1. Daniel and Revelation The divine meta-narrative

2. What is a Meta-narrative? A world view that explains all A satisfying, coherent grand story Postmodern conviction:  Meta-narrive is mostly power play  No longer valid  We must be content with partial solutions; live with contradictions  Must be content with small stories

3. No more metanarratives This means: End of Marxism, Communism End of Christianity  Religion, yes  Church organisation, no One, true religious ideology, no

4. No more meta-narrative? (1)‏ What is answer of the Christian?  Are all religions of equal value?  Is everything relative?  Is Christianity still credible meta-narrative?

5. No more meta-narrative? (2)‏ Our claim: Daniel and Revelation present a convincing meta-narrative Unique view of history Present Truth

6. History in Perspective (1)‏ What makes a date/event important?  22 Nov. 1963 Death of C.S. Lewis Assasination of John F. Kennedy  1942 My year of birth Mohammed Ali; Barbara Streisand  Why is 22-12-1964 important?

7. History in Perspective (2)‏ English wars or Dutch wars? 1492  Landmark in history of civilisation?  Fateful start of oppression? Crusades  In Christian history  In Muslim memory

8. History in Perspective (3)‏ Philosophy of history:  Series of random events?  Evolutionary development of mankind?  Cyclic view?  Marxist view?  Christian view – Linear - BC and AD  Adventist view: Great Controversy

9. God’s Perspective History as salvation history See history of Israel’s kings  ‘He did what was good in the eyes of the Lord’  ‘He did what was evil the eyes of the Lord’ Reading of Daniel and Revelation provides us with bird-eye’s view of the divine perpective  God is in control  Beyond human history: Great Controversy

10. Intermission How to catch the meaning/broader picture and see God’s perspective in Daniel and Revelation?  Read rather than only study  Read and re-read in one session  Experience what you read  Use all your senses and imagination

11. Experience: Despair Edvard Munch (1863-1944): The Scream

12. Experience: Summer Monet: Bathers at La Grenoulière

13. Experience: Poverty Vincent van Gogh: The Potato Eaters

14. Experience: Revelation Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)‏

15. Experience Experience the Revelation:  There is all-out spiritual war  Multimedia show: sounds, lights, angels, dragons, demons, beasts  Urgency; endurance  Victory is constant theme

16. The Message Be overwhelmed by the message:  God is in control Major theme in Daniel Major theme in Revelation  Focus: God’s kingdom will come Daniel 2, 7, 8, 9, 10-12 Lamb among the beasts

17. The Message Be overwhelmed by the message  God is at work behind the scenes Daniel 10 War in heaven  Christ: The First and the Last, the Beginning and the End All ends well  Evil is real but is totally defeated Daniel 7:13-14 Rev. 20

18. The Message Grand story – metanarrative:  Great Controversy Begins with war in heaven Always in the background Ends in earth made new Tale of two cities Jerusalem Babylon Your story is part of it!

19. Present Truth Daniel and Revelation reveal the true meaning of the history of the world and of my own history This was present truth  in time of Daniel  In time of John  In Middle Ages and Reformation time  For William Miller and Ellen White  For you and me