Let's pray. Our Father,
00:01:13.10\00:01:16.45
we thank you so
much for Your holy Word.
00:01:16.65\00:01:18.80
It would be a terrible thing
to be in this world without
00:01:19.20\00:01:22.29
any guidance from You.
00:01:22.39\00:01:25.29
We just ask that as
we open Your holy Word
00:01:25.59\00:01:28.87
and study this
marvelous prophecy of Daniel 2
00:01:29.07\00:01:31.56
that Your Holy
Spirit will be with us
00:01:31.86\00:01:34.27
and help us understand
that we're living at the very
00:01:34.47\00:01:37.59
last moment of time.
00:01:37.69\00:01:39.22
Help us to commit our lives
to Jesus fully and completely
00:01:39.52\00:01:43.78
that we might be ready
for His glorious coming.
00:01:44.18\00:01:46.91
And we thank you
for hearing our prayer.
00:01:47.11\00:01:49.07
For we ask it in
Jesus' name, Amen.
00:01:49.17\00:01:52.72
We want to begin our study
today in the book of Genesis
00:01:53.98\00:01:57.27
chapter 1 and verse 28.
00:01:57.47\00:01:59.89
Genesis chapter 1 and verse 28.
00:02:00.10\00:02:03.40
And I'm going to
underline two ideas that we find
00:02:04.89\00:02:08.46
in this verse... which
we have underlined before.
00:02:08.66\00:02:10.72
But we're going to look at this
from a different perspective
00:02:11.02\00:02:14.60
in our study today.
00:02:14.70\00:02:16.18
Here God is creating man
00:02:17.75\00:02:22.19
and notice what
He says... verse 28:
00:02:22.49\00:02:26.58
Two ideas. First of
all man was given dominion
00:02:49.05\00:02:52.91
and secondly, the
territory of his dominion was
00:02:53.41\00:02:58.37
everything
relating to planet earth.
00:02:58.57\00:03:01.29
In other words, God
expected Adam and Eve
00:03:01.49\00:03:06.10
to reproduce, to fill
the earth with a holy race,
00:03:06.30\00:03:09.50
and that God's kingdom would
spread all across the earth.
00:03:09.70\00:03:13.42
But then sin
came into the world.
00:03:14.80\00:03:16.82
Notice what we find in
the gospel of Luke chapter 4.
00:03:17.22\00:03:22.88
The gospel of Luke
chapter 4. We read this before,
00:03:23.11\00:03:26.47
but let's read it again.
00:03:26.57\00:03:27.79
And beginning with verse 5.
00:03:27.99\00:03:32.11
The devil takes
Jesus to a high mountain,
00:03:32.41\00:03:35.60
and I want you to notice
what the devil shows Jesus.
00:03:35.90\00:03:40.74
It says in verse 5:
00:03:40.97\00:03:42.43
You can imagine the
broad sweep of human history
00:03:54.32\00:03:57.94
that the devil shows Jesus.
00:03:58.14\00:04:00.74
And then notice
what he says in verse 6:
00:04:01.04\00:04:05.29
Do you notice in this
passage that at this point
00:04:23.08\00:04:26.86
the devil has stolen
the kingdoms of this world?
00:04:26.89\00:04:29.92
Because he's offering them to
Jesus and he's saying that they
00:04:30.32\00:04:34.53
have been given over to him.
00:04:34.73\00:04:36.71
And we understand that it
was Adam that gave the kingdoms
00:04:36.91\00:04:40.19
over to Satan. And
so you have the kingdom
00:04:40.39\00:04:44.76
going from Adam to Satan...
00:04:44.96\00:04:48.37
sitting on the throne
and exercising dominion
00:04:48.57\00:04:51.42
because the devil usurped
or stole the position of Adam.
00:04:51.52\00:04:56.03
In fact, the reason why
Jesus came to this world
00:04:57.16\00:05:00.40
was to recover the throne
and to recover the territory.
00:05:00.60\00:05:04.42
Jesus had to come to this world
to live a life without sin.
00:05:05.50\00:05:08.56
He had to gain the
victory where Adam failed.
00:05:09.74\00:05:12.58
And He came to this
world to die for sin
00:05:13.08\00:05:16.09
to pay for all of our sins
00:05:16.29\00:05:18.53
so that Jesus could
restore the throne to man
00:05:18.73\00:05:22.87
and could restore the earth
and the kingdoms of the world
00:05:23.07\00:05:27.06
to man. And we know that
Jesus gained the victory.
00:05:27.27\00:05:31.27
I want you to notice what
happened as a result of the
00:05:31.67\00:05:35.17
victory of Christ.
00:05:35.27\00:05:37.11
We find it in the
gospel of John chapter 12.
00:05:37.32\00:05:40.79
The gospel of John chapter
12 and I would like to begin
00:05:40.99\00:05:45.19
reading at verse 31.
John 12 and verse 31.
00:05:45.39\00:05:50.74
Here Jesus says...
This was, by the way,
00:05:51.04\00:05:54.80
a couple of days before
the death of Christ. He says:
00:05:55.00\00:05:58.22
Who was the ruler of the
world up till this point?
00:06:07.01\00:06:10.66
The devil. And what does
Jesus say He's going to do?
00:06:11.86\00:06:14.51
He's saying: "I am
going to cast him out. "
00:06:14.91\00:06:18.01
In other words, he's not
going to be the ruler any more.
00:06:18.21\00:06:21.42
Now what great event led
Jesus to remove the kingdom
00:06:21.82\00:06:27.31
at least legally
from the hands of Satan?
00:06:27.41\00:06:29.88
Not empirically...
because the devil still controls
00:06:29.98\00:06:32.69
most of the
nations of the world.
00:06:32.89\00:06:34.50
But legally Jesus
gained this earth back
00:06:34.90\00:06:38.21
when He won over Satan, when
He lived a life without sin,
00:06:38.61\00:06:42.64
and when He paid for
all the sins of the world,
00:06:42.94\00:06:46.14
Jesus legally - in God's court
of law - won the world back.
00:06:46.34\00:06:50.55
And it's only a matter
of time until He empirically
00:06:50.76\00:06:54.28
and actually
takes control of it.
00:06:54.48\00:06:58.05
Now what event gave
the world back to Jesus
00:06:58.36\00:07:01.62
as the second Adam, the repre-
sentative of the human race?
00:07:01.83\00:07:04.83
Notice verse 32:
00:07:05.33\00:07:07.27
So what was the event that
led to the victory of Jesus
00:07:21.40\00:07:25.40
over the devil and
Jesus casting out the devil
00:07:25.60\00:07:28.40
as the ruler of this world
and Jesus recovering the throne
00:07:28.60\00:07:31.98
of the world and this earth?
00:07:32.08\00:07:33.56
It was the death
of Jesus on the cross.
00:07:33.96\00:07:36.74
When Jesus said
"It is finished! "
00:07:37.04\00:07:39.14
the kingdoms now
belonged once again to Jesus.
00:07:39.34\00:07:43.78
Jesus had recovered
them from the hands of Satan.
00:07:43.98\00:07:47.16
In fact, this is the picture
that we find in Revelation
00:07:47.66\00:07:50.48
chapter 12 and verse 12.
00:07:50.58\00:07:53.09
Revelation
chapter 12 and verse 12.
00:07:53.29\00:07:55.53
And by the way, in our next
lecture we're going to study
00:07:55.73\00:07:58.69
Revelation 12. That
will be our chapter.
00:07:58.90\00:08:01.12
We'll go through it
with a fine-tooth comb.
00:08:01.22\00:08:03.16
Now notice Revelation
chapter 12 and verse 12:
00:08:03.47\00:08:06.83
This is speaking
about the victory of Jesus
00:08:07.13\00:08:10.45
over Satan at the cross.
And I'm going to read verse 10
00:08:10.65\00:08:13.90
and then I'm going to
read verse 12. It says:
00:08:14.10\00:08:17.08
"Then I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven
00:08:17.22\00:08:20.31
'Now salvation and strength
00:08:20.51\00:08:24.26
and the kingdom of our God
and the power of His Christ
00:08:24.46\00:08:28.95
has come. For the
accuser of our brethren
00:08:29.15\00:08:32.73
who accused them
before our God day and night
00:08:32.93\00:08:36.76
has been cast down. ' "
00:08:36.96\00:08:39.29
Now if we read this
in the light of John 12
00:08:40.42\00:08:43.09
we know where he was cast down.
00:08:43.29\00:08:45.62
He was cast down at the cross!
