Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG002823
|
00:09 It's been 2,000 years since the glorious
00:11 light of the cross illuminated a world veiled in darkness 00:14 and confusion about the character of God, 00:17 and still today the greatest need of 00:19 mankind is a revelation of God's love as revealed 00:22 in the life of Christ. 00:23 Amazing Facts presents the "Everlasting Gospel" 00:27 with Pastor Doug Batchelor, 00:29 coming to you each week from Sacramento Central Church 00:31 in sunny California! 00:33 Discover hidden treasures in God's Word today. 00:38 Please turn in your Bibles to the book of Daniel once again. 00:44 A few weeks ago, we were looking at Daniel 6. 00:49 I'm going backwards, today it's Daniel 5 00:54 We're going to talk about the fall of Babylon, 00:58 and I think it's interesting, as we prepare to look at this 01:03 story, a very important study in the Bible - 01:07 that history, in some ways, has a way of repeating itself... 01:12 And right now, the United States is over in the country 01:16 that was once, Babylon and Iraq - same vicinity. 01:24 I also think it's interesting that our biggest problem 01:28 ...right now, in ancient Babylon over there, 01:32 is not the Babylonians or the Iraqis, 01:35 but it's the ancient Persians. 01:37 We call them today, Iranians... 01:40 And, what we're reading about in the Bible today, 01:44 in some ways, is still being acted out 3,000 years 01:47 or 2,500 years later. 01:50 So Daniel 5:1, "Belshazzar the King, made a great feast 02:00 for a thousand of his lords, and he drank wine 02:04 in the presence of the thousand; 02:06 and while he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command 02:10 to bring the gold and silver vessels that his father, 02:13 Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the temple, 02:15 which had been in Jerusalem; 02:17 that the king and his Lords and his wives and his concubines 02:21 might drink from them. 02:23 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken 02:26 from the temple of the house of God, 02:27 which had been in Jerusalem, 02:29 and the king and his lords and his wives and his concubines 02:33 drank from them. 02:34 And they drank wine and they praised the gods of gold 02:38 and silver and bronze and iron and wood and stone. " 02:42 Now, we're getting ready to look into the recipe for - 02:46 "How do you destroy a nation" 02:50 Babylon is preparing to fall. 02:52 Babylon was, at this point, one of the greatest 02:57 kingdoms, if not the greatest kingdom of antiquity. 03:01 Daniel 2, describes Babylon as a head of gold. 03:05 In chapter 7- Daniel describes Babylon through prophecy 03:09 as the lion of the beast; the king of beasts, 03:12 the golden head of all the metals. 03:14 It was the greatest kingdom. 03:16 The historians, when they describe ancient Babylon, 03:18 it scarcely is possible to believe the scope 03:22 of what they talk about! 03:24 A city with walls over 200 feet high. 03:28 It's almost as high as a redwood; 03:30 60 miles in circumference, 80 feet wide at the top, 03:37 Herodotus, the historian, tells us... 03:39 so that 4 chariots could travel abreast. 03:43 There were 100 defense towers above its walls. 03:47 Within the outer wall that we just described, was farmland. 03:52 They also had 20 years' worth of food store up in silos. 03:56 Now this is significant to think about because 03:59 at the time of the story we're reading about, 04:02 Babylon was engaged in a war with a Medo-Persian empire. 04:08 As-a-matter-of-fact, the Persians had besieged 04:12 the ancient city. 04:14 We got a map here, we'll put up on the screen 04:16 about some of the scope of the ancient kingdom of Babylon. 04:19 The Babylonian civilization, it stretched all the way from 04:24 the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf; 04:26 encompassed the territory that involved, 04:29 what we call today, Syria, Iraq and much of ancient Iran, 04:36 and it was one of the most vast of the ancient empires, 04:40 the Golden Kingdom, right there in the Fertile Crescent, 04:43 in the same location begun by Nimrod - to be the first 04:48 kingdom built in defiance to God. 04:51 The Tower of Babel was in that same area. 04:55 As-a-matter-of-fact, you can read about where 04:57 King Nebuchadnezzar, he surveyed this massive 05:01 kingdom and said, "Is this not the great kingdom"... 05:03 He looked at it from his balcony and he was just 05:06 overwhelmed with how magnificent this empire was. 05:11 But at that same time, this young king named Belshazzar, 05:17 he was not all at concerned that the Medo-Persians were 05:23 threatening to attack the city. 05:26 Now, when I first mentioned Belshazzar, 05:28 I probably need to stop right here because for many years, 05:31 critics of the Bible said, "You can't trust the Bible, 05:34 nothing in all the Babylonian history that we study 05:37 tells us there is anyone by the name of Belshazzar. " 05:41 They thought they had all the monarchs of Babylon mapped out; 05:44 there was no Belshazzar. 05:46 Who was Belshazzar? 05:49 Well after some archeological digs, especially more 05:54 recent ones in the region of ancient Babylon, 05:58 they've unearthed a number of artifacts. 06:01 Belshazzar was the son of a Babylonian King by name of 06:05 Nabonidus. 06:07 Now Belshazzar, Daniel says, was a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar 06:14 but Nabonidus wasn't related to Nebuchadnezzar. 06:15 He came to the throne as a result of intrigue 06:18 and a few military coups against the empire, 06:23 and so, folks say, "Well the Bible can't be trusted" 06:26 But they continued to do some archeological research, 06:30 and I've got a picture here of an obelisk or a slate 06:35 showing Nabonidus praying to the moon. 06:39 He was very religious. 06:41 He left the kingdom to the care of his son, Belshazzar, 06:48 and he went off and he was a very religious man; 06:51 he was praying in Arabia trying to appease the gods 06:54 and trying to win that southern kingdom. 06:56 In the archeological research that they did, 06:59 they unearthed a few things... 07:00 One is, this terracotta cylinder by Nabonidus 07:04 written in cuneiform - you can see this today 07:06 in the British Museum and another very important one 07:09 is called "The Nabonidus Chronicle" 07:12 It looks a little bit like the shape of the Rosetta Stone. 07:15 But in this ancient cuneiform, 07:17 he talks about his son, Belshazzar. 07:20 Evidently what happened is Nabonidus married 07:23 the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, meaning Belshazzar was not 07:29 related to Nebuchadnezzar through his father, 07:31 but through his mother. 07:33 And, that comes up and it plays very prominently 07:36 because she appears a little later in the story. 07:38 When he has this big drunken party, 07:42 the Persians had surrounded the ancient City of Babylon, 07:46 the Medo-Persian kingdom; they had laid siege to it. 07:49 Well the Babylonians were not worried... 