It has stood the test of time, God's book, 00:00:07.00\00:00:11.90 the Bible. 00:00:11.90\00:00:16.63 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:00:16.63\00:00:22.43 It Is Written ... 00:00:22.43\00:00:24.83 sharing hope around the globe. 00:00:24.83\00:00:28.70 Leaders come and leaders go from the world stage. 00:00:36.73\00:00:40.36 Some of them are little remembered, while others 00:00:40.36\00:00:43.10 are never to be forgotten. 00:00:43.10\00:00:44.63 One of the most significant figures of world history 00:00:44.63\00:00:48.66 is a man whose exploits see him actually become a man 00:00:48.66\00:00:51.96 of prophetic significance. 00:00:51.96\00:00:54.46 No, his name is not mentioned in the Bible, but his deeds 00:00:54.46\00:00:57.93 and his conquests and ultimately his 00:00:57.93\00:01:00.76 defeat see him fit into one of the most 00:01:00.76\00:01:03.66 important prophecies in the entire Bible. 00:01:03.66\00:01:07.13 [Music] 00:01:07.56\00:01:10.43 Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most significant 00:01:11.10\00:01:13.43 figures in the history of France, 00:01:13.43\00:01:16.33 and few leaders in recent history have impacted 00:01:16.33\00:01:18.56 the world in as big a way as he did. 00:01:18.56\00:01:22.76 Today he rests here - at Les Invalides. 00:01:22.76\00:01:28.56 The complex is a collection of buildings relating 00:01:28.56\00:01:30.86 to France's military history. 00:01:30.86\00:01:33.60 Originally it was a hospital and retirement home for war 00:01:33.60\00:01:36.60 veterans, but now there are museums and monuments - 00:01:36.60\00:01:39.86 as well as this being the burial place for many 00:01:39.86\00:01:42.40 of France's war heroes - including Napoleon. 00:01:42.40\00:01:48.63 His ashes are kept in an incredibly impressive tomb. 00:01:48.63\00:01:51.90 It's one of the most remarkable structures you'll ever see. 00:01:51.90\00:01:58.63 This great honor was given to Napoleon because he was 00:01:58.63\00:02:01.80 - in many minds - one of the greatest military commanders 00:02:01.80\00:02:05.90 in all of history. 00:02:05.90\00:02:08.50 He came to power as the Emperor of France not long 00:02:08.50\00:02:11.60 after the French Revolution, and his aim was the unite 00:02:11.60\00:02:15.56 Europe under the leadership of France. 00:02:15.56\00:02:18.20 And he very nearly succeeded. 00:02:18.20\00:02:20.40 But one thing was against Napoleon. 00:02:26.00\00:02:28.20 Prophecy. 00:02:29.30\00:02:31.00 The word of God said Napoleon couldn't possibly 00:02:32.53\00:02:35.66 be victorious. 00:02:35.66\00:02:36.66 But Napoleon either didn't know what the Bible said, 00:02:36.66\00:02:40.20 or didn't care. 00:02:40.20\00:02:42.83 Napoleon's history demonstrates that what God 00:02:42.83\00:02:45.63 says comes to pass. 00:02:45.63\00:02:51.33 No matter what any person might try to do, what God says 00:02:51.33\00:02:56.10 is going to happen is going to happen. 00:02:56.10\00:02:58.10 The word of God doesn't fail. 00:02:58.10\00:02:59.56 It could be said of the Bible, as f Isaiah said, "No weapon 00:02:59.56\00:03:04.40 formed against thee shall prosper." Napoleon defeated 00:03:04.40\00:03:08.03 much of Europe, but he couldn't defeat 00:03:08.03\00:03:12.60 the word of God. 00:03:12.60\00:03:16.50 So what was this prophecy that doomed the great military 00:03:16.50\00:03:19.83 leader Napoleon to ultimate defeat? 00:03:19.83\00:03:22.66 We're going to take a look at that prophecy right now. 00:03:22.66\00:03:25.10 We find it in Daniel, Chapter 2. 00:03:25.10\00:03:28.83 The chapter begins with another great military leader, 00:03:28.83\00:03:32.03 a man named Nebuchadnezzar, who was the king of Babylon. 00:03:32.03\00:03:35.53 Babylon was a very powerful kingdom, based in what today 00:03:35.53\00:03:38.83 we would call Iraq. 00:03:38.83\00:03:41.10 One night, the king of Babylon had a dream and it was 00:03:41.10\00:03:44.33 so profound a dream, so impressive a dream, 00:03:44.33\00:03:47.76 it caused Nebuchadnezzar to wake up out of his sleep. 00:03:47.76\00:03:50.63 When he woke up, he tried to recall his dream but he 00:03:50.63\00:03:54.13 couldn't remember what he had dreamed and, therefore, 00:03:54.13\00:03:56.76 he couldn't possibly know what the dream meant. 