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THE SMALLEST ISSUE. THOSE
WHO COULD NOT REMAIN LOYAL TO GOD AND WHO COMPROMISED ON THIS FIRST TEST ARE NOT
EVEN MENTIONED AND EVIDENTLY COMPROMISED ON ALL THE OTHER TESTS. TODAY WE LIVE
IN A TIME OF PROSPERITY, WHEN IT IS RELATIVELY EASY TO SERVE GOD. IF WE CANNOT
BE OBEDIENT TO GOD IN THIS TIME OF RELATIVE EASE, CAN WE EXPECT TO BE LOYAL WHEN
THE TIMES ARE DIFFICULT? DANIEL INTERPRETED NEBUCHADREZZAR'S DREAM AND IN DOING
SO GAVE AN ACCURATE AND DETAILED HISTORY OF THE WORLD FROM HIS DAY UNTIL THE END
TIME. THIS PROPHECY REVEALS THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL OF THE EVENTS OF HUMAN
HISTORY. DANIEL GIVES NEBUCHADREZZAR THE INTERPRETATION THAT GOD HAD REVEALED TO
HIM IN HIS VISION JUST AS GOD GAVE IT TO HIM. THE PROPHECY BEGINS IN DANIELS
TIME WITH THE KINGDOM OF BABYLON, WHICH DANIEL TELLS NEBUCHADREZZAR WILL NOT
LAST FOREVER BUT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY OTHERS BEFORE THE RETURN OF JESUS. WE KNOW
SUCCEEDING KINGDOMS HAVE COME AND GONE JUST AS DANIEL SAID. BABYLON WAS
CONQUERED BY THE MEDO-PERSIAN KINGDOM, WHO IN TURN WAS CONQUERED BY GREECE, WHO
WAS FOLLOWED BY THE KINGDOM OF ROME. IN 1776, SHORTLY BEFORE THE FALL OF PAPAL
ROME(1778), A NATION WAS BORN. THIS KINGDOM WILL HAVE TWO PHASES (TWO FEET). THE
FIRST IS THE DEFENDER OF FREEDOM, THE SECOND IS AS A ONE WORLD CHURCH AND STATE
POWER. WITH UNERRING ACCURACY DANIEL FORETOLD 2500 YEARS OF WORLD HISTORY FROM
BABYLON TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE RISE AND FALL OF THESE VARIOUS
EMPIRES IS CLEARLY FORETOLD IN THE BIBLE. GOD KNOWS IN ADVANCE WHAT IS GOING TO
HAPPEN AND HE DEFIANTLY IS IN CONTROL OF HUMAN EVENTS. DANIEL MAKES SURE WE
UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO BE CONVERTED TO GOD. GOD WAS PATIENT WITH NEBUCHADREZZAR
AND OVER A PERIOD OF THIRTY YEARS HE TRIED TO REACH HIM. IT SEEMED THE KING MADE
PROGRESS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND THEN BACKSLID. NEBUCHADREZZAR HAD TO LOOSE
HIS MIND (ALL HE KNEW) TO FIND THE GOSPEL TRUTH. HE REALIZED THAT IT WAS GOD WHO
SET UP AND REMOVED KINGS AND EVEN KINGS HAD TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GOD WAS THE
RULER OF THEIR LIVES. GOD IS AS PATIENT WITH US AS HE WAS WITH HIM. EVEN THOUGH
WE STRAY FROM THE PATH AND FALL,
GOD LOVES US STILL, AND IS RIGHT THERE TO PICK
US UP. HE IS VITALLY INTERESTED IN PEOPLE. HE WANTS THEM TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AS
THEIR PERSONAL LORD AND DEVELOP A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. MANY PEOPLE
FEEL THAT GOD CANNOT SAVE THEM BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN THE PAST. THIS
STORY OF NEBUCHADREZZAR SHOULD BE OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO THEM. GOD DIDN'T SAVE HIM
BECAUSE HE WAS GOOD. HE WAS AN UNJUST TYRANT. YET GOD LOVED HIM AND EXTENDED HIS
