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00:34 Good morning, friends,
00:35 and welcome to Sabbath School Study Hour 00:37 coming to you from Granite Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:40 in Sacramento, California. 00:42 Very warm welcome to those joining us online, 00:45 from the various television networks, 00:47 and also to our members and visitors 00:49 right here in person at the church, 00:51 welcome, we're delighted that you all here 00:53 early to study the Word together. 00:55 We saw at a brand new lesson quarterly 00:57 that we're very excited about. 00:59 It's entitled Preparations for the End Times. 01:02 And this is actually the second lesson 01:05 in this quarter that we're studying today, 01:07 it's entitled Daniel and the End Times. 01:09 So that's going to be the theme for our study this morning. 01:12 We have a free offer for those in North America. 01:14 And we'll be happy to send this to anybody for free 01:16 who calls and ask. 01:18 If you'd like to receive a copy of this DVD, 01:20 the number to call is 866-788-3966. 01:25 Ask for offer number 840. 01:28 We'll be happy to send that to anybody who calls and asks, 01:30 just a great study 01:32 of Islam, Christianity and Prophecy. 01:36 Well, before we get to our study this morning, 01:38 we always like to begin by lifting our voices in praise, 01:41 and our song leaders will lead us in music at this time. 04:51 Thank you so much for singing along with us. 04:53 And at this time Pastor Ross will have our opening prayer. 04:58 Dear Father in heaven, we thank You once again 05:00 that we're able to gather together 05:01 and open up Your Word 05:02 and study this important subject 05:04 dealing with the end times. 05:06 As you look at the Old Testament Book of Daniel 05:08 as indeed reveal things 05:10 that would be taking place in our time. 05:12 We pray that the Holy Spirit 05:13 to come and guard our hearts and our minds, 05:16 for we ask this in Jesus' name, amen. 05:19 Our lesson study this morning 05:20 is going to be brought to us by Pastor Doug. 05:23 I want to welcome our friends who are joining us. 05:26 And we're preparing to launch into a very good study. 05:29 I think it's very appropriate and relevant 05:31 for our times right now, Preparation for the End Time. 05:35 And this is going to be in the context 05:37 of a number of different books in the Bible and individuals. 05:40 Today's study is lesson two, Daniel and the End of Time. 05:44 And we're going to be looking at what we can learn 05:47 from the character and the personality of Daniel 05:50 that would help prepare us for the last days. 05:53 And we have a memory verse, 05:54 and the memory verse is from Daniel 2:47. 05:57 If you have your Bibles handy, 06:00 you can say this out loud with me, Daniel 2:47, 06:03 this is the New King James Version. 06:05 Are you ready? 06:07 "And the king answered and said, 06:09 'Truly your God is the God of gods, 06:13 and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, 06:16 since you could reveal this secret." 06:20 Through the witness of Daniel 06:22 and others like him over history, 06:24 God was accomplishing His purpose 06:27 in revealing to the world who He was 06:30 and what the plan of salvation was. 06:32 And a lot of things that Daniel went through 06:35 when he was a captive there in Babylon, 06:40 those things are going to be repeated for us 06:41 in the last days. 06:43 Now why did God call the children of Israel? 06:47 Why did He call them out of Egypt? 06:49 Sometimes I hear people say, 06:50 "Well, that's because He saved them 06:52 because they were better than other people." 06:55 Does the Bible teach that? 06:57 Or did God say, "I didn't save you 06:59 because you're better than anyone else. 07:00 In fact you're a stubborn and a stiff neck people." 07:04 Why did He pick them? 07:05 What was the purpose in calling Israel? 07:10 Well, the Messiah would come through the sea of Israel. 07:14 But He wanted the nation of Israel 07:16 really to be a light to the world. 07:19 For one thing, look at 07:20 where they were situated geographically. 07:23 What if God had called His promised people 07:26 the aborigines in Australia? 07:28 Well, that would have been fine, 07:29 but it would have been hard for them 07:31 isolated on that great continent down there 07:33 to really be a light to the world. 07:36 But instead look geographically at what He did. 07:39 He picked a nation, not a big nation, 07:41 but a strategically important nation 07:44 in that it is a land bridge 07:46 over which most of the civilized nations would cross 07:49 to go between Europe, Africa, Asia, 07:53 and parts of the Middle East, 07:56 the only place to go was through the land of Israel. 07:59 And even though it's smaller than California, 08:02 it is in the news virtually every week today. 08:06 It's a very important piece of real estate. 08:08 And He wanted them to be 08:09 and you can read about this in Exodus 19:6, 08:13 He said, "You will be to me a kingdom of priests, 08:17 and a holy nation." 08:18 Revelation says a nation of kings and priests. 08:21 Now, if they're all a nation of kings, 08:25 who are the kings over, 08:27 if they're all a nation of priests. 08:28 Now, what does a priest do? 08:31 Doesn't a priest like make atonement 08:33 and intercede for others. 08:36 And so in order for them to be a nation of kings and priests 08:39 who are they priesting, who are they kinging, 08:41 so to speak. 08:43 He wanted them to be leaders. 08:46 Now someone is going to read for me in just a moment 08:49 Luke 16:10, you'll have that, Hoftis. 08:54 You know, probably the best time, 08:57 the most ideal demonstration 08:59 of what God's plan was for Israel 09:02 came after the reign of King David. 09:04 He had sort of set the stage for the time of Solomon, 09:07 that was the golden era. 09:09 It was golden era in more ways than one. 09:10 It was a golden era 09:11 because they were at the zenith of their influence 09:14 and it was a golden in that, 09:15 they had a lot of gold back then. 09:18 In fact, I always thought it was interesting, 09:20 Solomon was doing great, they're building the temple, 09:22 everything's going great. 09:23 The Queen of Sheba comes 09:25 to learn of the wisdom of Solomon. 09:27 And then like Hezekiah when messengers came, 09:31 he just showed them his stuff, 09:32 Solomon shows the Queen of Sheba God. 09:36 And she's looking for wisdom. 09:39 She just begins to hammer him with questions 09:43 and he answers all of her questions. 09:44 And it says there was no more spirit left in her, 09:47 that's where you get the word breathtaking, 09:49 the word spirit there is breath. 09:51 And there was no more spirit left in her 09:53 when she saw the glory, 09:55 and everything was going great. 09:56 And then it says, in 1 year, 09:58 666 talents of gold came to Solomon. 10:03 And then in the next passage it says, 10:05 his wives drew away his heart and then it goes down. 10:09 That was the zenith of the kingdom. 