07:51 They said... We've got enough food for 20 years; 07:54 we can grow our own food within the city... 07:56 And a critical part of the story - you must not forget is.. 07:59 the Euphrates River, we've all heard about, 08:02 the Euphrates goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden; 08:05 it's in the news today... ran underneath the walls 08:09 of ancient Babylon, dissecting this massive city, 08:14 15 miles each wall, 60 miles around, 08:19 providing an abundance of water, cooling, 08:24 irrigating the farms in the city... 08:26 So Belshazzar said... We're not afraid of the Persians 08:28 ...we're not worried about them. 08:30 They just closed the gates and they said - We're going to relax 08:34 Well, the Persians had a very clever plan, 08:38 but we're going to get to that a little later. 08:40 The Persians temporarily retreated 08:44 from surrounding Babylon. 08:46 The Babylonians thought... Now they've given up, 08:49 they've left and they celebrated. 08:52 They had a big party and in the midst of this drunken party 08:56 history tells us that Belshazzar especially disliked the 09:00 the Jewish captives in his kingdom. 09:02 They had received some preferential treatment under 09:05 the reign of Nebuchadnezzar; you remember Nebuchadnezzar 09:07 exalted Daniel, was prime minister; 09:10 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were in his cabinet. 09:14 Later, you hear that through the intercession of Daniel, 09:17 the son of Nebuchadnezzar, Evil Merodach or Evil Marduk 09:20 that he release Jehoiachin from prison, 09:23 and so they had positions of honor, they had respect, 09:26 but when the kingdom was overturned, 09:28 Daniel was retired, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego 09:33 ...we don't know what happened to them, 09:34 but when Belshazzar finally came into control, 09:36 he did not like the Jews one bit. 09:39 And it says in some of these cylinders that we just looked at 09:43 that they were especially persecuted. 09:45 The Talmud tells us that the Jews were especially persecuted 09:48 under Belshazzar. 09:50 When they saw the Persians surrounding the city, 09:53 the Jews were thinking... 09:55 The prophecies of Jeremiah are coming true; 09:57 this is a sign we're going to be liberated soon. 10:01 As-a-matter-of-fact, one of the generals of 10:04 the Persians by the name of "Cyrus" was specifically 10:07 mentioned by name in the prophecies of Isaiah, 10:10 and so the Jews were very excited. 10:12 Belshazzar knew that and he said... 10:15 "Their God cannot save them from us. " 10:19 So to MOCK the God Israel... 10:20 You wonder - why did he single out the Jews? 10:22 Why did he say - Get the vessels from the Jewish temple? 10:25 He had many kingdoms represented in his nation 10:27 that had been overthrown, but he singles out the Jews, 10:30 very interesting. 10:32 He says - Get the vessels that are in the treasury of 10:35 my grandfather Nebuchadnezzar, that were taken from the 10:38 Temple of Jehovah and we're going to show the Jews 10:41 that they need to stop praying to their God, 10:43 they're not going anywhere, and we're going to 10:47 praise our gods with their holy vessels! 10:50 So you see what's happening behind the scenes... 10:53 There's a war between the gods going on. 10:56 So he begins to mock them and mocks the God of heaven 11:01 begins to praise the gods; takes these sacred vessels, 11:04 praise the gods of Babylon. 11:06 You'll notice in Daniel 2, it talks about the metals of 11:10 gold and silver and bronze and stone and it talks about wood, 11:13 the gods of all these different materials, IDOLS. 11:19 So, right in the midst of all this, 11:21 Babylon had been under siege of the Persians - he has a party. 11:28 Now it's interesting that frequently in the Bible, 11:30 it seems like there is a party that's going on 11:33 just before a judgment. 11:35 I don't know why that is; the Lord warns us about 11:40 knowing when to fast and knowing when to feast. 11:43 Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:48, speaking of the second coming... 11:49 "But if that evil servant says in his heart - 11:52 My master delays his coming and he begins to 11:55 beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink 11:57 with the drunken - feasting; the master of that servant 12:01 will come in a day that he's not looking for him 12:04 at an hour that he's not aware of" 12:07 In the parable that Jesus tells about the rich man and Lazarus, 12:10 "The rich man was clothed with purple and linen 12:14 and he feasted on or fared sumptuously every day... " 12:18 and then judgment came to that rich man. 12:21 Judgment comes to the unfaithful servant. 12:23 When the Children of Israel saw Moses delayed 12:26 coming down the mountain, they also had 12:29 a potluck that got out of hand, didn't they? 12:33 And then Moses came... Judgment! 12:37 Adonijah had a feast to proclaim himself king, 12:40 and then word came to the banquet hall 12:43 ...Solomon was being coronated at that very moment, 12:45 and everybody left and the party was over... Judgment came! 12:49 Jehu had a big banquet for all the worshippers of Baal, 12:53 but it was really a rouse... 12:55 The whole thing was to try to eliminate Baal worship 12:57 from the kingdom and everybody came and had a big feast to Baal 13:00 and then he sent the soldiers... and Judgment came! 13:04 You've got to know there is a time to feast, 13:06 and there is a time to fast, and right now when we are 13:10 at the borders of the second coming, 13:12 it's not a time to be eating and drinking with the drunken. 13:16 Shouldn't be feasting before Judgment Day. 13:18 2 Peter 3:11, "Therefore... speaking of the second coming, 13:24 since all these things will be dissolved, 13:27 what manner of persons ought you be in all holy conduct 13:31 and godliness... " 13:33 Just to give you the picture... 13:36 This was turning into this banquet to celebrate 13:41 the withdrawal of the Persians; 13:44 it was turning into the equivalent of 13:46 an ancient Roman orgy. 13:47 You got to remember that it says here... 13:50 Unlike some of the feasts where the Persians 13:52 had the men drinking and the women were not allowed, 13:55 here it says that... Belshazzar had his 13:58 concubines and wives; the men and the women 14:01 were there. 14:02 It had turned into something the equivalent of a 14:04 New Orleans Mardi Gras or Brazilian Carnival, 14:08 where it was just a debauchery of partying that was going on... 14:15 And then it says - When the king has tasted the wine, 14:18 the effects of the wine began to have its 14:22 inebriating impact on his mind, 14:25 that's when he gives the very reckless command to bring 14:28 the sacred vessels from the temple of God 14:31 and to begin to make a mockery of Jehovah. 14:36 Now this is very significant because he is now taking 14:39 something that was dedicated for a holy purpose, 14:42 and it's being defiled. 14:45 You know, I was thinking about what's happening in our country, 14:49 and I read an article in Newsweek talking about how 14:54 the media, the censors have just about closed down 14:57 their shop for television. 