. This is so good. And the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. That there's going to be devastation, right? Here is Alexander the Great and all the people fighting after this.

And remember, this is the context that this is the vision of Daniel, who's able to see not just here's the political rising and falling. Here's the, all the, the visible things, but here's the unseen reality. Here's how God is fighting for his people. And this is so incredibly important for us to realize that those who know their God shall stand firm and take action. It goes on to say,

and those among the people who are wise shall make many understand, even though they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder for some days. So there is, obviously, there's trouble, there's tribulation, and yet there's so much grace and so much blessing. This is a long one today. You guys, if you made it through, I'm so proud of you, but we got to cut it off because man, oh man, we got to get back tomorrow. So I'm praying for

you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. It'll be shorter. I promise. I'll do my best. God bless. you