Daniel pt 7

Daniel 7:1: In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Daniel 7:9: As I looked,

thrones were placed,

and the Ancient of days took his seat;

his clothing was white as snow,

and the hair of his head like pure wool;

his throne was fiery flames;

its wheels were burning fire.

A stream of fire issued

and came out from before him;

a thousand thousands served him,

and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;

the court sat in judgment,

and the books were opened.

I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

Daniel 7:13: I saw in the night visions,

and behold, with the clouds of heaven

there came one like a son of man,

and he came to the Ancient of Days

and was presented before him.

And to him was given dominion

and glory and a kingdom,

that all peoples, nations, and languages

should serve him;

his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

which shall not pass away,

and his kingdom one

that shall not be destroyed.

 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’

Daniel 7:19: “Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.

Daniel 7:23: “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast,

there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,

which shall be different from all the kingdoms,

and it shall devour the whole earth,

and trample it down, and break it to pieces.

As for the ten horns,

out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,

and another shall arise after them;

he shall be different from the former ones,

and shall put down three kings.

He shall speak words against the Most High,

and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,

and shall think to change the times and the law;

and they shall be given into his hand

for a time, times, and half a time.

But the court shall sit in judgment,

and his dominion shall be taken away,

to be consumed and destroyed to the end.

And the kingdom and the dominion

and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven

shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;

their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,

and all dominions shall serve and obey them.’

“Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.”

We can see in Daniel 7 how this adds to Daniel chapter 2. In Daniel 2, there were 4 kingdoms that will rise up, and in Daniel 7 there are 4 beasts. Just like in Daniel 2, the fourth kingdom has a past and future interpretation. We’ll look at that later.

Lets first take a look at these beasts one by one.

I want to point out that before any of the beasts were mentioned, there are the four winds of heaven churning up the sea. Those four winds of heaven are something that you’ll see time and time again in the End Time prophecies. Sometimes they are angels, and sometimes they are just winds. Either way, I think that it is safe to say that it is a spiritual interpretation that is needed here. Lets cross-reference this to Revelation 13:1:

“And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.”

Notice right away that it starts with “coming out of the sea.” These four beasts all coming out of the sea are in tune with Daniel 2 that they are all the same. Though different, they are all ruled by the same one: Satan.

The first beast was like a lion with the wings of an eagle. What is that? We know it as a gryphon in our modern mythology, but the ancient Hebrews would have thought of it as a cherub (cherubim being plural). This king is one that is likened to the angels. He is strong and powerful like the angels who are before the throne of God. In fact a lion is the king of the jungle. He is considered the strength of the jungle. This is the strongest beast of all.

So who is it talking about? Well, we know that in Daniel 2, the first kingdom was Babylon. Daniel even told the king, “The head of gold is you, King Nebuchadnezzar.” So this first beast must also be Babylon. What makes me so sure? Lets look at the rest of verse 4: Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.

When you read the book of Daniel, you find that Nebuchadnezzar was driven out of his palace like a madman. He went out into the field and ate like the animals. His hair grew long (like wings, according to one translation), and his nails grew long (like talons). He had the mind of an animal. There was almost nothing human about Nebuchadnezzar. But the story ends with him coming back to his senses. He rises up and praises the Lord.

This beast in Daniel 7:4 has its wings plucked off and it was lifted from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man. It is obviously talking about Nebuchadnezzar. This is an analogy of the very story we read about earlier in the book of Daniel.

The second beast comes out of the sea. It looks like a bear that is raised up on one of its sides. What is the bear? The bear represents Medo-Persia. The Medes were weaker than Persia, but they work together. We’ll see this again in Daniel 8. There is a mention of the bear lifted on one side because the one side is stronger than the other. The 3 ribs in the bear’s mouth represent the 3 conquests of Medo-Persia. In 546 BCE, they conquered Asia-Minor. We read in Daniel 5 about their taking Babylon. Their last conquest was Egypt in 526 BCE.

The third beast is a leopard that has four wings like a bird. It also has four heads. This is Greece. Alexander conquered Medo-Persia, and in his dying days made the statement, “The 4 strongest among you will rule after me.” So after Alexander passed away, his kingdom was distributed into 4 parts. I think this is why we see 4 wings and 4 heads. However, the wings would also denote agility. This kingdom takes power quickly. Any one who knows their ancient history even slightly knows that Alexander had conquered the known world before he was 30. It was extremely quick.

The fourth beast represents two things. I mentioned this briefly earlier. We see a representation in verse 7 about iron teeth. This relates it back to Rome. Yet, there is still a future interpretation to it. What makes me say this?

Daniel 7:7: After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

Revelation 13:3: And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.

There are relations from the fourth beast in Daniel 7 and the beast that represents the final kingdom (which is the kingdom of the antichrist) in the book of Revelation. This isn’t the one place we find it, and I’m sure that as we continue to go through this you’ll become more convinced that this fourth beast is indeed the kingdom of Satan.

Now, lets get into the 10 horns real quick. If this fourth beast is a representation of that future kingdom represented by the feet, what do they have in common? They have the number 10 in common. Daniel even makes reference to the toes in chapter 2. These 10 horns are 10 kings. This is another place where Rome doesn’t fit. There were more than 10 Caesars. Which 10 do you want to pick? These kings are something entirely different.

This is one of those places where I’m giving you less because it’s more. You now know that the 10 horns are 10 kings. We find that out in Revelation 17. Who are the 10 kings? I’ll let you come to your own conclusions on that. I will say this, though: don’t think that these 10 kings are some Europeans. From what I can understand, this beast rules the world. He has influence over all the nations (but that doesn’t mean he has dominion over all the nations; we’ll see that later in Daniel).

Notice in verse 8 that an eleventh horn springs up. It’s called “a little one.” This is the antichrist. The fact that it says it is a little horn is not something to pass over. We’ll read later over and over again that this comes back up. The antichrist will not be some prominent figure. He starts with a small following. This will be repeated, so I don’t mind putting it out there without referencing other places.

Notice that three of the first horns are uprooted by this antichrist. Whoever these kings are, this antichrist comes to power by even going against those in his own kingdom. It is much like Hitler’s rise to power. Hitler wasn’t a prominent figure. He got to the top by uprooting others who were prominent. I don’t know if he will go to war or kill the other 3 kings. All I can say from this text is that he casts them down out of the spotlight. They are not longer prominent (whether by media or by death, I don’t know).

This verse about the antichrist ends with its boastfulness. Lets consider Revelation 13 again: And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.