14:59 They used to censor the movies and censor television, 15:02 and what was appropriate, what was inappropriate. 15:04 And the border has been pushed further and further and further, 15:07 where now, even during daytime television, they're showing 15:11 just very explicit things. 15:14 And you know what, it's like boiling a frog, 15:17 little by little, the country is being exposed to this, 15:19 and they just don't know it and even Christians 15:21 are watching these things without even blushing. 15:26 ...Not to mention what's happening in the theater. 15:31 Edward Gibbon.. Oh by the way, 15:33 Rome is sometimes compared to Babylon, 15:36 and when Peter greets the church in Babylon, 15:38 he's talking about Rome. 15:39 Edward Gibbon describing the 5 main reasons for Rome's 15:44 downfall - we're getting ready to study the 15:45 downfall of Babylon here... Listen to what he says, 15:48 "The undermining of the dignity and the sanctity of the home" 15:54 The sanctity of the home and I think that would also 15:56 talk about marriage... 15:58 "Increasing taxes and spending of public money 16:01 for bread and circuses - 16:03 Spending tax money on public parties. 16:07 ...the mad craze for pleasure with sports becoming 16:10 more exciting and more brutal - like extreme fighting... 16:16 The building of armaments where the real enemy was the 16:19 decadents of the people... This is was Edward Gibbons says, 16:23 And the decay of religion with faith fading into mere form. " 16:29 At one time, about 200 A.D., the Roman empire... 16:34 they had been experiencing what they call "Pax Romana" 16:37 the Roman peace - the laws and the morals of Rome at one point 16:40 were very high, but as they began to fall 16:43 and they gave themselves over to the orgies 16:46 and to the gladiator battles 16:48 and to ultimately killing the Christians, 16:51 it just - the kingdom imploded, even though it had once been 16:56 the most powerful kingdom. 16:57 Philipp Meyer, in his textbook 16:59 called, "Rome, It's Rise and Fall," 17:01 made this observation on the Romans... 17:04 "Almost from the beginning, the Roman stage was 17:07 gross and immoral and it was one of the main agencies 17:10 to which must be attributed the undermining of the 17:14 originally sound moral life in society. 17:18 So absorbed did the people become in the indecent 17:21 representations of the stage, they lost all thought 17:24 and care for affairs of real life. " 17:26 The culture became obsessed with... 17:29 the equivalent of their media, 17:32 and it was gross and immoral. 17:35 Could that happen again to our country? 17:40 Now, one of the things that shocked my socks off was when 17:46 I finally got the news that the 9th Circuit Court in California 17:51 had reversed the ban on declaring that marriage 17:55 between gays would be legal. 17:58 That ought to give you chills, friends. 18:01 Not just because of what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah, 18:05 but I thought it was interesting that one of our members 18:08 emailed me something... 18:09 You know, there's only one other time in history 18:12 when contracts of homosexual marriage were endorsed 18:17 by the government and it wasn't Sodom and Gomorrah - 18:20 believe it or not, it wasn't Greece - as decadent 18:22 as they were in Greece; in Rome - as much as they 18:26 misbehaved in Rome, there has always been 18:28 elements of homosexuality in culture... 18:31 But when it was RECOGNIZED by the government... 18:34 you know when that was? 18:35 Among the ancient writings of the Jews, 18:39 they've got the books called "The Talmud" 18:41 There's one manuscript called "The Babylonian Talmud" 18:43 It really has nothing to do with Babylon; 18:45 it's just something that was preserved through Babylon, 18:48 and the ancient rabbis that lived 1,000 years, well not 18:51 1,000 years but 500 years before Jesus, 18:53 they said that the one sin that was the most 18:58 offensive to God BEFORE the flood - 19:02 Going back to the time of Noah... 19:04 was when the government began to issue contracts for men 19:08 to marry men... and then the flood came. 19:12 That was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. 19:16 I can't imagine why I'm not hearing more outrage 19:21 from people across the country, that America 19:24 has come to the place where we're going to take something 19:27 that was dedicated for a sacred purpose - marriage, 19:32 and are going to hand that over to a perverse use... 19:36 and to recognize it and legalize it and endorse it. 19:40 I'm praying that that decision is reversed, 19:43 but you know what, even if it's reversed, 19:45 you just watch - it's temporary, they're not giving up. 19:50 Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Noah, 19:52 so will it be in the days of the son of man" 19:54 Oh by the way, they ate and they drank. 19:57 "They knew not until the flood came upon them" 20:00 And you can believe all of that was happening in 20:02 the judgment halls of Babylon that day, 20:06 before they saw the handwriting on the wall. 20:08 By the way, did I tell you that's the sermon title? 20:12 You know, when I first started reading the Bible, 20:16 one of the things that really impressed me about the Bible, 20:18 I had no Bible background... 20:19 As I'm reading through the Bible, 20:20 I finally got to the story of Daniel. 20:22 Daniel 5 talks about the handwriting on the wall; 20:24 and said - "Oh, that's where that expression comes from" 20:27 I was amazed how many expressions 20:29 that I had been using all my life. 20:31 I had no idea what I was saying... 20:32 "I'd tell people - "Well, we're going the second mile," 20:34 and then I realized that came from Jesus... 20:36 or, "Turn the other cheek," 20:37 or "At your wits' end," or "The skin of your teeth" 20:40 and all these expressions that we use, 20:42 they're from the Bible. 20:44 And "The handwriting on the wall," 20:45 that's the message today. 20:48 The king called for these holy vessels... 20:51 You know, I think there's a secondary meaning for that. 20:54 When he took the silver and gold vessels, 20:57 these were precious metals... 20:59 I also think it's interesting the kingdom is getting ready 21:02 to go from gold to silver that night... interesting right? 21:07 The golden head of Babylon to 21:10 the silver of the Meds and the Persians that night. 21:12 But, what's another symbol for vessels in the Bible? 21:16 What does the Bible tell us can be symbolized by vessels? 21:19 1 Thessalonians 4:4, "That each of you should know 21:24 how to possess his own vessel... 21:26 Your body is a vessel to be filled by the Holy Spirit. 21:29 ...unto holiness, sanctification and honor. " 21:33 Our vessels should be possessed in sanctification, 21:36 and that means holiness and honor. 