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A Study Of The Prophetic Symbols Of Daniel Lesson Six- Daniel Chapter Two – Part One – Babylon, The Head Of Gold
October 30, 2007 08:35:27 AM
TEXT:
Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. [32] This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, [33] His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. [34] Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and break them to pieces. [35] Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. [36] This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. [37] Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. [38] And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
Prophecy is history written beforehand. To interpret Bible prophecy sometime it’s more difficult because it’s before the fact, not after the fact. The Bible’s plain, simple statements should be taken literally where it’s possible. We turn at this point in this study to the outline of the program of God for the period of Gentile supremacy and chastisement of Israel as presented by Daniel for the first time in Chapter 2 of his book. The Tribulation is actually a microcosm of the setting of Daniel's prophecies - the power of the world during the time of its committal into the hands of the Gentiles and Israel's chastisement on account of their sin. I want to state something here I stated in a previous lesson. Those left behind to face the Great Tribulation are not left behind because they are Jew or Gentile, but because they are LOST. National Israel as we define her in this study comprise those who have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ but who are by heritage, Jewish. They will represent the nation in type during the Great Tribulation which God will ultimately redeem back to Himself, something He has sought to do ever since the nation was dispersed in A.D. 70 following Israel's rejection of her Messiah some 40 years prior. It is interesting to note as we rewrite this study in the fall of 2007 that Israel has just completed a 40-year cycle of possessing Jerusalem as its capital after its capture during the 1967 Six-Day War. That is significant because it represents the first time Israel has been in possession of such for an entire generation SINCE the dispersion in A.D. 70.
When
studying the prophetic visions of Daniel, or any prophetic passage for that
matter, one must always realize that the Bible is be taken literally whenever
possible. If a symbol is used, we must try and understand the message behind the
symbol. Daniel’s writings basically repeat themselves over each of the
proceeding chapters from chapter 2 through the end in chapter 12. In other words
chapter 7 sheds more light on the vision in chapter 2. The vision in chapter 8
sheds more light on the visions of
Granted, the study of Bible prophecy is complex and not for the casual observer. The nuggets found in Bible prophecy are there for the one dedicated to a sincere study of God's Word. Regardless of how difficult a passage, the truth is there for one to see. We are children of the LIGHT, not of the darkness, and as children of LIGHT, we SEE where we are going and do not stumble in the night. Daniel as no other prophet was shown the future of nations and empires and the most comprehensive picture of world history from the time he wrote these prophecies all the way through to the physical Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This great prophet was given a very broad and full revelation of what Christ would term in the gospels, "the time of the Gentiles," (Luke 21:24) as well as a chronological prophecy of Israel's history stretching from the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the second advent of Christ. Daniel's book is certainly a book full of historical importance as it relates to world history and future events, but it's main focus as all prophecy really is, remains the nation of Israel. Daniel pinpointed the rise of the Antichrist, the location of his empire, “the seat of the beast,” as well as so many of the particulars leading up to the Second Coming of Christ. We cannot understand Revelation and the Great Tribulation period unless you understand Daniel’s prophetic chapters, the role of Israel in Bible prophecy, and the world empires that will be involved in this horrific time of darkness that is soon to descend on planet Earth.
Daniel was so exact in his arguments as the Holy Spirit directed him that some so-called scholars felt that Daniel did not really write the book that bears his name. They were especially pointing to the first 34 verses in the 11th chapter, which characterizes world happenings (as they relate to Israel) from Daniel’s day to the birth of Christ. These happenings were so minutely described that many felt no one could have written them before the fact, that surely someone had written them after the fact. We know Daniel DID write these prophecies before the fact. We also realize that Daniel could not possibly have done it within himself. The Holy Spirit moved upon him, just as He did upon all the Old Testament prophets.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Daniel’s writings concern world empires as they pertain to ISRAEL or as other nations relate to Israel. There is little information given to the dispersion of the nation that took place in 70 AD and continued for the most part till 1948 when Israel became a nation once again. MUCH is given however in Daniel’s writings about Israel’s role in the last days. May of 1948 was the beginning we believe of the clock ticking again as we rush toward the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and Armageddon.
