¤[music ends]¤¤
00:00:15.48\00:00:17.48
>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
00:00:19.41\00:00:21.25
I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
00:00:21.28\00:00:24.35
It was a remarkable
and very complicated story.
00:00:24.39\00:00:28.82
Two days after a baby girl was
born in a hospital in Capetown,
00:00:28.86\00:00:32.56
South Africa, a woman
dressed in a nurse's uniform
00:00:32.59\00:00:36.43
took the baby while the
infant's mother was sleeping.
00:00:36.46\00:00:40.80
For years the little girl's
parents tried to find her,
00:00:40.84\00:00:43.61
and they lived with the
uncertainty of not knowing
00:00:43.64\00:00:45.67
where she was, or
whether she was dead or alive.
00:00:45.71\00:00:49.21
Even after they had another
daughter, they celebrated
00:00:49.24\00:00:51.38
the birthday of their
missing girl every year.
00:00:51.41\00:00:54.88
But a
fascinating thing happened.
00:00:54.92\00:00:56.92
Seventeen years after their
first daughter was kidnapped,
00:00:56.95\00:01:00.66
their second
daughter became friends
00:01:00.69\00:01:03.16
with an older girl at school.
00:01:03.19\00:01:05.73
People noticed the girls
looked remarkably similar.
00:01:05.76\00:01:09.33
And when the parents
learned about the similarity,
00:01:09.36\00:01:12.00
they met the older girl
and arranged for DNA testing
00:01:12.03\00:01:15.80
to be carried out.
00:01:15.84\00:01:17.51
The couple and their
lost daughter were reunited
00:01:17.54\00:01:21.51
for the first time
in nearly two decades.
00:01:21.54\00:01:25.41
Of course, unraveling
the complications of it all
00:01:25.45\00:01:27.92
was not easy.
00:01:27.95\00:01:29.22
The story is told in a
book, written by the young woman
00:01:29.25\00:01:31.35
at the center of it
all: "Zephany: Two Mothers,
00:01:31.39\00:01:34.29
One Daughter, an
Astonishing True Story."
00:01:34.32\00:01:37.39
A mystery,
indefatigable searching,
00:01:37.43\00:01:40.76
careful investigation, and
ultimately, a mystery solved.
00:01:40.80\00:01:46.84
The Bible can seem
like that: a mystery.
00:01:46.87\00:01:50.11
I'm not referring to
"For God so loved the world"
00:01:50.14\00:01:52.61
or "Love your
neighbor as yourself."
00:01:52.64\00:01:54.68
The fact is an enormous amount
of what is written in the Bible
00:01:54.71\00:01:57.51
is very understandable.
00:01:57.55\00:01:59.91
But there are some
passages, prophecy, for example,
00:01:59.95\00:02:04.89
sometimes that can
be a little complicated,
00:02:04.92\00:02:07.49
and there might be
times that you wonder
00:02:07.52\00:02:08.96
why prophecy even matters.
00:02:08.99\00:02:11.39
Together, we are going to see
that prophecy can be understood.
00:02:11.43\00:02:16.13
We'll see how relevant it is.
And we'll learn how it answers
00:02:16.16\00:02:20.04
some of the biggest
questions of them all,
00:02:20.07\00:02:23.27
including questions
about the end of the world.
00:02:23.30\00:02:27.61
In the Old
Testament you find a section
00:02:28.61\00:02:30.58
often referred to
as "the major prophets"
00:02:30.61\00:02:33.38
and another referred to
as "the minor prophets."
00:02:33.42\00:02:36.55
The major prophets are Isaiah,
00:02:36.58\00:02:38.89
Jeremiah--who wrote
Jeremiah and Lamentations--
00:02:38.92\00:02:42.29
Ezekiel, and Daniel,
00:02:42.32\00:02:44.16
while the minor prophets
are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah,
00:02:44.19\00:02:49.53
Jonah, Micah, Nahum,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,
00:02:49.56\00:02:55.00
Zechariah, and Malachi.
00:02:55.04\00:02:58.07
The major prophets
are considered major
00:02:58.11\00:03:00.31
because the books are longer.
00:03:00.34\00:03:02.84
Now, there are other
prophets in the Bible
00:03:02.88\00:03:04.35
who didn't write books.
00:03:04.38\00:03:06.28
Abraham was a prophet, as well
as Agabus and Gad and Miriam
00:03:06.31\00:03:10.05
and Joshua and
Deborah and, and others,
00:03:10.09\00:03:12.09
many of whom are not named.
00:03:12.12\00:03:14.19
Moses was a prophet, but the
books he wrote are considered
00:03:14.22\00:03:18.49
history more than
they're considered prophecy.
00:03:18.53\00:03:20.56
Now, they contain prophecy,
but the chief burden of Genesis,
00:03:20.60\00:03:24.53
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
and Deuteronomy is history.
00:03:24.57\00:03:27.84
Moses also wrote Job, considered
to be a book of poetry.
00:03:27.87\00:03:32.54
Genesis is the
book of beginnings.
00:03:32.57\00:03:34.91
Exodus tells the
story of the Exodus,
00:03:34.94\00:03:37.38
Israel's exit from Egypt.