This is the antichrist.

But what do we see right after the establishment of the antichrist in Daniel 7?

Verse 9-10: As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.

Suddenly it appears as though the judgment of the world is taking place. But we have already read that the second coming of Christ happens in verse 13, not in verse 9. So what is this? I want to submit that this is the prequel. This is what is spoken of when Jesus said that He will separate the sheep from the goats in Matthew 25. The books are opened in Matthew 25, and in Revelation 20:11-15 the books are opened.

What are the books? The books are the record of who did what and how we reacted during the Tribulation. Why do we see them opened and the court in session before the antichrist is cast into the fire? Why do we see these things before Jesus returns? I believe that these are the records of how we act and react. That is why Jesus’ one question He asks in His return (Matthew 25) is whether we took care of the least of these His brethren. When everything turns to hell all around us, are we still able to stand and show love? When the love of many wax cold, do we also turn a cold shoulder to the world?

There is a story of a village that started to get plagued with disease. People started dying from this sickness. It wasn’t long before the healthy realized that they too might get sick. They started to separate themselves. They started to store up for themselves and to stop sharing with the sick. They were destined for death anyway, right? They were driven by fear of becoming like those who were sick. Their fear drove them to build a wall dividing them from the sick. Eventually that wasn’t enough. What if they decide to go around the wall? They built more walls to block them out. You couldn’t enter in by any means. But you also couldn’t exit. When the end comes, will you be one who builds a wall to keep yourself clean, or will you see the need and pour yourself out at any cost?

This is what God is recording. He is looking to see whether we are still willing to take people in, even if we know that it might mean we die. He is looking to whether we have the character to love those who are our enemies. The Tribulation is not a time of rejoicing. It is not something to look forward to. It is a terrible and terrifying day. Who will you be when that day comes?

When we reach Daniel 7:11, we see that the antichrist is still alive. This isn’t the judgment spoken of in Revelation 20:11. The beast (not just the horn) is thrown into the fire. The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time. What is that? That is paired up with Revelation 19:11-21. This is the second coming. This judgment that takes place – the court that is in session – is about Jesus’ return.

I know I just said that it is before His return, and it is. But it all flows from verse 9 into verse 11. The beast being thrown into the fire is obviously what Revelation 19:20 is saying. There is the Tribulation, which sets in motion the return of Christ. It is a ticking clock from that point on. 7 years after the start of the Tribulation, Christ returns. From the start of the Tribulation, the Lord takes His seat as judge and records all the deeds of men, good or evil.

What about this statement from verse 12? The other beasts are getting to stay on the earth? We see this in other Scriptures as well. In Isaiah, it is spoken of that the people of Israel are escorted back to their land by kings and queens. It is mentioned in Revelation 20 that there is a war after Jesus’ return. Satan riles up an army against Jerusalem. Where does his army come from? It comes from these other nations.

In verse 13, we see the second coming. I know that some think this is the ascension. That has some serious complications. The rest of the chapter is pointing to this as being the very end of the age. Jesus has already claimed that He has all authority and power; why would it be given to Him at the end of the age (verse 14)?

It all goes back to Daniel 2. Daniel 2 has some evident signs of being fulfilled. That is true. But has it come into fullness? If it hasn’t been fulfilled entirely, then it isn’t enough. A partial fulfillment isn’t a fulfillment. This is that stone in Daniel 2 that establishes the kingdom of God forever. If it is that Christ comes back, and then everyone is either taken to heaven or cast into hell, then why would the kingdom grow? There is a Millennium in Revelation 20 that needs to happen. Many, many Scriptures speak of things that can only happen in the Millennial Kingdom. What is the Millennium? It is the thousand years that Jesus rules and reigns on earth. It is clearly marked that there will be heaven on earth.

So when we get to this part about every nation and men of every language worshipping God, we’re talking about either the Millennium or the New Heavens and New Earth. Which we place it in doesn’t matter for this commentary. Here is where there is freedom on your part to search it out and come to your own conclusion.

In verse 15 we start to see where God is interpreting the dream for Daniel. We find a little more detail being added in the later part of the chapter. We find in verse 21 that the little horn (antichrist) wages war against the saints and defeats them. This is paralleled in Revelation 13:7. He defeats them “until the Ancient of Days came” and pronounced favor on the saints of the Most High and they inherited the Kingdom forever.

We see in verse 24 that the 10 horns are indeed 10 kings. The antichrist comes out of this kingdom and will “put down” or subdue 3 of the other kings.

We get to verse 25 and find the first mention of laws and “set times.” These are references to the Jewish laws and set times (feasts). We will see this stated again in Daniel. Other places to reference would be Matthew 24 (when you see the abomination of desolation…) and 2 Thessalonians 2 (but the whole book is important).

Sadly, the ESV doesn’t really put the subject very well. Those who shall be given into the hand of the antichrist or a time, times, and half a time are “the saints.” The saints and the wise in the book of Daniel are the same thing. We’ll see them called wise later in the book. The saints are any people who believe in Jesus. In Revelation 12, the dragon pursues the woman (Israel) and can’t overtake her. He then turns against the saints – “those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

We next find in Daniel 7:26-27 that God judges the world. Once again, I want to emphasize that there is more to what happens than this. But this is just the framework. So to not cause for it to be too difficult to grasp at once, I am only putting down what we see. After the 3 ½ years (time, times, and half a time), we enter into the Millennial Kingdom. Daniel wouldn’t have thought of it that way. The way that it seemed to the prophets of the Old Testament was that there was the end of this age and then the next. When the Messiah comes and rescues Israel and restores them to their Land, that starts the next age (we would call it heaven).

So when we read that the nations are handed over to the saints, and the saints will rule over them, understand that this is only a piece of the puzzle. The 1000-year reign of Christ was only hinted at (if even that) in the Old Testament. It wasn’t until the book of Revelation was written that we find any concrete evidence for such a claim. Now that it has been revealed, though, we can understand and put into perspective a ton of prophecies and promises.

And thus the chapter ends.

Daniel pt 6

We've reached Daniel in the lion's den.

The story starts with King Darius desiring to set up 3 rulers over all the nobles and magistrates and governors of the kingdom. Daniel was chosen as one of these 3. Daniel then shows himself to be leaps and bounds over the other two, and Darius starts considering allowing Daniel to be over everything and everyone, second only to himself.

The other governors with Daniel were jealous. They looked for reason to expose Daniel and reveal that he isn't qualified or that he has a spot of wickedness or deceit. They couldn't find any flaw in Daniel. He was blameless in all things.

