Saturday, five of us and a dog began driving from Southern California to Yellowstone National Park, for five nights of camping. Along the way, we will pass through California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. With 1,200 miles between the two locations, it is amazing to see the drastic change in topography from coastal splendor to high desert to majestic mountain terrain. Can you imagine how long this trip would have taken even 100 years ago? Though a brief airplane ride could cut the travel time even more, settlers in covered wagons certainly took many months to make the same journey.
It’s amazing to think that the journey we are taking today potentially involves going farther away from home than most people in biblical times ventured in their lives. When Jesus traveled throughout Israel, He walked! Additionally, all able-bodied Jewish men over the age of 20 were required to travel to Jerusalem three times per year for the feast weeks. Certainly, people of that time traveled, but it was much more time consuming and much more of a commitment. We tend to take so many of the modern-day conveniences for granted. By looking at one of the most prophetic books in the Old Testament concerning the end times, we get a glimpse into the state of the modern world.
“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
Daniel 12:4
In the verse above, Michael the archangel instructs Daniel to seal the book until the end times. Two of the characteristics of the time period when the book would be unsealed are when people will be running to and fro and knowledge will have increased. Certainly, we have reached that time. There is more information in the Sunday New York Times than in an entire set of encyclopedias 20 years ago! Knowledge has grown exponentially. Many college students find that after learning state-of-the-art information in their fields of study, upon graduation, most of that information is obsolete.
The Bible tells us what will occur in the end times, though no one knows when any of those events will begin. Yet in the meantime, we should continue to keep our eyes focused on Jesus. It certainly will be easy to see Him in the splendor of His creation this week! Getting away from modern-day conveniences, if even for a short time, reminds us of a simpler life, where relationship with God did not have to compete with television, computers and iPods! Simplify!
24“Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.
25“Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until Messiah the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The street shall be built again, and the wall,
Even in troublesome times.
6“And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;
And the people of the prince who is to come
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate.”
Daniel 9:24-27
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