00:03:37.41\00:03:39.88
Leviticus deals
with the priesthood
00:03:39.91\00:03:41.78
and the sanctuary services.
00:03:41.82\00:03:43.79
Numbers starts with
the numbering of Israel,
00:03:43.82\00:03:46.96
then adds to what
was written in Leviticus,
00:03:46.99\00:03:49.69
and traces the
wanderings of Israel,
00:03:49.72\00:03:52.53
while Deuteronomy,
which means "second law,"
00:03:52.56\00:03:56.16
deals a lot with the laws
and regulations given to Israel.
00:03:56.20\00:04:00.57
By the time you get
to the major prophets,
00:04:00.60\00:04:02.60
you see the prophetic content
of those books is very high.
00:04:02.64\00:04:07.01
Let's focus together on
Daniel--12 chapters in all.
00:04:07.04\00:04:11.81
The first six are largely
history, and the final six
00:04:11.85\00:04:15.08
are largely prophecy,
but, but even the chapters
00:04:15.12\00:04:17.99
that deal with history
really speak to prophecy.
00:04:18.02\00:04:21.69
In Daniel 3 there's a law
passed concerning worship,
00:04:21.72\00:04:25.33
and those who
wouldn't comply with that law
00:04:25.36\00:04:27.13
were sentenced to death.
00:04:27.20\00:04:28.66
Now, the book of Revelation
speaks to that same idea.
00:04:28.70\00:04:32.33
Daniel, chapter 6, the story
of Daniel in the lions' den
00:04:32.37\00:04:35.50
also has a last-day application.
00:04:35.54\00:04:39.21
But we're gonna start in
Daniel 2--fascinating chapter--
00:04:39.24\00:04:44.31
and then we'll build on that.
00:04:44.35\00:04:47.05
In fact, to get the
context of Daniel 2,
00:04:47.08\00:04:50.15
we need to look
at Daniel, chapter 1.
00:04:50.19\00:04:53.09
Jerusalem is attacked;
00:04:53.12\00:04:54.66
Daniel and others are
captured and taken to Babylon.
00:04:54.69\00:04:57.06
The captives are to be
fed from the king's table.
00:04:57.09\00:05:00.76
"But Daniel purposed in his
heart that he would not defile
00:05:00.80\00:05:03.67
"himself with the
portion of the king's meat,
00:05:03.70\00:05:06.00
"nor with the
wine which he drank:
00:05:06.03\00:05:07.97
"therefore he requested
of the prince of the eunuchs
00:05:08.00\00:05:10.74
that he might
not defile himself."
00:05:10.77\00:05:12.61
That's Daniel 1, verse 8.
00:05:12.64\00:05:14.64
He requested that he
and his friends be provided
00:05:14.68\00:05:17.25
with healthy food,
and water instead of wine.
00:05:17.28\00:05:21.68
That was an act of real faith.
00:05:21.72\00:05:24.59
You don't want to
insult the king of Babylon,
00:05:24.62\00:05:27.16
and if the health of
those boys had suffered,
00:05:27.19\00:05:29.82
the man tasked
with taking care of them
00:05:29.86\00:05:31.76
would have been in real trouble.
00:05:31.79\00:05:34.36
But God blessed Daniel and his
friends for their faithfulness.
00:05:34.40\00:05:38.43
Verse 17 says,
00:05:38.47\00:05:39.97
"As for these four children,
God gave them knowledge
00:05:40.00\00:05:43.34
"and skill in all
learning and wisdom:
00:05:43.37\00:05:46.51
and Daniel had understanding
in all visions and dreams."
00:05:46.54\00:05:51.01
It's always better to honor God.
00:05:51.68\00:05:55.08
"And the king
communed with them;
00:05:55.12\00:05:56.55
"and among them all was found
none like Daniel, Hananiah,
00:05:56.58\00:06:00.72
"Mishael, and Azariah: therefore
stood they before the king.
00:06:00.76\00:06:04.79
"And in all matters of
wisdom and understanding,
00:06:04.83\00:06:07.23
"that the king enquired of them,
he found them ten times better
00:06:07.30\00:06:11.60
"than all the
magicians and astrologers
00:06:11.63\00:06:14.37
that were in all his realm."
00:06:14.40\00:06:15.94
Daniel 1, verses 19 and 20.
00:06:15.97\00:06:18.44
The young men honored
God with their bodies,
00:06:18.47\00:06:21.98
and God blessed
them spiritually.
00:06:22.01\00:06:25.55
With that background,
we go to Daniel, chapter 2.
00:06:25.58\00:06:29.35
In Daniel 2, the
king, Nebuchadnezzar,
00:06:30.35\00:06:33.22
had a stunning dream. It
was so striking it woke him up.
00:06:33.25\00:06:38.49
He believed the
gods were talking to him,
00:06:38.53\00:06:41.60
but he couldn't
remember what the dream was.
00:06:41.63\00:06:45.37
He asked his counselors
to tell him what he dreamed
00:06:45.40\00:06:47.80
and what it meant.
00:06:47.84\00:06:49.87
What unfolded was an
interesting exchange:
00:06:49.90\00:06:53.81
"'O king, live forever!
Tell your servants the dream,
00:06:53.84\00:06:57.81
"and we will give
the interpretation.'