This is how the story starts.

Up to this point we've been talking about wrestling with principalities and powers and fighting against the system that nations hold to which is rooted and grounded in the Satanic system. Now we've seen excellent characters in these men before, but here we get it right in our faces.

Daniel was perfect.

And Jesus hadn't even died yet.

In his humanity...
Daniel has no fault.

What excuse do you have?

What excuse do I have?

We not only have the Holy Spirit within us and the New Covenant and the complete Bible, we have more opportunity than he had. This is a nation that has a church building around every corner. We have Bible Colleges and seminaries in every major city (and some in small towns). With all of the teaching, all of the opportunity, all of the community, and without the persecution that other nations experience when they simply reveal themselves as a believer, we have absolutely no excuses.

And yet we use these things as excuses.

Oh, we are just too common with these things.
And who's fault is that?
We have become complacent because we don't get persecuted...
If you don't receive persecution it is because you are out of the faith.

Lets be completely honest.

The whole point of the stories in the Book of Daniel (even this one) have been that if you walk in the way of God and fully trust in Him, you will be in fierce opposition to the gods of this world. They will desire to rule over you, but they have no ability to. Thus they resort to violence and other forms of forceful methods to try to cause  you to surrender to them. When that doesn't work, they try kill you. When that doesn't work, they imprison you.

The fact that many people will not listen to other believers because they have been to prison is a testimony against us. We think that if someone goes to prison, they were in the wrong. What did Paul do wrong? What did Jesus do wrong to deserve death? What is Daniel doing wrong here?

Daniel is being a righteous man, and his reward for that is torment, torture, and false accusation.

People foam at the mouth and gnash their teeth. They get so puffed up and angry when you simply live according to the way of God. It doesn't take "doing" anything. If you simply are in Christ and residing there not offending the Spirit of God, then you will offend every other spirit.

And this is the call we're all given. "Go and sin no more."

Now, once again notice the antichrist theme. "Make a decree that no one can petition any man or god except you, oh king!" What a mockery! It always baffles me when I read in Revelation 13 how the people will ask, "Who is there like the beast? And who can make war with him?" These are direct implications that the God of heaven cannot. And they are also manipulating the very statements about God that are found within the Scriptures.

This is the antichrist motives of the nations.

If you think this is some primitive form of exultation that has been abandoned since modern man, you are sadly mistaken. What do you think Hitler was? Germany was the supreme example of modern men. They were the very people to degrade and dehumanize hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of masses.

Daniel was set up. Did he break the law? Yes. Was it willing? Yes. But the people who went to the king knew the character of Daniel and fully expected him to continue to pray to his God.

There are countless cases that have been made against godly people simply because they bump the grain and push against the system. They are a threat to the kingdom of darkness, and they need to be exterminated at any price. Two great examples would be Fritz Springmeier and Kent Hovind.

You guys know how the story ends.

Daniel doesn't die.

The king then blesses the God of heaven.

The other men are thrown into the pit.

The lions devour the other men.

But what is really the focal point is the glory of God.

What if Daniel did die? What is it to us? Stephen died. And then Paul was converted. Whether God saves the man or not isn't the point. The point is that God gains the glory. This is what causes someone to live in a way that Daniel lived. When your whole life and outlook and mindset are all bent on "to God be glory forever," then certain aspects of life will fade away.

If it is all about God's glory, what do riches matter? What does success matter? What do it matter if you are liked? What does it matter if people think you are the holiest person around? What does it matter if you see revival everywhere you go? What does it matter as to whether you have credential or not? Does it really matter of how much money you make at your job, or what job you have? Does it really matter where you live? Does it really matter the size of house or quality of car?

Some of these things do matter, but in a completely different light. It is all about God's glory. If that isn't the case, then lets pack up our things and go home now.

Lets not loose focus, because we're about to start touching some of the eschatological implications of Daniel. If our perception and hearts are wrong, then we're going to be conceited and twisted in the way we view these visions.

Daniel pt 5

This story seems to go straight from chapter 4. It does seem like the first 6 chapters of Daniel move from one story to the next to the next in a very intertwined way. We are about to read about the son of Nebuchadnezzar after his father lost and regained his mind.

So lets start with the ideology that we ended from last time.

When we read about the king of Babylon, we're reading about a type and pattern. Belshazzar is a type of antichrist, but the antichrist is a type of Satan. And here is where it starts from: Belshazzar is holding a huge party and decided to bring out the gold and silver vessels from the temple of God to use. From that simple mindset, what are we dealing with here?

This is obviously a type and pattern of the antichrist who calls himself god and sits himself in the Temple. He has no respect for God nor for any other god. His pride has caused him to have no fear, even though his own father was humbled by the same God that he is defying here and now. It isn't hard to see how this is a foreshadowing of the antichrist and Satan.

It isn't any wonder why the writing was put on the wall.

MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN

The repeat of MENE would tell me that most likely this forms two sentences:
You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting, so God has numbered your kingdom and finished it. God has numbered your kingdom and finished it, so your kingdom has been divided and is given to the Medes and Persians.

So that very night Belshazzar was slain and Darius the Mede was made ruler.

Are there any deeper insights to look into?

I guess we can recap.

In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar's dream had foretold that the Medes and Persians would overtake his kingdom.

In Daniel 3, we have a display of how three young men (practically still boys) stood up to an entire system that represents an antichrist Satanic system. From this the young men were delivered. God overcame this system and now offers freedom from the oppression and bondage of such a kingdom.

In Daniel 4, we see how this kingdom of darkenss was still at work in the heart of Nebuchadnezzar. He, like his father Satan, had pride in his heart and refused to acknowledge and give credit and glory to the God of Heaven. He was then cast out into the wild like an animal and humbled before being restored into his right mind. This is essentially all of our stories  as people who were once bestial and hated everything and everyone living under the Satanic influence of society and culture before we were brought into a place of death that we might be resurrected by the glory of God. This is how we all found salvation.

Here we are in chapter 5 with Nebuchadnezzar's son knowing all of this and yet still refusing to acknowledge or give glory to God.

Thus God stripped the kingdom out of his hands.

This brings me to ask a question.

Do you believe that God really has power to influence and govern nations?

It says in Deuteronomy 32 that God established the borders of the nations according to the number of Israel.

Does God have that much power and influence?

Can God really set up nations and tear them down?

Can God really establish the rulers and kings?

Does God really do this?

The Bible says He does.

Yet many of us live as though He doesn't.

