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Daniel: Prophet at the King's Command

By Terry Thompson

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UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER
Dr. B. R. McCarty sat across from Kyle Larson at the campus cafeteria table and struck up a conversation. Soon, both were talking
about their holiday break and their respective interests. This unlikely
affinity combination—the professor emeritus of biblical studies and
the senior civil engineering student—made an unusual connection.
The conversation evolved into religion and the international
news stories about the beheading of an American journalist by radical Islamists. Kyle had traveled internationally more than most of his
peers and had been exposed to both elite and distraught social orders.
But he found this jihad, void of any moral center or compassion, especially troubling. At home for the holidays, he had been bombarded
with cable news and involuntarily subjected to the daily menu of world
affairs, rather than his usual diet of ESPN and movies. He wished he
had avoided the actual YouTube video of a beheading. The graphic
scene now invaded his soul too often.
He had little Bible background and felt compelled to ask the professor whether he thought there was any biblical connection to what
was going on in the Middle East.
“Oh, yes, definitely,” Dr. McCarty said. “It all fits into the writings
of the ancient prophets. From about 800 B.C. into the first century A.D.,
12 DANIEL: PROPHET AT THE KING’S COMMAND
God revealed through His special spokesmen conditions and events
of future centuries, including present day—even parts of our future.”
“I’ve heard of Nostradamus, and I know there are prophets in the
Bible, but I thought that was just stuff about ancient times.”
The professor grinned. “These were well before Nostradamus—
and legitimate, I might add. Everything prophesied by these biblical
prophets has happened, except for that involving our future. And trust
me, it will happen just as predicted.”
The prospective engineer was fascinated by the professor’s confidence. The first thought was that this old man was a religious wacko.
But he was a Princeton seminary professor, for heaven’s sake. “I’d really
like to know more about that. Is there a book in the library I could
check out?”
“I have hundreds of books on biblical prophecy in my office. That’s
what I’ve taught most of my life, and it’s what I lecture on and write
about in my emeritus position. Why don’t you come by my office on
the seminary campus soon, and I’ll show you some information you’ll
find captivating?”
“Uh, I appreciate the offer, but I have a tough schedule this semester
. . . probably not ready to add a Bible study.”
“I understand. If you change your mind, just give me a call.”
“Sure thing. Enjoyed meeting you,” Kyle said, as he excused himself
and departed.
*
The next afternoon, Kyle’s Hydraulics class had just begun when
his phone vibrated. It was his dad. Sensing it must be urgent, he walked
quietly out into the hallway.
Terry Thompson 13
“Hey, Dad.”
“Sorry to interrupt you, Son. I’ll have to be quick. They’re getting
ready to escort us out of the building, but I wanted to contact you
before you heard it on the news.”
“What, Dad! What’s going on?”
“Several people have been protesting across the street from the
Stock Exchange for a few days. Well, today, looks like a bunch of outsiders have turned it into a riot. They’re throwing Molotov cocktails,
storming the gates, even some shooting. I heard at least one policeman
has been killed. Cops are overwhelmed. I understand the National
Guard is being called in. As you know, that’s just three blocks from
our offices. We now have a mob forming outside our building. We are
vacating the place under police protection.”
“Oh no, Dad! How can that happen so fast?”
“I hardly recognize our country anymore, Son. Seems we’ve been
going downhill ever since the twin towers attack. It’s surreal. I have
to go. They’re herding us out.”
“I’ll call you tonight, Dad. Be careful.”
Kyle skipped his next class and spent the rest of the afternoon lying
on his bed, mulling over the phone call and watching cable news. His
mind was spinning with the holiday jihad beheadings, the professor’s
connection of prophecy with today’s savage world, and, now, his dad
threatened by anarchists.
And I’m here on a beautiful, laid-back campus with the only real challenge being my grade point average. I’ve got to get more into the real world
and the cause of all the chaos. Maybe the professor does have a least some of
the answers. But, man, I don’t want to become a Bible-toting religious freak.
I’m about to become an engineer.