00:06:57.85\00:07:00.05
"The king answered
and said to the Chaldeans,
00:07:00.08\00:07:01.85
"'My decision is firm: if you do
not make known the dream to me,
00:07:01.88\00:07:05.82
"'and its interpretation,
you shall be cut in pieces,
00:07:05.85\00:07:09.29
"'and your houses
shall be made an ash heap.
00:07:09.32\00:07:11.76
"'However, if you tell the
dream and its interpretation,
00:07:11.79\00:07:14.40
"'you shall receive from me
gifts, rewards, and great honor.
00:07:14.46\00:07:18.63
"Therefore tell me the
dream and its interpretation.'
00:07:18.67\00:07:21.87
"They answered again and said,
'Let the king tell his servants
00:07:21.90\00:07:25.41
"the dream, and we will
give its interpretation.'
00:07:25.44\00:07:27.98
"The king answered and said,
00:07:28.01\00:07:29.14
"'I know for certain
that you would gain time,
00:07:29.18\00:07:31.15
"'because you see
that my decision is firm:
00:07:31.18\00:07:33.55
"'if you do not make
known the dream to me,
00:07:33.58\00:07:35.62
"'there is only
one decree for you!
00:07:35.65\00:07:37.92
"'For you have agreed to
speak lying and corrupts words
00:07:37.95\00:07:40.39
"'before me till
the time has changed.
00:07:40.42\00:07:43.06
"'Therefore tell me
the dream, and I shall know
00:07:43.09\00:07:45.79
"that you can give
me its interpretation.'
00:07:45.83\00:07:47.56
"The Chaldeans
answered the king, and said,
00:07:47.60\00:07:49.50
"'There is not a man on earth
who can tell the king's matter;
00:07:49.53\00:07:52.37
"'therefore no king, lord, or
ruler has ever asked such things
00:07:52.40\00:07:57.04
"'of any magician,
astrologer, or Chaldean.
00:07:57.07\00:07:59.71
"'It is a difficult thing that
the king requests, and there is
00:07:59.74\00:08:02.68
"'no other who can tell it
to the king except the gods,
00:08:02.71\00:08:06.11
"whose dwelling
is not with flesh.'
00:08:06.15\00:08:08.65
"For this reason the king
was angry and very furious,
00:08:08.68\00:08:12.79
and gave the command to destroy
all the wise men of Babylon."
00:08:12.82\00:08:17.33
That's Daniel 2,
verses 4 through 12.
00:08:17.36\00:08:20.43
What unfolds is a
prophecy that is foundational
00:08:20.46\00:08:24.90
to end-time Bible prophecy.
00:08:24.93\00:08:27.40
But first, Daniel
has to get out of a jam.
00:08:27.44\00:08:31.31
He's just been
sentenced to death.
00:08:31.34\00:08:34.71
What do you do
when you're innocent
00:08:34.74\00:08:37.38
and the executioner
knocks on your door?
00:08:37.41\00:08:40.65
We're gonna find
out in just a moment.
00:08:40.68\00:08:43.99
¤[music swells and ends]¤¤
00:08:44.02\00:08:51.03
>>Announcer 1: Important
life events bring great changes
00:08:52.86\00:08:55.13
in our lives, and the
Second Coming of Jesus
00:08:55.16\00:08:57.37
is the biggest
event of our lives.
00:08:57.40\00:08:59.53
You can share in
this special moment.
00:08:59.57\00:09:01.57
Our free offer today is
"The Second Coming of Jesus."
00:09:01.60\00:09:05.17
To receive this
free study guide,
00:09:05.21\00:09:06.81
call 800-253-3000
00:09:06.84\00:09:09.81
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:09:09.84\00:09:13.28
Learn what the Bible says about
the Second Coming of Jesus.
00:09:13.31\00:09:16.22
Call 800-253-3000
00:09:16.25\00:09:19.25
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:09:19.29\00:09:22.29
¤[upbeat music]¤
00:09:23.36\00:09:25.66
>>Announcer 2: Planning
for your financial future
00:09:25.69\00:09:27.30
is a vital aspect of
Christian stewardship.
00:09:27.30\00:09:31.13
For this reason, It Is
Written is pleased to offer
00:09:31.17\00:09:33.90
free planned giving
and estate services.
00:09:33.94\00:09:36.77
For information on
how we can help you,
00:09:36.81\00:09:38.94
please call 800-992-2219.
00:09:38.97\00:09:43.78
Call today
00:09:43.81\00:09:44.61
or visit our
website: hislegacy.com.
00:09:44.65\00:09:48.25
Call 800-992-2219.
00:09:48.28\00:09:51.95
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:09:51.99\00:09:52.99
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:09:54.22\00:09:56.69
There are a lot of
mysteries that puzzle us:
00:09:56.73\00:10:00.06
the lost city of Atlantis,
00:10:00.10\00:10:01.96
the lost colony following
Sir Walter Raleigh's attempt
00:10:02.00\00:10:05.00
to set up the first English
colony in the United States--
00:10:05.03\00:10:08.30
and that
mysterious word "Croatoan"
00:10:08.34\00:10:10.37
carved into a gatepost--
00:10:10.41\00:10:12.27
the fate of
Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.