The Image Of Nebuchadnezzar
In the second chapter of Daniel we
see an image that King Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream. In the dream the king saw
five different materials that represented five great world empires. These
empires all had one thing in common in that they each persecuted Israel in one
form or another. There are actually eight world kingdoms that have persecuted or
will persecute Israel in the future; five are mentioned in
§ THE HEAD OF GOLD The Babylonian Empire – Third World Empire To Persecute Israel § THE BREAST AND ARMS OF SILVER The Mede-Persian Empire – Fourth World Empire To Persecute Israel § THE BELLY AND THIGHS OF BRASS The Grecian Empire – Fifth World Empire to Persecute Israel § THE LEGS OF IRON The Great Roman Empire – Sixth World Empire To Persecute Israel § THE FEET AND TOES OF IRON AND CLAY The Revised Roman Empire – Seventh World Empire To Persecute Israel (YET FUTURE) § THE STONE The Kingdom of Heaven on earth under the Messiah (Ninth Kingdom)
*There is an EIGHTH Kingdom, the Revised Grecian Empire, which is basically the Kingdom of the Beast during the Great Tribulation period. We believe this Revised Grecian Empire will be made up primarily of the region of the world known as Turkey, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Israel. We will deal with this eighth kingdom in later chapters. We didn’t list it here because it was not included in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of the image? Why? We do not know but Daniel was shown this eighth kingdom in great detail, as was John. *
The important event of
Nebuchadnezzar's dream and its interpretation is introduced by the statement
that the dream occurred "in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar,"
which immediately places importance on what took place in Daniel chapters 1-3
and how the training of Daniel and his companions played a role in the favor
Daniel found with the Babylonian king. Let me make a few statements about Daniel
here that are important to remember as one studies these all important prophetic
visions given to him by the Lord concerning the end times. The personal history
of Daniel, one of the greatest of the prophets, and his companions, is given in
Daniel's deep consecration and sensitivity to the Spirit of God brought him into a sphere where even angels frequently appeared to him. In a very short time he rose to a high position in the empire, even becoming prime minister. He held this position throughout the entire 70 years of the Babylonian Captivity. My point in stating these things about Daniel is two-fold. One, many so-called theologians and liberal Biblical scholars (they are not scholars but unbelievers) have attacked the credibility of Daniel's prophecies over and over to no avail. To this very hour as we write this in 2007 if one does just a casual search on the internet on the book of Daniel one will find so much unbelief and skepticism concerning Daniel's writings that it will choke a mule. This man was not some novice or some fraud that just decided to make some things up about the latter days. He was HIGHLY FAVORED of the Lord and bestowed a gift that few possessed during his day and few possess today. There has been none greater than Daniel.
Secondly, there is a lesson for us in the setting Daniel received these prophecies. Daniel did not receive these prophecies in the safe confines of his home. He received this prophecies in exile under the domination of Babylonian Captivity yet God still spoke to him through angelic visitations. Neighbor, GOD KNOWS WHERE YOU ARE AT no matter the circumstance! God knows who His true prophets are regardless of whether they are in Babylon or they are residing in the safety of their own territory. The circumstances of Babylon did not hinder God from speaking through this mighty man of God. His words speak to us TODAY some 2800 years into the future. We would do well to heed the prophetic nature of Daniel's book and through these prophecies grasp the prophetic nature of the time we live. I can only surmise but feel confident that Daniel at this very moment is in heaven and being told that the time is upon the Earth that the things given to him centuries back are soon to come to pass! We're living that close to the rapture friend!
Babylon’s Past and Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar, who succeeded Nabopolassar as king of Babylon, was a proud and
wicked king, with absolute power. Still, God referred to him as "my servant," in
Nebuchadnezzar did not return from his military exploits empty-handed. Before he left Jerusalem, he plundered the temple of God, taking "part of the vessels of the house of God." There he "carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god." (Daniel 1:2) It was then that he ordered Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring as prisoners, "certain of the children of Israel, and the king's seed, and of the princes." (Daniel 1:3). Although there may have been others, only Daniel and the three Hebrew children - Hananah, Mishael, and Azariah are named. About eight years later the second deportation took place in 598 B.C. when at this time the captives included the prophet Ezekiel and godly name named Mordecai (Esther 2:5-6). Thus we see that Daniel and Ezekiel were both prophets at the time of the exile, and God used each of them to comfort and warn and to instruct His captive people. This second siege of Jerusalem carried out by Nebuchadnezzar saw the capture of Jeconiah the king, his wives, his mother, all the warriors, carpenters and smiths, and only the poorest of the people left behind. (Jeremiah 24:1-10) In his third and final siege of Jerusalem, which took place in 588 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar burned the temple and completely destroyed the city, leaving it in ruins. His cruelty is revealed in his inhuman treatment of Jewish captives. The fiery furnace, the lions den, and the instruments of torture used in blinding Zedekiah and other captives were only a few of the evidences of this heathen monarch's inhumanity to his fellow man. Daniel referred to Nebuchadnezzar as the "basest of men," meaning that Daniel recognized Nebuchadnezzar as an instrument of judgment to the disobedient children of Israel. The City of Babylon The ancient city of Babylon was located about 50 miles south of modern Baghdad and at the time of Daniel's prophecies was both the political and religious capital of Babylonia, and of the Empire and civilization based upon it. The decline of the Assyrian Empire enabled Nabopolassar, a Chaldeans, to recover the city and found a new dynasty in 626 B.C. His work of restoring the city was ably continued by his successors, especially his son, Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylonia, whose boast was of the great city he rebuilt.