10:13 The other nations were coming to Israel 10:15 to find out about God. 10:18 They had become a light to the world. 10:19 That was what he wanted them to do 10:21 in being a nation of kings and priests. 10:23 He wanted them to show the other nations God. 10:26 But they didn't seem to do it very well in prosperity. 10:30 So God ultimately had to do it in adversity. 10:34 And now they became witnesses most effectively 10:37 when they were being captives 10:39 or occupied by some other kingdom. 10:43 You can look in Mark 11:16. 10:46 It says, "Jesus said He wouldn't allow anyone 10:48 to carry wears through the temple. 10:51 And he taught them saying, "Is it not written: 10:52 My house shall be called 10:53 a house of prayer for all Jews.'" 10:57 Is that what it said? 10:59 It says for all nations. 11:01 What was God's plan 11:02 when He built the temple for the time of Solomon, 11:05 that just Jew should pray there, 11:07 or it was to be a house of prayer for everybody? 11:10 He wanted everyone to come there 11:13 and to worship there. 11:14 And so He wanted them 11:15 to be a nation of missionaries to the world. 11:17 All right, now we're gonna go into the first section here, 11:19 faithful in what is a least. 11:21 And this is based on a verse 11:22 you're going to read them for us please. 11:24 Luke 16:10, "He who is faithful in what is least 11:29 is faithful also in much: 11:31 and he who is unjust 11:33 in what is least is unjust also in much." 11:37 Now did the little things matter in our witnessing 11:41 in the last days? 11:45 One of the great stories in the Bible, 11:47 matter of fact I think more chapters 11:49 are dedicated to Joseph in Genesis 11:52 than any other individual. 11:54 Joseph wasn't even in Israel 11:57 when he's being the greatest witness. 12:00 Joseph is a captive in another land. 12:03 And so he is in a country 12:04 that is occupied by a different force 12:07 and yet he is witnessing for God 12:09 and God is using him to save many 12:11 in those circumstances. 12:13 What is the status of the church 12:14 in the world today? 12:15 Do we run things? 12:17 Or are we an occupied country? 12:20 The world sort of been hijacked by the enemy. 12:22 Can we be witnesses in spite of that? 12:25 How was Joseph a faithful witness? 12:29 Did Joseph ride into Egypt 12:32 when he first arrived in a golden chariot? 12:34 How did he show up in Egypt? 12:36 Probably tied up, saddled on a camel 12:39 or dragged behind a camel, 12:40 and he came, and he was auctioned as a slave, right? 12:45 He decided, "Well, if I'm going to be a slave, 12:47 I'm going to be a faithful slave. 12:49 I'm not going to sweep that dirt under the carpet, 12:51 I'm going to sweep it up in the dust pan 12:53 and put it where it goes. 12:54 I am going to do things faithfully." 12:56 And he was so faithful, what did his master notice? 13:00 Everything he did prospered. 13:03 And he just kept exalting them 13:05 until pretty soon Joseph was in charge of everything. 13:08 Well, then you know, Potiphar's wife falsely accused him, 13:12 he's thrown in jail. 13:13 He said, "I give up. 13:15 I tried and look what happened." 13:17 Is that what he did in jail? 13:20 Said, "Well, I don't know why I'm in prison 13:21 but if I'm going to be in jail, I'm going to be faithful." 13:24 And he was so faithful even in those circumstances 13:26 as a prisoner that soon he ran the prison. 13:31 Now what happened to Joseph happens to the Jewish people 13:34 through their history. 13:38 They get carried away captive 13:40 and next thing, you know, they're running things. 13:43 Did that happen to Daniel? 13:46 Did it happen to Mordecai and Esther? 13:51 Has it happened in the world today? 13:54 You know some of the chief writers and financiers 13:57 in the world are Jewish people. 14:00 Is anyone going to contest that? 14:03 Wherever they seem to go, it seems like they find... 14:09 The Lord somehow brings them into positions of leadership. 14:12 It's just very interesting. 14:14 So what does that say to the church? 14:17 If we are faithful in the little things, 14:20 God will expand our influence. 14:22 And so, how are we to be witnesses to the world? 14:25 Look in Deuteronomy 4:4-8. 14:28 It's a great passage 14:29 that many of us have memorized. 14:34 Deuteronomy 4:4-8, 14:35 "But you who held fast to the Lord your God 14:37 are alive today, every one of you..." 14:39 That's a good promise, 14:41 hold fast to the Lord your life. 14:43 "Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments 14:46 just as the Lord my God commanded me, 14:48 and you should act according to them 14:49 in the land you go to possess. 14:51 Therefore be careful to observe them, 14:54 this is your wisdom and your understanding 14:57 in the sight of the peoples 14:59 who will hear all these statutes." 15:01 The other nations are going to hear about it. 15:03 Even if you were to conquer all the Canaanites, 15:05 the other nations that come from afar that trade with you, 15:08 they're going to hear about your laws 15:10 and they're going to say, "Surely this is a great nation 15:14 and a wise and an understanding people. 15:16 For what great nation is there that has God so near to it 15:20 as the Lord our God is to us. 15:22 And for whatever reason we might call upon him 15:25 and what great nation is there 15:26 that has such statutes and righteous judgments 15:30 as are in this law that I sit before you this day." 15:34 You know, the wonderful thing about the laws of Moses 15:36 is they are not superstition. 15:39 Many of the government laws in the world 15:41 are based on the Mosaic law. 15:44 They're not based on the laws of Hammurabi, 15:46 they're not based on the Magna Carta. 15:49 Well, I guess there are some 15:50 that are based on the Magna Carta. 15:51 They're not based on 15:52 some of the superstitious laws of the world. 15:55 But the law of Moses, most kingdoms have realized, 15:59 those are just and righteous laws 16:02 and so many world laws are patterned after them. 16:05 And so others will notice even little things like that. 16:08 So did God call them just to save them 16:12 or why did He established them? 16:14 Look in Isaiah 56:6. 16:17 Isaiah 56:6. 16:21 "And also the sons of the foreigner, 16:23 who join themselves to the Lord to serve Him, 16:26 and to love the name of the Lord, 16:27 to be his servants, 16:28 every one who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, 16:31 and holds fast my covenant." 16:32 I want to pause right there. 16:35 And some people might say, 16:36 "Well, the Sabbath, that's for the Jews." 16:38 But what does God say to the sons of the foreigner? 16:42 It's for everybody who takes hold of My covenant. 16:45 "Even them I will bring to my holy mountain, 16:48 and make them joyful in my house of prayer: 16:51 their burnt offerings and their sacrifices 16:53 will be accepted on my altar, 16:54 for my house will be called a house of prayer 16:57 for all nations." 16:59 See God wanted the other nations to flow to Israel. 17:03 In this last verse in this section 17:04 is one of my favorite. 