How can we maintain our hope in times where it seems like the world is unraveling in front of us? How do we continue when it seems that even truth itself is being rewritten to serve earthly powers? St. Paul tells us, “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ … stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” (Philippians 1:27) But how can we trust that if we live our lives worthy of the gospel that it will be enough when people who stand against truth seem to win? 

One answer to the question can be found in the Old Testament, in a book that St. Paul would have known well. In the book of Daniel, we see the answer to the question of good versus evil. In chapter two Daniel is brought to King Nebuchadnezzar to interpret a dream the king had. The dream showed a statue made of many materials being crushed by a stone not made by human hands. Daniel interprets the dream as four kingdoms which shall rise and fall which he states, “And in the days of those kings the God of Heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people.” (Daniel 2:44) After the passing of the four kingdoms God will establish his own kingdom that will have no earthy leader and can never be defeated. Kingdoms and countries may rise and fall throughout history, but despite how opposed to truth these governments are they shall not stand. However, we must first endure the earthly kingdoms before receiving consolation in the inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom, but we will not be left alone in these times of the earthly rulers.

We are shown that even when we are wrongfully persecuted under the rule of earthly powers we are still protected and guided by God. In Daniel chapter three we are shown that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are bound and tossed into a fiery furnace to be consumed by the fires due to the three refusing to worship a golden idol. During the time in the furnace the three pray to God that they might be forgiven of their sins and that mercy be imparted upon them. To which an angel of the Lord was sent down to them in the furnace and not a flame touched the three. When the three men came out of the furnace it was stated, “the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men, the hair of their heads was not singed, their mantles were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.” (Daniel 3:27) Even after being in a roaring fire the men emerged with not even the smell of smoke upon them. During our times of trials if we cling to God we are not abandoned. Instead, the Lord is with us and has his hand upon us guiding us through so that as we pass through our trials, we are not consumed by them. 

We might say that indeed God may be with us in our trials and that the earthly kingdoms may fall, but what about the faithful that seem to be overtaken by evil? Were their sacrifices for nothing? Again, Daniel provides the answer to this question in chapter seven. In this chapter Daniel has a vison of the end times when God comes to institute his Heavenly Kingdom evil shall not prevail and the sacrifices of the faithful will be preserved. Daniel states, “As I looked, the horns waged war with the saints, and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgement was given for all the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints received the Kingdom.” (Daniel 7:21-22) During this life it might seem that evil is prevailing over us, but at the hour of death when we receive our particular judgement, we will receive the Kingdom of Heaven if we have lived our lives for God by His grace. 

 Given the division in our society, as in the times of St. Paul, we must always live our life worthy of what the Gospel teaches us. So that when the promises given to us through Christ and the prophets are fulfilled in the judgment of Christ, we may be counted among the saints who receive the Kingdom. The reason St. Paul could tell those in his time to stand firm in truth is the same for us today because God has promised that the earthly powers will not stand, He is with us in our trials, and in the end the truth of God will prevail over evil. Let us ask God for the grace to stand strong in the Gospel and in truth that we may be heirs to the Heavenly Kingdom.