Psalm
137:1-9
By the beginning of the 20th century, as Babylon crumbled into the shifting sands of the desert, it seemed unlikely that it would ever rise from the mounds that had entombed it for so long. In 1980, all that existed on the site of the ancient Babylon were dusty ruins, or ruins of ruins. Babylon’s walls, made from clay bricks, were not as strong as the still-imposing stone structures of Egypt. Barely a wall was intact. But during the next 20 years, over 60 million bricks were laid in the reconstruction of Nebuchadnezzar’s fabled city. It is recorded fact that Sadaam Hussein has been seeking to rebuild the southern palace of Nebuchadnezzar, including the Procession Street, a Greek theater, many temples, what was once Nebuchadnezzar’s throne room, and a half-scale model of the Ishtar Gate. Hussein had planned at one time prior to the Gulf War in 1991 to rebuild the hanging gardens, once considered one of the seven wonders of the world: He offered a 1.5 million prize to the Iraqi engineer who could devise a plan to irrigate the gardens using only the technology available in ancient Babylon. And the ziggurat, or “Tower of Babel,” may also once again over the city. This restoration process of Babylon began in 1978 to save what remained of the city from the destructive effects of local salt deposits, a high water table, and pillaging from local villagers. In part because most young Iraqi men were away at the war with Iran, and in part because native laborers often lacked the required skills, the early reconstruction was done through the hands of over eighteen hundred Egyptian, Sudanese, Chinese, and South Korean laborers.
There has been a push by the current Iraqi regime to rebuild Babylon and make it look as much like the old as possible. No one is exactly sure how the ancient city looked like. Many have seen this as nothing more than just a symbol of pride for the Iraqi people during the Iran war of the early 1980s. Others believe Hussein’s goal in rebuilding ancient Babylon is to reestablish Iraq as the cradle of civilization and have the Iraqi people as heirs to the great cultures of Babylon, Nineveh, and Ur, which flourished thousands of years ago between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Since Mr. Hussein will not be around himself to see that rebuilding process, it is not that unlikely to believe that whoever takes over the Iraqi regime following this current conflict with the United States may finish what he is started. Babylon will be rebuilt and it will once again be a commercial center for the world. This time of rebuilding may be a great waste of time and effort because towards the end of the Tribulation God Himself will destroy Babylon “in a day.”
In the midst of Nebuchadnezzar's orgy of pride and prosperity, God came to him in a dream. The dream troubled him, even though he could not remember what it was. As was the custom, he called in the wise men, the soothsayers, and astrologers. He demanded that they not only interpret the dream but tell him what it was. In their confusion and consternation, the men explained that "There is none other than can shot before the king, except the gods."
Convinced that the wise men of Babylon were not actually so wise after all, the king decreed "that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain."
Because of God's providence and care for the beloved prophet, Daniel gained enough time to call a prayer meeting with his companions, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. During this prayer meeting, which I am sure was probably a Pentecostal prayer event, Daniel asked God to reveal the secret and save their lives!