21:39 We are to be dedicated for that. 21:41 When King Belshazzar called for the vessels 21:44 from the House of the Lord so that he could drink 21:46 fermented drink in them and praise pagan gods, 21:49 that's really exactly what the 21:51 devil wants to do with all of God's children. 21:53 He wants to take God's people, 21:56 who have been dedicated to be filled with God's Spirit 21:58 in God's house and bring them into his banquet hall, 22:01 and fill them with his intoxicants, 22:03 intoxicating drinks and praise devils. 22:07 Because you know, the Bible says when they worship idols, 22:09 they are really worshipping devils. 22:15 2 Chronicles 36:10 tells us that Nebuchadnezzar 22:21 sent and brought King Jehoiachin him to Babylon with the 22:25 goodly vessels from the house of the Lord. 22:27 These vessels had come from the house of God. 22:31 There's something incongruous about when we come 22:36 from the house of God, when we leave this place, 22:39 we should not be going into 22:41 the feast house of idols from here. 22:44 We should be reserved for a holy purpose. 22:47 He was, in effect, mocking God 22:49 and what happens when you mock God? 22:51 "Will a man mock God?" 22:56 Here the Persians were outside the walls; 22:58 the Jews were praying for deliverance, 22:59 and he wanted to show that the God of Israel was powerless. 23:03 Didn't do this with any of the other gods he had conquered, 23:06 but he did Jehovah. 23:07 Because the real battle in this world is not between 23:10 the devil and the kings and all the pagan religions, 23:13 it's between Satan and Christ 23:15 and you can see that coming out in the story. 23:18 The one god he was threatened by 23:19 was the God they could not make an idol of. 23:24 He's a God that you can't make Him, He makes us. 23:32 Galatians 6:7, "Do not be deceived, 23:35 God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, 23:38 he will also reap. " 23:43 When the government begins to 23:44 mock what God calls holy, then Babylon falls. 23:49 Now turn back to your Bibles, Daniel 5:5 23:54 I read you verses 1-4, "In that same hour, 23:58 the fingers of a man's hand... " 24:01 In the midst of their drinking, 24:02 and their praising their different gods of 24:03 silver and gold - they're going through this 24:05 ritual and all the different lords. 24:06 He's got the most beautiful women in the kingdom there. 24:08 You read in the book, "Prophets and Kings," 24:10 the most brilliant minds in the kingdom are there. 24:14 It was an impressive scene. 24:15 They've got the paparazzi there taking pictures, 24:18 or etching them or something or painting them, 24:21 because I'm mean, the Who's Who in Babylon, 24:24 and Babylon was the biggest kingdom in the world... 24:26 If there was a party you wanted to go to and find out 24:28 where all the influential people were, it was this party! 24:33 Daniel wasn't there because he knew 24:36 what was going to be going on. 24:38 "In that same hour, the fingers of a man's hand appeared, 24:42 and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall 24:47 of the king's palace, and the king saw the part 24:50 of the hand that wrote... " It wasn't a whole arm, 24:53 it's a hand and it has the fingers curled around 24:56 maybe some instrument and it's etching in burning 25:00 characters in wall over by the lamp where everybody could see, 25:04 and a hush - a terror fell upon that assembly that day. 25:08 Everybody - one minute they're praising their god, 25:10 they're partying, they are being profane, 25:12 they're using bad language, telling lewd jokes, 25:17 behaving in an unseemly way and it was AMAZING 25:20 how when they saw the hand of God writing on the walls, 25:23 everybody's attitude instantly changed. 25:29 People usually sober up when God starts to write. 25:34 You need to pay careful attention; 25:36 I can only think of about 4 times in the Bible 25:39 when God writes anything. 25:42 You've got, of course, the Lord writing the 10 Commandments, 25:45 but you know, He did it twice. 25:47 The first time, God provided the stone, 25:49 the second time, Moses broke them, remember? 25:51 God said... Look, you gotta cut your own this time, 25:53 I'll write on them again. 25:55 So He wrote on them again the second time. 25:57 Then you got this writing on the judgment hall walls... 26:02 I'm sorry, it was a feasting hall but it became a 26:05 judgment hall didn't it... of Babylon. 26:07 And then Jesus is writing in the dust of the temple floor, 26:10 and they got real quiet when He started 26:11 writing too, didn't they? 26:16 "And the king's countenance was changed"... I guess! 26:21 "and his thoughts troubled him; 26:24 so the joints of his hips were loosed... " 26:29 You ever get so nervous that your knees smite together? 26:33 Now I don't want to put you on the spot, 26:34 but I find it sometimes interesting, 26:37 and I can always tell when a person is nervous 26:40 when they are up front - because I know how it feels. 26:43 The first time I got up to preach, 26:44 I was absolutely terrified; I don't get that way anymore, 26:47 praise the Lord... Oh sometimes if it's in 26:49 you know, live satellite feed, that first night, 26:51 I get a little nervous for the first few minutes, 26:53 but sometimes, you know, I'll be sitting here, 26:56 and someone is up there doing special music and you can see 26:58 the knees are knocking together or you can just see the 27:04 bottom of their dresses fluttering like that. 27:08 Or I'll see different speakers - and I tell Karen, 27:10 I'll say, "Yeah, they're licking their lips every 2 seconds, 27:12 see their eyes blinking like that" 27:14 I said, "They are scared to death. " 27:17 But when you get so scared that you're doing 27:19 the Charleston... some of you know what I'm talking about. 27:24 He couldn't stop and it gets worse than that. 27:27 It says, "The joints of his hips were loosed... " 27:31 and actually in some versions it says "his loins were loosed," 27:35 and I read some commentaries on this, this week, 27:38 and a number of scholars, new and old, say... 27:41 "That means he lost control of his loins" 27:45 You drink a lot of wine, that can happen, 27:48 combine that with a little bit of abject terror... 27:53 By the way, don't forget that because we're going to read 27:55 the prophecy where it says, "The kings of Babylon, 27:58 their loins are loosed with fear. " 28:04 "And his knees knocked against each other" 28:07 That bold, brave king was shaking his puny fist 28:09 in the face of God, all of a sudden his knees 28:11 are knocking together. 28:12 And a lot of people are very bold about saying, 28:15 "I don't believe in God, there is no God" 28:16 acting like fools and some day when they see 28:19 the handwriting on the wall, they're not so brave anymore. 28:23 We're all going to be judged for everything we say, 28:26 every idle word we speak, everything we do; 28:29 we'll all stand and give an account of ourselves before God, 28:33 something we need to remember. 28:34 "And the king cried aloud" 28:37 He's screaming, he's terrified! 28:39 "BRING IN THE ASTROLOGERS" They see these words, 28:41 and then finally the writing stops and there it is 28:43 glowing and burning characters... 