14 DANIEL: PROPHET AT THE KING’S COMMAND
That evening, Kyle and his dad had a long, deep discussion about
the state of the world. He was surprised at his dad’s anxiety about the
future facing him and his brother. His dad was more transparent than
he had ever been regarding his concern for his boys and potential
grandchildren. Kyle knew this man he admired greatly was still raw
from the day’s experience. But he was rightly concerned about the
culture that had lost its center in a single generation. A half-hour after
the conversation, Kyle found the courage to make a call.
“Dr. McCarty? This is Kyle Larson.”
*
A bit of uneasiness accompanied Kyle as he approached the office.
He had never even been on the seminary campus before. The small,
engraved sign next to the door frame read B.R. McCarty, Ph.D., Professor
Emeritus, Biblical Studies. The door was open, revealing the professor at
his desk poring over a book.
“Dr. McCarty,” Kyle said with a tad of nervousness. He wasn’t sure
whether to just walk in or wait to be invited. “Kyle Larson again. I, uh,
believe I have an appointment with you.”
“Come in, come in, Mr. Larson.”
Kyle was amused at the setting of the monstrous desk compared to
that of the folding cafeteria table of their first meeting. The professor
was a rather large man—not obese—just big and muscular for someone his age. But his physique now appeared smaller in the imposing
office. He stroked his well-groomed, white goatee, then removed his
wire-rimmed glasses.
With his gray cardigan, monogrammed with the Princeton logo, over
a blue plaid, cotton shirt, he impressed Kyle as a neat, well-organized,
Terry Thompson 15
but down-to-earth man. Two office walls contained bookshelves with
volumes that he had obviously sorted meticulously and cataloged. A huge
set of maps dominated another side of the room. On his desk were a few
books, desk organizers, and a large, open Bible centered in front of him.
“Have a seat,” he said, motioning to an over-stuffed chair near the
front corner of his desk. “Tell me a little more about yourself. I remember you’re from New York.”
“Yes, sir,” Kyle began. “I grew up in Staten Island. Graduated from
Moore Catholic High. I played some basketball and was captain of our
robotics team.”
“Yes, I would have pegged you as a basketballer. What about family?”
“My dad is an executive with an investment firm. Works in
Manhattan. Mom is on some charity boards and plays tennis. I have
a younger brother graduating from Moore in May.”
“What brought you to Princeton?”
“Dad graduated from here with an MBA. This is just where I—and
everyone else—always assumed I would go if I could qualify. I plan
to stay and get my M.S. in civil engineering here.”
“Well, my story is a contrast to yours. I’m a California product. I
grew up in a middle-class family. Got a football and academic scholarship to U.C. Berkeley. Majored in history. At that time, Berkeley was the
epicenter of rebellion, anti-war demonstrations, drugs, and immoral
lifestyles. It’s sad how so many students were drawn into that campus
culture; but for me, it seemed to push me away from it. It’s like I could
see it for what it was. The more I experienced, the more I wanted to
be everything but that. Needed the scholarship, though.”
Kyle was already finding this introduction absorbing, “Didn’t you
feel outcast, alienated?”
16 DANIEL: PROPHET AT THE KING’S COMMAND
“Oh, it was a challenge. I just kept my head down and found consolation in a few like-minded buddies. We met for weekly Bible studies in
our dorm rooms. I fell in love with a wonderful lady there. She shared
my passion for the Lord, although she was rather liberal in those days.
But I found that part of her charm. Jennifer and I married the day after
graduation. In the fall, I enrolled in Golden Gate Seminary, now Gateway—
something I never imagined I would do until weeks prior to graduation.”
Noises outside the office announced the beginning of the evening
class period. The professor got up and closed the door. He walked with
a slight limp.
“Have you injured your leg?” Kyle asked before realizing the inappropriateness of the question.
“I think I got hit a few too many times on the grid iron,” Dr.
McCarty said, cracking a smile. “Most football injuries lie dormant
until one gets about seventy.”
“So, you enrolled in a seminary.”