The
account of the dream as Daniel saw it, is found in
For the reader to understand the image one must again understand that the story of the Old Testament is primarily a history of God's dealings with the JEWISH nation, certain Gentile nations come into focus in connection with their oppression of an dealings with ISRAEL. Nebuchadnezzar is recognized as the first king of Gentile dominion after Israel was removed from their land. The head of GOLD represents Nebuchadnezzar's own kingdom, Babylon, the first of the five kingdoms shown by the image. Daniel interprets this part of the image and the interpretation is true:
This study will deal with each part of the image in subsequent lessons but we want to take a close look at BABYLON, seen as the first power on this image even though it was not the first power to oppress Israel. Egypt was the first kingdom to persecute Israel and Assyria was the second. Babylon, which was a city, was located in the Euphrates Valley and in close proximity most scholars feel where the Garden of Eden was originally located. The Scripture says in:
The names of these four rivers are:
Thus,
the beginning of humanity was NOT in Africa, or any place else, as some claim
but rather the area we now refer to as "IRAQ." After the fall Babylon is the
place where the first organized rebellion against God was instituted, and we
speak of the Tower of Babel. This took place shortly after the flood of
In
fact, this particular rebellion spawned religions, which actually continue in
one form or the other even unto this hour. One might say that all the religions
of the world go back to this particular time. Catholicism, which has been
Satan's efforts to corrupt Christianity, has emulated and adopted many of the
early Babylonian practices. This speaks to us of the seriousness of the hour in
the current Middle East situation and how it is signaling the soon coming of the
Lord of Glory at the Rapture of the Church. Babylon, which was the scene of this
event in Daniel's prophecy and the beginning of civilization will also be the
scene of events that will bring civilization as we know it to an end. Look at
the connections between Iraq (Babylon) to Biblical events:
1. The
garden of Eden was in Iraq. (it sure doesn't look much like Paradise on earth
today thanks to Saddam).
The Tower Of Babel/Nebuchadnezzar Connection
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. 7 And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
To understand this second chapter of Daniel one must go back to Genesis and see
the progression from the Flood to the Tower of Babel and how these two events
are connected to "the head of gold," in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. God’s command to
Noah reminds of His earlier words to Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful and increase in
number; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). God’s gracious protection of
Noah and his family in the ark allowed them to become the new Adam and Eve of
the post-Flood world. They were given another chance to live according to God’s
will, to spread out across the entire world and form families that would live in
obedience to God. Humanity’s problem has never been its environment or in
circumstances – it’s always been man’s sinful and rebellious heart. Scarcely
had the door of the ark cracked open on Mount Ararat when the next crisis
erupted between God and His creation.
Nimrod
Noah’s son, Ham, had tremendous character defects which were passed on his lineage. Some of the nations and peoples that developed from Ham’s line included EGYPT, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, and the various groups of Canaanites. Virtually, all of Israel’s major enemies in biblical history came from the line of HAM.
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. [23] And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. [24] And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. [25] And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. [26] And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. [27] God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. [9] He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. [10] And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
The name Nimrod could come from the Babylonian name "Namra-uddu," a form of the name for Marduk, Babylon’s chief god. Another form of his name comes from the Babylonian name Nu-marad, which means “man of Marad.’ Moses likely used play on words by spelling Nimrod’s name in the Genesis account so that it sounded like the Hebrew word for REBEL (‘marad’). Nimrod was a REBEL, and the cities he founded were rebellious cities. Moses described Nimrod as a “mighty warrior,” and a “might hunter before the Lord.” Kings of that time traditionally demonstrated their right to rule people by displaying prowess over the animal kingdom. Nimrod’s hunting skills and physical abilities rocketed him into a position of leadership. Nimrod’s mighty skills were known in a special way to God. One commentator wrote of Nimrod:
“Nimrod showed his right to rule over the kingdom he had created by force by killing the animal creation God had entrusted to him.”
This was the beginning of Babylon. Babylon was a city conceived in rebellion.
Nimrod was the architect of man’s union against God, and
And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. [4] And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
Because the people lacked stones with which to build, they baked bricks. In place of crushed limestone, they used tar as mortar. William White, describing the city archaeologically, noted, “brick and mud-wall construction occurred everywhere.”
People still use brick for building in that region, and often the bricks are dried in the sun. But for permanent construction, the people use kiln-fired bricks for added strength. The builders of Babel used Kiln-fired bricks because they wanted their project to last. The focus of their efforts was to be a city with a tower, or ziggurat that reached to the heavens. The purpose for the tower at Babylon, as well as that of the later ziggurats, was to serve as a “suitcase” from earth to heaven. Human beings wanted to reach God by their own efforts and that is still going on today. Moses describes the tower as “a tower that reaches to the heaven” (Gen 11:4).
