Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: 12POP
Program Code: 12POP000011
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00:46 Well this is a beautiful Sabbath Day
00:49 here in southern Illinois 00:51 and we have already been blessed with a wonderful message 00:56 at 9 AM with Shelley Quinn 00:57 and then the music program Love Rules! that we have just 01:01 really enjoyed. And Danny, I just feel the optimism and 01:06 the response of the people so positive to that message 01:11 in music. I was watching their faces as they were watching 01:14 the screen - yes - on that and I could tell that it was 01:16 hitting a chord with them. 01:17 That these are tools, and how important is our responsibility 01:22 to make sure our young people are equipped 01:25 with everything that we... all the tools we can give them 01:27 to help them learn about Jesus and His great love. 01:30 Amen. Well you know we mentioned last night 01:33 the number of networks that we have. Of course, we have 01:35 3ABN, 3ABN Latino. We have 3ABN Dare to Dream. 01:40 We have 3ABN Proclaim; 3ABN International; 01:44 3ABN Russian channel; 01:47 and then the Sonbeam channel on the Internet. 01:51 And so we just keep spreading the gospel. 01:56 I'm missing one... I know I am. 01:58 Mollie's trying to mouth it to me; I can't read lips! 02:03 Camille learned that years ago. 02:05 I am not a lip reader. If I ever lose my hearing, 02:09 I'll be in trouble because it's... 02:11 Well Danny, we're just so thankful that God has given us 02:14 another tool for reaching people with the gospel. 02:18 And we saw what happened with the Pillars music. 02:24 It went around the world. It was just unbelievable! 02:27 I've been in countries around the... I was in London 02:31 and we went to a church and they were singing 02:33 I Have Fixed My Mind On Another Time. 02:36 Chile and South America and Europe - around the world - 02:39 they're singing these songs. 02:41 And we believe that this is going to happen 02:43 with the young people in many different languages 02:45 on this project. We really do. 02:48 We believe that God is using all of these means 02:51 to spread the gospel. 02:52 Well listen, we want to ask you at home and those of you that 02:56 are here to be a very special part of helping support 03:00 this ministry at this particular time. 03:03 As I mentioned, I wrote a letter out. 03:04 Summer came early this year. You know, we didn't have much 03:07 of a winter, did we? No. And we always have a difficult 03:11 time financially in the summer 03:13 but we didn't expect that it would follow with the weather. 03:18 And two months prior to when we normally start running a little 03:22 short we started running short. 03:24 So we have made an appeal. You have been responding. 03:28 We praise God for that. 03:30 In this difficult economy 03:33 we believe that we must continue to preach the message 03:37 with power. We must not cut back. 03:41 The pen of inspiration tells us that that work which we 03:46 have not done in easy times 03:48 we'll have to do in more difficult times. 03:50 And I've thought about that, Danny. 03:52 I've thought: "Wow, we should have preached more when... 03:55 when things weren't quite so difficult. " 03:57 But God wants us to do it now 04:00 and He will sustain us. 04:02 Well Jim, when you look at what's being accomplished 04:07 by so few... And I praise God for 04:10 Jim and Camille... for him coming. Jim is a great 04:12 businessman. He's also a great spiritual leader. 04:15 And I don't say this to embarrass him or to... 04:17 but I want you to know that Jim has made cuts everywhere 04:21 he can to save money. 04:24 To literally... He has... I mean done an incredible job. 04:28 Brian... we're thankful for Brian, 04:30 for Mollie, for the Ad-Com Group. 04:32 For everybody getting together saying "Where can we cut down 04:35 on spending and yet not cut down on getting the gospel 04:38 to the world? " You see, that's the important thing. 04:41 Jesus said "Go ye... " So we've never been 04:44 here as a maintenance organization just maintaining. 04:48 So we believe that we have to go forward, 04:50 so by faith that's why we've done it. 04:52 We continue. When a need arises for Russia 04:55 now for the Sonbeam channel, for Dare to Dream... 04:58 What an incredible network, and thank you Dr. Yvonne Lewis. 05:01 She's here today. 05:03 Her father had been sick so she missed the first couple days 05:06 and for Bro. Hodge. We're praying for you. 05:09 If you're watching today, God bless you in recovery. 05:12 But Dr. Lewis is here, and what an incredible job 05:15 that she has done with Dare to Dream Network. 05:18 Reaching the needs of inner city people - young people 05:21 especially - without compromising the message. 05:24 Now that's an incredibly hard task 05:27 if you know about inner city life. 05:29 And yet the Lord brought Yvonne Lewis here 05:32 and so we couldn't say "no" to this. 05:34 Jim, you couldn't say "no. " No, absolutely not. 05:36 And yet you knew that our finances didn't really show it. 05:39 Folks, it's been an absolute miracle. All the new programming 05:43 that she has put together in the last 6 or 8 months. 05:45 And some of you are watching Dare to Dream. 05:48 You're seeing that. I had a lady yesterday... 05:50 Anybody watching Dare to Dream? 05:51 Yeah, and... All right. Quite a few of you. 05:53 You can get it on the Internet; also on what is it? G-19? 05:57 Yes. And on the Internet. So tune in to 3ABN 06:01 and click on Dare to Dream. Watch this great program. 06:04 That's right. Because it is unique. 06:06 And I will say this: Yvonne Lewis is one of the hardest- 06:08 working people I've ever known. 06:11 She does it with grace and ease. 06:14 You don't see her, but she gets to that office 06:17 early... You know, before noon anyway. 06:20 I mean I'm just teasing, but she doesn't leave till midnight. 06:25 She is really a hard-working person. 06:29 And when we go by there she's constantly working. 06:33 By the way, when she's taping she's here at 6 o'clock in the 06:36 morning if she needs to be. I'm just teasing. 