God’s Animal Parade - Part 1

Undermined Christian lady asked some of the Old Testament's greatest chapter is one of the summons of Scripture and others of wood tirelessly to discredit and destroy it today own tuning point. Dr. David Jeremiah opens the seventh chapter of Daniel to review what God wants us to know about the future through some of the Bible's most detailed prophecies is David to introduce his message God's animal right will have been telling you from the very beginning that the first six chapters of Daniel are narrative their stories about Daniel but beginning with chapter 7 we get into the prophetic section of the book and this is riveting.

I must tell you of these prophecies set in history, some of which have come true and others that are still yet in the future. You don't want to miss one single day. As we unfold the truth of Daniel, beginning in the seventh chapter beginning today. Well, let's get into our discussion today about God's animal prey. Daniel 7128 in my file.

I have an article clip from the national observer of March 1972 in which a story entitled doomsday is found. This is a report of a conference that was held at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington. The meeting was attended by scientists and scholars of such stature as one of von Braun at this meeting a group of young researchers who had been studying world conditions said bluntly that unless man repents and changes his habits and lifestyles. Civilization will reach its growth limits within 100 years that it will collapse.

That wasn't a preacher saying that that was a group of young scientist who averaged in age.

Just 26 years. They said that only disaster faces us unless we change our direction. Prof. Albert Weber, a great historian, said in his book farewell to European history back to the one who is endowed with historical perspective, it must be clear that we are at the end of world history as we know it." Hg Wells, another well-known historian has added his words to this prophecy. He said in his book the mind at the end of its tether. I predict that the generation in which you and I live will be the last generation on the earth."

No matter how one reads history or ponders the prophecies of secular and religious quote prophets. We all recognize that strange things are happening in the world in which you and I live today unrest is almost everywhere in our world one has the feeling that war could break out at any time and for five key spots around the globe as we read our newspapers.

We wonder if perhaps the world will end by our self-destruction of each other. What will be the final outcome of the nations in this period of history. Can anybody know what I have good news for you.

We can know and we cannot know all the details and we cannot know all of the information we may wish to know what God has provided for us a broad scope of prophecy into which we can fit even the things which are happening in our generation today when we come to the seventh chapter of the book of Daniel we come to a chapter which is been called by some the center of gravity of the whole book of Daniel and one of the summits of Scripture.

Dr. John Woburn. He noted prophetic scholar says that Daniel seven provides the most comprehensive and detailed prophecy of future events that you will find anywhere in the Old Testament," I am told that among the scribes and copy the Old Testament Daniel seven was considered the greatest chapter in the Old Testament Scriptures. This is a chapter of pure future prophecy is the record of God's incredible and unchanging plan for the nation. It is no wonder that the critics have worked so hard to destroy this book for the prophecies that were given in the seventh chapter of Daniel which have been literally fulfilled in history. Promise us that the prophecies that are yet unfulfilled will so literally be fulfilled in the future and anyone who does not believe in a supernatural Bible has a tremendous problem with that truth. Before we look at the actual prophecies that are in this book and just barely get started in the prophetic part of Daniel beginning of the seventh chapter, I need to clarify some matters about the structure of the book of Daniel, and so these are sort of introductory thoughts as we began the second section, first of all I need to tell you that Daniel is not a book like the other books of the Bible.

It does not follow consecutively in its message. I want you to notice the first verse of the seventh chapter it says in the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and immediately we know were dealing with the problem here because we thought we had finished Belshazzar off. Remember when we had them at that party and the handwriting came on the wall and we knew that while the writing was on the wall.