17:06 Zachariah 8:23, 17:09 "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'In those days ten men 17:13 from every language of the nations 17:16 shall grab the sleeve of a Jewish man, 17:19 saying, 'Let us go with you, 17:20 for we have heard that God is with you.'" 17:23 It's I think, they grab hold of them, they said, 17:26 "Look I'm sticking with you. 17:29 You're lucky." 17:30 It's kind of like when I heard 17:32 when Pastor CD Brooks was flying one time, 17:34 he used to tell the story about 17:35 how they got into some terrible turbulence, 17:38 plane was shaking and rocking, 17:40 and they put on the seatbelt sign, 17:41 and then they made the announcement 17:42 for the flight attendants to sit down and buckle up 17:45 because it's really serious 17:47 when the flight attendants buckle up. 17:48 And then it was bouncing 17:49 and then they saw the lightning flash outside the window, 17:52 and the lady sitting next to Pastor Brooks 17:54 put her hand on his hand, 17:55 he said, I've never talked to her yet. 17:57 And, but I guess he had mentioned he was a pastor. 18:00 And she said, "I'm so glad I'm sitting next to a pastor." 18:05 It's like they think there's some kind of good luck there. 18:08 But you know, many of the nations have seen 18:10 how God preserve the Jewish people 18:12 and there was a blessing there. 18:13 And what is the church today? 18:15 Spiritual Israel, right? 18:17 And so people are going to say, "You know, God is with you." 18:21 Sometimes when you witness your neighbors, 18:22 they might think you're a little odd and peculiar. 18:25 But if you're faithful, when they go through a trial 18:28 and they're looking for some advice, 18:29 you'll be surprised 18:30 how all of a sudden they knock on your door 18:32 and they call on the phone and they say, 18:34 "Can I talk to you a little bit." 18:37 And when they're going through some crisis, 18:39 if we're faithful in those little things, 18:40 they will look to us. 18:41 Now one example of this, if you go to Daniel 1, 18:44 the book starts out 18:46 with a test of faithfulness on little things. 18:49 What was that test about? 18:52 Food. 18:53 What was the first test for Adam and Eve about? 18:57 Food. 18:58 Oh, that's a little thing. 19:01 You Seventh-day Adventists, 19:03 you make such a big stink over little things, like food. 19:08 So was it a little thing for Adam and Eve? 19:11 All the misery in the trouble 19:12 you see in the world around you today 19:14 can be traced back to eating something 19:16 you're not supposed to eat, isn't that right? 19:20 And then look in the Book of Daniel, 19:21 it starts out that way. 19:24 The story of Samson, how does it begin? 19:27 The angel comes to the wife of Manoah... 19:28 I always wish we knew her name, 19:30 just calls her the wife of Manoah. 19:32 And says, "You're going to have a baby, 19:35 be careful what you eat." 19:38 Isn't that interesting? 19:41 Let me just refer to this real quick, 19:43 so here in Daniel 1 it says that, 19:46 you know, they're carried away captive, 19:47 they're thankful that they're not just, 19:48 you know, working as slaves, 19:50 cutting stone in a quarry somewhere. 19:52 They get to work in the palace, be part of the university, 19:55 and they've got, you know, nice environment 19:58 and, you know, it's always nice 20:00 when you're in a hot country if you get a job 20:02 where there's air conditioning, right? 20:04 And so they've got it pretty good. 20:06 Then king says, "Not only that, 20:07 but we're going to provide your food," 20:08 but there is a problem there. 20:11 On three different levels the Babylonian, 20:14 regular Babylonian food that they had assigned 20:16 to the students of the captives, 20:20 it has things in it that God said are unclean. 20:24 There's alcohol, they're not supposed to drink. 20:28 And then some of the food, 20:29 the meat in particular sacrificed to idols 20:31 probably before it's butchered. 20:33 Daniel says to the guardian, the chief of the eunuch, 20:37 he says, "Look can you do me a favor?" 20:38 He said, "I am determined 20:40 I cannot defile myself with the regular food." 20:44 He could have said, "Who in the world 20:45 do you think you are?" 20:46 You ought to be thankful, 20:48 you're working where there's air conditioning. 20:50 I could send you out there with a stone cutters 20:52 How dare you complain? 20:54 And Daniel knew that was a risk. 20:56 But he said, you know, I need to be faithful 20:58 in the little things 20:59 and this is a command from God, 21:01 and I'm going to obey the command from God. 21:03 A lot of Jews would say, 21:07 "Well, when in Rome eat what the Romans eat?" 21:10 Or they would have quoted that verse, 21:12 "Eat what things are set before you asking no questions, right? 21:17 Just be thankful and pray that God will bless it. 21:19 Couldn't Daniel have quoted those ideas? 21:22 He said, "No." 21:23 If God says, don't eat it, they're not gonna eat it. 21:26 And what was the result of that? 21:29 You get to the end of Daniel 1. 21:31 Then finally it says at the end of the days, 21:34 they tested, the prince of the eunuch says, 21:36 "Okay, I'll take away 21:38 your regular Babylonian cafeteria food 21:42 and I'm going to give you basically like vegetables stew, 21:45 pulse it's called, and water to drink." 21:48 And then it says, he said, "Give us 10 days, 21:50 see if we don't look healthy." 21:53 At the end of ten days he said 21:56 he'd found them fairer and fatter of flesh 22:00 than all the young men that ate from the king's table. 22:03 And then the king tested them and in all matters, 22:05 this is Daniel 1:20, "And in all matters of wisdom 22:09 and understanding about which the king examined them, 22:11 he found them ten times better 22:15 than all the magicians and astrologers 22:17 that were in all of his realm." 22:19 And then the last verses in Daniel continued 22:21 until the reign of King Cyrus, it closes off by saying, 22:24 not only was he smarter when Nebuchadnezzar tested him, 22:27 but he lived a long time. 22:30 So we were in India last week. 22:36 And while there I was visiting with a pastor 22:38 from another denomination 22:40 and he was telling me about, 22:42 you know, some health challenges, 22:43 and he asked me about my health, 22:44 I said, "I don't have those problems, 22:46 I'm a Seventh-day Adventist." 22:47 He's looking at me like what? 22:49 I said, "Yeah, we live longer than you guys." 22:52 He said, "What?" 22:54 I said, "No, it's a fact." 22:56 I said, "You've heard of National Geographic?" Yeah. 22:58 I said, "Yeah, National Geographic did a study 23:00 to find out what groups of people live long." 23:03 They found the three groups of people 23:05 that live the longest are the Japanese people 23:07 in Okinawa, 23:08 the people that live in Sardinia 23:10 there in the Mediterranean, 23:11 and Seventh-day Adventists in Southern California. 23:14 He said, "What?" 23:15 I said, "Yes, we follow the Bible health laws." 23:18 And, boy, it got his attention. 