00:03:56.76\00:03:59.76 Maybe you've had a dream like that. 00:03:59.76\00:04:02.00 You wake up in the morning and you say, well, that was 00:04:02.00\00:04:04.00 interesting. 00:04:04.00\00:04:05.00 And you reach for your dream, you try to remember 00:04:05.00\00:04:07.20 what it was but it just seems to slip away. 00:04:07.20\00:04:13.33 Maybe it was something like that for king Nebuchadnezzar. 00:04:13.33\00:04:16.33 Now before I tell you about the dream, I want to tell you 00:04:20.23\00:04:23.30 that the dream itself is a remarkable thing. 00:04:23.30\00:04:27.06 What you're about to see is one of the greatest 00:04:27.06\00:04:28.90 evidences in the Bible for the reliability 00:04:28.90\00:04:31.36 and the trustworthiness of the word of God. 00:04:31.36\00:04:35.26 This dream given many years ago by God to a heathen King 00:04:35.26\00:04:39.43 has made believers out of a lot of skeptics 00:04:39.43\00:04:42.43 - so get ready to be challenged if you do not 00:04:42.43\00:04:45.43 think that the Bible is God's communication to humankind. 00:04:45.43\00:04:49.33 In Nebuchadnezzar's dream that night he saw an impressive 00:04:52.46\00:04:55.56 multi-metal image stood before him. 00:04:55.56\00:04:58.70 This image had a head made of gold, a chest and arms 00:04:58.70\00:05:02.20 of silver, its loins were of brass and its legs 00:05:02.20\00:05:06.43 were made from iron. 00:05:06.43\00:05:08.20 Its feet were a mixture of iron and ceramic clay. 00:05:08.20\00:05:12.13 Then to the King's dismay he watched a bolder strike 00:05:12.13\00:05:15.80 the image on its feet and knock it down. 00:05:15.80\00:05:18.86 And if that was not enough, the rock ground the entire 00:05:18.86\00:05:23.00 image to dust. 00:05:23.00\00:05:24.90 As he watched, the rock then grew bigger and bigger until 00:05:24.90\00:05:29.83 it encompassed the whole earth. 00:05:29.83\00:05:34.43 Now keep in mind, Nebuchadnezzar was 00:05:38.20\00:05:39.96 an idol worshipper. 00:05:39.96\00:05:41.60 Idols were his gods. 00:05:41.60\00:05:43.20 So when he has a dream about a great big idol that is being 00:05:43.20\00:05:45.83 destroyed, he is alarmed. 00:05:45.83\00:05:47.86 A god being destroyed? 00:05:47.86\00:05:50.20 What would the implications be for Nebuchadnezzar 00:05:50.20\00:05:52.80 and for his kingdom? 00:05:52.80\00:05:54.53 So Nebuchadnezzar called his wise men together and he said, 00:05:54.53\00:05:57.96 "I've had a dream.. 00:05:57.96\00:05:59.33 It seems to me that the gods are speaking to me and so 00:05:59.33\00:06:03.13 I need to know what the dream was and what it meant. 00:06:03.13\00:06:06.83 Tell me, both things, what I dreamed and what 00:06:06.83\00:06:09.13 the dream meant." 00:06:09.13\00:06:10.33 Now, that wasn't an unreasonable request at all. 00:06:10.33\00:06:13.30 If these wise men were as close to the world of the gods 00:06:13.30\00:06:16.90 as they claimed to be, this shouldn't be any 00:06:16.90\00:06:19.66 problem for them at all. 00:06:19.66\00:06:21.66 They responded: "There is not a man on earth who can tell 00:06:23.63\00:06:26.96 the king's matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has 00:06:26.96\00:06:32.30 ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, 00:06:32.30\00:06:35.33 or Chaldean. 00:06:35.33\00:06:36.33 It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there 00:06:36.33\00:06:39.90 is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, 00:06:39.90\00:06:43.56 whose dwelling is not with flesh" (Dan 2:10, 11). 00:06:43.56\00:06:48.63 Because they were unable to live up to their reputation, 00:06:48.63\00:06:50.93 because they couldn't interpret for the king what 00:06:50.93\00:06:54.10 his dream was and what it meant, the king ordered 00:06:54.10\00:06:56.56 them to be executed. 00:06:56.56\00:06:57.80 Now this was especially bad news for a young man named 00:06:57.80\00:07:00.93 Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach 00:07:00.93\00:07:03.30 and Abednego. 