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
The people wanted to make a name for themselves. Having rejected God’s expressed will, these descendants of Noah’s decided to construct a monument to their greatness and glory. They didn’t realize that a truly great name comes only from God, and that men like Abraham, to whom God said, “I will make your name great”, easily supersede the Nimrods of this world (Gen. 12:2). As a result of this rebellion, the people began to build. They gathered in the first city recorded in the Bible, under a rebel leader, to work together for their own glory and honor. Then, Moses writes, God “CAME DOWN” to view this tower which man intended to reach “to the heavens.” No matter how high they built, God was still far out of reach. God’s concern was not that their building was too tall, but rather than humankind had united in opposition to Him.
And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Obviously, God did not have to worry that humanity would become too much for Him to handle. His power and majesty surpass anything these people possessed. The union of Nimrod and his followers embraced all mankind to the exclusion of God. Had their plan succeeded, the world would have been again as it was before the Flood when “every inclination of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil all the time.” (Gen. 6:5). Therefore, God “confused the language of the whole world.” (Gen. 11:9). He unraveled the fabric of the society humanity was trying to weave. The builders tried to build a gateway to God, but God turned their effort into conclusion.
Before the conclusion at Babel, the world had one language and a common speech. But after God’s judgment, people scattered throughout the world, failures at their attempt to “make a name for themselves,” victims of the very fate they had feared and tried to avoid. Their plan was supplanted by God’s plan for human redemption through the seed of Abraham, the man whose name God chose to make great. Babel was humanity’s first united attempt to short-circuit God’s purpose and it will be the seat of humanity’s LAST attempt to short-circuit God’s purpose. The people wanted unity and power, and Babel was to be the seat of that power. Babylon, the city of man trying to rise to heaven, was built in direct opposition to God’s plan. Once Babylon is rebuilt in the coming months and possibly years it will once again become the source and seat of the man of sin, who will, like Nimrod, oppose God and His plans in the earth in one-last stand of rebellion. But the end of Babylon will not be as glorious as its beginning. Babylon will be destroyed.
The Spirit Of Babel (Confusion)
Babel means “confusion. The now deceased Saddam Hussein felt he was called by God to be another Nebuchadnezzar. His service or destiny was to destroy the Great Satan. That alone made him much more dangerous than the ordinary dictator. Hitler believed he was called to raise a super race. That's what made him so dangerous along with the fact by all viewpoints Hitler had a (supernatural) mission and more than likely was aided and abetted by a demonic spirit. He was a dress rehearsal for the Antichrist. His words swayed millions by what he said. Sadaam Hussein had the same affect on Europe, the Middle East and the world in general. Hussein did succeed to divide America’s allies and decade old alliances prior to the 2003 Iraqi invasion, something that did not take place when the United States entered into World War II. In 1942, it was the United States, which was reluctant to get involved in the war prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, that sought to unite the world against the forces of Nazism. The lines between good and evil were plain. People knew Hitler was evil and his schemes needed to be stopped
In this case it has been the most frustrating issue with me personally to hear the world basically dish off the threat of Saddam Hussein even with evidence that he has been lying to the world for 13 years since the Gulf War. But instead of the world uniting, we became more and more divided. Why is this may you ask? Well, I believe that the same spirit of ancient Babylon was and is alive and well in modern Babylon. People have blamed President Bush for his “failed” diplomacy. If we’re going to blame anybody for failed diplomacy we in the church need to take responsibility for this to a degree. I have repented personally before the Lord for getting caught up in the war fever myself instead of getting caught up in a spirit of intercession to see this conflict handled through spiritual means not earthly. (2 Corinthians 4) Even now Iraq sits in a spirit of confusion as two branches of Islam - Sunni and Shi’ia cannot come together to form a unity government. America's diplomats and politicians daily scream we're involved in a "civil war" at the present time between the two factions. Oh really? We're just not coming to that conclusion. What the politicians don't get is the SPIRITUAL power behind this confusion is rooted in Biblical passages and that at some point in the future the friction between the Sunni and Shi'a will be replaced with a unity of purpose to DESTROY the United States and Israel. If you notice, when those seeking to build the Tower of Babel came together they actually made progress enough that caused God had to intervene personally to stop the building!
This spirit of confusion has divided the world. Despite Hussein's death, now it is IRAN, Iraq's neighbor that poses a clear and present danger to not just the region as a whole but the entire world, especially Israel. The world is STILL divided over how to handle events in the Middle East. It's called the SPIRIT of confusion! Even people in our own country cannot see the threat. It’s like a cloud of delusion rests on the minds of many in relation to an evil dictator, who in many ways, may be more dangerous and ruthless than Hitler or Stalin combined. The atrocities we have heard about even now are enough to make one weep to hear the brutality in which peoples under the jack booted heel of Islamically ruled nations face each day if they don't submit to Islam's rule. Stories of people's inward parts being cut off by wood chippers, torturing national soccer teams in the national soccer stadium after a loss, and the rape, torture and beating of women and children in front of those who disagree and dissent against rulers are the NORM and not the exception in Middle Eastern Nations.