28:44 And I don't know if the hand was still there 28:46 or they could see the hand, but there was just 28:49 TERROR in the banquet hall there. 28:52 "And he cries out, he screams, bring in the astrologers, 28:56 and the Chaldeans and the soothsayers" 28:57 "And the king spoke to the wise men of Babylon" 29:01 They came and rushed in before the king. 29:03 "Whoever reads this writing and tells me its interpretation, 29:06 he'll be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold 29:09 around his neck and he'll be the third ruler in the kingdom" 29:14 Babylon, the biggest kingdom in the world - to be number 3, 29:17 you might be wondering, why didn't he offer him number 2? 29:20 That's because that's all he was. 29:22 The real king was in Arabia, his father, Nabonidus. 29:25 He was only really serving as the vice regent. 29:27 He was king number 2. 29:32 Ruler #2, he's offering number 3 to whoever could interpret it. 29:38 Now the king's wise men came in, 29:40 but they could not read the writing or make known 29:43 to the king what the interpretation was of it. " 29:48 I think it's very interesting, Isaiah 47:13, prophesying 29:54 about this - the wise men are mystified. 29:59 That often happens... 30:00 Pharaoh brings in his wise men, 30:02 can they tell what his dream means? No 30:05 Nebuchadnezzar brings in his wise men, 30:08 not only for his dream about the golden image, 30:11 but later, he dreams about the tree... 30:13 the wise men of the world, they don't know. 30:17 Isaiah 47:13, "Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsel, 30:21 let now the astrologers and the stargazers and the monthly 30:25 prognosticators stand up and save thee from these things 30:29 that shall come upon thee. " 30:30 His wise men could not help him. They could not save him. 30:33 They could not interpret what was happening. 30:37 You know, I'm concerned when I see God's people going to the 30:45 wisdom of the world for advice, when that advice 30:49 conflicts with the Word of God. 30:52 The wisdom of the world is foolishness; 30:54 don't forget that the wisest people in the world 30:56 once thought the earth was flat. 30:59 The wisest people in the world once thought 31:01 if you had a fever, you had too much blood, 31:02 so you just bleed them! 31:05 And that was the wisdom, I mean, who could know more 31:07 than the doctors and the scientists and the scholars? 31:13 The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God. 31:17 1 Corinthians 1:20, "Where is the wise? 31:19 Where is the scribe? 31:21 Where is the disputer of this age? 31:23 Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" 31:27 You can read in the book, "Prophets and Kings," 31:29 "But of no avail was his appeal to his trusted advisors, 31:33 with offers of rich rewards, heavenly wisdom cannot be 31:37 bought or sold. " 31:39 He needed one of God's wise men to tell him what 31:42 God's writing said. 31:44 And then this is very interesting here... 31:48 "The wise men could not tell him and his countenance, 31:52 in verse 9 of chapter 5... 31:54 The king's countenance was changed, 31:56 and his lords were astonished; everyone was totally mystified. 32:00 Verse 10: "The queen, because of the words of the king 32:05 and his lords, came to the banquet hall. " 32:07 She was not there also, isn't that interesting? 32:10 This is the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. 32:11 Nebuchadnezzar, who ended his life by 32:13 extolling the God of heaven. 32:15 This is a daughter who is probably a little more 32:17 amenable to the God of heaven. 32:19 She was not invited. 32:21 She was brought to the judgment hall, 32:23 and now, word is going everywhere about this event. 32:27 "And the queen's spoke" 32:28 This is probably Belshazzar's mother. 32:31 "O king, live forever, do not let your thoughts... 32:35 Don't forget that, "O king, live forever" 32:37 "Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your 32:39 countenance change" Do you underline in your Bible? 32:42 I got 4 words for you... "There is a man" 32:47 I like that, when God says, "There is a man" 32:50 They got all the wisest men in Babylon, 32:52 and they can't figure it out, but God still has a man. 32:55 "There is a man in your kingdom 32:58 in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God," 33:01 ...unlike the gods you are praising. 33:03 "and in the days of your father, light and understanding 33:08 and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods was found in him" 33:11 Keep in mind, this is the queen mother; 33:14 she is describing events that had happened 40 years earlier. 33:18 Most of this generation has forgotten about 33:20 those miracles of Daniel's wisdom and his interpreting 33:25 the various dreams of Nebuchadnezzar. 33:30 "The wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods was found in him, 33:35 and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father... 33:37 And they use the word "father and grandfather' interchangeably 33:39 "Your father the king, made him chief of the magicians, 33:43 astrologers, Chaldeans and soothsayers. 33:45 In as much as an excellent spirit, knowledge, 33:48 understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, 33:51 and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel 33:54 whom the king named "Belteshazzar" 33:57 That's interesting, you got Belshazzar and Belteshazzar. 34:01 "Now let Daniel be called and he will give the interpretation. " 34:06 You noticed she has absolutely no doubt... let him be called. 34:10 She doesn't say... Let him take a crack at it. 34:12 She says, "He has never failed 34:15 to give an interpretation," he'll give it to you. 34:18 "Then Daniel was brought in before the king" 34:20 Now, the king has been mocking the God of the Jews... 34:22 Who is brought in to interpret the king's writing? A Jew 34:29 "And the king spoke and said to Daniel," 34:32 "Are you that Daniel, who is of one of the captives of Judah?" 34:35 You know, when they wanted to get rid of Daniel, 34:37 in chapter 6, they say, "That Daniel" 34:40 "... who is one of the captives of Judah, who my father, 34:45 the king, brought from Judah" 34:46 You're just a foreign captive. 34:49 It still irks the king that he is having to ask a Jew 34:52 to explain the writing. 34:54 "I've heard from you that the Spirit of God is in you, 34:57 and that the light of understanding and excellent 34:59 wisdom are found in you. " 35:01 "Now the wise men and astrologers have been brought 35:03 before me to read this writing to make known its interpretation 35:06 but they could not give the interpretation of the thing. 35:10 And I've heard of you, that you can give 35:12 interpretations and explain enigmas. 35:14 Now if you can read the writing and make known 35:17 to me its interpretation, you will be clothed 35:20 in purple, Oh big deal... and have a chain of gold 35:24 around your neck and you'll 35:26 be the third ruler in the kingdom. " 35:29 Offering him these rewards. 