00:07:03.30\00:07:04.33 Because of their exemplary character, they had been 00:07:04.33\00:07:06.36 included in the group of the king's wise men. 00:07:06.36\00:07:08.70 So when the king said that the wise men 00:07:08.70\00:07:10.70 were to be executed, that included Daniel and his 00:07:10.70\00:07:13.70 friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 00:07:13.70\00:07:16.73 Daniel asked for a little bit of time. 00:07:16.73\00:07:19.13 He and his friends got together and earnestly prayed 00:07:19.13\00:07:21.50 that God would show them the dream and its meaning. 00:07:21.50\00:07:24.16 And God did. 00:07:24.16\00:07:26.13 And so now, Daniel is ushered into the presence of the king. 00:07:26.13\00:07:30.23 Here is what happened. 00:07:30.23\00:07:31.96 "The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was 00:07:31.96\00:07:37.40 Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream 00:07:37.40\00:07:40.30 which I have seen, and its interpretation?" 00:07:40.30\00:07:43.93 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, 00:07:43.93\00:07:46.33 and said, "The secret which the king has demanded, 00:07:46.33\00:07:48.96 the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, 00:07:48.96\00:07:51.60 and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. 00:07:51.60\00:07:56.76 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, 00:07:56.76\00:08:00.06 and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar 00:08:00.06\00:08:02.90 what will be in the latter days.". 00:08:02.90\00:08:09.50 The king listened intently as he heard Daniel 00:08:09.50\00:08:13.06 describing his dream. 00:08:13.06\00:08:14.06 He knew this was exactly what he had dreamed 00:08:14.06\00:08:17.43 the night before. 00:08:17.43\00:08:18.73 And then Daniel told the king the meaning 00:08:18.73\00:08:21.63 of the dream. 00:08:21.63\00:08:23.70 "You, O king, are a king of kings. 00:08:23.70\00:08:26.16 For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, 00:08:26.16\00:08:29.00 strength, and glory; ...you are this head of gold." 00:08:29.00\00:08:34.73 Nebuchadnezzar was like France's Napoleon, 00:08:34.73\00:08:40.83 the French Emperor - eager to be the head, 00:08:40.83\00:08:44.40 wanting to be a great leader. 00:08:44.40\00:08:49.13 According to God's plan, Babylon was to be the first 00:08:49.13\00:08:53.33 in a line of world empires. 00:08:53.33\00:08:56.10 This did not appeal to the king at all. 00:08:56.10\00:08:59.80 He had great plans to make Babylon an enduring kingdom. 00:08:59.80\00:09:04.96 Bricks excavated in the ruins of old Babylon were stamped 00:09:04.96\00:09:08.30 with an inscription in which Nebuchadnezzar announced that 00:09:08.30\00:09:10.80 he built the city to last forever. 00:09:10.80\00:09:14.06 Here was the king of the first world empire confronted by the 00:09:14.06\00:09:17.30 plans of the King of Kings. 00:09:17.30\00:09:20.46 How would he respond? 00:09:20.46\00:09:21.63 He could surrender his plans and accept the plan of God. 00:09:21.63\00:09:26.83 Or he could reject God's plans and push his own agenda. 00:09:26.83\00:09:32.46 You know - it's entirely appropriate that I'm telling 00:09:34.50\00:09:36.63 you this story from France - from Paris, the final resting 00:09:36.63\00:09:40.36 place of the Emperor Napoleon. 00:09:40.36\00:09:41.76 Like Nebuchadnezzar, Napoleon had ideas about great dominion. 00:09:41.76\00:09:47.06 And just like Nebuchadnezzar, Napoleon's ideas and God's 00:09:47.06\00:09:51.10 ideas didn't mesh. 00:09:51.10\00:09:53.70 Listen on, and you'll see how this prophecy in Daniel 2 00:09:53.70\00:09:57.73 guaranteed Napoleon couldn't succeed in bringing Europe 00:09:57.73\00:10:02.56 into one dominion. 00:10:02.56\00:10:04.06 [Music] 00:10:04.10\00:10:07.90 With Nebuchadnezzar's dream, much was at stake. 00:10:11.03\00:10:13.73 The real issue was this: Who was going to control 00:10:13.73\00:10:17.56 human history, God or man? 00:10:17.56\00:10:20.93 Every succeeding king had to answer the same question. 00:10:20.93\00:10:24.43 Would they let God be God or would they try to 00:10:24.43\00:10:28.53 play God instead? 