Many of us who claim to believe this very claim live and act like we don't think He can actually do it.

If only Obama wasn't in office!

If only Romney would have won!

If only we wouldn't have a government full of Democrats!

Or even worse!

Liberals!

Oh that God would give us a Republican government that will rule this nation correctly!

Yet the worst thing that God can do is give us a Christian President that will make the "right" plans and choices that we can all follow and believe in.

Even if we don't want to admit it, we really don't seem to believe that God has a role in the secular affairs of men. We don't really seem to believe that God can or does work in government places. He is somehow outside looking in. And then we want to say He is all powerful.

But God does establish kingdoms and rulers. He also brings them down. The God of the nations is always making His ways known to those very nations. It takes a prophet to be able to recognize the role and affiliation of God in these secular affairs. The prophet can see through and proclaim the authenticity of the situation. The prophet can understand and proclaim it on the mountain.

Obama is a judgment.

So are most all government officials.

They are all puppets anyway.

They are all submissive to the force that influences the culture and society to promote homosexuality and abortion and lewdness and public nudity.

They are only pawns to the Satanic kingdom that rules and governs all governments and nations that refuse to acknowledge God in all their ways. Righteousness exults a nation, not programs and wealth and stimulus and low unemployment rates. Righteousness can only come from God. Otherwise it isn't righteous. It might be moral, but it isn't righteous. God alone is righteous and apart from Him can be no wisdom, prudence, or righteousness.

And this is where we fall.

We think that problem comes from the wicked government.

It actually comes from the lukewarm and wicked Church.

Like Jesus told the Church in Sardis: "I know your works, that you have a name that says you're alive, but you are dead. Be watchful and strengthen what remains: it is dying fast. For there are not yet any of your works that I can call perfect before God."

How many congregations come to mind with that one?

How many people do you think of?

How many ministries that make tons of money even, and yet are nothing but show and pizzazz?

The Spirit isn't moving. And thus the Spirit is stifled. With the Spirit comes life. Without the Spirit, we speak death. How many believers and congregations can you think of that are dead men speaking to dead men about dead sermons and dying dreams?

This is why we're where we're at.

We haven't seen or experienced any kind of government official that would be humbled like Nebuchadnezzar because we haven't had any kind of witness to confront the system that is employed.

I said in an earlier blog that the first chapters of Daniel are preliminary before we can dive into the prophecies of Daniel. It takes a certain kind of character and mindset to comprehend what God is speaking. Generally we have been lacking in this character and mindset, but I believe that God is able to raise up people who are able and willing to humble themselves. Humility and willingness are the keys. Without them we won't have a proper attitude to move on into chapter 7.

But first, lets look at chapter 6.

Daniel pt 4

We have reached part 4 of our quest through the book of Daniel. I must admit that I have no idea how to look at this chapter. So much of what is in it seems too obvious to try and point out. What is interesting is the way this chapter starts:

Nebuchadnezzar the king,

To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:

Peace be multiplied to you.

2 I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me.

3 How great are His signs,
And how mighty His wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And His dominion is from generation to generation.

We saw from the last couple chapters that Nebuchadnezzar did not acknowledge the Lord previously. So between Daniel interpreting his dream, which only the gods could do, and Azariah, Mishael, and Hananiah walking through the fiery furnace without being burnt, Nebuchadnezzar is now a believer.

At least it seems that way...

We read on and quickly come to realize that Nebuchadnezzar has another dream that terrifies him. The dream is of a tree that is very large and very tall. The beasts of all the earth find shade under it. This tree could be seen from all the earth. It was lovely to look upon.

But then a holy one from heaven comes down and cries, "Chop down the tree and cut off its branches!" They rip off the leaves and scatter the fruit and cause the birds to fly away out of it and the animals to run from underneath it. They leave only the stump and the roots.

We find an interesting wording in verses 15 and 16... The tree is no longer looked at as an inanimate object, but as a "he." Let "him" graze with the beasts. Let "his" heart be changed from that of a man to the heart of a beast. Let seven times pass over "him."

And the decree for the end of the dream is that all of this is to show that God rules over the kingdom of man and that He has the authority and power to put in place whom He will and to take them out of place when He desires.

Daniel interprets the dream because the rest of the magicians and Chaldeans could not. Daniel says the tree represents Nebuchadnezzar. He has grown strong and prideful. So the decree has been made that Nebuchadnezzar will be cast out from civilization and he will lose his mind. He will eat grass like the oxen and become more animal than human. But after seven "times" have passed, he will be restored.

The idea of the "times" is that from one Passover to the next is one "time" or season. So a time is a year. This is how the translators get that.

Now we see that Daniel tells the king to humble himself. But within a year's time, Nebuchadnezzar is cast out just like the dream had said he would be. When you read the text you find that the king did not believe that God gave him the kingdom. "I have built Babylon for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty." He sure sounds humble...

So Nebuchadnezzar is cast out and he eats grass like oxen and his hair grows long like feathers and his nails grow long like bird's claws.

The story ends with Nebuchadnezzar coming back to his right mind and blessing the God of heaven. The last sentence of Daniel chapter 4 is, "Those who walk in pride He is able to put down."

This is once again a message to us about the principalities and powers that influence us.

We have all bitten the apple that says knowledge is power. We have all accepted the idea that you have to look out for yourself because no one else will. We have all been taught very heavily by the culture around us how to live in opposition to the ways of God.

It isn't beyond any one of us to say, "Look at this lifestyle that I have made for myself."

I was reading in Ezekiel 31 how Assyria was also likened to a tree that is cut down. Which is something in and of itself that needs to be understood. Babylon and Assyria come from the same descendant: Nimrod. Nimrod is found in Genesis 10 amongst the genealogies of Ham. Nimrod was the one who built the tower of Babel. He was also the creator of the detestable god Molech. Why was Molech detestable? Molech required the sacrifice of your first born.

Now here is where it gets interesting...

Nimrod died. According to legend, Ham chopped him up into little pieces and sent a piece to each of the nobles of Nimrod's kingdom with the message, "This will be your fate if you continue to practice such wickedness." Nimrod had a wife. Her name has been translated as many things: Inanna, Ninhursag, Ishtar, Astarte, Artemis, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Venus.

She was the mother of a son named Tammuz. Tammuz is found in Ezekiel 8 as the priests at the Temple are weeping for him. Tammuz is known as the light bearer. In Latin, light bearer reads "Lucifer." Tammuz is a satanic figure. It is foolish (and if you do your research you'll see I'm right) to say that Tammuz doesn't represent Lucifer. Osiris represents Satan; Attis represents Satan, Adonis represents Satan, Cupid represents Satan; Baal represents Satan.