35:31 You think that impressed Daniel? 35:35 It's amazing how quickly Nebuchadnezzar's behavior 35:39 went from mockery to abject terror. 35:44 How does Daniel feel about these rewards? 35:46 Chapter 5, verse 17, "Daniel answered and said 35:50 before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself, 35:53 and give your rewards to another. " 35:55 Ooo... Do you know, we have other ways of saying that, 36:03 but I won't say that! 36:07 You don't say that to a king in front of... 36:10 oh yeah - I think about another banquet hall, 36:14 and the king started drinking wine. 36:15 Remember Harold and John the Baptist... things. 36:19 And yet some Christians think it's okay to drink alcohol 36:27 So he says, "Daniel, look what I'm going to give you" 36:29 Whenever a prophet makes out a receipt for you... 36:33 when a prophet says - I'll give you a prophecy, 36:34 but just let me get out my credit card machine... 36:38 You better go looking for another prophet. 36:41 As-a-matter-of-fact, a prophet of God, 36:42 if he's got a message for you, 36:44 you cannot pay him to NOT give it to you! 36:48 Is that right? 36:50 So the idea - if you give me a prophecy... 36:52 Naaman - he comes for healing. 36:54 He offers Elisha a FORTUNE! 36:57 He says - Keep your money, you can't even pay for your healing. 37:01 God's Word is free; Joseph's brothers tried to 37:04 put money in Joseph's hands so they could get bread, 37:07 and Joseph said - You can't pay for it. 37:10 ...Put the money back in their sack. 37:11 A lot of astrologers, soothsayers and palm readers, 37:16 and you can go visit them and they're going to 37:18 charge you for your visit, right? 37:21 The other thing is... when Daniel talks to King Darius 37:27 in the next chapter, he says, "O king, liver forever, 37:29 my God has sent his angels and shut the lion's mouths. 37:31 O king, liver forever... " That's the proper way 37:33 you greet a king, right? 37:35 But you notice, he doesn't say to Belshazzar, 37:37 O Belshazzar, live forever. You know why? 37:39 He KNEW he wasn't going to live forever. 37:43 No sense wasting it and he wasn't 37:45 going to give him that kind of glory. 37:47 He KNEW what the handwriting on the wall said. 37:50 Back to chapter 5... Oh, and he's offering him 37:53 position - what's the position? 37:54 You get to be third ruler in the kingdom! 37:57 When you turn the page, don't do it, 38:00 and you read chapter 6, Daniel is getting ready 38:04 in chapter 6, to be second ruler in the kingdom. 38:09 He didn't need to get Belshazzar to off him third place! 38:13 He says, You know, God is going 38:15 to give me second place in one more chapter! 38:20 Isn't that what it said? 38:21 "Darius thought to set him over the whole realm" 38:23 He was already chief of the three presidents. 38:25 He thought to set him over the whole realm 38:28 because of this excellent spirit that was in him. 38:32 "O king, let your gifts be for yourself"... keep your gifts 38:37 "... your rewards for another; 38:38 yet I will read the writing to you... 38:40 can't wait to read the writing to you... 38:44 to make known to him the interpretation. " 38:48 Now, bear with me, you got your Bibles, 38:49 you may want to read this. 38:52 "O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father 38:56 a kingdom and majesty and glory and honor"... 38:58 unlike any other king, I might add... 39:00 "And because of the majesty that he gave him, 39:03 all peoples, nations and languages trembled 39:06 and feared before him. 39:07 Whomever he wished, he executed; 39:09 whomever he wished, he kept alive; 39:11 whomever he wished, he set up; 39:12 whomever he wished, he put down. " 39:14 He was a total, absolute ruler. 39:17 "But when his heart was lifted up," 39:19 Remember his pride - is this not the great Babylon 39:21 that I have built. 39:22 "And his spirit was hardened in pride, 39:24 he was deposed from his kingly throne, 39:27 and they took his glory from him. " 39:30 "Then he was driven from the sons of men and his heart 39:33 was made like a beast's heart, and his dwelling was with the 39:37 wild donkeys. " 39:39 When you're proud, God can send you out to feed with donkeys. 39:47 "They fed him with grass like oxen and his body was 39:51 wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the 39:53 Most High God rules in the kingdom of man, 39:57 and appoints over at whomever he chooses. " 39:59 In other words, Daniel is all about, will you worship the 40:02 true God, who has the real kingdom or the idols 40:05 in the false kingdom, and they were praising 40:08 their idols and trusting their idols to protect 40:10 Babylon from the Persians, and the one God 40:13 they could trust or that could help them, 40:16 they were not trusting. 40:19 "But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, 40:24 although you knew all this... " 40:25 You knew what the history was, your mother told you. 40:28 "and you've lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven, 40:31 and you've brought the vessels of His house before you, 40:35 and you and your lords and your wives, 40:37 and your concubines have drunk wine from them. 40:40 And you have praised the gods of silver and gold and bronze 40:43 and iron and wood and stone which do not see or hear 40:46 or know anything. " 40:49 You get the context of this? 40:51 Daniel, what a man! 40:53 Someone said the lions didn't eat him because he had 40:55 too much backbone. 40:57 He is in a judgment hall where they've got all of the idols 41:01 illuminated; beautiful idols all around the walls of 41:05 the judgment hall; that's why they were all praising them. 41:08 And they're going through the ritual; they're praising them 41:10 and the most important, the most POWERFUL people 41:13 in the kingdom are there and Daniel stands FEARLESSLY 41:16 in their midst - 85 years old, perhaps. 41:20 He had been carried away 70 years earlier and he 41:24 denounces that their gods are dead; 41:27 they're stone, they're wood; they do not see, 41:30 they do not hear, what a sermon! 41:31 Ooo - that takes courage! 41:35 That's like when Paul goes in the amphitheater 41:38 of Greece and says that... I'm going to tell you about 41:41 the one unknown God; you've got all these idols, 41:43 you don't even know what you're worshipping. 41:47 "But the God who holds your breath in His hand, 41:50 who owns all your ways, you have not glorified. " 41:54 "Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, 41:58 and this writing was written. " 42:01 Now, we're going to look at the writing. 42:04 "And this is the inscription that was written... " 42:06 You know, most scholars believe probably the writing 42:09 was in Hebrew. 42:10 It was in the ancient Hebrew and the soothsayers and the 42:17 Babylonians... 42:18 You see, Daniel was instructed in their language, 42:21 and he understood both languages, 42:22 but they were not instructed in his language. 42:24 What were the 10 Commandments written in? 42:28 But what language? Probably Hebrew, right? 