00:10:28.53\00:10:30.46 God emphatically told Nebuchadnezzar - "But after 00:10:32.00\00:10:34.80 you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours." 00:10:34.80\00:10:37.86 In answer, Nebuchadnezzar said; "No, I reject 00:10:37.86\00:10:42.20 God's plan." You see in Daniel 3 just how 00:10:42.20\00:10:46.13 Nebuchadnezzar responded. 00:10:46.13\00:10:47.83 He had his own image built that was made entirely 00:10:47.83\00:10:51.60 out of gold. 00:10:51.60\00:10:52.60 You see, Nebuchadnezzar was saying, instead of Babylon 00:10:52.60\00:10:55.53 being the head of the image, Babylon will be the entire 00:10:55.53\00:10:59.80 image. 00:10:59.80\00:11:00.86 Babylon won't only be the first kingdom, Babylon will be 00:11:00.86\00:11:05.76 the only kingdom. 00:11:05.76\00:11:07.76 Now before we consider this prophecy any further, we 00:11:10.10\00:11:12.90 really ought to take a look at a very important word 00:11:12.90\00:11:15.86 and that's that word "inferior." 00:11:15.86\00:11:18.60 God said to Nebuchadnezzar that his kingdom would be 00:11:18.60\00:11:20.60 dominated by an "inferior" kingdom, which humanly 00:11:20.60\00:11:24.66 speaking, doesn't make a lot of sense. 00:11:24.66\00:11:27.53 Normally, you would expect that the superior would 00:11:27.53\00:11:30.26 dominate the inferior. 00:11:30.26\00:11:31.96 But that's not what God said happened. 00:11:31.96\00:11:34.03 Here, we see a progression. 00:11:34.03\00:11:35.96 The gold was conquered by the silver, 00:11:35.96\00:11:39.26 the silver by the bronze, the bronze by the iron, 00:11:39.26\00:11:41.96 each time the conquering metal was inferior 00:11:41.96\00:11:47.46 to the superior. 00:11:47.46\00:11:48.46 But God is driving home a point here. 00:11:48.46\00:11:52.90 If human beings were in charge, then you might expect 00:11:52.90\00:11:55.80 that the superior would dominate the inferior. 00:11:55.80\00:11:58.63 But God is saying human beings are not in charge. 00:11:58.63\00:12:04.76 The fact that the inferior conquers the superior shows us 00:12:04.76\00:12:08.90 that there is something supernatural taking 00:12:08.90\00:12:11.53 place here. 00:12:11.53\00:12:13.66 God is in charge of human history. 00:12:13.66\00:12:15.96 [Music] 00:12:17.60\00:12:21.30 Time for today's Bible question. 00:12:32.10\00:12:35.46 Here it is. 00:12:35.46\00:12:36.23 I've been having some real struggles in my life 00:12:36.23\00:12:37.86 that I hardly know what to do about. 00:12:37.86\00:12:41.90 I have prayed for a solution but I see no way out. 00:12:41.90\00:12:46.00 I want to end my life, but I don't want to go to hell. 00:12:46.00\00:12:51.73 Is suicide the unpardonable sin? 00:12:51.73\00:12:54.56 Let me tell you this. 00:12:54.56\00:12:57.40 Suicide is not the way out for you, 00:12:57.40\00:12:59.03 or for anybody. 00:12:59.03\00:13:00.43 Let me tell you why. 00:13:00.43\00:13:01.96 There are several reasons. 00:13:01.96\00:13:03.23 One, you're going to cause many people terrible pain. 00:13:03.23\00:13:07.93 There are many people who love you deeply, and they're going 00:13:07.93\00:13:10.06 to be devastated should you do such a thing. 00:13:10.06\00:13:12.73 Two, you're going to cause God a lot of pain. 00:13:12.73\00:13:17.06 God hurts when you hurt, and it will cause 00:13:17.06\00:13:18.93 Him huge pain to see you do something like that 00:13:18.93\00:13:22.66 to yourself. 00:13:22.66\00:13:24.13 Is suicide sin? 00:13:24.13\00:13:26.30 Yes it is. 00:13:26.30\00:13:27.30 (Now I know you might be able to say, "But what about...", 00:13:27.30\00:13:29.30 but we're not going there right now...) Murder is sin, 00:13:29.30\00:13:34.13 and suicide is self murder. 00:13:34.13\00:13:37.53 Not good. 00:13:37.53\00:13:39.03 Suicide represents a complete loss of faith in God. 00:13:39.03\00:13:42.36 You're saying, I'm in a place too dark too deep 00:13:42.36\00:13:47.20 for God to get me out of. 00:13:47.20\00:13:48.70 And that's not true. 00:13:48.70\00:13:50.06 1 Cor 10:13 says... 00:13:50.06\00:13:53.33 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is 00:13:53.33\00:13:57.80 common to man. 00:13:57.80\00:13:59.30 But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted 00:13:59.30\00:14:03.43 above that ye are able, but will with the temptation 00:14:03.43\00:14:06.50 also make a way of escape, that you may be able 00:14:06.50\00:14:09.63 to bear it." 00:14:09.63\00:14:12.00 If you are struggling, go to God and tell Him 00:14:12.00\00:14:14.83 all about it. 00:14:14.83\00:14:16.06 He will help you. 00:14:16.06\00:14:17.53 And he will help you to see that there is hope. 00:14:17.53\00:14:20.53 One other thing. 