00:08:45.92\00:08:47.48
And so this is the hymn that
the heavenly beings are singing
00:08:47.58\00:08:51.35
in consequence of
what Jesus has won.
00:08:51.55\00:08:54.72
They're singing.
Notice: "The kingdom of God and
00:08:55.02\00:08:58.60
the power of His Christ
have come for the accuser of our
00:08:58.70\00:09:01.74
brethren who accused them
before our God day and night
00:09:01.84\00:09:04.50
has been cast down.
" And then in verse 12:
00:09:04.70\00:09:06.89
You see, before
Jesus died on the cross
00:09:10.66\00:09:12.62
whenever there was a
meeting in heaven the devil went
00:09:12.82\00:09:15.09
as the representative
from planet earth.
00:09:15.19\00:09:17.00
You find that, for
example, in the book of Job.
00:09:17.40\00:09:19.59
Actually, Adam should
have been in that meeting
00:09:19.89\00:09:22.19
but the devil went because
he had taken over the kingship
00:09:22.39\00:09:24.69
of the world. But
now we find John saying:
00:09:24.79\00:09:28.49
What has angered the devil?
00:09:43.97\00:09:45.62
The fact that the kingdoms
of the world have now been
00:09:45.82\00:09:48.93
taken over by whom? By Jesus.
00:09:49.03\00:09:51.68
Now in our lecture
today we are going to study
00:09:52.08\00:09:55.38
the battle for the kingship
of the world as it's been
00:09:56.44\00:10:00.91
manifested from the
times of the prophet Daniel
00:10:01.01\00:10:04.75
to the conclusion of the
great controversy between
00:10:04.95\00:10:08.07
good and evil. Even though Jesus
has legally gained the victory
00:10:08.17\00:10:12.54
over Satan, even though
Jesus, in God's court of law,
00:10:12.64\00:10:16.63
has the title to this earth
He has won, still there are
00:10:16.83\00:10:22.16
conflicts between
kingdoms in this world.
00:10:22.29\00:10:24.53
The devil has come
down with great wrath.
00:10:24.73\00:10:26.63
There still is the final battle
that is going to take place
00:10:27.55\00:10:31.41
where Jesus is actually -
empirically - going to take over
00:10:31.61\00:10:35.69
the rulership of this world.
00:10:35.89\00:10:37.47
And we want to study the
battle that has been going on
00:10:37.67\00:10:40.76
between Christ and Satan
in the history of the kingdoms
00:10:40.96\00:10:44.40
of the world from the days
of Daniel until the very end
00:10:44.50\00:10:48.42
of time. Now before we get into
00:10:48.62\00:10:51.27
the study of Daniel 2
00:10:51.37\00:10:52.74
which will be our key chapter
00:10:53.07\00:10:55.11
we need to say something
00:10:55.34\00:10:56.43
about the great prophecies
of Daniel and Revelation.
00:10:56.62\00:11:00.19
They function on the basis
of a method which is called -
00:11:00.69\00:11:04.98
I call it anyway - the
historical flow method.
00:11:05.18\00:11:08.75
Basically, the historical
flow method teaches that these
00:11:09.59\00:11:13.58
prophecies begin their
fulfillment in the day in which
00:11:13.68\00:11:17.31
the prophet was writing.
00:11:17.41\00:11:19.23
And then those prophecies
are fulfilled in sequence
00:11:20.01\00:11:24.03
and they culminate with
the setting up of Christ's
00:11:24.43\00:11:28.55
everlasting kingdom. Now
it's very important to realize
00:11:28.65\00:11:32.24
that in between the
time when the prophet wrote
00:11:32.45\00:11:34.98
and when Jesus
sets up His kingdom
00:11:35.28\00:11:37.20
there are no
gaps in the sequence.
00:11:37.40\00:11:40.39
There are no parentheses.
00:11:40.59\00:11:42.77
In other words, there is
a flow of continued events
00:11:43.07\00:11:47.49
one kingdom
falling, the other rising
00:11:47.69\00:11:50.33
that kingdom
falling, the other rising
00:11:50.53\00:11:52.26
without any gaps in between
from the days of the prophet
00:11:52.29\00:11:56.15
until the second coming of
Christ to set up His everlasting
00:11:56.36\00:12:01.25
kingdom. This is what is
called the historical method
00:12:01.35\00:12:05.48
or the historical flow method.
00:12:05.58\00:12:07.18
The reason I call it
the historical flow method
00:12:07.39\00:12:09.17
is because
history flows continuously
00:12:09.37\00:12:12.82
without interruptions or gaps.
00:12:13.02\00:12:15.26
Now this is a beautiful
way of interpreting prophecy
00:12:15.56\00:12:17.83
because you can
know exactly where we are
00:12:18.03\00:12:20.65
in the course of
history at this very moment
00:12:20.85\00:12:23.36
by looking at the sequence
of events that have taken place
00:12:23.66\00:12:27.14
from the time
that the prophet wrote.
00:12:27.34\00:12:29.19
And so if you follow the
line of events in Daniel 2
00:12:29.60\00:12:33.20
you can know
exactly where we are now
00:12:33.40\00:12:35.86
in the flow of human history.
00:12:36.06\00:12:38.32
Now let's turn in our
Bibles to Daniel chapter 2
00:12:38.82\00:12:41.87
and examine this story.
00:12:42.07\00:12:43.75
And allow me to
say that many times
00:12:43.95\00:12:46.07
preachers are so
anxious to get to the moment of
00:12:46.37\00:12:50.07
talking about the great
image of Daniel chapter 2
00:12:50.17\00:12:53.85
or the great
statue of Daniel chapter 2
00:12:53.98\00:12:56.40
that they just very
briefly pass over the first half
00:12:56.70\00:13:00.89
of the chapter. But there
are some very important points
00:13:00.99\00:13:04.31
in the first half of the
chapter that I want to deal with
00:13:04.51\00:13:07.18
before we talk about that
great image which Nebuchadnezzar
00:13:07.38\00:13:10.83
saw in his dream.
00:13:10.93\00:13:12.27
Now go with me to
Daniel chapter 2 and verse 29
00:13:12.48\00:13:15.82
and let's notice
something very interesting here.
00:13:16.02\00:13:19.03
Daniel 2 and verse 29.
00:13:19.23\00:13:21.50
Here Daniel says
to Nebuchadnezzar:
00:13:22.50\00:13:25.52
Now if you notice here
that Nebuchadnezzar was thinking
00:13:43.76\00:13:48.19
about the future of his
kingdom when he went to bed.
00:13:48.40\00:13:51.19
Let me ask you: is
God able to read thoughts?
00:13:52.80\00:13:56.59
How do we know He is able
to read thoughts in this story?
00:13:56.99\00:14:00.28
Because Daniel is saying:
"Thoughts arose in your head
00:14:00.68\00:14:04.27
about what was going to be
the future of your kingdom. "
00:14:04.58\00:14:07.68
And who knew
what he was thinking?
00:14:07.88\00:14:10.05
God did! And so God, know-
ing what the king is thinking,
00:14:10.25\00:14:14.53
gives him a dream
to answer his concerns.
00:14:14.73\00:14:18.41
And so we find from the
beginning of the story of
00:14:18.72\00:14:21.15
Daniel 2 when
Nebuchadnezzar goes to bed
00:14:21.25\00:14:23.77
God knows what he's thinking
and God is going to answer
00:14:23.97\00:14:28.01
his concerns.
00:14:28.21\00:14:30.54
God is able to read the
mind because Nebuchadnezzar
00:14:30.84\00:14:35.27
thought this, and God gave
him a dream in his thoughts.
00:14:35.30\00:14:39.56
Now it's interesting...
We are told in the story that
00:14:39.96\00:14:43.16
after God gave him this dream
00:14:43.26\00:14:45.78
when Nebuchadnezzar
woke up he forgot the dream.
00:14:45.98\00:14:49.89
Do you think it was an accident
that he forgot the dream?
00:14:50.90\00:14:53.75
Who do you suppose led
Nebuchadnezzar to forget
00:14:54.26\00:14:58.24
the dream? Well... God
knew what he was thinking.
00:14:58.34\00:15:02.47
God gave the dream.
00:15:02.68\00:15:04.43
And so now, undoubtedly,
when Nebuchadnezzar wakes up
00:15:04.63\00:15:08.63
and forgets the dream you
might call this some type of
00:15:08.83\00:15:13.30
divinely-induced amnesia.
00:15:13.40\00:15:16.62
In other words, it's God that
leads him to forget his dream.
00:15:17.02\00:15:20.85
And you say: "Why
would God give him a dream
00:15:21.05\00:15:23.07
and then God lead him
to forget the dream? "
00:15:23.27\00:15:26.57
There was a very good reason.