06:38 Well now what we're saying is, see we could have said 06:41 "no. " Jim could have said "no" to this opportunity 06:44 of Dare to Dream, but he didn't. 06:46 Because we're depending on the Holy Spirit to impress 06:49 each of you to maybe do more than you've ever done before. 06:53 So we're asking you - those of you at home 06:55 and those of you here today - 06:57 we mentioned last night we kind of don't like to just 06:59 take up an offering because that offering plate gets 07:01 one dollars and five dollars without really thinking about... 07:05 I've been there in a position... Sometimes I'm there and they 07:07 pass an offering. And I reach in and give a dollar 07:10 or five dollars... maybe not even aware of what the offering 07:13 is about. But that's what you do when you when you're there, 07:15 right? But we're asking you to pray and ask the Holy Spirit 07:19 what He would have you to do. 07:21 Maybe there's something you have in your hand 07:23 that you say: "You know what? Lord, I'm going to dedicate 07:25 this. " Today maybe you want to write a check. 07:28 If you're not ready this morning, think about it. 07:30 You can hand it... Are these mine? That's mine. 07:33 Oh! Oh, OK... OK. You just inspired me. 07:37 OK... all right. On that truck? 07:39 That's the pick-up. You gave it to me? To the Lord. 07:42 Oh! I thought you were giving me the keys to the... 07:44 So why did you give me the keys to your truck? 07:46 No, I know what he did. 07:48 Jim's selling... He has a beautiful truck and he's 07:51 selling it and he's going to give 50% of that... 07:53 I'm giving 100%. I'm giving the keys right now. OK. 07:57 He gave it to the Lord and gave me the keys! 07:59 That's a pretty good deal. 08:01 So... Well I don't want it back, it's too tempting. 08:04 Yeah, but I will tell you... I'll tell you this: 08:06 that the Lord is coming, folks. It requires 08:10 sacrifice that we haven't done in the past years it does 08:14 require in order to get this message out. So this is 08:16 exactly... And you only had that just a few months. 08:18 It's a beautiful truck. Yeah. He feels guilty for driving 08:20 a nice truck and I hope... Are you trying to get that 08:24 to rub off on me? Oh, no no. 08:26 I have another vehicle though. 08:27 See? And so if you have another vehicle 08:30 you don't need... I didn't need a second vehicle. 08:32 No, I understand. I appreciate that... what you're doing. 08:35 And what we're saying today seriously: many of you 08:37 may have something that you want to donate. 08:40 And 3ABN... we've never needed it worse. 08:43 You know that we don't do praise-a-thons and beg-a-thons 08:45 but from time to time we make our needs known. 08:47 And this is one of those times. 08:49 This summertime our operating budget has been down so low 08:53 we really haven't known how we were going to pay things. 08:55 And we don't say this... You know we don't stand up 08:57 and do this very often. But I think people after 25 years 09:02 they think you're an institution. Yeah. 09:03 And a lot of people believe when they give to the church - 09:06 the Adventist church takes up a donation for media... 09:09 People say: "Oh I give to 3ABN when they take up an Adventist 09:13 media at our church we give. " 09:15 Well 3ABN is not included in that. No. 09:17 And rightfully so. We shouldn't be. We're not... That's right. 09:20 We're an independent supporting ministry 501c3. 09:24 But just so that you all know: the only money that 09:27 comes to 3ABN is what you give directly to us. 09:30 So we're asking you to think about it. 09:32 You to write a check as the Holy Spirit impresses you. 09:35 Not only now, but if you're not a monthly giver 09:37 if maybe you could give something a month. 09:39 Whether it's $5, $50, $100. The big gifts are great 09:43 but what keeps us going is the smaller gifts. 09:47 $25... $50. Jim asked some people to send in $61. 09:51 I had a birthday the other day and I didn't believe they would 09:54 and some people actually did send in $61 for the birthday. 09:58 He said: "I wished you was 71. " Yeah, right. 10:01 So... You look 75. I thought... 10:05 Next year he's going to ask for $76 because I looked 75 10:08 last year. Right and so... Well listen, 10:11 we just love the Lord and we want to be a part of His work. 10:14 Have a prayer for us, Danny. Would you? All right. 10:17 Lord, we thank you for Your blessings and Your love 10:19 and we thank you that You are the leader. 10:22 You have directed 3ABN into existence. 10:25 You have seen us before the foundations of the world 10:28 and you saw all the people that would join together 10:30 that care enough to take this gospel of the kingdom 10:33 into all the world. And I pray that You will impress 10:35 each of us today what we should do in doing our part 10:39 to take this gospel into all the world by giving of our 10:42 finances. Not only our time and our prayers but our finances. 10:45 So we pray that You will bless this offering today worldwide. 10:48 In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Amen. 10:52 Those of you at home, you can mail your checks where you 10:54 usually do here at P.O. Box 220, West Frankfort. 10:58 Or you can go on the website and click where it says donate 11:02 and you can donate by credit card immediately 11:05 and we'll receive that credit immediately. 11:08 Right now... Go ahead. I think we have Pastor C.A. Murray 11:11 coming out. He's going to sing during the offertory. 11:14 I'd better make sure the truck runs out here... so... 11:17 It's a nice Cadillac truck by the way. 11:39 He lifts my burden 11:45 whenever I'm down. 11:50 He gives me joy 11:54 when I'm wearing a frown. 11:59 He is my hope 12:03 in the midst of despair. 12:08 And He... He is my comfort 12:13 for He's always there. 12:23 So I sing 12:26 not because I feel like singing. 12:32 And I praise Him 12:36 though the end I may not see. 12:42 For whenever 12:45 I lift the name of Jesus 12:50 Jesus reaches down 12:55 and He lifts me. 13:06 He is the music 13:10 that makes my heart glad. 13:15 He whispers peace 13:20 whenever I'm sad. 13:24 He is the sunshine 13:28 that brightens my day. 13:33 And He... He is the lighthouse 13:38 to show me the way. 13:43 So I sing 13:47 not because I feel like singing. 