00:14:20.53\00:14:21.93 If you're experiencing these thoughts, see somebody. 00:14:21.93\00:14:26.30 Talk to a professional. 00:14:26.30\00:14:27.90 Speak with a pastor or minister if you can. 00:14:27.90\00:14:30.13 See a doctor. 00:14:30.13\00:14:31.56 Call the suicide prevention line in your area. 00:14:31.56\00:14:35.63 You want to take this seriously, and know that there 00:14:35.63\00:14:39.10 are many people who are there to help you. 00:14:39.10\00:14:43.83 If you have a question you'd like answered, go to our 00:14:43.83\00:14:45.83 website - www.ItIsWritten.com and click on the questions 00:14:45.83\00:14:50.06 tab. 00:14:50.06\00:14:51.06 Submit your question, and in a future program we might be 00:14:51.06\00:14:54.23 able to answer your question. 00:14:54.23\00:14:57.43 If you have a Bible question for pastor John Bradshaw, 00:14:57.43\00:15:00.40 please right to It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, 00:15:00.40\00:15:04.13 California 91359. 00:15:04.13\00:15:06.16 Or visit our website, itiswritten.com and send us 00:15:06.16\00:15:09.63 your questions on-line. 00:15:09.63\00:15:13.06 [Music] The Medo-Persian 00:15:14.56\00:15:19.50 kingdom conquered Babylon in a remarkable way. 00:15:19.50\00:15:21.63 You can read about that in Daniel chapter 5. 00:15:21.63\00:15:24.93 Just as God's plan indicated, Babylon went down and another 00:15:24.93\00:15:29.96 kingdom dominated the landscape. 00:15:29.96\00:15:33.83 While interpreting the dream to Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 00:15:33.83\00:15:36.93 said: "then (there will be) another, a third kingdom of 00:15:36.93\00:15:40.56 bronze, which shall rule over all the earth" (Daniel 2:39). 00:15:40.56\00:15:47.83 The bronze midsection of the image represented Empire of 00:15:47.83\00:15:51.53 Greece. 00:15:51.53\00:15:52.53 At the battle of Issus in 333 BC the Greek army under the 00:15:52.53\00:15:57.43 generalship of Alexander the Great defeated the Medo 00:15:57.43\00:16:00.43 Persians who were under the direct command of king Darius 00:16:00.43\00:16:04.63 the 3rd. 00:16:04.63\00:16:06.30 Ancient sources tell us that the Greeks were vastly 00:16:06.30\00:16:08.66 outnumbered. 00:16:08.66\00:16:09.80 It seems the Medo Persian army was made up of 400,000 00:16:09.80\00:16:13.60 soldiers while the Greek Army may have had as few as 40,000. 00:16:13.60\00:16:18.23 That is a ratio of 10 to 1. 00:16:18.23\00:16:21.53 However, it was a decisive victory for the Macedonians. 00:16:21.53\00:16:25.40 The Persians were turned to flight and as they fled, 00:16:25.40\00:16:29.06 great numbers of them were massacred by the Greeks. 00:16:29.06\00:16:32.30 It was the first time ever that the Medo Persians had 00:16:32.30\00:16:35.33 been defeated with their king present. 00:16:35.33\00:16:39.63 The kingdom of Greece now had its place in the sun. 00:16:42.43\00:16:44.86 This was a vast empire stretching from the Adriatic 00:16:44.86\00:16:48.46 Sea to the Indus River. 00:16:48.46\00:16:50.73 But according to God's plan, it too would make way for the 00:16:50.73\00:16:54.86 rise of a fourth world ruling power. 00:16:54.86\00:16:59.43 Here's what Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar: " 00:16:59.43\00:17:03.00 The legs of iron represented the Roman Empire. 00:17:17.40\00:17:20.80 The Roman Empire lasted more than half a millennium. 00:17:20.80\00:17:25.20 But now notice; it was never conquered by another single 00:17:25.20\00:17:29.10 nation. 00:17:29.10\00:17:30.26 Rome marked the end of the line of the four world empires 00:17:30.26\00:17:34.53 that God predicted would dominate the world. 00:17:34.53\00:17:37.10 There would never be another. 00:17:37.10\00:17:40.80 The Roman Empire was simply absorbed by the nations of 00:17:40.80\00:17:43.70 Europe and ceased to exist. 