00:15:26.87\00:15:29.25
And the reason is very simple.
00:15:29.75\00:15:31.70
God knew that when
Nebuchadnezzar woke up
00:15:32.10\00:15:35.85
he was going to call the
astrologers, the magicians,
00:15:36.34\00:15:41.44
the individuals who claimed
to have communion with the gods,
00:15:41.74\00:15:46.39
to come and tell the king his
dream and what the dream meant.
00:15:46.49\00:15:51.57
Now notice Daniel
chapter 2 and verse 10.
00:15:51.87\00:15:56.22
Daniel chapter 2 and verse 10.
00:15:56.42\00:15:59.53
Do you notice
here what God is doing?
00:16:20.77\00:16:22.89
God is unmasking these
methods as totally incapable
00:16:23.40\00:16:28.78
of revealing the
dream and its meaning.
00:16:28.88\00:16:31.06
In other words, the reason
why God led Nebuchadnezzar
00:16:31.36\00:16:35.86
to forget this dream is because
He knew that Nebuchadnezzar
00:16:35.96\00:16:39.17
was going to call
all of these charlatans
00:16:39.27\00:16:41.92
and they were not going
to be able to tell the dream.
00:16:42.12\00:16:44.05
And in this way God would reveal
that the religion of Babylon
00:16:44.25\00:16:48.48
was bankrupt.
00:16:48.68\00:16:51.03
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:16:51.43\00:16:53.25
God is actually
taking this opportunity
00:16:53.55\00:16:55.88
to show that these
methods simply do not work.
00:16:56.08\00:16:59.80
By the way, we see very
clearly here that the devil
00:17:00.10\00:17:02.87
is not able to read the mind.
00:17:03.07\00:17:05.01
Do you think the devil was
dying to whisper in the ear
00:17:05.41\00:17:09.55
of the astrologers and the
magicians what the dream was?
00:17:09.75\00:17:13.32
Oh, it was to his
advantage to do it.
00:17:14.22\00:17:16.28
Tell them: "this is the dream"
so that then they would tell
00:17:16.38\00:17:19.24
the dream and people would say:
"See, the religion of Babylon
00:17:19.34\00:17:22.05
works. You can
consult the stars;
00:17:22.15\00:17:24.06
you can consult the magicians;
you can consult the astrologers
00:17:24.16\00:17:28.37
because look, they
told the king his dream. "
00:17:28.57\00:17:30.95
But the fact is, the devil was
not able to tell them the dream
00:17:31.15\00:17:34.70
because the devil was not able
00:17:34.73\00:17:36.39
to read
Nebuchadnezzar's thoughts.
00:17:36.49\00:17:39.18
Who is in control in this story?
00:17:39.58\00:17:41.37
In control in this story is God.
00:17:41.78\00:17:44.67
And by the way I'm
not going to take the time
00:17:45.07\00:17:46.99
to read Deuteronomy 18.
You can do it at your leisure.
00:17:47.19\00:17:50.27
It's on your list of texts.
00:17:50.48\00:17:51.51
Deuteronomy 18
verses 9-12 has a long list
00:17:51.72\00:17:54.84
of occult
practices which God forbids.
00:17:55.04\00:17:58.15
Among those
practices is astrology,
00:17:59.36\00:18:02.27
channeling... that is, trying
to communicate with the dead,
00:18:02.67\00:18:06.70
also the idea of
consulting the crystal ball,
00:18:07.72\00:18:12.21
going to psychics.
00:18:12.51\00:18:14.76
All of these methods
are forbidden by God.
00:18:14.97\00:18:18.37
In fact, He says there
in Deuteronomy chapter 18
00:18:18.57\00:18:20.81
that whoever practices these
methods to discover what God
00:18:21.01\00:18:24.81
has in store for the future
00:18:25.01\00:18:27.03
is to be taken out
00:18:27.23\00:18:28.49
and is to be put to death.
00:18:28.60\00:18:31.01
And so these individuals were
00:18:31.48\00:18:32.71
not able to tell the king
00:18:32.81\00:18:34.53
his dream.
00:18:34.73\00:18:36.67
In fact, when the king comes
00:18:37.02\00:18:39.44
and he tells these
men: "I want you to tell me
00:18:40.48\00:18:43.32
the dream and I want you
to tell me the interpretation
00:18:43.52\00:18:46.74
of the dream, " I want
you to notice what they say
00:18:46.84\00:18:50.20
in Daniel
chapter 2 and verse 11.
00:18:50.40\00:18:53.29
Daniel chapter 2 and verse 11.
00:18:53.60\00:18:55.90
Remember, these were the
individuals who claimed to be
00:18:56.00\00:18:58.05
able to communicate with the
gods. Now they're going to admit
00:18:58.15\00:19:01.30
"our religion is bankrupt. "
00:19:01.50\00:19:03.29
Chapter 2 and verse 11 says:
00:19:04.11\00:19:05.90
In other words: "The
gods... they keep secrets. "
00:19:22.03\00:19:25.35
"They don't care about
us who dwell in the flesh. "
00:19:25.85\00:19:29.10
"Only the gods who don't
inhabit in flesh could actually
00:19:29.40\00:19:34.15
reveal these secrets. "
00:19:34.35\00:19:35.56
Now let me ask you: is
this in contrast to the
00:19:35.76\00:19:38.12
God of the Bible?
00:19:38.22\00:19:39.46
You know, there's a
verse in the gospel of John
00:19:39.76\00:19:42.23
which is the exact
antithesis to this.
00:19:42.43\00:19:44.98
John 1 verse 14.
00:19:45.18\00:19:47.24
It says: "The Word
was made... " What?
00:19:47.44\00:19:51.19
"was made flesh. "
00:19:51.39\00:19:53.58
The Bible tells us that
God is a God who communicates.
00:20:05.13\00:20:08.77
He even takes human
flesh to communicate God to us.
00:20:08.97\00:20:13.19
What a contrast with
these gods of the Babylonians.
00:20:13.49\00:20:16.77
They don't dwell with
flesh. They don't care to reveal
00:20:16.97\00:20:20.63
what's going to happen
in the future or dreams
00:20:20.83\00:20:22.91
or the interpretation of dreams.
00:20:23.11\00:20:25.07
What a difference between
them and the God of the Bible.
00:20:25.27\00:20:29.05
Now I want you to notice that
there's a play and a counterplay
00:20:29.85\00:20:32.97
of events here
in Daniel chapter 2.
00:20:33.17\00:20:34.90
When Nebuchadnezzar brings
these men and they're not able
00:20:36.04\00:20:40.04
to tell the king his dream
much less what the dream means
00:20:40.24\00:20:44.26
what does Nebuchadnezzar do?
00:20:44.57\00:20:46.86
He commands that all
of the wise men in Babylon
00:20:47.84\00:20:52.62
be what? Be slain.
00:20:52.82\00:20:55.70
Go with me to Daniel chapter 2.
Daniel chapter 2 because there's
00:20:56.00\00:20:59.53
a very important point here.
00:20:59.63\00:21:01.20
Daniel chapter 2
and verses 12 and 13.
00:21:01.40\00:21:05.64
Daniel 2:12-3.
00:21:05.84\00:21:07.98
"For this reason the king
was angry and very furious
00:21:08.92\00:21:12.27
and gave the command to destroy
all the wise men of Babylon. "
00:21:12.67\00:21:17.70
Nebuchadnezzar is saying
that his religion is bankrupt.
00:21:18.00\00:21:20.52
"So you guys...
what do I pay you for?
00:21:21.54\00:21:24.64
I mean, you have no
communion with the gods.
00:21:24.84\00:21:27.49
Be real. " Now why?
Who's acting on the mind
00:21:27.59\00:21:31.57
of Nebuchadnezzar
to kill these wise men?
00:21:31.67\00:21:33.96
It's Satan.
Why? Notice verse 13:
00:21:35.07\00:21:38.48
So what is the devil
doing? He's saying: "Ah-ha!
00:21:51.27\00:21:53.56
You unmasked my
astrologers and my magicians
00:21:53.97\00:21:59.87
and you showed that the
religion of Babylon is bankrupt.
00:22:00.07\00:22:02.73
OK, I'll take second
best. Now I'll use your method
00:22:02.93\00:22:06.80
and I'm going to have Daniel
and his three friends killed...
00:22:07.00\00:22:10.85
your servants. " What
is the devil trying to do?
00:22:11.15\00:22:14.09
He wants to destroy
Daniel and his three friends.
