God makes it known in the Scripture – “I am in charge of history!”  That is no always obvious, nor is His rule sometimes easy to discern. Consider Daniel.  Invaders carried him from his home in Jerusalem to Babylon while he was still a teen. There he was put in the service of a pagan emperor. Daniel had to wrestle to reconcile the truth that God was revealing to him concerning His control of human events and the fact that God’s Temple and Holy City was in ruins and His people apparently without a future. Young Jews like himself were in captives in a foreign land.  How could that be the will of Yahweh? Daniel, despite tragedy, remained God’s man and trusted God as the Sovereign of human affairs. The result was a man so in tune with the Spirit that he became God’s spokesman to the super-power of his time!

One time, Nebuchadnezzar demanded that his counselors tell him what he had dreamed and the meaning of his dream. Impossible? Sure it was. But, Daniel went to prayer, received the revelation, and went to tell the king what God was saying to him. God showed Daniel that He was still in charge. Remember that dream? It was a large statue with golden head, silver chest, bronze belly, iron legs, and feet of clay. It represented the kingdoms of men. The key part of the dream was the Stone that was cut out, not with human hands, that smashed the statue. The meaning? All earthly kingdoms will come to an end when the King of Kings sets up His reign.

Later on the king had another terrifying dream. He saw a great tree in the center of the earth. It was cut down by a heavenly messenger, but the stump was left. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that it was a message that he was about to be cut down because of his arrogance. “They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses. “And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules.” (Daniel 4:25-26, NKJV)

When Daniel was about 80 years old, once again a king saw a terrifying vision. Belshazzar, the regent of Babylon, whose arrogance far outstripped that of Nebuchadnezzar, was throwing a banquet when a hand appeared to write on the wall of the hall. No one could understand the cryptic phrase – MN MN TKL PRSN. Then the queen mother reminded Belshazzar of an old Jewish man who had counseled the prior king. Daniel came and read the inscription: “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin” — “Numbered, numbered, Weighed, and Divided!” Boldly, Daniel pronounced the message of Heaven.

“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” (Matthew 6:8-13, NIV)

Oh, yes;  EOTWAWKI means- End Of The World As We Know It