GRACE TO HIM. NOT BECAUSE HE DESERVED IT...PEOPLE NEVER DO; NOT BECAUSE HE
EARNED IT...PEOPLE CAN'T; BUT THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, IT'S THE UNMERITED
FAVOR OF GOD THAT LIFTS US UP AND REDEEMS US. IT'S SUPREMELY COMFORTING TO KNOW
THAT GOD WANTS TO SAVE US MORE THAN WE WANT TO BE SAVED. BELSHAZZAR SUCCEEDED
NEBUCHADREZZAR AS KING OF BABYLON. HE CHOOSE NOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ONE TRUE GOD
AND HE DID NOT RESPECT THE CONSECRATED OBJECTS OF WORSHIP WHICH HAD BEEN STOLEN
FROM THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM. IN A BLATANT ACT OF DEFIANCE HE DEFILED THE
CEREMONIAL GOBLETS FROM JERUSALEM BY USING THEM TO WORSHIP PAGAN GODS. THIS
BLASPHEMOUS ACT BROUGHT IMMEDIATE WARNING FROM GOD. BELSHAZZAR HAD RESPECT FOR
THE WISDOM OF DANIEL WHOM HE CALLED TO INTERRUPT THE WRITTEN WARNING GOD HAD PUT
ON THE WALL. DANIEL DID THIS FOR HIM, BUT THE WRATH OF GOD WAS SWIFT AND FINAL
FOR THE SIN OF BLASPHEMY AND BABYLON FELL TO THE PERSIANS THAT NIGHT, THUS,
FREEING GOD'S PEOPLE FROM THE OPPRESSION THEY WERE SUFFERING. DANIEL, IN HIS
SEVENTIES AT THE TIME OF THE MEDO-PERSION CONQUEST, WAS KNOWN TO BE A PROPHET,
SEER AND FAITHFUL ADMINISTRATOR WHO WAS FAVORED WITH WISDOM BY GOD. THE NEW
KING, DARIUS, WAS WELL PLEASED WITH DANIEL AND MADE PLANS FOR HIM TO GOVERN THE
KINGDOM FOR HIM. THIS INCURRED THE JEALOUSY OF THE OTHER RULERS WHO PLOTTED TO
DISCREDIT DANIEL. TRICKING THE KING, THEY MANIPULATED HIM IN TO PROCLAIMING A
NEW LAW WHICH THEY NEW WOULD END WITH DANIEL'S DEATH. THEY HAD NOT CONSIDERED
DANIEL'S PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH, AND STEADFASTNESS TO GOD, WHICH HAD
PROTECTED SUSTAINED AND PROSPERED HIM THROUGHOUT HIS CAPTIVITY. THE KING WAS IN
A NO-WIN SITUATION AND COULD NOT HELP DANIEL. HE WOULD UNDERMINE HIS OWN POWER
IF HE PARDONED HIM, AND IF HE DID NOT HE WOULD LOOSE THE ONLY PERSON HE COULD
TRUST. DANIEL STOOD HIS GROUND AND DID NOT CHANGE HIS PRAYER HABITS WHICH MEANT
HE VIOLATED THE LAW. DANIEL COULD NOT DENY HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD; COULD NOT
HID HIS FAITH. HE KNEW THE SOURCE OF HIS STRENGTH AND WHO HAD BROUGHT HIM
THROUGH HIS TRIALS, SO HE CONTINUED TO EXPRESS HIS FAITH IN GOD. DARIUS WHO
PRAYED THE GOD DANIEL SERVED WOULD RESCUE HIM, NEVER THE LESS, PUT HIM IN THE
LIONS DEN AND SEALED IT OVERNIGHT. HIS JUSTICE WAS SHORT AND SWIFT THE NEXT
MORNING WHEN HE FOUND DANIEL HAD BEEN SPARED. THE MEN, WHO HAD TRICKED HIM AND
CONDEMNED DANIEL, ALONG WITH THEIR FAMILIES, WERE FED TO THE LIONS. THROUGH
DANIEL, GOD WARNS US AGAINST THOSE WHO WOULD ATTEMPT TO TRICK US. HE DESCRIBES
THE ANTICHRIST AS ONE WHO WILL BE WANTED, APPEALING, EXTRAORDINARY AND A GENTILE
WHO ACTS NOT BY HIS OWN WILL, BUT BY THE EMPOWERMENT OF SATAN AND WHO LEADS MANY
FROM THE TRUE FAITH. DANIEL IS VERY CLEAR THAT THIS POWER WILL END AT THE SECOND
COMING OF JESUS CHRIST. IT WOULD SERVE US WELL, THEN, TO HEED THESE WARNINGS AND