23:20 I said, "Yeah, well, that's okay. 23:21 I'm sorry, I feel sorry for you. 23:22 So I'm going to live longer than you." 23:27 I don't want to boast, I mean, but you know statistically, 23:29 generally speaking that's the way it works. 23:32 And so you're able to witness to people 23:37 by being faithful in those little things. 23:40 And so not only are we to be witnesses in the last days 23:45 and we stand for the Sabbath commandment, 23:47 and we don't fall for the spiritualism. 23:50 But we're to be witnesses in the last days 23:52 by knowing our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 23:55 There should be a difference that is evident. 23:58 All right, the next section. 24:01 Now I don't know if we ever announce 24:02 during our opening statements 24:05 that if people have any questions on this study, 24:08 they can send them into Facebook, 24:11 I'm going to play it by ear 24:12 if our studio puts up on the screen 24:14 that questions have come in, 24:15 we'll stop and do questions. 24:16 If I don't see it, I'll just keep going. 24:18 Fair enough? 24:19 I'm nodding at the camera 24:20 to see if they are nodding back, 24:22 they wave the camera up and down, 24:23 that means yes. 24:25 If it's not working, the camera goes side to side. 24:29 All right, so we're going to go on to humility of Daniel. 24:31 So it's not just what you eat, it's your attitude. 24:34 I want you to notice in Daniel 2, 24:36 now we just looked at Daniel 1. 24:38 In Daniel 2, there is a vision, 24:41 King Nebuchadnezzar calls in all his wise men. 24:44 They can't understand the vision. 24:46 And so they're all going to be executed 24:48 because they can't deliver. 24:51 But when the captain of the guards 24:53 going out to execute, 24:54 Daniel says, "Look, give me time 24:55 and I will show the king what he desires." 24:58 So Daniel prays and they go to sleep that night, 25:01 and Daniel has a dream, 25:02 and he knows it's the same dream 25:04 that the king has had. 25:06 And he says in Daniel 2:23, "I thank and praise you, 25:10 oh God of my fathers that you have given me wisdom and might, 25:14 and have made known to me what we asked of you, 25:17 for you have made known to us the king's demand." 25:20 First thing Daniel does, he didn't say, 25:22 "Wow, I've got special powers. 25:25 Look at that. 25:26 I now know what the king knows." 25:28 No, he gives the glory to God right away. 25:31 You know, if God ever blesses you with wisdom, 25:33 make sure and give the glory to the right place. 25:35 Now someone's going to read for me 25:37 Daniel 2:25 in just a moment. 25:40 I want to show you another story in the Old Testament 25:43 that's similar to this. 25:45 You remember when the Pharaoh calls in his wise men 25:49 'cause he's had a dream 25:50 and he doesn't understand what it means, 25:52 and they can't explain it, 25:56 but Joseph can. 25:59 Now Joseph has the ability to interpret dreams, 26:02 but he doesn't say I've got these special powers, 26:04 he gives the glory to God. 26:05 In fact even when Joseph is in prison 26:08 and the two fellow prisoners have dreams, 26:11 and he says, "Well, tell me your dream." 26:13 You can read in Genesis 40:8, 26:16 "They said, we have each had a dream, 26:17 and there is no interpreter of it." 26:19 And Joseph says to them, 26:21 "Do not interpretations belong to God, 26:23 tell them to me." 26:24 He didn't say, "I know dreams." 26:27 He said, "His God knows these interpretations." 26:29 He gives God the glory. 26:31 Genesis 41:15. 26:33 "And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, 26:35 and there is no one who can interpret it. 26:37 But I have heard it said of you 26:38 that you can understand a dream, 26:40 to interpret it.'" 26:41 So Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, 26:43 "It is not in me, God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace." 26:49 You know, that's a sign of a true servant of God. 26:52 Is that you give God glory for any gifts that you have. 26:56 And if you give God glory and you thank Him, 26:58 He's inclined to give you more. 27:01 But as soon as you start acting like 27:02 this is a special power that I've got, 27:06 you're going to lose it. 27:07 All right, go ahead please read for us Daniel 2:25. 27:12 "Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king 27:15 and said thus to him: 27:17 'I have found a man of the captives of Judah 27:19 who will make known to the king the interpretation.'" 27:22 Isn't that interesting? 27:24 Daniel goes to the guard after he has the king's dream, 27:29 and he says, "Take me to the king, 27:31 I know how to answer the king." 27:34 And Arioch when he brings Daniel in, 27:37 he didn't say Daniel found me, he said, "I found him." 27:41 You know, they're all looking for rewards 27:42 and they're all looking for credit. 27:44 Somebody said, there's no limit to what an organization can do 27:47 if nobody cares who gets the credit. 27:49 But so often you want to know who will get the credit? 27:52 Who is going to be praised for this? 27:55 And who is going to be 27:56 getting the promotion or the raise 27:57 because of this and who gets the reward? 28:02 But the guard said, you know, "I found a man." 28:06 He didn't find Daniel, Daniel found him. 28:10 And you go to Daniel 2:27 now. 28:14 "Daniel answered in the presence of the king 28:17 and said, 'The secret which the king demanded 28:20 the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, 28:22 and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king," 28:25 but I can. 28:27 That's not what he said. 28:29 He says, "But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, 28:33 and he has made known to Nebuchadnezzar 28:36 what will be in the latter days." 28:38 You notice Daniel doesn't even use the word I. 28:42 He's giving all the glory to God in this story. 28:45 Now how many times in the Bible 28:47 you find it in Daniel several times 28:49 and other places in the Bible. 28:51 Do you find these spiritual showdowns 28:55 where you've got first typically the Pharaoh, 28:58 he'll call in his wise men, 29:01 and there's, they can't do it, but God can. 29:09 Yeah, you have it for even with the Pharaoh, and Moses, 29:13 and the magicians, 29:14 you know, a plague comes 29:17 and they try to duplicate the plague. 29:20 So if the magicians of Pharaoh 29:21 are able to duplicate the plagues of the blood 29:25 and they're able to duplicate 29:26 the plagues of the frogs or something, 29:29 they couldn't do the lice 29:30 is where they finally they couldn't do that. 29:33 But they tried to counterfeit the plagues 29:35 when Moses threw down his staff 29:37 and it turned into a serpent, 29:38 they were able to duplicate that. 29:40 And so they're able to counterfeit 29:42 a number of these things. 29:43 But when it came to the dreams they were always befuddled, 29:48 they couldn't do that. 29:50 You can see that happening 29:51 with Joseph and the Pharaoh's magicians. 29:53 Pharaoh's magicians and wise men 29:55 didn't know what the dream meant, 29:57 but Joseph did. 29:58 Elijah and the prophets of Baal, 30:00 you get this showdown and they could not 30:03 make the fire come down from heaven, 30:05 but Elijah could. 