00:10:12.31\00:10:15.68
There just aren't good answers.
00:10:15.71\00:10:17.68
But the Bible is a
book designed by God
00:10:17.71\00:10:20.08
to provide answers,
00:10:20.12\00:10:22.48
which means that,
although there are some parts
00:10:22.52\00:10:24.49
of the Bible that
don't read quite as simply as
00:10:24.52\00:10:28.32
"I have loved you
with an everlasting love,"
00:10:28.36\00:10:30.83
God speaks to us
through the Bible
00:10:30.86\00:10:33.06
to provide direction and
an understanding of who He is
00:10:33.09\00:10:36.77
and of His
purposes for the world.
00:10:36.80\00:10:39.33
When we looked at
Daniel, chapter 2,
00:10:39.37\00:10:40.70
we saw that King Nebuchadnezzar
had a dream so startling
00:10:40.74\00:10:44.37
it woke him from his sleep.
00:10:44.41\00:10:46.47
When his advisers weren't
able to interpret the dream,
00:10:46.51\00:10:49.24
he sentenced them to death.
00:10:49.28\00:10:51.71
When the executioner
arrived at Daniel's door,
00:10:51.75\00:10:54.52
Daniel asked for time
to interpret the dream.
00:10:54.55\00:10:58.12
He and his friends
prayed, and the Bible says,
00:10:58.15\00:11:01.32
"Then was the secret revealed
unto Daniel in a night vision."
00:11:01.36\00:11:06.23
Ushered into the
presence of the great king,
00:11:06.26\00:11:09.06
Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that
he dreamed of a large statue,
00:11:09.10\00:11:13.30
an image, an
idol-- not surprising,
00:11:13.34\00:11:17.27
considering Nebuchadnezzar
was an idol worshiper.
00:11:17.31\00:11:21.01
And then Daniel
interpreted the dream:
00:11:21.04\00:11:24.61
"You, O king, were watching;
and behold, a great image!
00:11:24.65\00:11:30.02
"This great image,
whose splendor was excellent,
00:11:30.05\00:11:33.32
"stood before you;
and its form was awesome.
00:11:33.36\00:11:38.16
"This image's
head was of fine gold,
00:11:38.19\00:11:41.23
"its chest and arms of silver,
its belly and thighs of bronze,
00:11:41.26\00:11:44.57
"its legs of iron,
00:11:44.60\00:11:46.23
its feet partly of
iron and partly of clay."
00:11:46.27\00:11:50.01
And then he interpreted
the dream for the king.
00:11:50.67\00:11:53.38
Remember, this was
a monumental dream.
00:11:53.41\00:11:56.11
But rather than this
being "the gods" speaking
00:11:56.14\00:11:58.81
to King Nebuchadnezzar,
00:11:58.85\00:12:00.42
it was the God of
heaven communicating with him.
00:12:00.45\00:12:03.95
With him--and with you and me.
00:12:03.99\00:12:07.86
Daniel explained to the
king that the head of gold
00:12:08.86\00:12:11.53
in that image
represented Nebuchadnezzar--
00:12:11.56\00:12:14.10
or Babylon, more correctly.
00:12:14.13\00:12:16.13
"You are this head of
gold," the young prophet said.
00:12:16.16\00:12:19.50
And then he said
that the other metals--
00:12:19.53\00:12:21.80
silver, brass, and iron--
represented succeeding kingdoms.
00:12:21.84\00:12:27.48
It turns out that those
kingdoms that followed Babylon
00:12:27.51\00:12:30.58
were Medo-Persia--often
referred to as simply Persia--
00:12:30.61\00:12:34.92
Greece, and Rome.
00:12:34.95\00:12:37.42
Back in Isaiah 13, verse
17, the Bible names Medo-Persia
00:12:37.45\00:12:41.99
as the kingdom that
would succeed Babylon.
00:12:42.02\00:12:44.63
"Behold, I will stir
up the Medes against them,
00:12:44.66\00:12:48.06
"which shall not regard silver;
00:12:48.10\00:12:50.03
and as for gold, they
shall not delight in it."
00:12:50.07\00:12:53.00
And then two
verses later, God says,
00:12:53.03\00:12:55.20
"And Babylon, the
glory of kingdoms,
00:12:55.24\00:12:57.74
"the beauty of the
Chaldees' excellency,
00:12:57.77\00:13:00.08
"shall be as when God
overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
00:13:00.11\00:13:04.31
It shall never be inhabited."
00:13:04.35\00:13:07.48
And sure enough, it never was.
00:13:07.52\00:13:10.69
Jeremiah wrote
something similar:
00:13:10.72\00:13:12.49
"Make the arrows
bright! Gather the shields!
00:13:12.52\00:13:15.72
"The Lord has raised
up the spirit of the kings
00:13:15.76\00:13:18.19
"of the Medes. For His plan is
against Babylon to destroy it,
00:13:18.23\00:13:22.73
"because it is the
vengeance of the Lord,
00:13:22.76\00:13:25.13
the vengeance for His temple."
00:13:25.17\00:13:26.60
You find that in
Jeremiah 51 in verse 11.