00:22:14.96\00:22:16.90
Why do you suppose he
wanted to destroy Daniel
00:22:17.10\00:22:18.61
and his three friends?
Because in Daniel chapter 1
00:22:18.71\00:22:22.51
the devil had seen how
Daniel and his three friends
00:22:22.61\00:22:25.07
were faithful to
God in matters of diet.
00:22:25.27\00:22:28.97
And when the devil saw
that they said: "We will not eat
00:22:30.27\00:22:33.86
the food which is forbidden
by God that the king serves us.
00:22:34.16\00:22:37.33
We will not drink his
wine. " The devil says: "Oh-oh,
00:22:37.53\00:22:42.08
these are a potential problem.
00:22:42.38\00:22:44.66
I can't have them around. "
00:22:46.10\00:22:48.16
And so the devil
influences Nebuchadnezzar
00:22:48.46\00:22:51.26
to kill all of the wise
men in the hopes that Daniel
00:22:51.47\00:22:55.22
and his friends
will also be what?
00:22:55.32\00:22:57.95
Will also be killed.
00:22:58.15\00:22:59.78
But you know God
always laughs last
00:22:59.98\00:23:02.87
because by the very
act of Nebuchadnezzar
00:23:03.27\00:23:07.18
sending out a
decree to kill the wise men
00:23:07.58\00:23:10.60
that very act brings Daniel
to prominence in the kingdom.
00:23:10.81\00:23:15.83
Do you see that there's a
play and counterplay of things
00:23:16.39\00:23:19.41
that are happening here?
You see, it's like a tug-of-war
00:23:19.51\00:23:22.90
in the background.
00:23:23.10\00:23:24.53
What's happening in
Daniel 2 on the level of history
00:23:24.73\00:23:29.31
on the level of
events that can be seen
00:23:29.51\00:23:31.55
is only a
reflection of certain movements
00:23:31.75\00:23:35.51
that are taking place in the
invisible world between Christ
00:23:35.72\00:23:39.31
and Satan. God
working to save Nebuchadnezzar
00:23:39.41\00:23:44.00
and save Babylon and the
devil seeking to destroy.
00:23:44.21\00:23:48.24
And then of
course the Bible tells us
00:23:49.15\00:23:51.18
that Daniel finally
came before the king.
00:23:51.58\00:23:54.52
And by the way, we all
know that text in Amos chapter 3
00:23:54.72\00:23:57.38
and verse 7 where it says that:
00:23:57.59\00:24:00.59
So is God a God
who reveals secrets?
00:24:09.27\00:24:12.35
What did the gods of Babylon do?
00:24:13.24\00:24:15.13
They concealed secrets.
00:24:15.33\00:24:17.26
You see, the gods of the pagans
were gods that were capricious.
00:24:17.57\00:24:21.62
They enjoyed partying.
00:24:21.82\00:24:23.03
You know you read stories
about them partying up there
00:24:23.13\00:24:26.35
and not being concerned at all
00:24:26.55\00:24:27.60
about what's
happening on planet earth.
00:24:27.70\00:24:29.62
But the God of the Bible
is a God who wants to reveal
00:24:29.92\00:24:33.04
the future; He wants
to reveal His secrets.
00:24:33.14\00:24:36.08
And so we notice in Daniel
chapter 2- if you'll go with me
00:24:36.48\00:24:40.11
there - Daniel chapter 2
and beginning in verse 17.
00:24:40.21\00:24:43.76
Do you see what's going on here?
00:25:11.17\00:25:12.79
The devil wants
to get rid of them.
00:25:13.19\00:25:14.93
Then it says in verse 19:
"Then the secret was revealed
00:25:16.17\00:25:19.34
to Daniel in a night vision.
00:25:19.55\00:25:22.31
So Daniel blessed
the God of heaven. "
00:25:22.51\00:25:25.93
Do you notice here what
method God used to communicate
00:25:26.23\00:25:29.91
His will to Daniel.
It wasn't a crystal ball.
00:25:30.11\00:25:33.59
It wasn't his
sign of the zodiac.
00:25:34.69\00:25:37.20
It wasn't going to a psychic.
00:25:37.60\00:25:40.01
It wasn't
reading a crystal ball.
00:25:40.31\00:25:42.63
It wasn't going to a channeller.
00:25:42.83\00:25:45.20
It wasn't going
to a palm reader.
00:25:45.50\00:25:47.52
The Bible tells us that
Daniel went directly in prayer
00:25:48.88\00:25:52.33
to the God of
heaven, and the God of heaven
00:25:52.53\00:25:55.36
revealed the secret to Daniel.
00:25:55.56\00:25:59.04
Now if Daniel had been one
of those television evangelists
00:25:59.44\00:26:03.95
today he probably would
have taken all of the credit
00:26:04.15\00:26:06.16
for this great
miracle that had taken place.
00:26:06.46\00:26:09.17
But when he goes before the king
00:26:09.47\00:26:11.02
I want you to
notice what he says
00:26:11.23\00:26:13.49
in Daniel chapter 2
and verses 27 and 28.
00:26:13.69\00:26:17.42
Daniel chapter 2
verses 27 and 28.
00:26:17.72\00:26:21.36
"Daniel answered in the
presence of the king and said:
00:26:21.66\00:26:24.48
'The secret which the
king has demanded the wise men,
00:26:24.68\00:26:27.97
the astrologers, the magicians,
and the soothsayers cannot
00:26:28.07\00:26:32.70
declare to the king.
But there is a God in heaven
00:26:32.90\00:26:36.83
who reveals secrets,
and He has made known to
00:26:37.23\00:26:42.21
King Nebuchadnezzar what
will be in the latter days.
00:26:42.41\00:26:46.00
Your dream and the visions
of your head upon your bed
00:26:46.20\00:26:51.31
were these. ' "
00:26:51.51\00:26:54.18
And then Daniel
tells the king his dream.
00:26:54.28\00:26:58.82
Now let's notice that
dream in Daniel chapter 2
00:26:59.52\00:27:02.75
and verses 31 to 35.
00:27:02.95\00:27:05.49
I want this to be very
clear in our minds the sequence
00:27:05.79\00:27:08.55
that we have in
Daniel 2 and verses 31 to 35.
00:27:08.75\00:27:13.15
It says here in verse 31:
00:27:13.55\00:27:16.41
"You, O king, were watching.
And behold a great image.
00:27:16.62\00:27:22.58
This great image
whose splendor was excellent
00:27:24.39\00:27:27.78
stood before you and
its form was awesome... "
00:27:27.98\00:27:32.25
You notice that?
Gold, silver, bronze, iron.
00:27:57.08\00:28:01.88
Do you notice that the
value of the metal deteriorates
00:28:01.98\00:28:05.24
as you go from
Daniel's day till the end?
00:28:05.44\00:28:08.73
So much for the idea
that history is moving toward
00:28:09.03\00:28:10.82
the golden age. God
would have put the statue
00:28:10.92\00:28:14.61
upside down if that was true.
00:28:14.71\00:28:16.22
But history is degenerating,
00:28:17.33\00:28:19.59
shown by the
devaluation of the metals.
00:28:19.89\00:28:22.71
And then it says in verse 34:
00:28:23.01\00:28:25.26
"Then the iron, the clay, the
bronze, the silver and the gold
00:28:35.52\00:28:39.54
were crushed together
and became like the chaff
00:28:39.74\00:28:42.88
from the summer
threshing floors.
00:28:43.08\00:28:44.88
The wind carried them away
so that no trace of them was
00:28:45.08\00:28:48.15
found. And the stone
that struck the image
00:28:48.25\00:28:50.74
became a great mountain
and filled the whole earth. "
00:28:50.94\00:28:55.80
Gold, silver, bronze, iron,
00:28:56.93\00:29:01.31
iron and clay. Then a stone
00:29:01.61\00:29:04.69
cut out from a mountain
00:29:04.79\00:29:06.02
comes down. Strikes the image
00:29:06.14\00:29:08.74
on the feet.
Totally demolishes it,
00:29:08.84\00:29:11.31
and the stone becomes a mountain
00:29:11.41\00:29:14.10
that fills the whole earth.
00:29:14.30\00:29:16.51
That was the dream that
Nebuchadnezzar received.
00:29:16.82\00:29:21.25
Now Daniel also gave the
interpretation of the dream.
00:29:22.15\00:29:26.97
That is, he not only
told the king the dream
00:29:27.20\00:29:29.84
but he told him
what the dream meant.
00:29:30.04\00:29:32.49
By the way, the Bible teaches
that God is able to tell the end
00:29:32.79\00:29:36.36
from the beginning.
