Son of Man – The Noontimes

Daniel 8: The King’s Business

Daniel 8: The King’s Business

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Written on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 and posted today as a Favorite . . . Even when – and perhaps especially when we are in the midst of darkness, we must arise to be about the King’s business . . .

In the vision I was looking and saw myself . . . I looked up and saw . . .

The symbols in this oracle were understood by the ancient people; we will need a bit of explanation. Scholars tell us that the two-horned ram is the combined kingdoms of Medes and Persia, and these were destroyed by Alexander the Great. The swiftly advancing goat is the Macedonian army; the horn between its eyes is Alexander. The little horn in verse 9 represents Palestine. The host of the heaven is either God’s people or angels, and the prince is God himself. The sin here is the placement of the statue of Antiochus – the abomination – in the Jerusalem temple; the end time is the day when God will judge the nations. The beautiful land is Judea. It is clear that the pagan ruler Antiochus is seen as challenging heaven itself. Daniel is to keep this vision secret for a time; further emphasizing the mystery already engendered by the many symbols.

As I was watching . . .

In the book of Daniel we have a series of oracles and stories along with the appearance of the Son of Man, the one who prefigures Christ and whose title is used to describe Jesus. This particular oracle is laden with symbolism and foretells without equivocation the future of Daniel’s people. It foretells our own future as well.

When I had seen the vision I tried to understand it . . .

When we dream, either in our sleep or in our waking, we envision the life we wish to have, the person we wish to be. Sometimes our imaginings are close to reality and other times not so much.

I was overcome . . .

We carry the vision of our possibilities within, expecting that the goodness comes to fruition, hoping that the darkness does not overcome the small aura of light we manage to engender. Conserving our energy and working from the synergy created by our solidarity with other faithful we arise. We unite with one another in Christ to go about the business of building the kingdom, knowing that the king has taken us all well in hand.

And then I arose and went about the king’s business.

A re-post from September 27, 2011.

Image from: http://www.rajeshsetty.com/2008/10/27/diwali-wishes-and-a-related-thought/

October 22, 2025

Antiochus, Christ, dreams and reality, Son of Man

Luke 17:20-37: Making Ready

Luke 17:20-37: Making Ready

Friday, February 3, 2023

The coming of the kingdom cannot be observed, and no one will announce, “Look, here it is,” or “There it is”. For behold, the kingdom of God is among you . . . But first [the Son of Man] must suffer greatly and be rejected by his generation.

The days of Noah – the days of Lot – the days of Christ – today. Floods – brimstone – the crucifixion – the perils of today’s world.

We are told that the kingdom is not announced to us in the way we might expect. We are told of coming consequences. It is explained that we must use senses other than those we use for eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. It is explained that the kingdom is already among us. We are told that the one who saves us will first suffer and be rejected.

The message is clear: One who wishes to gain the soul must forfeit life. When we hear the call, we must not think of gathering anything up to take with us. God will provide all that we will need on the journey; therefore, our only preparation need be to keep vigilant watch.

We must be alert . . . but how? If we are not to hear announcement or see a warning, how do we know when to respond? If we are not to pack any bags or prepare any food, then what are we to organize? What and how are we to make ready?

Suffering and rejection will be a part of our lives just as it is in the Messiah’s. We live through these experiences of hurt, and we learn from them about God’s presence in our lives. These experiences and what we have learned from them are what we pack for our journey. This wisdom that is born of pain and that is used to refine our way of being in the world; this is something we will want to take with us to present to the Lord at his coming.

In Psalm 40 we are told that God does not really want our burnt offerings and sacrifices; rather, we are to use the suffering and rejection we experience to convert our human hearts to hearts that are open to God’s love. Psalm 51 reminds us that God heals the offering of our broken spirit, and God delights in our offering of all that is out of order about us. This is what we take to the Lord.

We cannot change the events of the past or the future . . . we can only effect the present moment in which we live. We cannot go back to change something that happened, but we can make amends where possible and correct our own behavior. We cannot foretell the coming circumstances of our lives, but we can prepare ourselves to be open to the amazing possibilities God presents to us in even the darkest of moments.

For behold, the kingdom of God is among us . . . what and how do we make ready today?

When we spend time with these verses from Luke and these two psalms, we begin to understand what it means to make ourselves ready for the Lord. We begin to understand how we might use God’s Yardstick of love.

Image from: https://asburylv.org/

A Favorite from January 26, 2010.

February 3, 2023

burnt offerings, God’s Yardstick, Psalm 51, Son of Man, suffering, the kingdom, vigilance, witness-watch-wait

Joy and Daniel – Ordeal

Friday, January 7, 2022

Joy and Daniel – Ordeal

We have discovered the many ways that joy visits us in celebration but we also find her during days without light and nights without end. From the stories of Genesis to the extravagant images of Revelation we find that no matter the circumstance God’s joy rescues us from sure destruction, Christ’s joy redeems us from our recklessness, and the Spirit’s joy heals us despite the gravity of our wounds. For the next several days we re-visit the prophets for a final experience of joy in darkness. And we remind ourselves that we have the power to bring God’s infinite, sustaining, persistent joy to others.

