Spiritual Harmony – Waters and Music, Part I
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Daniel for a time had been praying about the conclusion of Jeremiah’s prophecy of seventy years until the Jews could return to their own land to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple. Daniel was in his nineties and knows that, when the time came, he would not be making the long journey over the Arabian Desert. Yet, he had been praying in sackcloth over Jeremiah’s prophecy. He had seen in a vision that that sanctuary was not going to appear in its final form for some 2,300 years! And the Messiah the Prince would not be bringing in “everlasting righteousness” for some 490 years!
Since the God of the Mountains is reported to have established the Garden of Eden in eastern Eden near the source of the Euphrates and Hiddekel rivers, then the question arises as to whether these rivers represent not only the source of Life but also the Word of God flowing as swiftly as their current. If so, a “lively” river speaks in a language other than human language, in the musical tones of the soul. The one exception in Daniel so far occurred in a vision, at Susa when the pure, small voice lifted off the waters of Ulai and commanded Gabriel to explain a prophecy to Daniel. If the Hiddekel represents the swiftness of the Word of God from the Garden of Eden [PARADISE…or heaven], then Daniel’s two experiences dealing with Hiddekel (the first in Daniel 10 and the second in Daniel 12, both delivered in visions), must be metaphorical experiences, in which the Word of God speaks to Daniel in the eternal NOW and helps the prophet, with Gabriel’s assistance, in translating the Word’s messages into human language.