30:07 You got Micaiah in the prophets of Baal. 30:09 You remember that story 30:10 when Jehoshaphat and Ahab are seated 30:12 and they're saying, "Do we go to battle or not." 30:15 And all the prophets of Baal said, 30:16 "You're going to go and win." 30:17 Micaiah says, "No, you're going to go and die." 30:20 And so you've got these showdowns in the Bible, 30:22 there are spiritual showdowns. 30:23 But in Daniel you've got three times, 30:26 you got Daniel 2, Daniel 4, and Daniel 5, 30:30 where they call in the wise men and the astrologers, 30:33 and they don't know the answer 30:35 and then they call Daniel and he does. 30:38 And so, we see this happen 30:40 and so even see it in the New Testament, 30:42 in the Book of Acts. 30:44 You've got Simon, this wizard, 30:45 who is performing these signs and wonders, 30:47 but then he sees Philip and Peter 30:49 and they're performing miracles. 30:50 He says, "Wow, I can't do anything like that." 30:53 And so this is contrast that you find 30:55 he actually offers the money 30:57 to see if he can get the same power they have 30:58 'cause their miracles are so much better. 31:01 All right, now we're going to go to the next section 31:03 talking about the golden image. 31:05 Now, we're in Daniel 3. 31:07 And I won't promise we're going to get through 31:09 every chapter in Daniel today. 31:11 But do we see some parallels for Daniel 3 in the last days? 31:16 First of all what's Daniel 3 about? 31:19 It's the golden image, 31:22 Nebuchadnezzar makes a golden image 31:23 and he tells everybody to pray to the golden image. 31:26 And those who do not bow down 31:28 and pray to the image will be killed. 31:31 Now when you read in Revelation 13, 31:33 what's it talking about. 31:35 It's the same thing. 31:37 Those who do not pray to the image should be killed, 31:40 first they can't buy or sell 31:42 and ultimately they will be killed. 31:44 Do we see some parallels happening here 31:48 and these two support in these two narratives. 31:52 Look for instance in Daniel 3:1, 31:57 "Nebuchadnezzar the king makes an image of gold, 31:59 whose height is sixty cubits, and its width is six cubits, 32:04 and he sets it up in the plain of Dura, 32:05 in the province of Babylon." 32:07 In just a moment someone's going to read for me 32:09 Daniel 3:6. 32:11 But before I get to that, 32:13 I want to talk to you about those cubits. 32:17 The numbers that are given in prophecy, 32:21 how some very interesting usually real 32:24 and also spiritual value. 32:27 Was the image actually sixty cubits by six cubits? 32:31 In heaven when it says the city is 12,000 furlongs is that's, 32:35 you know, what the biblical measurement was 32:37 but the number 12 is there too. 32:39 It is a big city. 32:41 But the number 12, 32:42 what does the number 12 represent? 32:44 The 12 foundations and 12 gates, 32:46 the numbers mean something, 12 is good. 32:47 That New Jerusalem, good city, 12, 32:49 the church means the church, its leadership, 32:52 it's a positive number for the church. 32:54 High priest has got 12 stones on his breastplate 32:57 talking about the people of God on the heart of God. 33:00 The number six. What day was man made? 33:06 It represents the worship of man. 33:09 And I think it's interesting, 33:12 do you find the number six appear in Revelation 13. 33:17 Now in Revelation 13, you've got 666. 33:20 Here you've got 60x6. 33:23 But I'd like to submit to you it's 60x6x6. 33:29 I got this from Dr. Leslie Harding. 33:31 He was saying that in the ancient world 33:33 when they gave measurements, 33:35 if they did not give you the depth, 33:36 it was because it was the same as the width. 33:41 Here's an example of that in the Bible. 33:43 If you go to Exodus 30:1. 33:47 "So you make an altar to burn incense," 33:48 this is the altar of incense. 33:52 And he said, "You shall make of acacia wood, 33:55 a cubit shall be its length, a cubit its width 33:59 or what we would call its depth, it will be square 34:01 and two cubits its height." 34:03 This isn't hard to picture, is it? 34:05 You got a cubit of 18 inches by 18 inches by 2 times 18, 34:10 well, 36 inches. 34:12 So the depth and the width are the same, 34:16 the height is different. 34:19 And so what Dr. Harding was saying 34:21 is that image... 34:23 was 6x6x60. 34:29 And so you know you can't escape that the numbers 34:33 even are similar that you find in Daniel 3. 34:37 And he makes an image. 34:39 And those who do not pray to the image should be killed. 34:41 Is there a problem with that for the Jewish person? 34:45 Is there a commandment that says, 34:46 "Don't make idols and don't pray to idols, 34:49 and little children keep yourself from idols." 34:52 And you find that all through the Bible. 34:54 So what happens in the story? 34:59 Daniel 3:6, "And whoever does not fall down 35:05 and worship shall be cast immediately 35:07 into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." 35:09 Are together a death decree, 35:11 is there a death decree in Revelation? 35:15 It has to do with worship? 35:17 You've got true worship and false worship. 35:21 You know I always thought it was interesting 35:22 that the Bible begins 35:25 by Adam and Eve having two brothers. 35:28 These are the two... 35:31 Sorry they had two sons. 35:33 These are the first two people that are born, 35:38 Adam and Eve were created, right? 35:40 And they're instructed because of sin to sacrifice. 35:45 And this is part of their worship of God. 35:48 God gives them instructions that they are to, 35:51 there's going to be a sacrifice, 35:52 there's going to be shedding the blood for sin. 35:55 Well, Abel's willing to do this. 35:58 Cain, he thinks, well, it's easy for you 36:00 'cause you're a shepherd, I'm not, I'm a farmer, 36:01 so I'm just going to do it my way. 36:04 And one does it his way, 36:05 they both claim to worship the same God. 36:08 One does it God's way, one is true, one is false. 36:11 The one who is false persecutes the one who is true, 36:15 even though they're claiming to worship the same God, 36:17 even though technically their brethren, 36:19 they got the same roots in their parents, 36:22 and one kills the other. 36:24 Then you get to Revelation, you have the same thing. 36:26 In the last days both groups 36:28 are going to claim to worship the same God, 36:30 they're going to all claim to be Christians. 36:34 And one is going to persecute the other. 36:36 That's really shocks people. 36:37 People think the beast power is going to, 36:39 and just tell everybody 36:40 they got to put on red leotards and have horns. 36:43 No, that's going to be worship, 36:44 they're going to call it worshipping God, 36:46 they're going to say they believe the Bible, 36:47 and someone who can impersonate Jesus, 36:50 and it's going to look real. 36:52 You can read that Revelation 13:15, 36:54 "He was granted to give power to the image of the beast, 36:57 that the image of the beast should both speak 36:59 and cause as many as would not worship 37:02 the image of the beast should be killed. 