00:17:43.70\00:17:46.63 Amazing! 00:17:46.63\00:17:47.63 But then God makes another startling announcement. 00:17:47.63\00:17:52.23 The next dominant force on the world scene was to be 00:18:10.46\00:18:12.83 the nations of Europe. 00:18:12.83\00:18:14.56 You it's interesting that these things unfolded just as 00:18:14.56\00:18:17.26 God said they would. 00:18:17.26\00:18:18.63 And remember, God had said that these nations would never 00:18:18.63\00:18:21.50 unite again under one empire. 00:18:21.50\00:18:24.90 Well, what do you think man's response was? 00:18:24.90\00:18:27.13 Man's response was "We don't like it. 00:18:27.13\00:18:30.16 We will unite these nations. 00:18:30.16\00:18:32.20 We will bring these nations together again because we will 00:18:32.20\00:18:35.20 be in charge, and not God." 00:18:35.20\00:18:38.96 You know, the history of Europe is really the story of 00:18:38.96\00:18:41.93 mankind's futile attempt to try to prove God wrong. 00:18:41.93\00:18:46.60 God had said these nations would never unite but some of 00:18:46.60\00:18:49.50 the greatest generals in history marshaled some of 00:18:49.50\00:18:51.80 history's greatest armies in an attempt to conquer and 00:18:51.80\00:18:55.50 unite Europe. 00:18:55.50\00:18:56.50 But they tried and they failed. 00:18:56.50\00:18:59.63 Charlemagne tried and failed. 00:18:59.63\00:19:01.53 It could be said Louis the XIV tried and failed. 00:19:01.53\00:19:04.10 And others did exactly the same. 00:19:04.10\00:19:06.13 They tried and failed. 00:19:06.13\00:19:08.03 Mankind was wrong; God was right. 00:19:08.03\00:19:12.16 [Music÷ 00:19:12.16\00:19:14.53 That brings us back to Napoleon. 00:19:19.76\00:19:21.70 At one stage he dominated much of Europe. 00:19:21.70\00:19:24.43 The Arc de Triomphe celebrates his brilliant military 00:19:24.43\00:19:27.53 achievements. 00:19:27.53\00:19:29.53 [Music] Under his leadership 00:19:31.23\00:19:32.26 France probably stood taller in Europe than it did at any 00:19:32.26\00:19:35.73 other time. 00:19:35.73\00:19:37.16 England and Russia were still in his cross hairs. 00:19:37.16\00:19:39.60 But the Russian campaign turned into a disaster 00:19:39.60\00:19:43.26 for Napoleon. 00:19:43.26\00:19:44.70 Knowingly or unknowingly Napoleon was fighting against 00:19:44.70\00:19:47.90 the dictates of the King of Kings. 00:19:47.90\00:19:50.76 Just like Nebuchadnezzar, he said, I will 00:19:50.76\00:19:54.16 control history, not God. 00:19:54.16\00:19:57.30 Just two days before the battle of Waterloo at the 00:19:57.86\00:20:00.20 battle of Ligny, Napoleon defeated the Prussian army 00:20:00.20\00:20:03.30 under Field Marshal Blucher. 00:20:03.30\00:20:05.13 Then torrential rains came and flooded the area. 00:20:05.13\00:20:08.76 This caused Napoleon to actually delay the start 00:20:08.76\00:20:11.43 of the battle of Waterloo ever so slightly. 00:20:11.43\00:20:13.80 .When the battle began, 6800 British were under the 00:20:13.80\00:20:17.73 direction of the Duke of Wellington. 00:20:17.73\00:20:19.73 The French army numbered 72,000. 00:20:19.73\00:20:21.73 But the Prussians sent a support force of 50,000 00:20:21.73\00:20:25.20 to aid the British. 00:20:25.20\00:20:26.63 As the battle unfolded, Napoleon was actually gaining 00:20:26.63\00:20:29.53 the upper hand. 00:20:29.53\00:20:30.46 But then he needed to reposition his artillery 00:20:30.46\00:20:34.40 and when he did, those heavy grounds made it very, very 00:20:34.40\00:20:38.36 difficult for him to do so. 00:20:38.36\00:20:40.20 By the time the Prussians arrived, the die was cast. 00:20:40.20\00:20:45.36 Could it be that it was not the Prussians and the British 00:20:45.36\00:20:47.60 that defeated Napoleon? 00:20:47.60\00:20:49.30 Could it be that God sent those torrential rains to do 00:20:49.30\00:20:54.50 what man could not do? 00:20:54.50\00:20:57.40 I believe that could be the case. 00:20:57.40\00:20:59.60 You see, God had spoken. 00:20:59.60\00:21:01.10 In the book of Daniel, God said they shall not cleave one 00:21:01.10\00:21:04.56 to another even as iron is not mixed with miry clay. 00:21:04.56\00:21:08.43 On Sunday, June 15, 1815 a brilliant career ended 00:21:08.43\00:21:13.13 at the Battle of Waterloo, in Belgium. 