42:31 The language of the people; does that make sense? 42:34 And what do you think Jesus wrote when He wrote 42:36 on the judgment floor, rather in the temple floor dust? 42:41 He wrote probably Hebrew. 42:43 Was there Hebrew also above the head of Christ 42:45 when he was crucified? 42:47 So I think there's a good argument that these were 42:49 Hebrew characters. 42:50 No problem for Daniel to read this. 42:54 "MENE, MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN" 42:56 is the writing. 42:59 Now if I were just to say that to you, 43:01 you would probably want to know what that means. 43:02 As-a-matter-of-fact, even if you understood Hebrew, 43:04 each one of these words; one, repeated twice, 43:08 each word represents a sentence. 43:11 The sentence is summarized in the word. 43:15 Pastor Harold told me a story this week... 43:18 I told him - I hope he doesn't mind my robbing his story 43:20 about a young person that was studying the truth, 43:24 and wanted to accept the truth. 43:28 His family was from charismatic background, 43:31 and they just were very worried about him 43:32 that he might become a Seventh-day Adventist, 43:34 and they thought what he really needed was 43:36 the gift of tongues and everything would be all right, 43:38 so they took this young person and brought him into a church, 43:41 and surrounded him with pastors and they said, 43:42 "We're just going to pray until you speak in tongues, 43:44 and we're not leaving here until you speak in tongues!" 43:46 And they all surrounded him; they're all praying, 43:48 and they're speaking in tongues and they were laying hands 43:50 on him and they were carrying on. 43:51 He doesn't know what to do and he's standing there, 43:52 and he's praying and praying and they're going on and on, 43:54 and FINALLY.. he said, "MENE, MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN" 43:58 and they all said, "PRAISE THE LORD" and they left! 44:02 But they didn't realize what he said was... 44:03 "You're all weighed in the balances and found wanting" 44:09 Just remember that in case you ever need it. 44:14 "And so then he gives the interpretation, 44:16 verse 26: Mene - God is numbered 44:21 Well let me back up here and I want to give this to you 44:24 from the Hebrew. 44:26 In the Hebrew, I've got the characters written here, 44:29 and that won't do you any good. 44:30 "Mene" signifies the word numeration. 44:33 "Tekel" - weighing, and "Peres" - division. 44:39 So, just to give you that background. 44:42 So back here to the writing, Daniel 5:26... 44:47 "This is the interpretation of each word: 44:49 Mene - God has numbered your kingdom and finished it. 44:53 Tekel - You have been weighed in the balances... 44:56 There's a judgment, a scale... and you've been weighed 44:59 and you are found wanting. " 45:02 You know, they used to check pure gold, 45:04 they'd weigh it against a certain weight 45:06 to see if it was pure or if they had 45:07 something else mixed in with it and it was impure. 45:11 It had some false material in there. 45:15 "You are weighed in the balances and found wanting" 45:18 "Peres - Your kingdom is being 45:21 divided and given to the Medes and the Persians. " 45:24 I think it's interesting that, at that point, 45:29 the walls of Babylon, at the very moment that 45:35 Daniel was speaking those words, 45:36 the outer walls had been breached. 45:41 Now let me give you a little history 45:45 in case you didn't know this... 45:47 What Cyrus did... Cyrus and the Medes and the Persians 45:51 had this confederacy; they had surrounded Babylon. 45:54 They realized they could not breech the walls of the city, 45:57 they were too high. 45:59 They could not get through the gates, they were too thick, 46:02 and they could shoot down from the walls. 46:03 And as they studied the situation, 46:05 they came up with an idea... 46:07 When they built Babylon, they had the old place the 46:10 river used to run; they redirected it through 46:12 the city after they finished building the aqueducts 46:16 that went through the city, they had to dam that off 46:18 for a little while some ways up stream 46:21 so that they could do the construction. 46:24 Cyrus found that and it was a number of miles out of sight. 46:27 He had his army dig a BIG basin in a canal 46:33 that would re-route the Euphrates River. 46:36 Just as the sun began to go down, 46:38 he had all of his soldiers retreat, 46:40 the Babylonians celebrated; 46:41 they thought that the Persians and the Medes had given up. 46:43 They retreated out of view; they broke the dam 46:48 that let the water run off in the other direction. 46:51 The regular flow of the Euphrates went down, 46:55 it was dried; the flow of the river ran off in this 46:58 incredible old canal, so at least temporarily 47:01 dropped the water level many feet, 47:03 and it tells us that the soldiers were able to walk 47:07 underneath the walls because the level of the water 47:09 had dropped to where it wasn't more than a stream - 47:11 this is the Euphrates River which normally flows 47:14 like the Mississippi, it's a big river! 47:17 When they got to the great iron gates, 47:20 not only were they able to go under the walls, 47:22 but the soldiers were all drunk. 47:24 They were celebrating the retreat of the Persians. 47:26 They left the iron gates unlocked. 47:29 Right as Daniel is in there saying, "You are found weighed 47:33 in the balances and wanting," they can hear the cry 47:37 of the soldiers outside the judgment hall, 47:40 and they're saying, "The Persians are here, 47:42 the Medes are here, there's an army coming, 47:44 we're overwhelmed. " 47:45 They swarmed in like ants, underneath the walls. 47:49 Then they opened the other gates, 47:51 the army came in through the other gates, 47:53 and the city quickly fell. 47:59 "Babylon fell" I've got the writings 48:03 here from, again, from Herodotus... 48:06 "Cyrus dug a trench and diverted the flow of the Euphrates River 48:10 into this new channel which led to an existing swamp. 48:13 The level of the river then dropped to such a level, 48:16 it became like a stream. " 48:18 His arm was able to take the city. 48:20 The Babylonians at this time were celebrating 48:23 intensely at a feast to one of their gods, 48:26 and they were taken totally by surprise. 48:29 There was a festival going on and they continued 48:32 to dance and enjoy themselves until they learned the news 48:35 the hard way... That's from the historians. 48:39 It goes along with the Bible. 48:40 Isaiah 45:1- Listen to what Isaiah says over 48:43 a 100 years before these events transpired. 48:49 ...About 150 years. 48:51 "Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus... 48:53 Cyrus is not born yet; we know from the 48:58 Dead Sea Scrolls, Isaiah wrote this before it happened... 49:01 ...whose right hand I have helped, 49:04 I'm going to help this king. 49:06 ...to subdue nations before Him to loose the armor of kings 49:12 To open before him the double doors, 49:15 so the gate shall not be shut. " 49:18 It's actually to loose the loins of kings... interesting! 