37:05 And the cause is all, small and great, rich and poor, 37:07 free and slave to receive a mark in their right hand, 37:10 or in their forehead: that no one might buy or sell 37:13 except the one who has the mark, 37:15 or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 37:17 And here is wisdom. 37:19 Let him who was understanding 37:20 calculate the number of the beast: 37:22 for it is the number of a man." 37:24 Number six remember, number, of a man. 37:26 Number 666. 37:29 Now so the trumpet blows and the Babylonian music plays 37:33 and everybody bows down except Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 37:39 And they're ultimately thrown in the furnace 37:42 because they will not break God's law. 37:43 See they've got to make a decision, 37:45 do I obey the law of God or the law of man. 37:48 In Daniel 3, 37:49 "The test is regarding the second commandment. 37:52 In Daniel 6, 37:54 the test is regarding the first commandment. 37:56 Daniel will not have other gods. 37:57 He doesn't pray to King Darius, right? 38:00 Daniel 3, it's a second commandment. 38:02 When you get to Revelation 13, it's the fourth Commandment. 38:05 It has to do with the commandments 38:07 that have to do with worship of God. 38:10 And it's going to be a big test in the last days. 38:14 Oh, I won't say that right now. 38:17 So when they stood up, they're thrown in the furnace, 38:21 and does God deliver them from their fiery trials? 38:26 You know, you may be persecuted for your faith. 38:29 I can guarantee you, if you stand up for truth, 38:30 you'll be delivered. 38:32 You might be delivered in the resurrection 38:34 as many martyrs will. 38:36 And you might be delivered miraculously 38:38 like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 38:41 Daniel in the lion's den 38:42 and his friends in the fiery furnace. 38:46 But I heard the pastor saying one time, 38:49 "When they did not bow down and they stood up for God. 38:55 What was the result of their witness 38:58 and faithfulness in little things?" 39:00 At the end Nebuchadnezzar, he falls down before them. 39:05 He said, "Your God is a real God." 39:07 He issues a proclamation 39:10 that nobody is to speak against the God of Shadrach, 39:14 Meshach and Abednego." 39:16 And all the nations end up 39:18 hearing about the true and the living God 39:20 who can deliver from the fire 39:21 because you're only supposed to worship the living God, 39:23 you're not supposed to worship idols 39:25 because they stood up. 39:27 God accomplished through 39:29 those three Hebrews in a foreign country 39:31 what He had been wanting to accomplish through Israel 39:34 when they had their own land. 39:36 He was able to accomplish more 39:38 through Daniel in the lions' den 39:40 when he stood up than he was through Israel 39:42 when they're in their own land. 39:44 God is going to be witnessing to the world through us 39:47 during that small time of trouble 39:48 when we stand up for our faith 39:50 and even now it still happens today. 39:53 So we need to be faithful and be bold 39:55 about what we believe and don't be apologetic, okay. 39:59 So we talked about the image a little bit. 40:02 Then the next section is dealing with... 40:04 Oh, you know, there's one more thing 40:05 I wanted to show you. 40:06 We're talking a moment ago about pride 40:08 and it's not in sequence so I waited to jump ahead. 40:12 The humility of Daniel, you remember that. 40:15 What happens in Daniel 4? 40:18 I talked about Daniel 1, Daniel 2, 40:20 Daniel 3 and now Daniel 4. 40:21 There's another dream in Daniel 4, 40:23 who remembers what it's about. 40:26 Tree. Very interesting. 40:28 It's a tree that feeds the world. 40:30 And it's a tree of life. 40:32 It's a tree that gets cut down 40:34 and it's got a band of bronze and a band of iron. 40:38 And wise men are brought in, they can't interpret the dream, 40:42 and finally Daniel's brought in, 40:44 and he interprets the dream, 40:45 and he doesn't want to tell the king what it means 40:47 because it doesn't bode well for the king. 40:50 And king says, "Tell me, tell me don't be afraid." 40:52 He says, "Okay, you're the tree, 40:54 you're going to be cut down and because of your pride." 41:00 And king, he's just kind of shakes him up. 41:02 And Daniel said, "Let me give you some advice. 41:04 Break off your sins by doing righteousness, 41:07 and it may be a lengthening of your tranquility." 41:10 So prophecy is going to happen, but you might have 41:11 a lengthening of your tranquility, 41:13 if you break off your sins. 41:15 Humble yourself." 41:16 So the king does for a while, 41:18 but, you know, it's hard to be humble 41:20 when you're great. 41:21 You heard that song? 41:24 And here he had this big kingdom, 41:26 and everyone's bowing to him, 41:28 and he looks out of his balcony 41:29 sees all the glory and the things that he's built 41:31 and all of his accomplishing, 41:33 he just cannot stifle those 41:35 inner voices of the devil that say, 41:36 "Aren't you great?" 41:38 You ever heard those voices before, 41:39 "You are so wonderful." 41:42 Finally, he gives into it. 41:45 You heard about the pastor 41:47 I think it was Pastor John Knox, 41:48 the great reformer. 41:49 And he would stand in the door greeting people 41:51 after sermon one day 41:53 and one of the sister says, Pastor Knox, 41:56 you're the greatest preacher in all of Scotland." 41:59 And he said, "No, Ma'am, the devil tells me every week." 42:04 So Nebuchadnezzar could not resist it and he said, 42:07 "Ha ha ha, is it not the great Babylon 42:09 that I have created for my majesty, 42:11 in my glory and me, me, me." 42:15 And it says while the word was still in his mouth, 42:17 a voice came from heaven, it said, 42:19 "It's being taken away from you." 42:21 And he turns into an animal. 42:23 Well, you know, after seven years 42:25 somehow they managed to keep his throne intact 42:27 and ran things for him. 42:28 But after seven years his mind comes back to him again. 42:32 But if you look in Daniel 5 now, 42:38 this is the handwriting on the wall. 42:41 Again proud grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, 42:45 he's mocking the God of heaven, 42:47 he's worshipping idols again, 42:49 he's praising the idols with the vessels 42:51 from the house of God. 42:53 And the handwriting comes on the wall and it says, 42:56 mene mene tekel upharsin. 42:59 Daniel tells the king when he finally get, 43:02 again the wise men are brought, 43:03 they don't know what the handwriting says, 43:05 finally Daniel's brought, he knows. 43:07 Now you notice, I don't want to rush past this point. 43:11 When the wise men cannot tell what the writing says, 43:14 king doesn't know what to do. 43:16 Because Daniel has sort of been semi retired 43:18 during his whole reign after Nebuchadnezzar. 43:21 But the queen comes in now and she says, 43:24 "Oh, I'll tell you who can read that. 43:26 Says, there is a man in your kingdom 43:28 that has the spirit of the living God." 43:30 Daniel's reputation had gone out. 43:32 And this is what we should be doing in the last days. 43:34 We want to live so close to God that people say, 43:36 "Oh, there's a man, there is a man." 43:38 Isn't that great that the king would say, 43:40 "There is a man that in your kingdom." 