A High Call - Part III

THE CALL IS GOING OUT

The articles on The Daniel Project site are developed to both use and unveil this formula of “understanding.” Unlocking the mysteries of post-fall existence and then searching the Biblical Text for both their objective affirmation and quantifiable solutions. But the purpose of The Daniel Project is not merely to inform, but to solicit. We believe that the “days” Daniel described in this article’s opening verse are unfolding now, and men and women of understanding will soon accomplish far more than centuries of past leaders ever dreamed possible. They will incalculably overshadow the tragic aftermath of man’s somewhat understandable embrace of its knowledge-upon-knowledge governance.

We believe that across America and the world, men and women of understanding are eagerly germinating, being trained by the Spirit and ready to pierce the fallaciously indestructible walls of non-belief with undiscovered Biblical wisdom and truth. Truth that is applicable to all of humanity. But because there are few “transforming” outlets inside our predominantly moral-dependent church culture, such individuals have remained primarily dormant, content to keep inspired revelations in personal journals or spoken among the few who will listen to their discoveries without the eye of skepticism. It is not that their “understanding” should be met with incredulity and skepticism, for this “knowledge filtered through wisdom produces understanding” discovery is a direct and spiritual component of the Biblical Worldview. Instead, because few understand the Biblical Worldview outside of its “own” field – moral teaching, daily principled living, and future salvation – those that would proclaim such critical understandings are forced to remain silent and on the fringe.

But we can ascertain the characteristics of these men and women:

They are voracious consumers of the Word of God, because the Word is the language of our Creator and His prefall earth. They are tireless devourers of science, law, philosophy, psychology and the humanities, because they must understand our post-fall environment. They have remained like Daniel, not having sold out of a post-fall world system, but have instead embraced their pre-fall Creator and His tenets with every crevice of their heart and soul. And because of this they have been given tools and strategies that will cause individuals, governments and nations to marvel. Because they know it is not about them. It is about a tangible Kingdom vision just outside of grasp, yet daily calling, invoking an inherent soul resonance that is becoming more and more difficult to diffuse.

We believe that if “men and women of understanding” are developed and given a voice, they have the capacity to lead and transform entire societies, not just congregations. They do not in themselves build ministries but help pave the way for spiritual leaders to more effectively minister to their communities, not merely to their congregations. They do not lead nations; but instead transform them. Like the prophets of the Old Testament, they uncover the hidden aspects of the society, its social, philosophical, psychological and biological problems in a way that transcends mere morality and becomes tangible to the entire society. They pave the way for scientists, doctors, inventors, psychologists, etc, to more efficiently perform their duties. They can integrate their wisdom-based understanding into these fields, whereas the secularized doctors, scientists, etc. must, through their own worldviews, remain knowledge-based. These “Daniels” understand both the value of knowledge, and its limitations. Men and women of understanding will unlock to the world the reality that the Biblical Worldview is, and can be, the only true worldview of existence, because existence is the stage through which all knowledge is brought forth.

And in doing so, these men and women will impact the very tides of history…

Chapter5: BACK TO THE BEGINNING… FORWARD TOWARD THE END

The book of Daniel unveils the reality and potentiality of these “men and women of understanding,” unlocking the “who” of this Project. But it is the last book in the Bible that becomes the reasoning and responsibility behind the “what and why.” We have already stated that Wisdom created the earth and mankind in perfection, and that mankind rejected wisdom and chose knowledge, electing not merely to operate – but to seek solutions – wholly inside a post-fall universe. We have also stated that Understanding becomes the key between these two realms, pre-fall and post-fall. As men and women of understanding begin to step in and, through Wisdom, transform this post-fall world, they will in essence “rebuild the ancient ruins.” (Isa 61:4) At which point, scripture states that God steps in, finalizing a complete “reconciliation.”

“Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matt 6:10

Taking this verse to its macro level, we could postulate that Jesus is declaring, “when Thy Kingdom finally comes, then thy will finally have been done, on earth as it already has been done in heaven.” Or better yet, when wisdom once again governs the earth, God’s intended plan for the earth will be realized. If this final reconciliation were to occur, if God did bring the earth and humanity back to its prefall state, then what would naturally disappear from existence? If the earth was once again governed by wisdom, the earth would no longer be under the grasp of its postfall condition. In other words, Knowledge would no longer dominate existence. Is this a mere postulation? To answer that question is to ponder what is missing from the book of Revelation.

Scattered throughout the radical apocalyptic imagery and hyper-elaborate poetic symbolism of Revelation we find nearly an identical laundry list of items that were present at the beginning of pre-fall Creation and are also present at the end of the age. The itemized accounts between the books of Genesis and Revelation (garden, rivers, serpent, animals, etc.) are exactingly identical, except one:

At the end of the age there is no tree of the KNOWLEDGE of good and evil.

Knowledge, or existence’ current post-fall operating system, has been removed. As “men and women of understanding” fulfill their purposes, and God fulfills His promised covenant of reconciliation, the tragedy and trauma of our post-fall, entropic-centered world is eradicated. Existence, which now exists in a post-fall state (knowledge), has been reconciled back to its pre-fall state (once again ruled by wisdom). And in doing so, Knowledge, as a lens of destruction, entropy, and decay, ceases to exist.

THINKING AND GOING DEEPER

The time of individual and personal Spiritual “relationship” as an end in itself is over. Assurance in the structure and liberation of shallow and surface morality must be abandoned. The present is too critically important, the future too wondrous. This is the time for men and women of understanding to cry out for the benefit and protection of all of God’s image on the planet, a time to believe that “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess” in the reality and love of God. A time to open the journals, the steno pads and diaries and proclaim what God has been imparting into your soul. The Daniel Project has been created as both a community and a platform. If you have been like Daniel, if you are one of these men and women of understanding, we want to hear and share what God has been revealing to you. But we’re not alone. All of existence, stuck under the cataclysmic cycle of post-fall perpetuation (knowledge), and all of Heaven (wisdom), eager to see the fulfillment of its wondrous intent (understanding), is waiting:

“... God will see God’s own primal dream for creation finally coming true – and that dream won’t be imposed by God from outside by domination against creation’s will, but it will emerge from within creation itself, so that God’s dream and creation’s groaning for fulfillment will be one.”
Brian D. McLaren, The Secret Message of Jesus, page 203

This is the call of the Daniel Project. If it resonates with you, we encourage you to visit our site, and specifically our contributor pages, and explore how you might more integrally participate.

And we invite you to live inspired, for victory is certain.