Isaiah 46:9-10 tells us
00:29:36.46\00:29:40.23
that God knows the
end from the beginning.
00:29:40.44\00:29:42.16
And this is an example -
a clear, Biblical example -
00:29:42.36\00:29:45.28
of God being able to
predict with absolute precision
00:29:45.48\00:29:50.02
events which were going to take
place hundreds and thousands
00:29:50.23\00:29:54.17
of years after
they were written.
00:29:54.27\00:29:57.03
Now let's notice the
interpretation of this dream
00:29:57.74\00:30:01.76
as we find it in Daniel
chapter 2 and beginning at
00:30:02.07\00:30:05.70
verse 37. Daniel
chapter 2 and verse 37.
00:30:05.80\00:30:11.12
Here comes the interpretation
or the meaning of the dream.
00:30:11.42\00:30:15.02
It says:
00:30:15.42\00:30:16.76
Why? Because he
had better armies?
00:30:20.62\00:30:22.70
Because he was a wiser warrior?
00:30:23.10\00:30:25.48
Because he had better weapons?
00:30:25.78\00:30:28.23
Is that why Nebuchadnezzar
was a king of kings?
00:30:28.73\00:30:31.62
Absolutely not. Notice
what it continues saying:
00:30:31.82\00:30:34.31
Why was Nebuchadnezzar king?
00:30:57.79\00:30:59.16
Because God placed him as king.
00:30:59.46\00:31:02.29
In verse 21 it says
that God places kings
00:31:02.59\00:31:05.96
and God removes kings.
So who is really in control
00:31:06.16\00:31:09.89
of human history? Who
is really in control is God
00:31:10.09\00:31:13.42
sitting on His throne in
a serene and calm eternity
00:31:13.62\00:31:19.32
guiding the
events of planet earth.
00:31:19.62\00:31:22.48
And then the last
part of verse 38 says:
00:31:22.98\00:31:26.92
"You are this head of gold. "
00:31:27.12\00:31:31.80
What is the head of
gold? Nebuchadnezzar.
00:31:32.42\00:31:35.91
Now we need to
understand that when it says:
00:31:36.21\00:31:38.26
"You are the head of gold"
it's talking not only about
00:31:38.46\00:31:40.83
Nebuchadnezzar it's
talking about his kingdom.
00:31:40.93\00:31:43.05
Because a king has a kingdom.
00:31:43.15\00:31:45.72
And by the way, that's
reflected in the next verse
00:31:45.92\00:31:48.47
where it says that after
him would arise another kingdom.
00:31:48.57\00:31:51.48
See? After you will
arise another kingdom.
00:31:51.79\00:31:54.97
You can't have another kingdom
unless Nebuchadnezzar's...
00:31:55.88\00:31:58.74
unless
Nebuchadnezzar had a kingdom.
00:31:58.84\00:32:00.68
Are you
following what I'm saying?
00:32:01.08\00:32:02.30
And so the Lord
says: "You or your kingdom
00:32:02.70\00:32:06.99
is the head of gold. "
Now what kingdom was that?
00:32:07.19\00:32:09.10
Babylon. By the
way, Babylon existed
00:32:10.13\00:32:13.53
from the year 605 BC
00:32:13.73\00:32:17.77
to the year 539 BC.
00:32:18.17\00:32:22.55
That was the period of dominion
of the Babylonian Empire.
00:32:22.85\00:32:26.12
So Babylon did
arise and did rule
00:32:26.62\00:32:29.99
the way this prophecy said.
00:32:30.19\00:32:32.01
But now notice verse 39.
00:32:32.31\00:32:34.97
Do you notice that the
devaluation of the metals
00:32:45.68\00:32:48.76
does mean that kingdoms
are going to be inferior?
00:32:48.96\00:32:51.46
Particularly when it
comes to moral quality.
00:32:51.66\00:32:55.13
Now notice it says
once again in verse 39:
00:32:56.05\00:33:00.12
"But after you shall
arise another kingdom
00:33:00.32\00:33:03.61
inferior to yours. "
00:33:03.82\00:33:06.23
Now let me ask
you: which kingdom rose
00:33:06.53\00:33:09.21
after the kingdom of Babylon?
00:33:09.41\00:33:11.31
All you have to do
is read history books.
00:33:11.82\00:33:14.09
It was the kingdom of
the Medes and Persians.
00:33:14.29\00:33:16.84
By the way, you don't even
have to read history books.
00:33:17.14\00:33:18.71
All you have to
do is read Daniel 5.
00:33:19.01\00:33:21.18
Daniel 5 speaks about
the handwriting on the wall
00:33:21.58\00:33:24.42
when Belshazzar
was king in Babylon.
00:33:24.62\00:33:26.56
And it very clearly says:
"The kingdom is taken from you"
00:33:27.31\00:33:30.39
from Babylon "and is given
00:33:30.59\00:33:32.96
to the Medes and Persians.
" All you need is Daniel.
00:33:33.16\00:33:35.95
You don't even
have to go to history
00:33:36.25\00:33:38.17
because the Medes and
Persians are mentioned by name.
00:33:38.47\00:33:40.87
But of course history
backs up what scripture says.
00:33:41.07\00:33:44.66
By the way, the Medes and
Persians ruled from the year
00:33:44.86\00:33:48.20
539 BC to the year 331 BC.
00:33:48.50\00:33:52.94
And then I want you to
notice how this story continues.
00:33:53.88\00:33:57.07
It says there in
Daniel chapter 2 and verse 39
00:33:57.37\00:34:01.14
once again: "But after you
shall arise another kingdom
00:34:01.34\00:34:03.97
inferior to
yours. " And now notice:
00:34:04.18\00:34:06.93
Now let me ask you:
what was that third kingdom
00:34:14.48\00:34:16.64
which overcame and gained
the victory over Medo-Persia?
00:34:16.84\00:34:20.89
You read history
books and it's Greece.
00:34:21.99\00:34:23.63
But you don't even
need the history books
00:34:23.83\00:34:25.49
because if you go
to Daniel chapter 8
00:34:25.69\00:34:28.53
which we're not going to
study in this series by the way
00:34:28.73\00:34:31.01
but I've preached
on this in other venues
00:34:31.21\00:34:34.14
but in Daniel chapter 8 the
Medes and Persians are mentioned
00:34:34.44\00:34:37.57
by name and then the kingdom
of Greece is mentioned by name
00:34:37.67\00:34:43.02
as following the
Medes and Persians.
00:34:43.32\00:34:44.81
So in Daniel
chapter 2 and chapter 8
00:34:45.21\00:34:48.75
you have these three
kingdoms mentioned by name:
00:34:48.95\00:34:51.65
Babylon,
Medo-Persia, and Greece.
00:34:51.85\00:34:55.29
There's no doubt that
these are these three kingdoms.
00:34:55.59\00:34:58.11
The first Babylon,
the second Medo-Persia,
00:34:58.41\00:35:00.77
and the third Greece.
But that's not all the story.
00:35:00.97\00:35:03.80
Notice verse 40. It says:
00:35:04.20\00:35:06.96
Now what empire
overcame the kingdom of Greece?
00:35:27.23\00:35:31.99
It was Rome.
00:35:32.29\00:35:33.75
History will tell you that.
00:35:33.95\00:35:35.00
Now Rome is not mentioned in
00:35:35.19\00:35:36.28
this prophecy, but by knowing
00:35:36.38\00:35:37.93
that the first is Babylon,
the second is Medo-Persia,
00:35:38.06\00:35:40.22
and the third is Greece
you know that the fourth one
00:35:40.32\00:35:42.38
has to be Rome.
00:35:42.48\00:35:43.87
Because you have a chain of
powers that are being mentioned
00:35:44.09\00:35:47.51
in this prophecy. By
the way, the great historian
00:35:47.71\00:35:51.26
of the Roman
Empire, Edward Gibbon,
00:35:51.47\00:35:54.09
wrote a series of volumes
called The Decline and Fall
00:35:54.29\00:35:57.48
of the Roman
Empire. I have that set.
00:35:57.58\00:35:59.46
I think it's probably
seven or eight volumes.
00:35:59.67\00:36:01.72
He called Rome "the
iron monarchy of Rome. "
00:36:02.53\00:36:08.08
And those of you who
have seen movies of Rome
00:36:08.31\00:36:10.87
know how they just
totally trampled on any army
00:36:11.27\00:36:17.19
that they came in contact with
00:36:17.29\00:36:18.74
and their weapons
were made of iron.
00:36:18.95\00:36:21.67
They destroyed mercilessly
when they went to battle.