13:53 And I praise Him 13:57 though the end I may not see. 14:03 For whenever 14:05 I lift the name of Jesus 14:10 Jesus reaches down 14:15 and He lifts me. 14:21 So I sing 14:24 not because I feel like singing. 14:30 And I praise Him 14:34 though the end I may not see. 14:40 For whenever 14:42 I lift the name of Jesus 14:47 Jesus reaches down, 14:52 turns me around 14:54 and He plants my feet on higher ground... 15:01 He reaches down 15:06 and He 15:10 lifts me. 15:25 Amen. 15:28 Amen... thank you. 15:32 Our speaker this morning needs no introduction. 15:36 Stephen Bohr has spoken here many, many times. 15:40 You know him from 3ABN. 15:42 You know him as President of Secrets Unsealed. 15:46 And this morning he will bring us a message 15:51 entitled: Daniel, the Book Theme. 15:55 And we will look at the theme of the book of Daniel. 16:09 Good morning. Good morning. Happy Sabbath to you all. 16:14 Happy Sabbath. No better place to be today. 16:17 Amen. 16:20 Our time is limited so I'm going to synthesize a few things 16:24 that I had intended on presenting. 16:30 We're going to actually speak about the historical portions 16:34 of the book of Daniel. 16:37 That's Daniel 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. 16:41 However, before we do let's bow our heads 16:45 and ask for the Lord's blessing. 16:47 Our Father and our God, 16:50 how wonderful it is to be in this place. 16:54 So many of Your family members gathered together 16:58 from so many places to render You the honor and glory 17:02 and praise that You deserve. 17:04 And also to hear Your voice speaking to us 17:07 through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Word. 17:10 We ask, Father, that as we study 17:13 Your Holy Spirit will be present in this place. 17:17 Give us clarity of thought 17:19 and willingness of heart to receive the seed of truth 17:24 that You have for us... not only those gathered here 17:28 but those who are watching all over the world. 17:32 We thank you, Father, for the privilege of approaching 17:35 Your throne in prayer, and thank you for hearing us. 17:38 For we ask it in Jesus' name, Amen. Amen. 17:44 The books of Daniel and Revelation 17:46 are saturated with symbolic terminology. 17:53 They have metallic men, 17:56 savage beasts, domestic sanctuary animals, 18:01 mysterious horns that speak, 18:05 strange actions like eating a book and having it be 18:10 sweet in your mouth and bitter in your stomach, 18:13 mysterious numbers. In order to understand 18:19 the meaning of these symbols 18:22 we have to decipher them or we have to decode them. 18:26 Because these portions of Daniel and Revelation 18:31 are dealing in symbols 18:34 and symbols must be interpreted. 18:37 In contrast to the apocalyptic sections 18:41 of the books of Daniel and Revelation, 18:44 and particularly Daniel in this case, 18:48 the historical chapters of Daniel are just simple, 18:54 up-front, easy to understand stories. 19:00 They do not contain symbols directly. 19:04 They are just a matter-of-fact story of things that occurred 19:09 in the period of the Babylonian and the Medo-Persian empires. 19:15 As I mentioned, these stories are straight-forward 19:19 and easy to understand. 19:21 For example, what child cannot understand the story 19:26 of the 3 young men that were thrown into the fiery furnace? 19:30 Very easy to understand. 19:33 What child cannot understand the story of Daniel 19:36 who was cast into the lion's den? 19:39 Once again, straight-forward, simple to understand. 19:43 These stories were meant to speak to people 19:48 in all times and in all places. 19:51 And they do not apparently have to be decoded or deciphered. 19:56 However, the stories in the first half of the book of Daniel 20:03 have a deeper dimension 20:07 than just being simple, mere stories that took place 20:13 once upon a time. These stories really illustrate 20:18 in narrative form the symbolic apocalyptic portions 20:24 of the book of Daniel. 20:26 In other words, these stories actually decode in simple, 20:32 matter-of-fact language the symbols that we find 20:36 in the apocalyptic portions of the book of Daniel. 20:40 Now the stories in the book of Daniel and the apocalyptic 20:45 portions in Daniel must be interpreted differently. 20:49 The apocalyptic portions like Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 20:54 and Daniel 8 through 12 we must use the principle 20:58 of historicism to interpret them. 21:01 They began in the days when the prophet wrote 21:04 and they are fulfilled in the course of history without 21:08 interruption until Jesus sets up His everlasting kingdom. 21:12 In other words, the apocalyptic portions of Daniel 21:16 have only one application. 21:18 They do not have multiple fulfillments 21:22 because they basically present the history from the time 21:28 of Daniel till the setting up of the everlasting kingdom... 21:31 every event in its proper order in between. 21:35 One application - the historicist application of 21:38 prophecy. The stories in Daniel 21:42 require that we use a different method of interpretation 21:47 because the stories are really types of end-time events. 21:51 In other words, these stories in a literal and local way 21:57 actually point forward to world-wide and spiritual events. 22:02 In other words, to the historical chapters of Daniel 22:05 we must apply the law of typology. 22:09 What once happened literally and locally 22:12 will happen once again on a global scale 22:16 and spiritually with God's spiritual people. 22:21 Now time will allow us only to take a look at two chapters 22:26 in the historical section of Daniel. 22:28 The first chapter that I would like us to take a look at 22:32 is Daniel chapter 3. 22:34 And the second chapter that I would like us 22:36 to dedicate time to is chapter 6. 22:39 So we're going to look at chapter 3 and chapter 6. 