President Bush has made a TON of mistakes in his handling of the Iraqi war. His critics lambaste him daily in op-ed pieces, television interviews and other news media outlets. Most feel we could have handled Iraq and now Iran with "diplomacy," and "talking" to these rogue nations. Diplomacy was NEVER going to work with Iraq. You cannot deal with evil through diplomacy. You cannot deal with tyrants and evil dictators through appeasement. Instead of blaming President Bush, we need to recognize the REAL source of the problem in Iraq and Iran and that's the powers of DARKNESS that control these regions and produce the hatred that is willing to destroy millions of lives in the name of a demonically inspired religion. Most who have spewed their anti-war venom both here in America and in Europe usually spew out at the same time anti-Semitic rhetoric as well. The same spirit that has controlled this region of the world for millenniums and caused Nimrod to build his tower of rebellion; nothing has changed in that the same spirit controls the region TODAY.
But if you think the situation is muddled now, neighbor hang on to your seat. Things coming in the future will be filled with even more confusion. I heard a well-known evangelist say recently that he felt the Lord tell him that America’s greatest peril would NOT come with Iraq, but what would happen to her AFTERWARDS. These same prophetic voices are warning America that if we continue to rebel against God and willfully and consciously seek to remove God from our society and culture, we are going to be invaded by a foreign power. Some snicker at that and say that is impossible but there were those before 9-11-2001 that never dreamed of the carnage that three gasoline filled airplanes hijacked by ISLAMIC terrorists produced in a matter of minutes on a fateful Tuesday fall morning now six years ago. That should give us all sober reasons to fall on our knees and pray for mercy for our nation and intercede for the heavens to rain righteousness on this nation before it is eternally too late. When our freedoms are gone and we are controlled by a foreign power we will then understand the plight that Daniel found himself in Babylon. Israel had been warned by Daniel's contemporaries over and over that judgement was coming and those warnings were ignored. Now, in land of rebellion, Daniel stood under a death sentence interpreting a dream for a heathen king that would outline world events and history that would show us what is ahead prophetically right through the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Demon Spirits Controlled Babylon
It's interesting to note that Nebuchadnezzar did not send for Daniel first when the king first became troubled at the dream. He did not know Daniel had ability in this area and even though he interrogated Daniel, along with the three Hebrew children, and had been impressed with their "skill and wisdom," he did not KNOW the God of Daniel and that the Lord had given Daniel "understanding in all visions and dreams."
The "Chaldeans" were, no doubt, a special class who advised the King by their wisdom and intelligence. This means that the mighty Babylonian Empire, as wella s every other nation of that day, was guided and directed by demon spirits, at least until Daniel arrived on the scene regarding Babylon. Actually most of the governments of the world have always been, and presently are, guided by demon spirits, which "steal, kill and destroy." (John 10:10)
The reason for the great blessings upon America, Canada, England and Australia, as well as several other countries in the world, is because of Biblical influence. Tragically that influence is waning and weakening and dying. Such is happening because the CHURCHES are dying. No, they are not dying economically or numerically, but they are dying spiritually. The true Body of Christ is to be a vehicle through which the Spirit of God can flow, which, of course, is anchored in the Word of God. It is to preach the CROSS, in effect, holding up Christ and the Cross as the sole answer to humanity and the problems of humanity. While money or numbers may or may not come, the Church will be a positive influence ONLY by the power of the HOLY GHOST that the Church allows to operate and flow. At this time in history when the church needs to be a great LIGHT in a growing DARKNESS of apostasy, the church has never been weaker in a spiritual sense but has been deceived because of the money and the numbers, claiming such to signs of the Blessings of the Lord.