00:13:26.63\00:13:29.57
After Medo-Persia, Greece came
into power on the world stage,
00:13:29.60\00:13:33.88
with the footprint of the
kingdom getting even bigger
00:13:33.91\00:13:36.71
before Greece was
conquered by Rome,
00:13:36.75\00:13:40.32
which existed as a
power until 476 A.D.
00:13:40.35\00:13:44.79
These were seriously
influential kingdoms.
00:13:44.82\00:13:48.32
The Babylonians gave
us the 360-degree circle.
00:13:48.36\00:13:51.93
They gave us 60
seconds to a minute
00:13:51.96\00:13:53.93
and 60 minutes to an hour.
00:13:53.96\00:13:55.70
They adopted a
12-month calendar,
00:13:55.73\00:13:57.53
each month with 30 days,
00:13:57.57\00:13:59.63
and, religiously, they were idol
worshipers and sun worshipers.
00:13:59.67\00:14:04.84
It's said that the
Persians invented algebra--
00:14:04.87\00:14:07.64
great for science, not so
cool with high school students.
00:14:07.68\00:14:11.68
The impact of the Greek
empire is still felt today
00:14:11.71\00:14:14.85
through philosophy, astronomy,
medicine, mathematics,
00:14:14.88\00:14:19.59
and architecture.
00:14:19.62\00:14:21.12
The New Testament
was written in Greek.
00:14:21.16\00:14:23.93
And Rome's influence is
seen through architecture,
00:14:23.96\00:14:27.50
government, law, and religion.
00:14:27.50\00:14:31.10
Babylon,
Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome,
00:14:32.10\00:14:35.60
Rome would divide,
00:14:35.64\00:14:36.81
as represented by the
feet and toes in Daniel 2,
00:14:36.84\00:14:39.77
part of clay and part of iron,
00:14:39.81\00:14:41.91
indicating that the influence
of the iron monarchy of Rome
00:14:41.94\00:14:45.78
would be felt long
after Rome itself was gone.
00:14:45.81\00:14:50.59
So Rome divides,
and then... Daniel 2:44.
00:14:50.62\00:14:55.19
"And in the days of these kings
shall the God of heaven set up
00:14:55.22\00:14:59.49
"a kingdom, which
shall never be destroyed:
00:14:59.53\00:15:02.90
"and the kingdom shall
not be left to other people;
00:15:02.93\00:15:06.43
"but it shall break in pieces
and consume all these kingdoms,
00:15:06.47\00:15:10.94
and it shall stand forever."
00:15:10.97\00:15:14.58
Babylon,
Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome,
00:15:14.61\00:15:18.61
Rome divides, and then--
and then the establishment
00:15:18.65\00:15:23.89
of a kingdom that
will never pass away,
00:15:23.92\00:15:26.72
a kingdom that,
unlike those four kingdoms,
00:15:26.76\00:15:30.23
will last forever.
00:15:30.26\00:15:32.26
In a moment, we'll see how
another of Daniel's prophecies
00:15:32.29\00:15:35.80
builds on Daniel 2
00:15:35.83\00:15:38.13
to tell us about events in this
world that are still to come--
00:15:38.17\00:15:41.50
and the one thing that
prevents a lot of people
00:15:41.54\00:15:44.87
from understanding prophecy.
00:15:44.91\00:15:47.01
¤[music swells and ends]¤¤
00:15:47.04\00:15:54.05
>>Announcer 1: Important
life events bring great changes
00:15:56.05\00:15:58.32
in our lives, and the
Second Coming of Jesus
00:15:58.35\00:16:00.49
is the biggest
event of our lives.
00:16:00.52\00:16:02.76
You can share in
this special moment.
00:16:02.79\00:16:04.76
Our free offer today is
"The Second Coming of Jesus."
00:16:04.79\00:16:08.36
To receive this
free study guide,
00:16:08.40\00:16:09.90
call 800-253-3000
00:16:09.93\00:16:12.90
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:16:12.93\00:16:16.44
Learn what the Bible says about
the Second Coming of Jesus.
00:16:16.47\00:16:19.71
Call 800-253-3000
00:16:19.74\00:16:22.38
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:16:22.41\00:16:25.25
>>John Bradshaw: The Trail
of Tears--entire people groups
00:16:27.45\00:16:31.12
forcibly removed from
their ancestral homelands
00:16:31.15\00:16:35.22
and marched hundreds and
hundreds of miles to a new land,
00:16:35.26\00:16:41.00
thousands of people
uprooted and relocated,
00:16:41.03\00:16:43.97
¤[somber music]¤
00:16:44.00\00:16:45.03
thousands of people dead.
00:16:45.07\00:16:48.27
The Trail of Tears.
00:16:48.30\00:16:50.27
The land that would become the
United States was already home
00:16:50.31\00:16:53.84
to millions of native
peoples when Europeans arrived,
00:16:53.88\00:16:58.15
real people with real lives, who
over the next several centuries
00:16:58.18\00:17:02.62
would endure real suffering.
00:17:02.65\00:17:05.49
Join me for
"The Trail of Tears."
00:17:05.52\00:17:08.39
We'll visit the places
where the Trail of Tears began,
00:17:08.42\00:17:11.76
and we'll look forward to a day
00:17:11.79\00:17:13.83
when God will wipe
away all of our tears.
