The Living Temple Reveals the Mystery of Godliness

Notes

1. A little careful attention to the reading of the verses of this lesson will make clear to us what the real subject of the lesson is. Observe that Daniel and his companions were seeking God for knowledge of a secret, and that their lives depended upon its being revealed to them; that it was "the secret" which was revealed, that Daniel praised God as the one who revealed "the deep and secret things;" that Daniel in the presence of the king referred to the desired knowledge as "the 'secret' which no human wisdom could reveal," and called attention to the God of heaven as the One "that revealeth secrets;" that Daniel said it was "He that revealeth secrets" who was dealing with the king, and that "this secret" was revealed in order that the king might know the thoughts of his heart. When Daniel had made known the dream and the interpretation, Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged his God as "a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret." From all this it is clear that this chapter deals with the revelation of a secret.

2. The next step of importance is to learn what this secret is. It will perhaps be helpful in determining this to state that when the book of Daniel was translated into Greek, the word used with which to translate the Hebrew word represented by the English word "secret," was the same as in the Greek New Testament is rendered "mystery" in the expressions, "the mystery of the kingdom," "the mystery of God," "the mystery of the gospel," and "the mystery of godliness." Now we have a definition for "the mystery of godliness;" it is the union of divinity with humanity. 1 Tim. 3:16. This is the wonderful provision of God to save man from perishing. John 3:16.

3. In making known to Daniel the dream and its interpretation, the God of heaven revealed the working of this divine principle to establish the kingdom of heaven upon the earth, and showed how that the world kingdoms one after another, and finally all together, would perish because of the rejection of this same divine principle.

4. But this divine principle is the gift of God's life to make men right in His sight, in order that by sharing His righteousness they may share in His eternal existence. This is justification by faith.

5. The real thing, then, which is set forth in this chapter is justification by faith, not as an abstract teaching, but in its concrete outworking in the history of the world. This will appear more fully in the next lesson.

6. When it was put to the test, the religion of Babylon, the wisdom of its wise men, failed because they did not believe that the gods dwell with flesh. The religion of Jerusalem, as represented in Daniel, the wisdom which is from above, met the same test, because Daniel knew the experience of justification by faith, the great truth of Christianity that God does dwell with flesh.

7. All history finds its true interpretation in the person and work of Jesus Christ. When we have found this Man of the tribe of Judah, we shall find the true key to history. The Bible throws more light upon history than history throws upon the Bible.