Daniel’s prophecy includes familiar stories: the writing on the wall, the lion’s den, the fiery furnace and in the Apocrypha, Susana’s rescue and Bel and the Dragon. The prophecy also contains the first reference to one like the son of man, coming from the heavens (Daniel 7:13) with whom Jesus later identifies himself (Matthew 8:20, Mark 2:10, Luke 5:24, and John 1:51), with whom others identify Jesus (Stephen in Acts 7:54-8:1, and as our brother by the writer of Hebrews 2:5-8). This Son of Man reappears in Revelation as the living one who was dead in 1:13 and again at the harvest of the earth in 14:14. These stories and images have much to communicate to us, especially when we undergo a great ordeal.

“Strictly speaking, the book does not belong to the prophetic writings but rather to a distinctive type of literature known as ‘apocalyptic,’ of which it is an early specimen . . . This work was composed during bitter persecution carried on by Antiochus IV Epiphanes and was written to strengthen and comfort the Jewish people in their ordeal”. (Senior 1086)

Through the story of Daniel in the lion’s den, we learn that the faithful need not fight, they need only remain faithful in and with God.

Daniel 6:23: The king was beside himself with joy and ordered Daniel lifted from the den. And not a scratch was found on him because he believed in his God.

Through the words of Daniel’s prayer, we learn how to rise in hopeful joy in the darkest of hours.

Daniel 9:17: O our God, hear your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead! Let your face shine again with peace and joy upon your desolate sanctuary—for your own glory, Lord.

Through Daniel’s actions, we learn how to remain faithful in a world that worships power, breeds oppression and disdains a life of joy in God. Let us consider the lessons of Daniel today.

Make time today to look through Daniel’s stories. Choose one that might apply to the circumstances playing out around you. Compare different versions of this story . . . and commit to living it out as might be possible in this new year.

Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990.1086. Print.

If this week’s Noontimes call you to search for more ways to encounter Joy or urges you to investigate the Old or New Testaments, click on the word Joy in the categories cloud in the blog’s right-hand sidebar and choose a reflection, or enter those words in the blog search bar.

Image from: https://fccya.wordpress.com/tag/fiery-furnace/

January 7, 2022

Acts 7:54-8:1, Antiochus IV, Daniel in the lion’s den, fiery furnace, Hebrews 2:5-8, John 1:51, joy, Luke 5:24, Mark 2:10, Matthew 8:20, Revelation 1″13, Revelation 14:14, Son of Man, Susana

Matthew 24: Calamities – Part I

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Matthew 24

Calamities – Part I

This is the first of three reflections on Matthew 24 that school us on how to follow Christ who shows us the way through calamity. This weekend, as we begin to step back out into the world of pandemic, we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus. Next weekend brings us the Pentecost and the promise of Christ as universal shepherd. In the turmoil of our present catastrophe, we look for and find the steadily beating heart of God.

Chapter 24 of Matthew is full of images and predictions from Jesus himself, the prophet, priest, son, Messiah. The Destruction, Calamities and Great Tribulation are followed by the Coming of the Son of Man predicted by the prophet Daniel centuries before. The footnotes are longer than the text in the New American Bible and if you ever have time to sit with this chapter, you will find many gems to collect and carry with you for remembrance. Here are a few of these treasures. Try to find time today to sit with them.

Vigilant waiting does not mean the cessation of daily work to wait in stillness for the restoration and healing; rather, it is the faithful continuing of our daily routine with an awareness that Christ can and does come at any moment to cure, to heal, and to free us.
Disciples must always be ready for the coming of the Teacher; and it is this awareness of the disciples that will be their measure.
The faithful need not ask for signs, but the one we might mark will be that of Jonah (see Matthew tells us in 12:39-40) . . . restoration after living in the belly of the beast for three days.
Faithful completion of an assigned duty is paramount among disciples.

When we meet calamity, rather than see the destruction around us as a sign of God’s abandonment . . . we must consider how closely God always abides with those who suffer.

When we find ourselves against insurmountable barriers, rather than despair that all is lost . . . we must consider that with God all gain is loss and all loss is gain.

When we struggle with the difficulties of discipleship, rather than consider that the work is too hard . . . we must consider that we are privileged to serve one who rides out calamities with compassion and justice, one who restores and heals and transforms.

Tomorrow, Jesus’ words to us . . . his disciples . . . when we meet calamities . . .

Adapted from the May 13, 2008 Noontime.

Image from: https://www.livescience.com/17004-oklahoma-struck-biggest-november-tornado-record.html

May 23, 2020

destruction, discipleship, sign of Jonah, Son of Man, transformation

Tag: Son of Man

Daniel 8: The King’s Business

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Luke 17:20-37: Making Ready

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Joy and Daniel – Ordeal

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Matthew 24: Calamities – Part I

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