22:43 You know, if we had the time I would show you that every 22:47 single one of the historical chapters is a type. 22:50 Chapter 1 is actually the introduction to the book. 22:54 And as you examine this chapter the character of Daniel 22:58 and his friends foreshadows the character that God's people 23:02 will have at the end of time. 23:03 Daniel 3 and 6 we're going to study. 23:06 Daniel chapter 4 has a definite end-time application 23:10 to the kings of the earth. It teaches them tremendous 23:13 lessons about why they govern and the principles that they 23:18 need to apply in government. 23:20 Chapter 5 is in the foreground 23:24 of Revelation 16 and 17. The drying up of the Euphrates 23:28 and the fall of Babylon is told in Daniel chapter 5. 23:32 Each one of these chapters in the historical section 23:36 of Daniel really is a historical type of end-time events 23:40 that will take place on a much larger scale. 23:43 So let's take a look at Daniel chapter 3. 23:47 This story actually prefigures and foreshadows 23:52 the crisis that is described in Revelation chapter 13 23:57 and verses 11 through 18. 24:00 These two passages - Daniel 3 and Revelation 13:11-18- 24:05 have many, many common elements. 24:08 And I would like to draw several parallels between them. 24:12 First of all, in Daniel chapter 3 24:16 we have a conflict between the religion of Babylon 24:21 and the religion of Israel... the religion of the Hebrews. 24:26 The theme in the book of Revelation is also 24:29 the conflict or the controversy 24:32 between God's people - spiritual Israel - 24:35 and the harlot Babylon who is mentioned in Revelation 17. 24:42 Interestingly enough, in Daniel chapter 2 as you know 24:46 God showed Nebuchadnezzar how history would transpire 24:51 in that great image that had different metals. 24:54 But after God showed Nebuchadnezzar 24:57 how the kingdoms would occur in the history of the world 25:02 Nebuchadnezzar was unhappy with that. 25:04 And so in Daniel chapter 3 we find Nebuchadnezzar 25:08 making an image fully and completely of gold. 25:11 Now there's more here than meets the eye. 25:14 It involves more than false worship. 25:17 Actually what Nebuchadnezzar is saying to God in His face 25:22 he is saying: "History is not going to transpire 25:26 as You say. History will transpire as I say. " 25:30 In other words, Nebuchadnezzar is attempting to change 25:35 the prophetic scenario of how 25:38 prophetic history will develop. 25:42 Let me ask you: has the Christian world today 25:45 changed how end-time events will transpire? 25:50 Has spiritual Babylon done that? 25:53 Yes... by introducing methods such as futurism 25:58 and preterism, people misunderstand how prophecy 26:03 is truly going to be fulfilled in the end time. 26:07 Because God's scenario of prophecy has been changed 26:12 or has been shifted. 26:14 Both in Revelation 13 26:18 and in Daniel chapter 3 we have a beast. 26:23 As you remember, Nebuchadnezzar for 7 years lived as a beast. 26:28 In Revelation chapter 13 you have the mention of a beast. 26:34 In Daniel chapter 3 you have the beast raising an image 26:40 and in Revelation chapter 13 we also have a beast 26:45 who raises an image. 26:47 In both Daniel 3 and in Revelation chapter 13 26:51 we have an emphasis on mystical or mysterious numbers. 26:55 In Daniel chapter 3 we have an image that is 60x6. 27:01 In Revelation chapter 13 we have the number of the beast 27:06 which is 666. 27:08 We have no time really to show the relationship 27:11 between these two numbers. 27:13 There is a very close relation- ship between 60x6 and 666. 27:18 Both numbers are related to the sun. 27:21 In fact, Nebuchadnezzar when he raised that image 27:25 it was in honor of the sun god Marduk. 27:28 In antiquity gold was connected with the sun. 27:31 In fact it was called "the dew of the sun. " 27:34 In other words, the reason why the image was of gold 27:37 was because the people were actually worshiping the sun 27:40 god Marduk... whose number, by the way, is 666. 27:45 In both chapters the issue is worship. 27:50 In fact, in both chapters 27:53 there is a universal call to worship. 27:55 Nebuchadnezzar says: "All ye nations, tongues, and peoples: 28:00 when you hear the instruments play you shall 28:03 worship the image. " Revelation also speaks about 28:06 nations, tongues, and peoples in the end time. 28:10 Revelation chapter 17 and verse 15. 28:13 In both chapters you have a death decree 28:16 against those who will not worship the image of the beast. 28:21 In both chapters you have an insignificant remnant 28:26 that refuses to worship the image of the beast 28:30 and therefore they become subject of the death decree. 28:34 We have this remnant that refuses to worship... 28:39 even on pain of death. They would rather be obedient 28:42 to God and die than be disobedient to God and live. 28:47 In both stories you have a shaking. 28:51 You know, there were many Hebrews that were taken to 28:54 Babylon. Many of them were taught in the school of Babylon. 28:58 And yet when push came to shove 29:01 there were only 3 young men. We don't know where Daniel was. 29:05 But there were only three young men that stood there 29:09 in the valley of Dura and refused to worship the image 29:13 of the beast so to speak. 29:15 In Daniel chapter 3 the issue of conflict 29:20 is worship and also the commandments of God. 29:23 You see, the young men could not worship the image 29:26 because the Bible says "You shall have no other gods 29:29 before Me. " They could not worship 29:31 for the reason that the Bible says that we're not supposed to 29:34 worship any graven image. 29:36 They would not bring disrepute upon the name of God 29:41 by kneeling before that image. And furthermore 29:44 they would have dishonored their Creator 29:48 by worshiping that image that had been raised up. 29:52 In other words, the issue is primarily concerning 29:55 the first table of the law... the first four commandments 29:58 of God's law... that define what worship is. 30:04 In both Daniel 3 and Revelation 13 30:07 those who come up with the idea of building the image 30:12 and commanding people to worship on pain of death 30:15 it was not Nebuchadnezzar. 