00:36:21.87\00:36:25.63
And so this fourth
kingdom is the kingdom of Rome.
00:36:25.83\00:36:29.54
But now I want you to notice
that something very interesting
00:36:29.94\00:36:32.82
happens. Verse 41:
00:36:33.02\00:36:34.90
What kingdom shall be divided?
00:36:49.98\00:36:51.41
The fourth, right?
00:36:52.50\00:36:54.02
Let me ask you: does
Rome continue in the feet?
00:37:01.73\00:37:05.66
You tell me. Does
Rome continue in the feet?
00:37:06.80\00:37:08.37
How do we know that?
00:37:08.67\00:37:10.08
Because the legs are of
iron and the iron is Rome.
00:37:10.38\00:37:15.29
So if the feet have
iron, Rome must what?
00:37:15.60\00:37:19.86
Must continue in the feet,
but how does Rome continue?
00:37:20.16\00:37:24.52
In a what? In a
divided state it says here.
00:37:24.72\00:37:29.22
In a divided state.
And I want you to notice
00:37:29.45\00:37:32.13
that not only do
you have Rome divided...
00:37:32.33\00:37:34.75
You know, it could have
been illustrated by saying
00:37:34.95\00:37:36.81
the feet are also of
iron and they have ten toes
00:37:37.01\00:37:39.11
and that means ten kingdoms.
00:37:39.31\00:37:40.44
But this kingdom was going
to be different than all of the
00:37:40.64\00:37:43.56
other kingdoms also.
00:37:43.66\00:37:45.11
It was going to be divided
in ten, but it was going to be
00:37:45.31\00:37:47.71
different because it was
not composed only of iron
00:37:47.81\00:37:50.77
but it was mixed with
what? It was mixed with clay.
00:37:50.97\00:37:54.89
Was it still going to
be a Roman kingdom? Yes.
00:37:56.41\00:38:00.12
Was it going to be a different
kind of Roman kingdom? Yes.
00:38:00.35\00:38:04.69
Was it going to be an
amalgamated Roman kingdom?
00:38:04.99\00:38:08.72
Was it going to
have two substances mixed
00:38:09.12\00:38:12.40
which really
should not be mixed?
00:38:12.60\00:38:14.60
What person in his
right mind would build a house
00:38:15.00\00:38:18.69
on a foundation of
iron mixed with clay?
00:38:18.79\00:38:21.60
There is a
certain unity in Daniel 2
00:38:25.67\00:38:28.30
of the iron and the clay.
00:38:28.50\00:38:29.87
But they should
not exist together.
00:38:30.17\00:38:32.55
They're brought
together, two elements.
00:38:32.95\00:38:35.27
It is a role
that is amalgamated.
00:38:35.57\00:38:37.45
The iron of Rome - the
political power of Rome -
00:38:38.64\00:38:41.41
continues, but there is another
substance which is added to the
00:38:41.61\00:38:44.85
iron which is the clay.
00:38:44.95\00:38:47.26
Now what does this mixture
of iron and clay represent?
00:38:47.56\00:38:50.19
Well let me say first
of all that when Rome...
00:38:50.39\00:38:53.48
when the Roman Empire
fell in the year 476 AD
00:38:53.68\00:38:56.39
the last emperor
was Romulus Augustulus.
00:38:56.59\00:38:59.77
That's a mouthful.
00:38:59.97\00:39:01.17
You know, he was deposed
and there were no more emperors
00:39:01.57\00:39:04.48
of Rome. In fact, the
Barbarians were invading from
00:39:04.58\00:39:07.51
the northern sector of
the empire. And they came
00:39:07.72\00:39:09.92
and they carved up what had
been the territory of the Roman
00:39:10.12\00:39:12.98
Empire. And those
kingdoms which they established
00:39:13.08\00:39:17.44
carving up what had been Rome
00:39:17.47\00:39:19.61
are the present
countries in Europe.
00:39:19.81\00:39:23.54
Do you know that the Roman
Empire... there was 1 language
00:39:23.74\00:39:27.11
and there was one
culture all over the Empire?
00:39:27.31\00:39:30.83
But when Rome was
divided now you have French and
00:39:31.03\00:39:34.62
you have German
and you have Spanish
00:39:34.82\00:39:37.51
and you have Portuguese... all
of these different languages.
00:39:37.71\00:39:40.33
Because what had
been the Roman Empire
00:39:40.53\00:39:42.50
was divided into 10 kingdoms.
00:39:42.71\00:39:47.33
Now what is this
mixture of iron and clay?
00:39:47.56\00:39:50.72
We're going to have
to go very quickly here.
00:39:51.82\00:39:53.61
Go with me to
Jeremiah chapter 18.
00:39:53.82\00:39:56.09
We have to allow
scripture to explain scripture.
00:39:56.29\00:39:59.53
Jeremiah chapter 18 and
I want to read verses 1-6.
00:39:59.84\00:40:04.81
By the way, we're dealing
with symbols here, are we not?
00:40:05.11\00:40:07.47
Let me ask you:
is the gold a symbol?
00:40:07.88\00:40:10.04
Is it a symbol?
00:40:10.44\00:40:12.02
Is the silver a symbol?
00:40:12.42\00:40:14.73
Is the bronze a symbol?
00:40:15.13\00:40:17.07
Is the iron a symbol?
00:40:17.86\00:40:19.64
Is the stone a symbol?
00:40:20.62\00:40:22.78
Is the mountain a symbol?
00:40:23.08\00:40:25.31
So must the clay
also be a symbol?
00:40:25.61\00:40:28.36
It must represent
something beyond literal clay.
00:40:28.66\00:40:32.73
Now the question is: what
does clay represent in scripture
00:40:32.93\00:40:36.63
so that we can understand what
the mixture of iron and clay is?
00:40:36.83\00:40:39.90
Jeremiah 18:1-6. It says:
00:40:40.21\00:40:45.58
By the way, did you
notice that in Daniel chapter 2
00:41:07.94\00:41:11.44
this was not just any kind
of clay. It was potter's clay.
00:41:11.64\00:41:14.83
Potter's clay. So if you want
to know what potter's clay means
00:41:15.99\00:41:19.09
you have to go to other
passages in scripture that
00:41:19.29\00:41:21.46
speak about potter's clay,
and that's what we're doing.
00:41:21.56\00:41:23.73
Now notice what it
continues saying. Verse 4:
00:41:24.03\00:41:27.18
"And the vessel that he made
of clay was marred in the hand
00:41:27.38\00:41:30.28
of the potter. " By the way,
that represents the Babylonian
00:41:30.38\00:41:33.27
captivity. When Nebuchadnezzar
came and took them captive
00:41:33.37\00:41:36.58
Israel was
shattered. But now notice:
00:41:36.68\00:41:39.43
In other words, he
brought Israel back to her land.
00:41:46.75\00:41:49.25
Now you say: "Is this
the right interpretation? "
00:41:49.55\00:41:51.13
Let's continue reading.
00:41:51.33\00:41:53.31
"Then the Word of the
Lord came to me saying:
00:41:53.34\00:41:55.97
'O house of Israel can
I not do with you... ' "
00:41:56.27\00:42:02.22
What did the potter
represent in the Old Testament?
00:42:14.79\00:42:17.33
It represented God's people.
00:42:18.37\00:42:21.18
God's Old Testament church.
00:42:21.48\00:42:23.63
Israel. Is that
clear in your mind?
00:42:23.93\00:42:27.18
Now, let's go to
Isaiah 64 and verse 8.
00:42:27.49\00:42:32.75
Isaiah chapter 64 and verse 8.
00:42:33.05\00:42:36.55
This is another text
which mentions potter's clay.
00:42:36.85\00:42:41.47
It's referring to creation.
00:42:41.77\00:42:43.49
Isaiah 64 and verse 8 says this:
00:42:43.90\00:42:47.33
So what is composed of
clay according to this text?
00:43:06.53\00:43:10.22
Our what? What's
composed of clay?
00:43:10.62\00:43:14.45
Our what? Our body, right?
00:43:14.65\00:43:18.09
Who formed the body out of clay?
00:43:19.05\00:43:21.24
God did. He's the
Father; He's the Potter.
00:43:22.23\00:43:26.81
We are the Potter's
what? Clay... and He formed us.
00:43:27.02\00:43:31.37
Now go with me to
Genesis chapter 2 and verse 7
00:43:31.70\00:43:34.34
and notice something
very interesting here
00:43:34.54\00:43:36.39
referring to
the creation of man.
00:43:36.59\00:43:38.85
Genesis chapter 2 and verse 7.
