|
Daniel
3
We learned in the last chapter that Nebuchadnezzar
was not necessarily a corrupt individual, and also that God caused
Israel to become captive in his hands. Now what did God intend to
accomplish by this?
Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of
gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six
cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
-
This image is thought by scholars to be an
Asherah, a tree-like thing that the Gentiles
worshipped at this time, but let's take a closer
look.
-
Threescore cubits is 60, and 6 cubits wide, give
us sixty by 6.
-
Revelation 13, the image that was
made, which everyone must worship and its number
was?
-
Revelation 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him
that hath understanding count the number of the
beast: for it is the number of a man; and his
number is Six hundred threescore and six.
-
So we see the mark of Satan all over this thing.
-
Remember this is prophecy, and these things
shall come to pass in last generation.
-
The last generation was setup May 14 1948.
-
It will happen in our
generation.
-
You are told to count the number of a man, a
certain man, anthropos, as recorded in the
Greek, a certain individual that holds with a
hypnotic stare or gaze.
-
The first beast in Revelation 13 is a political
system, and when Satan made an image to the beast
that had the wound and was about to die, that
this symbolizes the political system.
-
Satan is the king of Babylon in our day.
-
Nebuchadnezzar is the king
of Babylon in the book of Daniel.
-
Keep the parallel in mind, because we see now
Nebuchadnezzar has made an
image and he's going to insist that people
worship it.
2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the
governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the
counsellers, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come
to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
-
This setup is the key words = about twenty years
later
-
Every government office is included here.
-
The king sent = This great Durbar would hardly
have taken place till after the campaign
refereed to in note on "came".
-
Daniel 1:1 In the third
year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah
came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto
Jerusalem, and besieged it.
-
It was therefore probably held about 475 B.C.,
in Daniel's thirty-eighth year, twenty
years after
Nebuchadnezzar's dream of himself, the "head of
gold"
Daniel 2:32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms
of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
-
Captain = leaders, or representative
3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the
treasurers, the counsellers, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the
provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that
Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
-
Notice the use of the words "set up" here.
-
And I want you to remember the exact use of them
in the 12th chapter of Daniel.
-
When you see the abomination of desolation "set
up".
-
Those two words are key words.
-
It is a Hebrew quote that leans toward and they
stood.
-
Again in this verse we see these particular
government offices.
-
Ginsberg and other scholars count eight, but as
"all the rulers" is nebulous, I rather think
this indicates ten, which could be the leaders
from seven nations in Revelation that will form
this government system in the latter days.
-
The king seat, this great Durbar would hardly
have taken place till after the campaign
referred to in note on "came". It was therefore
probably held about 475 B.C. in Daniel's
thirty-eighth year, twenty years after
Nebuchadnezzar's dream of himself, the "head" of
gold.
-
To gather together, note the eight technical
terms. well know to Daniel, but difficult for a
Jew in Jerusalem 300 years later to enumerate so
minutely and so accurately.
-
Princes = satraps
-
Captains = the first three being governmental.
-
Daniel 2:48 Then the king made
Daniel a great man, and gave him many
great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole
province of Babylon, and chief of the governors
over all the wise men of Babylon.
-
49 Then Daniel requested of the
king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego,
over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but
Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations,
and languages,
-
Note there is no mention of the Israelites or
Christian people.
-
It is addressed to everyone.
-
People = peoples, or nations
-
Nations = races, or tribes. He talking about a
one world order.
-
Languages = tongues
5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp,
sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and
worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
-
There are 6 instruments here .. again a hint.
-
The call to worship of the king of Babylon, or
the false christ, is to be done with six
instruments.
-
Also, the sons of Cain are usually gifted
musically.
-
Genesis 4:21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all
such as handle the harp and organ.
-
So we see of Cain extremely and strongly connect
with this image.
-
Revelation 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count
the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is
Six hundred threescore and six.
-
You have to know God's plan
-
What happens at the 6th seal, 6th trumpet and
6th vial?
-
Bible study hour: Mark of the beast
6 And whoso falleth not down
and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast
into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
-
Now what's going to happen to those who do not
worship the beast in the last days?
-
Revelation 13:15 And he had power to give
life unto the image of the beast, that the image
of the beast should both speak, and cause that
as many as would not worship the image of the
beast should be killed.
-
16 And he causeth all, both
small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark
in their
right hand, or in their foreheads:
-
17 And that no man might buy or
sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of
his name.
-
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding
count
the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is
Six hundred threescore and six.