00:17:13.86\00:17:17.63
"The Trail of Tears,"
00:17:17.67\00:17:19.63
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:17:19.67\00:17:22.64
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:17:22.67\00:17:25.01
>>John Bradshaw:
There's one thing that prevents
00:17:27.28\00:17:28.98
a lot of people
from understanding
00:17:29.01\00:17:30.95
the prophecies of
the Bible, and that is...
00:17:30.98\00:17:35.32
not reading them.
00:17:35.35\00:17:36.92
You'd be surprised
what you can find out
00:17:36.95\00:17:39.19
by simply reading the
prophecies of the Word of God.
00:17:39.22\00:17:43.02
God didn't intend to
keep us in ignorance.
00:17:43.06\00:17:45.19
He said, "Remember the former
things of old: for I am God,
00:17:45.23\00:17:48.70
"and there is none else; I am
God, and there is none like me,
00:17:48.73\00:17:52.60
"declaring the end
from the beginning,
00:17:52.63\00:17:54.70
and from ancient times the
things that are not yet done."
00:17:54.74\00:17:57.47
That's Isaiah
46, verses 9 and 10.
00:17:57.51\00:18:00.64
That's God saying He
gives you information
00:18:00.68\00:18:03.78
ahead of time
through the prophecies
00:18:03.81\00:18:07.25
so that when what He
says is going to happen,
00:18:07.28\00:18:09.28
happens, you can
know that He truly is God.
00:18:09.32\00:18:12.75
It's like what
Amos 3, verse 7 says:
00:18:12.79\00:18:15.26
"Surely the Lord
God does nothing,
00:18:15.29\00:18:17.26
unless He reveals His secret
to His servants the prophets."
00:18:17.29\00:18:22.40
No one else can
predict the future--
00:18:22.43\00:18:24.57
not Nostradamus, not one of the
supermarket tabloid prophets,
00:18:24.60\00:18:29.44
no one--only God.
00:18:29.47\00:18:31.97
And the fact that He does,
and with such amazing accuracy,
00:18:32.01\00:18:37.18
should make a
believer out of any skeptic.
00:18:37.21\00:18:41.12
So in Daniel 2, you have
the progression of kingdoms
00:18:41.15\00:18:43.59
followed by God's eternal
kingdom. Over in Daniel 7,
00:18:43.62\00:18:48.62
you have the same thing
expressed in a different way.
00:18:48.66\00:18:52.69
There's a
principle in interpreting
00:18:52.73\00:18:54.13
apocalyptic prophecy
called "repeat and enlarge"
00:18:54.20\00:18:58.27
where what is said
here is repeated over here
00:18:58.30\00:19:02.84
with additional
information given.
00:19:02.87\00:19:04.84
See how that
plays out in Daniel 7.
00:19:04.87\00:19:07.14
We start in verse 1:
00:19:07.18\00:19:08.91
"In the first year of
Belshazzar king of Babylon
00:19:08.94\00:19:11.81
"Daniel had a dream and visions
of his head upon his bed....
00:19:11.85\00:19:16.02
"Daniel spake and said,
00:19:16.05\00:19:17.39
"'I saw in my vision
by night, and behold,
00:19:17.42\00:19:19.89
"'the four winds of the heaven
strove upon the great sea.
00:19:19.92\00:19:22.99
"'And four great
beasts came up from the sea,
00:19:23.02\00:19:25.86
diverse one from another.'"
00:19:25.89\00:19:28.83
Four metals in Daniel
2, four beasts in Daniel 7,
00:19:28.86\00:19:33.90
and what you find is
that in Bible prophecy
00:19:33.94\00:19:35.94
a beast represents
a kingdom or a nation.
00:19:35.97\00:19:40.74
If you keep that in
mind, it's going to save you
00:19:40.78\00:19:43.65
a lot of confusion, especially
when you try to understand
00:19:43.68\00:19:47.85
the book of Revelation.
00:19:47.88\00:19:49.35
A beast represents a nation.
00:19:49.38\00:19:52.65
We know that
beyond a shadow of a doubt
00:19:52.69\00:19:56.19
because Daniel 7, verse 23 says,
00:19:56.22\00:19:59.36
"The fourth beast shall be
the fourth kingdom upon earth."
00:19:59.39\00:20:04.80
Verse 17 says,
00:20:04.83\00:20:06.97
"These great
beasts, which are four,
00:20:07.00\00:20:09.90
are four kings, which
shall arise out of the earth."
00:20:09.94\00:20:14.44
A beast is a kingdom. Simple.
00:20:14.48\00:20:19.01
So what kingdoms are
represented by these beasts?
00:20:20.02\00:20:23.49
The fact is we already know.
00:20:23.52\00:20:25.82
We just read that the fourth
beast is the fourth kingdom,
00:20:25.85\00:20:28.72
and we know
already that that is Rome.
00:20:28.76\00:20:31.49
But let's take
this methodically.
00:20:31.53\00:20:32.99
Verse 4: "The first was like
a lion, and had eagle's wings:
00:20:33.03\00:20:37.20
"I beheld till the
wings thereof were plucked,
00:20:37.23\00:20:39.37
"and it was lifted up
from the earth, and made stand
00:20:39.40\00:20:42.24
upon the feet as a man, and
a man's heart was given to it."
