June 25, Daniel, Ezekiel, and John

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Daniel, a handsome, intelligent young nobleman, grew up in Jerusalem. King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah and took him to Babylon. Instead of embracing the religion of his new country, he became closer to Jehovah than ever. To him, his Lord was more than a ceremonial deity. Living his life far from his homeland and the temple of God, he exhibited a genuine faith in God. (Daniel 1)

Ezekiel, a priest and prophet, also lived in Jerusalem then. Babylonians took him with a group to an area by a river. The people in his camp were musicians, and the captors wanted them to provide entertainment, but these broken-hearted songbirds could not sing. By the rivers of Babylon, they sat down and hung their harps in the willows. When they thought of Zion, they wept. (Psalm 137) But Ezekiel turned his eyes toward his Lord.

John, in a later age, was one of the twelve given to Christ by the Father. He had been close to Jesus. After the Lord ascended, their relationship changed. No longer walking the countryside with Jesus, he saw the Lord in a new way. Refusing to worship a wicked ruler and insisting on preaching the gospel, he was banished to Patmos, a remote island, where he turned his eyes toward his Lord.

What do these three men have in common? First, they were exiles that drew closer to the Lord. Also each received a message with a divine inspiration to write. Angels assisted the Lord in giving these men revelations of the unseen world of the kingdom of God. These three men recorded much of what we call the apocalypse, which means “the lifting of the veil” with an emphasis on the end times.

All books of the Bible show us God’s truths, which are beyond the understanding of ungodly men. Daniel, Ezekiel, and John were used especially to show the way that God works in the world we cannot see. Angels, the servants of His bidding, are all around us and are engaged in continuous activity important to the kingdom of God.

For more information, read June 25 in DO YOU KNOW HOW GOD LOVES YOU?
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