-
And again we see the parallel.
7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the
cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the
people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the
golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
-
These 6 instruments, or the mark of the
false christ, appears four times. In verses, 5,
7, 10 and 15 of this chapter.
-
All the people worshipped the image
-
Jeremiah 27:6 And now have I given all these
lands unto the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of
Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the
field have I given him also to serve him.
7 And all nations shall serve him, and
his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his
land come: and then many nations and great kings shall
serve themselves of him.
-
The captivity of Judah
-
Historical events connected with its beginning
-
Verse 1 and 2 = Time
-
In the third year. It was in the third year of Jehoiakim
that Nebuchadnezzar set out from Babylon; and Daniel,
writing there, speaks of the starting, not of the
arrival at Jerusalem.
-
In the fourth year Jehovah says by Jeremiah 25:9 "I will
send", The date would be 497 B.C. and Daniel's sixteenth
year, he being born probably in 513 B.C. (Josiah's
eighteenth year).
-
Jeremiah 25:9 Behold, I will send and take all
the families of the north, saith the Lord, and
Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant,
and will bring them against this land, and against the
inhabitants thereof, and against all these
nations round about, and will utterly
destroy them, and make them an astonishment,
and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.
-
Revelation 14:8 And there followed another
angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is
fallen, that great city, because she
made all nations drink of the wine
of the wrath of her fornication.
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with
a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and
his image, and receive his mark in his
forehead, or in his hand,
-
Revelation 18:21 And the light of a candle shall
shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of
the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard
no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were
the great men of the earth; for by thy
sorceries were all nations deceived.
8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the
Jews.
-
Jews here is improperly translated, being the
Judeans that were in captivity.
-
Daniel 1:4 Children in whom was no
blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all
wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and
understanding science, and such as had
ability in them to stand in the king's palace,
and whom they might teach the learning and the
tongue of the Chaldeans.
9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man
that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery,
and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the
golden image:
-
Here they're setting a trap for the three
Judeans.
-
This is example of last days... Matthew 24..
will you worship Satan?
-
Matthew 24, God's elect will be deliver up, for
God will speak through you, for the
gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all
nations; and then shall the end come.
-
Revelation 2:10 Fear none of those
things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast
some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have
tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will
give thee a crown of life.
-
Satan himself standing in Jerusalem, in the Holy
Place, saying he is Christ, deceiving those that
did not know the truth.
-
Do you follow the parallel here?
11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that
he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
-
I'd like to bring your attention here to
Revelation 13:15 And he had power to give
life unto the image of the beast, that the image
of the beast should both speak, and cause that
as many as would not worship the image of the
beast should be killed.
Matthew 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill
you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
-
We know in Revelation 11, there are only two
that Satan
kills, they are God's two witnesses.
-
Matthew 24, God's elect will be deliver up, for
God will speak through you, for the
gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all
nations; and then shall the end come.
-
Revelation 2:10 Fear none of those
things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast
some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have
tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will
give thee a crown of life.
-
Satan himself standing in Jerusalem, in the Holy
Place, saying he is Christ, deceiving those that
did not know the truth.
-
Do you follow the parallel here?
-
I'm trying to point out that you're going to be
requested to worship this beast, this false
christ and the system he sets up.
-
This is a reality that you will be experiencing
before many years go by now.
-
I want you to keep this in mind as we continue,
and also to realize what happened to these
three.
-
Did God desert them?
-
Certainly not.
-
So what will you do, when you must make a
choice?
-
Remember God will be with you, standing with
you, just as He was with these three.
12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over
the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded
thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou
hast set up.
-
Certain Jews; again, Judeans here is improperly
translated.
-
Mark 13:12 Now the brother
shall betray the brother to death, and the
father the son; and children shall rise up
against their parents, and shall cause them to
be put to death.
-
You will be pinpointed out, possibly by your own
family; mother, daughter, father or your son.
-
Why? Because they will be deceived into
believing the false christ is Jesus Christ and
they will ask him to convert and save you.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury
commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought
these men before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it
true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor
worship the golden image which I have set up?
-
Do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden
image which I have set up?
-
Satan wants you to worship him
-
True = of set purpose.
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the
sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and
all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have
made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the
same hour into
the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall
deliver you out of my hands?
-
With the parallel again.
-
You will be told when you refuse to worship the
false christ that this is indeed the Christ, so
you will be threatened with the fiery, but
false, furnace of hell.