49:23 "The double doors would be left open" 49:25 This is EXACTLY what happened! 49:28 Jeremiah speaking of the fall of Babylon in chapter 51:30; 49:32 "The mighty men of Babylon had ceased fighting; 49:36 they've remained in their strongholds. 49:38 Their might has failed; they became like women, 49:41 they have burned her dwelling places. 49:43 Her bars of her gates are broken. " 49:45 They were unable to fight, they were all drunk 49:47 and intoxicated - they fled before the Persians, 49:49 no resistance was put up. 49:52 Now I think this is significant because if you read in 49:54 Revelation 16- nothing in the book of Daniel talks about 49:58 the drying up of the Euphrates. 50:00 This is in history though and all the Jews knew this. 50:04 So when you read Revelation 16:12, 50:06 "Then the 6th angel poured out his bowl on great river 50:09 Euphrates and its water was dried up, 50:12 so the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. " 50:15 When Darius the Median king and Cyrus the Persian, 50:19 who later became king... 50:20 When they came from the east, it meant deliverance 50:24 for the people of God who had been held captive in Babylon. 50:28 I think right now we can hear the shouting 50:30 from the judgment hall 50:31 or from the banquet hall, I should say... 50:34 And soon you're going to hear shouting from the judgment hall; 50:37 that I think we're on the borders of a very similar event, 50:40 that the end is near. 50:42 Now you read in the last few verses of Daniel 5, and it says; 50:51 verse 29, "Belshazzar, he gives the command and they clothe 50:57 Daniel with purple and they put a gold chain around his neck, 51:00 and they made a proclamation concerning him, 51:02 that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. " 51:05 This is the last command of Belshazzar before he dies. 51:08 What is his last command? To glorify a Jew, 51:13 to make a Jew the third ruler in his kingdom. 51:17 And then you read the next verse... 51:19 "That night, Belshazzar the King of the Chaldeans, was slain, 51:25 and Darius the Mede received 51:27 the kingdom, being about 62 years old. 51:30 Of all the leaders in the Babylonian cabinet that were 51:34 executed, they didn't execute Daniel, did they? 51:39 You know why? All the Babylonians fell. 51:41 It doesn't matter if you're in Babylon, 51:44 you just got to make sure Babylon is not in you. 51:47 God tells His people that we should come out of Babylon. 51:51 Now, we might be surrounded with Babylonian behavior, 51:54 and you might even see elements of Babylon in the church, 51:57 but the church is not Babylon. 52:00 But some people in the church got Babylon in them! 52:05 And we need to pray that the Lord will help us 52:07 to treat our vessels as holy Amen friends? 52:11 I think these are signs that the Lord is coming soon, 52:13 and we need to do everything we can to prepare... 52:17 Do you see the handwriting on the wall? 52:20 I believe that the evidence is there that Jesus is on His way. 52:25 Turn in your Hymnals to 626. 52:27 I'm trying to think about how do I end this sermon? 52:30 I don't think I can and I think God is going to have to end it. 52:32 You just keep watching the headlines, 52:35 I'll let the Lord end it. 52:37 Turn in your Hymnals to 626. 52:38 Let's stand together and let's sing this. 52:40 First and last verse - "In a Little While We're Going Home" 52:50 Let us sing a song that will cheer us by the way, 52:56 In a little while we're going home; 53:02 For the night will end in the everlasting day, 53:08 In a little while we're going home. 53:13 In a little while, In a little while, 53:19 We shall cross the billow's foam; 53:24 We shall meet at last, When the stormy winds are past, 53:31 In a little while we're going home. 53:39 Before we sing the last verse, 53:40 I just feel like I need to offer a moment for you to respond, 53:46 and I always struggle and say, "Lord, I don't know if I was 53:50 able to communicate to them the power and intensity 53:53 of this story and how relevant it is today that I see. " 53:59 What happened there in that banquet hall many years ago, 54:02 that's being acted out in our country right now. 54:04 What happened in ancient Rome... and I think that unless 54:07 there's major repentance, we're going to see 54:10 some pretty dramatic changes taking place very soon. 54:14 And it's time for us to make sure that we're not in Babylon, 54:18 and it's not in us. Amen? 54:21 Some of you might have different needs in your hearts and lives, 54:23 and the Lord is speaking to you and He is calling you. 54:25 I'd like to have a relationship with the Lord like Daniel had - 54:28 where people will accuse us of 54:30 having the Spirit of the Living God in us, is that your desire? 54:35 Some here may be have some special needs 54:37 you'd like to bring to the Lord right now. 54:39 As we sing the last verse, and you want to know 54:41 you're ready for Jesus to come; 54:43 if you need special prayer; Come... 54:45 As we close with prayer, verse 4 54:52 There's a rest beyond, there's relief from every care, 54:58 In a little while we're going home; 55:04 And no tears shall fall in that city bright and fair, 55:10 In a little while we're going home. 55:15 In a little while, In a little while, 55:21 We shall cross the billow's foam; 55:27 We shall meet at last, When the stormy winds are past, 55:34 In a little while we going home. 55:42 Father in Heaven, We do look forward to 55:45 and long for that day when Jesus comes. 55:49 We can see the Euphrates River drying up even now, Lord. 55:53 That's the harbinger that Jesus is coming. 55:57 I pray that each one of us can find a way to excuse ourselves 56:05 from the feasting banquet hall and make our way 56:09 to the fasting, that we might humble ourselves before You, 56:13 and recognize that there is judgment looming. 56:17 I pray Lord, that there will be revival in our church 56:22 that will really come before you and surrender ourselves 56:25 and return to the faith that was once delivered to the saints 56:29 I pray Lord, there will be revival and repentance 56:32 in our country and that we will, as a nation, 56:35 humble ourselves and turn away from the decadent 56:39 behavior that seems to be modeling the fall of Babylon, 56:45 and the fall of Rome once again. 56:48 I pray also, Lord, that there can be a revival in our 56:52 personal devotional lives, in our relationship 56:54 and our witness for You. 56:56 We're very thankful for the young people 56:58 preparing to go on this mission trip. 56:59 We ask that You guard them, watch over them, 57:02 and bless them as well. 57:04 Pour out Your Spirit on our church, 57:06 and the blessings of this Sabbath day 57:08 as we close this worship service. 57:10 We pray we can take Your presence 57:11 and those blessings with us. 57:13 Help us to be Your witnesses. 57:14 We pray that Your Spirit will be in our hearts, 57:16 and will sense it there. 57:17 We ask in Jesus name... Amen |
Revised 2014-12-17