43:45 Daniel comes and he tells the king. 43:48 He said, "You should've known better." 43:49 He says, "You knew what happened to your grandfather. 43:51 Even if you didn't know about me, 43:52 you knew about his pride, 43:54 you knew about the golden image and idolatry. 43:56 You knew what happened 44:00 with the three Hebrews 44:02 and when they tried to mock the God of heaven." 44:07 And he says, speaking of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 5:20, 44:12 "But when his heart was lifted up 44:14 and his spirit was hardened in pride, 44:17 he was deposed from his kingly throne, 44:20 and they took his glory from him." 44:22 He says, "You should have known." 44:24 Yeah, you know, if you can't learn your own lesson, 44:26 learn from the mistakes of others. 44:29 And then, of course, 44:33 Belshazzar died that night because of his pride too. 44:36 Now, so you see that they're being witnesses 44:40 on to the gentiles. 44:43 You see this also... 44:46 What happens at the end of Daniel 4, 44:50 "At that time, I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes to heaven, 44:53 my understanding returned to me, 44:56 I bless the most high, 44:57 I praise and honored him who lives forever." 45:01 Now you know virtually all of the Bible is written by Jews 45:05 with a couple of exceptions. 45:09 Chapter 4 in Daniel, who writes that? 45:15 Isn't that interesting you would have a Babylonian 45:18 writing the chapter in the Book of Daniel. 45:21 Nebuchadnezzar the king to all peoples, 45:24 nations, languages that dwell on the earth, 45:25 peace be multiplied to you. 45:27 I thought it good to declare 45:29 who is writing chapter 4 of Daniel? 45:32 How dare you put a pagan king's chapter in the Bible? 45:36 But you know what the chapter tells about? 45:38 It's his testimony. 45:40 You got the testimony of the king's conversion 45:42 because of the influence of Daniel, 45:46 Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego. 45:48 Nebuchadnezzar, you had a Babylonian 45:50 writing a chapter in the Bible. 45:51 That's something, of course, 45:52 the Gospel of Luke is written by Luke, 45:54 we believe was a gentile. 45:56 The rest of the book is pretty much written 45:58 by the Jewish people. 46:01 So he's been a great witness in that foreign land. 46:08 And he issues a decree. 46:11 Now I want to look at the faithfulness of Daniel 6, 46:16 kind of marching through Daniel. 46:18 Now once you start getting into Daniel 7, 46:20 you get into prophecies. 46:21 The history of Daniel is the first six chapters, 46:24 from chapters seven on it's pretty much prophecy. 46:28 So we're looking at the example of the history 46:31 and so we're going to go as far as Daniel 6. 46:34 Again king makes a law, 46:37 the people have to decide 46:38 if they're going to obey the law of God 46:39 or the law of man. 46:42 The king is enticed to write a law. 46:46 That says you're not supposed to pray 46:47 to any God or man except the king for how long? 46:51 Thirty days. Why is that law made? 46:56 Because there is a plot 46:57 to get rid of Daniel and his friends. 47:01 Is that going to happen to us in the last days? 47:05 And there will be people who will try to manipulate laws 47:09 that will make it difficult. 47:11 You know it's interesting, 47:12 I don't know if you've seen in the news lately 47:13 but something's happened, 47:15 the social media has become 47:18 a very powerful means of communication, 47:21 people through Instagram, and Twitter, 47:23 and Facebook, and YouTube 47:25 there's all kinds of communication 47:26 that happens and newspapers are closing up. 47:29 A lot of people don't mail letters anymore. 47:32 I know we still mail a few but so much communication, 47:35 I was texting. 47:36 It's so easy. 47:37 You're on the other side of the world, 47:38 you just have to mail a letter and you wait three months 47:40 and then you get an answer. 47:42 And now, I know I am in India, 47:44 I was texting people a few minutes later 47:45 and getting my text back. 47:47 No postage, it's amazing. 47:48 How much that letter would have cost years ago. 47:51 I was dating Karen. I was in Micronesia. 47:54 I'd send a postcard. 47:55 I got home before she got the postcards. 47:59 But now you just send a little text. 48:02 Social media is very powerful 48:04 and they've got a lot of control. 48:06 They're beginning to decide 48:07 what they will and they won't allow you to say. 48:12 And I'm getting little notes from people and saying, 48:14 you know, we were just blocked from Facebook, or Instagram, 48:19 or Twitter, or one of these things 48:21 because we said something Christian, 48:24 but they said they thought it was biased. 48:28 Or they don't want that kind of, 48:29 or we didn't meet the right criteria. 48:31 And I could just see where this is going to be 48:33 all kinds of persecution 48:34 including the ability to freely communicate. 48:38 And so in the last days there's going to be laws, 48:42 they're going to hedge our sin. 48:44 And so we need to make up our minds 48:46 that we're just going to stand for the right, 48:48 no matter what happens. 48:49 So they try to get rid of Daniel. 48:52 And they get the king to trick the king, king likes Daniel. 48:54 They trick him into signing a law 48:57 that you can't pray to anybody. 48:59 They follow him around first 49:02 and they can't find anything wrong with Daniel, 49:04 he's faithful in everything that he does. 49:07 And, are people going to be spying on us? 49:11 Are they going to be like, 49:12 you know, going through our hard drive 49:13 and trying to find out if there's anything dishonest. 49:16 We need to make sure that we're faithful 49:18 in that which is least. 49:19 They couldn't find anything on Daniel. 49:22 How many people could you say that about? 49:25 They couldn't find any dirt, 49:27 and as much as he was faithful, 49:28 it says an excellent spirit was in him, 49:30 he was spirit filled. 49:32 So finally they get a law. 49:34 They know Daniel's got a habit of praying three times a day. 49:37 See they knew that before the king signed his law. 49:39 Daniel was known for his personal devotions. 49:43 Are we known as a people of prayer? 49:47 Daniel had a reputation, 49:48 they could count it was like clockwork, 49:50 in the courtyard near Daniel's house 49:53 three times a day his windows would open 49:55 just like a cuckoo clock. 49:58 Here where it would open up right on schedule, 50:00 they'd see him in the window, they'd see him kneel down, 50:03 he'd lift his hands towards Jerusalem, he'd pray, 50:05 maybe he wasn't praying out loud, 50:07 they saw his lips moving. 50:09 And then he'd get up and he closed the windows 50:12 and go back to work. 50:14 And so they get the king to sign a law, 50:16 you're caught praying publicly, 50:17 you're going to the lions' den. 50:19 Daniel knows the law is signed, that's Daniel 6:10. 