30:17 It was actually the Chaldeans... the religious leaders 30:21 who instigated the king - the civil power - 30:24 to raise the image and command everyone to worship. 30:27 In the end time, it will be the religious leaders 30:31 who will instigate the civil powers of the world. 30:35 If you read Revelation chapter 17 30:37 where it says that the harlot representing an apostate church 30:41 will fornicate with the kings of the earth. 30:43 The idea will not come from the civil rulers. 30:47 The idea will come from the church trying or attempting to 30:51 influence the state. 30:53 The wrath of Nebuchadnezzar will be reflected in the end 30:57 time against those who keep the commandments of God. 31:00 The Bible says in Revelation 12 verse 17 31:02 that the dragon was enraged with the woman 31:05 and went to make war with the remnant of her seed: 31:08 those who keep the command- ments of God 31:11 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 31:13 In fact, Ellen White describes the body language 31:17 of Nebuchadnezzar. You know, when he stated: 31:19 "And what God shall be able to deliver you from my hands? " 31:23 She states: "With hand stretched upward 31:27 in defiance he said these words. " 31:29 Signs of the Times, May 6, 1897. 31:32 She also saw in vision the face of Nebuchadnezzar 31:37 when he said these words. 31:39 She says: "Satanic attributes made his countenance 31:43 appear as the countenance of a demon. " 31:49 Does that bring to mind Revelation 12 and verse 17 31:53 where it says that the dragon "was enraged with the woman, " 31:56 primarily against those who keep the commandments of God? 32:02 In Daniel chapter 3 we actually find 32:05 the king, by instigation of the religious leaders, 32:09 establishing a religious observance. 32:13 In other words, the king is establishing religion. 32:17 Does that bring to mind something that we have in our 32:21 United States constitution? 32:23 The first amendment to the constitution says 32:26 that Congress shall make no law 32:29 respecting what? The establishment of religion. 32:33 Here you have the religious leaders influencing the king 32:37 to establish a religious observance and command everyone 32:41 to worship the image. 32:43 In other words, this would be today a violation 32:47 of the first amendment - the first clause of the first 32:51 amendment - to the constitution of the United States. 32:55 The church through the state 32:58 establishing an observance that has to do with worship. 33:05 In both of these chapters - Daniel 3 and Revelation 13- 33:09 we have a terrible time of trouble that ensues 33:13 where the faith of God's remnant is severely tested. 33:19 In Daniel chapter 3 the furnace is heated 33:22 seven times greater than ever before. 33:24 I don't think that Nebuchad- nezzar had a thermometer. 33:27 I believe that it says that he heated the furnace 33:30 as hot as it could be heated. 33:32 Complete and total heat. 33:34 In the book of Revelation God's people will live during 33:37 the worst and most intense period in the history of the 33:40 world when the seven last plagues will fall 33:44 upon the earth. 33:45 The Bible tells us that these three young men 33:49 preferred to die rather than to be disobedient to God. 33:53 And they were thrown into a fiery furnace. 33:56 I'd like to read you a statement from Great Controversy 33:59 page 621 where Ellen White connects the furnace experience 34:03 with what will happen in the end time with God's people. 34:06 Speaking about those who will go through that severe time 34:09 of trouble in the future she says: "Their affliction 34:11 is great. The flames of the furnace seem about to 34:16 consume them. But the refiner will bring them forth 34:20 as gold tried in the fire. 34:23 God's love for His children during the period of their 34:26 severest trial is as strong and tender as in the days 34:30 of their sunniest prosperity. 34:32 But it is needful for them to be placed in the furnace 34:35 of fire. " Notice the allusion to Daniel 3. 34:37 "In the furnace of fire their earthliness must be consumed 34:42 that the image of Christ may be perfectly reflected. " 34:48 Now I remember when I was growing up... When I was a kid 34:53 my parents and my Sabbath School teachers would tell me 34:57 "You know, you need to be a Daniel. 35:00 You need to be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego... " 35:04 as if they were the important figures in the story. 35:10 You see, the central focus of Daniel chapter 3 35:14 is not on the faith of the three young men 35:18 but on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Amen. 35:21 In fact, there's something very interesting in Daniel chapter 3. 35:24 Do you know that the word deliver is used 35:28 in this chapter four times? The word deliver. 35:34 Now remember that word because we're going to come back to it. 35:36 Let me tell you which are the four times. 35:38 In verse 15 Nebuchadnezzar asks: "And what God 35:43 will be able to deliver you from my hand? " 35:46 In Daniel chapter 3 and verse 17 35:49 the three young Hebrews say: "The God whom we serve 35:52 is able to deliver us and He will deliver us 35:58 from your hand. " 35:59 And then in chapter 3 and verse 28 after they're delivered 36:03 Nebuchadnezzar says: "God sent His angel 36:06 to deliver His servants who trusted in Him. " 36:10 The central theme of Daniel chapter 3 36:14 is the deliverance of God's people from their enemies. 36:21 Now we're going to discuss this word deliver 36:24 a little bit later on in our study this morning. 36:26 This word is used only in two other chapters in Daniel. 36:31 It's used in Daniel 6 36:34 and it's used in Daniel chapter 12 and verse 1. 36:38 Which tells us that there is a link between 36:42 Daniel 3, Daniel 6, and Daniel 11 and 12... 36:48 particularly the last few verses of Daniel 11. 36:52 As we study the stories of Daniel 3 and Daniel 6 36:58 we see what the issues will be in the end time. 37:03 The issues are not the oil of the Middle East. 37:08 The issue is not the Muslims vs. the Jews. 37:15 The issue is not the West vs. the East. 37:19 The issue is worship 37:23 and obedience to God's commandments. 