The Persians were coming in on the wall and it was good to be all over for Bill Shatzer. That's the end of chapter 6 and here we are in chapter 7 and you guys again and so we have to ask a question, where did he come from and what's he doing in chapter 7. When we thought it was all done with in chapter 6. Well I'm glad you asked because I want to tell you the answer to that question in the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon. We have just discovered one of the key principles of the book of Daniel and that is that the book of Daniel does not come chronologically in order. You say to me pastor Jeremiah, this looks hard enough to understand. Now you tell me the books out of order. Well, it is the seventh chapter of Daniel begins the second major section of the book, and Daniel one through six has been the historical part of the book of Daniel seven through 12 is the prophetic part of the book. Now listen carefully. Much of the prophecy needs to be laid down in the historical section of the book. In essence, the prophecies of Daniel seven through 12 fall into the cracks in Daniel one through six so that the seventh chapter and the other chapters which follow in this book literally fit into the historical chronology of chapters 1 through six and let me point out to you before we get started in your notice.

Chapter 7 in the second half of the book of Daniel we have four visions that Daniel had himself visions that he had and the first one is the seventh chapter and we've already discovered that took place in the first year, Bill Shatzer, about 555 BC come to Daniel eight and the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me the first verse that tells us where that vision fit in the third year of Belshazzar's reign turned over to chapter 9 for the fourth vision in the first year of Darius the Son of Man has awareness of the siege of the me now we know where that 1 Took Pl. because we've already run into Darius in the first half of the book come now to the 10th chapter in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, and there's the last vision. So what you need to do to understand the book of Daniel is to understand that chapter 7 through 12, give us visions that literally took place during the. Historically that is described in chapters 1 through six knows everybody with me. You have to take seven through 12 and went down over the top of one through six. If you don't you really go to be confused because all these people we thought we were done with the keep popping up all the time. In the second half of the book. Now Daniel store dreams, took place over a period of some 22 years and Daniel one through six. We see Daniel interpreting dreams for others. Remember Nebuchadnezzar in chapters 7 through 12 we see Daniel interpreting his own dreams if we would divide the book in another way for innocence. Daniel seven is both the hand of the first section and the beginning of the second. If you go back to the book, you'll discover that chapters 1 through seven reveal the destiny of the nations of the world and chapters 8 through 12 reveal the destiny of the nation of Israel. So when you get to the end of the seventh chapter. Guess what happens no more Aramaic no mortality in language after the seventh chapter. Why well done with those guys will start in chapter 8 with the people of Israel were back in the program for Israel. I want to talk just a moment about the significance of the seventh chapter because without these introductory remarks were not going understand what's going on is going to be a challenge. Even with these introductory remarks.

Chapter 2 is a dream given to Nebuchadnezzar and interpreted by Daniel and chapter 7 is a dream given to Daniel and interpreted by an angel. Chapter 2 in chapter 7 go together. Chapter 2 uses an inanimate beast to convey its message. Chapter 7 uses live looking beasts that come out of the sea chapter 2 has 10 toes growing out of the feet of the beast is Colossus and chapter 7 has 10 horns growing out of the head of the last piece. Chapter 2 shows history. Now listen carefully.

Chapter 2 shows history from a pagan king's viewpoint from Nebuchadnezzar's viewpoint a huge success with intrinsic value. This gigantic beast with the head of gold. Remember chapter 2 that was Nebuchadnezzar's idea of human history the great accomplishment of humanity and humanism. Chapter 7 gives you God's viewpoint.

Just a bunch of ravenous carnivorous beasts devouring one another. That's the way God sees the nations of the world before beasts that arise out of the sea represent the moral character of the four kingdoms. The beast that we read about in these last few moments in the first part of chapter 7. Tell us what God thinks of the nations of this world and of its kingdom.

In essence the character of those beasts are symbolized into events that we read about in chapters 1 through six, the moral character of the kingdoms is symbolized in Belshazzar's party, the drunkenness, the debauchery, the impurity, the licentiousness, all of that that symbolizes what goes on in the kingdoms of the world today and the other event in the first part of the book which symbolizes what happens in kingdoms is when Darius demanded that he be worshiped by all of the people. The idolatry and humanism of the kingdoms of this world so we stop for just a moment with our Bibles open and where reminded that chapter 2 of Daniel is the King Nebuchadnezzar's viewpoint of world history and chapter 7 of Daniel is now God's viewpoint to see the difference. I want to notice that the first of the four visions granted to Daniel came in the first year of Bell Shatzer and it is a vision which is most interesting in the first three verses we have the setting of Daniel's dream if you're taking notes that sort of the first section, the setting of Daniel's dream now in order to understand this dream you have to understand that Daniel is the first apocalyptic writer in the Bible.