00:20:42.27\00:20:45.91
Interesting. When I
was in the town of Babylon
00:20:45.94\00:20:48.44
on Long Island, New York,
some years ago, I was fascinated
00:20:48.48\00:20:52.25
to see a lion with eagle's
wings on, on a tall pillar.
00:20:52.28\00:20:56.89
It's a well-known
symbol of Babylon.
00:20:56.92\00:21:00.22
This first beast
represents Babylon.
00:21:00.26\00:21:03.39
Then, there's a bear
raised up on one side.
00:21:03.43\00:21:06.96
"And behold another
beast, a second, like to a bear,
00:21:07.00\00:21:09.83
"and it raised up itself on
one side, and it had three ribs
00:21:09.86\00:21:13.77
"in the mouth of it
between the teeth of it:
00:21:13.80\00:21:15.57
and they said thus unto it,
'Arise, devour much flesh.'"
00:21:15.60\00:21:20.18
Daniel 7:5.
00:21:20.21\00:21:22.08
Medo-Persia--you'll notice the
bear is raised up on one side
00:21:22.11\00:21:26.68
because the Persians were
more powerful than the Medes.
00:21:26.72\00:21:30.42
Three ribs in its
mouth? Three of the kingdoms
00:21:30.45\00:21:33.09
it destroyed on
its way to power.
00:21:33.12\00:21:35.09
Verse 6: "After this I beheld,
and lo another, like a leopard,
00:21:35.12\00:21:40.90
"which had upon the back
of it four wings of a fowl;
00:21:40.93\00:21:44.40
the beast had also four heads;
and dominion was given to it."
00:21:44.43\00:21:49.54
That's Greece, which rapidly
conquered the world of its day
00:21:49.57\00:21:54.21
and divided into four nations,
represented by those four heads.
00:21:54.24\00:21:59.65
Verse 7 focuses on Rome:
00:21:59.68\00:22:02.48
"After this I saw in the
night visions, and behold
00:22:02.52\00:22:06.25
"a fourth beast,
dreadful and terrible,
00:22:06.29\00:22:09.19
"and strong exceedingly;
00:22:09.22\00:22:11.26
"and it had great iron teeth:
it devoured and brake in pieces,
00:22:11.29\00:22:15.40
"and stamped the
residue with the feet of it:
00:22:15.43\00:22:18.20
"and it was diverse from all
the beasts that were before it;
00:22:18.23\00:22:22.44
and it had ten horns."
00:22:22.47\00:22:24.84
The iron teeth correspond with
the legs of iron in Daniel 2.
00:22:25.51\00:22:30.61
It's the same kingdom,
00:22:30.65\00:22:32.35
and you'll see
it's extremely powerful.
00:22:32.38\00:22:35.65
Now look in verse 8:
00:22:36.65\00:22:38.09
"I considered the horns, and,
behold, there came up among them
00:22:38.12\00:22:42.76
"another little
horn, before whom
00:22:42.79\00:22:45.46
"there were three of the first
horns plucked up by the roots:
00:22:45.49\00:22:48.93
"and, behold, in this horn
were eyes like the eyes of man,
00:22:48.96\00:22:52.70
and a mouth
speaking great things."
00:22:52.73\00:22:55.80
So who's this? Well,
it comes out of Rome.
00:22:55.84\00:23:00.14
Some have said this is Antiochus
Epiphanes, a Roman king--
00:23:00.18\00:23:03.95
except that he doesn't
come after Rome is gone
00:23:03.98\00:23:06.65
but during the reign of Rome.
00:23:06.68\00:23:08.75
And in Daniel 8 it
says that this little horn
00:23:08.78\00:23:11.42
is "exceeding great," which
Antiochus definitely was not.
00:23:11.45\00:23:17.86
During the
Protestant Reformation,
00:23:17.89\00:23:19.36
people like Luther and
Zwingli and Calvin and Farrell,
00:23:19.39\00:23:22.90
and later John Wesley,
identified that little horn
00:23:22.93\00:23:27.07
as the Vatican City, the Papacy,
00:23:27.10\00:23:29.57
which was
exceedingly great in the world.
00:23:29.60\00:23:32.61
And, of course, it did
spring out of the Roman Empire.
00:23:32.64\00:23:36.68
Now, after the sequence of
kingdoms, Daniel 7:21 says,
00:23:36.71\00:23:40.38
"I beheld, and the same
horn made war with the saints,
00:23:40.42\00:23:44.79
"and prevailed against them;
until the Ancient of Days came,
00:23:44.82\00:23:49.49
"and judgment was given to
the saints of the Most High;
00:23:49.52\00:23:53.13
and the time came that the
saints possessed the kingdom."
00:23:53.16\00:23:56.23
So you see, Babylon,
Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome,
00:23:56.26\00:24:00.64
an intervening time,
and then Jesus returns.
00:24:00.67\00:24:05.84
But let's go back to Daniel 2.
00:24:05.87\00:24:07.71
This is a verse we
haven't looked at yet.
00:24:07.74\00:24:10.08
It's verse 34:
00:24:10.11\00:24:12.15
"You watched while a
stone was cut out without hands,
00:24:12.18\00:24:15.65
"which struck the image
on its feet of iron and clay,
00:24:15.68\00:24:19.82
and broke them [to] pieces."