37:28 So these stories help us under- stand what the issues will be 37:31 in the end-time conflict. 37:34 You know, this morning I was interested as I was listening to 37:37 Shelley speak about the covenant. 37:39 You know, Daniel chapter 3 37:43 has a strong emphasis on the covenant even though 37:46 the word covenant is not mentioned. 37:48 You see, these three young men had a covenant relationship 37:52 with the Lord. And the Lord said: "If you have a covenant 37:56 relationship with Me, I can guarantee 37:59 that I will protect you. " 38:00 In fact, Jesus - as a loving husband - 38:04 protected His wife so to speak. 38:08 Jesus as the faithful Shepherd protected His sheep. 38:12 Jesus as the head of the body protected His body. 38:16 Jesus as the sovereign King protected His subjects. 38:23 Now let me express an important principle 38:25 as we study this story. Do you see that this story 38:28 foreshadows the end times? 38:29 I mean it's as subtle as a freight train. 38:32 I mean it's very, very clear the parallels are striking. 38:36 Now let me express this to you: very important principle. 38:40 I'm speaking now about Daniel chapter 3. 38:44 Literal Israel was literally captive in literal Babylon. 38:48 The literal king behaved like a literal beast, 38:51 set up a literal image in a literal valley 38:54 commanding everyone to literally bow 38:57 and literally worship the literal image. 38:59 A remnant of literal Jews refused to literally bow 39:03 before the literal image and therefore they were thrown 39:05 into a literal fiery furnace 39:08 and were delivered from the literal flames 39:10 by Christ who literally came into the fiery furnace. 39:17 But all of these literal things become symbolic. 39:21 We no longer have a literal beast in the future. 39:25 It's not a literal statue 39:27 that is raised up in a literal valley. 39:31 The affliction of God's people will not be in a literal 39:35 furnace. The furnace is symbolic; the beast is symbolic; 39:39 the image is symbolic... but the issues are the same. 39:43 The issues will be worship and obedience... 39:46 covenant obedience to God. 39:48 Ellen White in Manuscript Releases volume 14 and page 91 39:54 connected what happened in the valley of Dura 39:58 with God's seventh-day Sabbath in the end time. 40:01 There's a connection. 40:04 You know, why do we worship God? 40:08 Because He's the Creator. 40:10 And what sign has He given us that He is the Creator? 40:14 The Sabbath. 40:16 You can't disconnect the Sabbath from worship 40:19 because the Sabbath is the sign of allegiance to God, 40:23 the Creator according to scripture. 40:26 This is what she says: 40:28 "An idol Sabbath has been set up 40:32 as the golden image was set up in the plains of Dura. 40:36 And as Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, issued a decree 40:41 that all who would not bow down and worship the image should be 40:44 killed, so a proclamation will be made 40:48 that all who will not reverence the Sunday institution 40:52 will be punished with imprisonment and death. " 40:55 Did you notice how she connects the two stories? 40:57 And you say: "But Pastor Bohr, 41:00 there's no relationship between worshiping a literal image 41:03 and worshiping on a certain day that God did not create 41:07 as the day of worship. " 41:09 Is it the same thing to worship the sun which they were doing 41:13 as they worshiped the image as it would be 41:15 to worship on the day of the sun? 41:16 People say: "It's not the same thing. " 41:18 Let's think about it... 41:20 and I'll be explicit. 41:22 Who created the sun? 41:25 God. 41:26 Did He create it for worship? No. 41:29 So what happens if you make it an object of worship? 41:32 It's called idolatry. 41:34 Now let me ask you: who made the first day of the week? God. 41:38 Did He make it for worship? No. 41:40 So what happens if you convert it into a day of worship? 41:44 It's idolatry. 41:46 It doesn't matter if it is an object or an image 41:51 or a day. Anything that man creates for worship 41:55 that God did not make for worship is idolatry. 41:59 That is the connection that we have in these stories. 42:04 Now we must move to Daniel chapter 6. 42:06 Man that clock is the greatest enemy in the world. 42:08 You know, for a preacher... 42:11 we just wish that the sun would stand still 42:15 as in the days of Joshua. 42:17 But it doesn't happen... it's relentless. 42:19 Let's go to Daniel chapter 6. 42:21 Actually in Daniel chapter 6 Daniel - like the 3 young men - 42:26 is a symbol of God's end-time generation. 42:30 Let me give you several characteristics about Daniel. 42:34 It says in Daniel chapter 6 that he was full of the 42:38 Holy Spirit. Are God's people going to be full of the 42:40 Holy Spirit at the end time? 42:42 God is going to pour out His Spirit without measure 42:45 in the latter rain and God's people will be full 42:47 of the Spirit. Daniel was a man of prayer. 42:50 His prayer life was more important than his own life... 42:54 his own physical life. 42:56 Will God's people in the end time be a people of prayer? 42:59 Absolutely! 43:00 Daniel had a passion to under- stand the 2,300-day prophecy. 43:06 We're going to talk about that this evening 43:08 in the last in this series. 43:10 Are God's end-time people particularly interested 43:13 in understanding the 2,300-day prophecy 43:16 as it applies to us today? 43:18 Absolutely! Daniel was faithful in his secular duties... 43:22 in his everyday duties. 43:25 In fact we know this because his enemies said 43:28 "there's no fault in the way in which Daniel carries forward 43:32 his everyday, common, secular duties. 43:34 We can't find anything wrong in the way that he deals 43:37 with his everyday affairs. " 43:39 In Daniel chapter 6 and verse 4 we find this. 43:43 Daniel chapter 6 and verse 4. It says: "So the governors 43:46 and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel 43:50 concerning the kingdom 43:52 but they could find no charge or fault 43:55 because he was faithful nor was there any 43:59 error or fault found in him. " 44:03 Will that characterize God's end-time people? 