That's a big word but I want to write it down. Daniel is the first apocalyptic writer in the Bible. What I mean by that. The word apocalyptic means that Daniel wrote through the use of signs and symbols just like in the book of Revelation you open it up to see all seals and the bowls in the files and the judge was everything else.

When you come to the Old Testament Apocalypse which is the book of Daniel to see the same things Daniel conveying prophetic truth from symbols. Daniel says in this book that he had a dream and he had a vision upon his bed, and the symbols of his dream were threefold. Now notice in the first three verses, Daniel said that in his dream he saw three things. First of all, he saw a great see. Secondly he saw for William Stern relating that see and thirdly out of that turbulent sea or beasts came up out of the sea, one after the other protest beast like into nothing you have ever seen in your life except if you watch television late on Saturday night. Now let's take them one at a time. First of all the great see the term that Daniel uses in this verse when he says that I saw in my vision by night, and behold the four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea is an interesting term. It probably has both a literal and figurative meaning in the Bible there are four CDs that are generally mentioned we read about them all the time.

As we read the Scripture, the Galilean see the Red Sea, the Dead Sea and the great see. Note the great see us the Mediterranean. Every time it's used in a localized sense the great sea is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea. Now class. Let me ask you where is this prophetic center of the world. It's the Mediterranean Sea is anybody in doubt about that. That's the prophetic center of the world. If we ever saw it and so Daniel more than likely have stood there many times himself and in his dream he was brought in his vision he was standing by the great Mediterranean Sea and he says out of that see certain things happen, but I like to suggest to you that there's another meaning of the word see which is everywhere evident in the Bible. If you were to go to a fair or to a football game or to place that's greatly crowded.

You might come home and say I never seen such a sea of humanity in my life I've said that often, and that is often the use of that term in the Bible and the Bible. Often the sea is used for great masses and multitudes of people. Let me give you a couple of references really have time to look at them and write them down and listen to them as I read them. Revelation 1715 then he said unto me, the waters which thou saw just where the horse to our peoples, and multitudes and nations, and tongues were the waters, peoples, and multitudes and nations and tongs. There's one you probably memorized Isaiah is the book and the chapters 57 in the verses 20 the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest waters cast up dirt and buyer. One of the wicked like trouble. See Isaiah 1712 and 13. Woe to the multitude of many people who make a noise like the noise of the seas and to the rushing of nations that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters, the nation shall rush like the rushing of many waters, but God shall regroup them etc. etc. what is he talking about. He saying that the waters of the great Caesar like great seas of humanity great season.

People now Daniel and his vision sees this huge see great sea of humanity, and he says in his dream. The four winds were blowing up on that. See, now the word for the number four in the Bible is often a number that stands for the world that stands for the earth. We have the four winds from the four corners of the world before points on the compass.

The four seasons and Daniel is picturing literally a gigantic see with winds from all of the four points of the compass blowing him up on that. See, and the picture that he has in his mind from the prophetic application is a picture of the world's condition. Jeremiah 25, 32, says, thus saith the Lord of hosts, behold evil, shall go forth from nation to nation and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the farthest part of your the picture that Daniel sees in his image in his dream as he begins the dreams of a gigantic see and the winds blowing upon the sea so that it's turbulent and it's filled with commotion and turmoil. If you need more reference to the wind and its relationship to the sea. I would encourage you to read the first three verses of Revelation 7 and you might also check out Luke 2125 so the striving of the wind upon the sea, denotes political strife and uprisings in wars and bloodshed among the nations. In other words, Daniel sees the nations and unrest as we have already discovered their nature to be now the third thing the Daniel sees according to the third verse is that out of that turmoil. See four great beasts come out of the water now. Just close your eyes and think about that for a moment.