00:43:39.05\00:43:41.89
Here it says:
00:43:43.17\00:43:44.63
Isaiah 64 explains that
the dust was really what?
00:43:48.61\00:43:51.37
It was clay.
00:43:51.68\00:43:54.01
The body became
animated. Can I say it that way?
00:44:14.12\00:44:17.63
So the body made of
clay by the Potter - God -
00:44:18.13\00:44:21.81
plus the breath
that goes into the body
00:44:22.11\00:44:25.00
animates the members of the body
00:44:25.30\00:44:27.29
so that they can all
fulfill their function.
00:44:27.49\00:44:29.57
Are you with me or not?
00:44:29.77\00:44:31.00
And of course, Israel
is compared with the clay
00:44:31.30\00:44:34.50
because Israel is
God's spiritual body in the
00:44:34.60\00:44:37.21
Old Testament. They are God's
church in the Old Testament.
00:44:37.31\00:44:39.77
Are you following me or not?
00:44:40.07\00:44:41.16
So it can be said
physically about man
00:44:41.56\00:44:44.57
that man's body
was formed out of clay,
00:44:44.77\00:44:47.06
God breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life,
00:44:47.36\00:44:50.21
can also be said of Israel.
Because God also formed Israel
00:44:50.41\00:44:54.11
spiritually speaking out of clay
00:44:54.31\00:44:56.21
and then God gave them
what? God gave them life
00:44:56.41\00:45:00.07
so that that could function
as His people, as His church.
00:45:00.37\00:45:04.71
Now we have one more link
that we need to take a look at,
00:45:05.11\00:45:07.24
and that is in
the New Testament.
00:45:07.64\00:45:10.78
Go with me to
Colossians chapter 1.
00:45:10.98\00:45:13.82
Colossians chapter 1
and let's read verse 18.
00:45:14.13\00:45:18.00
Colossians 1 and verse 18.
00:45:18.30\00:45:20.41
Very interesting verse.
It's speaking about God's
00:45:20.71\00:45:24.81
New Testament church.
00:45:25.01\00:45:26.35
No longer is it
talking about Israel.
00:45:26.55\00:45:28.20
It's talking about
the New Testament church.
00:45:28.40\00:45:30.02
It says there is Colossians
chapter 1 and verse 18
00:45:30.22\00:45:34.15
the following:
00:45:34.25\00:45:35.32
Who formed the
church? Who formed the church?
00:45:43.23\00:45:48.47
Jesus says: "You are Peter...
00:45:48.87\00:45:53.74
and upon this rock I
will build My church. "
00:45:53.94\00:45:59.93
So who formed the church?
Who chose the first disciples?
00:46:00.33\00:46:03.56
Who evangelized the first people
that became the nucleus of
00:46:03.76\00:46:06.47
the church? Jesus did.
Did Jesus form the church?
00:46:06.57\00:46:10.56
Yes He did. He
formed the church.
00:46:10.86\00:46:12.93
But let me ask you:
when He formed the church
00:46:13.23\00:46:15.09
what needed to happen
so the church could begin
00:46:15.48\00:46:17.53
to function?
00:46:17.64\00:46:19.22
Do you remember what happened
on the Day of Pentecost?
00:46:21.13\00:46:23.91
They were all gathered
together in one accord.
00:46:24.96\00:46:27.57
Had the body all come together?
00:46:27.97\00:46:30.06
Had the body
been formed by Jesus?
00:46:30.36\00:46:32.54
Oh yes it had.
But what was lacking?
00:46:32.84\00:46:35.24
The breath of life.
00:46:35.54\00:46:37.40
And so what did God do
on the Day of Pentecost?
00:46:37.70\00:46:40.16
He breathed
into the church what?
00:46:40.46\00:46:42.96
The Holy Spirit...
the breath of life.
00:46:43.16\00:46:45.02
Let me ask you: did
the church now stand up
00:46:45.12\00:46:47.44
and all of the parts of the body
according to the apostle Paul
00:46:47.64\00:46:50.83
in I Corinthians 12... Did
all of the parts of the body
00:46:51.03\00:46:53.69
begin to function? Absolutely!
00:46:53.89\00:46:56.83
And so what does
the clay represent?
00:46:57.54\00:47:00.80
Tell me. What does
the clay represent?
00:47:02.13\00:47:03.83
It represents the church.
00:47:04.77\00:47:07.23
Because as the body
of man was made by clay
00:47:07.53\00:47:10.18
the church which is the
body of Christ is made with
00:47:10.48\00:47:13.66
spiritual clay.
00:47:13.76\00:47:15.59
As man received the breath of
00:47:15.79\00:47:17.34
life in order to physically live
00:47:17.54\00:47:19.45
the church received the spirit
00:47:19.65\00:47:20.86
of life on the Day of Pentecost.
00:47:20.96\00:47:22.81
As Adam's
members began functioning
00:47:22.94\00:47:25.20
when his body was animated
by the spirit or the breath
00:47:25.30\00:47:28.01
that came from God, the
church now becomes animated
00:47:28.12\00:47:30.74
when it receives the breath
of life on the Day of Pentecost.
00:47:30.94\00:47:35.75
And so the clay that
formed the body of man
00:47:36.09\00:47:38.71
is symbolic of
spiritual clay of which Jesus
00:47:38.91\00:47:42.51
formed what? The church.
00:47:42.72\00:47:44.97
Are you following me or not?
00:47:46.00\00:47:47.59
So let me ask you then -
going back to Daniel chapter 2-
00:47:47.89\00:47:52.19
what kind of Rome are
we talking about here?
00:47:53.57\00:47:57.33
Are we talking only about
an Empire, a political Empire
00:47:57.63\00:48:01.40
of Rome? Or are we talking
about a different kind of Rome?
00:48:01.50\00:48:06.04
Are we talking about a
Rome that is a political power
00:48:07.40\00:48:10.38
but also is
mixed with the church?
00:48:10.58\00:48:13.46
Are you following me or not?
00:48:14.85\00:48:16.47
Is anybody alive out there?
00:48:16.67\00:48:18.31
Have you received the
spirit of life? Praise the Lord!
00:48:18.51\00:48:21.52
Come on... animate me, folks.
00:48:21.72\00:48:23.50
Good to hear those amens.
00:48:27.52\00:48:29.13
Now are you
following what I'm saying?
00:48:30.53\00:48:32.61
The iron is the
political power of Rome.
00:48:33.01\00:48:35.89
That's the fourth kingdom.
00:48:36.29\00:48:38.01
But now an added element...
the clay... comes into play
00:48:38.31\00:48:43.18
and the clay
represents the church.
00:48:44.20\00:48:46.50
Which means that after
the fall of the Roman Empire
00:48:46.70\00:48:48.98
the empire was going to
continue in a divided state
00:48:49.18\00:48:52.53
but it was going
to be a union of what?
00:48:52.73\00:48:55.67
Of church and state.
00:48:55.87\00:48:58.15
Is that historically true?
00:48:59.62\00:49:02.14
I want you to remember
when we're studying because
00:49:02.44\00:49:05.80
this is the
skeleton of Bible prophecy.
00:49:06.00\00:49:08.88
Everything else is built on it.
00:49:09.08\00:49:11.62
You know, the reason why
there are so many jellyfish
00:49:11.82\00:49:15.41
interpretations of Bible
prophecy is because those
00:49:15.51\00:49:18.32
interpretations
have no backbone.
00:49:18.42\00:49:20.51
It has no structure.
This is the key prophecy.
00:49:21.41\00:49:24.79
This is the
backbone of prophecy.
00:49:25.09\00:49:27.00
If we understand this
prophecy, all of the others
00:49:27.20\00:49:29.34
fit within its
sequence and its structure.
00:49:29.54\00:49:32.36
So there was going to be
a kingdom which would unite
00:49:33.62\00:49:38.75
church and state.
00:49:38.95\00:49:40.76
But now we come
to the best part.
00:49:40.96\00:49:42.47
There's a stone.
Who is that stone?
00:49:43.56\00:49:47.70
Go with me to
Matthew chapter 21.
00:49:48.00\00:49:50.31
Matthew chapter 21.
00:49:50.51\00:49:52.43
Let's see who that stone
is, the stone that crushes
00:49:53.73\00:49:56.92
and destroys, particularly
those who reject it.
00:49:57.12\00:50:02.21
It says in Matthew 21
and verses 42 and 44...
00:50:02.52\00:50:06.41
Matthew chapter 21 and
verse 42 we find these words:
00:50:06.44\00:50:10.72
"Jesus said to them:
'Have you never read in the
00:50:11.02\00:50:13.22
scriptures the stone
which the builders rejected
00:50:13.32\00:50:16.84
has become the
Chief Cornerstone.