44:05 Is it also necessary for us to be faithful in our 44:08 everyday secular duties? Absolutely! 44:12 Because if we don't then the enemies of God's people 44:15 will have reason to accuse God's people in the end time. 44:18 So where did the enemies of Daniel have to find 44:22 something against him? Notice Daniel chapter 6 44:25 and verse 5. It explicitly tells us that they tried to 44:29 find fault with his religious convictions 44:32 and his religious practices. 44:34 It says there: "Then these men said: 44:37 'We shall not find any charge against this Daniel 44:42 unless we find it against him concerning... ' What? 44:46 'concerning the law of His God. ' " 44:51 What is the conflict over in Daniel chapter 6? 44:55 It is over the law of God vs. the laws of men 44:59 and Daniel's right to worship his God and pray to his God 45:04 according to the dictates of his conscience. 45:07 Now listen carefully: the second clause of the first amendment 45:10 to the constitution... the first clause says 45:13 "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment 45:16 of religion" but the second clause says 45:19 "nor forbidding the free exercise thereof. " 45:21 This story illustrates the second clause. 45:25 What happens when the second clause of the U.S. constitution 45:28 is violated... because King Darius or Darius as people 45:32 call him... King Darius was not establishing religion, 45:36 he was forbidding the free exercise of religion. 45:39 He was saying that you could not pray. 45:41 And Daniel says: "No, Nebuchadnezzar could not 45:44 establish religion and you cannot forbid the free exercise 45:47 of religion. " And so Daniel insisted on praying to his God. 45:51 Once again we have a faithful remnant 45:54 who chooses to worship God 45:56 and chooses to keep His commandments. 45:59 And life is not as important as being faithful to God. 46:03 He refused to obey this religious decree. 46:07 And by the way, in both stories you have the civil power 46:10 enforcing a religious decree 46:13 because his advisers told him to do it. 46:18 In the book of Revelation the dangerous powers for God's 46:21 people are not the civil powers of the world. 46:23 The Romans were no risk to Jesus Christ. 46:27 It was the church acting upon Pilate, the state at that time, 46:32 that led to the death of Jesus Christ. 46:34 And the same thing happened during the period of the 46:38 1,260 years. 46:42 A death decree was uttered along with this law 46:46 forbidding worship of the true God. 46:50 The law was written and it was signed 46:55 and a death decree was connected with it. 46:59 It's interesting to notice - I emphasize this point - 47:03 that this decree was actually given by authority of the king 47:07 but it was the religious advisers who actually 47:11 instigated him to do it. 47:13 And the king was totally deceived. 47:16 What happened when the king woke up and discovered that 47:19 he had been deceived? 47:21 Well... the princes became cat food. 47:30 Isn't that right? Absolutely! 47:34 Let me ask you: in the end time are the kings of the earth 47:37 going to discover that the religious systems have deceived 47:40 them into giving decrees against God's people? 47:42 Revelation chapter 17 verse 16 says 47:45 that the kings will hate the harlot! 47:48 In other words, they will hate the apostate church 47:51 and they will turn on her. 47:53 Do we have in Daniel 6 a great tribulation that 47:57 Daniel went through? Absolutely! 47:59 Do you think that his faith was tested? 48:02 No doubt whatsoever about it. He knew the lions were there 48:05 and he knew that the lions were hungry. 48:08 And yet in spite of this fact Daniel said: 48:12 "I have a covenant relationship with the Lord. 48:14 He has promised that if I am faithful to Him 48:17 He'll come through and He'll deliver me from the lions. " 48:21 Once again the word deliver that was used four times 48:25 in Daniel 3 is used five times in Daniel 6. 48:30 This connects the two chapters and then at the end 48:32 we're going to go to chapter 12 where you have 48:35 the final fulfillment of what is foreshadowed 48:38 in these two stories. 48:39 Notice in Daniel chapter 6 and verse 14 48:42 it says that Darius labored till the going down of the sun 48:47 to deliver Daniel. 48:49 You know the king... this is interesting. 48:52 The king exercised his authority. He thought he was 48:54 great. He was exercising authority by giving the decree. 48:58 And then he wasn't very free because he couldn't change 49:01 his decree. That means that his power was not absolute. 49:05 And so he did everything until sundown to deliver Daniel. 49:09 Not able to. 49:11 So in chapter 6 and verse 16 the king says to Daniel: 49:16 "May the God whom you serve continually deliver you... 49:21 because I can't. " 49:23 In verse 20 when Daniel's been thrown into the lion's den - 49:29 and I'm sure that he petted the lions while he was in there... 49:32 all night - 49:34 they behaved just like little kitty cats. 49:37 The next morning Darius who has not slept at all... 49:41 You know, he has these dark shadows under his eyes 49:45 and he's all depressed. He comes to the entrance and he 49:47 says in verse 20: "Has the God whom you serve 49:51 continually... " that's a key word... "continually 49:54 been able to deliver you? " 49:56 There you have the word deliver again. 49:58 In verse 27 after Daniel is delivered 50:03 the king says that "God delivers and rescues. 50:08 He works signs and wonders and has delivered Daniel 50:13 from the power of the lion. " 50:15 What lion? What is the central theme of Daniel chapter 6? 50:20 Deliverance! 50:22 What is the central theme of Daniel chapter 3? 50:25 Deliverance! Folks, we have trying times ahead for us. 50:29 There is going to be a time of trouble such as never has 50:32 existed in the history of the world. 