00:24:19.85\00:24:21.32
Verse 44: "And in the days
of these kings the God of heaven
00:24:21.36\00:24:26.13
"will set up a kingdom
which shall never be destroyed;
00:24:26.16\00:24:29.73
"and the kingdom shall
not be left to other people;
00:24:29.76\00:24:32.53
"it shall break in pieces
and consume all these kingdoms,
00:24:32.57\00:24:36.91
and it shall stand forever."
00:24:36.94\00:24:41.51
So I want you to notice:
00:24:41.54\00:24:42.78
The prophecies in Daniel lead us
directly to the return of Jesus.
00:24:42.81\00:24:48.55
We don't know
precisely when that will happen,
00:24:48.58\00:24:51.42
but the signs point
to that time coming soon.
00:24:51.45\00:24:54.92
So, the prophecies say Babylon,
Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome,
00:24:54.96\00:25:01.23
Rome divides, and
all that has happened.
00:25:01.26\00:25:05.80
So where are we in the
stream of Bible prophecy?
00:25:06.53\00:25:09.37
If you're looking
at the Daniel 2 image,
00:25:09.40\00:25:12.47
we'd have to be
right down in the toenails,
00:25:12.51\00:25:16.21
very near the return of Jesus.
00:25:16.24\00:25:18.78
Both chapters 2 and 7
of Daniel suggest that.
00:25:18.81\00:25:23.12
And look at this remarkable
statement in Daniel 2:45.
00:25:23.15\00:25:26.42
After interpreting
Nebuchadnezzar's dream--
00:25:26.45\00:25:28.32
which parallels Daniel
7, remember--Daniel says,
00:25:28.36\00:25:32.73
"The dream is certain, and the
interpretation thereof sure."
00:25:32.76\00:25:38.80
Certain and sure--that's
encouragement for you.
00:25:38.83\00:25:43.94
When the road seems
long, when your weakness
00:25:43.97\00:25:46.78
gets the better of
you, when life is tough
00:25:46.81\00:25:49.14
and you're not sure
where to turn, God says,
00:25:49.18\00:25:52.05
this dream is real. This
interpretation can be trusted.
00:25:52.08\00:25:57.09
Jesus is coming back
soon. The best is yet to come.
00:25:57.12\00:26:02.86
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:03.86\00:26:05.83
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:26:05.86\00:26:09.20
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:09.23\00:26:12.43
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:12.47\00:26:16.67
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:16.71\00:26:18.21
to the address on your screen,
00:26:18.24\00:26:19.67
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:19.71\00:26:23.45
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:23.48\00:26:26.31
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:26.35\00:26:30.49
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:30.52\00:26:33.52
>>John: The best is yet to come,
00:26:34.69\00:26:35.92
and you can be
ready for that best.
00:26:35.96\00:26:38.79
Can we tell God together now
00:26:38.83\00:26:40.20
that we want Him to
prepare us for that day?
00:26:40.23\00:26:42.66
As you allow
Jesus into your heart,
00:26:42.70\00:26:44.30
you can pray with assurance
today that when Jesus returns,
00:26:44.33\00:26:47.97
you're gonna be
with Him forever.
00:26:48.00\00:26:50.31
Let's pray that prayer now.
00:26:50.34\00:26:52.54
Our Father in heaven,
00:26:52.57\00:26:54.38
we thank You today for
the certainty of Your Word,
00:26:54.41\00:26:57.05
for the certainty of prophecy,
00:26:57.08\00:26:59.05
which tells us
beyond a shadow of a doubt
00:26:59.08\00:27:01.68
that Your Son
Jesus is soon to return
00:27:01.72\00:27:04.35
and Your
kingdom is soon to come.
00:27:04.39\00:27:07.49
Lord, keep us in Your will.
00:27:07.52\00:27:09.62
Save us, as imperfect as we are.
00:27:09.66\00:27:12.76
Grow us to be more and more
00:27:12.79\00:27:14.46
like Your will for our lives.
00:27:14.46\00:27:16.50
Friend, the
assurance of salvation,
00:27:16.53\00:27:18.43
of being part of
God's forever kingdom,
00:27:18.47\00:27:20.70
that assurance becomes
yours when you accept Jesus
00:27:20.74\00:27:23.47
as your Lord and Savior.
00:27:23.51\00:27:25.27
He died for you--
00:27:25.31\00:27:26.71
and in heaven intercedes
for you at God's right hand.
00:27:26.74\00:27:30.88
Allow Him into your heart now.
00:27:30.91\00:27:32.78
Invite Him to be
your personal Savior.
00:27:32.81\00:27:35.42
Lord, this is our prayer.
00:27:35.45\00:27:38.62
And we pray it in Jesus' name,
00:27:38.65\00:27:42.26
amen.
00:27:42.29\00:27:43.76
Thank you so
much for joining me.
00:27:43.79\00:27:45.59
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:45.63\00:27:47.96
Until then, remember:
00:27:47.96\00:27:50.50
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:50.53\00:27:54.77
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:54.80\00:27:58.87
¤[dramatic theme music]¤
00:27:58.91\00:28:03.91
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:28:25.83\00:28:27.84