Israel was prosperous in an economic sense up the very day of her destruction by Nebuchadnezzar; however, she had long since to be prosperous in a spiritual sense, and hence her doom was sealed. America's doom, and I don't care how many preachers say otherwise because many are proclaiming nothing bad is coming to our nation, will be sealed as well if we don't have more than just a few revival services, but a REFORMATION of preaching and character in the Body of Christ. We must come back to the CROSS and all that the CROSS entails, which is in effect being UNITED again with OUR HEAD, the LORD JESUS CHRIST and the power of the HOLY GHOST. Paul used the term "disjointed at the head," to describe a spiritual condition where the Body ceases to get life from the Head (CHRIST) and in effect falls into vain philosophy, deceit, self-will and in modern terms, humanism. This is why there is a deluge and has been for two decades now of the 'mind' sciences and 'mind' methods i.e. psychology that have engulfed the church. You reject the Holy Spirit and the power of the Cross and neighbor you really have nothing else to turn to BUT psychology!
Revival is not going down the street beating big drums or leading parades, and believe it or not, Revival is not even really sinners coming to Christ. The LATTER is the RESULT of Revival, not Revival itself! Through a dream given to a heathen king, a dream, incidentally, one which he could not remember, God gave the events of the future that would unfold from Daniel's time right on through the COMING OF THE LORD! THINK ABOUT THAT. We are living in the same prophetic times neighbor! This is the prophetic season we live in.
Nebuchadnezzar, along with all of Babylon constantly delved into the spirit realm in the realm of demon spirits to get answers. They did not know Jehovah; therefore, all of this was completely beyond their realm of thinking, even as it is presently with those who do not know the Lord. The Bible is the ONLY book in the world which tells where man came from, where man is, and where man is going. Consequently, the people who love and obey the Book and have accepted it AUTHOR as their Lord and Saviour, alone know and understand what the future holds. It is ALL given in the World of God.
There astrologers and magicians and sorcerers of Babylon were ministers of the gods of Babylon, "Nebo," and "Bel." These men were supposed to receive answers from their "gods," and to be sure, they were paid. But what happened was even a heathen king recognized that what these men were saying was "lying and corrupt words," that meant nothing and aroused his anger even more.
These
wicked men were being guided by "familiar spirits," which could at times give
information from the supernatural. (Lev. 19:31, 20:6, 27; Deut. 18:11; Apostasy and American's Future; Why Is America NOT Seen On This Image?
How does this relate to America then one may ask? Well to understand that, let me take a right turn to another prophet who would write during the same Babylonian captivity that Daniel was apart of and that prophet is Ezekiel. Ezekiel Chapters 36 and 37 portray the restoration of the nation of Israel, which incidentally began to take place in 1948, when the beleaguered Jews, after wandering the world for some 1,900 years, once again became a nation, and in the boundaries of their ancient homeland, and is called the state of Israel. All of this is the beginning of the fulfillment of that which Ezekiel saw, and which Daniel, after a fashions, will address as well. Chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel proclaim the Battle of Armageddon even though some see this as a separate battle that will take place either immediately prior to the rapture or right before the Great tribulation period. We know this simply because Israel will then become the leading nation of the world, which cannot take place until the Second Coming, which, incidentally, till take place during the very midst of the Battle of Armageddon, and which commences with Chapter 40 and continues through Chapters 48 , the end of that Book. If, in fact chapters 38 and 39 record some other battle, as some Preachers claim, then it would be impossible to immediately begin the supremacy of Israel in Chapter 40. But the supremacy of Israel with Christ accepted as their King, begins in Chapter 40, because 39 and 39 portray the Battle of Armageddon.
What am I saying? Prophetically
speaking we are living in
While apostasy comes in many shapes and forms, and always refers to a departure from the Word, to make it even more understandable, it is a departure from the Cross. All false doctrine begins with a wrong interpretation of the Cross, or a repudiating of the Cross altogether. When the Christian fails to understand that the Cross of Christ is at the center of all things, in other words, the intersection of all Biblical Doctrine, one might say, such a Christian will go astray in some way. The souls of men can be lost as a result of this of which we speak. Actually, the entirety of the book of Hebrews was written by Paul to portray this very truth.
While it applies to all believers,
both Jews and Gentiles, Paul's greater thrust in Hebrews was directed toward
Christian Jews. They had accepted Christ as their Savior and Messiah, but
because of persecution and discouragement, or for whatever reason, some of these
Christian Jews were turning their backs on Christ, and going back into Judaism.
In
The facts are, most people in Churches who claim to be "Christians," aren't really Born Again. In other words they aren't saved. They are religious and have in fact, accepted a Christian "philosophy," or outlook on life but they have not met the Master. Some even have Christian ethics and are morally good people but they FIGHT against the work of the Holy Spirit who ALONE produces true Christian results! It is becoming impossible in most Churches these days for a person to get saved. Why? Because NOTHING is preached as it regards such, and in fact, the Holy Spirit, Whose Presence and WORK and MINISTRIES are absolutely ignored, yet are absolutely REQUIRED to be in operation to bring sinners to Christ. Jesus said "few" would make it in these last days concerning the faith.