Where do I get this?

The mother of Tammuz was Ishtar. We find them in several other religions:
"Cupid is a Roman name (also called Amor) associated with his lover Venus. They are the god and goddess of love whose stories ill the mythologies. Venus and Cupid were known by many other names. In Babylon they were Semiramis and Tammuz. In Egypt they were Isis and Osiris. In Phoenicia they were Ashteroth and Baal. In Greece they wereAphrodite and Adonis (Eros). In Iceland they were Frigga and Balder. Even in the far East, Cupid was known as Zoroaster (zoro, ‘‘seed of’’ and aster or ‘‘ashteroth’’)

Aletheia Archives; The Bookshelf
February 1994; Vol. 2, No. 2

So when we're talking here about Babylon or Assyria being a tree that is chopped down, we're really talking about something beyond just Babylon or Assyria. This is a demonic religion that has been enforced since a couple generations right after the flood.

This is why we see many times that what is said of Egypt sounds like the antichrist. Many times what is said about Babylon or about the king of Tyre sounds like it is talking about Satan himself. Satan is the ruler of these nations. The kings and priests and other authorities are only pawns being influenced by the Satanic principalities and powers.

I believe that this ties in with the book of Revelation (which we'll be discussing a little bit as we go through Daniel's visions) in that the antichrist and the dragon that represents Satan are both representations of completely separate kingdoms. There is an unbroken continuum from Satanic nation to Satanic nation. It leads us all the way to today that there are certain secret societies and sects that believe that they are descendants of the Roman Caesars, of Jesus and King David, of Nimrod, of the Babylonian magicians, of the Egyptian Pharaohs that had ancient mystical powers, or of Masons that had magical powers and worked on King Solomon's Temple and Palace.

All of these secret societies are interwoven. They know each other. They look out for one another. These secret societies are front organizations or an even more secret society that has the majority of the world's wealth. They are an elite group of Satanists who still perform Nimrod like occult rituals. From Nimrod all the way through to the end of Revelation 19 there is this unbroken continuum of many nations ruled by one figure: Satan.

This is why Babylon is the beast in Revelation 17 and 18. Babylon was established by Nimrod and it is alive and well today. God has already proclaimed His judgment upon it. When we speak of these principalities and powers, we're speaking of something much deeper than just demonic possession or even demonic oppression/influence. We're speaking of an entire system that has been set up and that is being taught by mainstream media and Hollywood.

That is why Kanye West is caught wearing pants with Pentagrams and other Satanic symbols on them. That is why Drake's logo is an owl. That is why Kesha and Katy Perry and Madonna and Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and the Kardashians and Miley Cyrus and Justin Timberlake and Eminem and Lil Wayne and Rihanna and Jay-Z and Beyonce and Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars and R Kelly and Snoop Dogg and Amber Rose and Ciara and Rick Ross and many others are all working very hard to pervert the minds of our society. They sing/rap about garbage, they promote garbage lifestyle, and they themselves are garbage.

You find a lot of Satanic symbolism and occult rituals in performances, music videos, and lyrics.

Our society is being swamped with Satanism.

So when we're talking about the principalities and powers and their influence on culture and society and politics (which there are many politicians who are Skull and Bones members or Masons), we're talking about a very real thing.

God will take that whole system down. And after He has taken that antichrist, false prophet, and the system that comes with it down, He will then destroy Satan. These are very real and tangible things.

So may God teach you and preserve you and keep you in a way that will help you from being influenced by the devil. I pray that each of you might be able to learn and teach others. As we continue through Daniel, we'll find more instances to get into greater detail.

Daniel pt 3

           Continuing through Daniel, we reach chapter 3. In chapter 3, we see these three men of Daniel’s companions stand in opposition to an entire faulted system. The system is that the king orders, and the king gets what he orders. He has the power, and he will exercise this power without humility. There is no need or reason to be humble. You listen to him because you are the peon in the pew, and he is the pastor. You are the peasant in the plain; he is the president in the palace. You are the plodder; he is the professional. Got the picture?

            This stems directly to how we’re taught to think about ourselves. We’re worth more than what we have. We’re taught that we deserve the best in life. We’re taught that we deserve the Hollywood lifestyle, even if we’re making a few percent (or in my case, not even that) of what Hollywood makes. We’re taught that it’s ours for the taking. This mindset of the king’s isn’t some peculiarity or an anomaly. It is what the principalities and powers preach. It is what every person feels, even if only slightly.

            In this chapter we have King Nebuchadnezzar make the law that when trumpets and flutes and all kinds of music start playing, you are to bow down to the statue. How else might I express this? This is the same kind of system that says if you will bow down and play by the rules, then you will be exulted. This is the system that says you just have to work hard, and if you continue to work and be faithful, then you will be promoted. Yet what actually happens? The guy who has the connections gets the promotion (not always, but you get my point).

            Nebuchadnezzar here is a representation of Satan himself. Satan lies and manipulates. You can have fame and stardom if you sell your soul to get on television. You can have money (all of it in the world) if you will only obey his rules and his authority. In fact, the music industry and hollywood is known to force people to sign their names in blood and promote Satanism. 

            This is a story about the end of the age. It's message might be the single most important teaching for our day and age. If you will submit your life to the powers that be, then you find yourself in a place of easement. But if you can see through the wisdom of the age, and that it is faulty through and through (for it has Satanic principles at its origin), then you will be fiercely opposed. If you decide to go against being the way of self promotion, self exultation, self relieving, self pity, self worth, self preservation (get the point with all the selfs?), and live as one who is dead to this world and alive in Jesus Christ, then you will be absolutely ridiculed in everything you do.

            This system cannot simply be something that you work for. You will either be vehemently opposed, or you will be tolerated. We live and work in the system that says, "Me first; if I don't take care of myself, then who will?" It can only happen one of two ways. Either we will reflect the system in our own lives, or we will be opposed in even our work environment because we reflect something greater. In this way, we show how the king is a symbol of every human being. This life is all we have, so we might as well live it up. We don't know whether we'll be around tomorrow, so lets get drunk, have sex, manipulate and steal our way to the top, care about no one and nothing else, and and "live life" big while we do it.

            The King has spoken, and you must listen. He has said that you shall worship this statue when the trumpets and horns and music start playing. And Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego continue to stand and neglect the worship of this statue. It is a stance against an entire governmental system that describes the last days and even these days here and now. These men defy something deeper than a government official. They defy the very spiritual powers behind that governmental figure.