“Yes, graduated with a master’s in theological studies. I surprised
myself at how much I really got into biblical inquisition. It was like I
had my life going in one direction—my direction—and God filled me
with a passion for the complete opposite.”
“Did you go straight into your doctorate program from there?”
“No. Like most seminary graduates, I pastored a small church immediately after graduation. Being young and overly ideological, I was
determined to transform that church on several fronts. The problem
was, they weren’t ready, and . . . well, let’s just say my pastoring career
was short-lived.”
The professor took a book off the eye-level shelf and handed it to
Kyle, then repositioned himself in his seasoned leather chair.
Terry Thompson 17
“The Late Great Planet Earth,” Kyle verbalized the title of the book by
Hal Lindsey. “I think I’ve seen this on one of my grandfather’s shelves.”
“It was a popular book for a couple of generations in the late twentieth century. I think the rise of the Soviet Union, the nuclear threat, and
the instability of the Middle East had instilled an uneasiness in almost
everyone. That, combined with the incomprehensible breakthroughs
in technology—men on the moon and the computer revolution—had
a lot of us wondering what the world was coming to.”
Retrieving the book and holding it up as a prop, he continued,
“Lindsey’s timing was ingenious. The book became a best-seller as millions read about how all that was going on globally related to biblical
prophecy. Although I had studied a ton about prophecy in the seminary,
reading this was a catalyst for ratcheting up my interest in connecting
the dots between the ancient writings and current, even future, events.”
Laying the book aside, Dr. McCarty leaned a bit forward in his
chair and looked into Kyle’s eyes. “I suppose that is why I took a special
interest in you at our impromptu dining hall meeting. You reminded
me of myself about fifty years ago, utterly consumed by a determination to make sense of the times. That was a turning point in my life
that began a journey immersed in the study of the prophets.”
After a somewhat awkward moment of silence as both processed
what was being discussed, Kyle responded, “Obviously, I’m not where
you were then. Certainly not a Bible scholar. But I am very interested
in the mystery of the prophecies, and I do think there has to be some
meaning to what we are seeing, other than coincidence. So, what did
you do after you stopped pastoring the church? Get a real job?” Kyle
immediately realized his attempt at humor was actually disrespectful.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to . . . ”
18 DANIEL: PROPHET AT THE KING’S COMMAND
“It’s okay,” the professor said, tilting his head slightly. “I suppose I
have never had a real job—not what most people would define as a job.
I wrote a review of Lindsey’s book for a seminary publication, adding
scholarly credibility to what many considered fiction. Surprisingly, the
Christian Science Monitor republished my article.”
He swiveled his chair 180 degrees to face an array of diplomas and
awards filling the wall space behind his desk. Pointing to the upper
left of the collection, he explained, “That is my Doctorate of Biblical
Studies from this great institution. Princeton contacted me shortly
after the article was published and asked if I would be interested in
their seminary’s doctoral program. It caught me completely off-guard,
but I couldn’t refuse the scholarship offered. Looking back, I can see
this clearly as God’s pathway for my life. He re-ordered my attention
from worldly attractions to spiritually significant pursuits in seminary.
Then He increased my passion for biblical prophecies and gave me an
educational foundation second to none. Eventually, He set me on a
platform of recognition as a subject matter expert in biblical prophecy.
That is what I have dedicated my life to here at Princeton.”
“I just want to say, sir, I really appreciate the time you are giving
to help me make some sense of all that is going on in the world. I’m
not sure where to start. I know very little about ancient history and
probably nothing about prophecy. I doubt I’ll ever comprehend it.”
“Well, it would take several semesters to study it adequately, and
even then, you wouldn’t understand it all. I don’t claim to understand
it all. But if you will invest the time, I would like to show you some
basics that are essential to a continuing exploration of the past, present, and future.”
Kyle grinned, “Let’s do it!”
Terry Thompson 19
Dr. McCarty turned in his chair to the large open Bible. “How
about looking over my shoulder, so you can follow me in the Word.”