00:21:13.13\00:21:17.83 It's interesting. 00:21:17.83\00:21:18.83 The Arc de Triomphe glorifies Napoleon's many campaigns 00:21:18.83\00:21:22.33 and victories. 00:21:22.33\00:21:23.53 But there's no mention on the Arc de Triomphe on Waterloo. 00:21:23.53\00:21:27.63 It was his downfall. 00:21:27.63\00:21:29.46 God knew best. 00:21:29.46\00:21:30.50 Napoleon was fighting against Providence. 00:21:30.50\00:21:33.40 God had - and God has - a plan for this world. 00:21:33.40\00:21:38.23 It's fascinating that Napoleon was like Nebuchadnezzar 00:21:42.20\00:21:45.16 in many ways. 00:21:45.16\00:21:46.16 A great leader. 00:21:46.16\00:21:47.83 A great strategist. 00:21:47.83\00:21:49.70 A great military man. 00:21:49.70\00:21:52.23 But like Nebuchadnezzar, he sought to fight against 00:21:52.23\00:21:56.00 the word of God. 00:21:56.00\00:21:57.00 That can never work. 00:21:57.00\00:21:59.53 But he was like Nebuchadnezzar in another way, too. 00:21:59.53\00:22:03.06 If you're familiar with the book of Daniel you'll know 00:22:03.06\00:22:05.26 that Nebuchadnezzar came to the place where he accepted 00:22:05.26\00:22:08.30 the true God into his life. 00:22:08.30\00:22:10.93 Now, I don't know if we can go so far as to say Napoleon did 00:22:10.93\00:22:14.00 that, but it's true that while he was in exile on St Helena, 00:22:14.00\00:22:17.83 in the last years of his life - a lot like Nebuchadnezzar's 00:22:17.83\00:22:21.13 7 years in the wilderness - Napoleon recognized that what 00:22:21.13\00:22:25.16 Jesus accomplished through Divine love was much greater 00:22:25.16\00:22:29.90 than the genius and military power of any general. 00:22:29.90\00:22:34.83 He said, " 00:22:34.83\00:22:36.26 Napoleon made the ultimate discovery, Jesus 00:22:52.93\00:22:59.23 and His inexhaustible love for the human family. 00:22:59.23\00:23:03.53 Makes you wonder if Napoleon ever surrendered his heart to 00:23:03.53\00:23:05.93 Jesus Christ but I guess that is something that we will just 00:23:05.93\00:23:09.33 never know? 00:23:09.33\00:23:10.86 What we do know is this. 00:23:10.86\00:23:12.66 That is that God has a plan for the kingdoms and the 00:23:12.66\00:23:15.10 nations of the world. 00:23:15.10\00:23:16.10 And if there's a plan for nations and kingdoms, then 00:23:16.10\00:23:19.56 there's little doubt that God has a plan for your life as 00:23:19.56\00:23:22.36 well. 00:23:22.36\00:23:23.60 Now, if the greatest armies in the world could not frustrate 00:23:23.60\00:23:27.26 the plans of God, why would you fight against God's plan 00:23:27.26\00:23:31.30 for your life? 00:23:31.30\00:23:32.86 One thing is different though. 00:23:32.86\00:23:34.46 You do have a very real choice, whether to say "yes" 00:23:34.46\00:23:37.56 to God and let God lead your life, or to say like some of 00:23:37.56\00:23:41.43 these others did, "No, God, I'm going to go my way." 00:23:41.43\00:23:47.10 On whose side will you stand? 00:23:47.10\00:23:48.30 Will you stand with Napoleon, Alexander the Great, 00:23:48.30\00:23:52.83 and Nebuchadnezzar and say "I'm going to do my own thing? 00:23:52.83\00:23:56.13 Or will you make a decision to let God's plans be the plans 00:23:56.13\00:24:01.03 for your life? 00:24:01.03\00:24:03.00 In the days of these kings (the kingdoms of Europe) God 00:24:03.00\00:24:07.50 will set up His kingdom that will never pass away and he 00:24:07.50\00:24:11.90 wants you to be a part of that kingdom. 00:24:11.90\00:24:14.16 He loves you. 00:24:14.16\00:24:15.16 He died for you. 00:24:15.16\00:24:17.16 In heaven now, God is doing everything he can to prepare 00:24:17.16\00:24:21.70 you for eternity. 00:24:21.70\00:24:23.60 He invites you today to surrender your life to him. 00:24:23.60\00:24:27.30 The prophecies of the Bible, inspired by God to help us 00:24:32.36\00:24:36.26 understand the past and the future. 00:24:36.26\00:24:39.23 To help us see that the Bible can be trusted and to 00:24:39.23\00:24:41.86 encourage us to face the future with confidence. 00:24:41.86\00:24:45.53 I want you to have this eye opening Bible-study guide 00:24:45.53\00:24:48.23 about your future. 