00:50:17.05\00:50:19.44
This is the Lord's doing and it
is marvelous in your eyes. ' "
00:50:19.64\00:50:22.52
Verse 44:
00:50:22.72\00:50:24.44
Is that what
happened in Daniel chapter 2?
00:50:33.90\00:50:35.79
See, you can accept Jesus
and have your heart broken
00:50:36.10\00:50:39.41
or converted. And if you don't,
00:50:39.71\00:50:42.87
the stone will fall
upon you and crush you.
00:50:43.07\00:50:45.67
That's a very strong warning
that God gives in scripture.
00:50:46.18\00:50:49.12
And so who is this stone?
00:50:51.14\00:50:52.84
The stone is Jesus. By
the way, did you notice
00:50:53.14\00:50:55.86
that in Daniel 2:34 it
says that this stone was cut out
00:50:56.06\00:50:59.48
without hands?
00:50:59.68\00:51:01.94
What does that mean it
was "cut out without hands? "
00:51:03.42\00:51:06.78
Go with me to
Hebrews 9 verse 11.
00:51:07.38\00:51:09.42
Let's notice that
expression "without hands. "
00:51:09.62\00:51:11.72
Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 11.
00:51:12.12\00:51:15.59
It's not speaking about the
stone, but it's speaking about
00:51:15.90\00:51:18.32
the sanctuary. And
it's the same expression.
00:51:18.42\00:51:20.57
So we can determine
what this expression means
00:51:20.68\00:51:23.13
by reading
Hebrews 9 and verse 11.
00:51:23.33\00:51:25.71
It says here:
00:51:26.12\00:51:27.52
Why is the stone
made without hands?
00:51:51.96\00:51:54.64
Because it is a stone that
was not made in this world.
00:51:54.94\00:51:58.91
It was a stone - a
supernatural stone -
00:51:59.22\00:52:02.48
that comes from the other world.
00:52:02.68\00:52:04.57
Now the question
is: who is this stone?
00:52:04.87\00:52:07.35
The stone is Jesus. By
the way, did you notice
00:52:07.55\00:52:10.28
that the stone is
cut out of the mountain?
00:52:10.48\00:52:12.32
We read that the stone
is cut out of the mountain.
00:52:14.62\00:52:17.61
Taken out of the
mountain and then it comes
00:52:17.91\00:52:20.21
and it crushes the
image. And I would add that
00:52:20.41\00:52:23.45
afterwards the stone is taken
and put back in the mountain.
00:52:23.55\00:52:26.11
Even though the
prophecy doesn't say so.
00:52:26.41\00:52:28.32
What is this idea of the stone
being cut out of a mountain?
00:52:28.63\00:52:31.44
Which mountain?
00:52:31.75\00:52:33.02
We need to allow scripture
to interpret scripture.
00:52:33.42\00:52:35.90
Go with me to I Peter
chapter 2 and verse 6.
00:52:36.00\00:52:38.12
I Peter chapter 2 and verse 6.
00:52:38.32\00:52:40.54
Here we find an explanation
of which mountain is being
00:52:40.84\00:52:43.37
spoken about and what
cutting out the stone means.
00:52:43.58\00:52:46.67
It says in I Peter
chapter 2 and verse 6:
00:52:46.90\00:52:49.80
What did God put in Mt. Zion?
00:53:14.84\00:53:16.99
A precious stone.
00:53:17.40\00:53:19.42
Who is that stone? It's Jesus.
00:53:19.72\00:53:22.03
So what does it mean
when it says that the stone
00:53:22.23\00:53:24.35
will be taken out of Mt. Zion
00:53:24.55\00:53:26.21
and will come down
and smash the image?
00:53:26.41\00:53:28.68
It must be referring to
the fact that Jesus is going to
00:53:28.88\00:53:31.46
leave Mt. Zion someday -
00:53:31.56\00:53:33.52
that stone, that precious
00:53:33.72\00:53:35.28
stone - and is going to come
00:53:35.38\00:53:36.79
down to this earth
00:53:36.89\00:53:38.06
and He's going to destroy
00:53:38.27\00:53:39.60
the kingdoms of the world
00:53:39.70\00:53:41.73
and He's going to establish
a kingdom which shall never
00:53:41.93\00:53:45.20
be destroyed.
00:53:45.40\00:53:47.14
Now, let's go to the climax:
00:53:47.65\00:53:51.68
Daniel chapter 2 and verse 44.
00:53:51.98\00:53:54.76
This is what we're
looking forward to.
00:53:55.07\00:53:57.41
Daniel chapter 2 and verse 44.
00:53:57.61\00:54:00.47
It says here:
00:54:00.87\00:54:02.32
By the way, the
mountain in scripture represents
00:54:23.84\00:54:26.29
a kingdom. Babylon in
Jeremiah 51 verse 25 is
00:54:26.49\00:54:30.54
called a mountain, a kingdom.
00:54:30.65\00:54:33.24
Zion is the place
where God's kingdom is found.
00:54:33.44\00:54:36.92
Revelation 17 speaks about
seven mountains which represent
00:54:37.22\00:54:41.55
seven kings or kingdoms.
00:54:41.75\00:54:43.59
In other words,
mountains represent kingdoms.
00:54:43.69\00:54:45.58
So if this stone is going
to come and destroy all of the
00:54:45.88\00:54:50.18
kingdoms of the world and
then this stone is going to
00:54:50.38\00:54:52.93
become a mountain, it
means that it's going to
00:54:53.03\00:54:56.13
become a world wide
what? A world-wide kingdom
00:54:56.33\00:55:00.69
which will never be destroyed.
00:55:00.89\00:55:03.60
Now I want you to notice
00:55:03.90\00:55:06.35
Daniel chapter 7
and verses 26 and 27.
00:55:06.55\00:55:12.48
Referring also to this
same fact, Daniel 7:26-27.
00:55:12.89\00:55:17.91
It says: "But the court shall
be seated, and they shall take
00:55:18.11\00:55:21.34
away his dominion. " This is
talking about the little horn
00:55:21.54\00:55:23.99
which comes up
among the ten kingdoms.
00:55:24.19\00:55:26.33
We'll discuss it later on.
00:55:26.43\00:55:27.62
"To consume and
destroy forever. "
00:55:27.82\00:55:29.98
That's what we're
looking forward to.
00:55:48.77\00:55:51.16
And then, of
course, as prophecy says
00:55:51.66\00:55:54.28
"the meek will
inherit the earth. "
00:55:54.58\00:55:59.66
And Jesus once again
will restore the kingdom
00:56:00.16\00:56:02.79
to man that was lost
at the very beginning.
00:56:02.99\00:56:07.59
And we will live in a
new heavens and a new earth
00:56:07.89\00:56:11.39
where righteousness dwells.
00:56:11.69\00:56:14.24
Now allow me to mention
some lessons from this chapter
00:56:15.54\00:56:18.37
in closing. Lesson number one:
00:56:18.57\00:56:20.93
the world is not
spiraling out of control.
00:56:22.27\00:56:25.45
God knows
exactly what's happening.
00:56:26.59\00:56:29.18
He has revealed the
end from the beginning.
00:56:29.48\00:56:31.95
Everything has
happened the way He said.
00:56:33.22\00:56:35.70
He's in control
of human history.
00:56:36.01\00:56:38.90
We have nothing to fear.
00:56:39.10\00:56:41.12
By the way, if history
was declared by God so long
00:56:41.42\00:56:44.84
in advance, if all of
the events of Daniel 2
00:56:45.05\00:56:48.20
have taken place:
Babylon, Medo-Persia,
00:56:48.40\00:56:51.17
Greece, Rome, the
ten divisions of Rome,
00:56:51.37\00:56:54.43
the mixture of the iron
and the clay which we'll talk
00:56:54.63\00:56:56.48
more about in Daniel 7,
what makes you think that
00:56:56.58\00:56:58.90
the last event
isn't going to take place?
00:56:59.10\00:57:00.88
If everything has taken
place just the way God said,
00:57:02.82\00:57:05.15
we know that the last
event will take place.
00:57:05.35\00:57:07.32
And by the way, it's very soon
00:57:07.62\00:57:10.36
because we are presently living
in the toenails of the image.
00:57:10.76\00:57:15.75
The toes are the last part
and then Jesus will establish
00:57:16.73\00:57:21.69
His everlasting kingdom
where righteousness dwells.
00:57:21.89\00:57:26.12