NOT BE DECEIVE BY THIS POWER. OUR SUCCESS IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY AND
PERSECUTION IS BASED ON DANIEL'S SECRET FOR SUCCESS. DANIEL PRAYED BOLDLY BUT
WITH AN ATTITUDE OF HUMILITY. HE EXPRESSED ADORATION, WORTH AND HONOR TO GOD. HE
OPENED HIS HEART AND CONFESSED HIS SIN BEFORE THE LORD. HE ACKNOWLEDGED HIS
GRATITUDE TO GOD FOR HIS BLESSINGS AND PROTECTION, AND HE UNSELFISHLY PETITIONED
FOR THE NEEDS OF OTHERS IN HIS PRAYERS. WE HAVE TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD, JUST AS DANIEL DID, AND THE WAY WE DEVELOP THIS RELATIONSHIP IS TO
SPEND TIME WITH HIM. PRAYER AND BIBLE STUDY ARE THE ESSENTIAL BUILDING BLOCKS OF
THIS RELATIONSHIP. THESE HELP US DISCOVER CORRECT DOCTRINE, REBUKE US OF OUR
SINS, CORRECT US WHERE WE GO WRONG, LET US KNOW THE WAY WE SHOULD GO, AND ENABLE
US TO OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. GROWING FROM THIS FOUNDATION, THE CHRISTIAN,
FOLLOWING THE PRINCIPLES OF THE BIBLE, ENGAGES IN THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE WHICH
WILL GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE IN THE KNOWING OF JESUS. THIS IS WHAT WILL PROTECT
US, AS DANIEL WAS PROTECTED THEN, IN THE END TIMES. EACH OF DANIEL'S PROPHETIC
VISIONS GO OVER THE SAME HISTORY, BUT EACH ADDS FURTHER DETAILS. THIS IS THE
LONGEST TIME PROPHECY IN THE BIBLE. MUCH HAS ALREADY COME TO PASS AND PROVED
EXACTLY AS DANIEL SAID IT WOULD. WE GAIN CONFIDENCE IN GOD'S WORD WHEN WE SEE
THAT GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES. BUT EVENTUALLY, WE BECOME FEARFUL AS WE REALIZE
THAT THE END TIME STILL APPROACHES. PEOPLE TODAY WOULD DO WELL TO BE LOOKING FOR
CHRIST, NOT THE ANTICHRIST. WE, WHO TRUST IN CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR NEED NOT BE
AFRAID BECAUSE HE WILL REMOVE US IN THE RAPTURE BEFORE THE ANTICHRIST COMES TO
POWER; WHEN FALSE RELIGIONS ARISE AND GOD'S PEOPLE ARE PERSECUTED FOR THEIR
REFUSAL TO WORSHIP ANY BUT THE ONE TRUE GOD. AS WE CONCLUDE THE BOOK OF DANIEL,
WE FIND HIM INQUIRING OF GOD WHEN THE EVENTS OF HIS VISIONS WOULD OCCUR, AND
GOD, REWARDING HIS FAITHFULNESS AND DUTIFULNESS DID NOT DENY HIM A LAST PEEK AT
THE FUTURE. VISITED BY TWO ANGELIC BEINGS, ONE BEING CHRIST HIMSELF, DANIEL WAS
TOLD HE HAD FAITHFULLY AND OBEDIENTLY DONE COMPLETED HIS WORK FOR THE LORD;
THERE WOULD BE NO MORE VISIONS FOR HIM TO SEE NOR PROPHECIES TO RECORD, DANIEL
COULD GO ABOUT HIS OWN BUSINESS UNTIL THE END OF HIS LIFE AT WHICH TIME HE WOULD
REST UNTIL HE WAS RESURRECTED BODILY AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION. THIS, IS
DANIEL'S LAST MESSAGE TO US THEN, FROM THE COUNSEL OF THE GREAT ANGEL HIMSELF:
TO SEEK TO KEEP A BIBLICAL BALANCE BETWEEN LOOKING TO THE FUTURE AND LIVING IN
THE PRESENT; TO STAY PRAYED-UP AND READY FOR CHRIST'S RETURN BUT NOT TO NEGLECT
OUR PRESENT RESPONSIBILITIES. OD.
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