            This is how you must read the Scriptures. When they are cast into the fiery furnace, it is because they have gone against the ways of the world. They have stood in opposition to something that everyone held to be “the way it is.” They stood against those dark powers that bind men to death and keep them bound, and offered the world resurrection by saying in their disobedience, “You don’t have to live like this.” They stand in the gap and tell the world all about the lie that society so preaches, and we in the Church have so believed. These three men came against a system that says, “If you’re ever going to have a house, you’ll need a loan.” Then I don’t need a house. I don’t need a car. I don’t need the supermarket. I’ll buy and sell in my own way. I find my own employment without having to support a system built by Satan. I’ll plant my own garden, and from it shall I eat.

            I believe that this is the answer to a question that I’ve heard quite a bit. If at the end of the times we cannot buy, sell, or trade, then how will we live? We will live by growing our own crop and taking care of each other. As it was at the first, where they sold everything and shared with one another, so it shall be at the end.

            That is why they were tossed into the furnace. The false humility of the king is also presented in that he offers them their lives if they will bow down to the statue of gold. Doesn’t this story just sound like all of the kid’s movies we’ve watched? The hero stands against all that is evil, and just when it looks like it might be the end, the evil doer gives one last chance to surrender to the dark side…

            They don’t. In fact, they insult the king. “Even if our God doesn’t deliver us, we’re still not bowing down to your stupid statue that doesn’t even talk, and that you built with your own hands. It is not a god, and it doesn’t deserve humanity to even acknowledge it.” It is no wonder why the king turned the heat up to the maximum.

            What does it say? How does the story end? These three men, our heroes, those who are within our cloud of witnesses walk in the furnace with a fourth man. And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods… There are obvious theological implications we can take from this. I’m sure you’ve either heard or thought about how Jesus walks with us through our fiery furnaces. What I want to glean is not the fourth person with them, but that they don’t smell like smoke, and they aren’t even singed. There is simply no evidence that they were even tossed into the flame.

            Where, oh grave, is your victory? And where, oh death, is your sting?

            Martyrdom isn’t something that is optional. It is a necessity. And because it is a necessity, it isn’t something that happens at the end of your life. Martyrdom is the style of living in opposition to these principalities and powers. You know persecution will come. You know death is an option. You live in opposition anyway. You bump against the grain anyway. Even when they threaten you with death, you say, “Our God will deliver us. But even if He doesn’t, we still won’t bow the knee.”

            That is martyrdom. We count it as blessing to walk through the fire of the furnace, whether it means life or death. Suffering isn’t something we fear. The displeasure of men (or our parents) isn’t something that we fear. We wrestle not with flesh and blood…

            All of this brings me to the story of Stephen. I have recently been convicted of having anger in my heart towards a fellow brother. I know it is true that God is offended at his behavior. Yet, I was not able to let it go and say, “Father, forgive him. He doesn’t know what he is doing.” What is it about Jesus’ character and Stephen’s character that caused them to say such things while they were at the verge of death?

            I believe, now, that it is an understanding of the powers behind such systems. When the religious system came against them, they were able to see that it wasn’t the people doing it. It was the powers that were ruling them. I had it wrong. This man is a brother. He is supposed to know better. He is supposed to know that this kind of action and unwillingness toward God is unacceptable. Yet, though he has no excuse, it wasn’t my place to judge him. I am to judge the angels.

            It is my place to stand in the gap for him, and to condemn the powers behind him that blind him. There was something in me of authenticity that stood against whatever was in him. Though it is true that it is evil in him, it doesn’t mean that he is evil. The opposition between the two of us was not noticed.

            He didn’t realize what was happening. And those people I gave that message to didn’t realize that when truth went forth, they didn’t have the capacity of truth in their own lives to receive it. So they rejected it by rejecting the messenger. It wasn’t that they are evil, it was that they are bound by Satan. And they need someone to be able to pray, “Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.”

            There has to be a generation who is able to stand against the powers, and at the same time offer to even the rulers and the kings and priests and prophets and all of those who oppose us freedom. We are to in one sense stretch out a hand in opposition, and with the other hand stretch out relief and freedom. With one hand we hold back the powers of darkness and with the other we offer hope. We wrestle not with flesh and blood, and this is how we can be a Daniel generation.

            This kind of thing doesn’t come with prayer and fasting. These things help, but they must come with wrestling. We have to wrestle with the Scriptures and with theology and with our community and with God Himself. We must be willing to truly pray. This kind of prayer that wrestles until the blessing comes is the only thing that will suffice. That is why this is only the introduction. We need to examine the character of God in order to understand better what details we need to pay attention to.

            At the heart of everything we do and say and believe is our perception of who God is. God’s one strike against Israel in the Psalms is “You thought I was one like yourself.” It was in the wrong understanding of God that the people Israel did wickedness. The same is true for us. It is in our wrong understanding of the character of God that we wrestle with flesh and blood instead of the principalities and powers.

            I believe that this is why the prophecies of Daniel don't come until after the stories of Daniel. The point is being pressed: you cannot understand this unless you understand God. You cannot gain wisdom without being open to whatever that wisdom might direct you toward. God might completely challenge your entire theology and the way you view the Scriptures. Are you willing to drink from that cup?
            There are some really challenging stories presented in the book of Daniel. They are the preliminary. God does not grant this kind of knowledge and wisdom to anyone. We must be a Daniel people. We must be able to wrestle as Daniel and his friends wrestled. We must be able to believe in God as they believed. This is no longer an option.
            I am becoming more and more convinced that the closer we are brought to Christ's return, the clearer it will become as to who is apostate and who is apostolic. The gray space will disappear. As the day grows closer, we won't be able to be casual. I would rather be in a mode of living in God's glory now so that when that day comes I won't have to change my lifestyle and heart and attitude. That's what it is all about, right? "To God be glory forever..."

Daniel pt 2

Daniel 2 is a chapter about how King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that he wants interpreted. He doesn't tell the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, diviners, astrologers, wise men (you get the point) counsel the content of his dream. I've heard it posed that the king forgot what his dream was about. That isn't hinted at in the Scripture. The king doesn't tell these men his dream and expects them to give both the content of the dream and its interpretation to insure that it is the true interpretation of the dream. He doesn't want to be tricked.

It is then said by the sages of Babylon that no man possesses such power as the king asks, and that the only way that the kings request can be answered is by that of the gods.