The apostasy at the present is a
MAJOR sign we are nearing the end of the church age and the Rapture is right
around the corner. The Rapture as we have stated pertains every single
Born-Again believer who has never lived, all the way from Abel to the First
Resurrection which is in the Rapture. Paul explained this in
The Great Tribulation concludes with the Battle of Armageddon, which will be the greatest and most horrible conflict the world will see and experience within the Tribulation. It will be interrupted by the Second Coming of the Lord. The world, with Christ personally reigning on this Earth, will begin a thousand years of peace and prosperity such as it has never known before. During that time, Satan and all of his demon spirits and fallen angels will be locked away in the pit.
If you notice in this first prophetic vision in Daniel that there is no direct reference to the United States of America. There is not even a remote reference to the U.S.A. The question is always asked, “Is America in Bible prophecy?” The answer is not a simple yes or no but the basic answer is NO. Some have thought that the three letters in the midst of Jerusalem pertain to the U.S.A. However, there is no direct Bible reference to that anywhere in Scripture.
Having said that, it is clear that America is up to its eyeballs in the Middle East. The area known today as Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Greece is what I believe is prophecy Ground Zero. As I update this lesson in the Fall of 2007, our nation remains engulfed in a conflict in Iraq and is deeply involved in a peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians, many of whom live in the region known as Lebanon. Syria, Turkey, Jordan and Iran are in the news daily. Turkey has just recalled its ambassador to the United States and Russia has all of a sudden began acting once more like the Bear of cold-war years. I mention Russia in this statement because many former Soviet Union states occupy the region just north of Turkey, a region many feel will play prominently in end time events, especially a coming war on Israel and more than likely America.
The question has to be asked and asked somberly, what is the future of the United States of America if we are not mentioned in Bible prophecy? If Israel is the KEY player and we are the only world’s superpower on earth at the moment (in fact we are the last superpower on earth before the rise of Antichrist) then something BIG may very well be decreed on the United States to cause us to lose our superpower status.
Our personal feeling is that after the rapture the United States may very well lose its sovereignty and be invaded by a foreign power at some point in the future. Conventional wisdom would have one believe this would more than likely take place after the Rapture of the Church. The Trump of God could very well snatch as much as 60% of the entire population out in the twinkling of an eye. That will leave nothing but anarchy, chaos and God only knows what else. The world community will notice the vacuum that is left. Enemies who have cursed the U.S.A. for decades but did not have the power to do anything about it may see such a catastrophic disappearance as their chance to exact horrible revenge on the bastion of democracy. That is just a thought and I don’t have any revelation from the Lord but it’s a plausible possibility. I say "60%" but only God knows the number of those truly born again by the Spirit of God who are American citizens.
I do know this. The USA is NOT mentioned in Bible prophecy. Something is going to happen in the not too distant future to cause this nation to lose its role as the world’s superpower. The decline of the USA will cause the world to readily accept the rise of the Antichrist’s kingdom that will hold many answers to a world gone mad without God after the rapture. The “mystery” of lawlessness will be on the rise and the spirit of Antichrist will rapidly spread over the earth without anything to hinder it save the 144,000 Jewish remnant and those born again after the trump of God. I also know this. God knows the PAST, PRESENT and the FUTURE. Mortal men try their best to prognosticate such but fail miserably, just as these heathen astrologers did in Babylon. The term "latter days," is used quite a bit in New Testament eschatology and from those passages where it is mentioned one thing stand out - APOSTASY will engulf millions prior to the Rapture of the Church and just grow more pronounced during the Great Tribulation period being embodied by the FALSE PROPHET who is to come and be a spiritual partner with the Antichrist, who will be more of a political figure.
As we stated in an earlier lesson, what has happened since 1989 with the fall of the Soviet Union and Communism and the rise of tensions between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, is only preparing the world for the rise of the Antichrist and the fulfillment of things written close to 2500 years ago!
That is mind-boggling but it should also be encouragement to us a believers. Israel is now preparing drawings of the temple that they will one-day build on the site where the Dome of the Rock now stands in Jerusalem. Israel is not yet 100% whole but the time f |