50:34 It will involve worship; it will involve obedience to God... 50:37 a covenant relationship with Him. 50:39 And when the trying times come 50:41 we need to understand... we need to KNOW 50:44 that if we are in a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ 50:47 He will come through and He will protect His people. 50:51 Amen. 50:52 You know, God could have simply skipped these stories. 50:56 And He could have said: "You know, when you're going through 50:59 the end-time crisis I'll be with you. " 51:03 But God left these stories because He says: 51:05 "If I did it once, what makes you think I won't do it again? " 51:10 Amen! In other words, He left these stories as types, 51:13 as illustrations, as symbols 51:16 of what will transpire in the future. 51:19 The stories do have a second fulfillment. 51:22 The chain prophecies do not 51:24 because they... we apply to them the historicist way 51:29 of interpreting Bible prophecy. 51:31 Of course, the deliverance of Daniel is spectacular. 51:36 And you don't think the lions were hungry? 51:39 The Bible says - and by the way, did you notice? 51:42 Once again it's the enemies of Daniel who died. 51:45 Who died when the three young men were thrown into the 51:49 fiery furnace? The ones that threw them in. 51:52 In the days of Esther... this is a recurring theme 51:55 in scripture. In the days of Esther 51:58 who hung on the gallows? 52:00 The one who prepared the gallows. 52:03 In the book of Revelation do the kings destroy God's 52:07 people? No. They destroy the harlot 52:11 who prepared the plot. 52:12 In other words, God has given us these stories 52:15 to comfort us - comfort us - and to give us assurance 52:18 in the end time. Now listen folks: 52:22 the only other place that the word deliver is found in Daniel 52:25 is in Daniel 11:41. 52:28 And I'm not going to go into that because we have 52:31 a study on Daniel 11 a little bit later on today. 52:33 But in Daniel chapter 11 it speaks about 52:36 certain groups that escape the power of the king of the north. 52:43 The king of the north represents the same as the little horn, 52:46 the beast, the harlot, the abomination of desolation, 52:48 and the man of sin. They're all symbolic of the same system 52:51 at the end of time. 52:52 And though it's translated "these shall escape from his 52:55 hand" really it's the same Hebrew word 52:59 "these shall be delivered from his hand. " 53:01 It represents those who belong to every church where God has 53:04 true children who will escape before the destruction comes. 53:10 Will escape from the power that will oppress 53:13 and persecute God's people at the end of time. 53:15 Then of course it says that the king of the north 53:18 sets up the tents of his palace 53:20 between the seas and the glorious holy mountain 53:23 to deliver a final death blow against God's people. 53:28 Then you have the last reference to the word deliver 53:31 in the book of Daniel... Daniel chapter 12 and verse 1. 53:34 It says: "At that time... " And now we're dealing not with 53:37 Daniel's day... we're dealing with the end of time. 53:40 That which was foreshadowed in Daniel 3 and Daniel 6 53:44 will now be described in Daniel chapter 12 and verse 1. 53:47 "At that time Michael shall stand up. " 53:50 Who is Michael? 53:52 Jesus Christ. 53:54 What does that mean that He's going to stand up? 53:56 Actually it means that probation will close. 54:01 And when He stands up He stands up to defend what? 54:06 "Who stands in favor of the children of His people. " 54:10 But then notice it says: "And there shall be a... " What? 54:14 "There shall be a time of trouble such as never was. " 54:18 Did that happen in Daniel 6? 54:21 Did that happen in Daniel chapter 3? 54:24 Absolutely! But then it says 54:29 that at the end of the time of trouble 54:32 God's people will be what? God's people will be delivered, 54:38 every one who is found written in the book. 54:43 You see, folks, these stories of Daniel 3 and Daniel 6 54:49 are a living historical illustration 54:51 of the deliverance of God's people at the end of time. 54:55 They teach what the issues will be. 54:58 They teach that there will be a remnant. 55:00 There will be a death decree. 55:02 The issue will be worship and the observance of God's 55:04 commandments. There will be a severe time of trouble. 55:07 But the glorious truth is that in the midst of that 55:11 terrible time of trouble such as never has been, 55:13 during the period when the 7 last plagues are falling, 55:17 so to speak the furnace is heated seven times than ever 55:20 before Daniel chapter 12 and verse 1 tells us 55:24 that God's people will be delivered... 55:28 every one who is found written in the book. 55:31 Incidentally, if it says every one who is found 55:37 written in the book then their names must have been written 55:40 in the book before this. 55:43 Which indicates that there was a judgment that took place 55:46 before where God wrote their names in the book. 55:51 I'd like to end by reading a verse 55:54 that has been a comfort to me. 55:57 I know it's been a comfort to many 55:59 throughout the course of the history since it was written. 56:03 It's in that beautiful Psalm 56:06 that many have memorized... Psalm 23. 56:11 The Psalmist says: 56:13 "Yea though I walk 56:17 through the valley of the shadow of death 56:20 I will fear no evil... " 56:23 Then what does it say? 56:26 "for Thou art with me. 56:29 Thy rod and Thy staff 56:33 they comfort me. " 56:35 We need to be studying the promises of God. 56:39 We need to be committing those promises to memory 56:42 because we will need to quote those verses 56:46 to ourselves and to those we come in contact with. 56:50 Because ultimately God will have the last word. 56:54 You know, if you look at the book of Daniel 56:56 the central theme really is that God will have the last word. 57:00 He will set up an everlasting kingdom with His people, 57:04 a kingdom that shall never be destroyed. Amen! 57:09 I pray to God that we will be members of that kingdom. 57:12 Let us pray. 57:15 Father in heaven, 57:17 we thank you for giving us these stories from the past. 57:23 We thank you that through them we are able to see 57:27 clearly what will happen in the future. |
Revised 2014-12-17