So the stage is set.

Does God speak with mortal men? Does God give wisdom and understanding to mere flesh? The sorcerers of the Chaldeans didn't think so. Of course, we know that their gods were only wood carvings overlaid with gold. We know and they knew that the gods were ultimately just these carved images that don't say or do anything.

But there is a man in Babylon by the name of Daniel. And there is a God of the Hebrews (from whom Daniel comes from). And this God does speak. He does give wisdom. He does reveal mysteries.

So even though it is impossible for man, nothing is impossible with God.

Lets just take a look at this dream and interpretation:

Daniel 2:31: “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Daniel 2:36: “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

Here is the framework for the End Times. Every vision in the book of Daniel gives more and more detail to build upon, but this is the very bare foundation. God gave a dream to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar.

In this dream, the king saw a statue. The interpretation is pretty obvious when you read how Daniel has interpreted it. The head was said to be Nebuchadnezzar. After him will come another king from another nation to destroy his kingdom. We know that this was Medo-Persia. Both history and the Biblical Scriptures attest to that. After the Medo-Persian Empire comes another nation to rule the world: Greece. Then a kingdom called Rome will conquer Greece.

Keep in mind that God is revealing only the foundation. We will find later that there are hints in the book of Daniel as to who these kings are. For now, it is only the natures that are given. However, I want to draw you attention to two things: this is one statue, and each metal is weaker than the last.

Each nation that rises up against the last is weaker in strength than the last kingdom. Silver is lesser to gold, bronze is lesser to silver, and iron is lesser to bronze. The feet on the statue are made of iron and clay. The question with most scholars about these feet is whether they are past or future. I believe that if I understand the interpretation, these feet are both. In the dream the iron represents Rome. Rome was run by a consul for a long time. Just before the turn of the millennium (from BCE to AD), Caesar Augustus took his throne.

Caesar Julius is well known as the first Caesar, but he was not the first authoritative emperor of Rome. Julius died and a strange star was seen in the heavens. This strange star is recorded in both history books as legend and also in the Bible as the star that led the Magi to Jesus. The Roman magicians and astrologers claimed that this star was Caesar Julius ascending to the right hand of the father god Zeus. Julius then claimed, “If my father was a god, then I am the son of god.” So it was declared that the emperors of Rome (the Caesars) were gods in the flesh. This started a new age in Rome.

I believe that this is a hint of what the feet might have been.

The feet could very well, and probably are, future as well. This doesn’t diminish the first interpretation at all. There was indeed the stone cut out of the mountain without human hands that came and established the kingdom of God on the earth. His name was Jesus. But there is a yet future demonstration of this because the statue has not been crushed and blown away. The nations of the earth still exist.

This is where I need to talk a little bit about it being one statue. The fact that it is one statue and not many statues is a representation that they are all ruled by one person: Satan. Though there are different rulers and different gods being worshipped and different nations and different practices, they are all under the guidance and dictation of Satan by being the very representation of his character.

The nations rage and conspire against each other. There is cheating and manipulation. Many of these pagan nations are very immoral.

In that very aspect of them being ruled by the mindset and value system of the devil, they forfeit their freedom to be governed and ruled over by the devil. This is why at the very end of it, all the parts of the statue are crushed and blown away by the wind. When Christ came, He died upon the cross and resurrected. He took the authority from the devil. He now has all authority of everything.

But if Jesus is the one who has all authority (Matthew 28:18), then why are there still kingdoms that aren’t under His rule and authority?

This is where the second interpretation comes in. There is a fulfillment of the dream in a sense with Rome. But here is where it wasn’t fulfilled. The dream ends with the Kingdom of God being in place on this earth. So that kingdom of iron and clay must be something yet future. This is will come up again and again. Follow me because many times translators and commentators alike will purposefully make the statement that this kingdom that must be future happened in the past.

The Book of Daniel pt 1

            The story of Daniel doesn’t start in the book of Daniel. There is a long drawn out history of Israel that needs to be fully understood. The thing that is most often misconceived is that Israel never followed God. This isn’t true. Before Israel was Abraham. It was to Abraham that the promise was given.

            God promised Abraham that he would be a nation, and that his offspring would be as countless as the stars. This wasn’t odd. In these times, cities and nations were named after real people. Real people had children, who then had children, who then had children. Five generations later, the family is now about 50 or 60 people. That’s enough to start a small town or city. The town or city continues to grow, and is named after the patriarch. God promises Abraham something that he has heard of, and has seen happen. Indeed, father Abraham had many sons; and many sons had father Abraham; I am one of them, and so are you… So lets just praise the Lord.

            It was all because of a simple belief. Abraham took God at His word. This started the continuation of a people who would take God at His word. When God speaks, the servant listens. Abraham’s son followed in Abrahams trust. And his son, Israel, also lived like Abraham. And then we get to the tribes of Israel. There were twelve sons. Everyone had their flaws, including Abraham. It wasn’t about that, though.

            There is a story in Genesis about how God makes a covenant with Abraham. God visits in the form of three people. They all travel to Abraham, and talk and discuss. Abraham has such hospitality that he doesn’t find it enough to open his door. He runs to the travelers (whom he doesn’t know is God), and begs them to stay with him. This speaks of the heart of Abraham, by the way.

            After this discourse, God makes a covenant with Abraham. The way that you would typically make a covenant is that each party gives offerings, and they lay out the offerings in a line. Each party then walks the line toward the middle to finalize the covenant. It’s like a handshake, but more symbolism.

            This isn’t what happens though. Abraham prepares all of the offerings. After preparing all of the sacrifices, he doesn’t get the opportunity to walk through. God walks through the whole thing to Abraham. The symbolism is that Abraham has nothing that he has to do. There isn’t an “Abraham’s side of the bargain.” It is all upon God and upon His faithfulness. God’s promises and covenants aren’t based on us.

            So when we get to the book of Exodus, and we see Israel the nation and the way they act and treat God, we have to understand that there is something bigger behind the story. The story is in itself a piece of a story. The exodus brings the people out of Egypt, which is out of bondage. The whole of the relationship between Israel and God is that God is the deliverer. It is a statement of that first covenant. God brings them out because of His faithfulness, not because Israel upholds their side of the bargain.

            Then the commandments are given. This isn’t what we think. In our Gentile minds, we see the giving of the Ten Commandments as being something that any god would do. I am God, you are not, so here is a do’s and don’ts list. That is not the heart of God. God longs to be with His people.