With Kyle standing next to the chair back, the elder scholar
began what would become several sessions of tutorial with his
attentive protégé.
“The entire Old Testament—from Genesis to Malachi—covers
the eons from creation to Jesus Christ coming to Earth. Every book
points to Christ’s arriving and establishing a spiritual kingdom on this
planet. Although many of these first thirty-nine books of the Bible
can be considered history or having other objectives, they all allude
to a future time when God will no longer relate to His people through
laws and rituals but through a more personal relationship of grace and
forgiveness. But the books of prophecies—all seventeen of them—are
written in more direct language concerning the future times, often in
surprising detail. Although they sometimes contain poetic and rather
cryptic prose, they reveal events, places, and people in advance—often
far in advance—of the time of their writing.”
Dr. McCarty leafed through his Bible as he spoke. “The prophets
were typically warning of the evil ways of their audience, as well as
God’s consequential wrath if the people didn’t repent. This Providential
justice would often be predicted in terms of timing, location, and
source. Almost always, though, woven throughout the prophecies
were the counter messages of hope through God’s ultimate compassion. This compassion is frequently presented as the Gospel, or good
news, of the eventual appearance of the eternal King, Jesus Christ.”
The professor asked Kyle to retake his seat. He turned his chair to
face Kyle, crossed his legs, and folded his hands in his lap. He presented
a half-hour synopsis of the entire Bible—Genesis to Revelation—from a
20 DANIEL: PROPHET AT THE KING’S COMMAND
big picture perspective. He slowed the pace at the intersection of the Old
and New Testaments to highlight the keystone of the sixty-six books:
the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then he closed with a
comparison of the Book of Revelation to the Old Testament prophecies.
“Are you hungry?” the doctor asked in an abrupt departure from
his tutorial.
Kyle’s raised eyebrows and rigid posture made his surprise obvious.
“Um . . . sure. College students are always hungry.”
Dr. McCarty pulled his phone from his sweater pocket. “How about
a pizza? I’ll buy. What do you like?”
After the pizzas were ordered, the professor refocused on the
objective.
“To begin exploring prophecies, particularly as they apply to our
future, we need to dig into the book of Daniel.” The professor opened
his Bible with one motion to the desired location of the relatively short,
twelve-chapter book.
“Daniel lived in the sixth and seventh centuries B.C. He was born
around 620 B.C. and lived to about 536 B.C. During those eighty-four
or so years, the Hebrew people—the Jews--suffered one of the worst
times in their history. Of course, the Jews have experienced physical
and spiritual affliction from their origin in Abraham to the Egyptian
slavery, to the exile in Daniel’s day, to the last diaspora in A.D. 70, to
the World War II holocaust, to the present threats from many powerful nations.”
“I know something about most of that, except . . . what was that
word, ‘die..uh..sp . . . ?”
“Diaspora. It means the fleeing and scattering of a population from
their homeland. Shortly after King Solomon’s tenth century B.C. reign,
Terry Thompson 21
there was internal, civil strife, and the nation of Israel divided into
two nations: Israel to the north and Judah to the south. It wasn’t long
until God became so displeased with their sin, He allowed Israel to be
defeated by the Assyrians and taken into exile.
Later, Judah was also overrun by the Babylonians and exiled to
Babylon. This was the first diaspora. Most of Israel never returned and
were ultimately scattered throughout the Mediterranean lands. Judah’s
people, however, were allowed to return to their homeland and rebuild,
although many chose to stay in Babylon. But that only lasted about six
centuries. The Romans razed Jerusalem and most of Judah in A.D. 70,
sending the Jews fleeing again throughout the surrounding nations.
This was the last diaspora, and it left them without a homeland until
1948 when Israel was once again re-established as a nation.”
Dr. McCarty walked to the large map on the side wall. “It’s easier
to see on the map. Come join me.”
Choosing a particular map among several rolled up in an overhead encasement, he pulled it down like a window blind and locked
it in place. Picking up an extension pointer, the professor began a
mini lecture.