50:22 He knows what's going to happen but what does he do? 50:26 You read this now Daniel 50:27 when he knew the writing was signed, 50:29 wouldn't that be a good time to close your window. 50:32 I mean doesn't Jesus say enter into your closet 50:35 and shut the door when you pray? 50:37 Daniel couldn't quote that 50:38 'cause Jesus hadn't said it yet. 50:41 So he left his windows open. 50:43 In his upper room, I mean, 50:45 couldn't he have gone to the basement? 50:47 That be the time to go to the basement and pray. 50:49 Can God hear prayers in the basement? Sure. 50:51 Can God hear prayers when your windows are closed? 50:53 Yes. 50:54 Did he have to get on his knees? 50:56 Doesn't that look like you're praying? 50:57 He could have stood and just he could have prayed 50:59 and looked like he's smelling the flowers, you know, 51:02 fresh air and been praying. 51:03 But no, he knelt. 51:04 So he did everything to advertise 51:07 that he was still praying to God. 51:09 He wasn't going to hide his relationship with God. 51:13 He stood up for the Lord. 51:14 Why did Daniel pray three times a day? 51:18 What does it say in Psalm 55:17? 51:21 "Morning, evening, and at noon will I pray." 51:26 See Daniel read the Bible. 51:28 David wrote that before long before Daniel lived, 51:31 David read that. 51:32 You know another reason I know Daniel read the Bible, 51:34 why did Daniel pray towards Jerusalem. 51:37 Notice it says here toward Jerusalem, I'm in Daniel 6:10. 51:41 "Cause King Solomon said 51:42 if your people are carried away captive 51:44 if they prayed towards this place, 51:47 you prayed toward Jerusalem." 51:49 You also read in Daniel 9. 51:51 Daniel says, "I was reading the prophecies of Jeremiah." 51:55 So Daniel had a prayer life and Daniel had a study life. 52:00 Are you known as somebody that has personal devotions? 52:04 You read your Bible every day. 52:06 The reason the Book of Daniel is in the Bible 52:07 is 'cause here's a person 52:09 that had a powerful relationship with God, 52:11 he walked with God. 52:12 And I think the key to it is in the middle of Daniel, 52:15 he had a strong devotional life. 52:17 Can you say amen? Amen. 52:18 Are we going to need that 52:19 for preparation in the last days? 52:22 Thy word I've hidden in my heart 52:24 that I might not sin. 52:26 So, of course, they catch him praying, 52:29 he goes to the lions' den. 52:32 The king tries to change his law, 52:34 he can't change his law. 52:36 Can the law of God be changed? No. 52:39 But it says, "The law does not alter. 52:42 It does not alter." 52:43 You notice it says that in Daniel 6:12, 52:47 does not alter. 52:49 You go to verse 15, 52:52 "No law of the Medes and the Persians 52:53 can be changed." 52:55 You go to, I think it says it three times. 52:59 Anyway, I think it's on the previous page. 53:02 So Daniel goes to the lions' den. 53:06 Now you noticed the similarities between 53:07 Daniel and Jesus? 53:10 Did they have spies following Daniel around? 53:12 Did they have spies following Jesus around? 53:16 Did they say they couldn't find any fault with Daniel? 53:19 Did pilot say I could not find any fault in Jesus? 53:23 Was Daniel married? 53:27 He's married to the people. 53:28 Jesus was married to the church. 53:33 Do they finally make a law because of the law of his God? 53:36 That's what happened with the trial of Jesus. 53:39 They said, "He's broken our law." 53:42 Is he put into the lions' den?" 53:46 Is there stone put on the mouth? 53:49 Does it happen near the going down of the sun? 53:52 Both stories. 53:54 Is there a government seal placed on the lions den? 53:57 Yes. 53:58 Is there a government seal placed on the tomb? 54:00 Yes. 54:02 Does Daniel come out alive? 54:05 The king says, 54:06 "Because he believed in his God Jesus comes out alive." 54:10 It says they're both declared innocent. 54:13 It's just a wonderful parallels 54:15 you find between Jesus and Daniel. 54:17 When does Christ rise? Very early in the morning. 54:19 When does Daniel rise? Very early in the morning. 54:23 It's telling us a story about Christ in here. 54:26 And so, I think you can see from the story of Daniel 54:30 that what Daniel went through and Shadrach, and Meschach, 54:33 and they're living in a foreign land 54:37 that some of the things 54:39 that we may encounter in helping prepare. 54:42 Is prophecy a prominent thing in the Book of Daniel? 54:46 Does it talk about last day prophecy? 54:48 Will last day prophecy be an important issue for us 54:51 in the time in which we're living? 54:53 And Daniel was acquainted, 54:54 he was studying the prophecies of Jeremiah 54:58 just before the angel came to him. 54:59 And we should be studying the prophecies 55:02 also in the last days. 55:04 I'm sorry but we're out of time. 55:05 I never saw any questions pop up. 55:07 So I guess we're not doing any. 55:08 I want to remind our friends 55:09 that we are in the lesson number two. 55:12 We do have next week's lesson three, 55:14 we do have a special offer. 55:15 The special offer is Islam and Christianity and Prophecy. 55:19 Islam Christianity and Prophecy. 55:22 If you like a free copy of this, 55:23 it's offer number 840, the sort of a premium offer. 55:27 And just call the number 866-788-3966, 55:31 we'll send you this. 55:32 After you watch it, we hope you'll share it with somebody. 55:35 And we're offering that for free now. 55:37 We want to get the Word out. 55:39 Thank you very much for studying with us friends. 55:40 God willing we'll do it again in next Sabbath. 55:54 Friends, we're out here in the Pacific ocean, 55:56 not too far from the Island of Fiji. 55:58 And we're getting ready to look at 55:59 some wonders in the deep. 56:02 The Bible says, "God made the heaven, 56:04 the earth, and the sea." 56:05 And there are things under the sea 56:07 that are beautiful that many people have never seen. 56:09 Some folks might just skim along snorkel on the surface. 56:12 But if you want to see the real majesty of the ocean, 56:15 you got to go deeper. 56:30 Because people don't have gills like fish, 56:33 we have to do something extraordinary 56:34 to be able to breathe below the surface. 56:37 And because you have to breathe all the time, 56:39 we need this special equipment. 56:43 In the same way the Bible says, 56:45 "A Christian needs to pray without ceasing. 56:48 We need to always be breathing the atmosphere of heaven 56:51 if we're going to live a Christian life 56:52 in this world below. 57:20 Wow. What a wonderful world. 57:35 Let's face it, it's not always easy to understand 57:38 everything you read in the Bible. 57:40 With over 700,000 words contained in 66 books, 57:44 the Bible can generate a lot of questions. 57:46 To get biblical straightforward answers, 57:49 call into Bible Answers Live, 57:50 a live nationwide call-in radio program 57:53 where you can talk to Pastor Doug Batchelor 57:55 and ask him your most difficult Bible questions. 57:58 For times and stations in your area 58:00 or to listen to answers online, visit bal.amazingfacts.org. |
Revised 2018-04-11