            The Ten Commandments were given in a wedding language. Ancient Jewish culture reveals that it is a groom who would give their requirements of their bride before they wed. The bride also gives her requirements, so each know what the other party expects. After the document has been made, they sign it, and they uphold their end of the deal. God is giving Israel His requirements. Interesting fact: there is what’s called a chuppa in traditional Jewish weddings which is a symbol of God being a “cloud” over the two being married (I wonder where they get the idea of God being a cloud over them…) This is why the prophets always refer to Israel in marriage language. This is why Israel “plays the harlot” instead of a prostitute. It isn’t that Israel is selling herself short by embracing other gods; Israel is cheating on her God.

            The story of Israel has its ups and downs. There are the good times and there are the bad times. You find the same thing with study of church history.

            The story takes us to a time in Israel’s history that I don’t believe anyone enjoys learning about. There was a shift between the tribes of Israel that caused for some to believe they were better than others, and others to actually believe that they were less. Because of this shift, the Kingdom split into two kingdoms: northern Israel and southern Judah. Judah was not only the tribe of Judah. They had the tribe of Benjamin, Manasseh, and a handful from all the tribes. The Levitical priesthood also remained in Judah.

            This split in the Kingdom only furthered the prejudice and hatred between tribes. Israel never had a good king. They were only always evil. Judah had some good kings, and wicked kings as well. There was a last good king of Judah. His name was Josiah. Josiah was very young (possibly in his early teens) when he became king. The priests found a copy of the Torah (possibly Talmud), and read it in the hearing of the king.

            Josiah was so broken over how far Judah had fallen away from the original intent of God that he rent his clothes and wept. He took all of the altars that were built to foreign gods and tore them down. As if that wasn’t enough, he then took bones and scattered them over the used-to-be-altars to defile them and ensure no one could ever use them again. There was a major reformation of Judah in the time of Josiah.

            Then he passed away… The next generation was the generation of Jeremiah. There is a story in the book of Jeremiah of how these priests and prophets bound Jeremiah up with intentions to kill him. In all of the commotion, some of the nobles and royalty came down from the palace and intervened. Of these youth who came down, some of them could have been Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. You probably recognize the first name (there is a book of the Bible named after him). The other three you also know. Their Babylonian names are Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego.

            Now here is where it gets interesting. It isn’t for certain, but it is very plausible that these four young men were some of them who went down from the palace to save Jeremiah. The reason this is so interesting is that it seems like the same men who would have defended the prophet before exile are the same men whom God promotes and protects while in exile.

            Do you see the question rising? How do we, in the world we live in now, live as a Daniel generation? We are in the generation after Josiah. If you don’t think so, then you’re severely mistaken. You’ll see what I mean.

            This is a decent question. The book of Daniel helps us to understand better as to what this looks like. In the very first chapter, you see the renowned men of Judah being brought before the king’s table to be taught with the Chaldeans. They learn in the school of Babylon, they learn how to divine, they learn how to be magicians, and they learn how to be good counselors for the king. The whole thing reeks of sin.

            But what do we read? “Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and asked the chief official permission not to defile himself in this way,” Daniel 1:8. There was something of a prophetic stature in Daniel to be able to see that this food and drink was not of God. When everyone else seemed to indulge and, I have to assume, count it as God’s provision, Daniel and his three friends stand up and say, “I would rather die than eat that.”

            There is more going on here. This kind of seeing doesn’t come into existence simply because we read our bibles and know that it says in Leviticus that we shouldn’t eat these meats… Every Jew was taught in the local synagogue to have the Torah (first five books of the Bible) memorized through and through by the time they would graduate elementary school. This takes sensitivity to the Spirit of God that is only formed by extreme devotion to the Lord. It is only built by our relationship with God.

            Daniel proves that age doesn’t matter. There are teenagers who understand deeper spiritual truths than 50-year-old pastors who have walked with the Lord for 35 years. It isn’t about how long; it is about how much. Your spirituality is measured by your devotion. Your devotion is measured by willingness.

            It says of Jesus that the Spirit was given to Him without measure (John 3:34). I don’t believe that this can happen to you and I unless we are devoted and willing without measure. Every stop sign that we decide to come up to, slow down, look both ways, then drive through is a negation of truth. It is in the details. There are thousands of examples from both everyday life and from the general path of life.

            Every time we cut someone off because we aren’t sure if we’ll ever have opportunity to pull out of the parking lot is detriment to our spirit. Did you pull out because you don’t trust the Lord to provide instance? What if you were supposed to stay longer for some reason the Lord had ordained? Yet we pull out and cut people off in hopes of getting to the next destination out of selfishness and pride.

            My wife and I don’t drive the highway. It promotes in people a mentality of “I have to get there now.” It diminishes patience. It takes away from our ability to wait on the Lord. It builds in us the kind of character that would cut people off. It builds in us the kind of character that would want instant gratification. It is of the flesh, and ultimately of the devil. The highway, fast food restaurants, processed foods, and anything promoting “instant” are traps and snares that develop mindsets that we don’t even realize they are developing until they have already entered in.

            Every time we bow the knee to Baal and we take a loan is cutting away from that which God has placed in us. Who is your provider? God? The bank? Your job? All of the above? You cannot serve two masters. If you can’t buy it outright, then you don’t need it. God will provide for your every need. If He uses your employment, then praise Him. If he uses your community, then praise Him. Do not go and get a loan when you don’t have money to afford that car, or that house, or that matching furniture. Everything in society is designed to be bought out of debt. Debt is spoken against through the entire Bible. I believe the deeper spiritual aspect is that debt is directly related to Baal.

            It is in these little things that we forfeit the Spirit of God. There are thousands of them a day. When we are willing to ignore the little details, we are willing to ignore the God of those details. We will not have the ability to discern the difference between the clean and the unclean, the precious and the vile. There will be gray area that the king’s meat will fall into where we’re unsure. There will be others who won’t even have the gray area of uncertainty. They will joyfully eat of it without remorse.

            Our spiritual testimony to the world hinges upon this. If we eat the food and drink the wine, we’re just like everyone else and our words have no power. To abstain from it, we will find fierce opposition (like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah). They were thrown into a fiery furnace. Daniel was put into a lion’s den. The gods of this world hate it when we oppose the system that they have placed in effect.

            It is our opposition to them that will cause for persecution. We won’t need to go searching. It isn’t about our prayer being neglected and our churches are full of lazy people. The real issue is that without the proper attention to these details, the kingdom of darkness is able to say to us, “Jesus we know, and Paul we know, but who are you?”