00:24:48.23\00:24:50.00 You'll understand Bible Prophecy and you'll see how 00:24:50.00\00:24:52.26 you can read the prophecies of the Bible for yourself 00:24:52.26\00:24:56.00 and know what God is saying in these important 00:24:56.00\00:24:58.30 passages of the Bible. 00:24:58.30\00:24:59.60 Bible prophecy will open up to you when you read about your 00:24:59.60\00:25:03.56 future. 00:25:03.56\00:25:04.56 I'm offering it to you free. 00:25:04.56\00:25:06.33 There is absolutely no obligation. 00:25:06.33\00:25:08.46 Just call and ask for About your Future and I'll have it 00:25:08.46\00:25:11.90 sent right to your address in North America. 00:25:11.90\00:25:14.63 In just a few pages you'll learn what the Bible says 00:25:14.63\00:25:16.76 about prophecy and your knowledge of prophecy will 00:25:16.76\00:25:19.70 grow. 00:25:19.70\00:25:20.70 And it's my gift to you absolutely free. 00:25:20.70\00:25:24.30 In this booklet, you'll discover the details of Bible 00:25:24.30\00:25:26.53 prophecy and how God is guiding the affairs of 00:25:26.53\00:25:28.93 nations. 00:25:28.93\00:25:30.03 More importantly, you'll know what's ahead for planet earth. 00:25:30.03\00:25:33.33 About your Future is available right now from It Is Written. 00:25:33.33\00:25:36.80 It's practical and it makes sense of subjects many people 00:25:36.80\00:25:41.23 struggle with. 00:25:41.23\00:25:42.60 Just call 1.800.253.3000 and ask for About your Future. 00:25:42.60\00:25:48.46 You can also request About your Future by writing to It 00:25:48.46\00:25:51.66 Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, CA 91359, and we'll mail 00:25:51.66\00:25:57.06 a copy to your address in North America. 00:25:57.06\00:25:59.60 And be sure to visit our website, itiswritten.com, 00:25:59.60\00:26:02.93 where you will discover more helpful resources on a host of 00:26:02.93\00:26:06.40 life-changing topics. 00:26:06.40\00:26:08.66 It Is Written is a faith-based outreach made possible by 00:26:08.66\00:26:11.43 viewers like you. 00:26:11.43\00:26:12.43 Thank you for your letters and your continued financial 00:26:12.43\00:26:15.20 support. 00:26:15.20\00:26:16.40 Our toll-free number is 1.800.253.3000 and our web 00:26:16.40\00:26:20.80 address is itiswritten.com. 00:26:20.80\00:26:23.26 In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says, It is written, man 00:26:27.36\00:26:31.13 shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that 00:26:31.13\00:26:34.86 proceeds from the mouth of God. 00:26:34.86\00:26:36.93 Every Word is a one minute Bible-based daily devotional 00:26:36.93\00:26:40.76 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed 00:26:40.76\00:26:44.13 especially for busy people like you. 00:26:44.13\00:26:45.80 Look for Every Word on selected networks 00:26:45.80\00:26:48.46 or watch it on-line everyday on our 00:26:48.46\00:26:50.23 website, itiswritten.com. 00:26:50.23\00:26:52.90 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 00:26:53.16\00:26:55.63 Watch Every Word. 00:26:55.63\00:26:57.93 You'll be glad you did. 00:26:57.93\00:26:59.76 Thanks for joining me today. 00:27:02.03\00:27:03.40 Let's pray together. 00:27:03.40\00:27:05.10 Father in heaven, thank you for this wonderful prophecy in 00:27:05.10\00:27:07.60 Daniel, Chapter 2. 00:27:07.60\00:27:08.60 And thank you for showing us again that just as you have 00:27:08.60\00:27:12.10 a plan for the world, you have a plan 00:27:12.10\00:27:14.00 for each one of us. 00:27:14.00\00:27:15.00 Give us grace, Lord, to be surrendered to you so your 00:27:15.00\00:27:19.00 plans for our lives can be the plans that are carried out in 00:27:19.00\00:27:22.33 our lives. 00:27:22.33\00:27:23.33 Keep us, please, we pray. 00:27:23.33\00:27:25.26 Take our hearts and make them yours. 00:27:25.26\00:27:28.13 I ask in Jesus' name, amen. 00:27:28.13\00:27:31.20 [Music] 00:27:36.66\00:27:40.20 I look forward to seeing you next time. 00:27:49.93\00:27:51.40 Until then, please remember It is written, 00:27:51.40\00:27:52.93 man shall not live by bread alone, but by every 00:27:52.93\00:27:57.86 word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 00:27:57.86\00:28:00.90