It's kind of scary, frightening. They're not like any beasts you ever saw that ugly zoo animals never saw in your life. And out of this water. They just come right up out of the water. You know in the Bible. Oftentimes animals are used, to represent kingdoms. Did you know that we give you a couple of illustrations in Ezekiel chapter 29 verses three through five we read of the Dragon of the Nile representing Egypt and Pharaoh in Ezekiel 32 in verse two we read of Pharaoh. The young lion and whale in the sea and Psalm 74 verses 13 and 14 we read about Egypt and she is compared to the Dragon and the Leviathan on in the ancient world. Generally speaking, animals were used as symbols of kingdom and even today, the lion represents who Great Britain and the eagle represents who United States almost every nation has their own animal representative and we learn later on in the chapter that these beasts that are coming up out of the sea are literally kingdoms that have existed in the world. Now stay with the words of sequence in verses four through eight are very important notice.

Daniel says in verse four, first of all, there was a lion and then in verse five he says, and behold another beast in verse six.

After this I beheld another in verse seven after this I saw on the night visions, and behold another. What is he saying these beast and I'll come up at the same time, but they followed each other, one after the other, sequentially, anonymously give it interpretation so we can follow through together.

Each of these beasts represents a chronology of the kingdoms of man, that is exactly the same as it was in chapter 2… Review for a moment. Who was the head of gold babbling. Who are the arms and the rest of silver. Okay Medo Persian who was the belly of brass and what about the size of iron.

All right, now there you've got the interpretation of this passage of Scripture's were going to see they come in exactly the same sequence only. Were seeing it from God's viewpoint as he looks at them. They are still there. Animals in the first animal.

He says, is a very interesting animal. The first beast was like a lion that had eagle wings knows that something a lion with wings. Daniel said I beheld till its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth and made stand upon the feet as a man in a man's heart was given to it. Now the lion is the king of the beasts and the eagle is the king of the birds and this animal symbolizes the Babylonian Empire, which was intended to symbolize by the head of gold and of the head of gold has now become a lion in God's eyes. The national symbol of Babel and listen carefully.

If you were to go to a study in archaeology in that region you would learn quickly that the national symbol of Babel, and was guess what a winged lion. In fact they have discovered and there are replicas of it in the British Museum that at the gates of the city babbling at the main gate. There were two liens that guarded the gate. They were winged lions, I guarantee you that if you're in doubt about the winged lion Daniel was in doubt about it in his day, nor any of the people who read his prophecy. The winged lion automatically stood babbling and the wings indicate the swift strong conquest of the strong and cruel kingdom.

And so this first beast combines the majesty of the lion and the strength and the power of an eagle. This suggests the power and the strength of the Babylonian empire in Jeremiah 49 verses 19 to 22, we see the eagle and the lion both used to describe Nebuchadnezzar in Jeremiah chapter 4 in verse seven we read this about Nebuchadnezzar the lion is come up from his ticket and the destroyer of the nations is on his way was the lion he was Nebuchadnezzar.

Now the interesting thing about this is that Daniel doesn't give us just general prophecies that might likely be fulfilled in a general understanding, but he is so specific we realizes we studied it could be anybody else. When God prophesies.

It's always 100% accurate and when you lay the prophecy down against the history you're overwhelmed at the detail of the prophecy. Now notice what it says about this winged lion it says that the winged lion had its wings plucked off and end up standing on its feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it now. Just think back with me to what we've already studied in the second chapter and in the fourth chapter about Nebuchadnezzar.

You remember him, remember when God taught him a lesson because of his pride.

You remember when Nebuchadnezzar stood up in front of his Babylonian empire. He said, is this not the great babbling that I have made and God struck him down. He became obese that he was walking on all fours and he was eating grass out in the backyard like an oxen in the Scripture says that this winged lion, which was like babbling had its wings plucked about what happened. No Nebuchadnezzar in but after a time he was caused to stand back up like a man and he was given the heart of a man and if you go back to the chapter that describes his demise. It actually says that he had the heart of the beast. God gave them back. Well, well, this is Turning Point were talking about gods and vocally so.

Daniel chapter 7 verses one will see right. For more information on both of your mind series.

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