-
Nebuchadnezzar just said: Daniel 2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is,
that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a
revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
-
See how
Nebuchadnezzar has forgotten Daniel just reveal his
dream to him.
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and
said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in
this matter.
-
Are not careful = do not
account it needful to answering your question.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to
deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of
thine hand, O king.
-
I assure you that the God whom we serve was
guarding these three, and He will deliver you in
that hour.
-
Can you remember David and Goliath?
-
1 Samuel 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this
uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath
defied the armies of the living God.
-
David is saying, just as God helped him slew both the lion and the bear,
Also God will help him bring down the
Philistine, because he hath defied the
armies of the living God.
37 David said more over, The LORD that delivered me out of the
paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver
me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David,
Go, and the LORD be with thee.
David gave all the credit to God, he didn't say, I slew the bear
and lion.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that
we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast
set up.
-
Neither will we worship the image that Satan
sets up in Jerusalem in the near future.
-
Mark 13:11 But when they shall lead you, and
deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what
ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but
whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that
speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the
Holy Spirit.
-
The Holy Spirit will be with you literally.
19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the
form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego:
therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one
seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
-
These three would not worship Nebuchadnezzar
image.
-
Nebuchadnezzar commanded to put them in the
furnace.
-
Nebuchadnezzar commanded them to heat up the
furnace 7 times hotter.
20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were
in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them
into the burning fiery furnace.
-
Satan comes with his fallen angels, 7000 and 10
fallen angels
-
Revelation 13:1 I saw a political system
rise up out of the people,
with ten rulers that take hold out of the seven nations or dominations in the whole world
and almost brings in one world political government.
21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their
hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the
midst of the burning fiery furnace.
-
Why was it indicated here that they were dressed
and all this?
-
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil.
-
These three wore the armor of God, not
physically, but spiritual.
-
They had His shield.
-
They had His sword, which is the truth.
-
Hats = turbans, mantles, or cloaks
22 Therefore because the king's commandment was
urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those
men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
-
The fire was so hot that those who carried the
three there were burned and died.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
-
Notice the number three:
Three is the first of four perfect numbers, Three
denotes divine perfection, Seven denotes spiritual perfection;
Ten denotes ordinal perfection; and Twelve
denotes governmental perfection.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and
rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellers, Did not we
cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said
unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose,
walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of
the fourth is like the Son of God.
-
No wonder the king was astonished.
-
The three were walking free and unhurt in the
midst of this fiery hell on earth, and there was
a fourth with them like unto the Son of God
-
When you find yourself in this position, Christ
Himself will also be with you and speak through
you.
-
Mark 13:11 But when they shall lead you, and
deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what
ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but
whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that
speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the
Holy Spirit.
-
The Holy Spirit will be with you literally.
-
Note that
Nebuchadnezzar saw Christ with his own eyes.
-
He was there.
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of
the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come
hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst
of the fire.
-
Nebuchadnezzar saw the miracle of the three
men
-
Luke 21:18 But there shall not an hair of your head
perish.
-
God's going to be with His elect
-
Revelation 9:4 And it
was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the
earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but
only those
men which have
not the
seal of God in their foreheads.
-
Luke 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from
heaven.
-
Satan's comes saying he is Christ
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and
over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt
you.(Revelation 9)
27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and
the king's counsellers, being gathered together, saw these men, upon
whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head
singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had
passed on them.
-
These three witnessed to these government
officials, just as the two witnesses in
Revelation 11 will witness to the whole world.
-
While the two witnesses suffered death, as we
know it, they were resurrected unharmed.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his
servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and
yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god,
except their own God.
-
Realize this is Nebuchadnezzar saying this.
-
Also keep in mind, you must not worship any
other god, but the living God of heaven, the
Father.
29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language,
which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a
dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this
sort.
-
This back fired on those that tried to have the
children of God killed
-
Verse 8 Wherefore at that time certain
Chaldeans came near, and
accused the Jews.
-
Jews here is improperly translated, being the
Judeans that were in captivity.
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the
province of Babylon.
-
Know that when you serve God, you shall always
have the victory.
-
Praise God.
-
When you show yourself approved to God, God's
going to give you wisdom and you don't have
nothing to worry about in the end times.
• Exactly 2520 years from the exile
of Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.
•
The first tribe to be
conquered by the Assyrians was Manasseh,
in 745 B.C. Exactly 2520 years later America became a nation on July 4, 1776.
• Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant,
(A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt
- page 25
|
|
|
|
|