“You probably recognize the location of modern Israel,” he said,
pointing to the east end of the Mediterranean Sea. “This map is circa
seventh century B.C. It shows the Assyria Empire from Israel and Judah
to the Persian Gulf. If we overlaid a modern map, it would include
the countries of Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, eastern Turkey,
Iraq, and Iran. In Daniel’s day, it included Egypt, Israel, Judah, Assyria,
Babylonia, and Medo-Persia. Assyria controlled most of the region in
the eighth century B.C. and invaded the northern kingdom of Israel,
taking almost all of their population to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh.”
22 DANIEL: PROPHET AT THE KING’S COMMAND
He traced the movement of the nations on the map. “Over a century later, the kingdom of Babylonia conquered Assyria and dominated
the entire region. Babylonia’s King Nabopolassar, with the help of the
Medes, became ruler of the new empire. The Babylonians invaded
the southern kingdom of Judah three times between 605 B.C. and 586
B.C. and took most of the country’s Jews into exile in Babylon. Daniel,
along with many other young men, was taken to Babylon in 605 B.C.,
almost twenty years before the ultimate defeat of Judah and the exile
of the majority of the Judahites.”
“So, Daniel was a part of the Jewish . . . diaspora,” Kyle said to confirm
he comprehended the tutorial. “If these were God’s chosen people, why
did He allow them to be conquered and taken out of their homeland?”
“That will become clear as we dig into Daniel. The same God Who
loved His people passionately was also the God of perfect justice. Sin
eventually brings justice in the form of consequences.”
“Was Daniel one of the prophets warning the people?”
“No, not really. Daniel was a teenager when he was taken by force
to Babylon. He was never the typical prophet of his day but became
more of a seer, or a receiver of visions about the future. God gave
most of the prophets supernatural knowledge of the future events,
but none received more than Daniel. That’s why he is a special source
for understanding how events of the past and today relate to what is
to come.”
The professor tapped his pointer over Babylon and continued,
“Babylon was also known as the center of the Chaldean Dynasty. It was
from there that centuries earlier, around 1900 B.C., Abraham received
the call from God to go from Ur of the Chaldeans to the land of Canaan.
You might say that was the first movement of God toward creating a
Terry Thompson 23
chosen people. Canaan, now Israel, was the land where the descendants
of Abraham became God’s special nation, according to His promise.”
Dr. McCarty collapsed his pointer, tapped his index finger on
Jerusalem, then stepped back from the map. “And what about Judah
and its capital, Jerusalem? We could easily become caught up in the
powerful empires and kingdoms, their risings and fallings, and lose
sight of the fact that God’s chosen people in His promised land were
still His treasure. Judah remained the focal point of His creation. All
the powerful empires warring against each other were doing so at the
mercy of their unrecognized Creator. The defeat and exile of Israel was
God’s wrath applied as justice and corrective action for the egregious
sins of His chosen ones. And it would become worse with Judah’s lack
of repentance and obedience.”
Kyle realized that he had, in fact, lost the focus of the story, just
as the professor cautioned against. The fascination with the warring
empires had diminished his concentration on the most important
people of that era. What about Judah, indeed? What about Daniel?
“From the time the unified kingdom of Israel split into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah in 930 B.C., Israel failed to produce one godly
king. All of them led their people in ways of the world which God opposed. Despite the warnings of their prophets about the consequences,
their immoral living resulted in the fulfillment of those prophecies.
That is why Israel was conquered first, but Judah soon reaped the same
consequences. She had a few godly kings, which apparently extended
God’s patience for a time.
“I’m going to stop here with the background study. We’re now ready
to look at the adventures of Daniel. It’s time for a break, anyway; and
if my timing is right, we should have some food appearing shortly.”
24 DANIEL: PROPHET AT THE KING’S COMMAND
Just then, there was a knock at the office door.
Kyle laughed. “You’re a prophet in your own right, a seer of the
pizza delivery.”
As the student and the professor relaxed and enjoyed the nosh,
they delved into the details of the life and times of the prophet Daniel.

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